On the way, Auntie Shi enthusiastically introduced her home situation. From her words, Ruan Shiyu learned that Auntie Shi’s two children were both away, her husband had passed away years ago, and she was currently living alone.
Knowing this, it was no wonder she was so warm toward young people. Ruan Shiyu’s heart softened, and her voice grew much gentler as she spoke to Auntie Shi.
"Come on in, hurry." At the doorway, Auntie Shi enthusiastically fetched a pair of slippers for Ruan Shiyu and ushered her inside.
Ruan Shiyu matched her enthusiasm and stepped in.
There was a large fish tank between the entryway and the living room in Auntie Shi’s home, blocking the view of the interior from the door. It wasn't until she was pushed inside that Ruan Shiyu was startled to find someone sitting there.
Xu Xiangqian was sitting quietly on the sofa. Dressed in a white casual outfit, he looked perfectly composed. Hearing the commotion, he stood up. He was handsome, with polite and refined manners. "Auntie Shi, you’re back."
"Yes, and I brought someone with me." Auntie Shi smiled and pushed Ruan Shiyu forward. "You young people chat for a bit. I still have a pot of soup to watch in the kitchen, I'll go check on it."
With that, she turned and left without waiting for a reply.
Now, only Ruan Shiyu and Xu Xiangqian were left in the living room.
Because she was a homebody, Ruan Shiyu wasn't very good at socializing, especially since Xu Xiangqian’s expression was so cool and detached. She didn't dare start a conversation, standing there awkwardly for a long time before finally stuttering out, "H-hey! What a coincidence."
Xu Xiangqian simply replied coolly, "Sit down."
His attitude was casual, not nearly as intimidating as Ruan Shiyu had imagined.
As Xu Xiangqian looked away from her, Ruan Shiyu felt much more relaxed. She busied herself with smoothing her hem and walked to the sofa, choosing a seat as far from him as possible.
Feeling the other end of the sofa sink, Xu Xiangqian raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. Why was this little woman sitting so far away? Did he look like he would eat her?
Neither spoke, and the atmosphere in the living room grew chilly. Unable to stand the tension, Ruan Shiyu wanted to speak, but remembering his cold personality, she swallowed her words back down. She fidgeted on the sofa, shifting her posture every few seconds.
Ruan Shiyu thought she was moving very lightly, but she didn't realize that since they were on the same sofa, Xu Xiangqian could feel every minor movement she made. Watching her restless agitation, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Would you like to watch TV?"
He picked up the remote and turned the television on.
The living room suddenly filled with sound. Having some background noise, even just from the TV, made Ruan Shiyu feel much more at ease. She let out a long breath and said, "TV... I haven't watched this in a long time."
Xu Xiangqian had been flipping through channels, but when he heard this, his hand paused.
Coincidentally, the channel landed on a painting program, where the host was patiently explaining the various uses of watercolor brushes.
Ruan Shiyu’s eyes lit up. "How about this one? Don't change it."
Xu Xiangqian was a bit surprised. "You can paint?"
Speaking of her profession, Ruan Shiyu’s tone became a bit proud. "Of course! I’m a professional manga artist!"
As she said it, she felt a bit discouraged. A manga artist—someone in the 2D world—someone like Xu Xiangqian probably wouldn't understand or appreciate that, right? Would he think she just drew cartoons for children?
Xu Xiangqian didn't react much. He gave a faint nod, put down the remote, and accepted her request.
Just then, Auntie Shi walked out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron. She smiled and asked, "Xiao Qian, you don't eat cilantro, right? And Shishi, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
"Huh?" Ruan Shiyu barely realized she was being addressed. She suppressed the urge to complain and hurriedly put on a smile. "I eat everything. Please don't go to too much trouble."
"It's no trouble," Auntie Shi laughed. "I'll have it ready in a moment. You two just wait for a good meal!"
She turned and headed back to the kitchen.
After Auntie Shi left, Ruan Shiyu tilted her head and looked at Xu Xiangqian with a mischievous smile. "You don't like cilantro?"
Xu Xiangqian turned his head away, looking uncomfortable. Ruan Shiyu noticed that the man’s ears seemed to have turned red.
It was too faint for her to be certain, but even so, it was enough to make her giggle to herself.
Before long, Auntie Shi emerged from the kitchen, took off her apron, and warmly invited them to eat.
At the dining table, there was a feast.
Once Ruan Shiyu sat down, Auntie Shi began piling food onto her plate. "My son and daughter are both away and don't come home much. I get lonely living here by myself sometimes. Xiao Qian comes over to keep me company occasionally, and now that I have you, Shishi, I won't have to worry about being lonely anymore."
Ruan Shiyu was soft-hearted and easily swayed. Hearing this, she quickly said, "I’ll come visit often."
This delighted Auntie Shi.
Compared to their lively conversation, Xu Xiangqian was much quieter. Ruan Shiyu glanced at him twice, seeing him quietly picking at his food with elegant movements. He looked every bit like a heartthrob.
Even eating looked graceful on him. Ruan Shiyu sighed to herself while tucking in.
Halfway through the meal, Xu Xiangqian’s phone rang. He frowned, set down his chopsticks, and said to them, "Apologies, I have a call to take."
"Is it something at the hospital?" Auntie Shi asked quickly. "Go ahead, it's fine."
Despite what Auntie Shi said, Xu Xiangqian nodded apologetically to both of them before getting up and stepping away.
A moment later, he returned. "Auntie Shi, I’m sorry, something urgent has come up at the hospital. I have to go immediately. I’m afraid I’ll have to cut this meal short."
Auntie Shi knew how busy his work was. She stood up, saying, "I'll see you out."
Seeing him leave, Ruan Shiyu stood up as well, intending to follow along.
Auntie Shi immediately pressed her back down. "Shishi, you stay here. I’ll be right back."
Ruan Shiyu couldn't refuse her kindness, so she nodded toward Xu Xiangqian. "Goodbye."
"Mhm." Xu Xiangqian gave her a deep look, nodded coolly, and left with Auntie Shi.
Auntie Shi returned quickly, just as she had promised. By then, Ruan Shiyu was nearly full, and with Xu Xiangqian gone, she felt a bit distracted. After chatting for a few more minutes, she prepared to say her goodbyes.
Before she could speak, Auntie Shi let out a cry of surprise. "Oh dear."
Ruan Shiyu looked up. "Auntie Shi, what’s wrong?"
Auntie Shi pointed at the white jacket on the sofa. "Xiao Qian forgot his coat!"
"Ah?" Ruan Shiyu blinked, confused.
Auntie Shi grabbed her shoulders. "You live in the building owned by Xiao Qian’s family, right? You live right across the hall from his parents. Could you do me a favor and take this to him?"
Ruan Shiyu had just finished a meal at her house and felt too embarrassed to refuse the request after being treated so warmly. She agreed, took the jacket, and walked out of the house.
It was her first time carrying a man's jacket. Once she left the apartment, she felt inexplicably embarrassed. She wanted to bunch the jacket up and pretend it wasn't a man’s garment at all.
As she bundled it up, she felt something hard and small in the pocket.
What could it be? Curiously, she reached in and pulled it out, only to find two White Rabbit milk candies.
"Eh?" Just as she was wondering about it, she heard footsteps downstairs. She looked down and saw Xu Xiangqian walking up.
He must have realized he’d forgotten his coat and returned for it.
Ruan Shiyu hurried forward. "Your coat. Auntie Shi asked me to bring it to you."
Xu Xiangqian stopped in front of her. He took the coat, glanced at her, and said coolly, "Thanks."
He turned to leave immediately.
He seemed in a rush. As Ruan Shiyu watched him head down the stairs, she remembered the two candies still in her hand. "Xu Xiangqian!"
He stopped and looked up at her.
Ruan Shiyu felt a bit embarrassed. Not knowing how to explain why she had dug through his pocket, she held out her hand to show him the candies. "These were yours, right? Here."
Xu Xiangqian paused. A complex emotion flickered in his dark eyes, but he quickly returned to his calm demeanor.
"Keep them," he said flatly.
Then he walked away.
Ruan Shiyu was stunned. She felt like she was hallucinating again—she could have sworn he’d blushed.
*I must have exercised too much today,* she muttered to herself as she walked back up the stairs. When she reached her door, she couldn't help but peel open one of the candies and pop it into her mouth.
The familiar, creamy sweetness melted on her tongue, warming her heart.
"Click." As she opened her door, her phone rang.
Startled out of her reverie, Ruan Shiyu pulled her phone out and answered without thinking.
The electronic voice on the other end was cold and rigid, jolting her out of her sweet stupor. "Host, you have not completed your exercise task for the day. You will now be penalized by the System. You have three minutes to defend yourself. Starting countdown: two minutes and fifty-nine seconds, two minutes and fifty-eight seconds..."
"Eh? What? What is this?" Ruan Shiyu was dumbfounded. She quickly closed her door, clutched her phone, and headed toward the bedroom, shouting, "What do you mean I didn't complete the task? Didn't I go to the gym? On what grounds are you saying I failed?"