“You can go now, I’ve arrived.”
After walking for about ten minutes, Xu Qiuchi and Shen Che reached the garage entrance.
Since saving Xu Qiuchi at the bar last night, Shen Che had maintained a deliberately distant attitude.
Hearing his words, Xu Qiuchi froze on the spot. Her lips parted slightly, but for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
She stood there quietly. The gown she wore had been hand-stitched by a private designer to fit her figure perfectly, and it now showcased her graceful curves to the fullest.
The autumn breeze blew gently. Unlike usual, Xu Qiuchi had not tied up her waterfall-like hair. It now flowed freely, dancing in the wind like a graceful fairy.
Strands of her hair floated and brushed against her fair skin, adding a touch of charm and softness.
Her delicate face looked exceptionally beautiful under the autumn sunlight—brows like distant mountains, eyes clear like autumn water, lips naturally pink. Everything about her was exquisite, harmonious, and just right.
Yet the man before her, who had once loved her so deeply, showed no reaction. Was she not pretty enough, or had he simply stopped liking her?
Shen Che’s seemingly casual attitude was like the passing breeze—light and unremarkable. But unlike the wind, this attitude stirred something within her heart.
It was as if an invisible hand had lightly tugged at her heartstrings—not harshly, but just enough to touch something buried deep inside.
Xu Qiuchi’s heart was in turmoil, but on the surface, she remained as cold and expressionless as ever.
At this moment, Shen Che had been struggling internally for some time. He finally made up his mind to say what he truly felt.
He stopped walking, turned, and looked steadily at Xu Qiuchi. His expression was serious as he said, word by word, “Miss Xu, I think there’s something wrong in your heart.”
It was only their second conversation today, and Shen Che had taken the rare initiative to speak.
Xu Qiuchi’s expression instantly turned cold, her tone frosty. “Shen Che, what do you mean by that?”
Her eyes were full of caution as she looked at him, her brows slightly furrowed.
Waves stirred in Xu Qiuchi’s heart. How did he know? Her fingers instinctively clenched the corner of her dress, but her face still pretended calm, maintaining that cold exterior. Only her faintly trembling eyelashes betrayed the unease inside her.
“Miss Xu, I apologize. If I’m wrong, please forgive me.”
“We’ve known each other since childhood, grew up together. It was a few years ago when I noticed something had changed in you.”
“You used to be innocent, cheerful, lively… but then you suddenly became quiet, distant, cold.”
“The change became more and more obvious. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I kept asking myself—what kind of experience could have caused someone so bright to carry such a heavy shadow?”
“Was it something that happened in your family? That suspicion has always lingered in my mind. But whenever I tried to ask, your hesitant look would stop me. I’d always swallow my questions in the end.”
“And as your friend, the only thing I could do all these years… was show up every day, again and again. Maybe I just wanted to be there for you, to help you through that dark phase.”
Shen Che recalled the events from the original novel as he spoke, intertwining them with his own understanding.
His words were like keys, slowly prying open the tightly locked knot deep inside Xu Qiuchi’s heart.
She stood there, her guarded expression slowly softening.
Her lips moved, and she managed to say “I…” but then fell silent again.
After a long pause, her gaze began to shift. She no longer dared to meet Shen Che’s eyes.
The death of her parents had always been a secret buried deep in her heart—a wound she could never heal from, a past too painful to revisit, and the core of her emotional entanglement.
Seeing this, Shen Che continued, “Miss Xu, you seem to reject affection… or maybe you deeply resent the idea of romantic relationships.”
“Maybe I’m wrong. But even if I am, I still think it needs to be said.”
“Miss Xu, I feel like, at some point, you started believing something fundamentally wrong—that love between a man and a woman is nothing more than mutual exploitation.”
“Forgive me for being blunt, but if you keep holding on to this extreme view, you might miss out on many beautiful things… you may even end up alone.”
Xu Qiuchi’s face turned pale. Her pearly teeth bit her lower lip, her body swayed slightly, but she gave no reply—only silence.
In truth, because she feared being hurt, she had always rejected romantic advances. Shen Che’s constant simping only made her instinctively want to push him away. Every time someone confessed to her, she couldn’t help but think of her parents’ tragic marriage… Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
This made her personality increasingly withdrawn. Over the years, she had fewer and fewer friends. Aside from Shen Che, there was no one she truly considered a friend.
In her daily life, outside of work, she avoided contact with men. As for women—seeing how outstanding and beautiful she was, and how many admirers she had since childhood—none were willing to be close to her either.
You could say that from childhood till now, only Shen Che had been her true friend. But his constant doting and clinging made her secretly dislike him, to the point where she always avoided him coldly.
Shen Che’s words were blunt and piercing, harsh to the ear—but every sentence was sincere, filled with concern.
After hearing it all, Xu Qiuchi’s face turned even paler.
She instinctively gripped the hem of her dress, nails digging into her palm, trying to use the pain to distract herself from the torment inside.
She bit down, holding back her trembling lips, took a deep breath, and tried to appear calm—like nothing had changed. But the slight tremble in her shoulders revealed the storm raging within her.
“I believe that love between a man and a woman is not just resentment, disgust, or calculation,” Shen Che continued, his tone carrying a mix of comfort and encouragement.
“There is still true, pure love in this world.”
Thinking back on the original character’s pathetic experiences, Shen Che concluded sincerely, “Miss Xu, as someone who’s known you for so long, I truly hope you can walk out from your past.”
His eyes were sincere, and his voice was full of care.
“If you’re willing to take just one small step, you’ll see that this world still holds so much beauty waiting for you.”
Xu Qiuchi quietly listened to every word, then slowly lowered her head.
Her mind repeated Shen Che’s words over and over, as if dissecting each syllable, savoring the deeper meaning behind them.
For a long while, everything around her was silent. Only the gentle breeze occasionally rustled her hair.
She didn’t say a word.
But inside her heart, the waves were already surging violently.