Jiang Li exited the photo function and opened the QR code, handing it toward Shang Huizhou.
Shang Huizhou curved his lips in satisfaction and scanned her QR code.
Verification successful.
Shang Huizhou opened Jiang Li’s private WeChat profile. It was not much different from the previous account—the name was the same, and the profile picture was still that blurred photo. The figure looked elegant, with beautiful lines.
To Shang Huizhou, the real person looked even better—soft, fair, and delicate.
Shang Huizhou’s gaze fell on Jiang Li’s face. She was lowering her head, carefully arranging the decorations, so he could not see her full face clearly. He could only see her gentle facial outline. Her eyelashes were curled, casting a small shadow under her eyes. Her nose was small and delicate. Her lips looked clean, and seemed even softer.
A few slightly curly strands of hair slipped from behind her ear and fell along both sides of her face. She calmly and naturally tucked the loose hair back behind her ear, her movements gentle.
Shang Huizhou’s eyes darkened slightly as he remembered the first time he met Jiang Li. At that time, his grandfather had taken him to Jiangnan to attend Old Master Jiang’s birthday.
Jiang Li was sitting in the center of the living room playing the piano, wearing a princess dress like a delicate doll.
Later, she even boldly kissed him.
“Big brother, Grandma said if you blow on it, it won’t hurt anymore.”
The little girl’s voice was soft and sweet, and she looked very proud of herself.
He simply didn’t like those kids coming to play with him, so he kept a cold face and ignored them. He didn’t understand where she got the idea that he was hurt.
Yet she just kissed him so openly.
It was the first time Shang Huizhou, who was still a child, had been kissed by such a soft little girl. He stood there completely at a loss.
Ten-year-old Shang Huizhou almost ran away in panic.
He managed to hide for a few hours, but still couldn’t escape her.
The little girl was sharp-eyed and persistent. Out of all the children, she spotted him at the very end. Lifting her small white hands and holding up her princess dress, she ran up to him and said eagerly:
“Big brother, can you play with us? You be the father, and I’ll be the mother.”
Shang Huizhou wanted to refuse. He didn’t want to play such childish games at all.
But the little girl was holding onto his clothes, looking at him with round, sparkling eyes. Her eyes were too beautiful, as if filled with stars—bright and shining. For a moment, he couldn’t find a reason to say no.
With a cold expression, he paused without responding. Little Jiang Li then naturally pulled him into their “playing house” game with her soft little hand.
Shang Huizhou was dragged around by her for two hours and thought he had finally escaped.
But at dinner, the little princess came close again and placed the doll they used earlier into his arms, saying softly, “Big brother, take care of our baby. Wait for me—when I grow up, I’ll marry you.”
Shang Huizhou’s thoughts returned to the present. His complicated gaze turned cold again, and he looked away from Jiang Li’s gentle face, shifting his attention to a light blue gift bag beside the small round table. Inside were sachets of fragrance.
Earlier that night, Jiang Li had already given one each to the old master and Old Zhang.
There were still many left. Who was she planning to give them to?
Shang Huizhou frowned slightly and asked in a calm, low voice, “Buying so many… are you running a wholesale business?”
Jiang Li didn’t understand what he meant. She looked up from the decorations, surprise still in her bright eyes. Following his gaze, she saw the remaining sachets in the bag and said, “They help with sleep.”
What did he mean by wholesale? She had carefully chosen each one and personally filled them with dried flower petals. They were all handmade. They actually looked quite nice. She bought extras to place in the shop, and they could even repel mosquitoes.
Jiang Li casually picked one up and handed it to Shang Huizhou. “Luoluo said you have trouble sleeping. Do you want one?”
Shang Huizhou leaned back into the sofa, hands clasped over his long legs, looking at her lazily. He glanced at her and then at the sachet in her hand, showing no intention of taking it.
Jiang Li had only offered it out of politeness; him refusing was expected. If he actually accepted it, that would be strange.
She put the sachet back into the box and unconsciously rubbed her ankle.
Shang Huizhou noticed her small movement and frowned. “Your foot hurts?”
“No.” Jiang Li was still focused on the decorations—taking photos and labeling them, busy without stopping.
Shang Huizhou’s brows furrowed deeper. “It’s already very late. These aren’t urgent. Do them tomorrow. Go rest first.”
Jiang Li shook her head. “No need. I slept too much during the day, I’m not sleepy.” Since university, she often performed with her teachers and sometimes stayed up until two or three in the morning. She was used to it. She had truly slept enough today.
“You go rest first,” Jiang Li said without even looking up, waving him away. Then she paused slightly and looked up with a friendly smile. “I won’t touch anything in the house.”
She knew Shang Huizhou didn’t like others touching his things. Coming to see her so late was probably partly because of that, so she said it on purpose.
Shang Huizhou’s smooth brow tightened slightly. He didn’t move or speak.
He just stared at the focused Jiang Li. She really hadn’t changed much since childhood—still so absorbed in these little things that she forgot everything else.
He didn’t say more. After a moment, he got up and went back toward the balcony, as if returning to his room.
But not long after, he came back again—this time holding a tube of ointment, disinfectant, and cotton swabs.
Shang Huizhou lifted the ointment slightly and said calmly, “Sit up.”
Jiang Li looked up at him, not understanding.
He repeated, “Your ankle abrasion needs treatment. Otherwise, you’ll be in pain tomorrow.”
Abrasion?
So he had brought medicine for her?
It was just a small friction injury; she hadn’t paid it much attention, only felt a bit uncomfortable.
Shang Huizhou actually taking the initiative to get medicine for her—this was unbelievable.
Thinking back to how he used to treat her, he had never been easy to get along with. He acted like she owed him something.
Jiang Li noticed the faint surprise in his eyes.
He lowered his head, covered his mouth lightly with his fist, and coughed once. “Aren’t you getting up?”
Jiang Li softly responded. She placed her hands on the table to stand, but her arms went weak and she sat back down on the floor, feeling dizzy and a little powerless.
Shang Huizhou’s expression tightened. He reached out his arm toward her. “You’re clearly having low blood sugar. Are you still dieting often?”
Before, when she stayed at their house, she had this bad habit. She was still growing, yet she insisted on controlling her diet, saying that for classical dance she needed to be light and graceful, “like a fairy,” and couldn’t gain weight.
He had forced her to eat properly back then, and she even argued with him for a long time.
Jiang Li denied it. “I’m not. I eat properly. I just squatted too long, so I feel dizzy. My foot too.”
She only controlled her intake moderately; she wasn’t starving herself.
Shang Huizhou pressed his lips together but didn’t question further. He decided he would make sure she fixed her picky eating and dieting habits.
Jiang Li held onto his forearm and stood up, then sat on the sofa.
“I’ll do it myself,” she said, reaching for the medicine.
But Shang Huizhou ignored her. He knelt in front of her without a word, took off her slippers, and placed her small feet—no bigger than his palm—onto his lap.
He paused slightly.
Jiang Li knew why. It was the same reaction her college roommates had—startled by how cold her feet were.
She smiled lightly and joked, “Cold, right? I’ve always been like this. It’s normal. Grandpa always says I’m a cold-blooded animal.”
“They’re always cold. Even in summer, they don’t warm up.”
“Old Master Jiang wasn’t wrong,” Shang Huizhou said, actually agreeing. “A forgetful cold-blooded animal.”
“……”
Jiang Li was not convinced. Who was he to talk?
If anyone was cold-blooded, he would be first place.
Even so, his hands were warm and comfortable.
But being held like this suddenly made Jiang Li feel uncomfortable. She moved her foot, trying to pull away.
Shang Huizhou pressed his palm against her pale foot, not letting her move.
He looked at her with a serious tone. “Don’t move. Your feet are like blocks of ice.”
“……”
Shang Huizhou’s grip was quite firm. Jiang Li really didn’t move anymore—she was afraid he might actually break her foot.
He didn’t rush to apply the medicine. Instead, he held both of her feet in his hands, warming them for a while first. Only after they had warmed up did he open the ointment and gently apply it around the abrasion, carefully avoiding the wound itself. It didn’t hurt—only felt cool and soothing.
After being warmed by him for a while, Jiang Li’s feet felt much better. But soon, a sore, tight feeling rose in her calves instead. Uncomfortable, she bent down and rubbed her leg.
Shang Huizhou frowned slightly and looked up. “Your calf hurts?”
“No, it’s just a bit tight.” She had been overworking herself lately, practicing dance intensively. Her muscles were tired, and the shoes she wore tonight also rubbed her feet. Everything added up.
Shang Huizhou pressed his fingers lightly into her calf with a bit of pressure.
Jiang Li sharply inhaled. “Hiss—be gentler.” It hurt.
She unconsciously grabbed onto the fabric of his robe on his forearm.
Seeing her whole body curl up and tense, even her toes reacting dramatically, Shang Huizhou let out a faint laugh without much emotion and said two words: “So dramatic.”
“……”
But even as he said that, his movements softened. He massaged her calf for about ten minutes before asking, “Better?”
“Yeah.” It felt much better now; the tightness was gone.
He continued applying ointment to her ankle and then stuck a bandage over it. The area around it was slightly red and swollen.
His brows tightened again. He remembered that since childhood, she had always been afraid of pain. After dancing practice, even doing homework at night she would whine softly, complain of pain, and give up halfway.
Then she would bring her homework to his room, disappear, and somehow he would end up forced to do it for her.
He didn’t even know why he agreed back then. But once he started, it became a pattern—he helped her more than once. He had never been that serious about his own homework.
Jiang Li pulled her foot back awkwardly, placing it on the ground. Then she muttered softly, “I’m not talking to you anymore. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”
“……”
Jiang Li reached out, looking at the remaining bandage in his hand. “Give me another one.”
Shang Huizhou handed her the last one.
Jiang Li stuck it on top of the one he had just applied, layering them in a slightly playful way over the red swelling.
Then she suddenly asked, “How is Nora?”
Her eyes drifted toward the cat toys under his desk. There was even a cat teaser wand—things she had bought back then. Everything was still there, untouched.
Shang Huizhou’s eyes darkened slightly. He stood up and said in a cold voice, “You didn’t even take care of her yourself. You expect me to?”
“I mean Nora—” she tried to ask if it had died naturally.
“It got sick. And then it was gone,” he said calmly, wiping his hands, his tone indifferent.
Jiang Li lowered her eyes. She had left in a hurry back then and hadn’t taken Nora with her.
Later, after she settled down, she asked Shang Luo.
Shang Luo told her that not long after she left, Nora was gone.
It had always been a regret buried deep in her heart.
Seeing her downcast expression, Shang Huizhou’s throat moved slightly. He said, “Cats don’t live long anyway. It was probably just old age.”
Jiang Li still looked unhappy.
He changed the topic. “Even if you slept during the day, you should still rest early tonight.”
She nodded lightly, still without much emotion.
After a moment of silence, Shang Huizhou suddenly asked, “Want some milk?”
“?”
Jiang Li looked up at him, surprised. She didn’t understand why he would suddenly say that.
He lightly coughed. “I remember you used to drink milk before bed.”
Jiang Li couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t expected him to remember something like that.
Completely unexpected.
But then again, his memory had always been excellent—almost photographic.
She smiled faintly. “I don’t drink it anymore. I’m grown up.”
In truth, it was a small secret of hers—she still drank milk before bed all these years. If she didn’t, she couldn’t sleep. But she could endure it for one night.
Shang Huizhou rubbed the bridge of his nose and didn’t say anything more. His gaze shifted toward the shopping bags by the wall.
She loved unpacking things—especially things she liked. Yet those bags he gave her were still untouched.
“Put your things away,” he said.
“What?” Jiang Li was confused. She had already packed her things and hadn’t touched his.
Following his gaze, she suddenly smiled. “Mr. Shang, I think you’ve misunderstood. Those are your things.”
“Mine?”
Shang Huizhou looked at her calmly, pretending innocence. “What would I need bottles and jars for?”
That made sense. For someone like him, anything he kept would be valuable and high-end. He wasn’t the type to collect random things.
So… those things were still hers after all.
Jiang Li frowned at him, clearly annoyed.
Shang Huizhou raised an eyebrow slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She huffed. “You’re kind of too much. You should’ve told me in the shop that they were mine.”
“Didn’t I?” he said calmly, looking completely innocent.
“You—”
She took a breath, forcing a smile that wasn’t really a smile. “You did. You said, ‘It’s not bought for you, no need to thank me.’”
Shang Huizhou said calmly, without even blinking, “Oh, that was probably a slip of the tongue.”
“……”
Jiang Li said word by word, “So I should also thank Mr. Shang for his ‘slip of the tongue’! If you didn’t have that ‘slip,’ I would’ve had the shop owner ship everything back already.”
Shang Huizhou couldn’t sense even a bit of her gratitude. The corner of his lips almost lifted, and he deliberately said, “No need to thank me.”
“……”
Jiang Li was so angry she felt like she was about to explode.
Seeing her puffed-up, glaring expression, Shang Huizhou found it funny. Then he said, “It’s simple. Since it’s not shipped back to Dali, you can just leave it here. Don’t you usually work on these kinds of things anyway?”
“That’s not okay!” She had already spent money on them. No matter what, she had to take them back. Worst case, she’d just ship them herself.
Shang Huizhou suggested again, “I remember you have a place in Beijing. It should be empty. You could just leave them there as decorations in the courtyard.”
Yes—she did have a small apartment with a garden. It wasn’t decorated yet. She bought it years ago when she earned her own money, and even borrowed some from Shang Huizhou at the time, taking over a year to pay it back.
But those items were worth tens of thousands. Leaving them as decorations in a courtyard? She wasn’t some rich tycoon like Shang Huizhou, where tens of thousands meant nothing. For someone like her who ran a small business, carefully managing every expense, that was far too wasteful. How could he even suggest that?
She would just resell them when she got back and at least recover her costs.
Jiang Li shook her head. “No. I won’t be staying in Beijing often anyway. Leaving things here would be a waste.”
She was planning to settle in Dali in the future, or possibly return to Jiangnan to accompany her grandparents.
Although her job was based in Beijing, she didn’t intend to live there permanently. When needed, she stayed in the troupe’s provided apartment. Most of the time, she traveled around for performances.
Shang Huizhou didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he sat down leisurely, playing with a small dog figurine he had quietly taken from her.
He looked at the “home” she had carefully arranged and asked, “Jiang Li, what are your requirements for where you live?”
“I don’t really have any requirements. I actually like where I’m living now.” A peaceful town, friendly neighbors. When she had free time, she would go out with her antique teacher, travel around mountains and seas, and pick up things she liked along the way.
Shang Huizhou’s eyes darkened slightly. After a moment, he asked carefully, “Before you came to Beijing, did Old Master Jiang or my grandfather mention anything else to you?”
“What else?” Jiang Li was confused. She hadn’t seen her grandfather in over two months. He kept saying not to disturb his “couple time” with her grandmother.
As for Old Master Shang, there was nothing either.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, noticing his serious expression.
Shang Huizhou’s face remained calm and unreadable. After a moment, he bent down, placed the little dog figurine on the round table, then stood up and said lightly, “Nothing. Go rest early.”
After he left, Jiang Li looked at his tall figure disappearing down the hallway before going to wash up.
After her shower, she came out and cleaned up the table. Only then did she notice one sachet of fragrance was missing—the one she liked the most, the plain-colored one.
She had bought it for herself, planning to put it in her car.
She searched everywhere, but couldn’t find it. After flipping through all the bags, it was gone.
A little frustrated, she turned around and saw a cup of milk on the small round table.
She touched it—it was warm.
It must have been left by Shang Huizhou.
Her mood improved just a little. She took a small sip, then finished the whole cup.
Lying in bed, she thought about it and decided to thank him. She opened WeChat and sent:【Thank you. Milk jpg.】
Shang Huizhou was half-reclining in bed, reviewing documents on his tablet. When his phone chimed, he picked it up.
It was her message of thanks.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly, a faint warmth passing through his usually cold expression. He replied:【Mm. Good night.】
Jiang Li quickly replied:【Good night.】
Shang Huizhou stared at the message for a few seconds, then locked his phone and placed it on the bedside table.
His attention shifted to the sachet beside him.
He picked it up. The wooden fragrance was light and pleasant.
It smelled quite good.