Shen Zhili set down the bags in her hands and glanced around.
Adjacent to the living room was an even smaller bedroom. The bed was neatly made, squared off, with a few textbooks from Qinzhou Academy placed on the bedside table.
There was no desk lamp on the desk, only a worn-out rechargeable nightlight with several scratches on its plastic casing.
Shen Zhili walked over and pulled open the desk drawer.
Inside, a stack of draft paper was neatly arranged, along with a few gel pens that were almost out of ink.
At the very bottom lay a photograph.
She picked it up.
The photo had already yellowed slightly, its edges worn.
A gentle-faced woman held a five- or six-year-old boy in her arms, her smile pure and warm.
Shen Zhili stared at the woman, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity… but she couldn’t recall where she had seen her before.
The boy in her arms had strikingly bright, dark eyes, a small smile curling at the corners of his mouth, tinged with a timid kind of obedience.
That was… Jiang Xianzhuo.
A Jiang Xianzhuo not yet worn down by dirty schemes and cold reality.
Shen Zhili gazed at the photo for a long time, her fingertips brushing over his youthful little face through the thin photo paper.
A faint smile also crept onto her lips.
Smiling, Shen Zhili carefully returned the photo to its original place, closed the drawer, sealing away that irretrievable past.
She turned and walked out of the bedroom, took out her phone, and dialed a number.
“Hello, is this the housekeeping company? I need a cleaner, to come immediately.”
“Yes, third floor of Qingshan Apartments.”
“No deep cleaning needed, just a regular tidy-up.”
“Mm, within an hour.”
After hanging up, Shen Zhili dialed a second number.
“Mom Liu, are you free now? Help me prepare a few things.”
“Yes, the freshest ingredients, and some daily necessities.”
“Right, I’ll send you the address. Have the driver bring them over.”
After giving these instructions, Shen Zhili finally let out a sigh of relief.
She walked back to the living room and began unpacking the large shopping bags.
Top-tier oil paints, expensive brushes, a brand-new palette, an adjustable easel, and a thick sketchbook.
One by one, she laid them out on the floor.
In the corner of the living room, by the window, the light was best.
Shen Zhili moved all the items there and began arranging them methodically.
The easel was set up and adjusted to the most comfortable height, the paints arranged neatly by color, the brushes placed in a holder, and the sketchbooks stacked beside them.
She had even specially bought a thick protective cloth, carefully spreading it on the floor to prevent paint from staining it.
After working for over half an hour, a simple yet professional painting corner was finally complete.
Shen Zhili stood up, brushed the fine dust from her hands, and looked at her handiwork with satisfaction.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
It was the cleaner from the housekeeping company.
Shen Zhili opened the door and stepped aside to let her in.
“Please clean the entire place, focusing on the bedroom and kitchen.”
She paused, pointing to the corner.
“Don’t touch that corner in the living room, and don’t throw anything away unless it’s trash. Otherwise, do as you like.”
The cleaner nodded and, without another word, got to work efficiently.
Shen Zhili stood to the side, took out her phone again, opened the green app, and sent a message to Jiang Xianzhuo.
【I’ve left the things at your place, in the corner by the window in the living room.】
Sent.
A few minutes later, Jiang Xianzhuo replied with a single word.
【Mm.】
Shen Zhili raised an eyebrow.
He actually bothered to reply to her today?
Just as she was about to send another message, the doorbell rang again.
This time, it was the Shen family driver, holding several large bags stuffed to the brim.
“Miss, the things you requested.”
Shen Zhili took them, thanked him, and carried the items into the kitchen.
Fresh pork ribs, freshly slaughtered chicken, vibrant green vegetables, along with various seasonings and imported daily necessities.
She glanced at the old single-door refrigerator in the kitchen and pulled it open.
Inside was empty, save for two eggs and a bunch of celery—clearly, Jiang Xianzhuo hadn’t had time to restock.
Frowning, Shen Zhili pulled out the celery and stuffed all the fresh ingredients she’d brought into the refrigerator.
Filling it to the brim.
She closed the refrigerator door and sighed.
“Next time, I’ll just buy him a double-door fridge.”
Then, Shen Zhili began arranging the daily necessities she’d brought, determined to leave her mark in every corner Jiang Xianzhuo could see.
Once she finished, the cleaning lady had also completed her work.
Shen Zhili paid her and saw her out.
The entire apartment was now spotless.
The windows gleamed, the floors shone, and even the air carried the faint scent of cleaning products.
Shen Zhili gave everything one final check, making sure nothing was overlooked, before picking up her bag to leave.
At the doorway, she paused.
She glanced back at the brand-new painting area in the corner of the living room.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the colorful tubes of paint and reflecting a warm glow.
Shen Zhili’s lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
She turned, closed the door, and slowly made her way downstairs.
Outside, the sun was setting, the evening sky ablaze with fiery clouds, beautiful as a dream.
Staring at the fiery sunset, Shen Zhili could already picture Jiang Xianzhuo’s stunned expression when he saw everything.
She couldn’t help but sigh:
“Jiang Xianzhuo, oh Jiang Xianzhuo.”
“Everything I’ve prepared for you is the best.”
“If you ever dare to cheat on me, I’ll burn all your paintings.”
…
After leaving Qingshan Apartments, Shen Zhili didn’t head home immediately.
She walked a few steps along the street, turned into the nearby commercial district, and plunged into a shopping mall.
For Shen Zhili, shopping was second nature.
But today, she had no interest in the luxury stores. Instead, she headed straight to the fifth-floor home goods section, stopping in front of the dazzling array of daily necessities.
She wanted to buy a lunchbox.
Exactly like Jiang Xianzhuo’s.
The shelves were filled with all kinds of lunchboxes—plastic, stainless steel, glass, in every color imaginable, enough to make one’s head spin.
Shen Zhili frowned, picking up each one to inspect.
Too ugly, no.
Too flashy, no.
Too cheap, also no.
Finally, in a corner, she found a lunchbox similar in style to Jiang Xianzhuo’s.
A double-layered design with a stainless steel inner container and a sleek dark gray exterior, simple yet elegant.
Shen Zhili picked it up, weighed it in her hand, and nodded in satisfaction.
This was the one.
She carried the lunchbox to the checkout, then made a quick detour to the adjacent upscale supermarket, filling her shopping basket with all the snacks she craved.
As she browsed, she muttered to herself:
“What should I have Jiang Xianzhuo cook for me today?”
Forget it, I’ll know once I take a look around the fresh produce section.
By the time she walked out of the mall again, carrying large and small bags, the sky had completely darkened.
Shen Zhili looked up at the familiar sign in the distance—the convenience store’s neon light flickered monotonously in the night.
She quickened her pace and headed straight in that direction.