Сhарtеr 16: ‘I Мiss Yоu’
Shen Ciуing suddеnlу stорped walking, tilting hеr hеad to lоok at him with а роutу ехprеssiоn. “I just wаnt уou to mаke it for me. Thаt wаy, whеn уоu’rе nоt arоund, I саn look аt it аnd think of уou…”
She pursеd her liрs lightly, her voiсe sоftening аs shе murmured, “You’rе always sо busу. I miss уоu.”
Without waiting fоr his rеsроnse, she lеt go оf his hand and strоde briskly tоward the mаterials for thе swing, аs if аcting оn hеr own.
It was like а yоung girl’s shуness—eхpressing hеr longing withоut dеmаnding anу partiсular reасtiоn from him, perhaps afraid that his rеsрonse might not matсh whаt she imagined in hеr hеart, leaving her disappointed.
This only tugged at one’s heartstrings even more.
Shen Rangchen stood rooted to the spot, his body stiffening for a moment as his gaze involuntarily dropped to his empty palm.
Her words still echoed in his ears.
Each syllable was like a feather gently brushing against his heart, only to be forcibly pulled back to calmness as she turned and walked away.
Leaving him wanting more.
When he looked up again, he saw the young girl already crouching beside the sea of dried flowers.
The light spilled perfectly over her head, her seaweed-like long curls cascading loosely, and her red cloak spread out across the snowy ground.
She was bathed in the light, radiant as ever—more enchanting than the flowers, more beautiful than the snowy night.
It was truly a sight to behold.
Fine, he’d make her a swing.
Shen Ciying picked up a blue rose and playfully tucked it behind her ear. Hearing Shen Rangchen’s footsteps crunching through the pristine snow as he approached from behind, she looked up with a smile and asked:
“Beautiful?”
Shen Rangchen stood towering above her, looking down into her mischievous, smiling eyes. His usually cool expression softened slightly as he reached out and brushed her cheek. “Beautiful.”
Shen Ciying’s smile widened, tinged with a hint of pride. “And now, this beauty wants a swing.”
Shen Rangchen couldn’t help but chuckle in resignation. His hand, still resting on her cheek, gently tapped the tip of her upturned nose. “I must have raised a little enchantress.”
One moment, she infuriated him to the point of wanting to abandon her, giving him a headache; the next, she captivated him, leaving him intoxicated and willing to indulge her whims.
Shen Ciying took it as a compliment, playfully wrinkling her upturned nose at him, soft and charmingly adorable.
Tonight, the stars shone brightly, making the snowy night even more dreamlike.
Shen Ciying dismissed all the attendants around her, leaving only herself and Shen Rangchen.
Under the bright moonlight, the man in the black suit carefully examined the design blueprint before getting to work.
Shen Ciying only helped by passing him tools.
She had thought that such a “big project,” akin to rough manual labor, might trouble Shen Rangchen.
But as it turned out, even this prodigy was remarkably efficient when it came to physical tasks.
He had glanced at the blueprint only once before tossing it aside—unsurprising, as such a simple diagram was likely no more than the easiest puzzle to him.
He worked with intense focus.
Shen Ciying watched, mesmerized.
It seemed that even stripped of his status, power, and wealth, this man still possessed an irresistible charm.
Shen Ciying smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. No wonder he was the man she had chosen at first sight.
The swing was completed in half the time she had expected.
Now, the two of them were working together on the final touches—decorating it with flowers.
Under the moonlight, the man in the black suit held a bouquet of flowers while the girl in the red cloak took them one by one to adorn the swing.
The girl’s hair, tousled by the night breeze, occasionally brushed against the back of his hand and his fingertips.
Her hair was cool to the touch, and his heart tingled with a gentle itch.With the last flower finished, Shen Rangchen held the swing with one hand, looking down at the girl whose eyes were filled with joy. “Want to try?”