The temperature had dropped sharply this month, with overcast skies and snow seemingly at every turn. Xi Shi felt rather lethargic.
The thought that even after getting close to her target, she would still need to bide her time before gradually closing in on Chen Lintian made her even lazier by several degrees.
Especially since her target wouldn't let her kiss or sleep with him.
Sometimes Xi Shi suspected she was a cold-blooded creature like a snake or a lizard, wanting nothing more than to curl up quietly in some small corner during winter.
The snowy weather drained her spirits. She drifted back and forth between mediocre and even worse dreams, not fully awake even by noon.
Her phone vibrated violently on the nightstand.
Xi Shi pushed her silk sleep mask up to the top of her head, listlessly wiping the cold sweat from her neck. The irritation from her nightmare gradually dissipated as she saw who was calling—
"Target."
It was Lin Youhe.
Xi Shi snapped awake quickly, considering the convenience her girlfriend status might afford her, and felt a flicker of renewed enthusiasm for life. She picked up the phone.
Lin Youhe's voice sounded in her ear: "Miss Xi, are you busy?"
Busy catching up on sleep and calming her nerves was still busy. Xi Shi answered without a hint of guilt: "Yes, just finished."
Lin Youhe apologized again over the phone for breaking their appointment last night, and while talking, sent Xi Shi the locations of several upscale restaurants via WeChat, asking which one she'd like to go to.
Xi Shi let out a soft, measured sigh: "What to do~"
Lin Youhe asked, "Does Miss Xi already have plans?"
"No, it's not that."
Xi Shi turned over in bed, running her fingers through her hair as she said, "I actually prefer Mr. Lin's cooking."
Lin Youhe chuckled softly: "Then let's eat at my place tonight. I owe you a proper meal—whenever Miss Xi is available, I can arrange it at any time."
After hanging up, Xi Shi opened the bedroom curtains. The snow had stopped; the weather was nice.
A good day to continue weaving her web.
Dinner was set for seven o'clock.
At seven-oh-three, Xi Shi finally arrived, fashionably late, carrying a bouquet of blooming Freud roses.
She didn't punch in the door code. Instead, she gave the security door a light tap with the toe of her high heel and stood at the entrance waiting for Lin Youhe.
Lin Youhe opened the door.
Xi Shi revealed a pair of smiling, sparkling eyes from behind the fragrant roses: "Good evening, Mr. Lin."
Lin Youhe's gaze seemed to pause for a fleeting moment before he reached out to take the roses: "These are…"
Xi Shi beamed at him: "What, does Mr. Lin not know that roses are a declaration of love?"
Lin Youhe was silent for a beat before asking, "Is someone currently pursuing Miss Xi?"
This guileless reaction rather pleased Xi Shi.
Xi Shi shook her head at Lin Youhe: "Just kidding. I passed by a flower shop, saw these blooming beautifully, and bought them specially as a thank-you gift for dinner."
Only then did Lin Youhe smile: "Thank you, I love them. Please, come in—the steak is just ready."
Once inside, Xi Shi followed Lin Youhe's words and glanced toward the dining area, immediately spotting the table laden with dishes.
For a moment, she was genuinely surprised.
She'd said she preferred Lin Youhe's cooking, and so Lin Youhe had made Western food at home:
The steak and button mushrooms were seared to perfection; the tomato pasta was coated in a glossy, appetizing red sauce; the honey-glazed chicken wings looked tender and juicy; the salad contained avocado, mango, and three colors of cherry tomatoes; the shrimp and mushroom soup had a rich, inviting, velvety hue.
He'd even bought Iberian ham slices and caviar, artfully plated with honeydew melon.
Xi Shi hadn't expected Lin Youhe to take this apology dinner so seriously. Her expression flickered with complexity as she pressed her lips together, took a breath, and re-summoned her unshakeable smile.
From the bucket bag slung over her shoulder, Xi Shi produced a bottle of red wine and gave it a little shake at Lin Youhe: "Good thing I brought wine—otherwise I'd be too embarrassed to enjoy this lavish meal of yours."
Lin Youhe placed the bouquet of Freud roses solemnly at the center of the coffee table: "I was a bit worried you might not want Western food."
Xi Shi examined the rich marbling and delicate, web-like patterns of fat on the steak: "Isn't wagyu steak a bit extravagant?"
Lin Youhe said, "As long as you like it."
Xi Shi set the wine on the dining table: "I've been treasuring this bottle for ages and couldn't bear to open it. Shall we try it today?"
Lin Youhe smiled gently: "Sure."
Xi Shi didn't impatiently ask what Lin Youhe had been helping Chen Lintian with yesterday, nor did she bring up Chen Chen.
She patiently played the part of a genuine friend, joking, "If Mr. Lin ever tires of teaching, you could always switch careers and become a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant."
Lin Youhe played along: "Perfect timing—I just offended a colleague, so becoming a chef might be right around the corner."
Xi Shi frowned: "So that colleague of yours really does hold a grudge against you?"
Lin Youhe shrugged, knife and fork in hand: "Possibly. When we ran into each other at the rehearsal, his expression wasn't too pleasant."
Xi Shi asked, "Did the New Year's gala rehearsal go smoothly?"
Lin Youhe pushed the sliced steak toward Xi Shi, saying that the students had many astonishing creative ideas and talents, then asked, "The party is scheduled for the night before New Year's Day. Miss Xi, would you like to come and take a look?"
Actually, going to see Lin Youhe's work environment was a good thing—
Perhaps they would run into Lin Youhe's colleagues or students;
Perhaps there would be an occasion where he would need to introduce her identity;
Perhaps after saying something like "she's my neighbor" as an introduction, he would feel dissatisfied with the existing framework of their relationship?
Xi Shi's thoughts raced, but she didn't agree right away: "I'll need to check my work schedule first."
Lin Youhe said with great understanding, "Many jobs do get busier toward the end of the month. I'll save an invitation for Miss Xi."
A moment later, he asked with a warm, tender smile, "I wonder if I might be so bold as to ask—what line of work does Miss Xi do?"
Since she was seventeen, Xi Shi had worked many part-time jobs alongside her studies.
In high school, they were mostly overnight shifts at 24-hour fast-food restaurants, weekend cleaning at the art studio, and taking orders at a café.
Before university started, Xi Shi was introduced by her art teacher at the studio to part-time work as an online store women's clothing model, contact lens model, and hairstyle model for styling studios.
Because her two targets—one being a professor of accounting and the other a financial director at a small enterprise—Xi Shi had also chosen accounting as her undergraduate major, and accordingly added part-time accounting to her list of available job options.
Xi Shi's life was only about revenge. Dreams, passions, curiosity about the world—those ethereal concepts had died when she was seventeen.
A stable, respectable job had never been part of the plan.
She certainly wouldn't bring up any of that past with Lin Youhe. She smoothly recited the persona she had prepared long ago, saying she was a clothing designer for a small brand.
They had known each other for four months, and Lin Youhe was only just beginning to think about asking about her profession.
At Lin Youhe's pace, Xi Shi might have to wait until the day Chen Lintian died to attend a funeral as Lin Youhe's girlfriend.
Better to act first and ask forgiveness later—do something out of line, and maybe Lin Youhe would obediently blush and say he'd take responsibility.
Anyway, what she wanted wasn't a long-lasting, stable relationship—just enough to get her close to Chen Lintian.
Alcohol was the best catalyst for stepping out of line.
But Lin Youhe declined without a hint of romance: "Sorry, I can't drink any more."
Xi Shi's eyes shimmered: "Is it that you don't like this wine?"
Lin Youhe confessed gently and honestly, "I'm actually not very good at drinking. If I have too much, I'm afraid I'll lose my composure in front of Miss Xi."
Xi Shi put on a look of regret, saying that this bottle of red wine had a very short optimal drinking window—after being open for more than three hours, the flavor would deteriorate. "Oh well, it doesn't matter if we don't finish it. Just leave it at your place and use it for cooking."
Sure enough, Lin Youhe didn't decline again and quietly poured the wine into his goblet.
Xi Shi smiled and clinked glasses with Lin Youhe.
She propped her chin on her hand, chatting lazily with him, sipping the red wine as she waited for her target to drink himself into indiscretion.
By the time the lavish dinner was finished, the wine bottle was empty, and Lin Youhe still looked like a refined gentleman, his complexion unchanged.
Not only was he not drunk, he even pressed Xi Shi's shoulders to make her sit on the sofa and rest while watching TV.
Xi Shi was rather displeased and couldn't be bothered to pretend to be diligent by running to the kitchen. She crossed her arms and did abdominal breathing facing the brilliant roses on the coffee table.
Midway through spinning her web, she suddenly felt like throwing in the towel.
It wasn't until Lin Youhe finished washing the dishes and came back out that Xi Shi said coolly, "Mr. Lin has quite a tolerance for alcohol."
Like punching a ball of cotton.
Lin Youhe smiled modestly: "It must be because the wine Miss Xi brought is of good quality."
Lin Youhe walked over, his fingertips brushing the rose petals, and tilted his head to ask Xi Shi, "Would it last longer if it were in a vase?"
Receiving an affirmative answer, Lin Youhe carried the flowers toward the bathroom. Halfway there, he turned with a smile: "Would Miss Xi be so kind as to grab the vase for me?"
She couldn't very well curse the cook right after a full meal.
Xi Shi asked, "Where's the vase?"
Lin Youhe said, "It should be in the kitchen cabinet."
As Xi Shi was retrieving the vase, she accidentally knocked over a heavier glass container, and the crisp shattering sound was especially loud against the tiled floor.
Before she could react, she heard Lin Youhe's short, urgent voice: "Xi Shi!"
His tall, straight figure strode over in large steps.
Xi Shi was still holding the vase, looking at the broken glass at her feet, and said instinctively, "Sorry, I broke your—"
Lin Youhe suddenly bent down, wrapped an arm around Xi Shi's waist, and lifted her cleanly off the floor, setting her on the spotless countertop. He frowned and asked, "Did you get cut?"
"…No."
The faint sound of the television drifted in from the living room, and the clean kitchen was filled with the fresh scent of dish soap. Lin Youhe's shout and worried expression reminded Xi Shi of her grandmother.
"Xiao Shi! Slow down, slow down, put that down—let Grandma do it."
"Xiao Shi! Time to eat!"
"Xiao Shi! Grandma doesn't like chicken thighs, don't give me any—you eat them yourself."
"Xiao Shi! Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"…
"Xi Shi?"
Lin Youhe leaned against the counter, looking at Xi Shi at eye level, and asked gently, "Did anything hit you just now?"
Xi Shi snapped back to reality. "No."
Only after confirming that Xi Shi wasn't injured did Lin Youhe pick up the large pieces of broken glass, sweep the floor carefully twice, and finally bring out the vacuum cleaner for a final cleanup.
Xi Shi watched the broad, straight lines of Lin Youhe's back and felt as though a warm current—she couldn't tell if it was in her chest, her stomach, or somewhere lower—was surging through her, making her fingertips tingle slightly.
She thought this feeling was desire.
Xi Shi suddenly lifted her foot and nudged Lin Youhe's leg, her gaze fixed on his lips. "The wound at the corner of your mouth has healed."
Lin Youhe didn't take up that thread. Instead, he scooped Xi Shi up with one arm and carried her toward the living room. "There might still be tiny pieces of glass on the floor, so—"
Xi Shi didn't take up his thread either. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned close to his ear. "Teacher Lin, I think I've had a bit too much to drink."