Shen Lizhou stopped in his tracks, naturally and deliberately putting distance between himself and Shi Ran.
People came and went, forming a flowing, noisy river between her and him—one that could not be crossed.
Shen Lizhou saw Shi Ran's footsteps pause for a moment, then she called out to the elegant, capable-looking woman behind Cheng Zimiao: "Mom."
"Ranran," Zhang Guoying said with a smile as she stepped forward, patting Shi Ran's arm affectionately. She said to Cheng Zimiao, "She's here to go shopping, isn't she? What's there to see at a car show for you? You've got some nerve."
Shen Lizhou's pupils contracted slightly.
He could now see Zhang Guoying's face clearly.
He had seen her before, recognized her… remembered her distinctly.
It was an afternoon in his senior year of high school. The school had called a parent-teacher meeting about college application guidance, gathering all parents and students in the main conference room. Experts were invited to explain the rules for filling out preference forms and analyze the admission score lines of various institutions over recent years. Every student was also required to fill out a preliminary draft of their preferences on the spot, which had to be signed by a parent before submission.
By then, Shen Lizhou no longer had parents, so he attended on his own. He sat in the last row, quickly filled out his preference form, then spread open a palm-sized sketchbook and idly doodled with a pencil.
When the meeting was nearly two-thirds through, an auntie in high heels slipped in quietly and happened to sit in the empty seat beside him.
Her phone vibrated every so often—messages, calls, all kinds of notifications. She silenced several calls in a row, replying to messages while glancing up to gauge what the meeting was mainly about. Then her gaze landed on Shen Lizhou's sketchbook, then on the preference form he had tossed aside. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Mind if I take a photo?" She leaned over and asked with a smile.
Shen Lizhou looked at her with his pale, light eyes, saying nothing.
When the meeting ended, she stood up, took a business card from her exquisite leather bag, and handed it to him.
"Here, this is the card of Professor Zhang Yuwei from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Keep it safe." Her tone was steady and assured, like a tree that had weathered many storms. She said to him, "Professor Zhang was once my teacher. I've already sent him a photo of your drawings. He likes them very much and said you can call this number anytime."
She patted his shoulder, her gaze sweeping over his college application form, and said to him: "I think you might not yet realize what kind of talent you have… The college application is one of the most important decisions in life. You can ask Professor Zhang for his opinion, and then discuss it properly with your family."
The card was pristine white, its edges gilded with a faint touch of gold, carrying a subtle fragrance.
Like an incredibly precious, long-dreamed-of ticket to a beautiful world he had never seen.
The auntie smiled and left after speaking, without even asking his name.
After all, to her, this was just something she did in passing within three to five minutes—a completely trivial, ordinary little matter, one small act among her countless good deeds.
But it had truly nearly changed his life.
Shen Lizhou had never met an elder like her before.
So not all adults were weary, irritable, and too consumed by their own affairs. Not all kindness came with strings attached. Not all praise carried a veiled threat of moral coercion.
She was like the ideal parent children dreamed of—a pillar of support, a source of confidence, the head of a family who could give a gentle push and let a child walk the path they wanted to take.
So she was Cheng Zimiao's mother.
And also… Shi Ran's mother.
Shi Ran and Cheng Zimiao stood facing each other. Shen Lizhou couldn't see Shi Ran's expression, only watched as Cheng Zimiao's gaze shifted away from her face and then drifted lightly onto him.
That familiar, condescending look swept over him with contempt.
Shen Lizhou lowered his eyes.
At that moment, he suddenly felt he understood Cheng Zimiao a little.
Some things in this world were prepared for him from the very beginning. He didn't need to reach out his hand, didn't even need to clearly express that he "wanted" them—they would be delivered to his side at once.
Anyone would feel proud of that, wouldn't they?
Shi Ran finished speaking with Zhang Guoying and turned around.
Shen Lizhou looked perfectly calm and gentle, not at all bothered by having waited so long for her. He even gave her an understanding smile.
That only made her feel worse: "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's fine." Shen Lizhou asked, "Do you want to look at the car show?"
"Yeah." She said, letting out a low sigh, not in the mood to explain.
"I actually have a bit of work," Shen Lizhou said. "I'll head off first, then."
"Mm," Shi Ran said, then suddenly remembered, "The wound on your hand…"
"I already went to the hospital this morning to get the dressing changed," he said, instinctively trying to summon a natural smile before reining it in, only speaking gently, "Don't worry."
"Alright then," Shi Ran said. "Let's meet up another day." She lifted the Sheng Wanwu paper bag in her hand and smiled. "Thank you for the gift."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it," he said. "And thank you for treating me to lunch today."
She thanked him once, and he thanked her in return.
Shi Ran blinked, feeling as though she had forgotten something… Wasn't she here today to thank him?
Shen Lizhou politely bid her farewell. The downlight fell on his jet-black hair, casting a faint, solitary shadow on the polished marble floor.
Shi Ran suddenly realized that he was probably the kind of person who disliked troubling others. She treated him to a meal, and he immediately repaid her with a gift, as if her kindness were some urgent debt that had to be settled at once.
But that wasn't how human relationships should work.
Getting along meant you trouble me a little, and I trouble you a little. In that back-and-forth, a small window would be chiseled through the wall between you and me. Then the same wind would blow in, the same light would shine in, and two people would become friends with shared words, regardless of whether their personalities were similar or completely different.
Troubling each other would become natural intimacy, just like how she unhesitatingly called Chen Anke early in the morning to film a video at Shensheng Manor.
"Oh, and one more thing," Shi Ran suddenly spoke up. "Thank you for helping me find the storefront. It's really perfect. The plans you mentioned last night are also exactly what I had in mind. Brother Lixiang mentioned earlier that you designed Shensheng Manor, right?"
He paused for a moment. "Yes." Then he added, "If you need it, I can also help with the clinic's design."
"That would be wonderful. I think you have great aesthetic sense, and I really trust your eye." Shi Ran said with a smile.
She felt that Shen Lizhou was naturally meant to be someone in the arts. He was handsome, his paintings and calligraphy were beautiful, and he had great taste in clothing. Although he didn't wear any obvious logos, the tailoring and fabric quality were high-end, with clean, sharp lines across his shoulders, waist, and legs. Standing there all cool and composed, he looked like some kind of celebrity who had wandered in from nowhere.
She extended an invitation: "When we look at the design drafts, if you're available, shall we do it together?"
His answer was unsurprising: "Sure."
Shi Ran walked to the backstage area of the auto show.
The staff there were busy with their own tasks, the rhythmic clacking of heels against the marble floor echoing through the space. Just as she was about to walk in, a staff member with a badge stopped her: "Hello, this is the work area…"
"Let her in." Zhang Guoying seemed to have been waiting nearby, spotting her immediately and waving her over. "Ranran."
Cheng Zimiao was nowhere to be seen. Zhang Guoying took the initiative to explain: "He's going on stage soon, so he went to prepare first."
Shi Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief inside.
It was best not to run into him.
They were already divorced, and she truly loathed having to force a pretense of intimacy.
"You let your friend leave already? Why didn't you bring her along to look around," Zhang Guoying said with a hint of apology. "Honestly, that boy Cheng Zimiao is still so willful, insisting on calling you over. It must have disrupted your outing, right?"
"No, not at all." Shi Ran said. "We were only planning to have a meal together anyway. And since this is after all the family business, I should come and take a look."
Zhang Guoying said, "This child, always so polite with her words. What do you mean there are things you should do? You should just enjoy life comfortably, doing things you like, easy and relaxed things."
Shi Ran curved the corners of her lips.
The event finally began. From the second floor down to the basement level of the mall's atrium, every railing was packed with people. Some held up phones, some carried telephoto lenses, some stood on tiptoe with children perched on their shoulders. Camera flashes flickered in succession, merging into a flowing river of stars, and even the glass dome at the top of the mall trembled slightly from the roar of the crowd.
A single spotlight hit the center of the stage.
Cheng Zimiao walked out from the side curtain, his dark gray suit accentuating the clean, upright lines of his shoulders and back. Thunderous applause erupted, wave after wave.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Cheng Zimiao from Yangfan Technology." He raised a hand to quiet the crowd, his voice clear and magnetic, instinctively silencing the venue. His gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Shi Ran before moving on. "Welcome to today's summit. Today we won't talk about sales figures or stock prices. Let's talk about the next decade of new energy vehicles."
He gave a slight nod, turned to look toward the side curtain, and added with a hint of Cheng Zimiao's characteristic teasing: "Next, let's give the warmest round of applause to my biggest competitor, and also the peer I admire most—President Wu Yijun of Wanliang Technology."
The spotlight swung toward the stage entrance.
Wu Yijun appeared in a sharp white suit dress, her long hair swept into an immaculate low bun, making a striking entrance.
She walked over to stand beside Cheng Zimiao, gave a slight bow to the audience, then smiled at Cheng Zimiao: "You're too kind, President Cheng. I'm here today to steal your thunder."
"Anytime." Cheng Zimiao smiled and made a "please" gesture.
Following that, Cheng Zimiao successively invited several other executives on stage, and the group engaged in a brilliant discussion.
Cheng Zimiao didn't speak much, but every time he opened his mouth, he hit the nail on the head, directly addressing the industry's pain points.
Wu Yijun, on the other hand, was sharp-tongued and often clashed with him. The two went back and forth, sparks flying, drawing wave after wave of applause from the audience below.
And just as the forum reached its climax, something unexpected happened.
A reporter suddenly stood up, holding a printed document in hand, his tone as sharp as a blade tempered in ice.
"President Wu, I have here the latest industry report showing that your company's power battery recycling rate last year was only 32%, far below the industry average of 47%. And your company's sales in the first quarter of this year grew 120% year-over-year, which means over the next three years, more than 100,000 waste batteries will flow into the market. How do you view this issue? Are you prioritizing sales over environmental responsibility?"
The entire venue fell silent in an instant.
Every camera swung sharply toward Wu Yijun, whose expression shifted subtly.
The data was real. There was a mole in her team.
Wu Yijun gripped the microphone tightly, her fingertips turning slightly pale. Just as she was about to speak, Cheng Zimiao beside her picked up his microphone first.
"I believe I'm also qualified to answer this question."
Cheng Zimiao's voice was calm and steady, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
He looked directly at the reporter, speaking unhurriedly: "First, I'd like to correct a data error on your part. Wanliang's power battery recycling rate last year wasn't 32%, but 41%. Many retired batteries were resold by third-party recycling companies and weren't included in the official statistics—this is a problem facing the entire industry."
He raised his hand to signal the staff to switch the big screen to his computer, pulling up a set of data: "Second, I want to tell everyone that power battery recycling isn't the responsibility of any single company—it's a matter for the entire industry. From production to retirement, a battery passes through automakers, battery manufacturers, recycling plants, and material suppliers. If any link in the chain goes wrong, it affects the final recycling rate."
"Just last week, five of our companies jointly signed the 'Cooperation Agreement on Recycling and Reuse of Power Batteries for New Energy Vehicles.'" Cheng Zimiao paused, his gaze sweeping across the four peers on stage. "We will jointly invest five billion yuan to build ten large-scale power battery recycling bases nationwide, achieving closed-loop battery utilization. This project is led by Wanliang, with our four companies fully supporting it."
He turned to look at Wu Yijun, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips: "President Wu was planning to officially announce this next week—I didn't expect you to beat her to it."
Wu Yijun was momentarily stunned, then quickly caught on and smiled as well: "That's right. We wanted to give everyone a surprise."
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience below.
Another executive picked up his microphone and added: "President Cheng is right. The new energy industry is a community of shared destiny. Only by uniting can we solve the common problems facing the industry."
"That's right," the others immediately nodded in agreement. "From now on, we won't just compete in the market—we'll also collaborate on technology, working together to make this industry bigger and stronger."
The reporter sat down in silence, his gaze briefly meeting Cheng Zimiao's before quickly looking away.
The tense, confrontational atmosphere dissolved in an instant.
On stage, Wu Yijun turned to look at Cheng Zimiao. Their eyes met for a second, and Cheng Zimiao curved his lips slightly.
No extra words were exchanged, yet there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Standing below the stage, Zhang Guoying gently tugged at Shi Ran's arm, her voice lowered, carrying the insight of someone who had been through it all: "You see, this is how adult business works. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Especially in an emerging industry like new energy—when one prospers, all prosper; when one falls, all fall. Today, Zimiao helped Wu Yijun, but he was really helping himself. If Wanliang collapsed, the next one targeted would be Yangfan."
There was a note of approval in her tone: "Zimiao really has grown up. If he were still his old self, he never would have made it this far."
Shi Ran said nothing.
She understood all the logic.
It was just that she found it truly boring.
The people on stage, the data, the grand narratives about the future—it all felt like a meticulously choreographed stage play.
Lighting, sound effects, blocking—every element had been rehearsed countless times, yet it lacked the one thing that could truly move her. The people around her listened with rapt attention, occasionally gasping and applauding, while she alone felt like an outsider standing at the edge of the excitement, her soul having long since drifted to the clouds.
On stage, Cheng Zimiao spoke about breakthroughs in solid-state battery technology, drawing rounds of cheers from the audience. Amid the surging crowd, his gaze swept unobtrusively across the familiar corner below, catching sight of Shi Ran raising her hand to her lips, brow slightly furrowed as if in thought, and letting out a silent yawn.
His fingers around the microphone tightened imperceptibly.
It was a habit he himself had taught her, back when the two of them attended business banquets together as children.
"This way of yawning is more discreet, like I'm thinking." At that time, both of them were still little kids, and he told her with all seriousness, "Adults always talk about boring things, anyone would get sleepy listening to that, right?"
She nodded vigorously and gave him a big smile in return.
The applause from the audience happened to ring out just then, masking Cheng Zimiao's fleeting pause.
Shi Ran lifted the Sheng Wanwu paper bag in her hand, feeling rather bored.
She even felt like opening a blind box to pass the time.
Her fingertips reached into the bag's opening and touched the fine glitter on the hem of the Angel Star dress, and her mood instantly sank.
This was the last one.
There would never be a new SSR Series again…
Just then, her phone vibrated.
She received a message.
It was a forward from Shen Lizhou.
An announcement from Sheng Wanwu's official Weibo.
"In response to the demands of our many fans, and after communication with the founder, the SSR Series will continue to release new works in the near future. Please stay tuned."
Shi Ran's heart suddenly began to beat faster.
The comment section below was already boiling over.
[AHHHH am I seeing this right! I'll just perform a resurrection on the spot!!]
[I just threw away the tissues I cried on, and now I'm crying again—this time tears of joy (crying)]
[Has anyone noticed—"after communication with the founder" means the founder originally didn't want to draw, but someone went to communicate with him? Who went to communicate? I want to kowtow to them]
Shi Ran's lips unconsciously curved upward.
Life is long.
Nothing is an absolute ending.
A dead end takes a turn and becomes a path through the willows and bright flowers; regrets might turn into fulfillment…
And farewells might turn into reunions.
She typed back a rapid reply to Shen Lizhou's message.
[See! I told you life is long—who knows what might happen to make him change his mind!]
She also sent a joyful little cat sticker with its tail spinning like a propeller.
A few seconds later, Shen Lizhou sent back a cat from the same series, smiling.
No one knew how much time had passed.
The air was filled with the mixed scent of pencil lead and turpentine.
The deep black of night faded into gray-white, then from gray-white into pale gold, and the waves rolled in and fell back.
Day and night alternated, tides came and went, but none of it disturbed the man sitting before the easel.
The light hanging overhead remained bright, cold white light falling from above onto his face, so pale it was almost translucent, as if trapping him in a narrow cocoon, isolated from the world.
Shen Lizhou shook his trembling fingers, and a few drops of blood splattered onto the floor like flowers.
The wound had split open again at some point, the white bandage wrapped around his fingertips soaked through with blood, but he felt nothing. He pulled out two tissues, wiped carelessly, then switched to another brush and continued painting.
His hands were no longer obeying him well, and his mind felt shrouded in a thick fog—even breathing felt laborious. His vision would suddenly blur from time to time, like a layer of xuan paper dampened by water vapor. He had to blink hard and rub his eyes to see the canvas clearly again.
He hadn't eaten, felt no hunger, and felt no drowsiness. His body seemed to have become a thin shell, numbness spreading like cold seawater from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Shen Lizhou felt as if he were bobbing up and down in cold, salty seawater.
And if he stopped painting now and closed his eyes, those surging, heavy, fog-like undercurrents would rise up and drag him down into an abyss of utter ruin.
The painting before him was his only anchor.
He continued to paint.
No one knew how long had passed when his phone suddenly rang once.
The sound was jarring and piercing in the empty, silent room, making his heart lurch irregularly.
Shen Lizhou picked up his phone and saw Shi Ran's message.
[Do you have time today? The clinic's design drawings are done!]
Attached was a very smug little cat.
That fast?
[I'm free.]
He replied.
Then he pressed his temple, glanced at the time, and then at the date.
It took him a long while to recognize that the date displayed on the screen had jumped several days further than he'd thought.
I need to clean myself up a bit…
Shen Lizhou pushed himself up from the chair using the armrest.
His legs were numb, his knees weak, and his heartbeat sometimes raced so fast it felt like it would leap out of his chest, sometimes slowed to the point where each beat was separated by a long, almost panic-inducing silence.
A sharp ringing suddenly exploded in his ears without warning, like countless cicadas shrieking, or like endless crashing waves.
Not good.
He thought sluggishly.
Where did I put my medicine…
He instinctively reached out to steady himself against the easel beside him, but his fingertips grasped at empty air. His body pitched forward uncontrollably, and he only barely managed to stay upright by colliding with the corner of the solid wood easel.
Black spots swarmed densely before his eyes, the incandescent light overhead blurring into a hazy halo, and the scattered drawing paper and pencil shavings on the floor twisted into strange shapes. He blinked hard, but his field of vision narrowed further and further, until only a tunnel-sized ring of light remained.
Oh. He thought. I already threw all the medicine away…
His vision plunged into complete darkness, as if someone had "clicked" and turned off every light in the room.
Everything went still.
He pitched forward and fell.
Shi Ran felt that today's sunlight was especially beautiful.
She arrived at the clinic early in the morning. The designer, Xiao Yan, was already there, crouched by the wall with a measuring tape in hand, double-checking the dimensions. Her ponytail was tied high, a pen tucked behind her ear. She called out cheerfully, "You're here, Ranran-jie."
Xiao Yan had been strongly recommended by Chen Anke.
She was only twenty, a vocational college graduate, and a designer who had switched careers midway. But she was full of drive, enthusiasm, and sincerity, and she wasn't afraid of hard work. Chen Anke said this industry was too harsh on women and insisted that Shi Ran give her a chance to try. Shi Ran gladly agreed.
After all, she had spent countless years in animal hospitals and could easily oversee this.
"So early—thanks for the hard work. Come have breakfast."
Shi Ran smiled, set the breakfast she'd bought on the table, opened the windows for ventilation, watered the flowers she'd planted a few days ago, and then stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, soaking in the overwhelming golden sunlight.
Xiao Yan had said that experiencing the space in person was more important than conceptualizing it on paper, so she'd been coming by whenever she had free time these past few days. Shi Ran had come along a few times too, and since she'd found there was nowhere to rest, she'd confirmed the rough dimensions and bought tables, chairs, and a sofa in advance.
Late last night, Xiao Yan had messaged her, saying she was confident she could present a draft today and wanted to surprise her. When Shi Ran saw it that morning, she suddenly remembered there was one expert she hadn't tapped yet, so she'd sent a message to Shen Lizhou.
She instinctively glanced at her phone.
After Shen Lizhou said "I'm free," she'd sent the location and asked about a specific time, but he hadn't replied since.
Had something come up?
Shi Ran had still bought an extra breakfast.
After finishing her measurements, Xiao Yan pulled out her laptop and started revising the drawings. Only after Shi Ran urged her did she eat a burger and down most of a bottle of water, her eyes barely leaving the screen as her mouse and keyboard clattered away.
But by afternoon, Shen Lizhou still hadn't shown up.
Shi Ran began to wonder whether she should send him a message. Something along the lines of: she could handle it herself, and if he was busy, he didn't need to come—he could visit once the renovation was done. She didn't want to put him in an awkward position.
She'd hesitantly typed out half the message when a soft knock came at the door.
Shi Ran opened it to find Shen Lizhou standing there, giving her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry," he said, his voice soft, a little hoarse, and slightly breathless. "Something came up, and I got held up."
The afternoon sunlight was so bright it made her squint slightly.
Backlit, the young man's silhouette was edged with a warm glow. She noticed his short hair was a little tousled by the wind, shadows falling from his brow into his eye sockets, making his eyes look remarkably clear. But his skin was pale to the point of being almost translucent, and his lips were a bloodless, faint shade.
Shi Ran asked instinctively, "Did you not get enough rest?"
He was taken aback for a moment, then said, "No."
Shi Ran wanted to say it was fine—she could handle it herself—but on second thought, since he'd already come, saying that might sound like she was blaming him for being late. So she smiled and said, "Well, thanks for your hard work!"
Shen Lizhou smiled too, as if visibly relieved.
The two of them sat down by the window on the first floor.
Xiao Yan came over holding a freshly printed set of drawings. When she saw Shen Lizhou, she let out a small "wow." Sitting at the table, she kept sneaking glances at Shi Ran and winking, as if to ask where she'd found such a stunningly handsome guy.
Shi Ran pretended not to notice. Xiao Yan even gave her a covert thumbs-up under the table, only stopping when Shi Ran nudged her with her knee.
Shen Lizhou didn't notice any of it.
He lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on the spread-out drawings, his brow slightly furrowed. The longer he looked, the deeper the frown became.
Shi Ran lifted the drawings, her heart giving a little lurch as she began to think about how to communicate with Xiao Yan.
"The exam room door can't face the waiting area," Shen Lizhou said, picking up a pencil and sketching on the paper. "When animals come in and out, they'll see other animals waiting, which can increase stress responses. It could be moved here instead, with a separate corridor."
Xiao Yan was startled, then nodded.
"The X-ray room should be on the first floor, toward the outer side, so equipment can be moved in and out easily and radiation exposure to the waiting area is reduced. The floor needs radiation shielding, and so do the walls—regular lead sheeting won't do; it has to be thick enough." He tapped the floor plan. "The surgery room door needs enough width for a gurney to pass through easily—at least 1.2 meters."
Xiao Yan began scribbling notes frantically. Shi Ran glanced at her and said with a smile, "It's my inexperience—as a vet, I don't know much about the specific layout of a clinic…"
"No, this is my problem as the designer." Xiao Yan looked up, her eyes bright, and asked Shen Lizhou, "So what do you think of my waiting area design? I used wooden lattice for the curved partition—the light and shadow look gorgeous against it. And for the boarding ward cages, the standard ones are too ugly, so I designed them as log-colored little house shapes, each one different, like a tiny village. For the pharmacy cabinet doors, I'm planning to use long-strip glass—it lets light through but not visibility, so it looks classy…"
Shen Lizhou flipped through the blueprints, waiting quietly for her to finish speaking before responding point by point.
"The gaps in the wooden lattice panels tend to collect dust—cat hair and grime get stuck in there and are hard to clean. The cages in the inpatient ward are designed in different shapes, so you'd need different sizes of disinfecting tools for each, which increases the workload. And the long-strip glass… if the pharmacy cabinet doors are made of glass, the medication can deteriorate from light exposure. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs need to be stored separately, and glass cabinet doors don't meet pharmaceutical storage standards either."
Xiao Yan's smile froze for a moment.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, then swallowed it back and said earnestly, "You're right. I overlooked those. My mistake."
"You've probably designed a lot of cafés, studios, and other places that are more casual and stylish," Shen Lizhou said in a calm, unhurried tone. "But this is a clinic. The first principle of an animal hospital is safety and practicality. The flooring needs to be slip-resistant, waterproof, and corrosion-resistant—you can't use too light a color, because bloodstains and dirt will be very visible. The baseboards in the corners should be curved, with no dead angles, for easy cleaning and to prevent bacteria from building up. The height of the operating table should be determined by the veterinarian's height—too low hurts the back, too high and you can't apply proper force. The placement of outlets should avoid areas animals can reach, and they should ideally have waterproof covers. The sink needs to be deep, and the faucet should be pull-out style for rinsing large equipment. Door handles can't be round—nurses can't twist them while carrying instrument trays—they need to be long lever-style push-pull handles… All of these need to be considered."
"Yes, thank you for your guidance." Xiao Yan felt her ears burning. She took notes diligently and asked sincerely, "Are there any other issues? I'll revise them all together."
Shi Ran smiled.
She patted Xiao Yan on the head, then got up to pour them some water and grabbed a few snacks on the way back. As she walked out carrying the tray, she happened to see Xiao Yan dragging her chair over next to Shen Lizhou, pointing at a spot on the blueprint.
Shen Lizhou tilted his head slightly, listening, then lightly made a few marks with his pencil and explained in a low voice.
His voice was pleasant to begin with, and now with the faint rasp at the end of his words, it made the air around them feel gentler.
Shi Ran's footsteps unconsciously grew softer.
Not wanting to disturb them, she set the tray down a bit farther away. When she looked up, her eyes happened to meet Shen Lizhou's.
He pressed his dry lips together, realized it was the water she'd poured, and went over to pick it up, taking small sips. He also took the bread she'd placed on the tray, tore open the wrapper, and slowly ate a few bites.
The communication was highly efficient—everything was sorted out in less than three hours.
Shi Ran sat to the side listening attentively, occasionally offering a few opinions that were skillfully woven into the design.
Finally, Xiao Yan closed her notebook and put away the blueprints.
Then she stood up and bowed to Shen Lizhou—
"Thank you so much, Teacher!" Her tone was light, carrying an irrepressible excitement and enthusiasm. "I feel like I could even design hospitals from now on!"
"No problem," Shen Lizhou said.
"I came into this field midway, figuring things out on my own—no one has ever told me any of this before." Xiao Yan lifted her face, looking straight at Shen Lizhou with an open demeanor and clear eyes. "Can I add you on WeChat? I'd like to ask for your advice if I run into problems in the future. I learn fast—who knows, maybe someday I could even—"
"Sorry," Shen Lizhou said. "I don't really use WeChat."
That was a rejection.
Shi Ran glanced at Xiao Yan, a little uneasy.
Fortunately, Xiao Yan was young, with the courage that youth brings. She was only stunned for a moment, then smiled without the slightest sign of disappointment or discouragement, and simply said, "Oh, okay, no problem. If I have questions, I'll go through Sister Ranran."
Shen Lizhou nodded and said, "Alright."
"Then Sister Ranran, Mr. Shen, I'll get going—I'll send over the revised draft." Xiao Yan slung on her bag and hurried out, then turned back to say to Shen Lizhou, "Mr. Shen, you really explained that wonderfully! Thank you!"
She strode out, and the door closed behind her.
The room fell quiet for a few seconds.
Shi Ran cleared her throat and said, "Xiao Yan is a pretty decisive girl—she has a lovely personality, and she's got a creative eye for design. Chen Anke's studio was designed by her."
"Oh," Shen Lizhou said dryly. "I see."
Shi Ran didn't have much else to say.
She looked at the empty snack plate on the table and said, a little surprised, "We have pretty similar taste in snacks."
Shen Lizhou felt his ears grow warm and said, "…Yeah."
"Are you free tonight? Let me treat you to dinner," Shi Ran said with a smile. "You really did me a huge favor today."
Shen Lizhou was about to say "Sure" when Shi Ran's phone rang.
The name Cheng Zimiao appeared on the screen.
"Take a break for a bit." Shi Ran stood up. "I'll step out to take this call."
She pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window and walked out into the courtyard.
The wind passed through the gaps between the plane trees, carrying the chill unique to early spring. The sun was setting in the west, painting the sky a beautiful orange-pink. The light grew soft and lingering, falling upon the tips of her hair.
Shen Lizhou watched Shi Ran's figure through the glass.
He felt this was rather impolite, and ordered himself to look away—but failed.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She was on the phone, then bent down to touch the flower buds she had just planted.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly in a smile…
Shen Lizhou's consciousness began to blur.
A long-missed fatigue surged up like a tide.
Everything before his eyes was too beautiful—so beautiful it didn't seem like the real world…
As if in a dream.
Shi Ran hung up the phone, pushed open the door, and walked back in.
"We—"
Her words were cut off mid-sentence.
Because Shen Lizhou had already leaned back against the chair, his head drooping slightly, fast asleep.
His long lashes hung down, casting thick shadows on his pale face. The setting sun streamed through the glass onto his features, revealing the faint dark circles of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
His fingers still rested loosely on the edge of the table, a pencil rolling from his grasp and stopping at the table's rim. His neck curved into an arc, and his clothing had been pulled open a small gap—on the cold, pale skin of his shoulder blade, there was a strange discoloration.
…It looked like a bruise.
How could there be a bruise?
Shi Ran furrowed her brows instinctively and stepped forward to look.
The bruise was a shocking shade of purple-blue, a large patch, as if the blood beneath the skin had all pooled together, extending inward from the edge of his shoulder blade. She couldn't tell where he had hit it.
She tilted her head to get a better look, and a strand of hair slipped from her ear, accidentally brushing across his cheek.
His light, long breaths paused for a moment. He opened his eyes and lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
The man's pale, light-colored eyes were slightly moist. His gaze gathered from the void, landing on her face—dazed, unguarded, innocent.
Shi Ran's breath caught.
She wanted to pull back, to explain, to ask questions—but none of it came in time.
Because he tilted his head up, gazing at her steadily for a few seconds, and then, inexplicably, curved his lips into a smile at her.
It was a childish, contented smile. Very different from the usual Shen Lizhou.
Wearing that smile, he leaned toward her side, pressing his forehead against her body. His soft black hair and straight, handsome nose touched her skin through the fabric of her clothes, and his warm breath spread over her as well—like a loose, gentle embrace.
Shi Ran froze completely.
The pencil fell to the floor with a clatter.
It rolled a few circles before hitting the table leg and stopping, sounding especially loud in the quiet room.
But Shen Lizhou showed no sign of waking.
With his forehead pressed against her, he fell into a deep sleep, his brows relaxed, his dry lips slightly parted, his breathing steady and long—as if he had never slept so soundly in his life.
She heard his mumbled sleep-talk.
"I dreamed of you again," Shen Lizhou said in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "How wonderful."