Shen Lizhou stood at the entrance of the basement elevator lobby, waiting.
Just now, Shi Ran had replied to his message, asking when would be convenient for him. She seemed to be in a very cheerful mood. So he replied, "Anytime."
And then…
Somehow, things had turned out like this.
The motion-sensor lights in the elevator lobby cast a cold white glow. The space was empty and silent—he could almost hear his own breathing and heartbeat.
After what felt like a long while, the low rumble of engines suddenly came from the distance.
The sound grew closer, and headlights cut through the corner of the ramp, sweeping arcs of light across the walls.
One car, two cars, three cars…
Four in total, arriving in full force.
The property manager had already arranged the parking spots in advance. The four cars pulled in neatly, and everyone got out one by one, a wave of voices flooding out like the tide—chattering and lively.
"Long time no see, Shen Lizhou! This is my first time at Guanlan Tiandi—it's really luxurious."
That was Aili. With her curly chin-length bob and sharp, spirited features, she wore a sleek black trench coat and waved at him.
"Hi! Little cat campus heartthrob!"
That was Chen Anke. Smiling brightly, she wore a pale yellow cardigan. Pushing aside her long curly hair, she struggled to hold out a huge bouquet of colorful flowers and shoved it at Shen Lizhou. "Thanks for inviting us! Shi Ran picked these out—if you don't like them, blame her."
"Hey, you all gave your opinions left and right just now, didn't you?" Shi Ran got out of the car and shot her a look. Seeing Shen Lizhou accept the flowers with a slightly dazed expression, she asked, "They're pretty, right?"
It was a huge bouquet. The small white petals of chamomile brushed against his collar, a few purple bellflowers tilted out at an angle, grazing his ear. There were pink roses, pale yellow daisies, light green hydrangeas… all crowded together in a lush cluster.
Shen Lizhou held the bouquet, the flowers covering half his face, which let him breathe a little easier. From between the gaps in the flowers, he looked at Shi Ran and nodded with some difficulty. "Very pretty."
"Hello, hello, I'm Bao Chenggong." Bao Chenggong greeted them while opening the trunk of his SUV, pulling out bags and packages of all sizes.
The rustling of plastic bags filled the air—imported fruit gift boxes, handmade baked pastries, premium tea gift sets, and a variety of prepared foods and quick-cook dishes. Bao Chenggong's thin arms could barely hold everything, and he called out to the women, "Wait for me!"
The property manager came over as well, stepping forward at just the right moment. He gave a slight bow, took the two expensive bottles of foreign liquor from Bao Chenggong's hands, then took the wobbly box of sparkling water. "Sir, let me take those."
Shen Lizhou, still holding the bouquet, walked over to help as well, but Shi Ran gave him a push. "Go on, lead the way."
The whole group filed noisily into the elevator lobby.
With the property manager's help, Bao Chenggong was much more at ease and began looking around. A smile was still on his face, but his eyes had already taken on a reporter's sharpness. He glanced at the manager's name tag and said, "Ah, Manager Liu, hello, hello. This is my first time at your community. The environment is really nice—no wonder it's the number one in Lian City, hahaha."
Manager Liu nodded modestly. "You flatter me."
"I'm curious about a few things," Bao Chenggong said, shifting the topic. "As far as I know, the property fee here is 30 per square meter, right? I heard the comparable complex next door only charges 20. What specific services justify that extra 10 yuan?"
Manager Liu answered smoothly. "Sir, we provide 24-hour one-on-one personal butler service, as well as community cleaning, landscaping maintenance, security patrols…"
"Other communities have those too." Bao Chenggong cut him off, speaking quickly and clearly, going straight for the jugular. "I'm asking about what's unique. For example, seaside villas are most prone to moisture and leakage issues—have any owners complained about basement dampness or roof leaks? If such problems occur, does the property management fix them for free, or does the owner pay? And what's the response time?"
Before the manager could speak, Bao Chenggong pressed on. "Also, what about privacy? Guanlan Tiandi has so many celebrity residents—has there ever been a case of paparazzi sneaking into the complex for photos? Besides registration, do outside visitors need the owner to come down personally to escort them? Can couriers and food delivery come straight to the door? Is there any risk of information leakage?"
"Bao Chenggong," Aili smacked him hard on the head, "we're here as guests. Who told you to moonlight as an investigator?"
"Oh, oh, sorry about that." Bao Chenggong took the hit for real, wincing in pain. With both hands carrying things, he couldn't even rub the spot. "I was just asking casually, hehe."
With a "ding," the elevator arrived. The group walked forward noisily, and Manager Liu let out a relieved breath. From behind, he said to Shen Lizhou, "Enjoy your time. Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything."
Shen Lizhou nodded and said to him, "Get back to me later."
The butler was confused for a few seconds before realizing he was referring to the questions Bao Chenggong had asked. He nodded hurriedly. "Very well, Mr. Shen."
Several pairs of brand-new oatmeal-colored slippers were neatly arranged by the door, made of cotton-linen fabric with soft soles that made almost no sound when stepped on. After changing their shoes, the group filed into the living room.
Sea breeze squeezed through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling windows, mingling with the scent of flowers drifting from somewhere unknown. Before them stood a full wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, and beyond it, an endless expanse of blue ocean. The afternoon sunlight spread across the sea, shattering into countless fragments of fine gold leaf, the shimmering waves nearly too dazzling to look at.
The entire space had not a single superfluous decoration—it was minimalism taken to its extreme. No crystal chandeliers, no ornate accent walls. The lights were white, like soft, scattered clouds. The flooring stretched across in one continuous sweep, every line perfectly straight, every color muted and low-saturation, restrained to the point of near coldness—yet precisely because of the exquisite materials and masterful play of light and shadow, it exuded an understated luxury.
Everyone couldn't help but let out exclamations of admiration.
"Wow—"
"So beautiful—"
"Are you going to cook?" Shi Ran spotted the neatly arranged ingredients on the kitchen counter and quickly said, "We brought a lot of food, no need to go to the trouble!"
"Yeah, yeah," Aili chimed in. "When we get together, nobody cooks. None of us have that skill."
"Just a few simple dishes, it'll be quick," Shen Lizhou said. "Please, don't stand on ceremony."
Bao Chenggong volunteered eagerly. "I can help."
He walked into the kitchen on his own initiative, looking around, then said with some hesitation, "Are the vegetables already washed? I only know how to wash vegetables."
Aili snorted. "Shameless, aren't you? Your own family runs a restaurant business…"
"Your family makes precision instruments," Bao Chenggong shot back. "Have you ever passed math?"
Aili: "Do you want to die?"
Bao Chenggong: "Don't come near me!" He nearly knocked over the plates beside him.
Shen Lizhou cast a somewhat subtle glance at Shi Ran.
She understood immediately, pressing down on Aili's hand and saying to Bao Chenggong, "Get out of there."
Bao Chenggong carefully sidestepped out of Aili's striking range, shuffled out, and stood behind Shi Ran.
Then he poked his head out to look at Shen Lizhou, pushed up his glasses, and finally asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"So," Bao Chenggong said, "can we look around?"
"Of course." Shen Lizhou curved his lips slightly. "Make yourselves at home."
His tone was sincere, and though his smile was faint, it too was sincere. And sincerity is the easiest thing to convey between people. With permission granted, the group immediately scrambled together like an expedition squad and began wandering off.
"This master bedroom is way too big," came Aili's voice. "Damn, it's almost as big as my living room."
"The bookshelves in the study have sliding tracks, look…" Bao Chenggong's voice, followed by the sound of a bookshelf being pushed.
"The bathtub faces the sea too," came Chen Anke's voice. "If you were here…" The voice cut off abruptly, as if someone had covered her mouth, then Chen Anke's muffled voice resumed, garbled and indistinct. "What are you doing? I was saying that soaking in the bath here thinking about copywriting would definitely spark inspiration! What's wrong with you guys…"
Followed by the giggling laughter of the girls.
…
All sorts of sounds traveled through the hallway, through the walls, drifting lightly into the kitchen.
Shen Lizhou turned on the faucet, and water rushed over his fingertips, flowing into the small basin holding the shrimp and crabs, like a babbling mountain stream.
This house was hearing sounds other than the waves and the wind for the first time—sounds so rich and full of life.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Shen Lizhou heard Chen Anke calling Shi Ran's name.
"Shi Ran, Shi Ran, come quick." Chen Anke said. "Tao Jianxi replied to me—he said that when I posted that free clinic thing on my Moments earlier, he mustered up the courage to ask about you in the comments, but I never replied to him… Ugh, it's true. There are too many people on my Moments, I didn't even notice. He said he really wants to meet you."
"Tao what?" Shi Ran asked. "Who?"
"Tao Jianxi. The rich second-generation guy I just told you about—didn't I show you his photo? He runs a camping base, and he has such a sunny personality. See, this one holding the Shiba Inu. He loves pets too." Chen Anke said. "Only 23 years old, right in the prime of youth!"
"23?" Shi Ran said. "I got married when I was 23."
"Well, you're divorced now," Chen Anke clicked her tongue. "This kid's lucky. Here, let me send your contact over first, just to get to know each other."
Shi Ran: "No need. Young men are definitely immature. Just thinking about it is exhausting."
"At that age they're strong and full of vigor—right in their prime. You have no taste." Chen Anke said. "It doesn't matter if it works out or not, just make a friend. He's in the pet circle anyway…"
…
23 years old. That was a bit young. Shen Lizhou thought, distracted.
But personality is not determined by age. Nor does being younger necessarily mean a more immature personality. This requires more contact, especially knowing through how one handles situations.
Someone who runs a camping base should have a wide social circle, be more outgoing, and relatively more considerate of others. But whether that social circle is clean or not needs careful consideration.
Liking pets is a plus—might give them some common topics to talk about…
But in the end, it still depends on whether she likes the person herself.
Finding someone she likes, her happiness is what matters most.
As her thoughts drifted aimlessly, Shi Ran's voice suddenly rang out: "Hey, is this a cat tree?"
Shen Lizhou looked up, seeing her studying it in the corner of the living room. He paused for a few seconds before answering: "Yes."
"Such great design, it's literally my dream home—I'd pay any price to get one."
Shi Ran had already finished touring the entire house and walked briskly toward the kitchen.
Her features were clear and bright, long hair loosely draped over her shoulders, a few stray strands blown to her cheeks by the wind. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft golden glow over her entire figure.
Like someone who had stepped out of a dream.
"Have you kept pets before—cats, dogs, birds?" She curved her beautiful eyes into a smile and asked.
Shen Lizhou gazed at her, his mind momentarily blank, taking a full several seconds to process the specific meaning of her words.
He lowered his lashes.
"A long time ago…" He slowly washed the vegetables in his hands, the stream of water gently concealing his trembling fingers. "I had a cat."
Shi Ran let out an "oh" and didn't press further, only remarking: "If it lived here, it must have been a very happy cat."
She looked toward him.
The man kept his head slightly lowered, wearing only a simple black T-shirt, revealing forearms with clean, smooth lines. His skin was pale from rarely seeing the sun, like warm white jade in deep water. When his lashes drooped, they made those amber eyes seem deep and dark—cool, distant, as if untouched by the mortal world—yet there he stood in this kitchen full of everyday life.
It was a very different, very strange feeling.
Shi Ran felt she had been staring longer than politeness allowed.
Just as she was about to look away, Shen Lizhou's lashes gave a slight flutter. Shi Ran couldn't help it—she took one more look.
Just then, Aili's voice rang out: "Shi Ran—where'd you go?"
Shi Ran immediately spun around: "In the kitchen—"
She left just in time, not seeing the man behind her instantly drain of all color.
Those few seconds of holding himself together in front of her had nearly taken all his strength. He bent slightly, both hands gripping the edge of the sink with all his might.
It appeared again.
He seemed to see that dark brown wooden box with its exquisite grain, and the layers of bright red ribbons tied around it.
The damp mustiness, the stench of rotting flesh, the decayed odor of water-swollen wood—like an invisible hand, it instantly seized his heart.
He seemed locked inside that old, sealed wooden box.
Vaguely, he seemed to hear an extremely faint, almost imperceptible cry—like a cat calling for help.
Suffocation surged over him like a flood. His throat emitted fragmented, nearly silent gasps. The numbness in his fingertips gradually spread through his entire body.
His vision began to darken, his ears rang, all sounds growing distant and muffled. He clenched his jaw, using every ounce of strength to hold himself up, barely managing to move to the storage cabinet beneath the sink, trembling as he pulled open the drawer.
A small white pill bottle rolled out, clattering onto the floor.
His fingertips were slippery. With great effort, he picked up the bottle, twisted it open, shook out two tablets, and swallowed them with a tilt of his head.
The tablets scraped down his throat with a dry, stinging sensation.
He struggled to steady his breathing.
His back had been soaked with cold sweat at some point without his notice.
The laughter and chatter of the others on the balcony drifted in with the sea breeze. Shen Lizhou vaguely heard the name "Tao Jianxi" again.
Even setting everything else aside for now.
At the very least, one should be sound in body and mind.
Like any normal person.
He thought this very calmly.
The reflection in the sink distorted his image. Shen Lizhou caught a glimpse by accident and quickly turned his face away.
As if he had seen something utterly disgusting, something revolting, something he could not bear to look at even once more.