Shen Zhiyi hated rainy days, finding the house particularly damp, to the point where even the blankets and sheets felt moist to the touch.
Especially in these old residential areas, a faint musty smell would fill the house whenever it rained.
Pei Xu disliked rainy days even more…
If Shen Zhiyi’s aversion to rainy days was physical, Pei Xu’s was psychological.
Shen Zhiyi closed the window and casually drew the curtains, blocking out the earthy scent that drifted through the air during the rain, allowing herself a moment of self-deception.
“Rongchuang Technology officially completed its liquidation on June 16th, and the company…”
Hearing the news about Rongchuang Technology on TV, Shen Zhiyi immediately picked up the remote and changed the channel.
“I don’t understand the tech channel.”
“So you switched to the children’s channel?”
Shen Zhiyi:
“Don’t worry, Rongchuang Technology’s bankruptcy liquidation is a fact. Didn’t you say it yourself? People shouldn’t dwell on the past or indulge in fantasies.”
Pei Xu reached out toward Shen Zhiyi, wanting her to return the remote.
But he didn’t expect her to misunderstand. Seeing Pei Xu’s open palm, Shen Zhiyi placed her own hand directly into it.
“The remote.”
Seeing Pei Xu sigh softly, Shen Zhiyi couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.
“My hands are a bit cold. Warm them up for me, and I’ll give you the remote back once they’re warm.”
Shen Zhiyi’s hands were indeed a little cold. It was already summer, so her hands and feet shouldn’t have been this chilly.
“Being too fond of cold things isn’t good. You should cut back on cold drinks and chilled fruits.”
Shen Zhiyi ignored him and instead tucked her other cold hand into Pei Xu’s palm.
But she kept her word. Once Pei Xu had warmed both her hands, Shen Zhiyi returned the remote to him.
When he switched back to the finance channel, the news had already changed to reports about artificial intelligence.
Pei Xu was listening to the news, while Shen Zhiyi, with nothing to do, lay bored on the sofa.
It was true that she loved cooking, but aside from that, she seemed to have too much free time.
Shen Zhiyi thought maybe she should pick up her old profession again—record a video while cooking, edit it during her free time, and upload it to her account.
It would be a leisurely job and could even earn her some money.
Shen Zhiyi snapped her fingers and ordered a phone stand and a fill light online.
She was someone who acted on her decisions without delay. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn’t procrastinate.
Although Pei Xu had been listening to the news, he was also paying attention to Shen Zhiyi’s movements.
He heard her put on her slippers, open the refrigerator door and rummage inside, then run into the kitchen…
Pei Xu remembered they had just finished lunch. How long had it been? Was Shen Zhiyi already hungry again?
“Tell me the current time.”
“The current time is Beijing time, 1:36 PM.”
A mechanical female voice announced the current time.
To be precise, they had finished lunch only forty minutes ago.
Pei Xu set his phone aside and tried to focus on the financial news.
But his ears couldn’t ignore the sounds Shen Zhiyi was making in the kitchen.
She was probably cracking eggs now.
Now it seemed like she was whisking the egg mixture…
Shen Zhiyi busied herself in the kitchen for nearly an hour.
Only when the aroma of baking filled the air did Pei Xu guess what she had been doing in the kitchen for so long.
“Pei Xu, it’s raining today. Rainy days are perfect for having some dessert.”
Shen Zhiyi placed the Swiss roll she had made on the table and brewed two cups of black tea to go with the dessert.
“Is there some inevitable connection between rainy days and sweets?”
“Not really. I just think life is so bitter—it’s nice to numb myself a little with something sweet.”
“By the way, I know you don’t particularly like sweet things, so I cut the sugar in half.”
Shen Zhiyi had originally planned to make caramel milk tea, but considering Pei Xu’s aversion to overly sweet flavors, she simply brewed two cups of black tea instead.
“When did you learn to bake? I actually had no idea.”
“There are plenty of things you don’t know. Back when we had a housekeeper at home, I never had to do anything, so of course you wouldn’t know.”
Shen Zhiyi’s words were meant to dispel Pei Xu’s underlying doubts.
Unexpectedly, they ended up reminding him of the past.
“It’s my fault for not being able to give you a stable life…”
“Stop right there. I wasn’t saying that to blame you, and you don’t need to apologize.”
If she had known Pei Xu would think this way, Shen Zhiyi would have chosen her words differently.
“Actually, life now is pretty good too—at least it feels solid.”
Many people say they dislike overly mundane days, where everything remains unchanged and eventually becomes dull.
But Shen Zhiyi doesn’t see it that way. Sometimes, simplicity is its own kind of happiness.
“Do you like the life we have now? Living in a small apartment, no haute couture, no luxury bags…”
Shen Zhiyi took a sip of her black tea and leaned back comfortably on the tatami.
“Pei Xu, let me tell you something about myself. I can enjoy luxury, but I can also live an ordinary life. As long as you’re alive, there’s something to strive for. Given our current situation, how much worse could things possibly get?”
Pei Xu felt around the table with his hand, touched the plate, picked up the spoon beside it, and took a bite of the Swiss roll Shen Zhiyi had made.
As the cream and soft sponge cake melted on his tongue, Pei Xu’s lips curved into a smile.
Yes, things are already like this—how much worse could they possibly get?
“Pei Xu!”
Seeing Pei Xu use her spoon and eat from the Swiss roll she had already taken a bite from, Shen Zhiyi instinctively called out his name.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your… your shirt is on inside out.”
Pei Xu put down the spoon and felt around the collar of his shirt.
“Is it front-to-back or inside-out?”
“Take it off, and I’ll help you turn it around.”
“Take it off right here?”
Shen Zhiyi set aside the thin blanket she had draped over herself.
“You could also go downstairs to take it off.”
Although Pei Xu had lost his sight, he wasn’t that uninhibited.
“Just tell me how to adjust it, and I’ll go back to my room to change.”
“You’re wearing the inside of the shirt on the outside. Just take it off and flip it around.”
Pei Xu acknowledged her words, found his white cane, stood up from the sofa, and returned to the bedroom.
Seizing the opportunity, Shen Zhiyi swapped their Swiss rolls.
But swapping them seemed pointless now—Pei Xu had already taken a bite.
Shen Zhiyi didn’t mind sharing with him, but looking at the untouched Swiss roll, she thought for a moment and moved it to her side.
She was the one who made the dessert—was it wrong to have a little extra?
“I’ve changed it. Is my shirt on correctly now?”
Shen Zhiyi had just finished her little maneuver when Pei Xu’s voice suddenly rang out, startling her.
“It still looks the same as before. Did you really change it in your room? Let me see how you did it.”
Pei Xu’s hand tugged at the hem of his shirt, already halfway off, but he pulled it back down again.
“You really just want to see how I change clothes?”
“Otherwise, what? Could it be that I’m coveting your figure, wanting to see how many abs you have?”
Pei Xu: I knew I wasn’t wrong—she really is coveting my physique.