After that day, the lives of Su Jin Yue and Gu Jing Shen were like two parallel lines—close enough to exist within the same space, yet never truly intersecting.
Gu Jing Shen left for work very early every morning.
Usually, by the time he left the house, Su Jin Yue was still fast asleep.
And by the time he returned from work, Su Jin Yue had already fallen asleep.
There were days when they did not see each other even once.
At first, Su Jin Yue found it a little strange.
But after a few days, she quickly grew accustomed to this rhythm.
In fact, she found it quite pleasant.
Neither of them bothered the other.
Neither interfered in the other’s life.
She could sleep until whatever hour she wanted, eat whatever she pleased, and go out to meet her friends without having to explain herself to anyone.
When she was in the mood, Su Jin Yue would go downstairs and cook something for herself.
When she was feeling lazy, she simply ordered takeout.
After eating, she would sit in the living room, reading, watching TV, or doing whatever else she felt like doing.
She never bothered to wonder where Gu Jing Shen was, what he was doing, or who he was with.
Gu Jing Shen, for his part, had no intention of interfering with Su Jin Yue’s life.
Su Jin Yue was completely satisfied with the life she was living.
It was hardly any different from the single life she had led before.
The only difference was that she now had a husband on paper.
But this husband of hers seemed to be very considerate.
He did not interfere in her life.
And she did not need to concern herself with his.
They lived under the same roof, yet it was as though each of them had a life entirely separate from the other.
There was only one place in the house where traces of the other occasionally appeared.
The refrigerator in the kitchen.
There were often several small notes stuck to its door, left by either Gu Jing Shen or Su Jin Yue.
They used them to briefly inform each other of their schedules.
And so, the refrigerator inadvertently became the only place where they exchanged information.
No phone calls.
No messages.
There was certainly no need to seek each other out.
Whenever there was something to say, one of them simply left a note for the other to see.
No unnecessary questions.
No lengthy explanations.
Su Jin Yue found this way of living quite comfortable.
There was even something amusing about it.
Looking at the little notes scattered across the refrigerator door, she could not help but find it funny.
She and Gu Jing Shen were clearly husband and wife.
Yet the way they communicated was not even as involved as that of two people sharing a rented apartment.
But it did not matter.
Su Jin Yue was perfectly content with things as they were.
If this contract marriage continued like this for the next two years, and they simply went their separate ways afterward, perhaps that would be the best possible ending.
She did not love Gu Jing Shen.
And he had never shown any sign that he loved her either.
The two of them had simply needed a marriage to serve their own purposes.
Once the two-year term was over, they would go their separate ways.
Clear.
Fair.
No strings attached.
Gradually, Su Jin Yue even developed a habit.
Every morning when she woke up, the first thing she did was not check her phone.
Instead, she would go downstairs to the kitchen and see whether there was a new note waiting for her on the refrigerator.
As it happened, Gu Jing Shen left a note for her every morning before leaving the house.
Their lives continued in this peaceful, uneventful manner until one night.
The clock on the wall was nearing one in the morning.
The apartment door opened.
Gu Jing Shen stepped inside, looking slightly weary after a long day at work.
He loosened his tie and casually placed his keys on the shelf.
The apartment was so quiet that the only sound was the faint echo of his footsteps.
Gu Jing Shen had just stepped into the living room when he suddenly stopped.
His gaze fell on the sofa, where Su Jin Yue had fallen asleep.
A book was still open in her hands, her long hair spilling loosely over her shoulders.
Her face looked peaceful beneath the warm, muted glow of the lamp, so soft and serene that his footsteps unconsciously slowed.
A thin blanket had fallen to the floor beside the sofa.
Gu Jing Shen stood there and looked at her for several seconds.
Perhaps she was not sleeping comfortably, because her eyelashes fluttered faintly.
He did not wake her.
Gu Jing Shen quietly walked over to the sofa and bent down to pick up the blanket from the floor.
He looked at the blanket in his hands, then at the woman sleeping soundly before him.
But he did not drape it over her.
Instead, he folded it neatly, turned around, and walked straight toward the balcony, where he placed it in the laundry basket.
Then Gu Jing Shen returned to the kitchen.
He opened a drawer and took out a sticky note.
Picking up a pen, he wrote a few words: “If you’re not using the blanket, put it in the laundry basket.
Don’t leave it lying around.” Once he finished, he stuck the note onto the refrigerator door, carefully straightening it until it was perfectly aligned.
When he was done, Gu Jing Shen glanced toward the sofa once more.
Su Jin Yue still had not woken up.
He turned off several of the living room lights, leaving only one soft, warm light behind.
Then he turned and walked toward his bedroom.
The bedroom door closed quietly behind him.
In the living room, Su Jin Yue slowly opened her eyes.
In truth, she had woken up the moment Gu Jing Shen bent down to pick up the blanket.
She had simply kept her eyes closed.
She did not even know why she had pretended to be asleep.
Perhaps she had wanted to see what Gu Jing Shen would do.
And sure enough, Gu Jing Shen had not disappointed her.
Instead of draping the blanket over her like most people would have, he had taken it away and put it in the laundry basket.
Su Jin Yue set the book aside and slowly sat up.
Her gaze lingered on the bedroom door Gu Jing Shen had just closed.
Then she got up and walked into the kitchen.
It was easy to spot the brand-new sticky note neatly placed on the refrigerator door.
She reached out and took it down, reading every word.
When she finished, the corners of her lips curled upward despite herself.
“Honestly…
what a strange man.” For some reason, the image of Gu Jing Shen bending down to pick up the blanket suddenly surfaced in her mind.
She frowned slightly, puzzled.
“What kind of person are you, anyway?” Why did he always act so cold and distant, yet quietly pay attention to such little things?
Su Jin Yue thought about it for a long time but still could not find an answer.
In the end, she could only tell herself that perhaps Gu Jing Shen was simply the type of man who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Thinking of this, Su Jin Yue shook her head lightly.
She felt that she was simply overthinking things.
They were only contract spouses.
Even if he cared about her a little, it did not mean anything.