He Lindi’s workload was heavy, which dictated her level of physical fatigue. After getting in the car, He Lindi leaned back against the seat.
To her, fatigue wasn’t a big deal, but spending so long in the wind at the outdoor venue last night meant her cold had returned, and that was the real source of discomfort.
The only comfort might be that Chi Shuo was now sitting in the driver’s seat. Thinking of this, He Lindi couldn’t help but curve her lips slightly, though she didn’t make it too obvious. Only when she realized the parking garage lights were almost non-existent did she quietly widen her smile a bit.
Chi Shuo fastened her seatbelt and asked before starting the car, “Where’s Uncle Jiu?”
“He’s busy.”
Chi Shuo placed both hands on the soft cover of the steering wheel, rubbed it twice, and said as if confirming, “I’m driving then.”
“Okay.”
Winter continued. Pedestrians outside were dressed warmly. The car’s heater was on, the temperature not low. Chi Shuo had already unzipped her down jacket.
It seemed nothing much had changed from before. He Lindi leaned quietly in the passenger seat, and Chi Shuo drove quietly as well. The initial excitement of seeing her had turned into peace of mind; Chi Shuo really enjoyed this feeling.
The two didn’t talk much on the way. When they reached the familiar intersection again, waiting for the green light, Chi Shuo softly called out to the person beside her, “He Lindi.” Her line hadn’t changed much. “We’re almost there.”
He Lindi was wearing a hooded sweatshirt underneath. She had already put the hood up while in the car. Chi Shuo couldn’t see her eyes, only that He Lindi had taken off her mask, revealing her slightly pursed lips and the faint hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
And now, He Lindi’s lips parted. She slowly raised her hand to take off the hood while replying, “We’re here?”
Her voice was still hoarse. Hearing it, Chi Shuo’s heart tightened.
He Lindi’s constitution wasn’t very good; she got heatstroke in the summer and colds in the winter, unlike Chi Shuo, who only got sick once every few years.
“Mm.” Chi Shuo slowly exhaled. The light ahead turned green, and she drove the car forward.
He Lindi adjusted to the outside light. After about ten seconds, she asked, “Are you going straight back later?”
Chi Shuo licked her slightly dry lips, watched the road, and replied, “Don’t know.” She coughed lightly, her ears hidden under her hair starting to burn again. “Maybe… possibly… perhaps… I’ll make you a cup of medicine before leaving?”
He Lindi’s eyes and brows crinkled with a smile: “Mm.”
She looked like she wanted to say something more, but the next second she covered her mouth and turned her head, coughing several times.
Chi Shuo didn’t hide her worry: “Have you seen a doctor?”
He Lindi took a couple of breaths before answering Chi Shuo, “Not yet.” She paused, her hoarse voice tinged with a hint of allure. “Because I was eager to come back.”
Chi Shuo felt both joy and sadness in her heart. She actually wished He Lindi had seen a doctor before coming to see her. It wasn’t that she had any ridiculous thoughts about He Lindi infecting her with a cold, but because health really is important.
Eager to come back… If she was eager to see her, Chi Shuo would feel somewhat guilty, more or less.
The car entered the underground parking garage. Chi Shuo had lost count of how many times she had been here. And the last time she came, it seemed she had even wrapped her own scarf around He Lindi.
Oh right, the scarf. Chi Shuo remembered it now.
After getting out of the car, once He Lindi had put her mask back on, Chi Shuo asked, “Is my scarf still at your place?”
She was sure she hadn’t remembered wrong; He Lindi hadn’t returned her scarf.
He Lindi glanced at her: “That’s my scarf now.”
Chi Shuo paused: “Huh?”
“You tied it on me yourself.”
“So it’s mine.”
He Lindi’s words held a hint of bossiness. Chi Shuo found it somewhat amusing but didn’t object, entering the elevator with He Lindi.
Before exiting the elevator, He Lindi said, “Let’s go to the room I opened the door to last time, the one you didn’t enter.”
Chi Shuo pursed her lips, a little nervous: “That cat…”
She was afraid of cats. If a cat was right there when the door opened, just thinking about it made Chi Shuo shiver, even feeling a phantom sensation where she had been bitten before.
He Lindi lowered her eyelashes: “I gave it to a friend to raise a long time ago.”
The elevator doors opened. He Lindi stepped out first. She added, “Otherwise it would have starved to death long ago, wouldn’t it?”
Chi Shuo paused, then followed her to the door.
“The passcode is six digits, my birthday.” He Lindi said this before entering it, then tilted her head to glance at Chi Shuo with a smile. “Do you know my birthday?”
“950928?”
As soon as she finished speaking, He Lindi also opened the door. After a “ding,” He Lindi raised an eyebrow: “Remember it that clearly?”
Chi Shuo didn’t say anything, the temperature of her ears under her hair quietly rising again.
Yunshang Garden had several apartment layouts, all very good. Whether from a Feng Shui or scientific perspective, they satisfied the residents—this was something Chi Shuo had researched when she previously wanted to buy an apartment in Yunshang Garden.
Of course, it was just a thought. She was still far off from the 1.5 million yuan down payment.
The decor style of this apartment of He Lindi’s was different from the one she visited last time. This one was simpler and more elegant, even a bit plain. Judging by the decor alone, one might think the owner was a quiet, artistic youth.
Chi Shuo changed her shoes and went to wash her hands again.
He Lindi sat on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow. Her chin rested on it as she looked towards the kitchen, occasionally blinking, very focused.
Chi Shuo was inside boiling hot water for her medicine, but taking medicine on an empty stomach could cause discomfort, so Chi Shuo was also making her porridge.
Just plain white porridge. He Lindi stared at the bowl and chopsticks placed before her, stunned for several seconds.
Chi Shuo also put the spoon in for her: “Wait until it cools down a bit, then eat it.” She said, “Eat first, then take the medicine.”
He Lindi looked up at her: “No pickled mustard greens?”
Chi Shuo smiled slightly: “Sick people don’t deserve pickled mustard greens. Hope you understand.”
He Lindi leaned back against the chair, still holding the throw pillow. She said, “What do sick people deserve then?”
Chi Shuo didn’t answer, walked over to the sofa and sat down, saying something else: “Eat quickly. Once I see you’ve taken your medicine, I’ll head back.”
He Lindi sighed lightly: “Does that mean…” She continued, “…if I don’t take the medicine, you won’t go back?”
Chi Shuo: “…”
Chi Shuo turned her head to look at her: “Why don’t you try it?”
It was rare for Chi Shuo to be so assertive, and the reason was actually because He Lindi was sick and vulnerable.
He Lindi sniffled, picked up the spoon, sighed lightly, and resignedly started eating the porridge.
At 8:30 PM, Chi Shuo finished washing the pots and bowls and wiped the kitchen clean.
It was time for her to leave.
He Lindi leaned against the kitchen door, watching her movements the whole time. Only when Chi Shuo finished drying her hands did she call out, “Are you leaving?”
Chi Shuo turned to face her: “What else?”
He Lindi lowered her head slightly. Whether due to illness or fatigue, she looked exceptionally pitiful.
Chi Shuo walked up to her and stopped: “Get some rest.” She asked, “Do you have to work tomorrow? Maybe take a day off?”
He Lindi didn’t react. Just as Chi Shuo was about to ask something else, He Lindi leaned forward slightly. Before Chi Shuo could react, He Lindi had already rested her forehead on Chi Shuo’s shoulder.
Chi Shuo had already taken off her down jacket and was only wearing a round-neck sweater. Because the fabric was good, although a bit thin, it was very warm.
And now, He Lindi’s forehead was touching her shoulder like this. Separated by the thin sweater and an even thinner base layer, Chi Shuo felt as if she could feel the warmth of He Lindi’s forehead.
Perhaps it wasn’t just her forehead; the two were too close, so close that Chi Shuo could hear He Lindi’s shallow breathing by her ear.
Chi Shuo’s hands hanging at her sides didn’t lift; she didn’t dare. She just quietly clenched them into fists.
This posture lasted for about twenty seconds before Chi Shuo gently rolled her throat and asked softly, “Still feeling really uncomfortable?”
When she saw He Lindi, her face was already pale. Now, although she had taken medicine, its effects wouldn’t kick in that quickly. Asking this was quite normal.
But it also seemed not quite normal.
He Lindi was only a few centimeters taller than Chi Shuo. This action of resting her forehead on her shoulder didn’t look awkward at all; on the contrary, the quiet scene seemed even more beautiful.
He Lindi didn’t answer her question immediately but said, “If I still feel really bad tomorrow morning, I won’t go to the company.”
Chi Shuo replied, “Mm.”
“You…” He Lindi slowly moved her upper body back to a normal angle. She looked into Chi Shuo’s eyes, but the “You” trailed off into nothing. She turned around and went back to sit on the sofa.
Only after He Lindi left did Chi Shuo finally let out a long breath. She suspected her heartbeat in that minute had reached the peak of her twenty-three years of life.
Chi Shuo still left. She put on her down jacket. Before she left, He Lindi had already gone into the bathroom to shower and didn’t come out to see her off.
Chi Shuo couldn’t figure out He Lindi’s thoughts, unsure if He Lindi was angry because she didn’t stay, or if it was because being sick alone was indeed lonely and difficult, and having someone there was always better.
But Chi Shuo couldn’t stay. It seemed she lacked a reason to stay, or perhaps… if He Lindi had insisted a bit more, she would have slept over at He Lindi’s place tonight.
By the time she got back to her own place, it was already past 9 PM. Chi Shuo only then realized she had been so focused on He Lindi’s dinner that she had forgotten her own stomach.
She wasn’t planning to cook, too lazy to move. Before opening the takeout app, she received a message from He Lindi: 【Ordered dinner for you, the delivery guy will be there soon.】
Chi Shuo paused: 【What?】
He Lindi seemed to be getting revenge: 【You get white porridge too.】
Chi Shuo’s eyes curved. Then she saw He Lindi send another message: 【Yours has pickled mustard greens, though.】
Not angry, huh. The corners of Chi Shuo’s lips lifted.
But facts proved He Lindi had lied to her, because the takeout Chi Shuo received was very lavish; she couldn’t possibly finish it alone.
Chi Shuo: “…”
The next day, He Lindi didn’t go to the company. Chi Shuo received a message from her after the morning meeting.
Seems like her cold got worse. Chi Shuo frowned slightly, worry in her eyes.
But it was working hours now. Going to take care of He Lindi was clearly very unrealistic. Chi Shuo wondered if this counted as being cold; she felt she should be more responsible about the situation.
So, currently, she couldn’t stay overnight during this ambiguous period with He Lindi, nor could she promptly appear by her side when He Lindi’s cold worsened.
The company event was drawing closer, and everyone in the company was tense. Although Chi Shuo was worried, she still turned her attention back to work.
Twelve noon, time for lunch.
Zeng Guai came looking for Chi Shuo as usual to go to the cafeteria together, but Chi Shuo gave her an apologetic smile: “Sorry, I need to go out for a bit at noon.”
Zeng Guai scratched her head, puzzled: “Eh? Got a date?”
Chi Shuo hesitated, then nodded: “Sort of?”
Zeng Guai patted her shoulder, cheering her on: “Go for it! Shuo Shuo!”
Chi Shuo felt a bit bad. She pursed her lips and said to Zeng Guai, “Keep an eye on your phone later, I’ll send you a message.”
Zeng Guai’s eyes lit up: “Okay!” Just then, Wang Rui was still in the office. She pointed. “I’ll go eat with Wang Wang then.”
“Okay.”
The lunch break was two hours. Getting to He Lindi’s place now would take about twenty-plus minutes by taxi. Chi Shuo practically flew out of the office building and hailed a taxi by the roadside.
When she got in the car, she was still a bit breathless. Coupled with the cold winter air, her chest felt somewhat uncomfortable, and her nose ached slightly. After a moment, she felt normal again.
The security guards at Yunshang Garden seemed to recognize her already. Seeing her walk to the entrance, they didn’t stop her and even smiled at her. The guard who looked like a fitness coach even politely asked, “Miss Chi, do you need me to escort you in this time?”
Chi Shuo quickly waved her hand and replied with a smile, “No need, thank you.”
By the time she reached He Lindi’s door, Chi Shuo had recovered her normal breathing again; she had also walked rather quickly after entering the complex.
Her lips were pressed into a thin line. In her rush leaving home, she had forgotten her gloves. It was fine while moving, but now her hands felt the chill in the air.
Chi Shuo blew warm air into her palms, then entered the six-digit passcode.
The door opened.
Chi Shuo had messaged He Lindi on the way saying she was coming over, and He Lindi had replied. Otherwise, it might have counted as trespassing.
Appearing suddenly might offer some surprise, but it didn’t fit Chi Shuo’s usual style.
After entering, Chi Shuo saw He Lindi lying on the sofa. The living room temperature was slightly warm; inside and outside the door felt like two different worlds.
Rather than saying He Lindi was “lying” on the sofa, it was more like she had “collapsed” onto it. She had a pillow under her head and a seemingly thin blanket covering her.
If not for the direct feeling of the temperature, Chi Shuo would have really worried He Lindi was cold, causing her cold to worsen.
“Chi Shuo.” He Lindi spoke first.
Chi Shuo replied, “I’m here.”
Before she could take another step closer, she heard He Lindi say, “It’s afternoon.”
“Yes.”
“Time for field work.”
Chi Shuo didn’t react immediately: “What?”
He Lindi: “…”
He Lindi rolled over, turning her back to her: “Forget it, you should just go back to the company.”
In those few seconds, Chi Shuo already understood He Lindi’s meaning. It was simply that it was already afternoon, time for the photography lesson the company had arranged for her.
Seems like that’s indeed the case.
Chi Shuo breathed a sigh of relief. She had been tense since morning, and had actually forgotten this key piece of information.
“Have you had lunch?” After a few seconds, Chi Shuo asked, looking at He Lindi’s back.
The sofa in He Lindi’s living room was very large, perfectly usable as a bed. He Lindi rolled over on it, buried her face in the pillow, and asked back muffledly, “What do you think?”
Chi Shuo changed her shoes and walked a bit closer to her: “Then I’ll order takeout?” She said, “Eat first, then take your medicine.”
She walked up to stand in front of He Lindi and took out her phone. He Lindi showed no reaction, completely still.
Chi Shuo sighed helplessly. The words she spoke made her feel like a scumbag: “The company’s been a bit busy these past two days.”
What was the situation now? Chi Shuo herself was a bit baffled. It seemed she had stumbled upon a scene of a couple trying to salvage their relationship.
Too busy with work, not enough time to spend with the girlfriend, the girlfriend gets angry—many TV dramas and novels had plots like this.
But her relationship with He Lindi hadn’t reached the ‘lover’ stage yet. Were they already starting to act out this drama?
Chi Shuo scratched her head, then thought of an excellent plan.
She leaned her body forward slightly, extended her hand in front of He Lindi’s eyes, her tone pitiful: “I’m a bit cold.”
But the reaction she got was different from what she imagined: “Heh, didn’t even hug me last night, and now you want me to hold your hand?”
“Where in the world is there such a good deal?”
“Chi Shuo.”
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