“Why did you...
It was nearly evening when they got home, the sky dark.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate; a light drizzle made the ground wet.
Lu Chunhe had something to attend to midway, so the driver dropped her off and then took Song Guanyu and the others. Before getting out of the car, Lu Chunhe glanced deeply at Ye Yansheng sitting in the back seat. The man's face was now uncovered, hidden under the neon lights outside the car window. Colored lights played across his face, intertwining with his features, giving a hazy impression.
The man had superior looks; just sitting quietly made people want to look at him more. Lu Chunhe suppressed her suspicions until Song Guanyu poked her head out and smiled at her. Only then did Lu Chunhe look over, her gaze falling on Song Guanyu's face.
After Song Guanyu came back, it was as if all her meridians had been opened. The shoot went quickly and smoothly, and Romain repeatedly praised her for finally getting it, which saved everyone time.
Song Guanyu blinked and waved her hand in front of Lu Chunhe. "Sister Chunhe?"
Lu Chunhe snapped back and smiled. "It's nothing. Text me when you get home."
Song Guanyu obediently nodded, her face beaming with an irrepressible smile, the joy in her eyes as brilliant as before. She even made a vow gesture with her hand and said solemnly, "Okay! Mission guaranteed!" Lu Chunhe wanted to say something but thought better of it. She gave instructions to the driver and then left.
Song Guanyu leaned on the car door, watching Lu Chunhe's back until she disappeared into the office building. Then she turned, rolled up the window, and gave the driver the address. The car engine roared to life.
Soon, they merged into the traffic.
At the entrance of their home, they stood together in the elevator. It was one apartment per floor, so they didn't have to worry about running into anyone.
Something unfamiliar was brewing from that hug in the storage room. It was like something quietly lying there, waiting to be acknowledged.
Song Guanyu took off her face mask, exhaled, and turned to sneak a look at Ye Yansheng beside her, tilting her head up.
He hadn't spoken from the time they got in the car until now. She was still savoring the hug in the storage room. The warmth of his embrace seemed to linger on her fingertips, tingling.
A sudden spark of inspiration flashed through her mind, too fast to catch.
She suddenly wanted to write a song for Ye Yansheng.
At that moment, Ye Yansheng turned his head, looking down at Song Guanyu, who was staring up at him without blinking. She really was quite silly.
A smile spread across his lips.
"Am I that good-looking, Miss Song? You've stolen quite a few glances at me today." He had caught her several times during the shoot. He had been watching her from behind the camera. On camera, she was lively and professional—different from her usual self. She worked very seriously.
Caught again, Song Guanyu retracted her head and faced forward, propping her chin with one hand, looking very serious. Her nose wrinkled adorably.
"Dr. Ye is indeed good-looking." She then put down her hand, pinching the hem of her clothes and rubbing it. "But I wasn't sneaking glances. I was looking openly. Dr. Ye, please watch your wording."
A low chuckle came from beside her. Suddenly, Ye Yansheng pulled her hand, which was holding her clothes, toward him. Song Guanyu turned her head and saw him take out the ring and carefully put it on her finger. The diamond, as big as a pigeon egg, sparkled under the cold light of the elevator. Then Ye Yansheng took her small hand.
His palm was large and warm, completely enveloping her hand. He forcefully parted her fingers and interlaced them with his, their fingers tightly interlocked with no gap. This tender moment made her body tense.
She heard him say, "Let's do now what we didn't finish this morning." She was about to say something when the elevator dinged, and the door opened.
They were home.
Ye Yansheng raised a hand to hold the elevator door. Song Guanyu softly said, "Thank you," and stepped out. He held her hand, following behind her. She opened the door, and they walked in. Ye Yansheng turned and closed the door, then let go of her hand. "I'll prepare the ingredients," he said. "You go take a shower. When you're done, you can eat. Can you handle spicy food?"
Song Guanyu sat on the shoe-changing stool, stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded. She even licked her lips, saying she had an iron stomach and loved heavy flavors, and she asked him to add extra spice and chili.
Then she asked, "When did you buy the groceries?"
He knelt on the ground, took her slippers from the shoe cabinet, removed her shoes, and put the slippers on her before replying, "This morning while you were sleeping. I woke up very early and went to the supermarket."
Song Guanyu nodded, looking at the pink rabbit slippers on her feet. They were new, and she liked them. "Thank you, Dr. Ye."
"Go on," he said, patting her head lightly before turning and walking toward the kitchen.
When Song Guanyu returned to her room, she immediately spotted the little bear plushie she had left at her mother's house. It had somehow been brought over by Ye Yansheng, perhaps this morning.
In the past, seeing this bear would have made her happy, but now she felt a touch of loneliness. She walked over, touched the bear's soft paw, and caught a fresh, clean scent—it had been washed.
Looking at the bear, its two black eyes staring at her, Song Guanyu suddenly leaned in and whispered to the bear as if it were Ye Yansheng.
"You really were afraid I'd keep you up, you pest." With that, she huffily went to the bathroom.
After removing makeup and washing up, she came out with her hair wrapped in a quick-dry towel. Since it was summer, it would dry quickly, so she hurried to the living room.
The rich aroma of hotpot base had already filled the kitchen. She leaned over the table and saw the red oil covering the surface, the fragrance of beef tallow wafting up. It smelled just like the hotpot she had eaten in the Sichuan-Chongqing region when she went for a concert. Ye Yansheng had stir-fried the base, adding extra spice and chili. The bright red broth bubbled away on the induction cooker on the table, small bubbles popping up.
Around the table were arranged many hotpot ingredients.
Perhaps Ye Yansheng could consider becoming a gourmet chef in the future, staying home every day to cook for her. Just the thought was delightful.
Song Guanyu, leaning on the table, was just daydreaming. She propped her chin with both hands, her eyes devoid of emotion, staring unblinkingly at the man busy in the kitchen.
The sound of running water from the kitchen faucet drifted into the living room. The living room window was open to let the hotpot smell disperse.
The rain that had stopped earlier had started again. Song Guanyu turned her head to look outside the window.
She walked barefoot to the window, looked up at the night sky. The hazy fog obscured the moonlight. A gentle breeze blew softly on her face. The bright moon was gone, leaving only the natural scent of rain in the air.
Mixed with the damp earth smell, it drifted into the room. The hot wind, along with the scent of raindrops, blew the curtains full and billowing, the hem swaying, creating a surreal effect.
She suddenly wanted to play a song, perfect for this quiet, cozy moment. She loved old-fashioned record players and had brought back many novelty items from abroad.
The vintage record player in the corner had been delivered the day after she moved into Ye Yansheng's place, but she had never used it. She went over, selected a record she wanted to play, inspected it for damage, removed the stylus protector, and confirmed it was fine.
She placed the record on the turntable and gently adjusted it. The record player began to play.
A song called 'Soft Distance'—a gentle tune she had stumbled upon recently. The male voice started softly and tenderly, reminding her of Ye Yansheng's gentle moments.
It suited the rainy day perfectly. The raindrops were not heavy yet, their sound pleasant. The branches swayed in the wind, rustling, making the moment feel incredibly warm, with a sense of ordinary happiness.