【49.】

  Shen Dang accompanied me into the restaurant, catering to my thoughts.

  Although it was Liu Xin who suggested eating together, Shen Zhuang still ended up footing the bill.

  The restaurant had a luxurious yet low-key atmosphere, consistent with Gongzi's usual style. I was puzzled as to how he always managed to find such places. Liu Xian hadn't arrived yet, and I didn't dare get too close to him. Shen Duan sat there silently, but judging from his expression, he seemed to be very angry.

  I looked at him and said, "What's wrong again?"

  He didn't look at me, shook his head, as if he didn't want to talk to me much. I also understood a little why he was angry, this thing has been between us for so long. There are many things that can't be turned over without mentioning them, it's always a stumbling block.

  I sighed: "I know you don't like me this way in your heart. You... give me some time, and I'll definitely tell Liu Xin later, okay?"

  Shen Duan fiddled with a lighter in his hand, his expression unclear. After a moment, he said: "I'm not really mad at you... Liu Jia, if I were truly angry with you, I would say it out loud. Holding grudges is what women do, I wouldn't do that. It's just that I haven't figured out how to talk to you yet. You see, as long as you're by my side and think of me in your heart, I'm already very satisfied. Others are just others. Liu Xin is someone else, Du Bin is also someone else. I've thought it through, I just need some time... Don't take it to heart, live your life well. If you're unhappy, no matter how many other people there are, they can't compare."

  Hearing him say that, I not only didn't put my mind at ease, but instead felt even more guilty. However, I was too embarrassed to say anything, so I just smiled and changed the subject: "Hurry up and order! Don't starve me!"

  Shen Dang smiled: "I knew you were craving it!"

  When Liu Xin arrived, Shen Duan was pointing at a dish on the menu with me, his attitude somewhat intimate. He raised his head and saw Liu Xin, didn't panic, stood up very calmly: "You're here."

  Liu Xin probably didn't think much of it either, looking at Shen Duan's appearance slightly red-faced, but said: "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

  Shen Duan pulled out a stool for her, and Liu Xin sat down with a surprised expression. However, she didn't notice that Shen Duan had skillfully dodged her question.

  When the dishes were served, I was bored and fiddled with my phone. Just then, Tao Hao sent me a text message, complaining about her boss, describing him in vivid and humorous language that made me burst out laughing.

  Liu Xian leaned over: "What's so funny?"

  I handed her the phone: "Look at your good sister Tao, so talented."

  She held it and looked at it for a while, then handed it to Shen Dang: "Haha, look. It's really killing me."

  A single text message broke the deadlock. I couldn't help but secretly sigh in admiration - our warm-up king Tao, even when not on site, still has such power.

  The food was very delicious, but I had eaten too much dim sum when I arrived and couldn't eat too much. Liu Xian kept asking me about my internship experience, probably because of Tao's text message that made her curious about the internship. Unfortunately, I didn't have much experience to share, so I answered a few irrelevant sentences and almost exposed myself.

  Fortunately, Shen Duan asked about Liu Xin's school, and Liu Xin enthusiastically chatted with Shen Duan. I gave Shen Duan a grateful look, but in my heart, I felt that such concealment was not a long-term plan. In my mind, it has been initially decided that after half a year, when I come here to pursue further studies, I will confess everything to Liu Xin.

  Thinking of this, the problem that has been troubling me for a long time seems to have been solved effortlessly, and I suddenly feel much happier. Shen Zhuang looks at me, seemingly discovering my great mood, and stops talking to Liu Xian, focusing on eating instead.

  He didn't talk much when he was eating, so Liu Xian also stopped talking.

  On the way back at night, Shen Zhuo hugged me and laughed: "Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, I can see a pair of eyes on your face."

  "Ah, Shen Duan." I looked at him. "Wait until I come here for graduate school and confess to Liu Xin, how about that?"

  He seemed not to have understood and frowned, asking: "What?"

  "Our two matters, I'll confess to Liu Xian when I arrive, okay?"

  He finally reacted and, without regard for the fact that we were still in the living room, wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. I saw that Mrs. Jiang was still there, so I felt embarrassed to be so intimate with him, and pushed him away, saying "Stop messing around."

  He wouldn't listen, so I had no choice but to pout and pull on his arm: "Let's go inside."

  Shen Duan's eyes sparkled like the stars in the night sky, and he wrapped his arms around my waist as we walked into the house. Before I could even catch my breath, he pounced on me, pinning me to the bed and kissing me fiercely.

  His hand gradually became dishonest, extending along the hem of my clothes and pinching my softness. I was pinched a bit painfully by him and cried out: "Gentle!"

  He didn't move, just lay on me panting heavily, and after a while, he took his hand out to tidy up my clothes, pinched my nose and said: "One day I'll be tortured to death by you!"

  I couldn't help but giggle, and my heart felt incredibly sweet. My leg accidentally touched his sensitive spot, and I heard him take a sharp breath in, his voice becoming low and husky: "Liu Jia, stop messing around!"

  I looked at him: "Don't you like me?"

  He sighed, hugged me tightly, and only said after a while: "It's precisely because I like you so much that I don't want to let go."

  I was just joking with him, but hearing him say that warmed my heart.

  Shen Duan stayed in Beijing for only three to five days, and he could still come to accompany me at night. During the day, he also had classes to attend because his school was quite far away. Sometimes when he had a class in the first period, he would rush out of the house without even having breakfast. Going back and forth like this, even Jiang Ma couldn't help but complain, although she wasn't intentionally saying it for me to hear. However, I could see how tired Shen Duan was these past few days, and my heart ached for him.

  So I took advantage of dinner time and said: "Book a plane ticket for me tomorrow, I'm going home."

  He looked up at me with great surprise: "Isn't it good to stay here?"

  "It's okay, but I miss home."

  Shen Dang looked at me, seemingly trying to find some reason from my expression. I smiled and handed him a piece of meat: "I'm telling you, young master, don't look anymore, can't I hide anything from you? I really want to go home, really!"

  "Alright, whatever you say. I'll get Zhang He to book a ticket for you tomorrow. You can go pack your things after dinner."

  The next morning when I woke up, Shen Zhong had already gone to school. I got up and didn't see him, feeling a bit down in the dumps. As I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, Jiang Ma knocked on the door: "Miss Liu is awake?"

  She responded with a "yes" and pushed open the door, saying: "Mr. Zhang just called to say that the tickets have all been booked, it's for 1 pm this afternoon, he told Miss Liu to get ready and leave after lunch."

  I sat up and said, "Got it."

  Lunch was made by Ginger Mom, the dishes were very delicious, I ate a big bowl, and Ginger Mom smiled at me: "There will be more opportunities to come to Beijing in the future, don't be too sad when you leave this time."

  Really worthy of being everyone's mother, no one can match her ability to observe and understand. I nodded, not knowing what to say. Just then, Shen Zhong came back.

  There was some sweat on his forehead, but when he saw me, he just smiled and said, "Luckily I made it in time."

  I handed my luggage to the driver and then said to him: "Don't you have class this afternoon?"

  "Where is there a university where people don't skip class?"

  This is...

  I ignored him and opened the car door to get in. Zhang He sat in the passenger seat, so Shen Zhong had no choice but to sit next to me.

  All along the way I was a bit silent, after all, we have to be apart for so long. I'm not good at saying sweet words, and my heartache can only rely on his shoulder.

  He held me without saying anything, looking like he was in a lot of pain.

  As we were boarding quickly, he held my hand and said: "Go back and take a look, if you forget to bring something, call me and I'll have someone send it to you."

  I hung my head and didn't look at him, pouting like I was sulking: "Can anything else be forgotten? The things I most want to bring can't even be taken away."

  As soon as the words fell, he leaned forward and kissed me. The bustling waiting room often staged such a classic scene, with people around us only glancing sideways without saying a word. Yet it made me feel like time had quietly come to a standstill for this moment.