The store was already dim, and the partition at the back was even darker.
As he walked inside, Pei Jiangmu deliberately made his breathing two notches more rapid than his actual fear.
His shoulders trembled just right, yet he always kept a half - arm's distance from Meng Ruozhao.
He had calculated this angle—it would allow Meng Ruozhao to catch the faint scent of pine on him, but not get close enough to make her feel offended.
As soon as they stepped into the partition, Meng Ruozhao noticed that the person behind her had even heavier breathing—obviously, he was even more scared.
But he suppressed it desperately, for fear of displeasing her.
Meng Ruozhao sighed inwardly. People with sensitive and fragile hearts were probably all like this.
The power switch was a bit high. She shone the flashlight on it.
"I'll go get the toolbox."
When she turned around, the ends of her hair brushed against the third button of his shirt.
Pei Jiangmu's breath caught imperceptibly, but he immediately stepped aside to make a wider passage.
When she brought back the toolbox, Pei Jiangmu spoke up, with just the right amount of tremor in his voice. "Let me do it."
His left hand clenched tightly at his side until his knuckles turned white, but his right hand steadily took the toolbox, even controlling his fingertips not to touch hers.
Since he was going to do some work, he was afraid of soiling his shirt, so he rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pale section of his arm.
Under the light of the mobile phone, Meng Ruozhao noticed that there was a very faint scar on the right wrist bone, shaped like a hasty treatment after being scratched by something sharp.
Meng Ruozhao's gaze unconsciously stopped there, and a vague sense of familiarity flashed by.
Pei Jiangmu keenly caught her gaze, but pretended not to notice.
He repaired the circuit quickly and talked while doing it.
"The circuit is aging. It's the same situation as in my rental house. Sister, you should pay more attention to safety on weekdays."
No wonder he was so skillful. It turned out that he often did repairs.
Meng Ruozhao felt a bit more sympathy for him.
"Okay. I'll hire someone to replace it in a couple of days."
As she was speaking, with a soft "click", the light came back on.
The moment the light returned, Meng Ruozhao clearly felt that his breathing also slowed down.
For some reason, seeing him relax, she also felt relieved.
"All done, sister."
Pei Jiangmu put all the tools back into the toolbox and then looked up at her with a shy smile.
He looked like a little puppy asking for praise.
Meng Ruozhao even wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair.
She was startled by this thought and turned her head away somewhat awkwardly. "Thank you."
She admitted that this man had a face that was completely right on her heartstrings, especially the tear mole at the corner of his eye, which seemed to be right on her heart.
But he was still a student. She couldn't be so unethical.
Maybe the faint sense of danger in her heart was also an unconscious reminder not to make mistakes.
When they walked out, Pei Jiangmu still kept a safe distance.
Meng Ruozhao walked in front, and he followed behind, lowering his head to straighten his cuffs and hiding the scar again.
When he looked up again, he was back to that harmless student look.
The heavy rain outside was gradually weakening. The water marks on the glass blurred the neon lights into hazy patches of color.
Pei Jiangmu put on the altered coat, and it fit him perfectly.
"How much?"
When he asked these three words, his confidence was obviously lacking.
The material of this coat clearly looked very expensive.
Who would have thought that Meng Ruozhao just waved her hand nonchalantly. "This set of clothes is not for sale. Consider it lent to you. Just return it to me when you're done using it."
Since she had lent it to him, she definitely couldn't give it to Yan Qiubai.
It would be good for her to take it back and use it as a sample later.
Pei Jiangmu's eyes lit up, but he still spoke carefully.
"Is that okay? Sister, don't pity me. I have money."
Have money? If he had money, why would he be in arrears with the rent?
But Meng Ruozhao understood a young man's self - esteem and didn't point it out directly.
"I know. It's just that this set of clothes has special significance to me, so I can only lend it to you."
She found a reason that would make neither of them embarrassed.
But she didn't notice that when he heard her say "special significance", a shadow flashed across Pei Jiangmu's eyes.
What special significance? Was it for that lousy fiancé?
He lowered his head and unconsciously touched the frog - clasp on the collar. The shadow of his drooping eyelashes hid the surging darkness in his eyes.
If that dog man wore it, would she also fasten the frog - clasp for him with her own hands?
"Then I'll leave my student ID with you, sister. I'll come back on time next Monday to return the clothes."
He handed over a student ID.
Meng Ruozhao refused without thinking. "No need."
"Sister trusts me so much? But I still have to."
His voice was very soft, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the ID.
He had practiced this movement many times to appear nervous and sincere.
"I'll definitely come back on time next week to return the clothes."
The student ID was stubbornly stuffed into her hand.
The plastic film was extremely smooth, as if it had been stroked repeatedly.
The young man in the ID photo had a clean look in his eyes, subtly overlapping and separating from the person standing in front of her at the moment.
When her fingertips brushed the edge of the photo, Pei Jiangmu's Adam's apple rolled slightly.
He couldn't stay any longer. Otherwise, he would surely be unable to resist the urge to hug her.
Meng Ruozhao took the student ID and found an umbrella for him.
The moment the umbrella opened, Pei Jiangmu looked back.
"Watch out for the slippery road."
Meng Ruozhao unconsciously exhorted.
He nodded, and as he turned around, the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile that no one saw.
The rain from the edge of the umbrella deliberately dripped onto the old sneakers he had deliberately worn.
Those were the styles she had liked the most in her youth.
After turning the corner, a black sedan silently slid up beside him.
As soon as he got in the car, the bodyguard immediately handed him a dry towel and a pair of shoes.
Pei Jiangmu changed his shoes, put on the gold - rimmed glasses, and his entire aura instantly became sharp.
"Are the monitors all set up?"
His voice was no longer feigned, with a cold texture.
"Yes, Young Master. There are two cameras in the front and back of the store respectively."
Pei Jiangmu took one last look at the lights of [Fuyunxuan].
As the car window slowly rose, his fingertips brushed over the wound on his wrist—that was the wound he got when they had their first fight, cut by the broken vase.
That day, his skin hunger disorder flared up, and he couldn't find her anywhere. Only then did he discover that she had actually gone to the amusement park with someone else behind his back.
When she came back, there were still some amusement park souvenirs hanging on her bag, and she looked extremely happy.
In jealousy and anger, he lost his mind and questioned her why she had left him to play with someone else.
She seemed not to know she had done anything wrong and asked back blankly: Why not?
His question was like a boulder thrown into still water, but it only stirred up more confusion on her face.
That light - hearted "Why not" was like the last spark that ignited the fuse, instantly detonating all the jealousy, grievance, and rage from not being valued that had been pent up in his chest.
"No! It's just not allowed!"
It was the first time he roared at her. His voice was hoarse and broken, and the dam of his reason completely collapsed.
Because he suddenly realized that she had grown up, and he was no longer her top choice in life.
But he would never allow it!