On the tenth day of sleeping in separate rooms, Su Xianyu got up calmly and heard the soft sound of toast popping out of the toaster in the kitchen.
The sound came neither too early nor too late, just as she reached the door, as if it had been timed to the second.
"Awake?" Feng Lin was putting the fried eggs on a white porcelain plate, with meticulous care.
When he looked up, there was a smile in his eyes. The scar on his forehead was so faint in the sunlight that it looked like a shallow mark.
"I left a bit more runny yolk in the soft - boiled eggs today. You said last time you liked them more runny."
Su Xianyu gave a soft "hmm" and pulled out a chair to sit down.
The strawberries on the plate were cut into even sizes, with the stems neatly removed, and the circular arrangement was so symmetrical that there was nothing to fault.
She speared a piece and put it in her mouth. The sweet juice spread on her tongue, but she couldn't taste the slightest bit of warmth.
"Are you going to the flower shop this afternoon?" Feng Lin poured her a glass of warm water. "I'm free today. I can go with you to sort out the newly - arrived hydrangeas."
"No need," Su Xianyu put down her fork. "I hired someone to take care of it yesterday."
Feng Lin's smile froze for half a second, then resumed naturally. "You're right. I shouldn't always let you get tired."
"Then what would you like for dinner? I remember you said you wanted to eat squirrel - shaped mandarin fish..."
She looked down at the plate and suddenly remembered the scene in the flower shop ten days ago.
By the time she noticed, Feng Lin had been injured on his arm and forehead and had fainted completely in the flower shop.
Thankfully, the ambulance arrived in time, and he wasn't seriously hurt.
When they left the hospital, the sun was shining brightly.
Feng Lin walked beside her with steady steps. The gauze on his forehead had been removed, leaving only a faint scar.
When he opened the car door for her, his movements were natural, and there was no more paranoia in his eyes, only a gentle smile.
"Let's go home together."
"Okay."
Su Xianyu followed him back to the Feng Mansion.
Whenever Feng Lin had time, he would cook for Xiaoyu himself and even go to help her sort out the flower shop.
He even remembered a flower that Xiaoyu had casually mentioned she liked, and it was in a vase in the living room the next day.
The servants in the Feng Mansion were all envious. Even Mama Liu took her hand and said, "The young master has really matured. It's good that he's changed his old temper."
But only Su Xianyu knew that something seemed different.
When the suggestion of sleeping in separate rooms was made, Feng Lin just paused for a moment, then gently asked, "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Su Xianyu turned her face away, not daring to look into his overly calm eyes.
"I just... want to sleep alone. I've been a light sleeper recently and I'm afraid I'll disturb you."
Feng Lin didn't ask further. He just nodded. "Then have a good rest. Call me if you need anything."
[Is Xiaoyu being too picky? Good men like this are really hard to find these days.]
[Before, Feng Lin even controlled who Xiaoyu talked to. Now he's so lenient towards her, and she's still not satisfied?]
[Little Sister Xiaoyu is becoming more and more sensitive. Before, she disliked Feng Lin for being jealous. Now that he's not jealous, she's not happy.]
[This is what happens when a man matures. People always change. We can't always live in the past!]
[Women's hearts are really unfathomable. Stop being so picky, or you'll drive him away...]
Watching the scrolling subtitles above her head in the mirror, Su Xianyu tightened her coat, feeling colder and colder.
Since the time Feng Lin hit his head and woke up, he seemed to have lost all his edges and corners.
Sometimes Su Xianyu would be in a daze. Looking at Feng Lin who remembered all her casual preferences, what else did she have to be dissatisfied with?
When she had her period and was curled up in bed in pain, Feng Lin brought her ginger - brown sugar tea at just the right temperature to drink immediately, and also prepared a hot - water bag and painkillers.
Looking into his calm eyes, she suddenly remembered that before, Feng Lin would fumble to fill the hot - water bag with hot water and burn his own hands, yelping in pain.
But he would still insist on putting it on her first, muttering, "I told you not to eat cold things earlier."
When she worked overtime in the shop until late at night, Feng Lin would come to pick her up. There was her favorite soft music playing in the car, and the seat was adjusted to the perfect angle.
But looking at his focused profile while driving, she remembered that before, Feng Lin would park the car by the side of the road, with red eyes, scolding her for "not taking care of herself".
But when she got in the car, he would put the pre - warmed coat on her, being tough - mouthed but soft - hearted.
It was hard to explain this feeling. There was like a tiny thorn in her heart, pricking her from time to time.
It made Su Xianyu unable to get along with Feng Lin as calmly as before after his discharge from the hospital, so she proposed sleeping in separate rooms.
But Feng Lin still tolerated her as always, which made Su Xianyu wonder if she had fallen out of love with him, that's why she felt this way.
"What are you looking at?" Feng Lin stood at the door at some point, holding her shawl in his hand.
"The air - conditioner in the study is set too low. Put this on."
Su Xianyu closed the photo album. "It's nothing. I just came across some old photos."
Feng Lin walked over to put the shawl on her. His fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of her neck, and she shrank her neck as if she had been burned.
"There's a business dinner tonight," he withdrew his hand and put it in his suit - pants pocket. "Let's go together."
Su Xianyu nodded. "Okay."
Feng Lin turned to leave, then stopped.
"I've prepared a dress for you. It's in the cloakroom. It's champagne - colored. You said you liked this color last time."
"Okay." She responded. Only after she heard his footsteps fade away at the end of the corridor did she open the photo album again.
In the photo, Feng Lin was hugging her, smiling ostentatiously, with his love for her shining in his eyes.
---
At the dinner, Su Xianyu was wearing the champagne - colored evening dress that Feng Lin had prepared for her.
She stood under the dazzling crystal chandelier and felt a bit cold on the exposed part of her back.
Looking up, she saw Feng Lin in a black suit, chatting and laughing with the guests.
He was so calm and proper in every gesture. Every time he looked back at her, his eyes were just gently enough.
The ladies around all cast envious looks at Su Xianyu, but all she could think about was why Feng Lin had chosen a backless dress for her...
Su Xianyu felt a bit stuffy in her chest. She turned around and wanted to go to the terrace to get some fresh air. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a flash of bright color.
There was a man in a red shirt standing at the bar, with his back to her. The line of his shoulders was very familiar, and the fingers holding the wine glass were well - defined.
Su Xianyu's heart skipped a beat, and her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground.
"What's wrong?"
Feng Lin walked over at some point. Following her gaze, he asked naturally, "Do you know him?"
"No," Su Xianyu averted her gaze, her fingertips trembling slightly.
The man just turned around. Through the bustling crowd, she met the complex emotions surging in his eyes.
There seemed to be both anger and grievance in his eyes, and that look made her suddenly catch her breath.
He looked so much like...
Su Xianyu took a deep breath and forced herself to look away.
Halfway through the dinner, Feng Lin went to greet the host.
Su Xianyu excused herself to go to the restroom, but her feet involuntarily walked towards the bar.
The man in the red shirt was no longer there. There was only an empty wine glass left on the bar.
She stood there, feeling empty - hearted. Just as she was about to turn around...