Chen Zi pushed open the door reeking of alcohol. To his surprise, the room was pitch - black, and a cold chill assailed his face.
"Zhu Hui?"
The room remained silent for a while, with no response.
Chen Zi's face darkened. Zhu Hui really hadn't come home.
It must be that he had spoiled Zhu Hui too much. He had just said a few words to her today, and she had started throwing a tantrum!
Well, it was good in a way. With Zhu Hui not at home, no one would disturb him from fiddling with the newly - acquired antique.
Chen Zi took out a small, exquisitely - wrapped box from his bag. Inside the box lay a small porcelain figurine about the size of a palm.
According to the antique dealer, it was an item from the Song Dynasty.
The porcelain figurine was so lifelike that every hair and facial feature was exquisitely carved. In particular, its eyes, as black as lacquer, seemed to move if one stared at them for too long.
The more Chen Zi looked at the figurine, the more he liked it. After carefully wiping it several times, he placed it on the top shelf of the constant - temperature and constant - humidity cabinet in the living room.
After a tiring day, Chen Zi soon fell asleep.
Half - asleep and half - awake, he heard a strange crashing sound in the living room. It was a stumbling, dragging sound, as if something hard was being dragged on the floor.
Chen Zi thought it was the neighbor upstairs making a ruckus. Drunk as he was, he cursed loudly, "What time is it? Let people sleep, will you?"
After his outburst, the sound suddenly disappeared.
Chen Zi finally calmed down and drifted back into sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt the mattress sink. It seemed as if something had lain down beside him.
Chen Zi glanced blearily and only saw a dark shadow.
The shadow was lying on its side, facing him, and its gaze was fixed directly on his face. But the room was too dim for Chen Zi to make out the shadow's face.
He thought it was Zhu Hui who had come back. With a yawn, he snorted from his nose, "You finally remembered to come back?"
Zhu Hui seemed still angry with Chen Zi and didn't answer.
Chen Zi was too lazy to care. He turned over and was about to go back to sleep when the person beside him suddenly reached out a hand and placed it on his arm.
Chen Zi woke up with a start, and the alcohol in him faded a bit.
The hands on his arm were extremely cold, as if they had just been taken out of an ice cellar.
The person beside him was definitely not Zhu Hui.
Chen Zi held his breath, not daring to move or turn around.
Just like this, Chen Zi curled up and slept uneasily for the whole night.
It was not until dawn the next day, when the sunlight shone on his face, that Chen Zi suddenly woke up.
He jumped out of bed and found that there was nothing beside him. When he walked into the living room, he saw that the porcelain figurine he had placed in the constant - temperature cabinet was now squatting on the table, quietly staring at him.
Chen Zi picked up the small porcelain figurine, feeling confused.
Could it be that everything last night was just an illusion?
He had drunk too much, and with all the ghost stories Zhu Hui had told him during the day, he had let his imagination run wild and had a nightmare?
Although he thought so, Chen Zi still felt a bit panicked. He called Zhu Hui and frowned tightly, "What? You're at the Qingxin Temple?"
...
At noon, everyone at the Qingxin Temple was sitting around in the dining hall for a meal.
He Zhiping saw Zhu Hui absent - mindedly shoveling rice into her mouth and handed her a cup of warm water. "Sister Zhu Hui, eat some vegetables."
Zhu Hui nodded shyly. At first, she was a bit reserved, but seeing that everyone was so kind, she relaxed a lot.
This carefree atmosphere was something she rarely experienced at home.
Feng Chengyuan was sitting beside Yu Nian. He noticed that she hadn't touched the shrimp in front of her and whispered, "I remember you like the dishes from the restaurant on the street corner. Why aren't you eating? Not feeling well?"
Yu Nian replied, "No, I'm just too lazy to shell them."
He Zhiping twitched the corner of his mouth. "You don't like shrimp but like shelled shrimp? What kind of logic is that?"
Yu Nian let out a snort and buried her head in her meal.
Feng Chengyuan showed no reaction on his face. He continued chatting with He Zhiping beside him, but he picked up a shrimp. With his long, slender fingers, he quickly and cleanly shelled it and put it on Yu Nian's plate.
He shelled the shrimps so efficiently that soon Yu Nian's plate was filled with a pile of shelled shrimps.
After finishing all this, Feng Chengyuan gently put down his chopsticks and took out a tissue to wipe his fingers.
Zhu Hui was stunned. Staring at Feng Chengyuan's well - defined hands, she fell into deep thought.
Although she majored in literature, she had heard of Feng Chengyuan a long time ago and had always held a high regard for him: a young and talented business tycoon who had achieved a level of success that most people couldn't reach in their lifetime at a young age.
But now, the prestigious tycoon in the rumors was sitting right in front of her, carefully shelling shrimps for another tycoon...
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Zhu Hui would have thought it absurd.
But having witnessed Yu Nian's abilities, she felt that Yu Nian was worthy of it.
Zhu Hui let out a soft sigh and lowered her head, feeling a bit bitter.
Yu Nian noticed Zhu Hui's abnormality and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Zhu Hui accidentally blurted out, "Your relationship is really good."
The dining table fell silent for a moment.
With a soft "puff", Hong Xi couldn't help laughing out loud.
Seeing everyone's different expressions, Zhu Hui became reserved again. "Did I say something wrong?"
Yu Nian coughed. "We're not the kind of relationship you think."
Zhu Hui was a bit surprised. Her gaze flitted back and forth between Yu Nian, who was trying to look calm, and Feng Chengyuan, whose expression was hard to read. She immediately understood.
"Alas, Master, you don't need to say more. I've been through this stage. I understand. You two are really a good match!"
With a "thud", Hong Xi laughed so hard that she fell under the table.
Yu Nian: ...?
She looked at Feng Chengyuan in bewilderment and whispered, "What does she think she understands?"
Feng Chengyuan's eyes curved silently. He tilted his head and said, "I don't know either."
Looking at the two people who were so in sync in front of her, Zhu Hui thought of Chen Zi, who ignored her. Her expression suddenly darkened.
He Zhiping felt sorry for her and comforted her, "Sister Zhu Hui, you're great too. You're good at writing and cooking. The dish you made tastes even better than those in restaurants! I wish I could be as good as you!"
Zhu Hui lowered her head shyly. "Don't praise me. I'm not as good as you say. And... I don't like cooking. When Chen Zi and I first got together, he was very picky about food. He could hardly eat a few mouthfuls in a meal. I was afraid something might be wrong with his health, so I started trying to cook for him. That's how I learned to cook."
However, as time passed, Chen Zi praised her less and less. Most of the time, he nitpicked her and habitually denied her.
Yu Nian stared at Zhu Hui for a while. Her career palace was high, broad, and full, which meant she should have had a good job and a bright future. But now, her fortune was low, and she was extremely unconfident. This should have a lot to do with Chen Zi's long - term discouraging attitude towards her.
Yu Nian had a plan in mind. She looked up at the sky and said calmly, "The person is here."