Yu Yan carried a heavy watermelon as she returned home.
He Shuliu had already finished making dinner, cleaned the house once more, and was now sitting on the sofa, propping up his chin, watching a popcorn movie on TV with nothing better to do.
As soon as he heard Yu Yan open the door, he immediately stood up and strode toward the entrance.
The moment Yu Yan opened the door, she saw his beaming face.
“You’re finally back.”
What did he mean by “finally”? She had only made a quick trip to the Police Station and hadn’t been gone that long…
Yu Yan closed the door and changed her shoes. “There was a bit of traffic on the way.”
He Shuliu took the watermelon from her hands, just as naturally as always.
Yu Yan glanced up unintentionally and noticed how easily he carried the watermelon.
His slender fingers loosely gripped the sagging bag, his arm hanging naturally with smooth, graceful lines. Not even the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
It was as if he was carrying not a watermelon, but a bag of light ping pong balls.
Was she just too weak? Or was this watermelon not actually that heavy?
But it wasn’t just her who thought it was heavy—when she paid, even the male clerk had struggled a bit to lift it.
And this watermelon really was quite big.
Yu Yan couldn’t help but stare at He Shuliu. Maybe she was staring too obviously, because He Shuliu put down the watermelon and bent down to get closer to her.
“What’s wrong?”
Yu Yan was startled, and instinctively met his gaze.
His eyes were incredibly dark, his pupils clear and bright, like a deep pool of water—so clear you couldn’t see the bottom.
Had his eyes always been this dark?
Yu Yan wasn’t sure; his pupils had always been purer in color than most people’s. Maybe it was just her imagination.
She snapped back to herself and was about to answer when He Shuliu suddenly leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers.
He rubbed against her softly like a kitten, his dark hair brushing lightly over her eyelids with his movements, making it impossible for her to open her eyes.
Then he tilted his head slightly and licked the corner of her lips.
His tongue was soft, moist, and carried a hint of coolness.
That subtle, refreshing sensation instantly invaded Yu Yan’s mind, reminding her of melted mint candy.
Why was he so cool?
She remembered he used to be warm, burning hot from the inside out—especially when they kissed, as if he were an ever-burning furnace.
But now, he felt abnormally cold, as though he’d been soaking in last night’s downpour and hadn’t come out yet.
Yu Yan wanted to reach out and touch He Shuliu’s forehead, but he gently held her hand down.
He continued kissing the corner of her lips, his tongue sliding over the seam of her lips, skillfully prying them open and slipping inside to entwine with hers.
Yu Yan really wanted to remind him that they had already broken up.
People who’ve broken up shouldn’t be kissing.
But he was just so good at pleasing her. He knew what angle would make her feel comfortable, and how to tease her to draw her in deeper.
Yu Yan gradually quieted down.
Her hand was tightly held by He Shuliu, her neck arched slightly, her hair cascading down like flowing water.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before He Shuliu finally, reluctantly, let her go.
Yu Yan’s face was a little red, and her breathing was unsteady. But He Shuliu was perfectly fine, his breathing hardly changed at all.
Yu Yan once again doubted her own physical fitness.
Was she really this weak? Should she find some time to work out?
She couldn’t help but seriously consider the idea, but He Shuliu was already leaning in again.
“Continue?” He whispered, lips pressed against hers, his voice sticky and muffled.
Yu Yan instantly sobered up, pushing him away with her other hand. “No.”
She wasn’t being shy, nor was she playing hard to get.
She was really refusing.
He Shuliu blinked, but didn’t move. “Why not?”
Yu Yan: “Because I’m hungry.”
He Shuliu looked at her closely, as if judging whether she was lying.
Yu Yan was about to explain further, but her stomach made an awkward noise before she could speak.
Yu Yan:
He Shuliu’s eyes curved as he laughed out loud. “Yanyan, you’re so cute.”
…She didn’t feel complimented at all.
Yu Yan shoved him again and bent down to walk past him. As she turned her back to him, she quietly pressed her lips together, which were still damp.
She didn’t refuse him just because they had broken up.
There was another, more important reason—she was really hungry.
She’d worked herself to the bone for the Company all day. Skipping Afternoon Tea was one thing, but the food at the Employee Cafeteria was so awful that every extra bite felt like torture for her stomach.
At times like this, she missed He Shuliu’s cooking even more.
His dishes were always perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and suited her palate perfectly.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that their personalities were completely incompatible, she might have kept living with him just for his cooking.
But… no, that wouldn’t do.
She could only take advantage of the present and eat as much as she could.
While reminding herself “one meal less is one meal closer to the end,” Yu Yan walked to the dining table and glanced over the dishes.
Laziji, Sweet and Sour Ribs, Boiled Shrimp, Dry Pot Cabbage, and a big bowl of Shuijing Soup.
All her favorites.
Yu Yan swallowed and immediately went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
Only then did she realize He Shuliu must have cleaned the house too. The floor was so shiny it reflected light, the dirty laundry basket was empty, and the air carried a faint, fresh scent of body wash.
This guy was way too diligent. Was he really not planning to go back?
Yu Yan finished washing her hands and returned to the table with mixed feelings. He Shuliu had already set out the bowls and chopsticks, and when he saw her, he raised an empty bowl. “Want some soup first?”
Yu Yan shook her head and picked up her chopsticks.
He Shuliu peeled a few shrimp and put them in her bowl.
They were perfectly peeled—headless, back slit, the shrimp meat whole and clean, not a trace of shrimp vein in sight.
Yu Yan suddenly felt uneasy.
She had scolded him so badly, yet he still treated her so kindly, as if nothing had happened… Was he just completely lacking in self-respect, or had he really lost his memory and filtered out all the unpleasant memories?
Yu Yan put a shrimp in her mouth, chewed in silence for a few seconds, then looked up at He Shuliu. “Just eat for yourself, don’t peel them for me.”
“Why?” He Shuliu was puzzled. “Don’t you like them?”
“It’s not that…” Yu Yan poked at her rice with her chopsticks, then changed the subject directly. “Did you go to the Hospital today?”
“No.” He Shuliu propped his chin on his hand, eyes curving as he looked at her. “Did you want me to go?”
I think you’re not quite normal.
Yu Yan really wanted to say that, but considering He Shuliu had just cooked her a whole table of food, she chose softer words.
“I think you might be sick.” She studied him carefully. “Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell anywhere?”
“No,” He Shuliu answered crisply. “Compared to a while ago, I feel great now.”
Yu Yan: “A while ago?”
“When I was up on the Mountain those days.” He Shuliu paused, then smiled.
Those days up on the Mountain… That would be the three weeks after they separated?
Yu Yan remembered he’d said there wasn’t even a place to charge his phone. She couldn’t help but ask, “Where exactly did you go? Was it a Resort or something?”
“Something like that?” He Shuliu sounded casual. “But the environment wasn’t great. Besides me, there was basically no one else.”
“How bad was it?” Yu Yan remembered his filthy, unrecognizable clothes. “Don’t tell me there wasn’t even a place to shower?”
“There wasn’t.” He Shuliu sighed. “And they didn’t provide three meals a day, there was no bed, and nowhere to shelter from the wind or rain.”
What kind of Resort was that? That was wilderness survival…
Yu Yan was dumbfounded. “Then where did you sleep at night?”
He Shuliu curled his lips. “Guess.”
“You brought a Tent?” Yu Yan could only think of that possibility.
Most people might choose to sleep in their car, but He Shuliu didn’t like the smell in cars, and judging by how he looked last night, he definitely hadn’t driven, so that option was out.
So, a Tent was the most likely.
He couldn’t have just slept on the ground, right?
He Shuliu smiled, but didn’t answer directly. “Actually, it wasn’t as bad as you think. It was just a bit stuffy… Oh, and there were a lot of bugs.”
Yu Yan frowned. “Bugs?”
“Yeah, some even sucked blood…” He Shuliu’s voice trailed off, but soon returned to a light, casual tone. “But it’s fine, I survived.”
Yu Yan felt like the experience was far from as simple as he made it sound.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked so wretched last night.
Thinking that He Shuliu had gone through all that because of her, Yu Yan felt even more guilty.
“How about you go to the Hospital tomorrow, just in case?” she said. “Don’t take it lightly, you might have a Parasitic Worm.”
He Shuliu looked straight at her, then smiled. “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say.”
Yu Yan could feel the happiness and satisfaction in his mood.
But she still couldn’t relax. What he’d just said was really frightening. Even though He Shuliu himself didn’t care at all, she just couldn’t ignore it.
After dinner, Yu Yan didn’t watch dramas or play games like usual. She just scrolled through her phone for a bit, then took a shower and went to bed.
She spent the whole night searching for information about Parasitic Worms.
When the lights went out, He Shuliu lay beside her as usual.
This time, Yu Yan didn’t turn her back to him like last night.
She thought for a moment, then reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around He Shuliu’s waist.
His body was still cold, his waist slim, his back taut and lean, tensing slightly under her touch.
“Yanyan?” He Shuliu sounded a bit surprised.
“You’re cooler to hug,” Yu Yan murmured. “Don’t move around, I have to work tomorrow.”
In truth, she was afraid he’d suddenly die in the middle of the night. If she hugged him like this, she could notice right away if something happened.
He Shuliu sighed softly in regret.
Though reluctant, he really didn’t move again.
Yu Yan closed her eyes, forcing herself not to let her thoughts run wild.
The scent on He Shuliu was as cool as a mountain spring, mixed with the citrusy fragrance of body wash, faintly lingering around her, surprisingly pleasant.
She soon fell asleep.
Yu Yan had a dream.
She vaguely knew she was dreaming, because there was no He Shuliu beside her, nor anything else she was familiar with.
The sky was dim, no sunlight in sight. Thunder rumbled faintly overhead as she looked around, seeing nothing but endless trees and wild grass.
No houses, no people—just a desolate, unrecognizable Mountain.
Yu Yan stepped into the tangled grass, feeling almost nothing underfoot.
Where was this place? Why was she here?
She had no idea, and could only keep moving forward.
The sky grew darker, the Mountain shrouded in pitch black, nothing visible.
Yu Yan wanted to turn back, when a faint rustling sound suddenly caught her attention.
What was that? Was someone else here?
She followed the sound slowly, and soon discovered that something seemed to be lying in the grass not far ahead.
It was too dark, and the thing didn’t move, so she couldn’t see what it was. All she could tell was that the rustling came from that thing.
What could it be?
Yu Yan reached into her pocket, trying to pull out her phone. At that moment, a bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the grass ahead.
—It was a corpse.
Countless insects writhed over the corpse, plunging their mouthparts into the ashen skin. Blood oozed from the corpse’s eye sockets and mouth, while even more insects swarmed in, frenziedly devouring the body.
Yu Yan was so shocked by the scene that her scalp tingled and she couldn’t move.
She had never seen anything so terrifying.
But what really shocked her wasn’t the sight of the insects feeding, but the face that remained on the corpse.
…He Shuliu?”
Yu Yan jerked awake.
The night was silent, and in the darkness, her heart pounded wildly.
She opened her eyes at once, still rattled, and looked up—
What she saw was He Shuliu’s peaceful, sleeping face, right beside her, real as could be.
Yu Yan could hear his breathing, light, steady, and calm.
She quietly placed her hand over his chest and felt the strong, powerful heartbeat steadily pulsing beneath her palm.
Yu Yan finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, he was still alive.