Chapter 52

Shu Shiran went to visit the graves alone.

The traffic on the way back was also heavily congested, turning a journey of just over an hour into a nearly three-hour drive.

She arrived home at four-thirty.

Entering the door, she put down her bag, took off her coat, and walked over to the sofa to sit down.

Having woken up early that morning, combined with the exhaustion of rushing around for most of the day, she felt groggy and had a slight headache.

She lay down on the sofa in exhaustion and fell asleep before long.

Her sleep was far from peaceful, accompanied by a heavy tightness in her chest.

When she woke up, the sky outside had already turned dark.

The indoor lights were not on, leaving the room in dim, gloomy shadows.

Still feeling groggy and heavy-headed despite the sleep, Shu Shiran did not get up immediately.

She picked up her phone and tapped the screen.

The glare from the phone screen stung her eyes.

She closed her eyes for a moment to adjust.

It was already past six. She had slept for nearly two hours.

There were a few notifications on her phone, which Shu Shiran tapped open one by one.

Several of them were sent by the florist.

- Florist: [Image]
- Florist: [Image]

He had sent two screenshots of WeChat chats.

- Florist: Look, my big-v friend replied to me. It's definitely that kind of flower.
- Florist: I've been in this business for so many years, I wouldn't recognize it wrong.

Shu Shiran opened the screenshots to take a look, took a deep breath, and exited out.

Closing the chat interface with the florist, she scrolled down and found a message from Ji Xi.

- Ji Xi: Are you back yet?

The message had been sent a little before five o'clock.

Ever since she left the flower shop, Shu Shiran's heart had felt as though a heavy stone was pressing down on it.

Based on her judgment, the story was likely true.

Otherwise, why would Ji Xi plant a vast expanse of yellow roses in the manor?

It was just that the Ji Xi in the story felt very unfamiliar to her.

In almost everyone's eyes, he had the image of a prodigal wanderer, and that was always how she had seen him too. Yet now, this story was telling her that wasn't the case—that he was actually deeply devoted.

A man who seemed cynical and frivolous on the surface had spent year after year in the Netherlands, the country of flowers, planting yellow roses for a single woman.

How could she not find him unfamiliar?

That morning when Ji Xi called, she had been thinking about the girl he liked in high school.

She wondered if it could possibly be that girl.

After uttering the words "I forgot," she realized her tone was too cold and stiff, so she added, "I can just go by myself."

Ji Xi had simply hummed an acknowledgment at the time, telling her to drive slowly on the way, and then she hung up.

While sleeping just now, Shu Shiran had dreamed a lot of fragmented, chaotic dreams. She dreamed of the rainy night he proposed marriage, and she dreamed of them kissing in the foyer.

She remembered his words: "Never."

What if she hadn't misheard? What if it was true?

If he had a cherished white moonlight whom he had always loved deeply, it wouldn't be impossible.

The pitch-black night pressed down, making it hard to breathe.

Shu Shiran could choose not to mind his past, but it was hard for her not to care that he had once given his heart away like that.

She could not imagine what a man like him—always so composed, effortless, and in control—looked like when he was deeply in love with a woman.

Perhaps he too had moments of awkwardness, nervousness, and a fluttering heart.

Thinking back to how she had once felt a thrill of joy and excitement upon receiving flowers he had grown for someone else, it was hard for her heart not to feel clogged up.

After lying there for who knows how long, Shu Shiran sighed and sat up.

She replied to the florist's message first, and then to Ji Xi's.

- Shu Shiran: Back.
- Ji Xi: Have you eaten?
- Shu Shiran: Yes.
- Shu Shiran: I'm a little tired.

As soon as the second message was sent, the "Typing..." indicator at the top of the chat window disappeared briefly before flashing again.

- Ji Xi: Get some rest early.

***

The next day, Monday.

Early in the morning, Wu Tianqi drove and rendezvoused with Yuanyuan to pick up Shu Shiran.

Neither of them had gotten enough sleep and kept yawning on the way to Chuansong Number One.

Wu Tianqi: "Fortunately, the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday starts on Thursday."

So this week was exceptionally short and something to look forward to.

Yuanyuan: "But we have to make up for the days. We have to work this Sunday, which basically means working six days in a row next week."

"..."

Thinking about it that way, Wu Tianqi wasn't as happy anymore.

Who on earth invented the makeup-work system?

Shu Shiran had just come downstairs right when they arrived.

Yuanyuan: "Good morning, Sharon."

Shu Shiran: "Morning."

Wu Tianqi asked, "Sis Ran, hasn't Ji Xi woken up yet?"

Shu Shiran uttered an "mm" and said, "Let's go."

Today they were going to report to the client and hold a meeting, and the next day they had a site visit to attend.

Before the plane took off, Shu Shiran hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to Ji Xi.

- Shu Shiran: I'm away on a business trip for the next few days. Let Aunt Dou know.

After landing, she saw Ji Xi's reply.

- Ji Xi: How many days?
- Shu Shiran: Two or three days, I suppose.

After replying, Shu Shiran put away her phone.

She looked at her phone again on the way to the client's office.

- Ji Xi: Okay.

Shu Shiran and her team were very busy all day.

The next day, they drove to a neighboring city for a site visit. The round trip alone took nearly five hours.

On the way from the site to the airport, Shu Shiran and Wu Tianqi took turns driving.

She drove the first half, and Wu Tianqi drove the second half.

After Wu Tianqi relieved her from driving, Shu Shiran replied to a few work messages. A wave of sleepiness washed over her, and just as she was about to close her eyes to rest for a bit, her phone vibrated again.

- Ji Xi: What time is your flight?

Seeing the message, Shu Shiran paused.

Yesterday she had only said she would be on a business trip for two or three days without mentioning when she would return; how did he know she was coming back tonight?

Shu Shiran looked up at Wu Tianqi driving in front, then opened her Moments and scrolled through it twice.

Sure enough, it was Wu Tianqi.

An hour ago, he had posted a photo of the sunset on the road, mentioning in his Moments that he was on his way back.

- Shu Shiran: Arriving at nine-ten.
- Ji Xi: I'll pick you up.

Shu Shiran, who had barely thought about those matters over the past two busy days, found her mood growing complicated once again.

***

After landing in Nancheng, Shu Shiran saw the message Ji Xi had sent her: he was at the same old spot in P6 where he had picked her up last time.

Wu Tianqi's car was also parked in P6, so the three of them walked together toward L1.

Walking under a billboard in P6, Shu Shiran spotted Ji Xi's car.

He stepped out of the vehicle, his neat and crisp figure instantly catching the eye.

When he closed the car door and raised his gaze to look over, Shu Shiran instinctively averted her eyes.

Wu Tianqi also saw Ji Xi and waved at him.

Ji Xi walked over, and Wu Tianqi and Yuanyuan greeted him.

He acknowledged them with a hum and took the rolling suitcase from Shu Shiran's hand.

Shu Shiran glanced at him.

Wu Tianqi: "Sis Ran, then we'll be heading off."

Shu Shiran: "You've been driving hard these past two days, go back and rest early."

She then said to Yuanyuan, "Yuanyuan, come with us, we'll drop you off."

Yuanyuan: "No need, Sharon, I can just take the subway. The subway is still running now."

Shu Shiran: "It's fine, saves you the trouble of hailing a cab."

Ji Xi: "Let's go, get in the car together."

Yuanyuan didn't refuse any further: "Then I'll trouble you both."

She had never ridden in a Cullinan before.

After parting ways with Wu Tianqi, the three of them walked over to the car, and Ji Xi opened the trunk.

How could Yuanyuan have the nerve to let Sharon's husband load her luggage for her? She followed closely behind, intending to do it herself.

Seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Ji Xi said, "Get in the car first."

Sensing that Yuanyuan felt awkward, Shu Shiran pulled her along and said, "Get in."

Yuanyuan murmured a "thank you" and climbed into the back seat.

After placing the suitcases inside, Ji Xi opened the driver's door, got in, and asked Yuanyuan for her address.

The car drove out of the parking garage, greeting the night view of Nancheng.

Ji Xi: "Have you two had dinner?"

Shu Shiran: "We ate at the airport."

Ji Xi: "Did the business trip go smoothly?"

Shu Shiran: "It's alright."

Leaving the vicinity of the airport, traffic on the viaduct was relatively sparse.

Thinking of something, Shu Shiran turned back and said to Yuanyuan, "You've worked hard these past two days, you and Wu Tianqi can both come in the afternoon tomorrow."

Yuanyuan was delighted: "Okay."

Shu Shiran: "Tell Wu Tianqi as well."

Yuanyuan: "Got it, I'll let him know."

Turning back around, Shu Shiran thought for a moment and said to Ji Xi, "Play some music?"

Ji Xi: "Mm."

Shu Shiran selected a soothing playlist.

Music began to play softly inside the car, and no one spoke again.

In the back seat, once the novelty of riding in a Cullinan wore off, Yuanyuan gradually sensed that the atmosphere in the front felt somewhat off.

Could Sharon and her husband be fighting?

Yuanyuan silently observed for a while and found that it didn't seem to be her imagination—something really was off, as neither of them was talking.

Fortunately, the music served as a buffer, so the silence didn't pose any real problem.

However, during those few seconds at the end of each track before the intro of the next one fully kicked in, that silence became glaringly obvious.

Slowly, Yuanyuan began to feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Riding in a Cullinan wasn't all that joyful after all.

If given another chance, she would definitely have resolutely chosen to take the subway home.

Finally, the navigation prompt announced that they were approaching the destination.

Yuanyuan let out a breath of relief and said, "Just drop me off ahead here."

The car stopped, and Yuanyuan got out to retrieve her suitcase.

"Sharon, you guys be careful on the way back."

Shu Shiran: "Okay."

The car window rolled up, and Ji Xi made a U-turn, resetting the navigation destination to Chuansong Number One.

The music inside the car continued to play, and Shu Shiran closed her eyes.

As she kept them closed, she truly drifted off to sleep.

Though her sleep was light.

She woke up the moment they entered the underground garage.

Opening her eyes, she watched the car pull into its parking space.

The music stopped, and Shu Shiran unbuckled her seatbelt, preparing to get out.

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed.

Shu Shiran's body stiffened. She turned back to look at Ji Xi and asked, "What is it?"

Ji Xi gave her an inquiring look. "Shu Shiran, what's wrong with you?"

Shu Shiran lowered her gaze, harboring a question she wanted to ask for a split second, yet failing to let it pass her lips.

She cared deeply, yet she didn't want him to know how much she cared.

She was becoming unlike herself.

Shu Shiran: "Nothing."

She added, "Just a little tired."

She moved her arm, only to find that Ji Xi had no intention of letting go.

The light spilling in from outside the car illuminated his calm yet indifferent features, making his gaze appear even more murky and profound.

Two cars drove past them in succession.

After a brief standoff of mutual rigidity, Shu Shiran was genuinely exhausted.

She sighed and negotiated with him, "Let's go upstairs, alright?"

After a few seconds, Ji Xi finally released his grip.

Having held the same posture the entire time, Shu Shiran's arm had gone somewhat numb.

Just as she was about to get out of the car, she heard a low laugh akin to a light scoff.

"I'll tell you something that will make you happy."

Shu Shiran looked back at Ji Xi once more.

Ji Xi: "I'm heading to New Zealand tomorrow."