Chapter 213
Shen Shuyu waited until the sun came out before slowly starting to pack his belongings. He had to head to the star-liner station early tomorrow morning, so he needed to have everything ready. Once he finished packing his things, only one or two pieces of Wen Jiafei’s clothing remained in the wardrobe.
Shen Shuyu stood before the wardrobe for a moment, then finally left the hotel. He didn’t wander far; for the past two days, he had been so preoccupied with Wen Jiafei’s affairs that he hadn’t properly explored the surrounding area.
Shen Shuyu stayed out alone until five o’clock. Just as he was preparing to find a place for dinner before heading back to the hotel, his terminal vibrated. He had received a message from Wen Jiafei.
Wen Jiafei: [Are you still outside?]
Shen Shuyu looked around and snapped a photo of a very recognizable landmark.
Shen Shuyu: [I’ll head back after dinner. What about you? When are you coming back?]
Wen Jiafei didn’t reply. Shen Shuyu didn’t mind; he figured Wen Jiafei had probably just snuck out to send a quick message during a break. Shen Shuyu found a random noodle shop, ordered a bowl of their specialty noodles, and lowered his head to browse his terminal.
Coincidentally, Feng Xing had also sent him a message.
Feng Xing: [When are you coming back? I have a very important, last-minute gaming tournament tomorrow; I have to get home.]
Shen Shuyu tapped the screen with his finger.
Shen Shuyu: [I’m returning early tomorrow morning. I should arrive in Amor around nine.]
Feng Xing: [Got it. I’ll pick you up. Let’s sync our stories so we don’t accidentally let anything slip.]
Shen Shuyu was naturally willing. Besides, he had bought some gifts for Feng Xing that he could bring back, making their “trip” look more authentic.
Shen Shuyu: [Okay, see you tomorrow morning.]
The two finished their brief chat. Shen Shuyu was just about to scroll through some entertainment news when he felt something being placed on the table in front of him. Thinking his noodles had arrived, he looked up, but the “thank you” died on his lips.
Wen Jiafei was sitting across from him, looking at him. The item placed on the table was a cup of milk tea Wen Jiafei had brought along.
“When did you finish?” Shen Shuyu thought back; no wonder Wen Jiafei hadn’t replied earlier. He had already been on his way to see him.
“Just finished. I came straight here; it isn’t far.” The place where Wen Jiafei’s meeting was held was not far from where Shen Shuyu was filming, only a few minutes’ walk away.
He had originally intended to go look for Shen Shuyu, but since he happened to be nearby, he came directly.
On his way over, he had passed a milk tea shop and ordered two cups of hot milk tea, which was why he had been delayed for a moment.
Wen Jiafei inserted the straw and handed the tea to him. Shen Shuyu took a sip, feeling a wave of warmth spread through his body.
Shen Shuyu asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Wen Jiafei said, “Anything is fine.”
He wasn’t very hungry, but if it meant accompanying Shen Shuyu for a meal, he could manage to eat.
Shen Shuyu noticed that Wen Jiafei’s expression looked a bit weary; he likely didn’t have much of an appetite. After a thought, he simply asked the waiter for an extra empty bowl.
When the noodles arrived, Shen Shuyu divided a portion for him. He said, “Perfect. I ate quite a few snacks this afternoon and was worried I wouldn’t be able to finish this bowl. Since you’re here, we can share. No waste that way.”
Wen Jiafei looked at the bowl of noodles Shen Shuyu had served for him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. “Okay. Thank you, Xiao… Yu.”
As he uttered the name “Xiao Yu,” Wen Jiafei’s ears turned a treacherous shade of red again.
Shen Shuyu blinked in surprise, then shrugged. “You’re welcome.”
The two lowered their heads and ate their noodles in silence.
By the time they left the noodle shop, the sky had completely darkened. Shen Shuyu and Wen Jiafei walked down the street, each holding half a cup of hot milk tea.
“I didn’t expect winter in Siro to be this cold too.” Shen Shuyu looked up at the sky. It would be even better if it started snowing.
Wen Jiafei also looked up at him and replied, “Mn. Very cold.”
He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the hand hanging naturally between them. His eyes flickered. He secretly lifted his hand, wanting to hold Shen Shuyu’s, but then he remembered that his hands were always ice-cold. It was fine in the summer, but in winter, touching someone else was a bit unpleasant.
Just as he was about to retract his hand, it was grasped by a warm one.
Wen Jiafei looked up at Shen Shuyu. Shen Shuyu asked muffledly, “Why are your hands always so cold?”
As he spoke, he pulled Wen Jiafei’s hand into his own coat pocket. Shen Shuyu smiled brightly. “There, now it’s not cold.”
At that moment, Wen Jiafei felt his heart melt into water. He stared unblinkingly at Shen Shuyu’s face, which was still wearing that constant smile.
Wen Jiafei’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted so badly to pull Shen Shuyu into a tight embrace, to kiss his eyes, his face, and his lips.
How could Shen Shuyu be this good?
Shen Shuyu raised his other hand and waved it before Wen Jiafei’s eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
Wen Jiafei snapped back to his senses. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Thinking of you.”
As soon as those three words left his mouth, both of them froze.
Especially Wen Jiafei—realizing what he had said, he could only hang his head, not daring to look at Shen Shuyu at all.
Shen Shuyu let out a “pfft” and laughed. He said, “I’m standing right in front of you and you can’t help thinking of me? Then won’t you get lovesick once I go back to Amor?”
Wen Jiafei kept his head down, pursing his lips and saying nothing, but his burning red ears betrayed his current thoughts.
Shen Shuyu realized that Wen Jiafei was truly shy.
Even during his rut, when he was dominated by pheromones, he would still blush and get red ears from shyness. Sometimes, when he was extremely embarrassed, even his neck and collarbones would turn red.
Shen Shuyu rubbed Wen Jiafei’s head. “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Your head is almost buried in the ground; were you an ostrich in your past life?”
Only then did Wen Jiafei look up. He said, “No. I don’t know what I was in my past life.”
The serious way he answered Shen Shuyu’s question made the latter laugh again.
Shen Shuyu pulled him along as they walked forward, laughing as he said, “You must have been a big handsome guy in your past life too. Maybe even more people liked you then than they do now.”
After all, they had only walked a few steps, yet countless passersby were turning their heads to look at them.
Wen Jiafei kept pace with Shen Shuyu and replied softly, “I like the present more. And I only like you.”
Shen Shuyu turned to look at him. Under the glow of the streetlights, Wen Jiafei’s expression had turned gentle. Those deep eyes were fixed on Shen Shuyu, taking in every single one of his expressions.
Shen Shuyu said, “I like the present too.”
In his past life, he had been alone from start to finish. But now he had family, friends, and a partner. There was no better choice than this.
Though he had never said it or expressed it before…
Shen Shuyu had long since stopped labeling this world as just a “novel world.” In his heart, he truly loved this world.
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