Chapter 2
Chu Yu watched Ruan Xinshu take that half step back and fell silent for a few seconds. In the end, she just quietly retrieved a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them gently on the entryway’s wooden floor.
“Please, come in.”
Ruan Xinshu stared into Chu Yu’s unreadable eyes, unsure what to say. Finally, she just nodded silently and entered the apartment.
It’s just work, after all.
She told herself.
In the hallway.
Chu Yu led the way.
Ruan Xinshu kept a person’s distance between them, following soundlessly.
The person in front of her was, without a doubt, Chu Yu. Her eyes, her shoulders, even the curve of her ears—it was all so familiar.
No, maybe her hair was a little longer…
She seemed more womanly, more mysterious.
Ruan Xinshu pulled her gaze away.
She still hadn’t fully processed the fact that Chu Yu was standing right in front of her. Even though Chu Yu was physically there, she had been gone from her life for so long that Ruan Xinshu had been on the verge of accepting a life without her.
Chu Yu led her to the end of the hall and pushed open a door.
She looked back at Ruan Xinshu, pointing to a light gray sofa inside. “Have a seat. I’ll go get us something to drink.”
Ruan Xinshu forgot to even say thank you, managing only a strained “Mm” from her throat.
Ruan Xinshu watched Chu Yu leave, then silently scanned the room.
It appeared to be Chu Yu’s study.
A cool-toned, metallic silver floor lamp stood beside the sofa. The room’s color scheme was gray and white, with the same gray flooring as the hallway.
Rather than calling the decor “modern,” it was more accurate to say it was starkly minimalist.
To get to the sofa, one had to pass a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.
The bookshelf was lined with books, evidently dusted and organized often.
It held mostly classic novels and books on humanities and social sciences. Ruan Xinshu had read some of them; others were so obscure she couldn’t guess their contents even from the titles.
Ruan Xinshu’s gaze swept across the shelf and froze on an art book. Her fingers stopped on it.
Her hand hovered at the edge of the book for a few seconds. Just as she was debating whether to pull it out, Chu Yu returned, carrying two cups on a tray.
Seeing Ruan Xinshu standing by the bookshelf instead of on the sofa, her hand paused on the art book, Chu Yu spoke softly:
“I like the one on page fifteen.”
Ruan Xinshu’s hand faltered.
In a normal conversation, she should have politely flipped to the page Chu Yu mentioned to see what painting it was, then asked why she liked it, and perhaps even offered a compliment.
But in this situation, Ruan Xinshu felt that if she did, she would be falling into some strange, unspoken trap.
In fact, just being here already felt like a trap.
Ruan Xinshu considered it, then averted her gaze and pushed the book back onto the shelf with a lukewarm “Oh.”
Chu Yu said nothing, continuing to quietly place a coffee spoon on the table.
Ruan Xinshu had always felt that Chu Yu did everything with a natural elegance, as if she were born for the task, making her a pleasure to watch.
Now, she realized that even placing a coffee spoon, Chu Yu looked like a first-class waitress.
Clink.
Chu Yu placed a black cup and a white cup on the pure white coffee table in the center of the room. They were clearly a matching set.
Ruan Xinshu looked at the two similar cups, then gave Chu Yu a strange glance.
“The cups are new.”
Chu Yu pushed the white cup toward Ruan Xinshu, adding thoughtfully, “No one else has used them.”
Ruan Xinshu accepted the cup, feeling Chu Yu’s explanation was unnecessary.
It’s not like I care if someone else has used it.
She took a sip of the coffee, said nothing, and politely pushed the cup aside.
“You don’t like the taste?” Chu Yu asked earnestly.
Ruan Xinshu hesitated for a moment before nodding. “It’s a little too sweet.”
Seemingly not expecting this answer, Chu Yu’s long lashes fluttered, but she smiled. “I should have asked your preference first.”
Ruan Xinshu didn’t respond. No matter what she said, it would feel wrong.
“I’ll get you a new one. Iced again?” Chu Yu stood up, tray in hand.
Ruan Xinshu wanted to say, “Don’t bother,” but before she could, Chu Yu had already taken her cup and left. A moment later, she returned with a new iced coffee, placed it in front of her, and sat back down.
Chu Yu didn’t drink her own coffee; her eyes were fixed quietly on Ruan Xinshu. Ruan Xinshu stirred her spoon in the cup, feeling like a headless fly. “You—”
Just as she was trying to figure out what to say, Chu Yu suddenly reached out toward her face.
The movement was silent. By the time Ruan Xinshu noticed, the hand was already right in front of her.
Ruan Xinshu’s heart clenched inexplicably. She sucked in a breath and instinctively swatted Chu Yu’s hand away.
But she had reacted so quickly that she forgot she was holding the coffee.
More than half the coffee sloshed out of the cup. Some landed on the carpet, and the rest splashed onto Chu Yu’s silk scarf and blouse.
Chu Yu’s expensive-looking blouse was instantly soaked with iced coffee.
“I—” Ruan Xinshu quickly grabbed a napkin from the table and offered it to Chu Yu.
Chu Yu glanced at her shirt but didn’t take the napkin or get angry. She just continued her original motion toward Ruan Xinshu’s face, gently plucking something that looked like a wood chip from her hair and placing it in her palm.
“You had something in your hair.”
Her fingers were cool to the touch. As they brushed Ruan Xinshu’s palm, they seemed to carry the lingering fragrance of summer.
Ruan Xinshu stared blankly as she took the wood chip from Chu Yu’s cool hand. It was probably a stray bit of art supply from the studio.
“…” Ruan Xinshu felt terrible, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words “I’m sorry.”
Chu Yu just shook her head quietly. “It’s fine.”
As she spoke, she calmly removed the silk scarf from her neck. The movement was fluid, as if she were in a dressing room, without a hint of hesitation.
There was nothing beneath the scarf, just a creamy neck that looked delicate and appetizing.
As the scarf came loose, Ruan Xinshu again caught that scent, like flowers blooming in summer.
It was so familiar, it felt as if it had never changed.
An image of Chu Yu’s pale back flashed unbidden through Ruan Xinshu’s mind.
Chu Yu didn’t say a word. After removing the scarf, she started to unbutton her blouse. Watching her hands, Ruan Xinshu suddenly felt as if the coffee she’d just swallowed had gone down the wrong pipe.
She coughed violently, covering her mouth while trying to wipe away the spill.
“What are you doing?”
“Changing my shirt. I can’t very well talk to you like this.”
Chu Yu looked at Ruan Xinshu, her expression as serious as ever, even a little matter-of-fact.
“You—you can go to your room to change,” Ruan Xinshu reminded her.
“I have other clothes on underneath.”
Ruan Xinshu drew a breath, unsure what to say.
Chu Yu’s gaze dropped for a second before meeting hers again, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Does it bother you?”
“…Me?” Ruan Xinshu’s face flushed.
“I don’t care,” she said.
A moment later, after the choking sensation subsided, she stressed, “I don’t care at all.”
“If you don’t care,” Chu Yu replied, her expression unchanged, “then it doesn’t matter if I change here, does it?”
…When she put it like that, it didn’t sound wrong…
Ruan Xinshu didn’t reply.
So Chu Yu continued to take off her shirt.
Watching her, Ruan Xinshu abruptly turned her back.
She sat on the sofa, feeling like she was on pins and needles. The rustle of clothing made her uneasy, as did the mix of coffee and floral fragrance in the air…
Ruan Xinshu let out a few breaths, then suddenly grabbed her bag and shot up like a rocket.
Chu Yu, watching her sling the bag over her shoulder, slowly looked up.
Ruan Xinshu pressed her lips together. “I’m not painting it.”
Chu Yu stared at Ruan Xinshu without a word.
Looking into her eyes, Ruan Xinshu felt like she was being silently interrogated.
She quickly turned her head away, muttering without looking at Chu Yu, “Sorry about making a mess of your room and your shirt. You can send the cleaning bill to my studio.”
“…Is that so,” Chu Yu watched her as if confirming something. After a moment, she said, “In that case, Teacher Ruan, please return my deposit as well. I can just find someone else to paint it.”
Ruan Xinshu’s fingers twitched at those words. An inexplicable irritation rose in her, but she still nodded. “Fine.”
As Ruan Xinshu walked toward the door, Chu Yu asked, seemingly casually, “What if I ask Teacher Lin Yicheng to paint it? Would that be fine with you, too?”
Ruan Xinshu’s steps faltered.
Why are you asking me?
Ruan Xinshu knew there was absolutely no reason for Chu Yu to ask her that.
For a second, she didn’t know what was wrong with her; she just wanted to slam the door and leave. And as she thought it, her hand was already on Chu Yu’s cold door handle, pulling down.
The door didn’t budge, as if it were locked.
But at a glance, Ruan Xinshu couldn’t see anything that even looked like a lock.
Ruan Xinshu stood in front of the door for several minutes, unable to get out.
She felt Chu Yu might misinterpret this as her playing hard to get. A wave of irritation washed over her. Her ears felt hot, and her palms were sweating.
Is this door broken?
Ruan Xinshu felt like one bad thing after another had happened today, and a swell of emotion in her chest made her feel incredibly unlucky.
Just as she was considering using brute force to open the door, Chu Yu came up quietly from behind. Her left hand rested lightly on Ruan Xinshu’s shoulder, while her right arm reached around her to the handle.
Surrounded by that scent of early summer morning flowers, Ruan Xinshu’s heart gave an odd lurch.
Chu Yu’s fingers brushed the back of her hand as she gently lifted the handle.
Her fingers were a little cold, but her movement was light.
“It opens like this,” Chu Yu’s voice was soft, right by her ear.
The door opened at once.
Ruan Xinshu stared at the open door, not responding to Chu Yu.
She wasn’t here to learn how the door worked, nor did she understand why Chu Yu would install such a complicated door in her own home.
She just knew she was angry.
Maybe she was angry about Chu Yu’s troublesome door.
Maybe she was angry that Chu Yu had sought her out for this bizarre painting.
Or maybe she was angry that Chu Yu knew exactly what bothered her and still brought up Lin Yicheng.
She was also angry that—
Ruan Xinshu closed her eyes for a second, suppressed her emotions, and walked straight toward the entrance without a word.
“I’m leaving.”
Outside the window, the sound of rain began to fall.
Chu Yu watched her back, her hand that had opened the door seeming to retract slightly. Her tone was calm.
“Ruan Xinshu, it’s raining. Why don’t you sit for a while longer?”
“No.”
Ruan Xinshu kept walking.
“Ruan Xinshu.” Chu Yu quietly reached out and hooked her hand.
Her hand was cool and soft, just like it used to be.
Ruan Xinshu immediately reacted like a startled animal, looking at Chu Yu with extreme caution.
“Ruan Xinshu.” Chu Yu lowered her gaze and slowly withdrew her hand. Her voice was low, as if soothing an animal.
“If you’re not willing, I won’t ask anyone else to paint it.”
“…” Ruan Xinshu felt that if she let herself be placated by such a simple sentence, it would make her seem far too easy to win over.
She didn’t answer, glancing at her shoes by the door and biting her lip.
Outside, the sound of the rain grew heavier.
Chu Yu looked at her again, her voice soft. “Will you paint it for me?”
Ruan Xinshu’s ear twitched. In the end, she turned around.
“…Fine, I’ll paint it.”
The two returned to the coffee table.
Ruan Xinshu drank her coffee without a word.
Chu Yu never touched coffee, but she made a surprisingly good cup.
After finishing the cup, she silently pushed it toward Chu Yu, indicating she wanted another.
Chu Yu looked at her and said softly, “Let me get you something else. Too much coffee isn’t good for—”
Ruan Xinshu quietly pulled the cup back. “When are you free next week?”
Chu Yu met her gaze calmly. “Thursday or Friday.”
Ruan Xinshu paused for a moment. “Then come to the studio Thursday afternoon. I’ll have my assistant send you the address…”
Chu Yu looked at her, her expression as gentle as ever. “Alright.”
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