Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Crossing the Line, The Girlfriend Ran Away The flight was delayed, and they didn't land in Jingjia until nearly ten. Night flowed slowly by as the airport terminal blazed with light. The exit was crowded with people, yet Nan Shu spotted Xie Zeyan at a single glance. The man stood sideways, arm raised as he spoke on the phone. His fingers were long and slender, the knuckles on the back of his hand standing out in sharp relief as he held the phone. The terminal was bright as day, with overhead lights slanting down, accentuating the clean, defined lines of the man's profile. His gaze was fixed on the distance, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure. Nan Shu dragged her suitcase and stood cautiously two meters behind Xie Zeyan, when she suddenly caught a phrase. "Yeah, it's been bankrupt for a long time now." Nan Shu's heart clenched. Sometimes she felt that Xie Zeyan had a remarkably good mindset—even if he was temporarily down on his luck, he never gave up on himself, taking on multiple part-time jobs to support himself. He could even casually mention his family's bankruptcy without ever hiding it. "Alright, I'll stop chatting with you." Xie Zeyan said to Zong Yi on the other end of the line. Tonight, Xie Zeyan had driven Cheng Kai's two-hundred-thousand-yuan car to the banquet, and its appearance immediately sparked discussion among the group of young heirs in that circle. Some said the eldest Young Master Xie had grown tired of luxury cars and wanted a change of pace, while others studied whether the car had some hidden advantage they didn't know about, which was why Xie Zeyan had swapped out his Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maybach for it. Zong Yi's girlfriend had run away, and he'd chased her all the way to Paris, so he hadn't attended the banquet tonight. But he'd heard about it and called to jokingly ask Xie Zeyan if he'd gone bankrupt. After hanging up, Xie Zeyan's peripheral vision suddenly caught that familiar face. Beneath the girl's thick, upturned lashes were eyes as clear as a spring, her fair, clean face tinged with a faint blush. "Good evening." Nan Shu waved. Xie Zeyan looked at her earnest way of greeting and pressed down the corners of his rising lips. "Good evening." He casually took the pale yellow suitcase from Nan Shu's hand. Nan Shu followed Xie Zeyan to the parking lot and saw from a distance that Huituichang was sprawled on the car window, tongue hanging out. As soon as Nan Shu got in the car, Huituichang pounced into her arms and nuzzled against her vigorously, making Nan Shu giggle from the ticklish sensation. The car started, and the city's nightscape blurred past the windows. The interior was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Nan Shu rested her head against the leather seat and gazed out the window. The man's face was reflected in the car window. He stared straight ahead, his profile sharp and angular. When he wasn't speaking, he carried an aloofness that kept people at arm's length. It overlapped with the image of that proud, cool, mischievous youth in her memory. It seemed that Xie Zeyan had always been like this. But in front of her, he always set aside that distant chill, instead giving off a sense of steadiness and gentleness. Which version of him was the real one? The car's environment was cozy and comfortable, and the scent of the car fragrance was fresh and subtle. Perhaps the question was too difficult to ponder, for drowsiness crept over Nan Shu, and she unknowingly drifted into sleep. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped downstairs at Jingyuan Huating. Xie Zeyan turned off the engine, and Huituichang in the back row, recognizing that they were home, began to stir restlessly. Xie Zeyan glanced at the back seat, raised his index finger to his lips, and signaled for Huituichang to stay quiet and let Nan Shu sleep a little longer. As if understanding, Huituichang tucked its head down and lay quietly on the back seat. Xie Zeyan turned his head, his gaze landing on the girl in the passenger seat. She was very still in her sleep, breathing softly. Her chestnut-brown hair was tangled around her neck. Perhaps feeling the ticklish sensation, she subconsciously brushed it away, revealing her fair, slender neck. Realizing his gaze had grown too intense, Xie Zeyan quickly looked away, a restless heat stirring in his chest for no reason. He raised his hand, his long fingers loosening his tie. The girl beside him stirred. Nan Shu rubbed her sleepy eyes and found a blanket draped over her at some point. She massaged her sore neck and looked out the window in a daze. "Are we here?" Xie Zeyan gave a low "Mm" in response, his pale throat bobbing as he spoke. "You were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you." Nan Shu neatly folded the blanket, and the two of them got out of the car together. "Oh, by the way, are you free these next couple of days? I'd like to treat you to a meal." Xie Zeyan paused, his hand on the suitcase. "What's the occasion for treating me to a meal?" Nan Shu explained, "I've been putting you out too much lately." Xie Zeyan thought for a moment. "Alright, how about next Wednesday?" He wouldn't be in Jingjia tomorrow or the day after—he had to go to the group's branch office in Shenshi for meetings. Nan Shu nodded, and the two entered the elevator, with Huituichang following behind. Nan Shu pulled something out of her chain bag. "I kept forgetting to return this to you." "Hm?" Xie Zeyan reached out, and a plain silver ring fell into his palm. "The ring you left at my place that time." The elevator doors opened, and Nan Shu took the suitcase from Xie Zeyan's hand. "It's getting late—you should head back." She bit her lip, saying those two words face-to-face for the first time, finding them hard to utter. "Well... good night?" The plain ring in his palm was cool to the touch. Xie Zeyan curved his lips into a smile. "Good night." — When she came out of the shower, it was already past eleven. Huituichang had obediently gone back to its little nest in its room. The apartment at Jingyuan Huating was quite large—besides the study and the walk-in closet, there were three bedrooms. Nan Shu occupied the master bedroom herself, one guest room was cleaned but left empty, and the other was given to Huituichang. When she had carried Huituichang back to its room earlier, Nan Shu noticed its fur was whiter and glossier than when she had left—Xie Zeyan must have bathed it for her. Nan Shu flopped onto the bed. The nap she'd taken in Xie Zeyan's car earlier had completely chased away her drowsiness. She opened Xiaohongshu and searched for recommended restaurants. She picked a few based on reviews but couldn't decide which one to treat Xie Zeyan to. She had no idea what Xie Zeyan liked. Come to think of it, she had a secret crush on Xie Zeyan for three years in high school, yet she knew very little about him. All she knew was that he could play basketball, tennis, and badminton; that he could play guitar and piano; that he never needed scratch paper for math problems; and that every Thursday after PE class, he would go to the school convenience store to buy a sugar-free Coke. The first few things she'd heard from other classmates—only the last one she'd discovered herself. After the class division, her class happened to share the same PE period as Xie Zeyan's class. Once, after PE class, when she went to the convenience store to buy an ice cream cone, she ran into Xie Zeyan buying a Coke there. So from then on, every time PE class ended, she would go to the convenience store, and every time she would see Xie Zeyan there. The two of them passed each other countless times, yet she never had the courage to say hello even once. Back then, all she could do was pretend to casually steal glances at him while bending down to pick out her ice cream. Xie Zeyan would take a bottle of Coke from the freezer, condensation dripping from the aluminum can onto his hand. He would walk over to her side, pay the shopkeeper, then hook his index finger and pop open the tab with one hand. Her heartbeat, as if in sync with the click of the tab being pulled, would lose all composure. ... Nan Shu screenshotted a few restaurants and sent them to Xie Zeyan: [Any of these you like?] Xie Zeyan was still online, but the "typing..." indicator kept showing. Nan Shu assumed he didn't like any of them. Nan Shu: [Then I'll look for more. Any preferences? Or things you don't eat?] Xie Zeyan: [How about the place across from the Film Academy?] Nan Shu froze for a moment. The Film Academy Xie Zeyan mentioned was her alma mater—Jingjia Film Academy. Xie Zeyan: [Zong Yi's girlfriend also went to Jingdian. He once mentioned there's a noodle shop at the entrance of Jingdian with great food. How about we go there?] What? Nan Shu stared at the message in disbelief. Just moments ago, she'd been worrying whether Xie Zeyan would look down on the restaurants she'd picked. After all, even though he'd fallen on hard times now, he was still a young master who'd lived the good life—she'd assumed he'd have fairly high standards for restaurants. But she never expected Xie Zeyan to just want a bowl of noodles at the entrance of Jingdian. Xie Zeyan: [Is that okay?] Nan Shu snapped back to reality and typed a few lines. Nan Shu: [Sure] Nan Shu: [But I said I'd treat you to a meal, and it's just a bowl of noodles—doesn't that seem a bit much? How about we go to a restaurant this time, and save the noodle shop for another opportunity?] Xie Zeyan: [No need, let's just go to the noodle shop] Nan Shu twisted her fingers and replied: [Alright then] So Xie Zeyan liked noodles. She silently noted that to herself. • The noodle shop Xie Zeyan mentioned was directly across from the north gate of Jingdian. The shop was small, with a very ordinary sign—red background with white lettering. At first glance, nothing about it seemed special, but it had an excellent reputation among Jingdian students. At its busiest, you couldn't even grab a seat. By the time Nan Shu and Xie Zeyan arrived, the meal rush had already passed, and only one girl was eating noodles inside. Nan Shu was no stranger to this noodle shop—she'd worked part-time here during her freshman year. The owner was an auntie in her fifties. The moment she saw Nan Shu, she recognized her immediately. "Is that Xiao Nan?" "Auntie, long time no see." Nan Shu curved her lips into a smile. It had been years since they'd last met, and quite a few white hairs had sprouted from the owner's head. She came over to greet Nan Shu. "Xiao Nan's a big star now! I've been watching a drama these past couple of days and saw you in it." "Oh, Auntie, I'm just doing bit parts—hardly a big star." Nan Shu laughed. Nan Shu led Xie Zeyan to the seat she used to always sit in. The owner wiped her hands on her apron, smiled warmly at Nan Shu, then glanced at Xie Zeyan sitting across from her. "Is this Xiao Nan's boyfriend?" Hearing the word "boyfriend," Nan Shu's face suddenly flushed hot, even the tips of her ears turning an unnatural shade of red. She quickly explained, "No, no! He's just a friend." "I see." The owner sounded a bit disappointed, because the young man before her was handsome and refined—a perfect match for Nan Shu. Although the Film Academy was hardly short on handsome men, the owner rarely saw anyone this good-looking. His aura seemed out of place in her little noodle shop, every gesture carrying an air of refined elegance. On the noodle shop wall was a price list. Nan Shu pointed at the top row and said to Xie Zeyan, "This three-delicacy pork skin noodle is what I used to eat a lot in college." Xie Zeyan's gaze first landed on the girl's profile, then slowly shifted to the price list. "Then I'll order the same as you." "Sure thing, two bowls of three-delicacy pork skin noodles." The owner went to the kitchen to fire up the stove. The noodle shop kept a cat—a gray-and-white Ragdoll. It was wary around strangers but clingy with people it knew. While waiting for the noodles, Nan Shu spotted a flash of gray darting past and crouched down to beckon it. "Pudding, come here." Pudding sauntered over with an aloof, feline stride. Nan Shu reached out, her fingertips gently scratching under Pudding's chin. A faint scent of cedarwood drifted from behind. Pudding tilted its head up, looking at the man standing behind Nan Shu. Xie Zeyan bent over slightly and made a beckoning gesture at Pudding. The cat leaped out of Nan Shu's arms. Nan Shu stood up and turned to watch Pudding pounce toward Xie Zeyan's legs, unable to help but marvel, "This cat really likes you." How could anyone be so well-liked that even a cat meeting him for the first time would warm up to him? Before long, the owner came out of the kitchen carrying two steaming bowls of pork skin noodles. The broth was golden, dotted with pork skin, ham, and wood ear mushrooms. Every strand of noodle was coated in rich, savory soup. As he set Xie Zeyan's bowl in front of him, the owner gave him several looks, then suddenly asked, "Hey, handsome, did you used to come to our noodle shop a lot in college too?" "I remember—I've seen you many times."