The deep autumn night was cool and profound, yet it did nothing to dampen the bustling clamor of the city. I had never felt two days pass so quickly; every minute, every second seemed like a countdown, casting a shadow over my very breath.
As for the promised departure, neither of us mentioned it.
Shen Jianqing seemed to have gained some understanding and fondness for this world he had never encountered, and I decided to strike while the iron was hot.
The television played a lively variety show. The hosts were trying hard to be funny, though it wasn’t actually amusing. I didn’t usually watch TV, but the quiet emptiness of my room when I was alone compelled me to turn it on for some background noise.
At this moment, Shen Jianqing sat upright on the sofa, eyes fixed on the screen, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he were genuinely entertained.
I sat down not too close, not too far, and called him, “Shen Jianqing.”
He looked up. “Yes?”
I took a deep breath, staring at his face, not letting a single expression slip by. “What do you think of the world outside?”
“It’s amazing.”
“Then… do you want to come with me to see Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong?”
At my words, Shen Jianqing’s expression froze. He watched me silently.
I met his gaze with calm determination.
Even the most advanced medical equipment could not identify the source of the illness; they could only treat it as a “parasite.” Miao Gu might be even more miraculous.
As the future clan leader of the Shi Di Miao village, if Shen Jianqing couldn’t help, then I could think of no one else who could aid Qiu Lu and the others. Unlike me, I was alone, and it didn’t matter what happened to me. But they had families, loved ones, and they deserved a bright and promising future.
“Don’t worry. I’ll convince them not to reveal what happened to the Sheng Miao…”
“It doesn’t matter.” Shen Jianqing asked me, “So you agreed to let me stay just for this? You brought me to see your world, to meet your… roommates, only because of this?”
Just for Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong? Deep down, I already knew my answer.
No.
When Shen Jianqing crossed mountains and rivers, facing countless obstacles to reach me, my heart had raced with a wild, spring-like fervor, like grass breaking through the soil in the wind. How could I possibly continue deceiving myself?
No one had ever chosen me so steadfastly. Not my parents, not those who professed to like me, not even for a single second of persistence. Before Shen Jianqing appeared, and even after, there was no one.
Those sleepless nights, tossing and turning. Those nights I plunged into dreams, waking with a shout. I had tried to avoid thinking of him countless times, yet he always returned to my mind.
Each thought drew his image deeper into my consciousness: the way he smiled at me, the intimate way he tied my fragrant sachet, the humbleness in his plea for me to stay… it all traced back to the first time we met, when he passed through my camera lens, and I accidentally pressed the wrong shutter.
I realized I had never truly forgotten him.
I thought, whether Shen Jianqing had cast a spell or not, I had already fallen under his.
One cannot deceive oneself forever; I should have recognized my heart long ago.
“No. You shouldn’t have let Honghong bite Zhang Xu. There’s nothing between me and him. And ‘roommate’ isn’t what you think it is.”
Shen Jianqing paused, and a small red shadow peeked from his sleeve.
“I let you stay…” I faltered.
Shen Jianqing pressed urgently, “Why did you let me stay? Tell me, Yuze!”
I summoned every ounce of courage. “I let you stay not just for them… but also for my own selfish reasons.”
His eyebrows flickered. He hadn’t expected me to be so candid. “What is it?” he asked.
I looked at his handsome face.
Shen Jianqing almost pleaded, gripping my hand with icy warmth. “Tell me, Yuze. I can remove the curse. I will, of course… But first, tell me your answer.”
“Shen Jianqing.”
The name had once filled me with resentment, yet he had already walked into my heart; I just refused to admit it.
“I think… I’ve fallen for you.”
Before the words had even left my mouth, warm tears fell onto the back of my hand.
Before I could move, I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace. Shen Jianqing held my arms tightly, pressing me against his chest.
His labored, urgent breath brushed against my collarbone, his face buried in my neck, damp with tears.
His voice was full of disbelief: “You’re not lying to me, are you?”
Before I could answer, he continued: “It’s okay, even if you are. Even if you only said it to trick me into removing the curse, it’s fine. I’m really happy, Yuze.”
Moments like this were rare for me; I felt awkward. “I… I’m not lying.”
Shen Jianqing lifted his head, tears still streaking his cheeks.
“You don’t blame me anymore? For what I… did before? You really don’t blame me?”
I knew some words, if left unsaid tonight, might never be spoken.
Since I had decided to confront my heart, I would speak everything. At least then, there would be no regrets later.
“I hate you,” I said. Shen Jianqing’s face turned pale. I continued, “But I can’t help thinking of you.”
Perhaps the most audacious, most heartfelt words I’d ever spoken in my life. I felt my cheeks burn.
All the pain he had caused me and my companions… I didn’t know if I had the right to forgive him. But tonight, just tonight, I wanted a brief reconciliation.
Let me reconcile with him, if only for this night.
Shen Jianqing’s eyes glinted fiercely. He said, “I don’t believe you. Unless… unless you kiss me.”
I sighed, bracing myself, and pressed my lips against his rosy ones.
I had intended to keep it brief, but just as I was about to pull back, Shen Jianqing suddenly pressed the back of my head with his hand.
Our breaths mingled, heavy and urgent, exploding in my ear.
The sounds of the TV around us faded, the city’s clamor downstairs receded, everything blurred into the background, unimportant.
Shen Jianqing’s hands roamed over me. I knew exactly what he wanted. I wasn’t particularly interested in these things myself, but tonight… I decided to let him have his way.
“Inside…” I panted between breaths.
Immediately, Shen Jianqing lifted me, holding me close.
Before entering the room, he paused for a second. I heard the crisp snap of nails across a hand, and in my peripheral vision, a tiny red shape flicked through the air and landed somewhere in the room.
“Honghong?”
“Don’t worry about it…”
Shen Jianqing pulled me onto the bed.
I heard his low, sticky voice brushing the intimate air between us: “Yuze, can I stay in this room tonight?”
My mind went blank. Whether I nodded or shook my head, I couldn’t even remember.