CM - 36

Zhou Shuirong watched Shen Tingwen prepare dumpling dipping sauce for her, still unsure why she let him in.

Shen Tingwen handed her the chopsticks.

Zhou Shuirong didn’t take them: “I have hands.”

Shen Tingwen sat cross-legged, pulling at the wound on his lower back, letting out a muffled groan, a bit exaggerated.

“Stop faking it,” Zhou Shuirong said.

Shen Tingwen denied it: “It really hurts; they put in several stitches.”

Zhou Shuirong knew he had bled a lot, but they were likely just superficial wounds. If it were as serious as he claimed, he’d be paralyzed in a hospital bed by now, not having the energy to appear before her.

She couldn’t be bothered to correct him on this and instead asked her question: “Did you block keywords related to ‘Shen Tingwen’ on all platforms?”

Shen Tingwen didn’t hide it: “More or less.”

Zhou Shuirong expanded her question: “As a high school student, do you need to make yourself out to be a secret agent? Even hiding your tracks? What secrets do you have?”

Shen Tingwen put a straw in her milk tea and said, “I don’t have secrets, but my dad does. I can’t become a loophole for others to scheme against him. Being careful in everything just became a habit.”

“Now that you’ve told me, aren’t you afraid I’ll scheme against your dad?”

“Since I dared to tell you, I’m not afraid. You don’t need to ask that question.”

“Are you looking down on me? Do you think I can’t do it?”

“Whether you can or cannot, I’m not afraid.”

“I’m not interested in your dad, and I have no intention of scheming against him.”

“Any more questions?”

Zhou Shuirong originally had none, but his question suddenly made her want to know: “Why don’t you ask me why I looked you up?”

Shen Tingwen didn’t ask: “If I arrive in an unfamiliar environment, I’d be like you, first trying to understand the characteristics of the people around me, to facilitate peaceful coexistence. The processes of getting acquainted and acclimating take too much time and are meaningless.”

Zhou Shuirong found it interesting, putting down her chopsticks: “You’re very smart, then. So you played dumb with me, pretended to be pitiful, that’s shameless enough.”

“I didn’t blame you for looking me up, so why are you blaming me for how I chose to get acquainted with you?”

Zhou Shuirong didn’t give him a pleasant look: “Deliberately misleading is deception. You call that opportunism. If I didn’t think you were different from others, would I even give you a second glance?”

“I once attended some technology project investment conferences with my dad. What kind of projects have investment value? Firstly, at the first meeting, they must stand out from other projects, at least be innovative. Only then do they qualify for people to learn more. If others weren’t given a second glance by you, that’s their incompetence. You can’t condemn me just because I’m capable. That’s unreasonable, and I don’t accept it.”

Zhou Shuirong didn’t argue about that with him: “Accept it or not, no matter how right you are, you still tricked me, and I still find you annoying.”

Shen Tingwen lowered his head slightly, then suddenly smiled silently, a shallow smile, hinting at a sense of helplessness: “Then be annoyed.”

His eyes seemed to be able to hypnotize. Zhou Shuirong felt that strange sensation again, and it was very strong.

Shen Tingwen picked up a dumpling and placed it on Zhou Shuirong’s plate: “Eat.”

Zhou Shuirong honestly told him: “I came back to China to find answers to some questions. I don’t have time to manage other relationships. If you’re truly smart, cut your losses in time. Don’t hang yourself on this tree.”

Shen Tingwen put down his chopsticks, placed his hands on the table, supporting his upper body, and looked at Zhou Shuirong: “Do you want to make a bet with me?”

“What about?”

“A bet that you’ll have me in your heart.”

Zhou Shuirong found it ridiculous and didn’t want to talk to him anymore: “Hurry up and eat, then get out. Your Dad Zhou needs to sleep.”

Shen Tingwen wasn’t in a hurry either. If she wanted to avoid him, he’d let her. He picked up his chopsticks again, his movements unnatural, as if the wound on his back was limiting his actions.

Zhou Shuirong had occasional obsessive-compulsive disorder. Even though she knew he was faking it, she still helped him pour the dipping sauce into his dish.

“Thank you,” Shen Tingwen’s dumpling-picking movements also started to slow down, as if he couldn’t pick them up, clearly needing help.

Zhou Shuirong glared at him: “That’s enough, you know when to quit, right?”

“It hurts a little, I’m sorry.” Shen Tingwen pursed his lips.

Zhou Shuirong stared into his eyes. She could tell he was lying at a glance, but his eyes were so pure, so pure that they had a brainwashing effect, making her, against her better judgment, hold the plate for him so he could pick up a dumpling.

Shen Tingwen dropped it just as he picked it up. Zhou Shuirong instinctively reached out to catch it, and Shen Tingwen also reached out, and their hands clasped together. Zhou Shuirong reacted quickly, trying to pull her hand back, but Shen Tingwen didn’t let go, gripping tighter. She frowned: “Let go.”

Shen Tingwen said in a very low voice: “Will you just let me hold your hand for a second?”

“No,” Zhou Shuirong said.

Shen Tingwen let go: “Oh.”

Zhou Shuirong believed one reason Shen Tingwen hadn’t been completely dragged into her blacklist was that, although annoying, he would ask her before many of his intrusive actions, making her feel at least a degree of respect.

Also, when he offended her, he would apologize. Whether the sincerity was there or not, a man being able to do that at least wouldn’t be off-putting.

Shen Tingwen saw it was getting late and prepared to leave: “I’m hard. For your safety, I have to go.”

Zhou Shuirong snapped back to reality, her eyes unconsciously glancing down, catching sight of a bulge in his pants. She quickly averted her gaze, suddenly feeling a little awkward.

Shen Tingwen said, “I can’t control myself, and I can’t force you to satisfy me, so I can only leave. This might be an essential lesson on a man’s journey to growth, especially for a man who’s excellent in certain aspects.”

Zhou Shuirong didn’t want to look at him: “You? You howl and scream in pain from a touch, utterly weak, and yet ‘excellent’?”

“Don’t you know if I’m weak or not?”

Zhou Shuirong couldn’t hold back anymore, glaring at him: “Stop talking nonsense! How would I know if you’re weak or not!”

Shen Tingwen suddenly hugged her, his hardness pressing against her lower back. Then he let go of her and whispered, “Remember now?”

Zhou Shuirong remembered. It was quite large. She felt it that day when he hugged her. She scowled, twisted his arm, and pressed him down: “You’re asking to die!”

Shen Tingwen groaned: “It hurts...”

Zhou Shuirong saw he wasn’t hurt at all: “I see you’re not hurt. If it hurt, you wouldn’t be able to move, let alone come find me?”

“Even if I were crippled, I would still come find you.”

Zhou Shuirong was not joking with Shen Tingwen: “We have no future. I don’t like you, and I won’t like you in the future. Your bet is meaningless. If you’re unwilling to cut your losses, then prepare to be hurt to death.”

Shen Tingwen nodded, still able to smile: “Yes, I’m ready.”

Zhou Shuirong started feeling strange again. She wasn’t sure if the air in the room was bad, but she felt a little suffocated. She pushed him away: “The door’s over there. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Shen Tingwen glanced at the dumplings on the table: “Then remember to eat something.”

Zhou Shuirong turned around, not looking at him, and not answering. She absolutely had to maintain her distance from Shen Tingwen.

________________________________________

After Shen Tingwen left, Xu Su and Fang Qi returned. Xu Su saw the dumplings on the coffee table and asked her, “Did you order takeout?”

Zhou Shuirong didn’t answer: “I’m not hungry anymore. You two eat.”

Xu Su watched Zhou Shuirong go back to her room, noting a slight movement of her lips.

Fang Qi saw it and chuckled softly.

During dinner, Fang Qi poured Xu Su a glass of milk: “I remember you used to drink soy milk. You said milk had too strong of a fishy smell, but now you seem to be able to drink it.”

Xu Su was distracted: “Mhm.”

Fang Qi also poured herself a glass. Looking at the milk in the cup, she said, “She is indeed very attractive, with a vibrancy and courage that I don’t possess. But she’s like too many temptations in a world of fleeting pleasures; the more beautiful, the more dangerous. You can’t handle her.”

Xu Su’s attention was drawn back by her words. He pondered what she said, feeling a bit annoyed that his privacy had been probed: “You’re overthinking it.”

Fang Qi smiled faintly: “You’re not thinking clearly right now. Think about my words once you’re clear-headed. If you can’t let go, then I wish you luck.”

Xu Su stood up, avoiding the topic: “I’ll take you back to the hotel. I’ll go back with you tomorrow.”