Liang Qiushi, after saying that, was actually about to leave.

He placed the items he was carrying on the shoe cabinet and reminded her as he did so: “I also bought some things on the way—milk, cereal, eggs, all of those were gone. I got some Hokkaido toast bread too, the kind you like. Oh, and I noticed there wasn’t much hand soap left, so I bought a new bottle. It’s all in the bags.”

Shi Yin: “Qiuqiu, it’s not what you think…”

Liang Qiushi raised his head, wearing an expression that said, “You don’t need to explain; I understand completely.” “Alright, I’ll leave now.”

Shi Yin reached out to push Gu Congli, who was still standing in front of her. She pressed her hand against his abdomen, trying to move him, but he didn’t budge.

Gu Congli’s gaze fell on the key in the man’s hand at the door. He narrowed his eyes slightly and then lowered his head.

Shi Yin: “…It’s not what you think…”

For some reason, Shi Yin had a strange, eerie feeling of being caught red-handed for something she hadn’t done, as if she’d been caught cheating with two different people.

She sighed deeply and pointed at Gu Congli: “This is Chief Editor Gu from Crimson Moon .”

Liang Qiushi tilted his head, carefully examining the man’s features. After determining that he looked somewhat familiar, he made a surprised sound, quite girlishly: “Hmm?”

“…”

Shi Yin ignored whatever strange noise he was making and turned back to Gu Congli: “This is my assistant, not anyone else. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Her expression when looking at him seemed almost exasperated, like how a boyfriend might look at a girlfriend throwing a tantrum.

The moment the words left her mouth, Shi Yin herself froze.

While explaining to him, she felt anxious, genuinely afraid that he might misunderstand her relationship with Liang Qiushi.

Quickly lowering her head, she gave him another push, swiftly dodging past him to grab the bags Liang Qiushi had left on the shoe cabinet, retreating into the kitchen.

She suddenly felt awkward and out of place.

As Shi Yin took each item out of the bag one by one, placing them in the fridge, the cold milk cartons pressed against her cheeks. She let out a long sigh before finally stepping out of the kitchen.

Liang Qiushi was already gone, having really left. Gu Congli was sitting on the sofa, his computer closed, legs crossed and stretched out in front of him, head bowed as if lost in thought.

But Chief Editor Gu didn’t daydream; he was thinking.

When he noticed her emerge, he turned his head slightly.

Shi Yin paused.

His bangs hung low, and with the light source behind him, shadows darkened his eye contours. His light brown eyes appeared almost pitch-black, like frozen fire beneath glaciers.

For some inexplicable reason, she wanted to step back.

His gaze gave her the illusion of being trapped in some sort of snare, tightly bound and unable to escape.

Shi Yin blinked, shook her head, and dispelled the chaotic thoughts that had briefly flooded her mind.

The worst part was when the air suddenly grew silent.

She felt she should say something.

Shi Yin glanced toward the doorway and then toward the study workspace, pretending ignorance: “Did Qiuqiu leave?”

“…”

Now the air wasn’t just quiet—it felt like it was on the verge of freezing over.

She awkwardly turned her head away, feeling somewhat disoriented.

Though she wasn’t entirely sure why it had frozen over either.

Gu Congli watched her silently. After a while, he suddenly raised the corners of his lips, breaking into a smile.

The smile was unexpectedly radiant.

His skin was very pale, and his thin lips were rosy. When he smiled with lowered eyes, it created an eerie sensation, as if his brows and eyes were tinged with vivid color.

Gu Congli calmly gazed at her, his voice soft: “He left.”

Something was off about this person.

It was as if some strange switch had been flipped, transforming the celestial deity into a demon from hell.

Unconsciously, Shi Yin shrank back slightly, swallowing nervously before calling out softly: “Chief Editor?”

Gu Congli lowered his eyes, the smile gradually fading: “Go wash up.”

Shi Yin returned to her bedroom to freshen up, changing her nightgown into casual home clothes. Reaching for her phone from the bedside table, she received a message from Liang Qiushi.

[Cool Ball Ball]: Teacher, you go ahead and take care of your business. I’ve left. Once you’re done, give me a call if there’s work, and I’ll come back. Chief Editor Gu is terrifying. The way he looked at me made me feel like a dead man walking.

[Cool Ball Ball]: I finally understand why you stopped procrastinating after switching responsible editors.

Shi Yin: “….”

It sounded strangely reasonable.

She didn’t reply, exited the chat window, and tossed her phone aside, lying flat on her bed in a spread-eagle position.

She had never imagined she would encounter Gu Congli again.

S City was so large that, without intentional contact, they probably wouldn’t have met or had any interaction for the rest of their lives.

When she first decided to pursue art exams, no one understood why she had given up prestigious schools to become an art student, thinking she was gambling with her future.

Fang Shu once asked her, “Was it worth giving up a promising future for Gu Congli?”

Shi Yin was somewhat bewildered, unsure what she meant.

Those who didn’t know Gu Congli thought she had lost her mind, while those who did assumed Shi Yin had sacrificed everything for him.

In truth, it wasn’t like that.

She simply, purely, found painting wonderful.

She loved the smell of the studio, the sense of accomplishment when lines transformed from clumsy twists to smooth comfort, the rustling sound of pencil on paper, and the overwhelming fullness in her heart after finishing a piece after days and nights of work.

Shi Yin never thought there was anything wrong with being an art student, never questioned whether it was worth it, and never considered it a sacrifice. She believed she had simply made a choice.

Everyone faces countless choices at every stage of life. In her journey, Gu Congli was her choice, as was the art exam. There was absolutely no relationship of one sacrificing for the other.

Gu Congli merely opened a door for her, allowing her to discover a brand-new world.

And now, she saw clearly and distinguished sharply their current relationship.

He was like the stars and moon in the sky, unreachable, representing the naivety and confusion of her youth, her past and former self.

The troubles and inconveniences she had caused him were indelible. No matter what others said, there was always a hurdle in her heart.

She no longer had the right to think of anything more.

She thought there were some people meant to be kept deep within one’s heart. When she grew old, surrounded by grandchildren, she would sit in the courtyard with her little grandson and tell him a different story.

Starting with, “You know, when I was young, I liked the best man in the whole world.”

In fact, there was barely even a story between them—just a shallow, childish one-sided infatuation that formed a river too turbulent to cross.

By the time Gu Congli arrived at the teahouse, it was already afternoon.

The teahouse had an ancient-style design, with waitresses dressed in elegant cheongsams, traditional music flowing through the air like rippling water.

The server led him through the long corridor on the first floor to a secluded courtyard. A small quadrangle courtyard lay ahead, with water splashing against stones in the garden, flanked by two rows of green bamboo along the corridor. Behind the bamboo, wooden tables could be glimpsed faintly.

In the center was a small pond, beside which stood a girl feeding fish.

Noticing someone approaching, the girl turned around, her round deer-like eyes blinking, waving at him from afar.

Gu Congli nodded slightly and walked in, passing through the bamboo, where he saw the seated figure behind.

The man rested his chin on one hand, turning his head lazily, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the distant girl feeding the fish. His lips curved lazily, and his dark peach blossom eyes brimmed with tenderness.

Watching him sent shivers down Gu Congli’s spine.

After leaving Experimental High School One, he was dragged into entrepreneurship by his university classmates and started an advertising studio. It was during that time that he met Lu Jiaheng.

The heir to a real estate tycoon, he was extremely unlikable, exuding an aura of “I’m amazing, I’m great, I can do anything.” And yet, this man had an incredibly endearing girlfriend.

Gu Congli thought, perhaps his girlfriend must be blind.

Coincidentally, Lu Jiaheng also held him in disdain.

Later, due to work-related matters, these two mutually detested individuals somehow became acquainted. Occasionally, they even met for tea—a truly remarkable occurrence.

The man sat there, cradling his head like a lovesick fool, staring at the distant girl with an intensity that suggested he could watch until the end of time. Gu Congli tapped lightly on the edge of the wooden table to signal his arrival.

The man’s gaze didn’t shift an inch. His eyebrows lifted slightly, smug and pleased, asking in a tone of statement: “Isn’t my wife adorable?”

Gu Congli: “….”

He calmly said, “I’m leaving.”

Lu Jiaheng finally turned his head: “Since you’re already here, where are you going?”

Gu Congli ignored him, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Lu Jiaheng seemed accustomed to his demeanor and paid no mind, starting to chat casually: “How’s the new job?”

“It’s alright.”

“Going smoothly?”

“Mhm.”

Lu Jiaheng raised an eyebrow: “I mean, how’s the girl? Going smoothly?”

Gu Congli raised his eyes.

Lu Jiaheng slouched lazily in his chair across from him, his hand supporting his cheek as he looked at him: “I just casually checked and found out that Mr. Gu used to teach at a high school and apparently had quite a bit of romantic luck.”

Gu Congli’s tone remained calm: “Mr. Lu truly knows everything.”

“I must fulfill my duty regarding Mr. Gu’s affairs. After all, my wife once said she liked your type.”

“Is that so?” Gu Congli remained composed. “Miss Chu certainly has good taste.”

“…”

Lu Jiaheng gritted his teeth: “Bullshit.”

“To like someone like you,” Gu Congli added.

Lu Jiaheng: “….”

That was precisely why he disliked dealing with such hypocritical people. They appeared untouchable like rare flowers on a high peak, but in reality, they were beasts in gentleman’s clothing, capable of devouring someone down to the bone.

“I pity that poor girl. How could she attract attention from someone like you? Even high school students aren’t safe from you—are you even human?”

Gu Congli’s face remained expressionless: “She graduated a year ago.”

Lu Jiaheng smirked: “Oh, so you’re planning to make your move now?”

He didn’t respond.

His eyes slightly lowered, fingertips resting on the rim of the purple clay teacup, his expression somber.

Lu Jiaheng’s peach blossom eyes lifted slightly, looking pleased: “You got rejected.”

“No.”

Lu Jiaheng didn’t believe him at all, acting as if he knew everything: “Rejection means nothing. Back in the day, I got rejected so many times I lost my temper. The secret to pursuing a girl lies in—”

Gu Congli paused, lifting his eyelids.

“How shameless you are.”

Gu Congli: “….”