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Bai Lu was directly transferred from S City to a private hospital in Yangcheng that specialized in treating mental illnesses.
Located in the suburbs of Yangcheng, the hospital had an excellent environment. All its medical equipment and technology were imported from overseas, and the experts were highly authoritative.
Shi Yin had expected Bai Lu’s resistance to be intense, but instead, the woman simply stood there quietly, silently gazing out the window without uttering a word. Her gaze was fixed on one spot, lost in silent contemplation.
Gu Congli seemed to have some acquaintance with the hospital director, as Aunt Cao was left behind to care for Bai Lu. When Aunt Cao brought over a plate of freshly peeled and sliced fruit and called out, “Madam,” Bai Lu snapped out of her daze, turning her head and staring blankly at her for a moment.
After a long pause, she softly spoke: “When will he come to pick me up?”
Aunt Cao smiled gently. “Madam, Young Master A-Li is right outside the door. Would you like to talk to him?”
Bai Lu wore a fleeting expression of confusion, then quickly smiled. “Why do you call me ‘Madam’ and him ‘Young Master’? He isn’t outside. You’re lying to me.”
Aunt Cao froze, instinctively turning her head upon realizing what Bai Lu meant.
Gu Congli stood silently by the door. Noticing her glance, he gave a slight nod and closed the door behind him.
The “he” she referred to had never been anyone other than Gu Lin.
Unlike the crowded general hospitals, this facility was quiet, with empty corridors and no one else around except for him.
Gu Congli lingered by the door for a while. Despite the ample warmth provided by the central air conditioning, the cold outdoor air still seeped through the thick walls.
He rubbed his icy fingertips together, turned, and walked away.
As he made his way down the corridor to the elevator lobby at the end, he saw Shi Yin.
She was sitting in a chair by the window, bundled up in a thick sweater and coat. The draft from the elevator lobby must have made her feel a bit chilly, as she huddled into herself, resembling a fluffy ball of yarn.
Noticing him emerge, Shi Yin lifted her eyes, smiled at him, stood up, and ran over. Once she reached him, she reached out to take his hand.
Perhaps due to his low body temperature, she shivered slightly and tilted her head up. “Are you cold?”
Gu Congli pressed his lips together, remaining silent for a few seconds before slowly replying, “Yes.”
She tugged on his middle finger, pulling his hand toward her and slipping it under her coat. The soft warmth of her sweater carried her scent—a subtle mix of coconut and floral notes.
She fluttered her eyelashes, smiling brightly at him. “Are you still cold now?”
Gu Congli lowered his gaze, withdrew his hand, and pulled her into his arms.
Shi Yin remained quiet, allowing him to embrace her obediently, as docile as a little kitten.
The elevator dinged, and a few nurses emerged, startled to see the two embracing by the door. They exchanged amused glances and giggled as they walked past, glancing back while chatting.
Shi Yin felt a bit embarrassed. “Alright, that’s enough.”
Gu Congli didn’t let go, resting his chin on top of her head. “Just a little longer.”
Shi Yin wriggled like a little eel. “We can hug more when we get home.”
“We’ll keep hugging when we get home.”
Shi Yin fell silent.
Fine.
Today, she would indulge him.
She conceded with a hint of amusement and slight exasperation, feeling somewhat like an older sister with a younger sibling clinging to her affectionately.
Finally, the day had come when she could take charge.
The two of them stood by the elevator doors, which opened and closed repeatedly. By the fourth time the doors shut—
“...”
Shi Yin’s legs had gone numb, and she rolled her eyes irritably. “Gu Congli, that’s enough.”
The man chuckled softly and released her. “Such a temper.”
Shi Yin glared at him, incredulous. “What did you say?”
“You said I have a bad temper?”
“And you dare criticize others for having a bad temper? Do you even realize how terrible your own temper is?”
Gu Congli pressed the elevator button, raising an eyebrow slightly. “No one has ever said my temper is bad.”
“That’s because no one dares to say it,” Shi Yin replied flatly. “Do you remember the time you blocked me on WeChat after adding me for just one second, all because I slammed a door? Does that ring a bell?”
“I believe I also mentioned that it was because you were with another man.”
Shi Yin rolled her eyes again. “Editor-in-Chief, I hope you can reign in your jealousy rationally. Editor Zhao’s daughter is already old enough to buy soy sauce.”
Gu Congli nodded. “Rational, indeed. When are you going to return that assistant of yours his keys?”
The two stepped out of the hospital entrance and approached the car. Shi Yin paused mid-step, her expression troubled. “I don’t know how to tell him. If I just say I have a boyfriend and that my boyfriend wants me to ask for the keys back, won’t that make you seem petty and damage your reputation?”
Gu Congli opened the car door, his tone light and dismissive. “It’s fine. I don’t need a reputation.”
Shi Yin was momentarily stunned by his nonchalance, unable to think of a response.
She silently got into the car. As Gu Congli turned the steering wheel and drove out of the hospital gates, he suddenly said, “Shi Yin, would you like to move in with me?”
Shi Yin, who had been playing with her phone, jolted. “What?”
“Move in with me.” He calmly repeated, as if she hadn’t heard him clearly the first time.
Shi Yin’s mouth hung slightly open as she stared at him for over ten seconds. Realizing that this man was completely serious, her initial shock gave way to an even more incredulous expression. “Editor-in-Chief, living together before marriage isn’t really a thing in my family. If my dad finds out, he might actually kill me.”
Gu Congli nodded understandingly, showing great empathy. “Then let’s get married first.”
Shi Yin: “….”
“A man at thirty should be established. Starting a family is something that should be on the agenda by now.”
In the corner booth of a dessert shop, Fang Shu lounged with one leg crossed over the other, lazily stirring the ice-blended drink in her glass. In a tone filled with deep reflection, she repeated, “After all, you’re thirty.”
“…” Shi Yin responded flatly, “Twenty-nine.”
Fang Shu raised an eyebrow. “Are you already married to him? Is the husband-defending instinct kicking in already?”
Shi Yin held up her hand dramatically, fiddling with each finger individually, her face a picture of despair. “I’m only twenty-three! Twenty-three! How can I get married?”
“Twenty-three is the perfect age to start having sex,” Fang Shu quipped.
Shi Yin: “….”
Fang Shu glanced up and suddenly asked, “Did you use it?”
Shi Yin blinked, confused. “Use what?”
“The thing I bought for you. A gift from when I went on a business trip.”
“…”
Shi Yin looked around cautiously, her face flushing red as she lowered her voice. “You mean that thing… those beads—” She couldn’t finish her sentence, defeated, and sighed heavily. “No, I’ve been too busy lately. No time.”
Indeed, Shi Yin had been swamped. Two book-signing events had drained most of her energy, and just after returning to S City, she had gone to Yangcheng because of Gu Congli, spending two exhausting days there. Whatever little energy she had left was completely spent.
After sleeping for over ten hours, she dragged herself out of bed in a daze, only to receive another call from Liang Qiushi.
And so, the endless cycle of drafting resumed.
When Liang Qiushi had called her last time, she hadn’t paid much attention to what he said due to her preoccupation with Gu Congli. She had vaguely mentioned the matter to him.
Now that Shi Yin had nearly finished her draft, Liang Qiushi came over to add backgrounds and screentones. He brought up the topic again.
To summarize, he believed that the masked girl at the press conference in the capital bore a resemblance to Li Nian, but he wasn’t certain.
Shi Yin, curled up on the sofa, stifled a yawn while holding her digital drawing tablet. A cup of milk tea sat beside her, along with her laptop, as she absentmindedly sketched away. Looking up blankly, she asked, “Who’s Li Nian?”
“…”
Liang Qiushi: “Teacher, are you doing this on purpose?”
Shi Yin’s lips split into a radiant smile. “Exactly, I’m doing this on purpose. What I mean is, who she is doesn’t matter.” She lifted her stylus, poking at the ink draft on the laptop screen. “The work speaks for itself.”
Liang Qiushi gently reminded her, “Teacher, behind Li Nian is the full support of Yang Culture’s resources—story outlines, scripts, professional assistants with incredible drawing skills—all provided by them. Their marketing department is outsourced, and their promotional strategies are top-notch.”
He paused, pulling out his phone and scrolling to the video clip of Shi Yin’s fans attacking the masked girl online. “You’ve seen how much traction this got. Many people online will blindly react without understanding the full context. They see this clip, share it, and throw a few insults.”
“You reposted the follow-up content, but only those within the industry or paying close attention to the matter would notice. Not everyone bothers to dig deeper to find out what else happened or whether what they saw was the whole story.”
He rambled on, but Shi Yin acted as if she hadn’t heard a word. After half a minute, she tilted her laptop toward him and earnestly asked, “Do you think leaving some blank space here would look better?”
“…”
Liang Qiushi grew exasperated, his expression one of frustration. His voice rose slightly. “Teacher Shi Yi!”
Shi Yin chewed on her straw, batting her eyelashes at him innocently. “Qiu Qiu, do you feel guilty about something?”
Liang Qiushi stiffened.
“You feel guilty because you almost went to Yang Culture, and now it seems like someone related to them is trying to trip me up. So you’re panicking. But, what does any of this have to do with me?”
Liang Qiushi blinked, looking at her blankly.
Shi Yin straightened up, patiently explaining. “Look, there are so many people drawing comics in China right now, and so many talented manga artists. There are good-looking ones, cool ones, all kinds. There are countless people more popular than me. So whether this Li Nian is popular or beautiful—how does that concern me? Do you think this is some shonen manga where I’ve encountered my lifelong rival whose every move tugs at my heartstrings? Besides—”
As Liang Qiushi’s expression slowly turned to admiration, Shi Yin felt a swell of pride at her own eloquence. Smirking, she shook her head smugly. “I reposted the follow-up video. Those who like me or care about this issue will see it, and that’s enough. Why should I care what others think?”
Shi Yin took a few sips of her milk tea, chewing on the black sugar pearls inside, while casually scrolling through her phone. “So, whatever this Li Nian wants to do—I honestly don’t care. Those who like me, I’ll give them all my affection. As for those who don’t like me—I couldn’t care less about them.”
Shi Yin’s voice suddenly cut off.
Liang Qiushi, who had been thoroughly engrossed in listening to the lofty Teacher Shi Yi’s rant, was startled by the abrupt silence. Puzzled, he glanced up.
The aloof and composed Teacher Shi Yi stared blankly at her phone screen, frozen for half a minute. Slowly, she raised her head, holding the phone up to him, her voice icy. “Is this woman Li Nian?”
Liang Qiushi glanced at it—it was a photo from somewhere.
In an elegant, artsy café, the woman had light chestnut-colored hair styled in a pear blossom cut, delicate features, a small upturned nose, luscious red lips, and deep brown contact lenses that made her eyes appear bright and striking.
Beside her sat a man with a cold, aloof demeanor who looked somewhat familiar, as if she’d seen him somewhere before.
After two seconds of thought, Liang Qiushi’s face lit up with recognition. “That’s Li Nian, and isn’t that Editor-in-Chief Gu?” Then, realization dawned. “Is Crimson Moon planning to poach Li Nian? Her persona as a prodigy shoujo manga artist has indeed been quite successful.”
“Tch!” Shi Yin threw down her pen. “She’s no genius shoujo manga artist! She’s full of crap!”
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