Chapter 49

The moment the message was sent, Shi Ye felt as if she had pressed the start button on some unknown device. The silence in the living room was suddenly amplified, leaving only the hum of the refrigerator compressor and her own slightly rapid heartbeat.

She stared at her phone screen. Below the message "Okay. Thank you.", Qi Jin's profile picture remained silent, not immediately changing to "The other party is typing...". Good, Qi Jin had probably gone to sleep, or was busy with something else; in any case, he hadn't replied instantly, which made her tense nerves relax slightly.

Then she heard a knock on the door.

It wasn't a polite knock, but a series of urgent bangs, accompanied by Lin Xiaoyu's low, thieving voice: "Sister Shi! Open the door! Open the door quickly! I forgot something!"

Shi Ye: "..." Is this girl equipped with radar? Why does she deliberately choose to launch a surprise attack when her heartbeat is unstable?

She resignedly got up and limped to open the door. As soon as the door opened a crack, Lin Xiaoyu slipped in like an eel, her eyes darting around, first scanning the phone Shi Ye was still holding, then landing precisely on her neck—good, the necklace was still there.

"What did you forget?" Shi asked, trying to make his tone sound normal.

"I forgot..." Lin Xiaoyu's eyes darted around, and she went straight to the sofa, rummaging through the "snack ruins" she had just created and pulling out a crumpled file folder with a cartoon rabbit printed on it. "This! My design draft backup! I need to take it to the company tomorrow!" She hugged the file folder, but didn't leave immediately. Instead, she leaned closer to Shi Ye and sniffed like a puppy. "Sister Shi Ye, why is your face a little red? Are you... texting your senior?"

Shi Ye subconsciously took a half step back and hid his phone behind his back: "No. It's hot."

"Oh—" Lin Xiaoyu drawled, with a "I'd be a fool to believe you" expression on her face, "Then... is senior coming to pick us up tomorrow?"

Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. How did this girl know?! Did Qi Jin tell her too?

"How did you know..." She regretted her words before she could finish. Wasn't that tantamount to admitting it?

"Hehe, I guessed!" Lin Xiaoyu shook her head smugly. "My senior is so considerate. She knows you have a leg problem, and I'm just a college student without a car. How could she let us handle things on our own when we're going to negotiate with an unfamiliar company tomorrow? She'll definitely come to protect me!"

Shi Ye: "..." The logic is actually quite coherent? She couldn't refute it.

"So are you coming or not?" Lin Xiaoyu pressed, her eyes shining like searchlights.

“…Come here.” Shi Ye gave up resisting.

"Yay!" Lin Xiaoyu cheered softly, then put on that sly smile again. "Then... Sister Shi, should I sit in the back seat tomorrow? Leave the passenger seat for you?"

Shi Ye felt the veins on his forehead throbbing merrily. "Lin, Xiao, Yu."

"Okay, okay! I won't say anything more!" Lin Xiaoyu knew when to stop, so she skipped to the door with the file bag in her hand. "Then I'm really leaving! Sister Shi, you should get some sleep! Get plenty of rest so you can go to the negotiation with my senior tomorrow... uh, I mean, so she can come with me! Goodnight!"

The door closed again.

Shi Ye stood there, feeling utterly exhausted. The battle of wits with Lin Xiaoyu (though she never actually won) was more tiring than dealing with the system and the collapsing world combined.

She walked back to the sofa and buried herself in it again. The phone screen was still dark; Qi Jin still hadn't replied.

She put down her phone, her gaze falling on her bare feet. The wounds on the soles of her feet had scabbed over and looked much better. The soft-soled slippers Qi Jin had given her were lying beside her, fluffy and looking very warm.

She stared at the slippers for a few seconds, then raised her hand to touch the moon necklace around her neck.

The systemic noise in her mind seemed to have lessened somewhat, but the glaring "[Forced Association Progress: 91%]" was like it was welded to the screen of her consciousness, emitting an ominous red light.

91%... How much further to 100%? Should I meet with Qi Jin a few more times? Say a few more words? Or... have another bowl of tomato and egg noodles?

She didn't know.

All she knew was that the frozen ground in her heart seemed to be melting faster and faster. Warm, unfamiliar liquid (not tears, she couldn't shed that stuff yet) was slowly accumulating in her empty chest, bringing a heavy, slightly bloated feeling.

What does this mean? Is the condition improving? Or are there new symptoms indicating a terminal illness?

She thought of Dr. Chen; perhaps she could ask him during her follow-up appointment next week. She asked in the most academic and objective tone: "Doctor, if someone starts to feel... well, a mixed feeling, like 'having a heat pack in their stomach that's leaking electricity,' because of slippers and a necklace given to them by another person, is this a sign of improvement, or a precursor to 'love-induced brain' complication of depression?"

Dr. Chen would probably suggest she increase the dosage.

Shi Ye was amused by his own imagination and twitched the corners of his mouth, though the curve was very small.

She picked up the remote and turned off the TV. The noisy shopping ads disappeared, and the living room fell completely silent.

She lay down, staring at the ceiling. The chandelier had a simple design, just a few clean-lined metal rods. After looking at it for a while, the lines seemed to begin to twist and deform, as if trying to form some kind of pattern…

She abruptly closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't look; looking any longer would trigger "visual breakdown."

sleep.

She said to herself.

Tomorrow there's another "business negotiation" to attend, accompanied by her "protector." While the "flower" is her and her junior, the "protector" is her (ex-?) fiancée, mission target, and forced connection, and the "negotiation" partner might not even exist (what if it's just a shell company?).

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

But... it doesn't seem like I'm that resistant.

Even... there was a tiny, extremely faint, expectation that she herself was unwilling to admit?

Realizing this, Shi Ye felt completely overwhelmed. She buried her face in the sofa cushions and let out a silent wail.

Help.

She seems to be really starting to act strangely.

It wasn't because the system forced it, nor because it was because the world was collapsing that it was forced to do it.

It was Qi Jin... and her damn slippers that fit her perfectly, and that damn smooth necklace that made things so strange!

This is even more terrifying than being wiped out by the system!

She rolled halfway on the sofa, like a salted fish struggling in a frying pan.

Just then, the phone vibrated slightly.

Shi Ye's body stiffened, remaining motionless in his contorted posture.

After a few seconds, she slowly reached out, fumbled for her phone, and picked it up.

The screen lit up.

It's news from Qi Jin.

It's not text.

It's a picture.

Click to open.

Shi Ye was stunned.

The picture doesn't show a weather forecast or a work schedule.

Instead, it's a bowl of... small wontons that look steaming hot and are sprinkled with scallions and sesame oil?

A white porcelain bowl holds clear broth, with thin-skinned, tender wontons floating on the surface. A small dish is also placed next to it, which appears to contain vinegar and chili oil.

Below the image is a line of text:

"We need to be well-fed to have confidence during tomorrow's negotiations. This late-night snack place is pretty good; I ordered takeout for you and Xiaoyu, it should arrive in about ten minutes."

Shi Ye stared at the tempting bowl of wontons, then looked at the words on the screen. The first thought that popped into her mind was: How did Qi Jin know that Lin Xiaoyu had come back? Did she plant a GPS on Lin Xiaoyu?

My second thought was: How did she know she (Shi Ye) was hungry? She had only eaten the pan-fried buns Lin Xiaoyu brought for dinner, and her emotional rollercoaster earlier had definitely expended a lot of energy…

The third thought was: Isn't Qi Jin's efficiency a bit too much? How long has it been since she said "okay"? She's already arranged a late-night snack? And it includes Lin Xiaoyu's too?

Her finger hovered over the screen, unsure of what to reply.

Saying "thank you"? That's too insincere.

Saying "It's not necessary to go through all that trouble" sounds pretentious.

Saying, "How did you know Xiaoyu was back?" sounds like an interrogation.

In the end, she only replied with: "...Okay".

Qi Jin replied instantly: "Ring the doorbell when we arrive."

Then, the profile picture went dark, probably because they went to work, or... went to sleep?

Shi Ye held her phone, feeling the metal casing of her hand warm from her touch. The frozen ground in her heart seemed to have been doused with a spoonful of boiling wonton soup, bubbling and steaming, a warmth and a sour feeling rising up together, making her eyes a little hot again.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang precisely on time.

The delivery guy handed me two nicely made insulated bags, each printed with the logo of a well-known late-night eatery. They were quite heavy.

Shi Ye carried the bag back to the living room and opened it. Sure enough, there were two bowls of wontons and a few refreshing side dishes. The aroma instantly filled the air, carrying the warmth of the food and the comfort of everyday life.

She looked at the two bowls of wontons placed side by side, one with chili added and the other without (perhaps Qi Jin remembered that she couldn't handle spicy food well?), and suddenly found it a little funny.

What's this?

Pre-war supplies? Or... some kind of alternative "reassurance"?

She picked up the spoon from her own bowl (which wasn't spicy), scooped up a wonton, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

Thin skin, fresh filling, and a light yet flavorful broth. Very delicious.

My stomach was filled with warm food, and even my cold hands and feet seemed to warm up a bit.

She ate slowly, and the jumbled thoughts in her mind—the system's warnings, the forced connection progress bar, Lin Xiaoyu's gossip, the unknown of tomorrow—seemed to be temporarily soothed by this bowl of hot wontons.

All that remains is the true temperature and taste of the food, and... that little bit of unfamiliar comfort in my heart, which I can't ignore, because someone is thinking of me (even if it's just incidental).

After she finished eating the wontons, she cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks.

When I lay back down on the sofa, I felt completely relaxed.

Sleepiness finally overwhelmed me.

Before her consciousness completely sank into darkness, her last vague thought was:

Qi Jin...

Please don't wear that imposing suit tomorrow to be the "driver."

otherwise……

Otherwise, Lin Xiaoyu might faint on the spot, as if asking, "Has my favorite couple officially announced their relationship today?"

And she (Shi Ye) might... leave before her, because her heart is beating too fast.

With this absurd yet somewhat amusing thought in mind, Shi Ye fell asleep.

This time, there were no dreams.

There was only a deep, warm darkness.

And in the darkness, there is a small, real, and trivial warmth brought by a bowl of wontons.