16. Snow in a silver bowl

He held her protectively in his arms.

Throughout the entire breakfast, the young lady didn't touch the plate of stir-fried tender beef even once.

Before setting off for the desert post office, Jiang Xiangzhuo clutched his stomach and said it hurt, insisting on going to the restroom first.

Despite the wind and sand, Ruan Songyi covered her face completely with sunglasses and a mask, but she still couldn't help but complain, "You're such a lazy buffalo, taking an hour out of your time with this trivial matter."

Yu Jiayue smiled, "Then we can let Nuannuan take her medicine during this time."

So, Yu Jiayue accompanied Shang Xinuan to take her medicine.

Only Ruan Songyi and Qiao Xi remained standing together, while Li Xiran was once again isolated and left at a distance during the group activity.

“Your uncle is really pitiful. If this were in Shanghai, a person would be climbing on the branches of the trees next to him.” Ruan Songyi couldn’t help but click her tongue and said, “Now, being next to the young lady is worse than being invisible.”

Qiao Xi suppressed a laugh, "That's rare."

In Qiao Xi's memory, after Li Xiran took over the Li Group, he only made things difficult for a short day before winning the favor of Miss Shang.

The next day, Shang's Capital reached a cooperation agreement with Li's Group worth hundreds of billions of yuan. Shang Zun even took him on as a student. From then on, Li Xiran made a name for himself in Shanghai's business circles.

Now that the young lady is angry, as if bound by fate, he has returned to his former dejected state overnight.

After Jiang Xiangzhuo finally finished dealing with his personal matters and came out, Shang Xinuan, Yu Jiayue, and Qiao Xi had already left in the first car.

Jiang Xiangzhuo: "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Ruan Songyi urged, "If it weren't for the fact that one car can't fit four people, I wouldn't wait for you."

"Even Chairman Li didn't wait for me. I was hoping to ask him for advice on how to expand the company's scale," Jiang Xiangzhu muttered as Ruan Songyi pushed him into the car.

"Even Chairman Li himself is completely baffled, and you're asking him for advice."

"He's only interested in relationships. When it comes to things like pursuing girls, he should consult me!"

Ruan Songyi crossed his arms and ignored Jiang Xiangzhuo.

In contrast to Jiang Xiangzhuo's one-way output, the car where Shang Xinuan and Qiao Xi were was much more lively.

They drove slowly, and Yu Jiayue told the story of Sanmao and her husband Jose in the Sahara Desert.

"Meeting each other is either too late or too early." Qiao Xi, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at Shang Xinuan and repeated his words, "Sanmao's poems are so romantic, are there any more?"

“Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. I, return to us.” Although Yu Jiayue was answering Qiao Xi, his eyes were always fixed on Shang Xinuan. “And also. Every time I miss you, a grain of sand falls from the sky, and that’s how the Sahara was formed.”

"Wow. As expected of a literary genius, it sounds much more romantic coming from your mouth than from the words themselves."

Yu Jiayue has the face of a science and engineering enthusiast, but his personality is that of a scholar—refined, gentle, and elegant—a typical gentle and kind male god.

In addition, he came from a political family, so he was more disciplined than the rich second-generation old-money families in Shanghai.

Whenever the college talks about its most prominent figures, Yu Jiayue is always mentioned among the boys.

Therefore, considering his appearance, background, and overall excellence, he was the object of affection for almost all female students at Shanghai University.

Unfortunately, this does not include Miss Shang.

Shang Xinuan gripped the seatbelt to give her body enough time to recover, but her eyes would always unconsciously glance at the rearview mirror.

Even when she heard Yu Jiayue reciting her favorite poem, she didn't respond as usual.

"Nuan Nuan, which line did Young Master Yu recite that you like?" Qiao Xi patted her and asked.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes," she said.

A romantic confession was torn apart by the young lady with a hint of anger into a resolute vow.

"Are you still students?" the driver who picked them up asked.

“I just graduated. They’re both going to Cambridge to study for a Master’s degree in Literature,” Qiao Xi replied warmly.

“Cambridge! That’s impressive. My child just graduated last year and stayed in Beijing to work,” the driver replied, then proudly chatted with them about his child.

The laughter from the black off-road pickup truck continued until they reached the desert post office.

After the car came to a stop, Li Xiran, who had already arrived, was the first to open the door for Shang Xinuan.

Upon seeing him, the young lady turned her head, shifted her feet, and slowly got out of the car from Yu Jiayue's side.

Yu Jiayue held her wrist with one hand and supported her arm with the other, with the young lady's pink backpack on her back.

From Qiao Xi's perspective, Yu Jiayue's eyes were overflowing with tenderness, and the young lady's body honestly leaned to the other side.

Li Xiran, who was holding onto the car door, was squinting his deep, beautiful turquoise eyes, silently gritting his back teeth.

For a moment, the scene was both classic and hilarious.

Especially Li Xiran, who is usually surrounded by people, was rarely disliked and neglected, so he easily blurted out the word "爽" (shuang, meaning "awesome").

Neither Qiao Xi nor Ruan Songyi dared to break the silence; the two of them walked hand in hand into the desert post office.

Yu Jiayue helped Shang Xinuan, taking each step slower and slower, saying, "No rush, the desert soil is soft, which can help with rehabilitation."

Jiang Xiangzhuo stood next to Li Xiran and heard him say coldly, "You're uncultured. The desert is all sand, there's no soil."

Then Jiang Xiangzhuo immediately ran into the post office and told Qiao Xi and Ruan Songyi what he had said.

"He's so sour."

"Lemon trees don't grow in the desert, do they?"

The three of them tried to suppress their laughter, their faces turning red and flushed.

They even summarized the most enjoyable things in life, which must include watching someone chase after their wife in a "cremation scene".

-

As Shang Xin and Yu Jiayue entered the post office, their pre-booked post office guide arrived on time.

"The Barunbieli Post Office, located in the heart of the Tengger Desert at 38.53°N, 105.65°E, is the loneliest post office in the world," the guide explained. "But at the same time, because it is situated in this desolate and vast territory, it is also endowed with a romantic atmosphere of rosy clouds and moonlit nights."

"Everyone can make their own hourglass here, and then send a postcard from the loneliest desert post office to the romance that belongs only to their own desolate and vast territory."

At the wooden square table and chairs, Shang Xinuan and Yu Jiayue sat together as usual.

Qiao Xi then sat at the same table with Ruan Songyi and Jiang Xiangzhuo.

Li Xiran, leaning against the post office postcard counter, had an indescribable sense of loneliness in his eyes.

"Young Master Yu seems to have suddenly become enlightened today, staying right next to Nuan Nuan and not giving anyone a chance to get close," Qiao Xi said while sifting sand.

Ruan Songyi proudly patted her chest, "Thanks to me."

Jiang Xiangzhuo chimed in, "That scoundrel told Young Master Yu yesterday: 'If you don't seize this opportunity to catch up with Nuannuan now, you'll be drinking at Chairman Li and Miss Li's wedding.'"

Qiao Xi almost laughed off her stool. "If my uncle finds out, you can forget about holding your family's art exhibitions at the Li'an Hotel in the future."

"Then, could we use Young Master Yu's connections to hold it at a museum in Shanghai in the future?"

"Wow! This woman is even more cunning than me, a bar owner covered in money."

"Shh!" Ruan Songyi covered Jiang Xiangzhuo's mouth. "You troublesome old comrade, if you don't want me to be so poor that I have to go to your bar and cause trouble, then shut up!"

Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow. "Boss Jiang, why don't you just take Ruan Xiannu as your mistress? Let her sit in your bar and paint; it'll definitely bring you more business."

As the three were chatting and laughing, they heard a crisp sound of glass objects falling to the ground behind them.

When they all turned around, they saw Yu Jiayue protecting Shang Xin's hands, while the hourglass that the young lady was working on was lying on the ground, with a crack in the glass bottle.

"Do you two have to be so romantic when you're doing a craft project?" Ruan Songyi asked, glancing at the graceful yet lonely figure of Li Xiran.

Yu Jiayue frowned and first nervously checked Shang Xinuan's hands. "Thankfully, her hands aren't cut."

The young lady looked at the hourglass on the ground with regret, "It's a pity, it broke when I was only halfway through making it."

Yu Jiayue pushed his hourglass directly in front of the two of them, not even glancing at the hourglass on the ground. "A broken mirror is hard to mend, and broken glass can easily cut yourself. Why don't we finish mine together, and I'll give mine to you."

Shang Xinuan was slightly taken aback, and only came back to her senses when Yu Jiayue patted her wrist. She murmured, "It's easy to hurt yourself. Hmm, you're right."

A soft squeak, not too loud but loud enough for everyone to hear, came from the bar counter.

The next moment, Li Xiran's figure blocked the light from half of Shang Xinuan's face.

The man knelt on one knee beside her, his eyes clearly filled with suppressed anger, yet his voice remained gentle, "It's just a small tear, actually..."

“I am Shangxin Nuan, and the teacups I use are exquisite porcelain pieces that are priceless. I cannot stoop to such a level and keep any with cracks, as it would damage my items.”

The young lady showed no mercy; beneath her thick, curled eyelashes, her beautiful amber eyes remained completely devoid of emotion.

Li Xiran's Adam's apple bobbed up and down several times against the collar of his work clothes, and he remained silent with his head down.

His eyes were filled with sadness, and a trace of loneliness lingered in them.

In the end, he simply picked up the cracked hourglass and had the guide wrap it up securely.

"Chairman Li, there's really no need to keep items with cracks. Don't you think they can hurt both the owner and the customer?"

“Young Master Yu grew up in luxury, while I am like a chipped ceramic bowl that I’ve used for eight years.”

Those were the days when he lived alone in Wan Gong No. 1. Whenever Chen Shaoyi went crazy, she would smash up the empty manor villa.

A chipped, broken ceramic bowl; walls covered in knife marks; a door lock shattered by an axe.

Shang Xinuan bit her lip, and this time she even pushed away Yu Jiayue's hourglass, "I'm not doing it anymore, it's pointless."

The guide immediately took out a postcard box, "Then let's choose postcards to write on!"

Shang Xinuan selected a postcard from a stack of cards, featuring a drone's aerial view of the desert dunes and a long line of camel caravans.

She held the pen, her grip slightly weak, and although the characters were a bit messy, one could still see their delicate and graceful strokes.

"Nuan Nuan, who are you writing to?" Yu Jiayue asked.

Shang Xin closed her pen and said softly, "Grandpa."

She thought of many people, and finally a non-mainstream saying from the internet flashed through her mind: The one who loves princesses the most is not the prince, but the king.

"Give me one too," Li Xiran, who had been sitting alone at the bar, suddenly said.

Shang Xinuan stopped the guide, "I've finished writing it, can you help me first?"

Li Xiran raised an eyebrow and said generously, "Help her first."

After everyone had written their postcards, the five of them stood in front of the mailbox, took a group photo as tourists, and then dropped their postcards into the mailbox.

The guide looked at Li Xiran, who was always alone and isolated, and asked, "Aren't you with them?"

Li Xiran touched the tip of his nose. "I've offended Miss, and I'm racking my brains trying to apologize."

"She's a young girl," the guide said with a smile. "You have to coax her, pamper her, and be patient with her."

Li Xiran smiled slightly, "Patience is key!"

In the entire city of Shanghai, there was no one better at ambush and hunting than him.

-

Return journey.

The original plan was to ride in the butler's off-road pickup truck for a thrilling dune bashing experience.

However, the recently revised regulations stipulate that, in order to ensure the safety of tourists, passengers are not allowed to ride in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck.

That means that out of the five people, one will be unable to experience it.

Shang Xinuan gave up because her body had not fully recovered.

The problem then arose: only Li Xiran's car was left to take her back to the camp.

The group had been eagerly anticipating dune bashing during their trip to the desert.

The young lady bit her lip and said casually, "It's okay, we're just riding in the same car, we'll be at the camp soon."

Although she spoke lightly, it was clear from her face that she couldn't even hold back her smile.

"I'll ride in another car with Nuannuan. You two have fun." Yu Jiayue took a step back and stood firmly beside the young lady. "Don't worry, I won't leave you alone."

Yu Jiayue possesses a unique, unrestrained youthful spirit, and standing next to Shang Xinuan is like a stunning painting in the desert.

"How romantic!" Ruan Songyi rested her head on Qiao Xi's shoulder. "I'll never leave you alone..."

Shang Xin's smile deepened slightly. "Thank you."

The moment Yu Jiayue helped her into the car, her mind went back in time.

The bitter taste in his throat rose again as he recalled being left behind by Li Xiran on a bustling, romantic street on Valentine's Day.

She thought that people who care about her would stay by her side even if they had to give up something they had been looking forward to for a long time.

Yu Jiayue looked into her eyes as he pulled her long dress into the car.

After he closed the door, he saw that Li Xiran had already sat in the back seat from the other side.

The only remaining seat in the car was the passenger seat.

"Mr. Li, I'm with Nuannuan. Could you please switch seats with me?" Yu Jiayue asked, trying to control his emotions.

Li Xiran sat inside the off-road pickup truck, the desert sun blazing down, its rays illuminating only the lower half of his face.

The person who used to be gentle and kind, both in expression and facial features, now exuded arrogance even as he rested his arm on the car window.

"I'm sorry, as a customer who rented this car, I only agreed to give you a ride because of Nuannuan."

By then, the sightseeing season was over, and looking around the entire desert, there were no more pickup trucks carrying people.

"Young man, you should sit in the passenger seat. At this time, even if you rent another car, no driver will come." If you wander around aimlessly after mid-afternoon and can't get back to camp before sunset, you'll just get lost in the desert.

"I'll sit in the passenger seat." The young lady frowned and was about to push open the door and get out of the car.

"Nuan Nuan, you haven't recovered yet, the passenger seat isn't suitable for you!" Li Xiran leaned closer, stopping her from pushing the door open.

"I'll sit. Let's go back quickly." Yu Jiayue glanced coldly at Li Xiran and opened the passenger door.

This scramble is truly childish.

One fell from a high pedestal, the other tore apart its radiant glory.

On the way back, the three of them faced opposite directions, and none of them uttered a word.

Finally, the driver spoke up, "Old Wu told me that you and that girl just got accepted into Cambridge?"

Yu Jiayue nodded in response, "Yes, we've been in the same school and class since we were little."

"So you were childhood sweethearts, are you a couple?"

Before he could reply, the car encountered a small sand dune in front of it, and the driver stepped on the gas and sped past it.

The force of inertia gave everyone no time to react, and they all fell to one side.

Shang Xinuan was already powerless, and under the impact of inertia, she was undoubtedly like a piece of paper.

His chest lunged forward first, then his back slammed heavily against the chair back.

She frowned and gritted her teeth, bracing herself for excruciating pain.

But before she could fully charge forward, she landed in a broad chest.

The anticipated pain was relieved, replaced by an embrace that was once incredibly familiar.

Even the sound of a man's heartbeat and the strength of his chest rising and falling could easily evoke various similar memories in her.

Nodding, Li Xiran had unbuckled his seatbelt at some point, and his shoulder slammed heavily against the side of the front seat.

His knees gave way, and he knelt firmly on the footstool. But he held her tightly in his arms, still reassuring her that she wasn't afraid.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the scratches on the back of Li Xiran's hand and the scabbed bloodstains on his face.

In less than two days, he became so haggard that it was hard to believe he was the man who used to stand atop a skyscraper and look down on the entire city of Shanghai.

"Let me go." Her eyes involuntarily reddened.

Li Xiran was still kneeling on the mat, his trembling voice revealing the suppressed pain, "Now, everything is for your health first."

"unnecessary!"

"Nuan Nuan." He was slightly out of breath, but the strength in his arms was noticeably greater. "We won't make a fuss now. I'll let go of you once we get to the camp."

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-04-27 22:28:19 and 2023-04-28 23:59:53!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Qianxixixi~ 6 bottles; Xu Xinzhen 5 bottles;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!