Chapter 47
The corridor tiles were cold, and the chill seeped into her skin little by little through the thin fabric of her clothes. Shi Ye hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, trying to block out everything from the outside world, including the intermittent, sluggish electronic analysis voice in her mind, and the unfamiliar, surging, almost overwhelming soreness in her heart.
Qi Jin said... he cares about her.
It's not liking, it's not love, it's "caring".
This word made her more flustered than any straightforward confession. It was like a fine, soft net, silently enveloping her, leaving her nowhere to escape, and even struggling seemed futile.
What on earth was she doing? She directed and acted in a matchmaking drama riddled with flaws, like a ridiculous clown, while the only audience member, who had already seen through everything, still sat quietly in the audience, watching her clumsy performance. Then, just when she thought the play was over and was about to leave in a sorry state, the clown came over and said to her, "I care about you."
How ironic.
That's too... terrible.
"Host...emotional fluctuation value...severely exceeded...recommendation...calm down..." The system's voice was mixed with crackling electrical noise, as if it had been interfered with in some way, "Detected...world line...underlying data...abnormal fluctuation...possibly...related to the host's current state..."
Abnormal fluctuations? Shi Ye twitched the corner of her mouth, too exhausted to care. She couldn't even manage herself right now.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting on the cold floor until she heard clear footsteps and the sound of high heels clicking on the ground at the end of the corridor, accompanied by Lin Xiaoyu's low, tearful cry: "Sister Shi Ye? Sister Shi Ye, where are you?"
Shi Ye suddenly snapped out of her daze and tried to stand up, bracing herself against the wall. Her legs were a little numb, and she staggered.
"I'm here," she called out, her voice hoarse from her earlier outburst.
Lin Xiaoyu immediately ran over at the sound and saw Shi Ye leaning against the wall, her face pale. Her eyes instantly reddened: "Sister Shi Ye! What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I've been looking for you for so long! My senior also said she couldn't see you..."
"I'm fine," Shi Ye interrupted her, trying to straighten up. "I was just a little stuffy, so I came out for some fresh air. Have the competition results come out yet?"
When the competition was mentioned, Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again, her expression becoming complicated: "It's out... I got second place."
Second place? Shi Ye was taken aback. Based on Lin Xiaoyu's performance today (except for the model accident and the minor mistake in the final Q&A), plus the creativity and completeness of her work, she thought she could at least compete for first place.
"Second place...that's already very good," she offered a dry consolation.
“Hmm…” Lin Xiaoyu lowered her head, twisting her fingers around the hem of her skirt. “The first place winner is a senior from the school next door. His concept was more mature, and his performance on stage was more stable… I’m completely convinced.” She paused, her voice even softer, “Senior Jiang Chen… when the judges were giving their comments, they specifically praised my creativity, saying that my concept of ‘urban memory’ was very interesting, but the details and stability of the physical display still need improvement…”
When she mentioned "Senior Jiang Chen," her cheeks involuntarily flushed, but there was something indescribable in her eyes, like disappointment, or something else entirely.
Seeing her like this, Shi Ye's lingering thoughts about "matchmaking" completely vanished. This girl's mind was already on that "Senior Jiang Chen," and nothing could pull her back.
"What did Professor Wang say?" she asked.
"Professor Wang also said it was good, and told me not to be discouraged, to accumulate experience, and to come again next time." Lin Xiaoyu sniffed and forced a smile. "Moreover, a company saw my presentation and said they were interested in my design concept and wanted to schedule a chat with me later! Maybe there will be a chance for cooperation!"
That's good news. Shi Ye was genuinely happy for her: "Congratulations."
"Thank you, Sister Shi!" Lin Xiaoyu's emotions came and went quickly, and she soon became cheerful again. "By the way, where's Senior Sister? I think she came out just now too. Didn't you run into her?"
Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. "...We bumped into each other, exchanged a few words, and she probably went back to the exhibition hall first."
"Oh..." Lin Xiaoyu didn't think much of it and pulled Shi Ye's arm. "Then let's go back quickly! The awards ceremony is about to start. Although I only came in second place, I still got a trophy and a certificate!"
Shi Ye was half-dragged and half-pulled back to the exhibition hall by her.
The awards ceremony was about to begin, the audience seats were full again, and the atmosphere was even more enthusiastic than before. Qi Jin had indeed returned to his original seat, still with that calm and composed demeanor, as if the earth-shattering conversation in the corridor had never happened.
Shi Ye reluctantly sat down in the empty seat next to Qi Jin at Lin Xiaoyu's excited prompting.
There was still a seat between the two.
The air was filled with award ceremony music and the clamor of the crowd, but Shi Ye felt as if everything around her was seen through frosted glass, blurry and distant. Only the familiar yet unsettling presence of the person beside her was so clear that it made her restless.
She stared straight ahead at the podium, her back ramrod straight, like a rigid sculpture.
The awards ceremony proceeded smoothly. Lin Xiaoyu went on stage to receive the second-place trophy and certificate. She smiled a little foolishly on stage, but her eyes were bright. She waved vigorously towards the audience—Shi Ye wasn't sure if she was waving to him or towards the judges' panel.
After the ceremony, the crowd began to disperse. Many students gathered around to congratulate the winners, and the judges were also surrounded by people chatting with them.
Clutching the trophy and certificate, Lin Xiaoyu flew back to Shi Ye and Qi Jin like a happy little bird: "Senior! Sister Shi Ye! I got the trophy! Look!"
She proudly presented the small, crystal trophy to the two of them.
"Congratulations," Qi Jin said, his tone softening slightly.
"Thank you, senior!" Lin Xiaoyu smiled brightly, then, as if suddenly remembering something, her eyes searched through the crowd, "Um... Senior Jiang Chen..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Chen had already walked through the crowd and was heading towards them.
He changed out of the slightly formal suit jacket he had worn as a judge, and was only wearing a simple shirt. His gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was calm. He first nodded to Qi Jin: "President Qi." Then he looked at Lin Xiaoyu and said in a calm tone: "Congratulations, you did a good job."
Lin Xiaoyu's face flushed red again, her fingers tightened around the trophy, and her voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz: "Th-thank you, Senior Jiang Chen... I really owe you a lot just now..."
"It was nothing," Jiang Chen said casually, then turned his gaze to Shi Ye, his eyes filled with a subtle, complex emotion. "Shi Ye, you're here too."
Shi Ye nodded, feeling a little awkward. The awkwardness intensified, especially when Jiang Chen's gaze briefly lingered between her and Qi Jin.
"I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." Jiang Chen seemed to have no intention of staying any longer. He nodded slightly to them and then turned and left.
Lin Xiaoyu's gaze followed his retreating figure until he disappeared into the crowd, at which point she looked away with a sense of loss.
Qi Jin took everything in, his face expressionless. He simply said to Lin Xiaoyu, "Go back and get some rest. You can have someone from the company help you with the details of the collaboration."
"Yes! Thank you, senior!" Lin Xiaoyu nodded vigorously.
The three of them followed the flow of people out of the art center. It was already getting dark outside, and the early autumn evening breeze carried a chill.
"I'll take you back," Qi Jin said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Lin Xiaoyu quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need! Senior, you go ahead with your work! I can take a taxi back by myself!"
"On the way." Qi Jin said only two words before walking towards the parking lot.
Lin Xiaoyu looked to Shi Ye for help.
Shi Ye avoided her gaze and said in a low voice, "Let her deliver it."
The atmosphere in the car was somewhat awkward throughout the journey. Lin Xiaoyu held the trophy, glancing out the window every now and then, stealing a glance at Qi Jin, who was expressionless in the driver's seat, in the rearview mirror, and then looking at Shi Ye, who was silent beside her, before finally choosing to shut up and play on her phone.
Shi Ye leaned against the car window, watching the neon lights rushing past outside. The moon necklace around her neck clung to her skin, its presence barely perceptible with the slight swaying of the car.
In my mind, after a long period of "analysis," the system finally gave a new prompt, but this time the electronic voice sounded particularly weak and intermittent:
[Warning... Forced association progress... Affected by unknown factors... Significantly increased... Current progress: 89%... Association strength... Exceeded expectations... System... Stability... Suffered an impact... Host is advised... to take measures as soon as possible... to stabilize... its own... data...]
89%?!
Shi Ye's heart sank suddenly.
Forced association progress...almost full?
Was it because of what Qi Jin said in the corridor just now? Or was it because of the messy, uncontrollable emotional fluctuations in her own heart?
"Take measures"? What measures could she possibly take? Stay far away from Qi Jin? Or immediately go find Lin Xiaoyu, tie her up, and bring her in front of Qi Jin?
The car first pulled up in front of Lin Xiaoyu's apartment building. Lin Xiaoyu, clutching the trophy, got out of the car, profusely thanking everyone. She even leaned out the car window and said to Shi Ye, "Sister Shi Ye, thank you so much for today, senior! Once I've finalized things with that company, I'll treat you to dinner!"
The car restarted and headed towards Shi Ye's house.
Only the two of them remained in the carriage.
The silence felt like a real weight, pressing down on him and making it hard to breathe.
She stared at the road ahead illuminated by the car headlights, her fingers unconsciously digging into the edge of the seat.
“Shi Ye,” Qi Jin suddenly spoke.
Shi Ye's body stiffened.
“The necklace,” Qi Jin’s voice was exceptionally clear in the enclosed carriage, and also exceptionally…deep, “Wear it, don’t take it off.”
It's not an inquiry, not a request, it's a statement.
Shi Ye's heart felt like it had been squeezed tightly by something, a mixture of soreness and numbness. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she only gave a very soft "hmm".
The car was parked downstairs at her house.
Shi Ye unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door. The cool night breeze blew in, making her shiver.
“Let’s go up,” Qi Jin said.
Shi Ye stood by the car, hesitated for a moment, and then looked back at the driver's seat.
Qi Jin was also looking at her. The car window was half-rolled down, and in the dim light, her eyes were as deep as the night sky, churning with emotions that Shi Ye couldn't understand, yet which inexplicably made his heart flutter.
"Qi Jin," Shi Ye heard his own voice, so soft it was as if he was afraid of disturbing something, "thank you for today...."
Thank you for coming. Thank you for seeing through everything yet still indulging me. Thank you for saying... you care about me.
Qi Jin didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.
That gaze, like a gentle yet resilient net, completely enveloped her.
Shi Ye turned around as if fleeing and quickly walked into the apartment building.
Only after the elevator doors closed, completely isolating her from the outside world, did she lean against the cold metal wall and exhale a long, trembling breath.
The moon necklace around her neck reflected a faint, warm light under the elevator ceiling light.
She raised her hand and gently grasped the small pendant.
The jade beneath her fingertips seemed to still retain the slight coolness of Qi Jin's fingertips and the temperature of her own skin.
The barren, frozen land in her heart felt as if it had been plunged into scalding lava, the intense heat almost threatening to engulf her.
It's not pain.
It was something else, more unfamiliar, more turbulent, and more... terrifying to her.
"Forced association progress: 89%..."
The system's warning tone, like a final death knell, echoed eerily deep within her consciousness.
The elevator has reached the floor.
The door opened.
Shi Ye went outside and stood at his own door, but did not open the door immediately.
She looked at the closed door, then looked down at the necklace around her neck.
In his mind, Qi Jin's voice and the system's warnings intertwined, chaotic yet clear.
"The only person I care about is you."
"Stop doing those useless things."
"Forced association progress: 89%..."
She leaned against the door and slowly closed her eyes.
The cold wooden door pressed against my back, and the necklace around my neck clung to my skin.
One is cold, the other is warm.
Just like her life right now.
Half of it is the unknown fear that is about to collapse, and the other half is... the burning and real "care" that Qi Jin gave.
What should she do?
Should we continue with that doomed, absurd matchmaking mission?
Or... should we follow the thawing frozen ground in our hearts, and the "forced connection" that has reached 89% and whose future direction is unknown?
She didn't know.
All she knew was that some things, once started, could never be undone.
Like this necklace around my neck.
Once you put it on, you never want to take it off.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com