Chapter 75
The slanted band of light moved slowly across the cashmere fabric, like an invisible spotlight on a stage, making the silent "performance" of the stones on the fabric even clearer. Two white stones nestled together, one solitary dark gray stone, separated by soft light gray fabric and a beam of light.
Lin Xiaoyu seemed stunned by the quiet and subtle scene. For once, she didn't make a sound, but just stared at the stone with wide eyes, and then secretly glanced at Qi Jin and Shi Ye.
Qi Jin's gaze fell on the dark gray stone she had placed there; its sharp edges appeared particularly cold and hard in the light. She then looked at the two white stones Shi Ye had placed—rounded, docile, leaning against each other. An indescribable sense of contrast spread through her heart.
Just then, Shi Ye, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly moved very slightly. Her gaze shifted from her own white stone to the bottom of Qi Jin's dark gray stone. There, a few extremely fine, light gray fuzzy fibers seemed to have been picked up from cashmere fabric.
Almost instinctively, without thinking, her fingers curled and then relaxed, her lips moved almost imperceptibly, as if she wanted to say something, but was stopped by overwhelming fear. But her eyes seemed glued to a few discordant hairs, unable to look away.
Su Xiao keenly noticed this detail. Was Shi Ye bothered by the fuzz on the stone? Was this almost obsessive concern about "cleanliness" or "orderliness" a pre-existing personality trait of Shi Ye, or had it become more pronounced after his trauma? In any case, this was a tiny but potentially intriguing entry point for interaction.
Without making a sound, she picked up the basin of water and placed it closer to Shi Ye, causing tiny ripples to spread across the surface. "The water is still warm," Su Xiao said softly, as if talking to herself, yet also as if addressing everyone, "If you feel that anything needs cleaning, you can use it anytime."
The words were vague, not referring to anything or anyone in particular. But in the current context, under Shi Ye's gaze fixed on the fluffy hair, and after Qi Jin had just put down the stone, the basin of water seemed to be imbued with a subtle invitation.
Ms. Wang also sensed the subtle tension in the air. She maintained her usual gentleness and said softly to Shi Ye, "Ms. Shi, if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, or want to adjust anything, you can do as you please. Everything here is designed to make you feel more relaxed."
Shi Ye's fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her gaze shifted back and forth between the clear surface of the basin, her clean fingertips, and the dark gray stone covered in fuzz. Two forces seemed to be pulling at her: one was the deep-seated fear and withdrawal she felt when facing Qi Jin; the other was a more primal, slight discomfort with "untidy" things, and... perhaps even unconsciously, a faint impulse to "restore" things to their original state.
Qi Jin also saw Shi Ye staring at the fuzzy bottom of the stone. In that gaze, there was hesitation, struggle, and a very subtle... unease? This almost childlike obsession with details made Qi Jin's cold heart feel as if a smaller pebble had been thrown into it; the ripples were barely perceptible, yet undeniably real.
She didn't move or speak, but simply watched quietly, like a patient experimenter waiting for the subject's natural reaction to a specific stimulus.
Time passed by, and the studio was so quiet that the faint sound of the central air conditioning could be heard.
Finally, Shi Ye seemed to have made a tremendous decision. She moved forward very slowly, almost shuffling along the ground, taking a small step. Then, with her still slightly trembling right hand, she carefully pinched the upper part of the dark gray pebble, which was free of any wool, between her index finger and thumb, and picked it up from the cashmere cloth.
The movement was very light and slow, as if it were not a stone, but a bubble that would burst at the slightest touch.
She didn't look at Qi Jin, or anyone else; she simply lowered her head, focusing intently on the few light gray fuzzy spots on the bottom of the stone. Then, she hovered the stone above the basin of water, scooped up some warm water with her other hand, and very carefully poured it onto the spots covered in fuzz.
The water droplets washed away the fuzz, restoring the stone's original smoothness with its natural texture. She changed her angle, examined it carefully, and only after confirming there were no more residues did she seem to breathe a sigh of relief. But then, looking at the wet stone in her hand, she felt a little lost again—she had washed it, but what then? Put it back? But a small patch of cloth was already wet…
Just then, a dry, soft white towel was handed to her by a slender hand below her lowered gaze.
Shi Ye suddenly looked up.
Qi Jin had already reached the table, just a step away from her. She remained expressionless, calmly watching Shi Ye, her right hand holding the towel, her left hand still in her pocket. Her gaze held no reproach, no inquiry, only an almost indifferent waiting—waiting for Shi Ye to take the towel and clean the stone that had become fuzzy because of her (Qi Jin's) placement and was now being cleaned because of Shi Ye's concern.
This action was simple and direct, and could even be described as merely providing the necessary follow-up tools. However, in this space where everyone was under heavy surveillance and cautious, after Shi Ye had just mustered the courage to complete a small "corrective" action, Qi Jin's act of handing over the towel broke the boundary of "bystander" that she had drawn for herself. In an extremely restrained manner, she intervened in this small event about "cleaning" initiated by Shi Ye.
Lin Xiaoyu opened her mouth wide, looking at the stone, then at the towel, then at the expressionless Qi Jin and the completely stunned Shi Ye, her eyes filled with the excited light of "What kind of plot development is this? I don't understand it, but it seems very amazing".
Su Xiao's heart skipped a beat. An opportunity! This was Qi Jin's small, proactive response! Although it was just handing over a towel, it was a direct, face-to-face exchange of items!
Shi Ye froze completely. She looked at the clean white towel in front of her, then at Qi Jin's face, which was so close yet still distant, and then at the wet stone in her hand. Her mind seemed to go blank. Fear, confusion, a slight relaxation after completing the "cleaning," and helplessness at this sudden "help" were all intertwined.
Her fingers twitched slightly, but she didn't dare to take it. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Qi Jin held up the towel, neither urging nor retracting it, but simply waiting calmly. Her gaze fell on Shi Ye's fingertips, which were damp with water droplets and trembling slightly with nervousness.
The standoff lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like it was stretched out indefinitely.
Finally, it was a drop of water that slid off the edge of the stone and was about to drip onto Shi Ye's sleeve that prompted her to react. Almost hastily and quickly, she placed the clean, dark gray stone on the dry table beside her, and then, with a quick but somewhat clumsy movement, "snatched" the towel from Qi Jin's hand.
Fingertips inevitably touched briefly.
Qi Jin's fingertips were slightly cool.
Shi Ye's fingertips were damp and trembling slightly.
The contact time was less than 0.1 seconds.
Shi She recoiled as if burned, clutching the towel tightly. He lowered his head and began to wipe the stone, which was not actually very wet, with stiff and flustered movements.
Qi Jin withdrew her hand, her fingertips almost imperceptibly rubbing together, as if trying to erase the fleeting sensation. She didn't look at Shi Ye again, but instead focused her gaze on the dark gray stone that Shi Ye had carefully cleaned and wiped.
The stone was wiped clean, its initial cold, hard luster restored, and it lay alone on the table, far from the soft cashmere cloth.
Shi Ye, on the other hand, tightly clutched the half-wet towel, like a child who had done something wrong and didn't know what to do. He stood there with his head down, but the tips of his ears were flushed with a very faint, almost invisible red.
The light and shadow shifted, the bright band of light moved away, and the light in the studio returned to a uniform brightness.
A simple "cleaning", a brief "transfer", a subtle "touch".
Nothing had changed, yet it was as if something unseen had quietly stirred, like a speck of dust in the silence.
Watching this scene, Su Xiao quickly assessed in his mind: contact was achieved (albeit briefly and not proactively), interaction occurred (albeit around the neutral matter of "cleaning"), and Qi Jin took a small step forward (albeit with extreme restraint).
Matchmaker's Notes: Unexpected minor physical contact and simple object transfer were achieved. Touchpoint: A shared (?) underlying concern for "cleanliness/orderliness". Effect: Triggered a brief moment of panic and a subtle physiological reaction (blushing) in Target A (Shi Ye); Target B (Qi Jin) responded proactively and provided tools. Next Steps: Stabilize the current progress, avoid regression, and seek opportunities to "normalize" this type of neutral interaction.
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