Chapter 40
Darkness, like a soaked quilt, heavily enveloped Shi Ye. After the motion-activated lights went out, only the dim green light of the emergency exit sign remained in the hallway, casting her huddled figure in the doorway as a blurry shadow. The sharp, unfamiliar pain in her head persisted, mixed with the system's frantically calm analysis, making her temples throb.
The faint light from the car downstairs was still shining, like a stubborn eye in the darkness.
Shi Ye didn't know how long she had been sitting until the pressure on the wound on the sole of her foot caused a sharper pain, which made her move her stiff body. She held onto the door frame and slowly stood up. Her movements were very gentle, afraid of disturbing the motion-activated lights, and also afraid... of disturbing the person downstairs.
She took out her key, inserted it into the lock, and this time turned it slowly and gently. The door opened silently a crack, and she squeezed in sideways, closing the door behind her to shut out everything outside.
Leaning against the cold door, she slowly exhaled. The living room lights were off, the curtains were drawn, and it was even darker than the hallway. She groped her way to the sofa and threw herself onto it.
Tired. Tiredness seeping from the very marrow of my bones.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out; the screen's light was blinding in the darkness. It was a message from Lin Xiaoyu, accompanied by a crying cat emoji:
"Sister Shi! I just finished talking with Professor Wang! He said my preliminary round entry has a very good chance! But the final round requires a live presentation and Q&A session, and I'm so nervous I'm practically spinning! Need some comforting! [Image: A bunch of design sketches]"
The picture shows Lin Xiaoyu's densely packed revision notes and hastily drawn sketches, revealing her dedication and anxiety.
Shi Ye stared at the message, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment. In the past, she might have followed up on the topic by mentioning Qi Jin again, asking if he could offer some business advice. But now…
The image of Qi Jin's gaze in the car flashed through her mind—cold, disappointed, and the words, "Disappear from your life completely."
My heart skipped a beat again.
She replied, "Keep it up. You can definitely do it." Dry and meaningless.
Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly: "Waaaaah, Sister Shi, you're so kind! [hug] By the way, how's Senior Sister? Is her injury alright? Did you guys get back from the clinic?"
Shi Ye stared at the words "senior sister," her throat tightening. "Yes, she's back. She's alright."
"That's good! By the way, Sister Shi, I need to tell you that I'm going to the library to do some research this afternoon, so I might be home late. Are you okay being home alone? Should I come find you after I finish?"
"No need," Shi Ye typed quickly. "You go about your business."
"Okay... then be sure to call me if you need anything! I'll be there anytime!"
Putting down his phone, the living room fell into darkness and silence once more. Shi Ye lay on the sofa, staring at the blurry outline of the air conditioner vent on the ceiling.
The system seemed to have finally found the right moment to interject:
[Task Prompt: The host's current emotional state is detrimental to task progress; appropriate adjustment is recommended. Leveraging the friendly relationship with Lin Xiaoyu, the host can naturally inquire about her design progress and subtly convey information such as "Qi Jin is also concerned about your competition," indirectly indicating Qi Jin's interest in Lin Xiaoyu. Simultaneously, the host should avoid direct conflict with Qi Jin, maintaining basic interaction to prevent further decline in favorability.]
Shi Ye closed his eyes, not wanting to hear a single word.
Adjust? How can she adjust? She even finds breathing difficult now.
Maintaining basic interaction? Qi Jin probably didn't even want to look at her again.
She rolled over and buried her face in the sofa cushions. The fabric had a faint smell of dust, mixed with a hint of the aroma of the snacks Lin Xiaoyu had brought earlier.
I don't know how much time had passed, maybe a few minutes, maybe half an hour, when suddenly a soft "click" came from the doorway.
It wasn't the sound of a key turning; it sounded more like... the sound of an electronic lock recognizing a fingerprint or password?
Shi Ye's body stiffened, and he subconsciously held his breath.
The door was gently pushed open. A sliver of light from the corridor streamed in, outlining a tall, familiar figure.
Qi Jin.
How did she get up here? And what's her door code?
Qi Jin stood at the doorway, not immediately coming in, seemingly adjusting to the darkness inside. She appeared to be carrying something in her hand.
Shi Ye lay motionless on the sofa, pretending to be asleep. Although she knew it was childish, she didn't know how to face Qi Jin at this moment.
Qi Jin seemed to genuinely believe she was asleep, and moved very quietly. She closed the door, walked into the living room, placed the things she was carrying on the coffee table, making a slight scraping sound. Then, she walked towards the sofa.
Shi Ye could sense her approach and smell that familiar, cool cedar scent mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant and... the aroma of food.
Qi Jin stopped beside the sofa. Shi Ye could feel her gaze on her. She could even imagine Qi Jin's slightly furrowed brows at that moment.
Then, she heard Qi Jin sigh very softly.
The sigh was very soft, yet like a feather, it gently brushed against Shi Ye's heart, bringing a slight tingling sensation.
Then, Qi Jin bent down. Shi Ye could feel her breath brushing against his forehead. A hand, slightly cool, gently touched her forehead, as if testing her temperature.
The movements were very natural, as if they had done it many times before.
After taking her temperature, he moved his hand away and gently brushed aside the stray strands of hair on her face, tucking them behind her ear. His fingertips inevitably brushed against her cheek, bringing a slightly unfamiliar, ticklish sensation.
Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat uncontrollably. Her body reacted instinctively, faster than her brain, and she almost opened her eyes.
But she held back.
Qi Jin seemed unaware that she was pretending to be asleep. She straightened up, footsteps sounded, and headed towards the kitchen.
After a while, very soft noises came from the kitchen: the tap was turned on and off, the microwave was humming softly, and there was the crisp sound of dishes clattering together.
Is she... heating something?
Shi Ye cautiously opened her eyes a crack. By the dim light filtering through the kitchen door, she saw Qi Jin standing in front of the kitchen counter with her back to the living room, fiddling with something. She had changed her clothes; instead of the formal shirt she wore during the day, she was wearing a more casual beige cardigan and casual pants. Her hair was loosely tied up, and the band-aid on her forehead was new.
The microwave stopped with a "ding". Qi Jin took out the bowl inside, stirred it with a spoon, and took a small bite, seemingly testing the temperature. Then, she carried the bowl back to the living room.
Shi Ye quickly closed his eyes again.
The footsteps stopped beside the sofa. Qi Jin placed the bowl on the coffee table, and then... she actually sat down on the carpet in front of the sofa.
He sat down next to the sofa where Shi Ye was lying, with his back against the sofa base.
The two were very close, so close that Shi Ye could clearly hear her even breathing and even feel her body temperature, which was slightly lower than normal.
Qi Jin didn't speak or move. She just sat there quietly, as if she intended to stay there for a while.
Only the soft, intertwined breathing of the two remained in the living room, along with the increasingly clear aroma of food spreading through the air—it seemed to be… tomato and egg noodles? A very homely smell.
Shi Ye closed his eyes, but his body involuntarily relaxed a little. The chaotic thoughts, sharp pain, and incessant chatter in his mind seemed to be temporarily dispelled by the quiet atmosphere and the reassuring presence so close at hand.
She didn't know why Qi Jin came up here, why he was heating up her noodles, or why he was sitting here.
But she knew that Qi Jin had not left.
Even after being pushed away and hurt like that, Qi Jin still came back.
This realization, like a gentle stream, silently seeped into her parched and cracked heart, bringing a faint yet undeniable sense of moisture.
Time ticked by. Shi Ye didn't know how long Qi Jin had been sitting there. She felt her tense nerves slowly relax, fatigue washed over her like a tide, and her consciousness began to blur.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard Qi Jin's very soft voice, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were speaking to her:
"...The noodles are getting cold."
Shi Ye's eyelashes trembled.
Qi Jin didn't seem to expect a response from her. After saying that, he stood up. She walked to the coffee table, picked up the bowl of noodles, and headed back to the kitchen. She probably intended to throw it away or put it in the refrigerator.
Just then, Shi Ye opened his eyes.
The living room was still dark, with only light coming from the crack in the kitchen door and the streetlights filtering in from outside the window. She watched Qi Jin carrying a bowl toward the kitchen; his back looked somewhat thin in the dim light, yet he stood ramrod straight.
My throat was a little dry, and my heart was pounding heavily in my chest.
"Qi Jin," she said, her voice hoarse from not speaking for a long time.
Qi Jin stopped abruptly. She turned around and looked at the sofa. In the darkness, their eyes seemed to meet for a moment.
"...Noodles," Shi Ye licked his dry lips, "...can I still eat them?"
Qi Jin stood there, motionless and silent. The kitchen light shone from behind her, casting a hazy glow around her, obscuring her expression.
After a few seconds, she whispered, "It shouldn't be completely cold yet."
“Well…” Shi Ye propped himself up on his arms and sat up. “I’m hungry.”
Qi Jin walked back silently, placed the bowl back on the coffee table, and went to the kitchen to get chopsticks and a spoon, placing them beside the bowl. Then, she stepped back two paces and stood to the side without sitting down.
Shi Ye moved to the sofa and picked up the bowl of noodles. The bowl was warm, the noodles were simple dried noodles, topped with golden scrambled eggs and bright red tomatoes, the broth was rich and fragrant.
She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and put it in her mouth.
The taste... was very good. The saltiness was just right, the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes and the savory aroma of the eggs blended perfectly, and the noodles were cooked to the perfect firmness. It was a very home-style taste, but one made with care.
She lowered her head and ate slowly.
Qi Jin stood quietly beside her, watching her eat. He didn't speak, didn't urge her, he just watched.
The bowl of noodles was quickly emptied. Shi Ye also finished the soup. The warm food dispelled the emptiness in his stomach and the chill in his body.
She put down her chopsticks and looked up.
Qi Jin remained standing there, watching her. In the dim light, her eyes appeared somewhat blurry, but Shi Ye could sense the focus in her gaze.
"Thank you," Shi Ye said.
Qi Jin didn't respond with a thank you, but instead asked, "Does your foot still hurt?"
"Much better."
"Did you take your medicine?"
"……not yet."
Qi Jin turned and walked to the kitchen. He quickly returned with a glass of warm water and placed it in front of her. He then took out the new medicine he had gotten that day, divided it into doses, and placed it on a tissue.
The movements were so practiced, as if they had been done a thousand times.
Shi Ye looked at the few small pills, then at Qi Jin standing beside her, waiting for her to take the medicine.
The stagnant pool in my heart seemed to have been plunged with a red-hot stone, sizzling and steaming up a hazy, scalding white mist.
She picked up the pill, swallowed it with warm water.
The bitter taste spread in my mouth, but this time, it didn't seem so hard to swallow.
Qi Jin took the empty cup and put it back in the kitchen. When she came back, she said, "I'm leaving. Get some rest."
"Qi Jin." Shi Ye called out to her again.
Qi Jin stopped in his tracks.
Shi She opened his mouth, wanting to say many things, to apologize, to explain, and to ask her why she was still being so good to her.
In the end, she only said one sentence: "Be careful on the road."
Qi Jin glanced at her and nodded.
Then, she opened the door and went out.
The door closed gently.
Shi Ye was left alone in the living room again.
Empty bowls and chopsticks lay on the coffee table, the aroma of tomato and egg noodles still lingering in the air, along with the faint, cool scent of cedar emanating from Qi Jin.
Shi Ye sat on the sofa and didn't move for a long time.
The system, which had been silent for a while, began to echo softly in his mind again:
[Detected behavior pattern of target Qi Jin: continuous care and attention. Analysis of emotional investment in the host: high and resilient. The host's recent behavior of 'showing weakness' and 'accepting care' effectively eased the relationship after the conflict. It is recommended to continue to maintain a moderate dependence and gradually shift Qi Jin's focus naturally through topics such as 'sharing concern for Lin Xiaoyu'...]
Shi Ye didn't finish listening.
She just stared at the closed door, then looked down at her hands, which she had just finished eating noodles.
The scalding white mist in my heart gradually dissipated, leaving behind an unprecedentedly clear perception—
She was afraid that Qi Jin would leave.
This fear was so real, so intense.
It was so intense that it almost overwhelmed the fear of mission failure and the bewilderment at the collapse of the world.
She slowly curled up and buried her face in her knees.
This time, there was no pain, only a blank, unfamiliar warmth that quietly moistened her empty eye sockets.
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