After being rejected, Shen Qingchen did not leave Jiang Zhi's life out of frustration. Instead, his protection became more secretive and determined. He knew that the flame of revenge in Jiang Zhi's heart was still burning, and he also understood that she could not let go of Tang Junxi's death. Therefore, he was not in a hurry to confess his love again. Instead, he chose to silently guard her side, like a silent shadow, ready to appear when she needed him.
Every morning, before the first rays of sunlight had fully penetrated the city's mist, Shen Qingchen would arrive early near Jiang Zhi's apartment. He found a secluded corner where he could see the window of Jiang Zhi's room and stood there quietly. He watched the light in Jiang Zhi's room turn on, imagining her every move after getting up, his heart filled with tenderness. Sometimes, he would see Jiang Zhi standing by the window, her eyes revealing determination and a hint of subtle sadness, and at that moment, he became even more determined to protect her.
When Jiang Zhi left for the day's investigation, Shen Qingchen would quietly follow her. He kept a perfect distance, avoiding being noticed by Jiang Zhi while ensuring he could rush to her side if danger arose. When Jiang Zhi entered a library, Shen Qingchen followed. He would pretend to select books from the nearby shelves, but his eyes would always be on Jiang Zhi's movements. He saw Jiang Zhi browsing through books and materials on medicine and the dark side of business. Her focused expression fascinated Shen Qingchen, yet he also worried that Jiang Zhi's in-depth investigation of such dangerous matters would bring him unnecessary trouble.
Once, Jiang Zhi stayed in the library for a whole day and hardly left her seat. Shen Qingchen saw that she was a little tired because of her long concentration, with bloodshot eyes, but she still had no intention of stopping. Shen Qingchen was distressed. He quietly left the library and went to a nearby coffee shop to buy a cup of hot coffee and a snack. He put the coffee and snack on Jiang Zhi's table without saying a word, like an anonymous kind person. Jiang Zhi looked up in surprise and looked around, but only saw the back of Shen Qingchen hurriedly leaving. She looked at the steaming cup of coffee and the exquisite snack, and a ripple appeared in her heart. Although she knew it might be Shen Qingchen's doing, she did not say it out loud.
In addition to silently guarding her while she was concentrating on the investigation, Shen Qingchen also kept an eye on the details of Jiang Zhi's life. When Jiang Zhi had been running around outside for a day, he would arrive at the small supermarket that Jiang Zhi often went to in advance. While she was picking out daily necessities, he would quietly put the things that Jiang Zhi might need on the other side of the shelf in a place where she could easily see them. Once, Jiang Zhi was looking for a special kind of tea, which she used to relieve stress. After Shen Qingchen found out, he calmly took out a box of the same tea from his shopping cart, put it on the shelf in front of Jiang Zhi, and then pretended to leave as if nothing had happened. When Jiang Zhi saw the box of tea, she felt a little confused, but she still felt an inexplicable warmth.
At night, when Jiang Zhi returned home from a day of activities, Shen Qingchen would wait in the shadows downstairs in the apartment building. He watched Jiang Zhi walk into the apartment building and would not leave until the light in her room came on again. Sometimes, he would see Jiang Zhi looking a little lost and tired on the way home, and his heart felt like it was being pricked by countless needles. He wanted to rush up to her and hug her countless times, telling her that everything would be fine, but he held back. He knew that what Jiang Zhi needed now was space and time to process her emotions.
One night, it suddenly started to rain heavily. Jiang Zhi was outside at the time without an umbrella. She hid under the eaves of a store, staring at the rain in a daze. Seeing this, Shen Qingchen rushed into a nearby store without hesitation to buy an umbrella, and then ran in the direction of Jiang Zhi. When he ran to Jiang Zhi, he was already soaked, but he still handed the umbrella to Jiang Zhi, his eyes full of concern. Jiang Zhi looked at him in surprise and wanted to say something, but Shen Qingchen just smiled slightly, turned around and disappeared in the rain. Jiang Zhi held the umbrella, with mixed feelings in her heart. She knew that Shen Qingchen had been silently protecting her, and this feeling of being cared for made a subtle change in her heart.
Another time, when Jiang Zhi was investigating a clue, she needed to enter a relatively dangerous neighborhood. After Shen Qingchen knew about it, he made some arrangements in that neighborhood in advance. He contacted some reliable friends and asked them to protect Jiang Zhi in secret. When Jiang Zhi walked into that neighborhood, she felt that there were some people around her who were quietly watching her, but she was not scared because she didn't know that these people were arranged by Shen Qingchen to protect her. Jiang Zhi searched for clues in the neighborhood and encountered harassment from some people with bad intentions, but every time at a critical moment, there would always be some seemingly accidental things happening, which made those people retreat. In fact, this was all because of Shen Qingchen's friends who silently helped behind the scenes.
As time went by, Shen Qingchen's silent protection did not diminish in the slightest despite Jiang Zhi's indifference. He was like a tireless star, always circling the edge of Jiang Zhi's world, emitting a warm and resolute light. Although Jiang Zhi did not say it, she had gradually felt Shen Qingchen's deep affection in her heart. She began to get used to the presence of that silent guardian when she encountered danger or difficulties, although she was not yet fully prepared to accept this feeling.
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