deny
It was already dark when we arrived at the beach.
The consequence of the last-minute departure was that someone had to deal with his unfinished work. Seeing that he was quite pitiful, Shen Tinghe didn't abandon him and went to the beach alone.
Although Chen Rancheng was transferred back to work in China, he still maintained some connections with the other side, and his work files contained numerous French entries.
Shen Tinghe hadn't seen French for a while, and when she suddenly saw it, the language converter in her head subconsciously started working, but she only glanced at it before quickly looking away.
Liu Yinyin sent her a message on WeChat, saying that she would be back soon and that she would be invited to a welcome dinner for her.
Seeing the smile overflowing from the corners of his mouth, Shen Tinghe replied, "Definitely!"
Liu Yinyin, Zhai Chen, and Shen Tinghe were childhood neighbors, coming from the same gatehouse.
As the saying goes, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Back then, if any family cooked something new and delicious, they would always send their kids over with plates. When Shen Tinghe was little, she often went to their house for meals. The adults had a good relationship and still occasionally go out to play together.
When it came time to take the college entrance exam, Liu Yinyin lied to Zhai Chen and applied to a university in Yucheng, but ended up going to Lancheng alone. When Zhai Chen questioned her about whether she knew about this, she admitted, though feeling guilty, that she knew, and that Liu Yinyin had told her.
After all, the friendship between the three of them was so close. Who was Zhai Chen? Liu Yinyin was her real best friend.
Liu Yinyin accidentally realized Zhai Chen's feelings for her. She couldn't accept that Zhai Chen liked her. She had always treated him like a brother, and that felt strange. She had even seen his penis when she was a child.
So she chose to leave this place of trouble before Zhai Chen could expose their relationship. But after Zhai Chen found out about this, he immediately booked a flight to Lancheng. As for what happened between the two, Shen Tinghe had no idea. Anyway, Liu Yinyin didn't come back after graduating from university and found a job there.
Shen Tinghe was caught in the middle and had a hard time. It was precisely because of this that Shen Tinghe was so excited when Liu Yinyin decided to come back this time.
Shen Tinghe was completely immersed in the joy of chatting with Liu Yinyin, and did not even notice when Chen Rancheng approached. The sofa sank, and Shen Tinghe leaned to one side, the smile in the corner of her eyes still lingering.
"Are you hungry? Let me take you to eat."
The restaurant Chen Rancheng took her to was quite charming, with an open-air rooftop covered with twinkling lights. Perhaps because it was New Year's Eve, the atmosphere was especially lively, and someone was playing and singing elegantly in the distance, their voice soft and melodious.
The restaurant is located by the sea, and you can see the ocean from the terrace. The sea at night is mysterious and gentle, exuding an indescribable power. A gentle sea breeze brushes against Shen Tinghe's hair and climbs onto the countertop.
The lemonade with ice felt like it was mixed with alcohol, making Shen Tinghe's eyes slightly hazy and filled with tenderness as she looked at Chen Rancheng sitting opposite her. He was silent and profound, seemingly detached despite being surrounded by people, both approachable and distant.
He was like a net shrouded in fog, causing her to fall again and again.
His lips seemed to move, but Shen Tinghe didn't hear clearly. Her thoughts were wandering, and she suddenly came back to her senses when she heard Chen Rancheng ask, "What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."
Shen Tinghe smiled. "What did you just say?"
Chen Rancheng wiped his mouth. "I said there would be fireworks here tonight."
It was already difficult to get him excited, but Shen Tinghe didn't want to spoil his fun, so she pretended to be excited and said, "Really!"
Chen Rancheng glanced at her, their eyes met, and Shen Tinghe paused for a moment before quickly looking away and taking a sip of lemonade.
A group of energetic and talkative young people were dining nearby. They chatted together and, seeing that Shen Tinghe and the others had almost finished eating, asked them if they wanted to join in.
Shen Tinghe nodded, then looked at Chen Rancheng. The two then got up and followed him to the nearby benches.
There are small stools with backrests, so you can sink into them and relax comfortably against the backrest. In the middle is a small wooden dining table.
After chatting for a while, Shen Tinghe realized that they didn't know each other at all, but had met because they were all tourists here.
A relaxed and joyful atmosphere.
Someone suggested playing a game, a game where you have something that I don't.
It's about someone sharing their experience. If you have the same experience, you don't have to lose your life; if not, you lose one life. Everyone has five lives.
At first, everyone held back and there was no real threat. But then someone unleashed a burst of power, taking down several people in one go, and the atmosphere became tense.
In the end, only one man, one woman, and Shen Tinghe remained, and each of them had only one finger left.
When it was the boy's turn to speak, he couldn't think of anything else for a moment after everyone else had already said a lot. He suddenly glanced at Chen Rancheng next to Shen Tinghe and said to Shen Tinghe, "I'm sorry."
Shen Tinghe didn't understand what he meant, her eyes widened slightly, and the next second she heard him say—
My partner wasn't there.
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in a long cheer, their eyes all glancing at Shen Tinghe and Chen Rancheng.
Chen Rancheng's gaze was also fixed on Shen Tinghe, but she never looked at him.
Some people even joked, "This is targeted, this is targeted."
The boy was smug, thinking he could successfully defeat Shen Tinghe, but Shen Tinghe's fingerprints didn't budge.
"He and I are not boyfriend and girlfriend."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Someone tried to smooth things over, saying, "You can't lie just to win."
Shen Tinghe's only remaining finger was stretched out straight, showing no sign of lowering it. "I'm not lying, we really aren't boyfriend and girlfriend."
Her tone was serious, not like she was joking.
Shen Tinghe didn't know why she had taken it so seriously. She could have easily accepted the situation, said she was joking, put her finger down, and quit the game.
She knew she wasn't competitive or simply wanted to win the game. No, not at all.
In that instant, she felt utterly terrible, that she had messed everything up.
Ignoring Chen Rancheng's gaze, she smoothed her hair, exhaled a trembling breath, and said, "I'm sorry, you guys keep playing." She then got up from her seat and left.
After a while, Chen Rancheng also got up and followed, saying, "Excuse me."
Shen Tinghe's figure shrank to a tiny dot, swaying in the sea breeze.
Chen Rancheng's jawline tightened into a sharp point, the veins on his forehead bulged, and he kicked over a chair standing at the shop entrance.
Fearing it might be unsafe for her to be alone at night, I followed her anyway.
Shen Tinghe sat with her legs together by the sea. When she saw Chen Rancheng approaching, she said, "I want to be alone for a while. Can you leave?" The words caught in her throat.
Chen Rancheng closed his mouth again, letting the sea breeze blow wildly.
He took off his coat, left it at his feet, and turned to leave.
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