early morning.

When Shi Jin got dressed and came out of the bedroom, the living room was still dark even with the curtains drawn.

He took the mask off the floor-standing table at the entrance, put it on carefully, and took out the black umbrella and keys from the cabinet.

The little black cat who was sleeping soundly on the sofa in the living room was awakened by the noise. He stretched lazily, then came over with sleepy eyes and circled around Shi Jin's feet: "Meow meow——"

The cat's warm body rubbed around my legs, bringing a soft feeling while also leaving behind a few strands of black cat hair.

Shi Jin bent down and touched the little black cat's head, with a smile in his eyes: "You sleep well at home, I will bring you some food."

When I brought the kitten back yesterday, it was already quite late and all the pet shops on the street were closed, so I didn't buy many of the things needed for raising a cat.

I just happened to go out and buy some today.

The little black cat squatted on the ground obediently, staring at Shi Jin with its bright eyes, and said in a baby voice: "Meow——"

OK.

Shi Jin paused in opening the door.

He looked thoughtfully at the little black cat sitting obediently.

I didn't look closely last night, but looking at it now, this little black cat doesn't seem to be very old.

Maybe you need to take it to the veterinary hospital for a physical examination later.

——

The agreed meeting place was in a cafe not far from the publishing house.

Shi Jin was not familiar with this coffee shop, but he was not unfamiliar with it either.

He came to the publishing house several times when discussing publishing matters for the first few novels.

It was just that the editor-in-chief who was in charge of his publishing affairs at that time preferred to have a detailed discussion in the office, so he only came here when he made an appointment with Shi Yi to discuss the manuscript.

He has cooperated with this publishing house many times. Except for the first few novels which required face-to-face discussions, his editor Shi Yi was responsible for communicating on his behalf on subsequent publishing matters.

By this calculation, Shi Jin hasn't been here for a long time.

The cafe remains the same as before.

The owner is a young woman with gentle features and a soft voice. She is very gentle.

There are many flowers outside the cafe. The flowers of various colors are carefully cared for. The faint fragrance of flowers and the aroma of coffee linger on the street.

Shi Jin pushed open the door of the coffee shop, and the wind chimes hanging at the door made a clear and pleasant sound.

The woman making coffee at the coffee counter heard the voice and looked up, revealing a gentle and delicate face. She smiled, with a faint dimple on her cheek: "Welcome."

Shi Jin also nodded slightly at her.

The cafe is not very big, with only seven or eight tables, but beautiful flowers are placed on each pillar. At first glance, it looks like a scene of clusters of flowers.

The agreed time is ten o'clock.

Shi Jin went out early, and it was only half past nine when he got here.

There were already quite a lot of customers in the cafe, and as far as Shi Jin could see, there was only one empty table.

After delivering the coffee, the shop owner came over with a faint smile: "My dear, there is a seat by the window. Would you like to sit there?"

Shi Jin pursed her lips under the mask and asked, "Are there any other vacancies?"

He didn't expect that the cafe would be so popular and would be full even on a weekday morning.

Maybe I should have left earlier.

Shi Jin lowered the corners of his eyes and frowned slightly.

The shop owner was unaware of his concerns and smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, there's only one empty table by the window right now. Maybe you can share the table with someone else if you don't mind."

Shi Jin's expression changed slightly: "Then let's go by the window, thank you."

He needs to wait for someone, so a separate table would be more appropriate.

As for the sunlight by the window.

Shi Jin's eyes swept across the table.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window of the cafe, an off-white round coffee table stands quietly by the window. The sunlight outside shines through the window, casting spots of light on the table.

The rose beside the table held its body high, stretching its petals hard, like a proud princess, exuding its own charm.

It’s a beautiful sight.

Shi Jin withdrew his gaze indifferently.

Unfortunately, this sunshine does not belong to him.

The shop owner smiled and led the way: "Sir, you are lucky. In the past, this table would have been occupied first, but today, the guest sitting at that table just left."

"The sunlight by the window is so nice, it feels so warm on my body, and it's perfect to enjoy it with a cup of coffee."

Shi Jin listened to the shop owner quietly.

The distance from the door to the window was not far, and the two quickly walked to the small round table by the window.

The shop owner smiled and pointed out the window: "When I have free time on weekdays, I like to sit at that table and look at the road outside the window, watching people coming and going, the hustle and bustle of traffic, and my mood will become much better immediately."

"Come, take a look."

Shi Jin then looked out the window following the shop owner's finger.

The sun is shining brightly outside the window, and the orange-yellow light is generously sprinkled on the earth. On the clean and tidy road, the traffic is orderly and neat, and the pedestrians on the sidewalk are of all kinds.

White-collar workers in suits and shirts are walking in a hurry, mothers with their children are smiling gently, old people carrying vegetable baskets are leisurely, and occasionally a few children in school uniforms are riding their bicycles wildly, spreading a string of laughter on the street.

"Look, these kids are late again."

The shop owner's smiling voice rang in my ears: "These kids are regular latecomers. I've seen them many times just by this window."

"But these kids are smart. I heard they can rank among the top three in the class. They are just a little lazy and can't get out of bed. But they are all good kids." The shop owner smiled and said, "Do you find it strange that I know this?"

The shop owner touched his hair shyly and said, "They come to help me on weekends, and I make some cakes for them. I've become familiar with these kids."

Shi Jin's gaze was fixed on the flowers outside the window, and warmth slowly rose in his eyes.

The young man stood by the window with a smile in his quiet eyes.

The wind chimes outside the window were ringing, and the person inside the window lowered his eyes and smiled.

"boss."

"Hey." The owner responded, and then said to Shi Jin: "Please sit down first. Call me if you need anything, or you can scan the QR code on the table to order."

"Okay, go ahead."

After the owner left, Shi Jin didn't rush to sit down.

He first placed the organized paper manuscripts and computer on the table, and then placed the black umbrella he brought at the door of the store.

When he came back, there was already someone on the other side of the table.

Shi Jin walked to the table and sat down, looking at the other party: "Hello, I'm Shi Qian."

The young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses tapped the table with his fingertips, the look in his eyes hidden behind the lenses: "Did you recognize the wrong person?"

Shi Jin lowered his eyelids and said calmly, "Ten minutes ago, you were sitting at a table near the coffee shop. In the five minutes that I was talking to the owner, you looked over here four times."

"Besides." Shi Jin raised his eyes, his gaze indifferent: "Before coming here, Eleven told me that the new editor-in-chief is a young man who likes to wear red."

The man's eyes followed Shi Jin's line of sight to his feet. He raised his eyebrows, retracted his feet, and hid the exposed red socks back under his trouser legs: "Should I say, you are worthy of being Shi Qian, a writer who has published dozens of suspense novels?"

Shi Jin didn't buy it: "It's just a detail that you can notice if you pay a little attention."

He has mild face blindness, and people who meet him for the first time often can't remember him very well, and it takes them a while to recognize him.

But his ability to identify clothing or attire is far beyond that of ordinary people.

Unless someone changes their clothes from head to toe, any familiar outfit appearing in front of him will attract his attention.

What's more, the man was wearing the latest men's clothing of the season from brand A. The day before yesterday, he had just checked out several new models of luxury brands in order to shape his character, so naturally he still remembered them clearly.

The man pushed his gold-rimmed glasses, and the corners of his mouth curved into a standard arc. He extended his right hand to Shi Jin: "Hello, I'm Wei Chan."

Shi Jin's eyes met his, he extended his hand, and introduced again: "Shi Jin, pen name Shi Qian."

Two pairs of equally cold hands clasped together, and separated as soon as they touched.

Wei Chan spoke first: "Eleven should have told you that the publication of your works will be handed over to me. Your editor-in-charge will still be responsible for daily notifications. I will only take over your published works."

"I should have already told you about the book signing event for Silence. It's tentatively scheduled for August at the Century Plaza. If there are any changes, I'll let you know later."

The man's expression and tone were all exactly official. Compared to Shi Jin's coldness, Wei Chan was more like a well-tuned machine when talking about work, with no emotion in his statements.

"As for the book 'Heretics' in your hand." Wei Chan tapped the table with his fingertips, and a ray of light flashed across his gold-rimmed glasses: "Send me the outline and estimated completion time before this Sunday."

Shi Jin glanced at his phone.

Friday.

That leaves one day.

He lowered his eyes: "Okay."

"Today we are mainly here to get familiar with each other so that we can communicate more easily in the future. I won't talk about the specific work for now." Wei Chan pushed the document on the table towards Shi Jin: "Take this document back and read it, make a summary, and send it to me together with the outline on Sunday."

After saying this, he clasped his hands on the table, his expression relaxed, revealing a bit of casualness: "Let's order. What would you like to drink?"

The sunlight outside the window gradually grew brighter.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the sun generously radiates its warmth, trying to plant a patch of light wherever it passes.

Shi Jin sat upright by the window, and the areas not covered by the mask began to turn red. His cold white skin was dyed with a rouge-like color and felt slightly itchy.

Shi Jin suppressed the urge to reach out and scratch it, frowning slightly: "No, thank you."

Wei Chan raised his eyebrows: "No face?"

The itchiness on his face gradually became obvious, and Shi Jin knew without even looking that his face must be very red.

He curled his fingers slightly, restraining his movements: "Sorry, can I leave first?"

Shi Jin has fair skin, so when she turns red, the contrast is particularly noticeable.

Wei Chan saw that something was wrong with him and his expression became serious. He stood up and picked up the coat hanging on the back of the chair: "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

Shi Jin stood up and walked to the shade covered by plants. The moment the sunlight left his cheek, he let out a light breath.

Without the exposure to ultraviolet rays, the itchiness on my face seems to have eased a little.

Shi Jin loosened his clenched fingertips, looked at Wei Chan, and smiled politely: "I'm fine, thank you."

Wei Chan's eyes were fixed on his flushed face, his brows knitted tightly together: "What's wrong with you?"

Shi Jin's smile faded slightly, he lowered his eyes, and said in a light tone: "Sorry."

Wei Chan stared at him for a long while, and after making sure that he was really okay, he took his coat and walked out the door: "I'll go drive the car first, and I'll take you home later."

Before Shi Jin could say no, Wei Chan had already walked away.

He stood there for a moment, then finally turned around and put the things on the table into his bag.

The author has something to say:

Regarding Shi Jin's allergy to ultraviolet rays, it is a private setting, so if there is anything unreasonable, just treat it as a unique setting;

Take the blame and run away.