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“I swear I don’t use it even when I’m alone.” Ji Shengsheng held up three fingers to end this inexplicable conversation.
After paying, Xu Yu went to return the shopping cart, while Ji Shengsheng waited at the supermarket entrance with the bags in her hands.
Returning the car wouldn't take long. Xu Yu stood across the street from Ji Shengsheng, two pedestrian crossings away. He just wanted to see how Ji Shengsheng would wait for him.
Xu Yu could sense Ji Shengsheng's emotions.
She was very happy tonight.
While waiting for him, she looked around, pacing back and forth with light steps, occasionally tiptoeing. Her cheeks were flushed, and her two dimples held a smile, as if she had something she couldn't hide.
The day Ji Shengsheng left the hotel alone, he made more than a dozen phone calls but couldn't get through.
Then came fourteen days of being out of contact.
Fourteen days later, there was only one WeChat message from him expressing his desire to see him.
There was no reason, no explanation, no justification.
But he couldn't resist.
He offered almost no resistance.
She was a little angry and said something harsh that made Ji Shengsheng cry.
He had absolutely no way to deal with it.
Noticing that Ji Shengsheng's pacing had quickened and he was becoming impatient and anxious, Xu Yu crossed the path, walked up to Ji Shengsheng, and held out his hand, gesturing for Ji Shengsheng to give him the bag.
Then, Ji Shengsheng very dutifully placed her right hand in his palm.
He chuckled to himself.
You can only reach out with your right hand to lift the bag.
Then, he saw Ji Shengsheng place her right hand in his right palm with a puzzled expression, muttering, "Do you like holding hands like this...?"
What could he do?
Ji Shengsheng only understood what Xu Yu meant when she saw Xu Yu raise his left hand again, take her right hand, and take the bag from her hand.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she tried to pull her hand away, but Xu Yu suddenly gripped it tightly as if afraid she would run away, and she didn't succeed.
"...Why don't you talk to me?" Ji Shengsheng asked, puzzled.
"We'll talk about it when we get back."
"good."
He didn't say anything when he got back.
Ji Shengsheng watched as Xu Yu walked into the kitchen and silently began preparing the hot pot ingredients, then quickly followed him in.
Xu Yuxian skillfully washed and chopped the vegetables, but she couldn't help, so she could only prepare the bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing that the hot pot ingredients were ready, Xu Yu was about to cook crayfish when Ji Shengsheng suddenly remembered that there was a men's shirt at home.
She bought it a long time ago when she found it on sale at a shopping mall, but the size was too big and it looked too loose on her, so it had been sitting unused ever since.
Xu Yu was wearing a white cardigan; she didn't want him to get his clothes dirty or smell the unpleasant cooking fumes.
"Do you want to change into this?" Ji Shengsheng asked, walking up behind Xu Yu with the clothes in her arms.
When Xu Yu turned around and saw what was in her arms, his expression showed displeasure for a moment.
Knowing that Xu Yu was a germaphobe, Ji Shengsheng quickly explained, "...It's brand new, I haven't worn it before."
That moment just now seemed to be Ji Shengsheng's illusion. She saw Xu Yu with a normal expression, opening his arms: "Help me."
His hands were wet.
"……good."
He only intended for Ji Shengsheng to help him put it on; he never imagined Ji Shengsheng would misunderstand. Her face and neck flushed red, and her eyes stared wide-eyed at him, as if afraid she had seen something she shouldn't.
She took off his clothes and then awkwardly helped him put his shirt back on.
She fastened each button very carefully, leaving the warmth of her fingers on his Adam's apple, collarbone, and abdomen.
“Ji Shengsheng,” Xu Yu said helplessly.
"Huh?" After buttoning the last button, Ji Shengsheng quickly let go.
"We can't get any closer."
If he hadn't seen Xing Xing just now, perhaps things would have been alright.
But that's not possible now.
He has a bottom line.
He can accept being summoned and dismissed at will.
She could be Ji Shengsheng's secret lover.
It can be kept out of the light.
But this applies only to Plato.
At least until the competitors are eliminated.
He has already fallen so low that he cannot be condemned to eternal damnation.
Seeing the disappointment on Ji Shengsheng's face, Xu Yu almost took back his words, but then he saw her quickly compose herself and smile: "Received!"
During dinner, Ji Shengsheng acted as if she felt no negative emotions and told Xu Yu about the things that had happened in the past two weeks.
After dinner, they escorted Xu Yu downstairs and watched him drive away.
Ji Shengsheng suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to ask Xu Yu where her luggage was. That day, she had left a note for Xu Yu through the front desk. In the note, she briefly explained the situation and asked Xu Yu to help bring her suitcase back.
Somehow, she realized that there was a delivery box between her and her neighbor's doors, which looked about the same size as her suitcase.
After verifying, Ji Shengsheng discovered that, whether due to a handover error or a misunderstanding of her meaning, the receptionist had not handed the note to Xu Yu, but instead asked Xu Yu for her address and mailed her suitcase directly.
After confirming that Xu Yu had arrived home, Ji Shengsheng couldn't help but ask, "So, the receptionist only asked for my address and didn't give you anything else?"
"No."
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
Therefore, from Xu Yu's perspective, it was as if she left without saying goodbye.
Perhaps they were truly not meant to be; how could so many misunderstandings exist between them?
“I left a note,” Ji Shengsheng explained, “I was afraid that sending you a message at that time would disturb your rest.”
Fortunately, she took a picture at the time.
...
Zhu Xiaodan arrived right behind Xu Yu.
After putting down her bag, she saw Ji Shengsheng washing her newly bought four-piece bedding set and asked curiously, "Was that Xu Yu's car just now?!"
She came to see Ji Shengsheng at this time because she had just finished her night shift.
Xu Yu left Ji Shengsheng's house at two o'clock in the morning; he couldn't possibly be going to work the three shifts.
"Yes." Ji Shengsheng nodded, not knowing where to begin.
"So... he didn't confess, and you're back together with him?" Zhu Xiaodan was exasperated after hearing Ji Shengsheng's brief account of recent events.
Ji Shengsheng shook her head: "I've just been feeling how fragile life is lately. We should cherish what we have while we can. As for confessing my feelings, I don't want to care about that anymore."
It's enough that they are close to each other.
Actually, after Xu Yu said that that night, she was puzzled for a moment.
Before that, she felt so happy all night, waiting for Xu Yu to come back at the supermarket entrance, holding hands with Xu Yu as they strolled through the supermarket, watching Xu Yu's back in front of her... It was as if she had suddenly obtained everything she had wanted without any effort.
Then, just when she thought she would get closer, Xu Yu stopped her.
After telling Zhu Xiaodan about this, Ji Shengsheng consoled herself: "Actually, this is already progressing very quickly. Maybe it's because I'm an impatient person, and Xu Yu still needs more time. I already have a lot."
"Don't lie to yourself!" Zhu Xiaodan refused to believe it. "If a man really wanted something with you, he wouldn't leave tonight!"
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
There's no need to be so blunt.
She could sense that Xu Yu simply didn't have "that kind of" need.
"Anyway, I know what I'm doing, and things are fine as they are now. You don't need to worry about me." After saying that, Ji Shengsheng added, "I trust Xu Yu's character, and I'm willing to wait for him to open his heart and accept me."
After saying that, Ji Shengsheng suddenly seemed to remember something: "Do you remember the year I celebrated my birthday, the one when I told you that Xu Yu would celebrate my birthday with me?"
"I remember, he stood me up." Zhu Xiaodan looked at the crayfish that Ji Shengsheng had divided into two portions in his refrigerator, opened one portion, and said, "You cried for days."
"...Any other details?" Ji Shengsheng tried hard to recall. "I only remember the strawberry cake."
"I remember, didn't Xing Xing make a bet with you that Xu Yu definitely wouldn't come, and if Xu Yu didn't come, he wanted you to give him the strawberry cake?"
Ji Shengsheng: "?"
She had absolutely no recollection of Xing Xing being involved that day.
"...How can he be sure that Xu Yu won't come?"
"He wasn't sure, so he went to your school with you. I remember you two set off together, but I don't know what happened after that."
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
She was too familiar with Xing Xing, so familiar that he was like a decoration in her room. He might be there every day, but she never paid any attention to him.
"All right."
Zhu Xiaodan's mind was entirely on the crayfish: "Where did you buy them? They're so delicious!"
"Xu Yu made it." Ji Shengsheng was still thinking about her birthday and blurted it out.
Zhu Xiaodan immediately knelt down: "God, I will never speak ill of Xu Yu again. If he could love you a little more, I would truly think he is a perfect man."
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
After Zhu Xiaodan left, Ji Shengsheng went to the storage room and found the box that Xu Yu had returned to her.
I hadn't noticed before, but this box is surprisingly light.
Upon opening the box, Ji Shengsheng was instantly stunned.
There were twenty envelopes neatly arranged inside, each marked with a serial number.
It was almost seven o'clock when I put down these letters.
It turns out that every letter she wrote during her time teaching in the rural area received a response. The reason Xu Yu didn't mail the first letter was that it got lost somewhere after it was sent.
From her subsequent letters, Xu Yu discovered that she had not received a reply, so she did not send any more letters after that.
Ji Shengsheng tidied up the letters.
Xu Yu didn't write much to her; in response to her repeated expressions of longing in those letters, he mostly offered words of comfort.
But that's enough. She's already received more than enough from Xu Yu. She's ready to "pay back her debt."
After taking a quick shower, Ji Shengsheng counted the number of attendees at the afternoon meeting and prepared desserts and drinks in advance.
The afternoon meeting mainly focused on cooperation with neighboring regions. Since Xu Yu wasn't attending, she put the portion she had prepared for Xu Yu into a separate bag.
Ji Shengsheng was unsure whether she should act too familiar with Xu Yu at his company. But based on her understanding of Xu Yu, she figured he probably wouldn't be willing.
Therefore, until Xu Yu makes a clear statement, it's best for her to maintain a professional distance from him.
"Awake?" Just as she was thinking this, she received a message from Xu Yu.
"She's awake!" Ji Shengsheng replied quickly.
"What time is the meeting this afternoon?" Xu Yu replied a few minutes later.
"2:30."
"Okay. I'll come pick you up." A few minutes later, Xu Yu sent another message, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Xu Yu replied to the message very slowly. Ji Shengsheng glanced at the time and guessed that Xu Yu had not yet left for the company, so she tentatively made a voice call.
"What's wrong?" Xu Yu didn't answer the phone, but after hanging up, he sent another message: "Cheng Yu is here."
"It's nothing," Ji Shengsheng thought for a moment, then sent Xu Yu the words she had prepared for the phone call. "I just wanted to ask you, is it okay if we eat together often in the future?"
Xu Yu did not reply.
Because Chengyu snatched my phone.
Cheng Yu was so angry that she died.
They had agreed to have barbecue tonight, two weeks ago, and Xu Yu reminded him of it again before he left.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yu disappeared all night, leaving him to order takeout at Xu Yu's doorstep. Without a key, he could only sit outside the gate and drink a bottle of cola alone.
Xu Yu waited until 1:30 a.m. but still didn't see anyone. So this morning, he came to the office early to demand an explanation.
"Have you forgotten about the barbecue? I'm at your house! You didn't come home! You stayed at Ji Shengsheng's house yesterday."
"Didn't you say you had a bottom line, Xu Yu?"
"Where is your bottom line? You've only met a few times, and you've already stayed overnight."
“I’m afraid that one day you’ll have two kids and your bottom line will still be welded to you.”
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