The violent rain fell for a whole night, the dull sound of rain and the rolling thunder resounding throughout this night.
Inside the room, Shen Lingge casually placed Wen Xian’s phone to the side, his heavy black eyes silently falling onto her body.
The girl lying on the sofa was hugging the cat, curling up together, dazedly looking at him. Her black hair was messy, her small face was full of tear stains, her red lips slightly parted, not knowing what she was muttering softly.
The whole person was as pitiful as a little cat picked up by someone on a rainy night.
Her eyes were misted with tears, looking not quite clear-headed.
Shen Lingge withdrew his gaze and looked at himself with a headache. His lower body was barely covered with a thin blanket, his upper body still full of white bubbles.
He, Shen Lingge, having lived until twenty-six years old, had never before been in such a sorry state.
Shen Lingge swept his gaze around, accurately finding the only bathroom in this small apartment.
Immediately, he furrowed his brows and walked into this bathroom that was so cramped to him that even turning around felt crowded. Fortunately, the bathroom was very clean, towels and bath towels with a faint fragrance neatly stacked together.
After simply rinsing off, Shen Lingge wrapped himself in a clean bath towel and returned to the living room.
At this moment, he could confirm he was not dreaming, and could also confirm he was indeed in Licheng.
But the problem was, Licheng and Mingcheng even by airplane would need an hour’s time; how did he suddenly appear here?
Moreover, just now this girl, upon seeing him, immediately said…
Said he was her boyfriend.
Many strange thoughts bubbled up in Shen Lingge’s mind.
But at present, the only thing he could confirm was, no matter how he appeared here, it definitely had something to do with this girl.
—
Wen Xian woke up at three o’clock in the morning, the strong wind blowing over the succulents she placed outside on the balcony, the flower pots shattering on the ground making a dull sound.
When she opened her eyes, her brain was completely blank. She subconsciously raised her hand to block the dazzling light above the living room. Qiuqiu in her arms also jumped to the side following her movement of getting up.
At this moment, Wen Xian did not notice anything abnormal, until she, having been soaked in half her body by rain, brought in all the flowers and plants from the balcony and put them in place, then turned around preparing to take a shower.
Wen Xian froze in place, her eyes slightly widening.
She looked in terror at the man who had suddenly appeared in her living room. That man was sitting on the sofa wrapped in her bath towel, his pitch-black, ice-cold gaze falling onto her body.
Wen Xian: “……”
She suddenly glanced at Yu lying motionless on the coffee table, that potato person drawn on the tissue made her body tremble slightly.
This man, he… what thing is he?
Was he drawn out by her?
Wen Xian stiffly made eye contact with Shen Lingge sitting on the sofa staring at her. At this moment, the first thought in her heart was actually: has her drawing skill already reached the state of perfection?
After a while, Wen Xian pressed her lips together, probing as she said: “…Hello?”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Seeing Shen Lingge unresponsive, Wen Xian for a moment did not know what to do. Could it be that what she drew out was a mute?
Thus, she carefully moved a little closer to him, carefully observing this man. His handsome, three-dimensional features seemed to be meticulously carved out by God’s own hand, looking like there was not a single flaw from any angle.
Even the muscles of his upper body…
Wen Xian forced herself to move her gaze away, but this was her most outstanding work in the past four years of drawing, she couldn’t help but secretly let her gaze fall on him again.
She even couldn’t help but think: In ancient times there was Nüwa creating humans, now there is Wen Xian drawing humans.
At this moment, Shen Lingge’s emotions were also complicated. This girl, at three in the morning, seeing an extra grown man suddenly appearing in her home, not only didn’t scream but calmly greeted him.
It seemed she was very clear on why he would appear here.
Shen Lingge silently looked at her for a moment and then asked: “What is your name?”
The man’s voice was low and pleasant, like the glissando of a cello, suddenly exploding in Wen Xian’s ears.
Hearing this, Wen Xian lightly coughed once, and very seriously began introducing herself: “My name is Wen Xian. From now on… I am your master.”
Shen Lingge: ?
He looked at this girl whose whole face said serious with incomprehension.
When drunk, she at least said he was her boyfriend; now that she was awake, she directly said she was his master?
Shen Lingge coldly laughed in his heart: Heh, women.
Before figuring out how she brought him here, Shen Lingge did not plan to reveal his identity in front of her. So he only asked: “Why am I here?”
Wen Xian somewhat troubledly glanced at Yu, then hesitantly looked toward Shen Lingge. How should she explain to him?
Wen Xian furrowed her brows, thinking for a long while.
Suddenly Wen Xian had a flash of inspiration. She immediately opened her phone and started searching for the story of Nüwa creating humans. She spoke in a gentle tone: “I’ll tell you a story. This story is called ‘The Creation Goddess Nüwa Creates All Living Things.’”
“After heaven and earth were opened, in the sky there were the sun, the moon, and the stars, on the ground there were mountains and rivers, grass and trees, there were even birds, beasts, insects, and fish, but only there were no humans…”
Shen Lingge listened, the corner of his forehead twitching slightly, but he did not interrupt her. He expressionlessly listened to Wen Xian’s telling of Nüwa creating humans, then asked in a calm tone: “So I was created by you?”
Wen Xian nodded: “That’s right. You were created by me.”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Shen Lingge narrowed his eyes, his tone slightly cold with probing and coaxing: “How did you create me?”
Yu’s existence was Wen Xian’s greatest secret. After Wen Tianlin and Chang Shuang passed away, it had always been by her side. She did not dare reveal its existence, not even in front of this person she drew out.
She pressed her lips together, her tone stiff: “Anyway, I am your master.”
Hearing this, Shen Lingge’s jawline slightly tensed, his left fist also unconsciously clenched, but in the next second, he released it.
What he was least lacking was patience.
Wen Xian glanced at Shen Lingge, who was bare-chested, and asked: “Do you have a name? If not, I’ll give you one. What do you think of the name Tudou [Potato]?”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Shen Lingge suddenly stood up and approached Wen Xian. The man’s tall figure instantly covered Wen Xian, an intense hormonal scent pressing towards her. Wen Xian couldn’t help but take a step back.
Shen Lingge’s lips curled coolly. He spoke, word by word, next to Wen Xian’s ear: “I am called Gege.”
Wen Xian: “……”
She kept feeling there was something strange about this person she had drawn out. In the past, as long as she had the thought of discarding them, they would automatically disappear before her eyes, such as unwanted apple cores and grape skins.
Wen Xian silently thought in her mind: Go back.
Then she and Shen Lingge stared at each other—big eyes staring at small eyes—for a full three seconds, yet he was still right in front of her, showing no intention of disappearing.
So Wen Xian looked awkwardly at the Shen Lingge who wasn’t wearing clothes. She secretly gestured at his figure again, and decided to quietly go to her room to draw a set of clothes for him.
It really wasn’t good for him to keep running around naked in front of her.
Wen Xian lightly coughed once: “Wait for me here for a moment.”
At this moment, she didn’t dare touch Yu on the table. She only grabbed Qiuqiu squatting on the sofa, stuffed it into her arms, and dashed into the bedroom like smoke.
The Shen Lingge left in the living room did not notice that the fountain pen on the coffee table had quietly disappeared without a sound.
Five minutes later, Wen Xian walked towards Shen Lingge holding a set of clothes.
She reached out, handing the clothes in front of Shen Lingge, softly saying: “I searched a bit, it seems boys all wear boxer briefs. You… you see if the size fits?”
Shen Lingge silently looked at the clothes in his hand.
The clothes were all in the simplest black-and-white color scheme, the fabric exactly the same as the one on her body. But why, whether it was the white T-shirt, the black long pants, or even the black boxer briefs, all had a small snowflake on them?
Shen Lingge let his gaze fall on the hem of Wen Xian’s skirt, there was also a small snowflake there.
After a while, Shen Lingge asked again: “Where do I sleep?”
Wen Xian’s eyelashes moved slightly. She swept her eyes up and down Shen Lingge, then glanced at her own small sofa.
She helplessly sighed in her heart. Since she had drawn him out, then he was her child.
No matter how bitter things were, children could not suffer bitterness.
She pointed at her small room: “You sleep in the bedroom, close the windows and cover yourself with the blanket at night.”
Having drawn for so many years, Wen Xian also understood what kind of things Yu and she drew together were like.
Apples would rot if not eaten, cups would break if they fell to the ground—these things followed the same rules of this world.
So the man drawn by her also needed to eat and sleep. He was no different from the people of this world, having thoughts as well as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Wen Xian, after fetching her own pajamas and quilt from the room, also changed the bedsheets and quilt for Shen Lingge. Before closing the door, she even carefully looked at him again, confirming as she asked: “You won’t leave, right?”
Shen Lingge looked at the nervous expression on this girl’s face, and suddenly remembered the first thing she said when she first saw him.
She said: You must always stay by my side.
He didn’t respond, only silently looked at her.
Seeing he had no intention of speaking, Wen Xian closed the door.
She went to the bathroom to take a shower. Until the entire living room fell into darkness, she then curled up on the small sofa, beginning to recall the chaotic and frantic night. Qiuqiu lay next to her head, swaying its tail.
Wen Xian moved her body slightly, quietly asked: “Yu, is he mine alone?”
Yu lightly trembled on the coffee table: I’m also not too sure.
Wen Xian curved her lips, tucking the fluffiness into the soft blanket and rubbing it, her soft voice carrying joy and delight: “From now on, someone will be with me. I won’t be left behind again.”
Yu: ……
What you draw, you decide.
In Wen Xian’s room, Shen Lingge was sizing up this small bedroom. Inside, there was a single bed; once he lay on it, there was almost no other space left.
On the side of the wall was a light-colored wardrobe and dressing table, and the curtains were also a simple beige color.
By the bed was laid a soft, pure white carpet, and beside the bed there was also a cat nest, with a few strands of light golden fur inside.
On the bedside table was placed a photo frame, inside was a family of three’s group photo.
Shen Lingge stared for a while at the little girl in the photo smiling innocently. That was Wen Xian when she was little. He recognized her at a glance; she looked almost exactly the same as she did when she was young.
The ones beside her should be her parents.
Such a girl, what kind of secret would she have on her?
Shen Lingge did not continue thinking. He chose to first sleep for a while. When he got up tomorrow, there were even more important things he had to do.
The pillow still carried a faint fragrance belonging to that girl.
Shen Lingge fell asleep in her scent.
—
Four years ago, Wen Xian lost both her parents overnight.
Four years later, on Wen Xian’s twenty-first birthday, she lost her best friend and her fiancé.
It was also on this day that Shen Lingge came to her side.