Wen Xian held onto Shen Lingge’s shoulder, leaned forward, and glanced toward the downstairs living room. The man standing in the living room seemed to be looking at them too, but after a moment, Wen Xian could no longer see him.
She withdrew her gaze and slightly raised her head to look at Shen Lingge: “Shen Lingge, is the person downstairs your friend?”
Shen Lingge carried her as he walked into the room: “Do you remember I once told you about Mister Chi? His name is Chi Yanyu, he is my childhood friend. His younger sister is that little girl you saw at home that day, called Chi Jiaojiao.”
Wen Xian let out another small yawn. She rubbed her eyes and asked: “Just now, what were you two talking about? You said you’re not going?”
Shen Lingge’s footsteps slightly paused, he lowered his gaze to look at her: “He said there is a gathering tonight, came to ask if you want to go. If you want to go, I’ll take you; if you don’t want to go, I’ll accompany you.”
Saying this, Shen Lingge placed Wen Xian on the bed. After Wen Xian sat properly on the bed, she consciously began changing clothes, not minding whether Shen Lingge was still there or not, and started unbuttoning.
Shen Lingge: “……”
The young girl’s fair and delicate collarbone flashed past before his eyes, he immediately turned around to face away from her, but the rustling sounds behind him kept reaching his ears.
The sound of her placing the changed-out pajamas to the side, the faint and small friction sound of fabric sliding over skin — all these tiny sounds shook his mind into swelling.
His gaze color darkened slightly.
After Wen Xian finished changing clothes, she glanced at Shen Lingge, who had his back toward her. She spoke to call him: “Shen Lingge, I’m done.”
But Shen Lingge did not immediately turn around. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before daring to look back at her.
Wen Xian had changed into a simple square-collar puff-sleeve dress. The large area of fair skin on her chest was completely exposed to view. The waist-hugging design made her already slender waist look as if it could be controlled with just one hand.
She just so happened that those pair of most lively deer eyes still kept looking toward his face.
Clearly it was nothing more than a summer dress, but Shen Lingge looked until his mouth was dry and tongue parched. His Adam’s apple slightly bobbed, standing in place staring at her for quite a while before walking over to hold her hand and go downstairs.
In the living room, the servants had already prepared afternoon tea for Chi Yanyu. Chi Yanyu was idly scrolling through the group chat, the group was currently discussing tonight’s gathering. Quite a few people were looking for him.
Group name: Mingcheng’s Light (6)
Zhao Cheng: @Yanyu gege
Jiang Min: …threw up
Zhao Cheng: Your name is weirdly disgusting. Is Shen ge coming tonight?
Chi Yanyu: I’m at my ge’s house right now. My ge went upstairs to coax my saozi.
Zhao Cheng: That one from the racecourse that day?
Chi Yanyu: Looks like a celestial immortal, my ge’s taste is really high.
Zhao Cheng: Coming together tonight? Isn’t Song Jinghong coming too, won’t there be a fuss?
Chi Yanyu: With my ge there, no one dares to make a fuss.
Zhao Cheng: Hurry up, quickly bring everyone over. We’re getting ready to set off on our side.
Chi Yanyu: Can’t say for sure whether we’ll come or not, let’s talk later.
Zhao Cheng: Can you handle things or not? Who is it that always says Shen ge is your blood-related ge?
Chi Yanyu: Scram, scram, scram.
Jiang Min: Yanyu, if Lingge doesn’t come tonight, I’m confiscating your car.
Chi Yanyu: ……?
At this time, it was already four o’clock in the afternoon. Wen Xian stood beside Shen Lingge, looking at Chi Yanyu, who was frowning and furiously tapping away at his screen. He hadn’t noticed at all that they were already standing right next to him.
Wen Xian tugged at Shen Lingge’s sleeve and softly said: “Gege, where are we going to play tonight?”
Shen Lingge glanced at Chi Yanyu, who was still happily typing, then spoke up and asked: “Yanyu, where are we going tonight?”
Chi Yanyu was startled by this voice. He flusteredly put down his phone and turned his head to look. Shen Lingge was standing by the sofa, looking down at him from above, and the little celestial fairy by his ge’s side was also quietly watching him.
Her gaze was clear and bright, clean like a mountain spring.
For some reason, Chi Yanyu’s face flushed red. He scratched his head and said: “It’s Jiang Min’s newly opened racing club. They’re planning to play airport tonight, we’re going over to join the fun.”
After speaking, Chi Yanyu’s eyes drifted again as he glanced at Wen Xian. For some reason, when he spoke, he suddenly stammered: “Saozi, I… I’m… I’m Chi Yanyu. That day, I saw you at the seaside resort district.”
Wen Xian blinked, the corners of her lips curved in a smile: “I am Wen Xian. You can just call my name directly.”
Chi Yanyu still wanted to say something but was given a warning glance by Shen Lingge, so he obediently shut his mouth. Even though he pretended to be playing on his phone the whole time after that, his attention was entirely focused on the opposite side.
Shen Lingge picked up the water cup placed on the table. He first touched the cup body to check the water temperature, then handed the water cup to Wen Xian. Wen Xian obediently took it and drank, then extremely naturally stuffed the cup, which she had only drunk a few sips from, back into Shen Lingge’s hand.
After Shen Lingge put down the water cup, he reached out and touched her stomach. He softly asked: “Xian Xian, are you hungry? Want to eat some snacks or have the kitchen make something?”
Wen Xian swept a glance over the tea snacks placed on the table. These days she had only been having plain soup and light meals for her health; it had been a long time since she ate flavorful food.
She softly acted spoiled: “I want to eat crayfish, and also want to eat hotpot.”
Shen Lingge coaxed her in a low voice: “In a few days I’ll take you to eat hotpot, today let the kitchen make crayfish noodles for you, is that okay?”
Wen Xian obediently nodded. Seeing this, Shen Lingge rewarded her by hugging her and kissing her forehead.
While Wen Xian slightly blushed and pushed him away, right now there were still other people in the living room so she felt a bit embarrassed.
At this time, Qiuqiu was curiously squatting on the sofa where Chi Yanyu was sitting, staring at this dumbfounded man. Wen Xianxian was obediently lying beside Wen Xian’s leg, wagging its fluffy tail from time to time.
At this moment, Chi Yanyu’s whole state was complete brain blank, limbs stiff beyond compare. His heart was filled with nothing but one screen of “WTF”, then he immediately took out his phone to start ranting.
Group: Mingcheng’s Light (6)
Chi Yanyu: WTF, my ge might have been soul-possessed by someone!
Jiang Min: Can you watch less of what your little sister watches?
Zhao Cheng: ……
Song Jingzheng: Dumbass.
Zhao Cheng: Even Jingzheng got blown out by Yanyu.
Chi Yanyu: I’m serious, I’m going blind. I feel like my ge has completely become a different person.
Chi Yanyu: Tonight when you all see it, you’ll understand my feelings.
Zhao Cheng: So in the end coming or not?
Chi Yanyu: My ge still hasn’t said, I’ll ask my saozi.
Chi Yanyu put down his phone to mentally prepare himself, then lifted his gaze to look at Wen Xian. He didn’t realize he had subconsciously softened his tone: “Saozi, do you want to come play with us tonight?”
Wen Xian had already been interested in the racing Chi Yanyu mentioned earlier. Seeing him ask like this, she immediately nodded: “Mm, Shen Lingge said he’ll take me over to play with you guys. Can I race together with you all?”
Chi Yanyu: “……”
He still wanted to live to see tomorrow’s sun.
Chi Yanyu immediately looked toward Shen Lingge. As expected, Shen Lingge already had his brows faintly furrowed. So he held it in for a long time before forcing out a few words: “Saozi, there’s still lots of interesting stuff in the club.”
Wen Xian pursed her lips and looked at Shen Lingge. She raised her eyes with grievance: “Are you not allowing me to play?”
Shen Lingge: “……”
If it were usual, Shen Lingge would definitely have put on a stern face and scolded her not to play. But she hadn’t really been happy these past days; today was rare, her mood willing to go out and play with him. He didn’t want her unhappy.
He lightly sighed in his heart, coaxing her: “I’ll take you to play. I’ll drive and take you to play.”
Wen Xian had never seen what Shen Lingge looked like racing before. This man had always been composed and noble, as if he had no connection to such hot-blooded sports. For a moment, she fell into tangled thought.
She estimated in her heart that Shen Lingge wouldn’t agree to let her personally get behind the wheel, so she compromised under his good looks: “Then fine.”
But then Wen Xian remembered Shen Lingge playing bumper cars at the amusement park and battling with others. Her face was full of suspicion: “Shen Lingge, are you really capable? Last time you weren’t very capable.”
Chi Yanyu: “………”
Fuck, his ge actually isn’t capable?!
Shen Lingge: ?
Right now, Shen Lingge really regretted why he hadn’t properly explained to Wen Xian last time that saying whether a man is capable or not can’t casually be used to describe other things — like now.
His temple twitched slightly, doing his best to speak calmly: “Xian Xian, bumper cars and racing cars are completely different.”
Wen Xian didn’t care about him. She mumbled: “I’m going to eat crayfish noodles now. Anyway, you weren’t very capable last time, explaining is useless.”
Chi Yanyu had an expression like he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Then he felt a cold gaze shoot over from across, so he immediately pulled back his expression and kept looking at his phone, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.
…
By the time Shen Lingge and the others went out, the sky was already getting dark. Large patches of sunset glow covered the sky, not far away tall buildings stood in rows. This noisy city looked a little quieter in this moment.
Wen Xian tilted her head, watching Shen Lingge and Chi Yanyu talking.
He held her with one hand, the other casually stuck in his pants pocket. His expression was relaxed, the corners of his eyes and brows carrying a faint smile.
He had rarely changed into casual clothes — it was the set she had bought for him in London last time.
This kind of Shen Lingge, Wen Xian very rarely saw. He would only be this unguarded in front of his parents, as well as in front of her.
Wen Xian suddenly felt very heart-ached. Shen Lingge’s latter half of life shouldn’t just stay with her in Licheng. This was his home.
She lowered her gaze to cover the emotion in her eyes.
She had changed her mind. Shen Lingge had already given too much for her.
“Xian Xian?” Shen Lingge lowered his head to look at Wen Xian’s obviously zoning-out little face. He took the small bag from her hand. “Get in the car now. What are you thinking about, hmm?”
Wen Xian raised her head and blinked. She decided not to tell him now — she’d tell him when he prepared to take her back to Licheng.
The evening breeze lightly brushed past, the sunset softened the lines of Shen Lingge’s face. In his black eyes reflected some faint, firelight-like fragmented glimmers, making his gaze appear especially gentle.
Wen Xian tiptoed and leaned slightly closer to Shen Lingge, dropping a light kiss at the corner of his lips. Her brows and eyes curved as she looked at him, her voice soft: “I was thinking of you.”
Shen Lingge stared at her for a moment, then suddenly let out a light laugh. Right after, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lowered his head to kiss her.
Wen Xian reached out to hug Shen Lingge’s waist, earnestly tiptoeing to match him.
The sunset carrying residual warmth quietly shone upon the two people embracing each other. Time was tranquil and beautiful.
Chi Yanyu standing beside the car, already petrified: “……”
He felt like he really ought to have a name. [idiom: deserve recognition]