Chapter 34

The man's light, low voice carried a hint of hoarseness, still possessing that same nonchalant tone from his youth.

"It's just Su Mingyan; is he worth me going over to disgust him?"

Qi Zhiwen instantly grasped Huo Jingcheng's meaning: he was interested in someone.

He turned his head thoughtfully, shifting his gaze outside the car window, where the dense clusters of high-rise buildings retreated rapidly like a fast-forwarded film.

……

Inside the 'One River Tobacco' Tea House.

After seeing Huo Jingcheng off, Su Ruoyun picked up the teacup in front of her and raised it lightly to her lips. Just as she parted them to drink, her tongue caught the lingering scent of tobacco in the aftertaste.

The refreshing fragrance of mint, mixed with a faint, woody tobacco scent.

That was Huo Jingcheng's scent.

Realizing this, she set down the teacup she was holding, stopped drinking, and instead reached for a wet wipe from the side, pulling one out to press gently against her lips.

After wiping back and forth carefully to ensure no other scent remained on her lips, she threw the wipe precisely into the trash can. Only then did Su Ruoyun pick up the teacup again, tilting her head to take a sip; the tea moistened her lips, leaving a glossy, hydrated sheen.

She took her handbag from the sofa, but this time she didn't apply lip glaze, opting only for a layer of lip balm.

As she placed the bag back on the sofa, Su Ruoyun's gaze inadvertently swept over the Zitan wood table in the room.

On the long table sat a black ashtray with a cigarette butt still pressed inside. Her gaze fixed there, and she stared at it quietly for a few seconds.

Afterward, she walked over slowly, picked up the ashtray, and with a flick of her wrist, tilted it, letting the accumulated blue-white ash fall into the trash can like drifting snow.

The cigarette butt tumbled once in the trash bag before falling to the bottom.

Her movements carried a distinct sense of "out of sight, out of mind."

Tomorrow is Saturday, Li Li's birthday.

Curled up on the sofa, Su Ruoyun browsed a delivery platform for colored paper and ribbons, placing an order from a gift shop once she had made her selections.

By the time the delivery driver arrived, it was already 3:30 PM.

Outside the window, the sky seemed shrouded by a massive black curtain, dark and oppressive as if the apocalypse were descending. The air was unusually stifling, and a rainstorm seemed poised to break.

The temperature dropped suddenly, so she went to the lounge to get a trench coat, layering it over her long shirt.

She found a simple gift-wrapping tutorial video on her tablet; the comments section claimed: "Even a dog could learn this."

Propping the tablet on the long table, Su Ruoyun sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her eyes fixed firmly on the screen, fearing she might miss a single detail. She followed the steps in the video strictly, performing each action with extreme caution.

She spent an hour on the three-minute video, dragging the progress bar back and forth as the video played on a loop.

On the off-white wrapping paper, tiny pink floral patterns were scattered like stars. She wrapped the small-leaf Zitan tea box in mulberry paper, folding and turning it repeatedly before securing it with tape.

She then took a length of light, transparent fishtail gauze ribbon, weaving it flexibly around the wrapping paper. Her slender, fair fingers moved back and forth, tying an exquisite, beautiful bow, into which she inserted a dried red rose. The finished product was elegant, and she placed the tea box into a paper bag.

By the time she finished all this, over an hour had passed. The irregular wall clock ticked away, its hands pointing to 4:30.

Su Ruoyun turned her head to look out the wooden window. The dense dark clouds had been completely blown away by the strong wind, and a round, orange-red sun hung in the clear sky. The sunset glow spilled down, coating everything in a warm, dusky yellow hue.

She had checked the weather forecast, which predicted rain for the evening, so she specifically instructed her staff to close the doors and windows. After confirming they had noted it, she picked up the carefully wrapped gift bag and left work.

The weather forecast was indeed accurate; around seven or eight in the evening, a fierce rainstorm struck suddenly.

Before long, it stopped; the rain ceased abruptly, and the sky emitted a faint blue glow, though thick cumulonimbus clouds still lingered in the air.

After finishing dinner, Su Ruoyun glanced at her phone screen. The battery was below 15%, a red warning signal flashing, teetering on the edge.

Sitting on a stool, she rummaged through her handbag for a charger. When her fingertips touched that tube of lip glaze, her movements froze instantly. The terrifying memory from noon popped back into her mind, and every scene began to play on a loop.

Immediately, she pulled open the vanity drawer and, with a crisp and decisive motion, shoved the lip glaze into a corner where no one would notice it.

Damn it, she would never 'favor' it again in this lifetime!

……

The next day, Saturday.

Having gone to bed early last night, she had a good night's sleep until dawn.

At six in the morning, as the sky just began to brighten, Su Ruoyun woke up leisurely. After fiddling with her phone for a while, she became increasingly awake and couldn't fall back asleep.

Li Ayi usually came over at eight in the morning to prepare breakfast. Since it was still early, she decided to go for a morning run.

After the wind and heavy rain last night, today was a beautiful day with blue skies and white clouds. The sight of the clear blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and brilliant morning glow created a dreamy, gorgeous scene; the wild storm of the night had traded for a transparent, beautiful day.

Su Ruoyun stood on the balcony, looking out. The lake within the residential complex came into view, its water shimmering, the mountain scenery lush and green.

In a daze, she almost thought autumn had arrived in Sijiucheng.

Although the weather was nice, the cold air hit her face. Su Ruoyun stepped back into the walk-in closet and chose a black windbreaker to wrap around herself.

She went downstairs and ran along the lake, but soon became breathless; the wind was biting. She wandered slowly outside until 7:30 before swiping her card to take the elevator up. After taking a shower, Li Ayi had already arrived at the apartment.

Li Ayi smiled kindly, "Good morning, Miss Su."

"Good morning." Su Ruoyun smiled with her eyes curved, following Li Ayi into the kitchen in her slippers, and asked, "What are we having for breakfast today?"

"What would you like to eat this morning, Miss Su?"

"Wonton, I suppose."

Li Ayi's freshly wrapped and cooked wontons were brought to the dining table twenty minutes later, accompanied by sugar-oil pancakes on a white porcelain plate.

The plump wontons, filled with meat, floated with drops of oil, pickled mustard greens, dried shrimp, and scallions, making one's mouth water.

Su Ruoyun tasted a wonton, looked at Li Ayi standing by the table, and gave her a thumbs-up without hesitation, "Delicious."

Li Ayi was coaxed into a beaming smile.

While she ate breakfast, Li Ayi began cleaning the apartment. The rooms were cleaned daily, so it didn't take much time. As she prepared to change the trash bag, a tubular object fell out, rolling a few times on the floor with a crisp sound.

There was no other trash in the bin, and it was placed next to the vanity, so Li Ayi wasn't sure if this lip glaze had fallen in by accident.

So, she picked up the lip glaze and went out to ask her employer.

"Miss Su, do you not want this lip glaze anymore?"

?? Seeking follow-up reads, mua~