She thought that by wiping away her tears, it was as if nothing had happened, but her red-rimmed eyes had already betrayed her.
Her pretty, pale face, under the flickering light, was like a blurred veil. Though she was smiling, she exuded a sense of helplessness and sadness.
Shen Yue said, "I didn't cry, a mosquito flew into my eye."
Shen Yan's fair and handsome face turned ashen. In the middle of summer, where would mosquitoes come from?
He wanted to pretend not to care, after all, he and Shen Yue were no longer related. Even if he suffered grievances or was bullied outside, it had nothing to do with him.
Besides, who could bully Shen Yue?
Shen Yue was the type of person who would never let herself be at a disadvantage.
Shen Yan's gaze drifted to the corners of her eyes, which were tinged with redness. But—
Shen Yue had lost her memory.
He had to admit, Shen Yue after losing her memory was like an idiot, both foolish and silly. He felt she would help count money even if she was being sold.
Thinking this, it was like clumps of cotton stuffing into the deepest part of his heart.
As if unseen hands were rippling the calm lake of his heart, causing waves.
Shen Yan took the key from his pocket and opened the door. He didn't go in immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and said to the hesitant woman standing at the doorway, as if casually, "Come in."
Shen Yue was overwhelmed with emotion. She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly. For some reason, even now, she was still a little afraid to go in.
Her wet eyelashes drooped. Her dark, beautiful, and particularly tearful eyes were fixed on the uneven ground.
Her voice was low and soft.
"No, no, it's very late. I won't disturb you."
The young man let out a scoff. He turned to look at the woman with her head bowed, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes. He turned on the light and said, "After you leave, never come back again."
Without regard for the person behind him, he went inside.
Shen Yue's face turned pale. She bit her lip hard. After a moment of hesitation, she still went in.
The inside of the house was even more shabby than she had imagined. The white paint on the walls was peeling, and the household items were worn and old.
Shen Yan went into the kitchen. Hearing footsteps in the living room, the frown that had been creasing his brow involuntarily loosened.
He turned on the stove. Shen Yan took noodles and two eggs from the refrigerator. While boiling the noodles, he lit a cigarette.
The water in the pot was gurgling. Half of a cigarette was burning between his fingers, wisps of pale blue smoke curling upwards.
"Xiao Yan."
A woman's voice, as gentle as a spring breeze, came from behind him.
Shen Yan's mind went blank for a moment, then he turned his head. Shen Yue had walked up behind him at some point.
Shen Yue looked at the cigarette in Shen Yan's fingers. Her delicate and beautiful eyebrows immediately furrowed. "Put out the cigarette." 138 Reading Network.
Her words were so decisive that Shen Yan was taken aback. He instinctively put out the cigarette, and only after a moment did he react. His handsome face was as dark as burnt coal.
He glanced at the woman, a sarcastic smile appearing on his lips. "If I want to smoke, I'll smoke. What right do you have to control me?"
Shen Yue said very seriously and earnestly, "Smoking is bad for your health, and you are so young. How can you pick up such a bad habit? Hand over all your cigarettes."
Shen Yan was baffled and inexplicably annoyed. "Are you crazy? Mind your own business!"
Shen Yue stared at him with those clear, pure black eyes, which sparkled in the dim kitchen like black pearls hidden in oyster shells at the bottom of the sea.
She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I am your sister."
Shen Yan's chest heaved. After a long while, his inner anger finally subsided. He said without thinking, "You are not my sister. I don't have a sister."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to flow with a suffocating oppression.
Shen Yue lowered her head, her expression unreadable.
Shen Yan felt that he was right, but seeing Shen Yue's appearance, he inexplicably felt guilty and uneasy. He turned his head and continued to cook the noodles.
But he could hear the movements of the person next to him.
Shen Yue stood beside him for a long time, then slowly walked out.
Shen Yan couldn't help but turn to look.
The woman's figure was slender and thin, wearing a black hoodie that looked empty inside.
Shen Yan looked at the boiling noodles in the pot, his brow furrowed, his expression grim.
The noodles were soon cooked. They were served steaming hot. Shen Yue looked at the bowl of noodles in front of her. There were two eggs on top, while Shen Yan's bowl had none.
She looked at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan seemed to understand the meaning in her eyes and said faintly, "I don't like eggs."
Shen Yue countered almost immediately, "You're lying."
Shen Yan looked up.
Shen Yue lowered her head, picked out the egg whites, and put them into his bowl.
After doing this, even Shen Yue herself was stunned, and Shen Yan stared intently at the bowl, his expression inscrutable.
Shen Yue took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. The noodles were unexpectedly delicious, even better than the ones Shen Yue made.
After eating a couple of mouthfuls, Shen Yue asked, "Isn't Mom home?"
Shen Yan paused. "Mom is on the night shift today and won't be back."
Shen Yue said "oh." The meal was eaten in silence.
After dinner, Shen Yue took the initiative to offer to wash the dishes. Shen Yan didn't refuse.
There were only two bowls, and they were washed quickly. Shen Yue took two paper towels and wiped the water from her hands.
Shen Yan was doing his homework. He was in his third year of high school, with a heavy academic load and a lot of homework. After finishing his part-time job after school, it was already very late, so by the time he finished his homework, it was usually past midnight.
Shen Yue stared at the young man's back for a long time. After a while, she said softly, "Then I'll be going back now."
Shen Yan was still facing away from her. All she could hear was the young man's extremely indifferent tone.
"It's very late. Stay here for the night."
Shen Yue's breath hitched. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She was flustered for a long time before she managed to suppress the excitement and joy in her heart.
She said cautiously,
"Then, then I'll sleep on the sofa..."
"You sleep in Mom's room. Mom won't be back tonight anyway."
Shen Yue frantically shook her head. "No, you don't have to. I'll just sleep on the sofa."
Shen Yan just turned his head and gave her a faint glance. He said nothing and continued writing his homework.
The mathematical formulas on his paper were complex and tedious. Shen Yan's mind drifted to the way the woman was nervously fumbling with her hands and feet just now. The corners of his tightly drawn mouth couldn't help but curve into a subtle arc, which quickly fell back down.
The sofa was hard, but Shen Yue didn't mind at all. Instead, she found it extremely comfortable.
Shen Yan sat beside her doing his homework, so Shen Yue could see him whenever she looked up.
Under the dim yellow light, the young man's hair was outlined by a halo of light. His back was straight and broad, subtly showing the contours of a grown man.
His porcelain-like face was like brittle crystal, as if it would shatter with a slight touch.