It was unfortunate that Shen Yue did not get a chance to showcase her skills before being kicked out of the kitchen by Sang Fan.
Sang Fan was quick and efficient, finishing the meal in no time. Three dishes and one soup, it was quite a feast.
The guest room was tidied up meticulously. As night fell, Shen Yue went to bed very early.
Sang Fan, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He didn't know what his problem was; this insomnia had been going on for half a year. Gradually, he had become accustomed to it. But after sleeping soundly the previous day, this inability to fall asleep now was driving him mad.
Before, he had only felt restless, but now he felt incredibly uncomfortable, a pervasive discomfort all over his body.
Shen Yue was right beside him, in the next room.
After tossing and turning in bed until past midnight, Sang Fan managed to doze off for less than ten minutes.
Unable to bear it any longer, Sang Fan got up and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time. Finally, he quietly went to the next room.
The clean and tidy room was pitch black, even the curtains were tightly drawn.
He tiptoed, slowly approaching, and came to the bedside.
In this dark space, he couldn't see Shen Yue's face at all.
Sang Fan squatted down and sat on the floor.
He didn't do anything, just accurately grasped Shen Yue's hand, which was resting outside the covers in the darkness. It was cool and soft.
He didn't dare to use too much force, just held it loosely, resting his head by Shen Yue's hand. The faint, delicate fragrance of the girl filled his nostrils. He fell asleep in a pitiable posture.
—
Shen Yue had no money on her. The small amount she spent at the supermarket last time was her last asset.
During the day, she was mostly home alone. Shen Yue didn't know what Sang Fan did. There were no books in the apartment, only a few game consoles, which Shen Yue didn't know how to play.
After a while, she became bored to death. Shen Yue remembered her trip to the supermarket and observed that the greenery in the apartment complex was quite good, with many flowers and plants.
Shen Yue tidied herself up simply and went downstairs. Fortunately, the sun wasn't too strong and wasn't harsh.
Various unnamed flowers were planted along the roadside. Shen Yue didn't know their names, but she found them quite pretty.
She squatted on the ground to look at the flowers, and after a stroll, she felt bored.
Shen Yue was a little thirsty, but she didn't even have money to buy water.
It was quite pitiful.
Shen Yue thought about whether she should find a relatively easy job. If she had some money, she wouldn't have to live in someone else's home all the time.
No sooner said than done. Next to the apartment was a commercial street. Shen Yue inquired at many places and spent most of the morning before finally finding a relatively easy job.
It was at a flower shop.
The work was five hours a day, involving the arrangement and maintenance of floral materials, daily care, and flower arranging.
Two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.
It was Shen Yue's first time working, and she didn't realize how unusual five hours a day was, as the minimum working hours for a job were usually eight hours a day.
The shop owner was a kind-looking middle-aged woman who was very polite to Shen Yue.
She was so polite that it made Shen Yue a little embarrassed, but she didn't suspect anything, only thinking that the owner was simply a good person.
After finishing her three hours of work in the afternoon, Shen Yue didn't feel tired. She even wanted to help, but the owner stopped her.
The owner smiled more kindly, "You don't need to help. I can handle this myself. It's getting late, you should go back first."
Shen Yue glanced at the time; it was only six o'clock. Summer days were longer, and it wasn't dark yet. But the owner insisted, and Shen Yue couldn't do anything else. Just as she was about to leave, the owner called out to her, as if remembering something.
The owner took out a red bill from her wallet and placed it in Shen Yue's hand. "Our wages here are paid daily. If you feel it's okay, you can come back tomorrow."
Shen Yue felt an ineffable feeling arise within her – happiness, as if she had proven herself.
Yes, she had said she could take care of herself.
The girl showed a smile as gentle and warm as the winter sun, her eyes curved, dimples shallow, deeply touching.
Her voice had an indescribable softness and charm.
"Thank you, I'll come back tomorrow."
After saying goodbye politely, she left.
The owner watched the girl's receding figure, her gaze subtly drifting to a Bentley parked by the roadside, which had been there for an unknown duration.
—
Shen Yue looked at the money she earned for the first time, turning it over and over in her hands. No matter how she looked at it, it felt different from the money she had seen before.
Her steps on the way back even became livelier.
She bought two cups of bubble tea from a roadside stall, one strawberry mochi and one crème brûlée crunch milk cream.
These two cups already cost half of her money, but Shen Yue didn't feel any heartache.
Shen Yue was reluctant to drink them herself and planned to take them back for Sang Fan. Both cups were for Sang Fan.
When she returned, she saw a pair of sneakers at the entrance.
Sang Fan was back.
Shen Yue, holding the two cups of milk tea, changed her shoes and walked in. Upon seeing the scene in the living room, her eyes widened slightly.
The living room, which should have been clean and tidy, was now a mess. Glass shards were scattered everywhere on the floor, and things were in disarray. One would think it had been ransacked.
Shen Yue glanced again at the sneakers in the entryway cabinet. She was very sure these were the shoes Sang Fan had worn out that morning.
Placing the two cups of milk tea on the relatively clean coffee table, Shen Yue hesitantly called out, "Sang Fan?"
As soon as her voice fell, the door to the guest room opened quickly.
Sang Fan emerged, looking distraught, his face pale, his eyes bloodshot, and his breathing heavy, like a raging beast forced into a cage.
Shen Yue frowned in confusion, not understanding how the home and the man had become so disheveled in just a short while she was away. She was merely puzzled, not frightened.
She tried to lower her voice, her eyes gentle as she softly inquired, "What's wrong?"
Sang Fan said nothing, only staring fixedly at the girl standing not far away.
The girl was exquisite and beautiful, wearing a warm-colored, round-necked long-sleeved shirt he had prepared for her, her expression worried.
"Shen Yue?"
"Yes?"
"Shen Yue?"
"I'm here."
"Shen Yue."
"I'm here."
The man seemed to be confirming something, stubbornly repeating her name, his pupils trembling slightly. He met the girl's dark, moist eyes, and his violently beating heart gradually calmed down. Then, another strange emotion began to ferment and spread in his chest, a sour fullness that threatened to burst out.
He pressed his hand to the back of his neck, with great force, his knuckles turning white, his hoarse voice halting, the slight tremble in it disappearing.
"Where did you go?"
Sang Fan might not have noticed how strange his gaze was, that it wasn't the sickness of a human. He appeared outwardly calm, but a storm was brewing beneath the surface.