Chapter 29

“Jinghe Hotel has quite a few new dishes lately. Next time, come with Xi Yao; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.”

The alley by the entrance to Xiangyang Community was poorly lit; the streetlamps weren’t very bright, and a faint, muddy yellow washed over Xi Yu’s tall figure. Her brows and eyes were swallowed by shadow, leaving only her lips exposed to the light, pale against the dark.

White specks had begun drifting through the air at some point. Snowflakes fluttered lightly, lingering for a long time before slowly settling down.

Yu Nianyi looked at the person across from her through the barely perceptible veil of snow. As always, Xi Yu wore a cool expression; there was nothing in her gaze that Yu Nianyi wanted when their eyes met.

She withdrew her hand. The faint warmth that had just brushed against her overcoat vanished in an instant; cold wind slipped into her sleeves, spreading through her body, and with it, the ambiguous feeling that had just begun to rise disappeared without a trace.

Yu Nianyi said nothing. She studied Xi Yu over and over, then let out a small laugh. It was so soft, so light, it was almost impossible to hear.

“It’s snowing,” Xi Yu said, lowering her gaze toward the paints. “There isn’t much to carry. Once you get them inside, rest early.”

As soon as she said that, she bent as if to pick up the bags holding the paint. Yu Nianyi immediately stepped forward and stood in front of Xi Yu, gripping the bag tightly, her hand pressing hard over the back of Xi Yu’s hand.

Yu Nianyi lifted her habitual smile, polite and courteous. “No need to trouble Sister Xi Yu. How could I let you help with this? Bringing the paint already surprised me; how could I possibly ask for anything more?”

Xi Yu didn’t let go; she looked at Yu Nianyi’s face, so close to her own.

She was just the same as when they first met, smiling with flattering politeness; and on closer look, there was even a strange hint of provocation.

Xi Yu studied her quietly, her gaze moving from Yu Nianyi’s slightly arched light brows to her dark, bright eyes. Her carefully curled lashes trembled faintly in the dim yellow light; snow landed on the tip of her frost-pink nose, and her words, full of a sulky warmth, drifted through the air and lingered for a long time.

“All right. You carry them.”

Xi Yu let go and turned slightly, lowering her head to look at the remaining paint.

Yu Nianyi let out a breath, looked at Xi Yu’s straight, dark back, then turned and climbed the steps without the slightest reluctance, heading straight into the stairwell.

The motion-sensor light above suddenly came on with her steps. Yu Nianyi lowered her head and watched her shadow fall across the stairs, broken into several pieces.

She raised her foot and stomped up step after step. The stairwell echoed at once with a rapid pattering sound.

Bad Xi Yu.

She hadn’t expected Xi Yu to have such an annoying side.

So annoying.

Yu Nianyi frowned unconsciously, so angry her face almost twisted.

Only after she had stepped on “Xi Yu” for the fifty-sixth time did she finally reach the door.

Yu Nianyi quickly opened it and dumped the things onto the table in one breath. The next second, measured footsteps sounded at the entrance, and Xi Yu brought in the rest.

“Rest early,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi leaned against the edge of the table, arms folded, and didn’t want to answer.

Only after Xi Yu stepped out the door, her figure already nearly disappearing down the stairs, did Yu Nianyi softly call out, “Sister Xi Yu.”

Xi Yu looked back and saw Yu Nianyi’s smiling face.

“Thank you. I’ll use it properly.”

“Mhm.”

-

Xiaoxiao Bay.

Xi Yu walked into the entryway, and the living room lights came on at once, brightening the entire space.

Under the faint warm yellow light, the gray-white marble floor gleamed, its patterns clearly visible. The sofa was unusually large, set against the coffee table; both were black to the core. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, Jiayang’s night view stretched out in full, glittering with lights.

The surroundings were silent and cold; as Xi Yu walked in, clear footsteps gradually sounded.

Xi Yu carried the long cardboard box and set it down very slowly on the table by the entrance. The box wasn’t very big, but the packaging was meticulous and neat, with not the slightest sign of impact.

After checking it once, she turned into the shower area and removed the tie holding back her long hair and her glasses.

Her hair cascaded down with the motion. Because it had been held up for so long, the originally straight strands curled into a large arc, like layers of waves on the surface of the deep sea, rippling gently across her straight, smooth back.

Xi Yu raised a hand and brushed the hair at her forehead aside; water trailed down her lifted arm, dropping onto the floor one splash at a time.

Water kept running inside the bathroom. Xi Yu covered both sides of her face with her hands; the breath between her lips gradually warmed, trapped between her palms, while the ceaseless water seeped through the gaps between her fingers and turned damp and hot in an instant.

That golden hue seemed to flash past her eyes again; a sweet fragrance curled around the tip of her nose, growing richer and richer.

Xi Yu let go; moisture dripped endlessly from her fingertips, the sound echoing.

It was a long time before someone came out of the shower room.

Xi Yu went straight to the desk where the painting was placed and slowly opened the box from the side. Inside lay the work she had already seen on her phone; now that she was looking at it up close, it gave off a different feeling.

Brushwork, color, composition; they reflected the painter’s habits and the underlying tone of her character. Looking carefully at a work was a silent exchange with the painter in the moment she had created it.

Xi Yu gazed quietly at the painting, clearly visible under the faint light. The composition in the image was unlike what was commonly seen; it was even somewhat bold, or perhaps free and unrestrained.

The entire painting was especially hazy, as if covered by an opaque mist. Beneath that mist were rows of low buildings, dense and intertwined; what drew the eye most was the black silhouette standing upright on the right.

The silhouette stood amid the blur; its face was hidden in shadow, but its indistinct outline made the figure’s expression unmistakable.

Looking into the painting, it almost felt like meeting the person in it eye to eye. That gaze was dark, brilliant, and quiet as the deep sea, impossible to look away from.

A sudden string of rings sounded nearby; the screen on the coffee table lit up all at once. Xi Yu turned back and saw that it was a call from Xi Huanian.

She swiped to answer.

“Next week I’m having a meal with your Uncle Chen’s family. Remember to come back.”

Xi Yu leaned against the black sofa cushion and said nothing.

Xi Huanian was the kind of father people generally imagined when they thought of a strict parent; from childhood, he had endless demands for Xi Yu and Xi Yao, especially for Xi Yu, where he only became more and more overbearing. Over time, he had even stopped offering simple, considerate greetings; perhaps to him, they were meaningless and insignificant.

“Remember to bring your sister too. What does it look like, never coming home?”

Xi Yu frowned slightly. Her expression was cold and hard; if one looked closely, there even seemed to be traces of Xi Huanian in it. “Next week won’t work. The factory is too busy.”

The call was still connected, but the surroundings were deathly silent; the temperature seemed to drop several degrees because of Xi Yu’s words.

“Noon on Saturday. I want to see you and Xi Yao.”

Beep, beep—

Xi Yu tightened her grip on the phone; the knuckles stood out sharply, blue veins clearly visible beneath the skin. She turned off the phone and tossed it onto the coffee table. It landed with a dull thud, and the living room fell back into silence.

The Xi family and the Chen family gathering together was naturally for Xi Yu’s marriage.

With such a grand display, the next time she went over, it wouldn’t be so easy to handle.

Xi Yu lay back against the sofa cushion. The soft overhead light fell quietly over her expressionless face, which even carried a hint of anger.

She slowly closed her eyes; her vision went black, and her body sank into stillness.

In her mind, the outline of that painting surfaced faintly. The person in the painting looked back at her from afar; at first it had been the expressionless version of herself, but later it gradually changed into a smiling woman with foxlike cunning.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, high-rises stood packed together, night lights flickering. Beneath the brilliance, the water shimmered, and all was utterly quiet.

-

Yu Nianyi had been in a very bad mood lately; ever since she’d hit a wall with Xi Yu, she hadn’t been giving anyone a friendly face.

Of course, she had sharply sensed Xi Yu’s evasiveness. If it had been any other time and she’d run into this kind of situation, she would have already patted her butt and turned around to leave. How could she still be here, locked in a stalemate with someone?

But she just couldn’t stomach it.

Recently, she’d been busy painting a portrait of Luo Yiran, and Yu Nianyi forced herself not to contact Xi Yu much.

From the time they’d finished dinner and come back until now, Yu Nianyi had never sent a single message. Xi Yu, for her part, also hadn’t sent anything. The two of them seemed as if they had never met; they acted like strangers.

Xi Yao’s piece was almost finished. With Luo Yiran’s birthday approaching, she practically worked herself into Xu Ruoyan’s shop every evening; even when Luo Yiran looked for her, she found excuses to brush her off, so much so that Luo Yiran came looking for Yu Nianyi instead.

Yu Nianyi only said that Xi Yao was busy rushing her homework, and barely managed to get through that crisis.

The cup had already been completed. Xi Yao was now sitting in the shop, examining it closely; after confirming there were no issues, it would be packaged directly.

The cup’s design was very unique. The overall look was like a tropical beach, with white foam rolling in layers; Tiffany blue was lightly washed across it, and the bottom was a deeper turquoise green.

Palm trees were clearly dotted throughout, a lush field of green.

Xi Yao’s hands were very steady. Thanks to the training she’d had in meticulous gongbi painting, even when outlining tiny leaves, each leaf was distinct and clear; the lines were smooth, the shapes interwoven and defined, very beautiful.

Xi Yao sat to the side, holding the cup and looking it over from every angle, smiling like it was the best thing in the world.

“Luo Yiran’s birthday is on Friday?” Yu Nianyi asked.

“Yeah, seven in the evening. I was going to book the place, but Luo Luo said she’d already booked it; we can just go straight there.”

Yu Nianyi nodded. “Okay.”

Xi Yao put the cup into the paper box they had already prepared, then glanced at Yu Nianyi, who seemed to be spacing out. “Our family gathering is this Saturday.”

Yu Nianyi arched a brow, looking at Xi Yao’s hesitant expression.

“This time it’s different; Uncle Chen’s family will be there.” Xi Yao paused, then continued, “Chen Shuo will be there too.”

Yu Nianyi hooked her lips. Half-jokingly, she said, “What, are they talking marriage already?”

Xi Yao blinked and studied Yu Nianyi’s expression. Slowly, she said, “That... might be it.”

Yu Nianyi’s face instantly cooled; she shut her mouth and said nothing.

A long while later, she smiled and said, “Then say hello to Sister Xi Yu for me.”

“Tell her I really like the paint.”