The elevator moved slowly upward.
Shen Xianyu said, "This neighborhood is part of the Shen family's property. Those people you met tonight all have apartments here—but only Yan Zhi lives in this building."
Tang Wanwan gave a small "Mm," and replied, "I know. He lives downstairs."
"…" Shen Xianyu fell silent for a moment, his tone light. "You seem to remember that pretty clearly."
The elevator display ticked up to "9," and the doors slid open.
Shen Xianyu held her hand as he entered the code for the front door, then registered her fingerprint as well.
After a few swift motions, Tang Wanwan stepped inside. She reached out in the dark, feeling for the light switch—only to be pulled into his arms from behind.
"Wanwan…"
The door clicked shut, locking the light outside.
In the darkness, Shen Xianyu pressed his lips against her neck, his voice low and husky. "It's just the two of us now."
"!!!" Tang Wanwan jumped in surprise. "What are you doing!"
That question, to him, sounded almost funny.
Shen Xianyu sighed. "What could I do? I'm not doing anything."
He buried his face against the curve of her neck, inhaling deeply, as if committing her scent to memory. Only after a long moment did he reluctantly let her go.
The lights flicked on suddenly.
Wanwan instinctively squinted, and when her eyes adjusted, she saw him looking down at her, gaze brimming with tenderness.
Startled by the heat in his eyes, she quickly turned her head away.
"What are you avoiding?"
Shen Xianyu's gaze dimmed slightly. He reached out, tilting her chin back toward him. "If you do this, you'll make me misunderstand."
Misunderstand that you're avoiding my feelings.Misunderstand that you… don't want me anymore.
The thought alone made his heart tighten painfully, and his fingers unconsciously applied more pressure. "Don't avoid me, Wanwan."
"…" She was silent for a moment, her voice much softer when she finally spoke. "Which room is mine? I want to sleep."
Of course, the room had been ready for a long time.
Her health was his priority, so Shen Xianyu didn't press further. He took her hand and led her straight to the master bedroom.
The room was spacious. The adjoining walk-in closet was already filled—clothes, shoes, bags, everything for every season.
Wanwan disliked the cold and rarely wore dresses unless absolutely necessary, so there were only a few skirts among the garments he had prepared for her.
There was even a glass display for watches—every piece chosen to her taste.
Every corner of the room quietly revealed just how much effort the owner had put into preparing it.
After entering the room, Shen Xianyu went into the bathroom to run her a hot bath. When he came back out, she was still standing there in a daze. He reached for her hand. "Go take a bath and rest early. Tomorrow, come with me to the hospital to visit Grandpa."
His voice was impossibly gentle.
Looking at the closet so meticulously prepared to her preferences, Wanwan couldn't help asking, "How long have you been preparing all this?"
"…Two years?" Shen Xianyu wasn't even sure himself. He gave a small laugh. "Wanwan, I've been dreaming of the day you'd finally come to Beijing."
And now she had finally come.
But she had met Jiang Yanzhi.
Wanwan felt a bitter pang in her chest.What should she do?
She carried that question with her into the bathroom.
Shen Xianyu, meanwhile, busied himself like a devoted housekeeper, unpacking her luggage.
Though there were several live-in maids in the house, when it came to her, he never liked to leave things to others.
She hadn't brought much—a small suitcase, mostly clothes, and a few books.
Her skin was delicate, and as the Tang family had the means to indulge their daughter, everything she wore from childhood had been carefully chosen. From head to toe, inside and out, all handmade and custom.
Shen Xianyu placed each item neatly into drawers and shelves. Finally, only her most intimate garments were left. He hesitated for a moment before starting to arrange those as well.
When Wanwan came out, the first thing she saw was an empty suitcase.
She blinked. "…You unpacked?"
"Mm." Shen Xianyu lowered his gaze, hiding his awkwardness. "You've had a long day. Anything I can do for you, I should do."
"…" Wanwan was momentarily speechless.
But since he'd already finished, she couldn't exactly tell him to put it all back.
She gave a small "Oh," and said, "It's late. You should go, I'm going to sleep."
Sleep…
Shen Xianyu's throat tightened. He looked up at her. "Wanwan, shall we sleep together?"
!!!
Wanwan's eyes widened. "What are you talking about!"
"What's wrong with that?" Shen Xianyu smiled, his voice coaxing. "Let me hold you. I won't do anything—just want to sleep with you in my arms."
…Sleep with you in my arms.
He meant it.He wasn't joking.
Wanwan's heart jumped into her throat. She shook her head rapidly. "No, no. You go. I want to sleep alone."
Her refusal was crisp, without a trace of hesitation.She clearly didn't want to get too close to him.
Shen Xianyu looked at her with faint hurt. "Really not?"
Wanwan's heart was made of stone. "No."
"…Alright." Shen Xianyu was deeply disappointed.
He closed the door behind him, leaving reluctantly.
Wanwan locked it from the inside, lying down on the bed with mixed emotions.
Her first night in Beijing, Wanwan did not sleep well.
Her dreams were broken, filled with strange and unsettling scenes—
One moment, Shen Xianyu was coldly asking why she didn't want him anymore.The next, Jiang Yanzhi's eyes were red, his voice gritted as he demanded to know how much longer she planned to toy with him.
The intensity of those feelings left the Wanwan in her dream flustered and defenseless.
A sudden sensation of falling startled her awake. She stared blankly at the crystal chandelier above her.
She hadn't even accumulated these emotional debts yet—And already, the nightmares had begun.
The image of the two men taking turns to question her echoed again and again in her mind.
Could this… be a warning of the future?
Thinking of the suffocating pressure in that dream, Wanwan felt her heart race. She was somehow more tired than before she had gone to sleep.
After just one night apart, the improvement in her health she'd gained from meeting Jiang Yanzhi was gone. She was back to her old state—getting winded after walking just a few steps.
It had always been miserable, but now that she had experienced feeling healthy and full of energy, it was even harder to bear.
Fine then—emotional debt was emotional debt.
Wanwan thought, as long as her body stayed healthy, even if there were twenty such debts, she would carry them all.
Still, if possible, she wanted to minimize the hurt she caused Shen Xianyu.
She lay quietly for a while, sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtains.
It was already broad daylight.
She got out of bed, washed up, and opened the door.
Shen Xianyu's room was next door, the door standing open. Clearly, he had been up for a while.
A few steps later, she saw him sitting on the sofa in the living room.
At the sound of her approach, he looked up. Seeing it was her, his lips curved in a smile. "Awake?"
He stood and walked toward her, but when he got close enough to see her complexion, his brows drew together slightly. "Didn't you say you were feeling much better? Why do you still look so pale?"
"…" Wanwan was silent for a moment. Then she asked quietly, "What if my body stayed like this forever… and never got better?"
(End of Chapter)