Chapter 5, Under the Fence (03)

Tan Ruyi was immediately startled, her heart skipping a beat, and she quickly lowered her head, pretending to be engrossed in her studies. However, she forgot that the lead of her mechanical pencil was broken; when she pressed down hard, the paper was instantly marked with a deep indentation. She gritted her teeth and quickly pressed the cap of the pen twice, while her cheeks and ears could no longer contain their flush.

Shen Zizhuo lowered his head, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing the neat and attractive lines from his fingers to his wrists. A few strands of ink-black hair fell down, appearing very soft due to just having been washed. His gaze fell on the manuscript paper on the table, and when he was deep in thought, his brows slightly furrowed. From her line of sight, she happened to meet his straight nose. Tan Ruyi had never thought deeply about this before, but at this moment, she finally realized the truth: Shen Zizhuo truly deserved the phrase 'as beautiful as a painting.' His gaze fell on the manuscript paper on the table, and when he was deep in thought, his brows slightly furrowed. From her line of sight, she happened to meet his straight nose. Tan Ruyi had never thought deeply about this before, but at this moment, she finally realized the truth: Shen Zizhuo truly deserved the phrase 'as beautiful as a painting.'

"No... it's nothing, it's alright," Tan Ruyi hurriedly said

By the time the welcome party ended, Shen Zizhuo was already somewhat unsteady on his feet. He could not remember who had hailed the taxi for him. When he came to his senses, he found himself sitting by the flower bed outside the community, wearing only a shirt. He sneezed from the cold and staggered upstairs. After entering the door, he groped in the dark and lay down in the bedroom

Tan Ruyi heard his footsteps, startled for a moment, and immediately turned around to greet him, "Mr. Shen"

There was a vague sense that he seemed to have pressed down on something, but his eyelids were extremely heavy, his thoughts chaotic, and he had long lost the ability to think. He also felt cold and instinctively hugged the only warm thing in front of him

"Please take a seat." Shen Zizhuo walked towards the bookshelf behind her

After Shen Zizhuo finished his shower and came out, Tan Ruyi was no longer in the living room. On the coffee table, there was a cup of milk and a plate of toast. Shen Zizhuo sat down on the sofa and used a dry towel to wipe his hair. His gaze occasionally fell upon the cup of milk and the plate, and after several moments, he finally stopped his movements, reached out, and picked up the cup. A wisp of steam dispersed with his action

In addition to her work, Tan Ruyi also writes some essays, which she submits to the newspaper's supplement to earn a little pocket money. This time, at the invitation of an editor, she is writing an article introducing the customs and traditions of the rural Spring Festival. Just as she is deeply engrossed in her work, she suddenly feels a flicker in front of her eyes. Raising her gaze, she sees Shen Zizhuo walking in.

At this moment, Shen Zizhuo was searching for books behind her. She could hear the sound of his footsteps moving, the subtle friction when he pulled books from the shelf, and his occasional soft cough. All of these sensations felt like spider silk draped over her; even though they were light as a feather, the discomfort was enough to make one feel tense.

Shen Zizhuo gazed at Tan Ruyi's silhouette, stood for a moment, then took out his phone to call his assistant, asking her to help arrange for a bed to be delivered to his home

Moments later, the rustling sound from Shen Zizhuo's side began again. After Tan Ruyi calmed her mind, she faintly felt a sense of self-loathing arise within her.

Although Tan Ruyi sat down as instructed, she could not relax in the slightest. She had already noticed that when they were in the same room, Shen Zizhuo had a remarkably strong presence, which made her involuntarily pay attention to his movements, as if it were an overwhelming stress response.

After finishing his breakfast, Shen Zizhuo washed the plates and cups. As he came out of the kitchen, he looked up and saw Tan Ruyi standing at the door of the study. He paused and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Tan Ruyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but just as she did, Shen Zizhuo suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. Tan Ruyi instinctively straightened her back, attempting to mask the embarrassment that was gradually spreading across her face with a blank expression. However, Shen Zizhuo's hoarse voice rang out again, "I was a bit out of line last night, my apologies"

As the supervisor of the company, Shen Zizhuo naturally took the lead. The three new employees, brimming with the fearless spirit of youth, were determined to get him drunk. Shen Zizhuo had a considerable tolerance for alcohol, but he could not withstand the relentless onslaught from the three of them. Moreover, since Tang Shuyan was a woman, he had to exhibit chivalry and shield her from some of it.

A rather candid apology, it cannot be said to be sincere or insincere, as the tone is very calm, as if merely stating a fact that has indeed occurred

Shen Zizhuo painted for a while, then suddenly stopped his movements. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out something. Tan Ruyi glanced up slightly and was startled again—what Shen Zizhuo was holding in his hand was actually the eraser he had dropped.

Shen Zizhuo opened his eyes and woke up, recalling the events of last night, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He stood up, opened the door, and looked outside. Tan Ruyi was squatting in front of the coffee table, wearing the purple knitted sweater from their first meeting, deeply engrossed in writing something. He had found that purple unforgettable at first sight, as if it were a color taken directly from an eggplant. And at this moment, Tan Ruyi curled up like a fallen eggplant on the ground.

It is referred to as a company, but in reality, it is merely a studio with just over twenty employees. Shen Zizhuo began his entrepreneurial journey while pursuing his master's degree, co-founding the initial form of the studio with his university classmate, who is now the vice president, Tang Shuyan, through a loan. The initial business was simply to assist acquaintances with renovation design. As word of mouth spread, the scale expanded, and after five years, the studio has gained a modest reputation in Chongcheng.

The thought of "Tan Ruyi" flashed briefly in her mind, only to be overwhelmed by a severe headache and a heavy fatigue. In a state of unclear consciousness, one instinctively seeks out things that provide comfort, such as warmth, softness, and a light sweetness.

At this moment, he noticed that there was a white eraser shaped like a rabbit, which had fallen next to the plate, belonging to Tan Ruyi

In this light, the brief moment of distraction caused by Shen Zizhuo was swiftly erased by herself. This person is separated from her by layers of shame and obstacles; the distance between them is far greater than that between Werther and Charlotte.

Tan Ruyi cleared her mind, striving to focus her attention on her work. After a while of effort, she had achieved some results. Just as she was about to regain her earlier inspiration and continue writing, Shen Zizhuo unexpectedly brought a stool and sat down in front of her

The sudden turn of events that kept her tossing and turning all night came to an end in such a mundane manner, leaving Tan Ruyi somewhat unclear whether she felt relieved or melancholic.

Tan Ruyi let out a sigh of relief, gratefully nodded and said "thank you" to him, and then briskly returned to the study.

Tan Ruyi raised her head slightly, clenched her fingers, bit her lip, and finally spoke: "... From now on, I will sleep in the study."

Tan Ruyi's eyelid twitched, startling her so much that she nearly jumped out of her chair, and the tip of her pencil stabbed fiercely into the paper, breaking off a piece.

The childish shape of the rabbit, pinched between his slender fingers, appeared quite incongruous. Shen Zizhe was completely unaware of this issue, while Tan Ruyi couldn't help but feel amused. Just as the corners of her mouth began to curl up, Shen Zizhe's gaze suddenly lifted slightly and turned towards her

Shen Zizhuo was momentarily silent, and could not help but recall the day when he went with Shen Zhixing to discuss the marriage proposal with her. She stood in the stairwell, neck arched, appearing stubborn as if engaged in a desperate struggle like a cornered beast

Tan Ruyi raised her eyes to look at him, "Mr. Shen ... ... "

When at home, Tan Ruyi usually only moves between the study and the living room. Now, with Shen Zizhe's "approval," the study has become her bedroom, which has given her a greater sense of belonging.

Reality serves as a wake-up call, reminding her that she has no right to indulge in romantic fantasies, nor the ability to "yearn with passion in spring"

The desk is quite spacious, allowing two people to sit facing each other without feeling cramped. Shen Zizhuo did not look at her; instead, he opened a large illustrated book, took a pencil from the black pen holder, and began to sketch on the white paper with a "swish, swish, swish" sound. Tan Ruyi forced herself not to look at him, yet her peripheral vision involuntarily drifted towards him.

Shen Zizhuo spent an extremely hurried week. At the request of a friend, he temporarily went to the capital to participate in a seminar as a spokesperson; after it concluded, he planned to return to Chongcheng, but coincidentally, a university classmate was getting married, and the best man fell ill and took leave, so he was pulled in to help. After finally returning from the smog-laden capital, he was directly taken to the company’s welcome meeting as soon as he got off the plane

What she has always been reluctant to admit is that she still harbors fantasies about the lofty subject of love. Even though the realities of life prevent her from easily navigating the admiration of boys like other girls in school, she has dressed this up as her unwillingness to compromise with those shallow so-called "loves".

Such a trivial matter, yet it also caused her to reveal a similarly troubled expression. Shen Zizhu's feelings suddenly became somewhat complex; he quietly observed her for a moment and nodded, saying: "Alright"

Tan Ruyi immediately stood up, "Mr. Shen, are you going to use ... ... "

Every time she spoke to him, Tan Ruyi seemed to need to ponder for a long time, as if every word she uttered was a life-and-death command that required approval through a series of directives before it could be finally issued. However, it was unclear whether it was due to the rudeness from last night or the breakfast just now that made Shen Zizhu willing to quietly wait for her to get to the point at this moment

She has a roommate who often encourages her to start a relationship early, frequently uttering the phrase, "Which girl does not yearn for spring, and which young man is not sentimental?" She has naturally read "The Sorrows of Young Werther," but she only grasped the pain of unrequited love, deeply fearing that one day she too would find herself in the same struggle.

During her university years, Tan Ruyi felt that she had chosen the wrong major. Life was as arduous as a raging fire, and what she learned in her daily studies was something as rarefied as high art, appreciated by few. She constantly faced the debate of choosing between bread and roses; to put it nicely, she was in a situation akin to being in a prestigious establishment while harboring lofty aspirations, but to put it bluntly, her ambitions were high while her fate was fragile.

Good morning. Shen Zizhuo's voice was hoarse, and his gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he stepped forward towards the bathroom