Chapter 76: Silhouette

In the first few days of being together, Shen Xici sometimes suspected he was dreaming, or that this was all a figment of his imagination. It felt too unreal.

Before this, in both his past life and this one, he had never thought he would one day be in a romantic relationship. But when Sheng Shaoyan told him he was worth it and asked him if he wanted to be together, Shen Xici simply couldn’t give a dishonest answer.

However, although they had just gotten together, Sheng Shaoyan always gave him the illusion that he had been his boyfriend for a very long time.

For example, every day, whether he was in a meeting, horseback riding, or meeting with business partners, Sheng Shaoyan would send him a message to report his whereabouts. Sometimes he would wake up a little late, open his phone, and what? Sheng Shaoyan had already met with two regional managers and finished a meeting? His boyfriend was even more of a workaholic than a vortex!

Another example: after “Fleeting Life” wrapped, Shen Xici no longer needed to live in Jiezhou Garden, so he packed his things and moved back to his own rented apartment. Sheng Shaoyan naturally followed him, and with extreme self-awareness, hung his own clothes and ties in his closet. Whether he was awake or asleep, Sheng Shaoyan would kiss him goodbye before leaving.

How to put it? It was just that his boyfriend skills were incredibly proficient, as if they had been dating for a long time.

However, Shen Xici sometimes suspected that this capitalist, Sheng Shaoyan, was playing some kind of “boiling a frog in warm water” game, having made a plan to deliberately infiltrate these small habits into his daily life. So much so that sometimes when Sheng Shaoyan flew abroad, he would subconsciously roll over to the other side of the bed in a half-asleep state and feel an unaccustomed emptiness.

“…Good, lift the glass a little higher. Yes, Teacher Shen’s sense of the camera is excellent. Hold it, don’t move… One more!”

In the photo studio, Shen Xici was dressed all in black—a Saherny black silk shirt and black suit trousers. The background was also styled in a dark, vintage theme.

A scarlet and gold-gilded sofa was carried over and placed by the staff. Shen Xici sat on the armrest as directed by the photographer, his long legs slightly bent and propped on the ground. Only his side profile was showing, highlighting his excellent body proportions and facial structure.

His cool, porcelain-like fingers held a stemmed glass, half-filled with a dark red liquid that swirled with light. Against the background of black, red, and gold, Shen Xici’s intense eyes and lip color were not overshadowed at all. Instead, within the entire frame, his beauty was bewitching and alluring. His cool, fair skin was like frost and snow, untainted in the slightest.

There were low gasps from the crew.

After shooting this final scene, they finally heard the photographer yell “Wrap!” After Shen Xici thanked the staff for their hard work, Lan Xiaoshan immediately rushed over and put the watch he had been carefully holding onto Shen Xici’s wrist.

While doing so, he said, “Brother Shao emphasized that as soon as work is over, this watch must be put on your hand immediately, Brother Shen. It can’t be separated for even a second longer.”

This time, it was for a top fashion magazine cover shoot, and the photographer was also top-tier in the industry. Maintaining the same state for several hours had left Shen Xici truly tired. He held out his hand, watching Lan Xiaoshan meticulously adjust the tightness of the watchband. “Did your Brother Shao give you another red envelope?”

Lan Xiaoshan’s face lit up, the corners of his mouth upturned in a smile he couldn’t suppress. “Aiya, Brother Shen, you saw through it again. Hehe, my little slush fund has gained another big contributor. Mission complete, watch is on!”

The full name of this watch was probably “Portable Vital Signs Monitor.” Its appearance was designed to be better looking than a normal smartwatch. It was just created by a tech lab under the Shenghe Group. Its function was to monitor Shen Xici’s basic data such as blood pressure and heart rate anytime, anywhere. If any data was abnormal, the lab would immediately receive an alert and begin to analyze and provide feedback on the data.

In case of an emergency like a heart attack or sudden collapse, his coordinates would be automatically sent to Sheng Shaoyan and the medical team responsible for him, ensuring no mistakes and allowing him to receive the most effective rescue in the shortest possible time.

After changing his clothes, Shen Xici put on a hat and mask and took the elevator to the parking garage. After walking for a bit, Shen Xici found it strange. “Xiaoshan, I don’t think our car is parked in this direction.”

The sound of wheels slowly rolling across the ground came from behind. Shen Xici took two steps back to make way, only to find the car had stopped in front of him.

Immediately after, a driver wearing white gloves got out and respectfully opened the back seat door for him.

Lan Xiaoshan, beside him, was very self-aware of his role as a pathfinding tool. He loudly said, “Bye-bye, Brother Shen,” and scurried away.

The back seat was separated by a central partition into a sealed space. The heat was on inside, and a familiar, unique scent wafted out in the warm air.

Soft light fell. Sheng Shaoyan was sitting there, holding a French-language original book. He looked like a solemn and cold sword on a throne, but the moment he turned his head, he smiled and reached out his hand to Shen Xici.

Bewitched by this single second, Shen Xici couldn’t help but place his own hand in his.

The car door closed behind him.

Before he could ask Sheng Shaoyan why he had suddenly returned early and how long he had been waiting in the parking lot, the next second, Shen Xici was pressed down onto the back seat. A storm of kisses rained down. A searing hot hand firmly held the back of his head. After his jaw was parted, the other’s tongue rushed in, causing a shiver to run through Shen Xici’s body. He couldn’t help but raise his arms and wrap them around Sheng Shaoyan’s back, feeling as if the other wanted to brand his very soul.

His heart was beating extremely fast, the feeling of suffocation intense. Shen Xici pushed at Sheng Shaoyan, panting, and looked at the man whose pristine jacket he had messed up. He felt his tongue was still numb.

Sheng Shaoyan only gave him a few seconds before leaning in again, gently kissing his water-slicked lips, his palm caressing his cheek and neck, wanting to continue kissing. “Xici, Xici…”

His voice was extremely hoarse and low. Hearing it was like being tickled by a feather.

Every time Sheng Shaoyan used this kind of voice, Shen Xici found it very hard to resist.

Realizing the other was using the same trick again, trying to tempt and seduce him, Shen Xici knew he should refuse. Although there was a partition and the window glass was one-way, making this feel like a separate space where no one could see, it was still, after all, in a car.

But the more Sheng Shaoyan called his name, the weaker he felt, the less he could refuse…

Shen Xici thought in frustration that he was like a sailor with a weak will who, upon hearing a siren’s song, jumped into the sea without a second thought.

This kiss continued intermittently until the car stopped in the community’s garage, and only then did Shen Xici fully come to his senses.

Beauty makes one lose all reason. Although Sheng Shaoyan had been on a business trip and they hadn’t seen each other for three or four days, this… was a bit too much.

Before getting out of the car, Shen Xici buttoned up his clothes, put on a mask to cover his kiss-swollen lips, and then had a hat placed on his head by Sheng Shaoyan.

He gave him a questioning look.

Sheng Shaoyan was like a lion resting after being satisfied. His fingers brushed past the corner of his eye. “You look like you’ve been cried out from my kisses. Too beautiful. I can’t let others see.”

Shen Xici’s heart skipped another beat. He silently pulled the hat down lower, then thought again, the culprit himself is so calm and composed, how infuriating!

Back home, Shen Xici took off his mask and hat and put them away properly. Only then did he have a chance to ask Sheng Shaoyan, “Didn’t you say you were coming back tomorrow morning?”

Sheng Shaoyan had flown to Hong Kong this time, and his schedule was for five days. The car that had just picked him up was also not one of the usual Maybachs, which was why Shen Xici hadn’t dared to be sure at first.

Sheng Shaoyan poured a glass of ice water. “I canceled the horse race in the afternoon and the dinner in the evening. I missed you, so I came back early.”

He then handed a wooden box to Shen Xici. “You mentioned that Grandpa He is skilled in calligraphy. There happens to be a New Year’s auction in Hong Kong. I had Yu Zhou bid on an inkstone for me. It’s a Duan inkstone, the stone is very fine and smooth. I don’t know if it’s suitable.”

The twelfth lunar month was approaching, and “Fleeting Life” was confirmed for a Spring Festival release. This meant that all sorts of promotional activities would be packed into the schedule. Sheng Shaoyan was also extremely busy. Shen Xici simply picked a time when they were both free, planning to make a trip back to wish Grandpa He an early New Year.

More than a dozen gift boxes, large and small, were piled against the living room wall, mostly various supplements and warm clothes. Shen Xici was pleasantly surprised. He placed the wooden box with the pile of gifts. “Now, this inkstone is the crown jewel of our gifts. When we go back to Ningcheng, we can ask Grandpa He for a pair of Spring Festival couplets to bring back!”

After the private jet landed at the nearest airport, the black Maybach drove into the winding mountain roads. This area was located near the border of the north and south, surrounded by continuous mountains. The deep green mountain ridges lay like crouching dragons.

Shen Xici looked out the window. Including his past life, he hadn’t been back here for about three years because he was too busy with filming, sometimes even spending the New Year on set.

Memories were triggered by the familiar scenery. Shen Xici began to speak, “I went to a nearby elementary school. It was about a half-hour walk. The school had only three teachers in total. One teacher would teach all the subjects for one class. Later, in the sixth grade, I went to Grandpa He and said I wanted to study in the city. Grandpa He took me on several bus transfers to take the entrance exam for the best middle school in the city. We passed through this very road back then. That was the first time I had been to such a faraway place.”

Sheng Shaoyan listened very attentively. It should be said, he was full of curiosity and a desire to explore everything about Shen Xici. “And then?”

“Of course I got in.” Shen Xici’s eyes reflected the fleeting shadows of the trees. “The entrance exam that year was said to be very difficult, but I finished the questions very quickly and even got a perfect score. The school waived all my tuition and accommodation fees and would even give me a large scholarship and living allowance every semester. Besides covering all my basic expenses, I could even save a little money. That couple treated my schooling as a business, a way to make money. But that was for the best, otherwise they would never have agreed to let me go away to school.”

Shen Xici pointed ahead. “A’Shao, look. That pothole where the road has collapsed ahead, I’ve passed it every time I went to school and came back for vacation since high school. It still hasn’t been repaired.”

Sheng Shaoyan followed his finger. There was indeed a sunken spot on the narrow road, already overgrown with weeds. He then asked, “You lived in the school dormitory for six years?”

“That’s right, from twelve to eighteen, I lived in the dorms. Because my health wasn’t good back then and I got sick often, the school specially assigned me to a four-person dorm that wasn’t full. I lived with this roommate for six years. His IQ was very high, but his social anxiety was extremely severe. It wasn’t until near our high school graduation that he stopped stuttering when he talked to me. Later, he went to MIT to do research in pure mathematics. Although he had social anxiety, his brain really worked well.”

Shen Xici felt like laughing just thinking about it now. “At graduation, my roommate tossed and turned for several days, unable to sleep. He finally gathered his courage and told me very solemnly, ‘Shen Xici, don’t worry. I will always keep your secret that you are not quite human. Take care, and don’t let others find out.'”

Throughout middle school, he had no close acquaintances or friends, but after living with this socially anxious roommate for six years, they had developed some tacit understanding and friendship. They even occasionally kept in touch by email after graduation.

Sheng Shaoyan saw him smiling, his eyes curving. It was clear he had a good impression of that roommate. He suppressed the two points of jealousy stirring in his heart and asked further, “Why did he think you weren’t human?”

“Perhaps in his eyes, I was a very strange person?”

Shen Xici counted on his fingers. “At that time, I was still trying to adapt, so I would wear gloves in both winter and summer. Whenever the occasion allowed, I would also wear a mask. I was afraid of getting burned, so I didn’t wear clothes that exposed my arms. It was like I had some kind of debuff that left me with low health. I got sick and injured often, but I was still alive. Sometimes I would accidentally get a cut and bleed without realizing it myself, but he might have happened to see it and was silently shocked in his heart. He didn’t dare to ask me, so he just quietly made up his own theories.”

The smile on Sheng Shaoyan’s lips froze.

Didn’t dare to ask, quietly made up his own theories?

He hadn’t expected that he would suddenly get hit by a stray bullet with that last sentence.

However, wearing gloves was because his hands couldn’t feel pain and were easily cut. The mask was to block viruses and avoid catching colds and getting sick. Any bit of inflammation on his body could become a wildfire.

But even though Shen Xici was so cautious, he still got sick and injured often.

These were all parts of Shen Xici’s past that he rarely mentioned.

The current Shen Xici was often composed, so composed that it was easy to forget he had congenital insensitivity to pain.

But how painful and dangerous it had been for him while he was adapting to this world, he had hidden it all away, not mentioning a single word.

Low houses with white walls and black tiles or built of stone gradually appeared on both sides of the road. They were usually only one or two stories high, hidden among the trees.

Before long, the car slowly stopped outside a courtyard. The sound of a dog barking, “Woof woof,” came over. Shen Xici couldn’t wait to open the car door and shouted loudly, “Wang Cai!” (Prosperity)

A large yellow dog ran over, circling Shen Xici excitedly, very affectionate.

Shen Xici played with it for a while, doing “shake” and “sit,” then saw a spirited old man walk out of the house. He immediately went up to him. “Grandpa He!”

His vision blurred with a watery light.

In his past life, when he was seriously ill, he had never told Grandpa He. One day, Grandpa He called, saying he couldn’t sleep and had cast a hexagram. The hexagram was inauspicious, and he worriedly asked if he was sick.

Growing up, he had been all alone. Only this old man, who was not related to him by blood, had patiently taught him reason, guided him towards goodness, and told him to keep running forward. Even if he was drenched by rain and fell, he had to hold his head high and cross the mountains before him, one after another.

Grandpa He had his hands behind his back, wearing a simple cotton outfit. His graying hair was neatly combed, and he had a faint air of authority. The look he gave Shen Xici was extremely kind. “How come our Xici has gotten thinner?”

Shen Xici’s tone was affectionate. “I’ve been fasting for three days, just waiting to come back and eat your cooking!”

Grandpa He tapped his forehead from a distance. “Oh, you’ve been playing the empty fort strategy for three days? Then you really need to eat up. Do you want some chicken soup?”

Shen Xici answered loudly, “Yes!” His eyes curved into a smile. “As long as you’re the one making it, I want to eat everything!”

Only then did Grandpa He look at Sheng Shaoyan, who had been patiently waiting for them to finish talking. He smiled, “Early this morning, when I was sweeping the courtyard, I impromptu cast a hexagram. It was ‘Heaven over Fire,’ meaning a distinguished guest would arrive. It seems my sweeping was very timely.”

Sheng Shaoyan was always cold and distant in front of others. At this moment, facing the old man who had looked after Shen Xici as he grew up, he lowered his head in greeting, his tone respectful. “Grandpa He.”

Shen Xici quickly introduced him, “Grandpa He, this is Sheng Shaoyan. I’ve told you about him. I brought him back to see you this time.”

In his two lifetimes, he was fated to have weak family ties. If he had to name a relative or an elder, it was only Grandpa He.

Grandpa He’s gaze was very deep when he looked at people. He nodded. “It’s been a long journey. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It’s cold outside, let’s go inside together first. It’s been dry this year, so no snow has accumulated, but this wind is biting. Don’t catch a cold.”

It was a single-family courtyard with white walls and black tiles. There were no neighbors nearby, only a small patch of cultivated vegetable garden, and a pond next to it, with fruit trees and unknown flowers and plants planted by its side. Calligraphy and paintings hung in the main hall. The full set of wooden furniture was simple and neat. On a small wooden table, there was an earthenware vase with a branch of plum blossoms slanted in it.

There were two bedrooms, one on the left and one on the right. Shen Xici familiarly pulled his luggage into the one on the right. The room was clean and tidy, and the solid wood bed and cabinet had simple and elegant carvings.

Just as he put down his suitcase, Shen Xici looked up and saw Sheng Shaoyan picking up a small carved wooden bird from the cabinet, examining it carefully. The small wooden carving was only the size of a thumb, and the carving was very rough. One could only vaguely make out the shape of a bird.

Shen Xici was about to snatch it away, but Sheng Shaoyan unexpectedly wrapped an arm around his waist.

Sheng Shaoyan kissed him reassuringly. “Did you carve this?”

Shen Xici was a little embarrassed. “Yes. When I was six or seven, or maybe seven or eight, Grandpa He had me practice whittling wood to learn how much force to use so I wouldn’t cut my fingers. Later, as I kept whittling, I thought since I was whittling anyway, I might as well make something, so I made a few small birds.”

The one in Sheng Shaoyan’s hand was the most bird-like one, which was why it was placed on the cabinet.

Looking at this little wooden bird, Sheng Shaoyan seemed to see a young Shen Xici sitting on the stone steps by the door, practicing over and over again the movements that were incredibly simple for others.

At this moment, he felt as if he had pierced through the thin membrane of time and touched that small silhouette.