At this hour, the convenience store was nearly empty. The clerk propped her chin on her hand and lazily said “Welcome” as they entered. When she spotted the man in the wheelchair, her gaze lingered with what seemed like pity.
“Want some oden?” she asked.
Jing Yi nodded. “Yes.”
This man agreed to everything, so Shu He didn’t bother asking further.
She pushed him to the oden counter and first ladled herself a large bowl.
The clerk noticed Jing Yi silently watching the woman beside him and came over to help. “Sir, do you need assistance?”
He shook his head. “No need.”
After saying this, his gaze fixed on her again.
After the clerk left, Shu He picked up a new bowl, tongs in hand, and asked expressionlessly, “Tell me what you want?”
He curved his lips slightly. “Konjac knots.”
“This again.”
Shu He couldn’t help muttering as she picked up three in a row. Jing Yi’s cold heart beat faster with joy, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement.
She added several other items he liked. When the clerk asked if they wanted takeaway or to eat here, Shu He initially thought to say takeaway, but her eyes fell on his pale face and she hesitated. “Let’s eat here?”
Whatever she said, Jing Yi had no objections.
They sat by the window. Jing Yi placed the Christmas tree next to him, but it wobbled and nearly fell. He scrambled to steady it.
Shu He sighed and moved the Christmas tree next to her seat.
“…Thank you.”
Jing Yi took a few bites and sipped the hot soup, feeling much warmer.
He looked at the person beside him. She was taking small bites while gazing out the window, lost in thought.
“Shu He.”
She glanced his way. Jing Yi cradled his warm bowl and slowly spoke. “This is my song.”
He meant the song playing in the convenience store.
Shu He responded with an indifferent “Oh.” His lips quivered as he probed, “Haven’t you heard it before?”
Shu He acted like his worst critic: “Are you that famous? Am I required to know your songs?”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
He persisted, not giving up: “You haven’t heard even one of my songs?”
In these two years, he’d written four songs in total.
Jing Yi glumly poked at the konjac knots floating in his bowl. “Just now in the store, I heard what you said to that girl.”
Shu He bit into a fish cake, and the roe burst out, burning her tongue.
He looked at her. “But I am.”
No one is truly irreplaceable.
— But I am.
Shu He’s tongue felt numb, the scalding pain refusing to fade.
She returned his intense gaze. “So what?”
“We still broke up.”
“…”
Jing Yi hung his head dejectedly. Shu He took a slow sip of soup, when the silent man suddenly spoke again: “Did you reply to my message?”
“What?”
His topic changed so quickly that Shu He couldn’t keep up.
Jing Yi stared at her berry-red lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “My breakup message on WeChat. Did you reply?”
Shu He truly didn’t understand how he could ask this so boldly.
She couldn’t help but mock him: “Didn’t you throw away your phone after sending it? If you didn’t want to see my reply, why ask now?”
He pressed his lips together, eyes drooping, looking wronged. “I didn’t throw it away…”
Shu He grew angry seeing his pitiful expression and coldly said, “I did reply.”
She stared back blankly at his gaze. “I agreed to break up.”
“…”
Jing Yi nearly snapped the wooden skewer in his hand. He suddenly turned away, scowling. “I don’t believe you.”
Shu He almost laughed. “What?”
The man sulked stubbornly. “I never saw a reply, so it doesn’t count.”
“…”
Shu He was speechless. She put down her bowl and scoffed, “Is breaking up something you can avoid just by being difficult?”
“Or do you think if you don’t acknowledge it, you can pretend nothing happened?”
He remained silent. Shu He hated how he’d become so quiet. Two years ago, he wasn’t like this.
Such a bizarre breakup.
Now she couldn’t even argue properly with him.
Jing Yi avoided her gaze, but she deliberately wounded him: “Shall I remind you?”
“We’ve been broken up for exactly two years.”
“If not for this shared rental, we would never have met again.”
“Forever” sounds beautiful when you’re in love, full of promise and anticipation.
But now, it had transformed into a sharp dagger that she thrust into him herself.
His breath caught. His eyes instantly stung with tears that threatened to spill, but he fought them back.
“Jiejie.” His eyes reddened, glistening with moisture that made her grip on the dagger falter. Blood seeped from her palm, dripping between their hearts.
“I couldn’t come find you. I never wanted to break up with you…”
He paused with difficulty. Shu He closed her eyes wearily.
“You’re sick in the head.”
“Yes.” He admitted defeatedly. “I am sick.”
Shu He felt like she’d punched a cloud, leaving her frustrated and blocked. “If you’re ill, get treatment.”
She thought she must be sick too, despising how she lost control of her emotions.
Which broken-up couple would sit eating oden together in a convenience store?
“…”
Jing Yi gazed at her quietly. The redness around his eyes hadn’t faded, making him look pitiful and wronged.
Shu He acted as if she hadn’t noticed, drinking several sips of soup until she had to loosen her scarf from the heat.
She loved wearing scarves in winter. Today she wore a blue and brown checkered one that complemented her complexion.
After they finished eating, Jing Yi naturally picked up both Christmas trees. Seeing her holding her scarf, he offered, “I can take that?”
Shu He preferred keeping her hands free. She disliked carrying things like handbags — he used to carry everything for her.
In a bad mood, she glanced at the man in the wheelchair, holding two Christmas trees, looking up at her with dark eyes and a reddened nose.
If she let him carry anything else, passersby might kill her with their judgmental stares.
Just as she was about to refuse, he seemed to guess her thoughts and straightened slightly. “Hang it here.”
The wheelchair backrest could hold items.
Shu He didn’t want to take advantage of him, but he was being overly helpful.
She hung the scarf on the backrest and instinctively smoothed it down.
It was obvious she cherished this scarf. After she’d placed it, he leaned back, his spine pressed against the woollen fabric, making him inexplicably happy.
“Don’t worry, it won’t fall.”
Shu He put her hands into her coat pockets, showing no mercy: “If it falls, you’ll pay. This one was expensive.”
“Yes, I know—”
“Ding dong!”
As someone entered the convenience store, the welcome greeting interrupted their conversation.
“Shu He?”
Jing Yi looked up, his smile instantly vanishing.
Cheng Shu approached them. He looked tired, as if just finishing work, but still smiled faintly.
Shu He hadn’t expected to run into him here. “What a coincidence.”
Cheng Shu shook his head. “I saw you while waiting at the traffic light and thought I’d pop in for something to eat.”
Following his gesture, Shu He spotted the car outside, near the traffic lights — indeed quite close.
Suddenly, a derisive snort cut through. Shu He looked toward the sound, and Cheng Shu followed her gaze.
The man’s mirroring movement irked Jing Yi enormously.
Copycat.
“Dr. Cheng has excellent eyesight,” the man said flatly, though Shu He somehow detected sarcasm.
Cheng Shu tilted his head toward Shu He, raising an eyebrow. “Is this yours?”
Shu He hesitated, oddly unsure how to introduce him.
Jing Yi stared intently at her. Seeing her hesitation, a bitterness swept through him.
Cheng Shu smiled gently, extending his hand. “Though I don’t know who you are to Shu He, since you know me, you must be close.”
He seemed exceptionally understanding, diffusing the awkwardness.
But.
Who did he think he was?
Just a high school classmate.
A high school classmate meant nothing.
Jing Yi coldly regarded the extended hand, eyes downcast, clearly unwilling to engage.
Shu He was puzzled by Cheng Shu’s comment. She’d never mentioned Cheng Shu to Jing Yi, yet he recognised him.
Perhaps from Liang Xu?
But seeing his cold expression, she suppressed her questions and told Cheng Shu, “Sorry, he’s my flatmate.”
Cheng Shu wasn’t bothered by Jing Yi’s rudeness. He only frowned slightly, appearing concerned.
As he tried to say more, a hand tugged at Shu He’s coat. Jing Yi looked up with a pale face, saying softly, “We should head home.”
The moment he finished, Cheng Shu added, “It’s not safe this late. Let me drive you?”
Before Shu He could refuse, someone had already snapped, “No need for Dr. Cheng’s concern. Besides, it’s out of your way.”
Cheng Shu stood tall before him, seemingly good-natured. He smiled slightly. “One drive and it becomes my way.”
“…”
Jing Yi had never met anyone so shameless. Cold-faced, about to retort, he noticed the man’s gaze deliberately falling on his legs before smiling kindly: “Besides, pushing your flatmate home must be inconvenient.”
“…”
Jing Yi nearly tore the armrests off his wheelchair. Fortunately, Shu He finally spoke: “No need. We live quite close.”
She politely declined. “You’ve just finished work, how could I trouble you further?”
Hearing her use “we,” Jing Yi’s knotted heart loosened somewhat.
He raised his eyes coldly toward the man. Cheng Shu made no effort to hide his disappointment, smiling faintly. “Alright, my chance to be a gentleman is gone.”
Fake.
These tactics were all too familiar to him.
As they left the convenience store, Cheng Shu called out to her again.
The man’s gaze lingered on him for two seconds. Knowing he had something to say, Shu He glanced at the person in the wheelchair before walking over.
Cheng Shu’s voice cut clearly through the dim night: “Shu He, if you need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
His steady gaze repeatedly shifted toward Jing Yi. Shu He guessed his thoughts and smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, I understand.”
Not far from them, Jing Yi watched their silhouettes together with unwilling, wounded eyes, clearly hearing their conversation.
He felt like an over-inflated balloon, stifled and ready to burst.
Who did this man think he was? Coming between him and Shu He.
Disgusting.
Looking at their mismatched heights, he felt jealous and wronged.
Shu He once read that a 15cm height difference was ideal between men and women.
Jing Yi dismissed such nonsense, yet had casually pulled her into his arms to measure their height difference.
She was quite tall at 170cm, while Jing Yi was 186cm. Seeing they were just one centimetre off, he had effortlessly gripped her waist and lifted her onto his shoes.
The height gap shrank, and Shu He gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. His lips curled smugly: “Exactly 15cm. We’re meant for each other.”
“…”
Shu He thought he was posturing, but Jing Yi arrogantly corrected her: “Who cares about centimetres? I’m perfect for you, that’s all.”
She couldn’t help scolding him as he pressed close like a persistent puppy, refusing to stop until she admitted she loved only him.
After Cheng Shu left, Shu He turned and met the man’s deep gaze.
She paused briefly, approached him without explanation: “Let’s go.”
“Jiejie.”
He slowly followed beside her, suddenly calling out.
Shu He felt cold and responded absently, reaching for the scarf on his backrest.
Strangely, he didn’t straighten up immediately, even leaning back so she couldn’t retrieve it.
Only after she impatiently patted his back did he slowly straighten. Watching her adjust her scarf, he said glumly, “Cheng Shu isn’t good enough for you.”
Shu He frowned as the man’s dark eyes filled with resentment.
She suddenly smiled, red lips hidden behind her scarf, her clear eyes meeting his. “How do you know he’s not good enough?”
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