It’s the entertainnt section of the newspaper, with a headline that seems intended to grab attention, written in bold enlarged font: "Fu Family Heir’s Love Set on Shen Jianian, Public Display of Affection Envying Others."
Two pictures are included, irregularly stitched together. The upper image shows a man in a black suit holding a transparent umbrella, embracing a woman’s slender waist, walking together in the rain. The lower image is of the man standing next to a luxury car, the door of the passenger seat open, with a woman sitting inside as he bends over to wipe her feet.
The man’s face in the picture is very clear; it’s definitely Fu Jichen, though the woman’s face is sowhat blurry. The reporter thoughtfully drew an arrow and circled her face in red, providing a close-up photo of the leading lady’s face — who else could it be?
Shen Jianian is quite shocked by the successive news; she never imagined that there would be an article about her and Fu Jichen in the newspaper, wouldn’t their relationship have beco a great public spectacle?
Why has Pei Che never ntioned this to her?
The text accompanying the pictures elaborates in detail: The heir of the Fu Family personally went to the site of a variety show to support Shen Jianian, where, after the show concluded, they had dinner together, strolling in the rain, with the Fu Family heir lowering himself to wipe Shen Jianian’s feet that had been wet by the rain.
Shen Jianian reads each word repeatedly, then goes back to look at those two photos, her mind feeling like it’s being bombarded by a continuous airstrike.
She is plunged into deep self-doubt.
Is the leading lady in the news really her?
Could there be soone who looks exactly like her past self, also nad Shen Jianian?
Otherwise, how could there be such an incredible thing in this world?
She and Fu Jichen made the news because of their public display of affection?
Shen Jianian soberly realizes why she has these thoughts; it’s because she is evading. There’s clearly an answer in her heart, but she doesn’t want to admit it.
This trimd newspaper would be hidden in the pocket of clothes, likely by the old Shen Jianian, because she liked Fu Jichen, she would collect news related to herself and him.
"Shen Jianian?" Fu Jichen’s voice cos from outside the dressing room.
Having finished dinner downstairs in the dining room, he ca up to accompany her and didn’t see her in the room; the bathroom door was open, but there was nobody inside.
Fu Jichen strides toward the dressing room, and upon seeing Shen Jianian, his tense deanor relaxes as he thought she was gone, believing retrieving her was nothing more than a dream—a recurring dream where waking up would reveal everything to be false.
Shen Jianian crumples the newspaper into a ball, clutched in her palm, looking at him with an indescribably complex expression.
"What are you holding?" Fu Jichen, with sharp observation, notices her small gesture, can’t help but beco curious.
Shen Jianian talks evasively, "I want to take a shower, ca to borrow so clothes."
Fu Jichen, listening to her choice of words, corrects her, "It’s not borrowing, the won’s clothes here always belonged to you, there are no others." He smiles softly at her, "The clothes from three years ago might be outdated, once you’re better, I’ll help you pick new ones, and have them sent ho for you to choose slowly."
Shen Jianian instinctively refused, "No need."
Being neither kin nor acquaintance, she couldn’t accept others’ gifts with peace of mind.
Fu Jichen pauses slightly, then returns to a normal expression, acknowledging that from her perspective, getting used to their relationship indeed requires ti.
He is willing to give her ti, not forcing her to accept imdiately.
Seeing the man silent, Shen Jianian recalls what she just said, not feeling anything wrong.
"Go shower," Fu Jichen doesn’t continue discussing new clothes, rely reminding her, "The cold isn’t better, don’t shower for too long."
Shen Jianian takes the clothes to the bathroom, not forgetting to lock the door.
Standing behind the door, she opens the crumpled newspaper in her hand for one last look. Even if she thinks hard, the things she doesn’t rember will still not be rembered, nothing will change.
Shen Jianian throws the newspaper into the trash, turns on the shower.
After showering, Fu Jichen is sitting in the sa chair where he sat earlier, with a laptop on his leg, fingers tapping the keyboard, seemingly replying to emails.
Shen Jianian glances at him several tis, the man’s side face line is distinct, his serious working deanor severe and sharp, with slightly furrowed brows, possibly seeing an unsatisfactory email.
Through various understandings, Shen Jianian gains a general perception of their relationship and attempts to ask him, "When can I leave?"
Fu Jichen’s typing fingers pause slightly, his gaze lifts from the computer screen, resting on her white face resembling a lotus in clear water post-bath.
Shen Jianian herself hasn’t gotten used to this face; he sees it and accepts it naturally.
"You still want to leave?" Fu Jichen might not realize, but when speaking, his tone carries hidden helplessness and defeat.
As the president of Jun Mountain, standing at the pinnacle of wealth and power, the only ti he feels defeated is when facing her.
Hesitatingly, Shen Jianian nods, murmuring softly in affirmation.
After more than ten seconds passed, Fu Jichen did not relent: "I won’t let you go." He could give in to her on other matters, but not on this—he wouldn’t allow her to leave him.
Shen Jianian frowned, her rebellious nature flaring up: "If I never rember the past, never like you again, do you plan to keep captive forever? The past is the past, people move forward, it’s impossible to stay stuck in the past forever."
She stabbed him in the heart again. Fu Jichen’s heart ached briefly, then he slowly said, "Since you liked once, you can like again. I’m confident."
"I can’t like you when you’re like this." Shen Jianian spoke bluntly.
Fu Jichen had already adjusted his mindset, slightly raising the corners of his lips as he patiently inquired, "Then what would make you willing to like ? Tell , and I’ll do it."
Shen Jianian’s throat tightened, left speechless. She hadn’t expected the dignified president of Jun Mountain to be so shaless.
She was so angry her head hurt, she didn’t want to talk to him anymore, so she lifted the covers and got into bed, turning to lie on her side with her back to him.
Fu Jichen looked at Shen Jianian, who showed only the back of her head, and sighed silently. He got up, turned off the bedroom’s main light, and left a floor lamp on, adjusting the brightness to its minimum.
The warm yellow light enveloped the large bed, the lump beneath the covers giving him peace of mind.
Shen Jianian went over a jumble of thoughts in her head, but still recovering from illness, her energy couldn’t keep up, and she soon fell asleep.
Fu Jichen finished handling over a dozen emails, closed his laptop, rubbed his sore temples, and quietly walked to the bedside, lowering his eyes to stare at the person sleeping soundly on the bed.
She had faced away from him earlier, but after falling asleep, she unconsciously rolled over to lie flat.
His gaze was nearly infatuated as he watched her for a while. Fu Jichen picked up a temperature gun from the bedside table, taking her temperature again: 37.8 degrees. It had co down a bit, but she hadn’t fully recovered from the fever yet.
He couldn’t be careless, as she used to have recurrent high fevers in the middle of the night whenever she caught a cold.
Fu Jichen went to the bathroom, wrung out a towel, folded it into a suitable size, and placed it on her forehead to physically lower her temperature.
He sat down at the bedside, his fingers brushing her cheek as he sighed, only when she’s asleep does she seem a bit docile; awake, she only kept her guard up against him.
Fu Jichen leaned down, pressing his thin lips to hers for a gentle, fleeting kiss.
*
In the middle of the night, Shen Jianian woke up with a dry throat, coughing as soon as she awoke. She opened her eyes to sit up, shocked to find soone else in the room.
She blinked her blurry eyes, realizing the person on the sofa was Fu Jichen, dressed in sleepwear, with a dark gray blanket thrown over his waist as he leaned back asleep.
Shen Jianian touched her forehead, rembering in her sleepy haze that soone had put sothing cool on her forehead. She thought it was a dream, but it turned out to be real—she found a damp towel next to her pillow.
She didn’t know what to say; despite the harsh words she had thrown at Fu Jichen, he was still so persistent.
Shen Jianian casually tossed the towel onto the bedside table, noticing a thermos cup and a box of cookies—her favorite brand from childhood to adulthood.
Fu Jichen’s words popped into her mind: a box of cookies placed on the bedside table for a few days and she’ll eat them all.
Shen Jianian was suddenly at a loss for words.
She picked up the thermos cup, twisted off the lid, and took a small sip. The water was just the right temperature, and she drank more than half of the cup.
Fu Jichen hadn’t slept well in a long ti. Though he wasn’t on the bed tonight, but rather on the cramped sofa chair, he slept soundly. Perhaps because that person was found, right beside him, sothing in his heart was at peace, replaced by the joy of regaining sothing lost.
Shen Jianian set down the thermos cup, accidentally making a noise as its base hit the wood of the cabinet, waking the person in a slumber.
Fu Jichen woke, pinching the sides of his temples, then sat up straight, his dark eyes still heavy with sleep, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Why are you up?"
"I wanted so water." Shen Jianian replied, then pursed her lips, feeling compelled to add, "You don’t need to stay here, go to sleep."
Fu Jichen was startled, so of the sleepiness retreating from his eyes as he looked straight at her.
Fearing he’d misunderstand her concern as concern for him, Shen Jianian hurriedly added, "I can’t sleep with soone else in the room."
Knowing full well it was a flimsy excuse, Fu Jichen didn’t call her out. He fell silent for a mont, then picked up his phone from the sofa’s armrest to check the ti—three twenty-five in the morning, not long before dawn.
He used the temperature gun to check her temperature again, finding she no longer had a fever, so he didn’t insist on staying: "I’m in the next room, call if you need anything."
Fu Jichen took a few steps, paused abruptly, then turned back, pulling sothing from the pocket of his sleep pants and placing it beside her pillow: "Don’t lose it again."
Shen Jianian looked down, seeing in the warm light that it was the Jade Lion trinket she’d lost at the airport.
"How did you get this?" Shen Jianian asked urgently.
She thought it was gone for good.
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