mute

It wasn't a long wait before a black Lincoln car parked in front of Xu Wenqi. The window of the passenger door rolled down slowly and Shen Yue's indifferent face could be seen. He commanded her with an aloof air.

"Get in."

Before he could roll up the window, Xu Wenqi quickly grabbed all her bags from the street bench and walked closer to the car.

Time seemed to slow with every step she took towards him. The noisy, bustling street filled with all sorts of people rushing at brisk paces was suddenly muffled as if someone had pressed the mute button controlling the volume of the world. The surrounding silence was overwhelming his senses. Only the sound of her rhythmic footsteps could be heard thumping the ground, inching its slow, methodical way into his iron heart. The luminosity of the street lamps and the fluorescent gleam of the quaint shops shone behind her, creating the impression that she was the one who was bringing light to illuminate the dark night. But for some reason, the silver glow of the lamps seemed much dimmer in comparison to the brightness of her smile. The crescent curve of her eyes and beaming face fixated solely on Shen Yue provided him with the irrational illusion that he was her whole world.

Shen Yue turned his head sharply and the slow effect of the scene was abruptly lost. His expression was unreadable and his entire being was wrapped in displeasure. He regretted his decision to come. The opening of the passenger door broke the train of his thoughts and Xu Wenqi sat inside, infusing her natural fragrance with the scent of the air. The permeating jasmine fragrance made Shen Yue's eyes cloud over. He wanted nothing more than to leave the car. Unaware of Shen Yue's abnormal mood, Xu Wenqi greeted him in a careful, polite manner.

"Ah, good evening. How are you?"

Shen Yue hadn't once glanced at her since she got into the car. Instead of answering, he turned his head to the window, intent on neglecting her presence. Despite feeling slightly uncomfortable, Xu Wenqi didn't take his response to heart as she was very well-versed with his character. He wasn't the type to participate in false small talk nor would he do things that would waste his time. Xu Wenqi continued to chat anyway without a response from him.

"Oh, you know, I went shopping today and I bought so many things. I even bought something for you!" she declared as she peeked at his face for a reaction.

Shen Yue closed his eyes, ignoring her words. While he appeared to the eye as unperturbed, his tight grip on his knee betrayed his emotions. Xu Wenqi let out a small sigh and thanked him for the ride before giving up making conversation with the ice block next to her.

'Forget it, ah. I'll just sneak it into his room and stick a nice note to accompany it,' thought Xu Wenqi.

She looked secretly at the plant and stroked its leaves in a tender manner before gingerly steadying it on her lap. The car drove back to the villa with two passengers in the backseat each muddled with their own thoughts. Upon their arrival, Butler Wang's expression turned two-points more colorful and affable.

"Welcome back, master, and Ms. Xu. We'll start preparing dinner right away."

Xu Wenqi nodded and replied, "Trouble you."

Shen Yue didn't pay heed to Butler Wang and turned to walk up the stairs. Butler Wang was long accustomed to his detached attitude and instead focused on Xu Wenqi.

Noticing the things in her hand, he said, "I'll help you carry the bags upstairs. You can just go freshen up."

Xu Wenqi felt a sense of guilt for making an elder rush around with her things so she refused his offer.

"That's okay, I can do it myself."

Butler Wang immediately had a face of disapproval as he said, "How can I let the miss carry these trivial things up? I'll feel guilty for not doing my job properly."

"But I feel guilty for letting an elder like you help…"

Butler Wang was touched; Shen Yue had never been this thoughtful like Ms. Xu. Nevertheless, he insisted on helping and Xu Wenqi just relented. After bringing all her things up the stairs, she noticed the door of the study adjacent to her room was slightly opened. Shen Yue was working seriously with documents laid out and his laptop turned on. The bright light from the screen fell on his face, making his facial features more defined than usual. He carried an austere temperament with his solemn gaze never leaving the screen and his fast fingers typing furiously away.

'Woo, sure enough, a man looks the best when he's working diligently,' exclaimed Xu Wenqi through the crack of the door.

After admiring his handsome profile for a while, she turned away quietly and went back downstairs. Hearing the footsteps recede, Shen Yue's fingers paused for a moment before quickly resuming their nimble speed.

unimportant note:

ahh tomorrow is the results of the contest ╥﹏╥ im worriedd

random but i fell asleep writing this chapter haha