上海安全生产监督局

Chapter 12

Upon hearing her words, the salesperson immediately smiled and said, "Yes, this style of ours has been selling very well. Many brides-to-be would choose this to go with their wedding dress. It\'s not too ornate for daily wear either."

Brides-to-be.

Shen Nian suddenly recalled what Lu Lingchuan had said earlier, that Lu Lingchuan was going on a blind date.

These earrings must be a gift for his blind date partner.

"I\'ll take this one then." She came back to her senses and spoke lightly.

"Of course, miss. Let me wrap it up for you." The salesperson immediately went to pack up the item.

While waiting for the item to be packaged, Shen Nian stared blankly at the display case without any particular purpose in mind.

Her gaze landed upon a sunflower necklace.

Seeing that little sunflower, Shen Nian suddenly recalled a conversation she’d had with Lu Lingrui.

【Lingrui, what\'s your favorite flower? Let your brother get it for you!】

【I don\'t have a particular favorite or least favorite flower. 】 She felt indifferent towards flowers, neither disliking nor craving any particular type.

【Nian, you’re no fun... But I really like one kind of flower!】

【What is it?】

【Sunflowers!】

【...Sunflowers count as flowers too?】

【To me they do! My mom really likes sunflowers. Every year on their anniversary my dad gives my mom a bouquet of sunflowers. Mom says sunflowers represent the sun, emanating sunshine all day long! They may not be the most beautiful flowers, but I just really like them!】

"Miss, your earrings are all packaged."

The salesperson\'s voice interrupted the reminiscing Shen Nian. She retracted her gaze and took the bag from the salesperson, saying "Thank you."

Then she pointed at the sunflower necklace in the display case, "Can you package this for me too?"

"Sure."

...

After finishing her shopping, Shen Nian randomly found a restaurant to have dinner before returning home.

Back home, she first placed her purchases on the sofa, then went into the bathroom.

Half an hour later when she came out of the bathroom after her shower, she heard the electronic lock turning as the front door opened.

Wrapped in a towel, Shen Nian stood frozen as she watched Lu Lingchuan walk in.

The man glanced at her and said nothing. He opened the nearby shoe cabinet, changed into his own slippers, and then headed into the bathroom.

Not expecting Lu Lingchuan\'s visit today, Shen Nian was momentarily at a loss. Coming back to her senses, she promptly dried her hair and changed into her pajamas.

Soon, Lu Lingchuan also emerged from the bathroom wearing a bathrobe. His hair was still wet with droplets of water trickling down his neck.

Shen Nian went out to the drying rack and grabbed a towel. Coming back in, she saw Lu Lingchuan sitting at the edge of the bed, head lowered as he checked his emails on his phone.

Shen Nian climbed onto the bed first before kneeling at the edge and carefully drying his hair for him.

The typing on the man\'s phone paused briefly, but soon resumed its steady rhythm.

This kind of wordless tranquility had become habitual between them.

After drying his hair, Shen Nian walked over to the living room to retrieve the earrings she\'d purchased today.

"Here are the earrings you asked me to buy."

"Mm." As usual, Lu Lingchuan was terse with his words, "Put them on the table."

"Okay."

And then, silence again between them.

After a while longer, Shen Nian started to develop a headache.

Perhaps having become unaccustomed to being busy again after a period of rest, she now felt rather uncomfortable. Massaging her brows, her face showed hints of fatigue.

She first went to the living room to thoroughly blow dry her hair. Returning to the bedroom, she climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep lying on her side.

Hearing her go quiet behind him, Lu Lingchuan\'s typing fingers paused.

Glancing sideways, he stared deeply and complexly at her now slumbering visage - one that had been etched into his very bones, impossible to forget even if he tried.

Yet ultimately, he said nothing at all.

Ever since Lu Lingrui had passed, Shen Nian\'s sleep had become increasingly restless, the slightest sounds now enough to stir her awake.

So when Lu Lingchuan climbed into bed, she immediately woke up. Next came the faint clicking sound of the light switch turning off.

At this point, Shen Nian\'s head was awake and alert, yet she kept her eyes closed, maintaining her position.

She sensed his eyes on her, watching her.

Lu Lingchuan planted both his hands on either side of Shen Nian\'s form as he hovered over her. Amidst the darkness he could only discern her blurry outline. Yet her face was clearly imprinted in his mind - impossible to wipe from his memory even if he wanted to.

He suddenly lowered his head to fiercely capture her lips, venting out all the pent-up resentment in his heart.

To him, Shen Nian was an addictive kind of poison, one he would be unable to shake off for the rest of his life.

His feelings towards her comprised both love and hate.

Every time he saw Shen Nian\'s face, he couldn\'t help but think of Lingrui, and the cold lifelessness of her remains in the morgue.

"... " Shen Nian did not respond or struggle. Like a soulless puppet she mutely allowed him to vent all his emotions.

Only after some unknown amount of time had passed did Lu Lingchuan finally show her some mercy.

"Shen Nian." He called her name.

"... " She did not respond.

"Do you know how much I hate you?"

"Why didn\'t you take her along with you when you escaped that time?"

Having said what he needed to, Lu Lingchuan released his restraint on her and lay down beside her with his back facing her.

Amidst the darkness, Shen Nian slowly opened her eyes.

An expanse of black greeted her vision, a reflection of her own pitch dark existence.

Her lashes fluttered. Shen Nian composed herself and evened out her breathing.

The dawn of yet another new day, unexpectedly gifted with the continuation of her own worthless life for one more day.

When brushing her teeth she noticed a slight pain in her lower lip. Peering into the mirror, she finally spotted the tiny lesion left behind from Lu Lingchuan\'s bite.

Thankfully it wasn\'t obvious unless scrutinized closely.

After rinsing once more with water, she set her toothbrush and cup down on the nearby counter.

Having tidied up, she headed out.

After a busy morning, Shen Nian finally finished organizing her documents around noon. She then went downstairs to the company cafeteria for lunch.

Carrying her tray of rice, dishes and soup, she found an empty corner to sit at the edge of the hall by herself.

She was used to always sitting alone in the corners.

Just as she was about to start eating, someone set their tray down on the table across from her.