Adhering to the tradition of reciprocity, Ye Shuya felt deeply that she should repay Su Yao's hospitality and return his coat. When Qin Wei learned about it, he only sneered coldly and warned her, "YaYa, you can't afford to play this game."
Ye Shuya, however, was stubborn in her opinion and retorted, "I don't have any other intentions; I just don't want to be indebted to him."
"Then how do you plan to repay him? With a debt of gratitude to be repaid in flesh?" Qin Wei's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
She felt somewhat angry and responded, "Ah Qin, you can't belittle me like this!"
Qin Wei suddenly laughed, his tone light, "YaYa, where do you plan to invite him for dinner?"
"I haven't decided yet," Ye Shuya replied, her heart filled with hesitation.
"I hope you can spend less. The young master is not someone who can be appeased with just an ordinary meal," Qin Wei's words were tinged with a touch of disbelief.
Subsequently, Ye Shuya spent an hour contemplating the first sentence she would say to Su Yao, and then two more hours selecting a restaurant that appeared to be of high class. Finally, at five in the afternoon, she mustered up the courage to call Su Yao.
Alas, all that came from the other end of the line was the cold, mechanical voice of a woman informing her that the phone was switched off.
She felt a bit disheartened, a sense of loss welling up in her heart.
The next day, she tried calling once in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, but the phone was still switched off. The same situation persisted on the third day, and she finally gave up. Qin Wei spoke with a gloating tone, "In Su Yao's heart, you are nothing."
She suffered from insomnia, tossing and turning in bed. Eventually, she couldn't help it anymore, sat up, and stared at Su Yao's coat in a daze. After a while, she jumped out of bed, carefully put on Su Yao's coat, and in front of the dressing mirror, she gently fastened one button after another.
Ye Shuya suddenly burst into laughter, speaking to her reflection, "Look, it's just like Su Yao is hugging you."
As the end of the term approached, the teachers at Maritime University began to get busy with year-end reports, end-of-year reflections, final exam questions, and a multitude of other chaotic tasks. Ye Shuya was overwhelmed with work, and her memory of Su Yao gradually faded. Qin Wei also stopped mentioning Su Yao, always saying with a smile, "YaYa, this is how one should be."
The gossip in the office shifted to another person, a newly debuted actress with a fox-like face. Tang Dan and Lin Yu were extremely dissatisfied with this actress, and whenever they had time, they started criticizing her, using their background in Chinese literature to belittle her with the most beautiful words. Song Xiao clapped and cheered on the side, filling the office with lively energy.
Ye Shuya still maintained her silence, immersed in her own world, either focusing on her work at hand or lost in thought while looking at the roses sent by Qin Wei. Life gradually returned to its proper track, and Ye Shuya began to search for another part-time job through various channels. Within three days, she had found a tutoring job, again teaching children, but this time her student was a fourteen-year-old girl named Angie who grew up in the United States and had very limited proficiency in Chinese. Ye Shuya's task was to accompany her in practicing the Chinese language.
Angie's home was located in a luxurious villa area on the outskirts, where grand mansions stood in abundance and the greening was exquisitely done. When Ye Shuya first stepped into Angie's home, she couldn't help but be surprised. It seemed that lately she was always getting involved with children from wealthy families.
However, wealthy families often come with complicated family relationships, and Angie's family was no exception. Her parents were busy with work, and Ye Shuya rarely had the chance to see them. Most of the time, she only dealt with the housekeeper. Angie's daily schedule was packed from morning till night, filled with various classes and activities—piano lessons, social etiquette, ballet... By the evening, the poor girl was always exhausted and often dozed off in Ye Shuya's company.
Angie also had an older sister, Anny, who was only eighteen but led a chaotic private life that was hard to believe. Whenever Ye Shuya talked with Angie in the hall, she would see Anny bringing home men of all sorts, and once she even witnessed Anny engaging in indecent behavior with a man old enough to be her father at the corner of the stairs.
Angie seemed to take all of this for granted, even telling Ye Shuya, "This is normal in America; my sister has done even more outrageous things."
Ye Shuya sighed inwardly at the lifestyle of such wealthy families.
Despite this, Angie was still a well-behaved child who always spoke politely. She liked to gaze longingly at a villa halfway up the mountain, her eyes filled with yearning. Ye Shuya had also followed her gaze but didn't notice anything special about the villa.
One day, Angie said enviously, "I heard that the villa is haunted at midnight."
Ye Shuya was taken aback.
Angie continued, "I really want to check it out." She turned her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "Teacher Ye, can you accompany me to take a look tonight?"
Children always seem to possess extraordinary courage; they are eager for adventure, exploring the unknown realms that adults fear. As people grow older, they tend to become more timid due to various concerns.
Ye Shuya sternly said, "Angie, it's very impolite to intrude into someone else's home without permission."
Angie looked a bit dejected. After a while, she suggested, "Why don't we ask for his consent? The man my sister brought home today is a friend of the homeowner. If you talk to him, Teacher Ye, he will definitely agree to take us there."
While Ye Shuya was contemplating how to gently decline, Angie suddenly opened the door and called out in her sweet voice, "Brother, could you come in for a moment? Teacher Ye has something she wants to talk to you about."
Ye Shuya didn't expect to be forced into action like this, and she was even more surprised to find out that the "brother" Angie mentioned was Danny.
Danny looked very surprised.
Ye Shuya awkwardly explained the current situation, and Angie said with a smile, "So Danny brother knows Teacher Ye."
Danny looked at Ye Shuya and said, "Miss Ye didn't know? Su lives in that villa."
Ye Shuya felt as if something had suddenly struck her heart. The long-lost name appeared starkly in her mind, violently colliding with her soul.
"However, Su has been ill recently. If Miss Ye wants to visit, I can arrange a time for you," Danny continued.
Angie immediately cheered up, "Danny brother, can I go too?"
Danny gently patted her head, "Little Angie, Su doesn't like children."
"I'm not a child anymore; I'm fourteen, a young lady," Angie said with some dejection, fluttering her big eyes at Ye Shuya, "Teacher Ye, you must go and check it out for me."
"Hmm? Is Miss Ye going?" Danny asked.
Ye Shuya came to her senses and asked, "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"
"Yes, it started last week. They are old ailments," Danny replied.
Ye Shuya realized that Su Yao didn't answer her calls because he was sick. She felt a bit of joy in her heart, yet also some hesitation, "Can I go see him?"
Danny smiled and said, "Of course. Su would be delighted to see you. I'm heading there now; would Miss Ye like to join?"
Ye Shuya looked at Angie, who continued to look at her with her big, expectant eyes, "Teacher Ye, go."
In the end, Ye Shuya nodded, "Okay."
Su Yao's complexion looked rather poor, his face pale as if powdered, yet his attire remained meticulously neat, his hair combed to a shine, lying flat against his scalp in an orderly fashion.
As soon as Ye Shuya entered, she saw Su Yao sitting listlessly on a chaise lounge, his head tilted as he gazed up at the night sky outside the window.
The weather tonight was far from pleasant, with dark clouds covering the sky and a tendency towards rain. The outside sky was oppressively dark, and nothing could be seen. What Su Yao was looking at was unclear. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was daydreaming into outer space.
Danny coughed lightly, "Su, look who I've brought to see you."
Ye Shuya swore that before Su Yao turned his head, his expression was indifferent, but the moment his eyes met hers, his captivating eyes immediately brimmed with radiance. She breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Su Yao was delighted to see her.
She smiled faintly, "Su Yao, how is your health?"
Su Yao's gaze suddenly dropped to an icy point as he glared at Danny, "Who said you could bring her here? Huh? Who gave you the authority to bring people in?"
Her smile immediately froze on her lips, and she felt utterly embarrassed. Danny was also taken aback.
"Su..."
Su Yao coldly interrupted him, "I don't want to see anyone. Get out."
Her heart instantly sank to the depths of discomfort. Su Yao's gaze was like a machine gun, each sweep causing her unbearable distress. Without waiting for Danny to speak, she hurried out on her high heels.
She had never felt so humiliated, feeling as though she had eagerly presented herself for public ridicule.
Danny frowned at Su Yao, "Su, why do you have to be like this?"
Su Yao didn't look at him, "I don't want to see anyone."
"Your temperament hasn't changed at all," Danny sighed, "Miss Ye will definitely not want to see you again. The way you just spoke is too hurtful to a woman's heart."
After Danny left, Su Yao finally stood up from the chaise lounge.
He took slow, heavy steps to the mirror. The man in the mirror was ravaged by illness, resembling a demon. How could he possibly want others to see him like this?
Ye Shuya ran out of the villa, her heart pounding, her face burning as if slapped by an invisible hand. Her footsteps echoed on the damp street, the rain beginning to patter down, dampening her hair and her mood.
She didn't know why she cared so much about Su Yao's attitude, when there was no special connection between them. But every time she thought of his cold gaze, her heart ached as if pricked by a needle.
She arrived at a bus stop and sat on a bench, looking up at the sky. The rain grew heavier, but she had no desire to leave, as if staying there could calm her heart slightly.
The dim light of the bus stop cast a lonely shadow of her. She recalled every encounter with Su Yao, each of his smiles, each of his glances, deeply etched in her heart. She didn't understand why someone could become so cold in an instant.
Time ticked by, with no sign of the rain letting up. Ye Shuya's mood grew increasingly heavy. She took out her phone, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed Qin Wei's number.
"Ah Qin, I..."
"YaYa, what's wrong? You sound strange," Qin Wei's voice revealed a hint of concern.
"I... I'm fine, just a bit upset," Ye Shuya's voice was choked.
"Where are you? I'll come find you," Qin Wei said immediately.
Ye Shuya told him the address, then continued to sit at the bus stop, allowing the rain to hit her. She didn't know what she was waiting for, perhaps Qin Wei's arrival or an apology from Su Yao.
After a while, Qin Wei's car pulled up beside the bus stop. He held a large umbrella and quickly walked to Ye Shuya's side.
"YaYa, why are you sitting here? You'll catch a cold," Qin Wei said with concern.
Ye Shuya looked up at Qin Wei, and her tears finally streamed down.
"Ah Qin, am I silly? Why should I be upset for someone who doesn't care about me?" Her voice carried a hint of despair.
Qin Wei gently hugged her, patting her back, "YaYa, you're not silly at all. You're just too kind-hearted, too easily hurt. But you have to believe, there will always be someone who knows how to cherish you."
Ye Shuya leaned on Qin Wei's shoulder, feeling his warmth. She knew Qin Wei was right; she shouldn't be upset for someone who didn't care about her. What she needed to do was to value those who truly cared about her.
The rain gradually stopped, and the sky began to clear. Ye Shuya's mood also slowly improved. She left the bus stop with Qin Wei and walked towards his car.
In the car, Qin Wei handed Ye Shuya a clean towel to wipe her damp hair. Ye Shuya took the towel and gave Qin Wei a grateful look.
"Thank you, Ah Qin," she whispered.
"You're welcome, YaYa. We're friends, it's what we should do," Qin Wei said with a smile.
Ye Shuya's mood finally calmed down. She knew that no matter what the future held, she would no longer be upset for Su Yao. She was going to start a new life, cherishing those who were truly worth cherishing.