When Ye Shuya arrived at the office, she received a bouquet of white roses without any signature. For several consecutive days, she received roses of different colors, all unsigned.
She didn't know who sent them and was feeling restless. Every day when she saw the roses on her desk, she felt annoyed. Song Xiao always looked at her with envious eyes, but recently Dai Ni stopped sending her flowers, which made Song Xiao very uneasy.
Lin Yu remained sarcastic, and Tang Dan always stepped in with a gentle voice to mediate when things got out of hand.
It wasn't until the seventh day that there was finally a small card in the flowers. It was blank, but it included a movie ticket for an old romantic film at 8 o'clock in the evening.
A few days ago, when she was lecturing on foreign literature, she had shown this movie to her students, the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice."
Undoubtedly, the anonymous sender knew her preferences very well. For the first time, Ye Shuya became interested in meeting a stranger. She called the butler of Angie's house and asked for a leave.
The movie theater was empty, not a soul in sight. She stood in the aisle, hesitating.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind, placed on her shoulder. Ye Shuya was startled and quickly turned her head, only to find a large bucket of popcorn being thrust into her hands. Su Yao, with a slight smile on his lips, chuckled, "YaYa, what a coincidence."
"Yes, quite a coincidence," she said through gritted teeth, feeling an unwarranted flutter of excitement in her heart. Before coming to the cinema, she had speculated about countless people in her mind, but in the end, there was only one person left, Su Yao, no, it should be said, only Su Yao.
No one else would treat her like this.
As the movie began, Su Yao and Ye Shuya sat together in seats specially designed for couples. However, Ye Shuya was not in the mood to watch the movie. She tilted her head and asked, "How did you know I like this movie? I don't remember ever telling you."
"I guessed," Su Yao replied with a smile.
Ye Shuya glared at him, "You really spared no expense, booking the entire cinema and playing this movie that's long been out of circulation. How much did you spend?"
Su Yao leaned in and kissed her cheek, "YaYa, don't worry about saving money for me."
Ye Shuya recoiled as if she had seen a ghost, "Hey, Su Yao, didn't we make it clear?"
"Hmm? Clear about what?"
"We broke up! We broke up!"
Su Yao still smiled, "I know, but even after breaking up, we can still be friends, can't we?"
Ye Shuya was left speechless, unable to retort. After a long while, she whispered, "No friends watch movies in couple seats, and no friends kiss each other casually."
Su Yao was silent for a moment, then asked, "YaYa, has he ever watched a movie with you?"
Ye Shuya's face turned very ugly.
Su Yao asked again, "Has he ever kissed you in the cinema?"
Her face grew uglier and uglier. Faced with Su Yao's questioning, she couldn't think of any answer at this moment, not even having the courage to say "yes."
Qin Wei... indeed, he had never watched a movie with her, let alone kissed her in the cinema.
Su Yao smirked, "You and he were childhood sweethearts, how could you not have watched a movie together? I asked the wrong question."
Ye Shuya shuddered.
She stood up abruptly, "I'm not watching anymore."
Su Yao grabbed her hand, slightly forced her to sit in his arms, and his right hand tightened around her waist, "YaYa, it's been a long time since I last watched a movie with you."
The familiar scent came, Ye Shuya closed her eyes and said, "Su Yao, friends don't watch movies in this position."
Su Yao laughed out loud, the vibration of his chest made her heart tremble, "YaYa, what do you think this position is for?"
Ye Shuya's face turned red, and she refused to speak to him anymore.
After the movie ended, a staff member brought a bouquet of bright red roses. Su Yao said, "Dai Ni said today is White Valentine's Day on March 14th, so I thought I should send you flowers."
Ye Shuya was stunned, but in a moment, she thought that Su Yao would have an allergic reaction as soon as he got close to the flowers, and he might have a high fever again. Her expression tightened, and she quickly stuffed the roses back into the hands of the staff member, "I hate flowers, don't send me flowers anymore."
Then she left the cinema in high heels.
Su Yao was very happy, his eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles. He followed Ye Shuya's steps, "YaYa, where are you going?"
Ye Shuya still slowed down her steps. Although her face didn't give him a good look, her mouth was still very obediently answered: "Going home."
"Oh, okay, let's go together."
Ye Shuya glared at him, "You and I are not on the same road."
Su Yao gave a meaningful smile.
When she got home, Ye Shuya realized that Su Yao had moved to her neighbor's place at some point. Su Yao said, "It's like this, this community has inspired me a lot, especially this house, so I bought it."
Ye Shuya stared at him, "Su Yao, what on earth do you want to do?"
Su Yao shrugged, kissed her cheek, "My neighbor, good night."
Ye Shuya was dumbfounded.
Just a few days of not seeing each other, how did he seem to have changed into another person?
Ye Shuya suffered from insomnia. At four in the morning, she still didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy. Lying in bed, she thought about many things, such as Qin Wei, and also Su Yao, but she thought about Su Yao the most.
She had seen it in some book before, the author said that a person only has one heart, so they can only give it to one person. Obviously, this statement is only true for most people. Otherwise, why could she like Qin Wei while also keeping Su Yao in her heart at the same time?
Qin Wei has been very busy recently. She called him once, and his tone became very cold. They used to talk about everything, but now they can't even talk for a few sentences before the conversation becomes awkward. However, the feelings of more than a decade of childhood friendship are still there. She couldn't blame him, after all, the gap between them was created by her first.
Close to five o'clock, Ye Shuya calculated the time, and Qin Wei should be off work. She got out of bed and called him on the landline.
Qin Wei took a long time to answer, and his voice sounded tired.
"Hello?"
Ye Shuya asked, "Ah Qin, are you off work?"
"I'm working overtime today."
She opened her mouth, wanted to say something interesting, but suddenly found that she couldn't say anything. The atmosphere between them was extremely cold. Coupled with the sound of the woman she heard a few times before Qin Wei, she closed her mouth.
Qin Wei said impatiently, "Is there anything else?"
Ye Shuya gripped the microphone tightly and asked with a tremble, "Ah Qin, have you ever watched a movie with me?"
Qin Wei was silent for a while. She heard a light laugh, "YaYa, shouldn't you be asking yourself this question? Whether there is or not, the decision has never been in my hands. Ye Shuya, let's break up."
After that, there was no more sound from the microphone.
After work hours, Ye Shuya washed up casually and went out. Because she had been insomniac all night, her complexion didn't look very good, and her makeup couldn't cover her haggardness. After she closed the door, a very familiar voice sounded by her ear, "YaYa, didn't sleep well last night?"
Su Yao stood in front of her with a smile, he took her hand, "I'll take you to school."
Ye Shuya didn't resist, she looked at him, and walked quietly with him.
In the car, Su Yao asked, "You look terrible, what happened last night?"
Ye Shuya thought of Qin Wei's words, her eyes dimmed down, she raised her head and looked at Su Yao steadily, "When you suggested that I should be with two people at the same time, did you ever think that the boat that should have belonged to me would no longer carry me because of the involvement of the other boat?"
Su Yao's expression was stunned, he frowned and said, "He wants to break up with you?"
Ye Shuya let out a bitter laugh, "At first, Ah Qin told me that I must not provoke you, but what did I do? I provoked you from start to finish, even losing my own boyfriend in the process. Ah Qin doesn't like me anymore, and you won't want me either. I'm a bad woman; I liked two men at the same time, so now God is punishing me..." Her voice became increasingly shrill, and suddenly she screamed, "Stop the car."
The driver reflexively slammed on the brakes, and Ye Shuya opened the door and ran out.
Su Yao immediately chased after her.
She ran desperately down the street, the sound of her seven-inch high heels striking the ground exceptionally loud. It was only a little after seven, and many elderly people exercising by the road and students on their way to school turned their gazes on her.
She didn't pay any attention, feeling as if the whole world was about to collapse.
Ever since all her family members left her, Qin Wei had been her pillar. Now that the pillar had fallen, she had nothing left. She had always been very clear that Su Yao would be with her only because she had a boyfriend, so he definitely wouldn't want her now.
She had nothing left, really nothing at all.
Su Yao quickly caught up with Ye Shuya, panting, his face pale enough to alarm anyone, but his hand still tightly held hers.
Crying, she said, "Su Yao, I have nothing left."
He embraced her, "YaYa, you still have me."
"No, you said it before, even if I broke up with Qin Wei, you wouldn't be with me." She shook her head vigorously, tears washing away her makeup, but Su Yao didn't mind at all; he kissed her directly, "No, YaYa, I like you, I will be with you."
Ye Shuya didn't believe him, "I know, you're just comforting me."
Su Yao's heart suddenly convulsed, his lips began to turn an eerie purplish-blue, and waves of dizziness strongly assaulted him. He stabilized his body that was almost about to collapse and, with all his strength, uttered four words, "YaYa, trust me."
After that, he fell onto Ye Shuya, unconscious.
Ye Shuya was initially startled, but when she noticed the purplish hue of Su Yao's lips, she suddenly snapped out of her own world and cried out, "Su Yao."
Dai Ni walked out of Su Yao's hospital room with a gloomy expression.
Ye Shuya stood outside the room, head lowered, like a child who had done something wrong. Upon seeing Dai Ni exit, she raised her head and timidly asked, "Dai Ni, is he alright?"
Refraining from showing anger towards a lady, his expression remained cold and indifferent as he simply said, "Miss Ye need not worry. As long as I am here, Su will be fine. However, as Su's personal physician, I must advise you that his body cannot withstand any more turmoil."
Ye Shuya accepted Dai Ni's sarcasm, her eyes constantly glancing towards the inside of the ward. There was only one thing she wanted to do now, and that was to stay by Su Yao's side.
"May I go in and see him?"
Dai Ni genuinely felt that his approval of Su's relationship with this lady was a tremendous mistake. He sighed, "Do not stay for more than ten minutes."
A wave of joy crossed Ye Shuya's face, "Thank you so much."
With that, she turned the doorknob and seemed to remember something, pausing before turning to ask Dai Ni, "May I ask you a question?"
Dai Ni nodded.
"I'd like to know what illness Su Yao has?" She hesitated, "Heart disease?"
Dai Ni looked at her and shook his head. Glancing at Su Yao through the slightly opened door, he said, "I'm afraid I cannot disclose that. I have promised Su to keep it confidential. If you wish, you may ask him directly."
Ye Shuya's expression was complicated as she nodded and entered the ward. Dai Ni sighed heavily outside before tiptoeing away.
Su Yao woke up in the middle of the night the following day. As he opened his eyes, the familiar smell of hospital disinfectant greeted him, an IV needle was inserted in the back of his hand, and the surroundings were pitch black.
He skillfully removed the IV, and as he was about to sit up, someone suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.
Su Yao had excellent night vision, and he immediately recognized Ye Shuya.
Her voice was filled with delight, "You're awake. Let me go get Dai Ni."
Su Yao held her hand back, pulling it tightly, "Don't go."
Ye Shuya found the switch and turned on the light. When she saw Su Yao's pale face, she felt a wave of guilt inside, "Su Yao, I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional, I..."
"YaYa." Su Yao pulled her to sit down, looking at her evenly, "He doesn't want you anymore, but I do."
At that moment, her face was extremely poor, and her eyes were filled with overwhelming despair, which made his heart ache. He didn't want to see Ye Shuya like this anymore.
"But you said before..."
Su Yao stretched out his arm and embraced her, "Forget what I said before."
The corners of Ye Shuya's lips curled up, "Then answer me one question first."
"Hmm?"
Ye Shuya sat up from his arms and looked straight into his eyes, "Tell me, what illness do you have?"
Su Yao averted his gaze, "It's a minor illness, you don't have to worry."
She reached out, pinched his face, and made him look into her eyes. The coolness on her cheeks was transmitted through her fingertips, and she couldn't help but shiver in her heart. She persistently asked, "Su Yao, tell me, okay?"
Su Yao smiled with his lips, "YaYa, it really is a minor illness."
"But, Dai Ni said..."
Su Yao frowned, "What can Dai Ni say? YaYa, don't test me."
She sighed, "Su Yao, you're so smart, I won't be able to deceive you in the future."
"Easy," he held her hand, "if you want to deceive me in the future, I will deliberately let you deceive me."
She asked again, "So what illness do you have, Su Yao?"
Su Yao was silent.
"...Heart disease?"
Su Yao gently pinched the palm of her hand, "Are you cursing me?"
She pouted and didn't speak anymore.
Su Yao chuckled, "I really don't have an illness, YaYa, you have to believe me."
Ye Shuya didn't believe it at all. Who would turn purple at the lips after just a few steps? Who would often faint? Who would have an internationally top doctor following them around at any time?
But Su Yao was unwilling to say, he was not willing to say at all. So she didn't force him. She had eyes, she had a brain, she would find out by herself.
"Su Yao, no matter what illness you have, I won't despise you, really."
Su Yao laughed so hard that his chest vibrated, and he touched her hair.
"Okay."