Liang Yuanjing practically gritted out the word. He rolled up his sleeve, grabbed her ankle, and half-knelt by her bed.
Tao Shuran was startled by the grand gesture and noticed the items on the cabinet beside her—things meant for her.
So he still remembered her ankle injury.
“No need, I can do it myself.”
“With an injury this bad, why didn’t you say anything?”
Liang Yuanjing said coldly, “Doesn’t your archaeology team have a doctor?”
“No need. It’s just a minor injury. It’ll heal on its own in a few days.”
Afraid he would get angrier, Tao Shuran added, “I checked it myself. It shouldn’t have hurt the bone.”
Liang Yuanjing gave a low “Mm,” his emotions unreadable.
When the man’s firm fingers touched the injured area, it still hurt a bit. Tao Shuran bit her lower lip tightly, and occasionally, when she really couldn’t bear it, her ankle instinctively pulled back.
Liang Yuanjing glanced at her knowingly and used a bit of force to pull her retreating leg back.
“You’ve always been like this—swallow the bitter pill whole without a sound, not even crying.”
Tao Shuran took a deep breath. “Because it’s the path I chose. No reason to feel bad about it.”
“What about me, then?”
The pungent medicated oil spread over the injury, bringing a burning pain. Liang Yuanjing’s warm palm fully pressed against her slender ankle.
He raised his brow and looked straight up at her.
“What about liking me?”
“Have you ever regretted it?”
Tao Shuran fell silent, momentarily forgetting the pain.
She immersed herself completely in the question. After a while, she smiled somewhat relieved and lowered her head, her gaze inching over his brows and eyes.
“No regrets, no what-ifs.”
Even after five years, her answer was the same as when they broke up back then.
Liang Yuanjing said, “Do you know when I first noticed you?”
Tao Shuran’s attention was drawn to the question.
She tilted her head and asked curiously, “When?”
“Right when I started at Qing University. You couldn’t keep up, so you went to school at five-thirty every morning to memorize books.”
A hint of amusement appeared in Liang Yuanjing’s eyes. He reached out to gather the long hair draping over her shoulder, his voice gentle and low.
“That unyielding spirit of yours drew me in, so I wanted to see you win.”
“Tao Shuran, these five years apart, I thought of you every single day and gradually came to understand many of the things you said.”
So all those riddles hidden in your hesitations were really just “I like you.”
“Does it have to be Qing University?”
“It does.”
Liang Yuanjing realized he was finally truly understanding this answer.
The medicine was almost applied. He stood, pulled out two tissues, and prepared to leave. Before going, he checked her door lock again.
He reminded her in an emotionless tone.
“Tao Shuran, it’s late. Don’t casually let just anyone in anymore.”
Tao Shuran was still dazed.
Her memory flashed back to five-thirty, always remembering the misty, cold, and pale mornings, but Flight Class training always started promptly at six.
She liked standing at the end of the long corridor to memorize, looking up at him in the gaps.
She hadn’t realized she was also being watched.
“Um, leave the medicated oil with me. That way, you won’t have to come every night.”
Tao Shuran paused for a moment and looked at him. “You train every night, which is quite tiring…” There was really no need for him to come over anymore.
She only got halfway through speaking when Liang Yuanjing rudely interrupted her.
His hand rested on the door handle, and he had not yet stepped out. He looked down at her condescendingly.
His attitude was somewhat cold as he said, “Tao Shuran, if you don’t want to see me, then take good care of yourself.”
Following Liang Yuanjing’s massage method, when Tao Shuran woke up the next day, the swelling and redness on her ankle had subsided quite a bit.
Today, they were doing indoor work, mainly doing basic cleaning on a batch of artifacts that had been delivered, then filing and categorizing them.
She changed into her work clothes and entered the restoration room. Tao Shuran put on a mask and gloves, and conveniently placed her phone in the storage room.
She worked with focus and immersion. Her tied-up long hair hung low behind her head, and some fine strands of bangs fell down on both sides, blocking her view.
Tao Shuran tsked, shook her head, but could not free up her hands for the task at hand.
Jin Boyu, who sat across from her, glanced over, pulled open a drawer, and took out two hair clips.
He walked up to her and softly asked, “Shall I clip them up for you?”
Tao Shuran said, “Sure.”
She leaned over, but her hands did not stop working.
Jin Boyu’s gaze fell on her fair and translucent cheeks, her small and delicate nose tip, and further up to her slightly furrowed brows due to her difficulty.
In this flashy and dazzling world, she always seemed to carry a serene beauty unlike any other.
A faint sound came from the windowsill.
Jin Boyu slowly turned his head and happened to lock eyes with Liang Yuanjing, who stood outside the window.
He smiled, placed his hand on Tao Shuran’s shoulder, and nodded slightly as a greeting.
“Little Tao, coming to the group dinner tonight?”
The last gap was filled in. Old Man Yuan from next door came over cheerfully to chat.
His voice was loud—one shout and everyone in the corridor rooms could hear him. Several people poked their heads out and chimed in with smiles.
“Hey, Old Yuan, why are you only inviting Little Tao and not us?”
“You old folks, do you ever eat less normally? If you want to come, come, but you’ll pay for yourselves. I’m only treating Little Tao.”
Flattered and surprised, Tao Shuran looked up and set down her tweezers. She let out a long breath.
Three hours of focused work had drained too much of her mental energy. She politely declined, “Teacher Yuan, thank you for your kindness, but I plan to refine this piece a bit more tonight.”
“You’re working so hard—don’t you want your eyes anymore?”
Yuan Xiangzhi was the most senior member of the clock restoration group, about the same age as Lin Tingzhou, so everyone liked calling him Old Man Yuan too.
Old Man Yuan had no other hobbies—he liked growing gentleman orchids, eating and drinking heartily, and caring for the younger generation.
He was no different from the elders at home. When Tao Shuran had first started her internship, she had rotated under him for a while.
Yuan Xiangzhi chuckled and said, “It’s settled then. Come tonight, and Master will introduce you to someone.”
No sooner had he said this than Lin Tingzhou pushed the door open and entered.
She grabbed Yuan Xiangzhi’s ear without any politeness. “Dead old Yuan, trying to poach my disciple again, huh?”
“How can you call it poaching? This is called cherishing talent.” Yuan Xiangzhi clapped his hands. “It’s settled. You must come tonight.”
Tao Shuran’s pleading gaze swept backward.
Jin Boyu and Gu Songnian, who were caught in it, both took a step back.
Gu Songnian silently mouthed to her, “Junior Sister, good luck.”
Tao Shuran resigned herself to it.
As the group with the highest single rate in the artifacts team, their calligraphy and painting group had always participated in the departmental mixers the most.
Previously, the three of them had drawn lots to decide. This time, she was directly designated.
Tao Shuran sighed faintly, went back to change out of her work clothes, and put on something casual and comfortable.
When she went out, the weather turned sour. The sky was overcast, with occasional fine raindrops drifting down, giving the illusion that a downpour was imminent.
Yuan Xiangzhi sent her the restaurant location. They had agreed on six in the evening. Tao Shuran stood by the roadside waiting for the bus and checked the time.
Five-thirty. If things went smoothly, she should arrive on time.
But things did not go as planned. The bus that was supposed to arrive on schedule never showed up.
Although Tao Shuran was very averse to blind dates, she did not want to be rude by arriving late for the first meeting.
As she anxiously paced in place, a deep black Lincoln suddenly stopped in front of her from not far away.
The window rolled down, revealing Liang Yuanjing’s sharply contoured side profile. He rested one hand on the steering wheel, took off his sunglasses, and turned his head to look at her.
“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”
“I’m going here.”
Tao Shuran hesitated and asked, “Are we on the way?”
Liang Yuanjing scoffed. “Get in.”
“Even if not, it will be.”
And so, Tao Shuran got into his car. The oversized wheels made it a bit of an effort for her to climb in.
So this million-yuan luxury car parked by the roadside was his.
Tao Shuran casually looked away. He was even richer than she had imagined.
But no matter how great the gap, it no longer mattered to her now.
Once in the car, Liang Yuanjing proactively switched to an English song. He turned the steering wheel lazily as he drove.
He asked her, “What are you going for?”
Tao Shuran slowly said, “To meet a friend.”
A friend?
He raised an eyebrow and pursued the matter relentlessly.
“What friend?”
One that required going all the way to a restaurant in the city center.
Tao Shuran bit her lip, a bit conflicted and hesitant.
But since he insisted on getting a straight answer, she saw no need to hide it.
So she answered honestly, “My blind date.”
There was a sharp brake. Liang Yuanjing’s car screeched to a stop on the roadside. The inertia from the back threw Tao Shuran forward hard as she gripped the seatbelt.
Liang Yuanjing quickly reached out and blocked her forehead.
Then Tao Shuran heard his furious voice—
“You’re getting a ride from your ex-boyfriend to meet your blind date?”
“You’ve gotten bold, Tao Shuran.”