Chapter 13: The Gift

ᰔ”Don’t move, don’t be scared.”ᰔ

~~~

Shen Suhui hadn’t calmed down the entire journey. She kept being disturbed by Yu Ran’s words, feeling lost and confused.

So when Yu Ran said she wanted to compete fairly with Jiang Shiluo, Shen Suhui was left speechless.

Yu Ran parked the car in front of a custom jewelry store, an international chain with only one branch in China.

It was getting late, and Yu Ran quickly said, “Wait for me in the car,” before rushing into the store.

She returned quickly, saying nothing, and they soon arrived at their destination.

The SUV drove into a cedar manor, a place developed with thousand-year-old cedars, offering dining and entertainment projects. The development and construction of this place had required substantial financial, material, and human resources, so even the entrance fee was expensive.

Although this was outside Shen Suhui’s usual spending range, she was aware of it.

“It’s winter, and only this area is still lush with trees. I think it’s perfect for you.”

“Why?” Shen Suhui asked, looking at Yu Ran’s profile.

“I think you need flowers and green leaves, to be closer to nature.”

~~

Shen Suhui lowered her head and stopped asking. She forced a smile, feeling a deep ache in her heart.

Her condition worsened during the fall and winter every year, affected by the shorter days, the lack of sunlight, and the absence of flowers and green leaves.

Yu Ran brought her here, and Shen Suhui understood Yu Ran’s intentions.

This person was still as gentle and detailed as when they first met.

Yu Ran led Shen Suhui to a treehouse restaurant three stories high, surrounded by cypress trees, exuding vitality and life. The trees were adorned with various colored lights, and in the center of the treehouse, a musician was playing the violin.

“Can we go up?”

It was clear that Shen Suhui liked this kind of restaurant. She asked Yu Ran carefully, her tone slightly excited.

“Of course.”

They climbed up to the treehouse, and Shen Suhui chose a spot she liked. As soon as she sat down, a waiter in a tailcoat brought over a bottle of champagne.

Yu Ran smiled politely. “Sorry, could you please exchange the champagne for hot tea? Oh, and bring a cup of hot milk as well.”

A gray magpie perched on the railing, quietly watching the two of them. Shen Suhui looked at it and smiled even more brightly.

“It seems like you really like this place.”

“Yes, yes, thank you, Yu Ran!”

“It’s me who should thank you. You’ve made me feel like I’ve done something meaningful.”

When the hot tea arrived, Shen Suhui lowered her head to taste it. In truth, her thoughts had already drifted to the person sitting across from her.

Yu Ran carefully examined the menu, ordering a few dishes that suited most people’s tastes, and then pushed the menu over to Shen Suhui.

“This restaurant serves both Chinese and Western food. You can see what you want to eat.”

“Okay.”

Shen Suhui obediently began browsing the menu from the beginning, just as Yu Ran’s phone rang.

Her expression changed, and she hung up.

It was Du Qiuyan.

Yu Ran had just put her phone face down on the table when it rang again. This time, she didn’t hang up but instead answered it directly while sitting back in her seat.

“Yu Ran, where are you?”

“I’m out. Have you been drinking?” Her tone was distant.

“Yeah, I’m spending New Year’s Eve alone. Want to come find me?”

“No need. Is there anything else?”

~~

Shen Suhui absentmindedly picked a couple of dishes, pretending not to overhear, and looked busy.

“You too. I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year in advance. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up…”

The phone call ended briskly, and when Shen Suhui returned to her thoughts, she found Yu Ran sitting across from her, looking at her with a half-smile.

She immediately sat up straight, nervously asking, “Is there something on my face?”

Yu Ran shook her head, her expression soft and patient, completely different from the coldness earlier.

“Did you used to like doodling in your textbooks when you were in school?”

“…Huh?”

Yu Ran pointed to the menu. “You drew fir trees and snowflakes on it.”

She added, “It’s beautiful.”

“Mm…” Shen Suhui slowly replied. “I like evergreen plants in winter. I think they’re very vibrant and resilient, just like the cypress trees tonight.”

The waiter took away the menu, and the two of them sat in silence. Yu Ran sipped her hot tea.

“Why don’t you ask?” Yu Ran suddenly spoke.

Shen Suhui was momentarily confused. “Do you mean the phone call just now?”

“Yes.” Yu Ran asked seriously, “I’m your pursuit object. Aren’t you curious about my past?”

The conversation became delicate. Shen Suhui wasn’t uninterested, but she still felt that it wasn’t real. Yu Ran could give up at any time, and she felt she wasn’t qualified to ask such questions.

She couldn’t answer, and finally could only awkwardly reply, “I trust you.”

“Thank you for trusting me!” Yu Ran said sincerely. “But if you did ask, I’d be happy.”

She gathered her courage and took Shen Suhui’s hand that was resting on the table. “But you also need to believe that the moment I decided to pursue you, I was leaving behind a completely new version of myself.”

“To pursue Shen Suhui, this Yu Ran is a new Yu Ran.”

~~

The waiter started bringing the dishes, and their hands quickly separated. Yu Ran’s expression was a bit uncomfortable, and Shen Suhui became even more embarrassed.

It might seem like they were embarrassed, but only Shen Suhui knew that, at that moment, she was so excited she wanted to scream.

“I think you should think carefully. Maybe your current thoughts are an illusion. What if later…”

“I’ve always thought things through carefully before doing anything, especially important things,” Yu Ran said a bit anxiously. “Do you know? I haven’t felt anything for anyone in almost ten years.”

“I know. In this fast-paced era, love at first sight doesn’t feel real. It’s right for you not to trust or feel secure. I’m not asking you to immediately agree to me. You just need to allow me to do this. Pursuing you is my own decision. Whether the outcome is good or bad, I’ll accept it calmly.”

“If you have feelings for me too, then please give my feelings a fair test—whether it’s for a week, a month, or even a year. Just please trust me and give me the opportunity to pursue you.”

~~

Shen Suhui looked into Yu Ran’s eyes and smiled while saying “Mm,” but tears unknowingly slipped from the corners of her eyes.

Yu Ran was stunned, seeing the tears of joy, and it made her heart ache a little.

After dinner, snow started falling, with snowflakes getting bigger and falling faster.

The two of them stood by the railing, watching the snowflakes drift down from the sky, their faces filled with peaceful and happy smiles.

“‘Shen’ writes like Ma Liang, the snowflakes on paper have come true.”

Shen Suhui laughed lightly.

“Too bad there are no fir trees.”

Yu Ran lowered her head, her gaze moving from the night sky to Shen Suhui’s face. “Next time, I’ll take you to see the fir trees.”

“Mm.”

Shen Suhui, wrapped in her coat, had a rosy complexion. The warm yellow lights cast a shadow over her long eyelashes, making her look pure, beautiful, and pitifully delicate.

Yu Ran really wanted to pull her into her arms, her gaze growing more infatuated.

She wanted to hug her.

She wanted to kiss her.

She also wanted to…

Yu Ran’s mind flooded with explicit thoughts.

“I almost forgot…” Having only remembered the snow and the beautiful woman, Yu Ran pulled something out of her pocket. It was a birthday gift wrapped in a red velvet box. “This is for you. Open it and see.”

“Is it the one you just picked up?”

“Mm, or else I wouldn’t have let Jiang Shiluo go first!”

Seeing Shen Suhui’s hesitant expression, Yu Ran added, “It’s not a very expensive gift. Anyway, I think it suits you very well.”

“Thank you!”

Shen Suhui stopped being shy and gently opened the velvet box. Inside was a beautiful pair of sapphire eyebrow studs.

“This…”

“The clear sky blue should match your clear beauty.”

Yu Ran took the sapphire eyebrow studs, turned around, and looked into Shen Suhui’s eyes.

“Can I help you put them on? I really want to see it right now.”

Shen Suhui’s response was a bit slow, but then she nodded forcefully.

Under the light, Yu Ran gently cupped Shen Suhui’s face, took off the pearl eyebrow studs, and carefully replaced them with the sapphire ones.

At the moment the needle pierced the skin, it felt like Yu Ran had been struck by Cupid’s arrow, directly into her heart.

The sapphires adorned Shen Suhui’s brow bone, making her even more beautiful and noble, like a little mermaid with curiosity, innocence, and kindness, just having landed.

“Yu Ran.”

“So beautiful…”

Yu Ran held Shen Suhui’s face, gazing at her deeply, admiring her.

“Don’t move, don’t be afraid.”

Her gaze was intense, as though on fire.

But her actions were the gentlest in the world.

Then, Yu Ran lowered her head and gently kissed the small mermaid’s brow bone.