Chapter 4: What Kind of Man Do You Like?

Time slipped away, and before she knew it, Qiao Shuyi still couldn’t fall asleep.

She threw off the covers and quietly got out of bed, intending to go downstairs for some water.

She was a little thirsty.

However, before she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard a faint sound.

It sounded like something falling onto a solid wood table.

At this hour… was Sheng Yu still awake?

Soon, a light caught Qiao Shuyi’s eye.

She saw that the bar counter not far away was lit, and a man in a gray robe sat with his back to her, his silhouette exuding an indescribable sense of melancholy and loneliness.

Qiao Shuyi stood there for a while, then lifted her feet and slowly walked towards him.

Only when she pulled up the chair opposite him did the man finally raise his head, his gaze falling on her face.

Their eyes met.

There was no surprise in his eyes, as if he had known she was coming all along.

At this moment, Sheng Yu, because of the alcohol he had consumed, had a slightly flushed face, and his bangs were a little messy, making him look “decadent and dreamy.”

Neither of them spoke.

Qiao Shuyi picked up a nearby wine glass, poured herself a drink, and sipped it slowly.

She felt like she had a lot to say, but when it came to actually speaking, she didn’t know where to begin.

In this life, she knew his feelings beforehand and couldn’t pretend she didn’t know.

But how could she respond to his hidden and heavy love…

After a while, Qiao Shuyi put down her glass and tentatively said, “Brother Sheng Yu…”

At the same time, Sheng Yu also spoke: “I heard…”

They both spoke almost simultaneously, and both paused almost at the same time.

Sheng Yu pursed his lips and said softly, “You go first.”

Qiao Shuyi hesitated for a moment, “You’re still up so late, did something bother you?”

Sheng Yu nodded, “Sort of.”

“Then would you mind telling me? Maybe I can help.”

Although she wasn’t sure if Sheng Yu’s troubles were related to her.

But seeing his dejected figure, she felt a little pity and heartache.

In her previous life, until she got married, Sheng Yu remained single.

Whether he was attending various events or participating in various interviews, he was always without a female companion.

His peers had already married and had children, but he remained single.

Over time, there were even rumors questioning his sexual orientation.

To this, Sheng Yu never explained anything, only hinting in an interview that he had once encountered a girl he liked, but she had someone else in her heart.

Everyone was curious about who this woman was, the one who made the king of the capital’s social scene love her in vain.

Some even dug through all of Sheng Yu’s past interviews and reports, but couldn’t find her identity.

Even Sheng Tang, his own sister, had no idea.

Only Qiao Shuyi knew who he was talking about.

However, at that time, she was already discussing marriage with Gu Lin Chuan.

She could only pretend not to know about all this…

“You can’t help me.”

The man’s slightly hoarse voice sounded in her ear, pulling Qiao Shuyi back to reality.

She suppressed the sourness in her heart and said stubbornly, “How do you know you can’t help unless you tell me?”

Sheng Yu looked at her deeply, said nothing more, and continued to drink on his own.

Qiao Shuyi waited for a while, seeing that he really had no intention of speaking, so she picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it down in one gulp.

Then, she stood up and prepared to leave.

But as she passed Sheng Yu, her wrist was grabbed by a strong hand.

Qiao Shuyi froze, subconsciously looking at him.

The man’s bloodshot eyes stared at her intently, his eyes seemed to be filled with a myriad of emotions, but he suppressed them.

“I heard… you got engaged today?”

His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper, and there was a slight tremor in it.

Qiao Shuyi immediately understood.

So, was Sheng Yu feeling down because of her engagement today?

Didn’t he know…

Before she could speak, the man let go of her hand, his tone much calmer, “Congratulations.”

“The engagement is off.” Qiao Shuyi suddenly said.

“Off?”

Sheng Yu paused, a strange look flashing through his eyes, “Why?”

Qiao Shuyi shrugged, pretending to be relaxed, “The male lead fell in love with someone else and left me, so the engagement had to be called off.”

Sheng Yu looked at her with a complex expression, then lowered his eyes and said softly, “Don’t be sad, there will be better people waiting for you.”

“Brother Sheng Yu, are you comforting me?”

Qiao Shuyi smiled, “But I’m not sad.”

The man raised his eyes to look at her, his eyes filled with confusion.

“Because I realized that I don’t seem to like him that much either. The engagement being called off, I actually felt relieved.”

“Then what kind of man do you like?”

Qiao Shuyi propped her chin and thought carefully for a moment: “I can’t say for sure yet, but at least one thing, this person has to be serious and devoted to love, to love me wholeheartedly.”

Sheng Yu nodded thoughtfully, his eyes dark and shifting.

“Brother Sheng Yu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go upstairs to sleep. You should rest early too.”

Qiao Shuyi finished speaking and prepared to leave, but just a few steps away, she heard the sound of a chair being pulled back.

Then, the man’s voice, tinged with a hint of nervousness, came from behind her: “Would you mind if he was five or six years older than you?”

His words hung in the air, creating a moment of silence.

Qiao Shuyi slowly turned around, her voice firm: “As long as I like him, nothing else matters.”

Age, status, none of it mattered.

In this second chance, she wanted to give herself a chance, and give Sheng Yu a chance.

She believed that someone as intelligent as Sheng Yu would understand the meaning behind her words.

Qiao Shuyi didn’t linger any longer and quickly went upstairs.

Sheng Yu stood there for a while, lost in thought.

He suddenly chuckled, a smile breaking out on his lips uncontrollably.

Was it like he thought…

Back in her bedroom, Qiao Shuyi lay in bed, feeling her heart pounding uncontrollably.

It felt like a dream.

Although she hadn’t broken through the last window pane, she had undoubtedly sent a signal to Sheng Yu: You can pursue me.

Thinking about how they would interact in the future, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Sheng Tang was sleeping soundly beside her, her breathing even and rhythmic, oblivious to everything that had happened tonight.

Looking at her sleeping profile, a thought arose in Qiao Shuyi’s mind.

If one day she and Sheng Yu really got together, how would Sheng Tang react?

Would she be happy?

Or, would she be unhappy…

After an unknown amount of time, a wave of drowsiness washed over her brain, and Qiao Shuyi finally stopped her overthinking and drifted off to sleep.