Chapter 33

It was already midnight when Shen Siyan arrived in the neighboring city.

Even though it was late, because it was summer, there were still quite a few people at the high-speed rail station.

As soon as he got off the train, he received a call from the driver, arranged by Shen Guangyuan.

“Hello.”

“Is this Siyan?”

“Yes.”

The man smiled and said, “Come to Exit 5. I’ll be waiting for you at the door.”

Shen Siyan quickly responded, “Okay, thank you for your help.”

The person arranged to pick up Shen Siyan was a newcomer from a company that Shen Guangyuan had worked with before. He was very enthusiastic, professional, and, despite being young, quite steady.

Shen Siyan greeted the driver and got into the car.

“Shall I take you to the hotel now?”

“Yes, please.”

Shen Siyan smiled and said, “Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.”

“No problem at all.”

Shen Siyan fastened his seatbelt and then sent a message to Xu Zhilu.

Shen Siyan: Are you done for the day?

Xu Zhilu had just returned to her room when she received Shen Siyan’s message.

After checking in at the hotel around noon, her teacher had taken them out for a meal before returning to the hotel to rest. In the afternoon, when the sun wasn’t as harsh, they went to a practice room they had booked earlier to rehearse.

In the evening, the group ate out and then returned to the dance studio.

Xu Zhilu had forgotten to bring her phone, so she wasn’t able to contact anyone and didn’t feel the need to rush.

When she saw Shen Siyan’s message, she was surprised. “I just finished up. Did Aunt Shen tell you?”

Shen Siyan, who had been sitting lazily, immediately sat up straight.

He quickly replied: Shen Siyan: Yeah, she mentioned it. Are you back at the hotel now?

Xu Zhilu: Yes.

Shen Siyan: Which hotel are you staying at?

Xu Zhilu: Why do you want to know?

Shen Siyan: Just want to make sure you’re safe.

Xu Zhilu didn’t hesitate, but to avoid any unexpected situations, she sent him her location directly.

After receiving it, Shen Siyan turned to the driver beside him.

“Is this the hotel my father booked?”

Shen Siyan nodded. “Yes.”

The driver smiled and said, “Alright. It’s not far; we’ll be there soon. Do you want to grab something to eat?”

“No, thanks,” Shen Siyan declined without hesitation. “I’m not very hungry.”

He mainly didn’t want to wait any longer.

After arriving at the hotel, the driver asked if there was anything else Shen Siyan needed. When he declined, the driver reminded him, “Call me if you need anything.”

Shen Siyan nodded, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

After the driver left, Shen Siyan took his room key and pushed his luggage into the elevator.

He still had the room number Xu Zhilu had sent him on his phone. Their rooms weren’t on the same floor—Shen Guangyuan had arranged a more spacious business suite for him.

He rubbed his temples, stared at his phone for a moment, and couldn’t resist sending another message to Xu Zhilu.

Shen Siyan: What time do you plan to go to bed?

Xu Zhilu: ? Why are you so talkative today? I’ll take a bath, read a book, and then go to bed.

Shen Siyan: Oh, are you hungry?

Xu Zhilu: Not really.

Shen Siyan: I heard this city is famous for its late-night snacks. Why don’t you go out and have some with your classmates?

Xu Zhilu: It’s too late and unsafe.

Shen Siyan raised his eyebrows at her reply.

Good, she also knows not to go out at night.

The two of them chatted casually. Xu Zhilu didn’t say much to Shen Siyan, and after a while, she mentioned that she was going to take a shower and didn’t reply to his messages anymore.

Shen Siyan entered his room, stared at his phone for a moment, then decided to order some takeout.

When the delivery arrived, he checked the time and figured that Xu Zhilu should have finished her shower by then.

Shen Siyan wasn’t in a rush. He had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness, so after getting off the train, he wanted to shower immediately. After taking a shower, he waited for the takeaway.

–

Xu Zhilu vaguely noticed that Shen Siyan was unusually talkative tonight.

He kept asking questions, and it seemed never-ending.

As she dried her hair, she frowned at the long string of messages he had sent, feeling a bit speechless.

Xu Zhilu: Do you need my help with something?

Shen Siyan: Yes.

Xu Zhilu: What is it?

Shen Siyan went downstairs with the takeaway and got into the elevator. He was only three floors away from Xu Zhilu’s room. When he arrived at her door, he called her.

“Hello?”

Xu Zhilu’s tone was light. “Shen Siyan, aren’t you playing games tonight?”

Shen Siyan: “…”

“Why do you keep sending me messages?”

Shen Siyan was silent for a moment. “I’m quitting games.”

“Ah?” Xu Zhilu was surprised. “Quitting games?”

“Yes,” Shen Siyan said. “Please help me.”

Xu Zhilu’s eyebrows twitched. “How can I help you?”

“Come open the door.”

Before Xu Zhilu could react, she heard a knock on her door. She turned around, eyes wide with surprise, and looked at the door.

“It’s me,” Shen Siyan’s voice came from the other side, slightly muffled but clear.

Xu Zhilu’s eyelashes trembled. “You’re outside my door?”

“Yes.”

Xu Zhilu’s eyes widened as she quickly walked over to the door.

The door opened, and the two of them looked into each other’s eyes.

Xu Zhilu stared blankly at the person who had “fallen from the sky,” feeling extremely surprised.

“You…” She opened her lips and asked in disbelief, “Why are you here?”

Shen Siyan tilted his head and gestured. “Do you want me to stand here and talk?”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

She stepped aside and let him in.

The door closed behind him, and she looked at Shen Siyan. “Can you explain now?”

Shen Siyan replied with a low voice, a hint of a smile on his lips, “I had no one to eat supper with at home, so I came to have supper with you.”

“…”

Xu Zhilu said nothing, just stared at him in disbelief.

“You don’t believe me?”

Xu Zhilu pointed to herself and asked, “Do you really think I’ll believe you came all this way just for that?”

Shen Siyan thought for a moment and said, “Maybe.”

Xu Zhilu sighed, too tired to argue further.

“Do you want to eat?” Shen Siyan asked, looking at her.

Xu Zhilu glanced at what he was holding and replied honestly, “Sure.”

The room wasn’t very big. Each student had been booked a single room by their teacher, which included a medium-sized bed and a long table—standard for a single room.

Shen Siyan didn’t mind the simplicity and looked at Xu Zhilu. “Where do you want to eat?”

“At the table, but there’s only one chair.”

Shen Siyan said, “I’m fine with that.”

“Then let’s move to the coffee table and sit on the floor.”

Shen Siyan smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Okay.”

Xu Zhilu pretended not to notice his look and said, “Let me blow-dry my hair first.”

“Alright.”

When Xu Zhilu came out after drying her hair, Shen Siyan had already set out all the takeout. He hadn’t started eating yet but had turned on the TV in her room.

Xu Zhilu glanced at the screen and saw that it was playing a melodramatic TV series she hadn’t seen before.

“You watch this kind of show?” she asked.

Shen Siyan raised his eyebrows. “I just clicked something randomly.”

“Oh.”

Xu Zhilu looked at him and said, “You can start eating; there is no need to wait for me.”

Hearing this, Shen Siyan chuckled. “I came here to have supper with you. What’s the point of eating alone?”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

She had no comeback for that.

She sighed softly and said, “Thank you, then.”

Shen Siyan glanced at her and said, “Let’s eat.”

Xu Zhilu didn’t bother with formalities. She took a sip of the seafood porridge—it tasted very good. After finishing the porridge, she started eating the barbecued duck feet and other dishes. She wasn’t eating too fast or too slow, but there was something comforting about watching her.

Shen Siyan stared at her for a few seconds before turning away and starting a conversation.

“Was the first day tiring?”

Xu Zhilu thought for a moment. “A little. I felt tired during practice, but I’m okay now.”

Shen Siyan nodded, pursing his lips. “Were you practicing modern dance?”

“Yeah,” Xu Zhilu replied. “I dabble in different styles, just trying to learn as much as I can.”