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Chapter 5
“You should seriously belong to me, just once.”

The next dental appointment was scheduled for Wednesday. The previous session, just for the check-up and x-ray, didn’t count—today was the real first treatment. There would be about four appointments in total. Chuzhi Xia counted on her fingers: the re-exam should be around March 28th or 29th. That meant the root canal treatment would be done by around March 20th.

Time was tight, whether it was preparing for the re-exam or treating her teeth.

But what Chuzhi Xia didn’t expect at all, was to see Shen Qingshi again before Wednesday.

That day, there had been a light rain. Her scheduled vocal lesson was rescheduled last minute, so she didn’t feel like going out. Instead, she carried her backpack to the café inside her residential complex to study.

The café was part of the residents’ activity center, offering free coffee and small cakes. The taste was mediocre—not great, not terrible. But the environment was nice. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see a large expanse of greenery.

It was nearly empty. She picked a window seat and watched the raindrops trail down the smooth glass, stringing together into threads of silver.

Wind rustled the treetops, swoosh swoosh, rainwater soaked into the lawn. The air was damp.

Chuzhi Xia loved this kind of atmosphere. In the distance was a spiral garden, said to be designed by a French architect. There were many old trees and a broad expanse of green, now drenched in rain, exuding a deep and tranquil aura.

The café glowed with warm orange light. Her coffee had thick milk foam.

On her iPad, a classic monologue by Miranda Dorina played.

It was at that moment she saw Shen Qingshi.

He was walking through the spiral garden, striding briskly along the quiet gravel path, heading her way.

At first, Chuzhi Xia thought she was hallucinating from studying too hard.

Because he looked so much like an illusion.

So unreal in his beauty.

Everywhere else was lush with deep, suffocating green, soaked in rain. Yet he was that one stroke of pure, cool, aloof white.

Clean, fresh, and radiant—he seemed to bring air and breath into the suffocating scene.

You couldn’t look away.

Chuzhi Xia noticed even the drowsy waitstaff straightened up, staring dumbfounded.

In her earphones, the music reached her favorite line:

“An angel like you should have wings and a name,
Should be beautiful, but with thorns.”

“You should seriously belong to me, just once.”

You should seriously belong to me, just once!

Without thinking, she pulled off her earphones, borrowed an umbrella from the café, and ran toward him.
“Dr. Shen—!”

“Why are you here? And how come you don’t have an umbrella?” Chuzhi Xia asked.

The rain had suddenly gotten heavier. When she had come down to study, it was barely a drizzle.

Shen Qingshi looked at her, a little surprised, but not overly so.

Chuzhi Xia understood right away and raised the umbrella higher to cover him.
“You live here too.”

No wonder he had seemed a little hesitant that night—it wasn’t just because of the “pain” comment.

But she could understand. If it were her, and no one asked, she wouldn’t volunteer her address either. It would feel weird. Especially given they were doctor and patient.

Shen Qingshi said, “No need.”

The umbrella she borrowed was small and transparent. He was tall—if she held it over him, half her body would be exposed to the rain.

Chuzhi Xia just smiled and didn’t insist. She looked at his slightly wet black hair, the strands hanging over his brows.

Maybe it was the rain, but his features looked even sharper and more defined, like they had been rinsed clean. His nose was high and straight, jawline crisp, his eyes a cool gray—like morning stars, pulling you in.

Chuzhi Xia also noticed: people with amazing bone structure always had this quality—the closer you got, the more beautiful and intoxicating they were. You couldn’t look away.

His long, dark eyelashes were wet, shimmering, blinking slowly.

She stared almost breathlessly, her heart tightening into a little knot. Even her rain-soaked body felt numb.

Maybe she had been staring too long. Shen Qingshi turned his face slightly, a bit uncomfortable.

His Adam’s apple moved, and just below it, a tiny light-brown mole.

His look was refined and composed, but somehow carried an unintentional sensuality.

The more he acted like that, the more she wanted to tease him.

“All right, why are we just standing here in the rain?” Chuzhi Xia didn’t push it. She reached out and gently tugged on his arm—firmer than she expected—and asked, “Where are you headed?”

Shen Qingshi glanced at her and replied, “Picking up a package.”

Chuzhi Xia blinked. “Don’t the building staff bring it up for you?”

Their packages were centrally managed. The concierge usually delivered them upstairs.

“Too slow.”

He might not be home in the evening. Rather than waiting for someone to deliver it, it was easier to go himself.

“True.” Chuzhi Xia nodded. She also retrieved her own urgent deliveries sometimes.

She didn’t pry—wasn’t interested in invading his privacy.

The rain grew heavier.

They reached the building’s lobby. It was late afternoon, nearing evening. Though still light outside, the lobby was already fully lit. Overhead hung an elegant crystal chandelier.

She didn’t follow him inside. Watching him shake off the rain, she thought for a second and said at the door,
“Dr. Shen, can I ask you something later? I’ve been wanting to ask for a while.”

Shen Qingshi gave a brief “mm.” As soon as the staff heard the door open, they enthusiastically stepped forward. He headed to the side to sign for his delivery—quick and efficient.

“What is it?” he asked, turning back toward her.

The box was a small brown parcel, looked a bit like it might contain food.

“Umm—”

Outside, the rain had indeed gotten heavier. The sky looked darker. There was a nearby sofa and a bar on the second floor. Chuzhi Xia sat down on the nearest sofa.

“Take a seat too. Looks like the rain’s going to last a while. It’s just about my teeth.” She leaned back on the sofa lazily, then tilted her head to look up at him.

Shen Qingshi subtly looked away, glanced out at the torrential rain, and after a brief silence, sat across from her—back straight.

But for some reason, just mentioning her teeth made Chuzhi Xia feel like she was back in a consultation again.

She thought for a moment, then said,
“It’s nothing really. It’s just… I’ve always brushed my teeth properly. I swear, ever since I was little. I don’t even like sweets. I get cleanings every six months. But for some reason, my teeth still seem to decay really easily, to the point of needing a root canal. That serious.”

As she said this, she really did feel a little aggrieved. Even her eyebrows drooped a bit.

When she first saw the dentist, she was worried—did he think she was the lazy type who didn’t like to brush her teeth?

If only he knew—since childhood, she had dreamed of being a host and had always managed her appearance, including her teeth.

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Shen Qingshi’s expression remained calm and indifferent, but he still listened attentively, resting one hand casually on the armrest. He said, “Maybe you didn’t brush your back teeth thoroughly.”

“Really?” she asked, covering one cheek.

“Well… that could be possible too.”

Sometimes she really was in a rush in the morning.

Shen Qingshi paused and then said, “Everyone’s oral environment is different. It’s related to genetics — things like enamel hypoplasia, high levels of cariogenic oral bacteria, or low saliva production. These are all genetic factors. It’s very normal.”

Chu Zhixia: “……”

“T-Then maybe I just didn’t brush my teeth properly…” she mumbled in a small voice, not wanting him to think she had bad genes…

“Mm.”

Shen Qingshi didn’t say anything else. He turned slightly and pulled out his phone. Chu Zhixia thought he might be getting impatient, but then she saw his long, clean fingers tap a few times. He leaned slightly toward her and handed her the screen. “Follow this official account.”

It was the public account of A University’s Dental Clinic Services. She quickly dug her phone out of her bag and followed the account.

“There are brushing techniques below,” Shen Qingshi reminded her.

She tapped the icon in the lower-right corner and sure enough, a detailed page popped up. It included a video about the Bass brushing technique, and tutorials on how to use dental floss and mouthwash.

Shen Qingshi gave a small nod, indicating she should watch it right now. “Ask me if anything’s unclear.”

Chu Zhixia watched every video carefully. While watching, she could feel his gaze on her, so she immediately put on her best good student expression. Still, her face couldn’t help but flush.

“I think I understand everything now.” After she finished, she looked up with an obedient expression.

“C-Can I add you on WeChat? Just in case I have questions later. Also, I have a lot of lines to memorize these mornings — emotional scenes — what if I accidentally dislodge the temporary filling?”

Her eyes sparkled as she blinked, going over this request in her head multiple times. Not waiting for him to speak, she said it all in one breath.

She made her case sound so logical and convincing. Shen Qingshi crossed his legs, resting his hand against the armrest and supporting his head. His dark lashes were lowered, expression unreadable, but he gently pressed the side of his phone.

“I’ll scan yours.”

Chu Zhixia responded immediately, afraid of missing the opportunity.

“Is this your work account?” she asked, noticing the very official profile picture of him in a white lab coat. Clean, sharp — and handsome. But she was slightly disappointed.

Shen Qingshi nodded, then stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now.”

“Wait!” Chu Zhixia called out, looking at the heavy rain outside the glass. “I almost forgot — I actually brought an umbrella. Here, take this one.”

It had only been drizzling when she left earlier, and since she was just staying inside the residential complex, she didn’t bother opening her umbrella. She truly forgot she had a deep purple umbrella in her bag. When she chased after him earlier, she grabbed the one from the café entrance instead.

Technically, the property management also lends umbrellas.

Seeing Shen Qingshi’s slightly pursed lips, clearly about to refuse, she quickly pushed the purple umbrella further into his arms and smiled. “What’s the difference between borrowing mine or theirs? You can just return it to the butler. I live in Building 7, Unit 1, top floor.”

“Thanks. I’ll return it tomorrow.”

Shen Qingshi checked the time. Not wanting to linger further, he picked up his package and quietly thanked her before turning to leave.

He walked a few steps and then stopped, glanced back, and said indifferently, “You’re not going back?”

It was clear she’d followed him.

And the question had been made up on the spot.

“I’m not heading back yet. I need to make a call. You go ahead.”

Chu Zhixia held up her phone and cheerfully waved a “bye-bye” gesture. She didn’t want him to think she was clingy. She especially didn’t want him to think she followed him just to figure out where he lived.

Shen Qingshi didn’t think that far. The automatic doors opened, and he raised the umbrella, walking into the rain. His voice, mingled with the sound of rain, was cold yet melodious, “See you later.”

She knew he was just being polite, but her heart still fluttered with joy.

Watching his tall, slender figure disappear into the rain, Chu Zhixia sat a little longer, waiting for the rain to lighten before heading out. She returned the borrowed umbrella to the café and then ran straight back to her building.

Back at home, she combed her slightly damp hair and told the concierge girl downstairs: if someone comes to deliver anything, please notify her immediately.

Then she soaked in a hot bath.

It was only after a while in the bath that she realized something was off. She hurriedly dried her arms, grabbed her phone from the bath stand, and opened WeChat.

She hadn’t used her real photo as a profile picture because too many people tried to add her — not safe. So she randomly picked an anime avatar at the time.

It was some female character from an anime.

The personal status message matched the avatar — something she had casually changed before.

Chu Zhixia stared at her profile twice, and her face instantly went pale. Alarms blared in her head. She almost passed out.

She frantically tried to open the edit page, but couldn’t decide what to change it to, so she backed out again.

She silently prayed that Shen Qingshi was using his work account, and probably wouldn’t look too closely.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her profile again — only to be greeted by a cartoon beauty with dramatic curly waves, her status message underneath:

“Loving one man is too exhausting. I want to give every handsome man in the world a home.”

Chu Zhixia: “……”

Too abstract.

She must’ve gone stupid from all the studying for her graduate school exams.

Yes, that had to be it. The stress of studying made her temporarily lose her mind and post that.

AAAAHHHHH how could this happen?!!!

It would’ve been better not to add him at all!!!