Chapter 54: Is There Anything I Haven’t Seen? Part 1

Miao Zhu did not ask how Mu Shanyi had gotten Pearl Hospital to reveal a patient’s privacy, because she did not want to explain why she had gone out of her way to that VIP hospital specially arranged for her by Li Baozhu, why she had changed her current address on the medical records, or why she had mentioned to the doctor that she was taking antidepressants.

It had been over a week since they last saw each other, and facing Mu Shanyi again, her eye sockets still welled up with acid. She could not help sinking back into that night of farewell. The fireworks, the snowflakes, Mu Shanyi pressing close to her cheek with gentle blessings—it made it hard for her to pull away from that scene.

Mu Shanyi’s gaze drifted downward. Miao Zhu propped herself up on crutches, wearing jeans with the right pant leg neatly rolled up to her knee, revealing her injured foot in its brace. She looked down at it for a moment and sighed softly, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

Miao Zhu reacted a beat late. She stepped back and pulled the door open. “Sister A-Heng.”

Mu Shanyi entered. The room was small, its layout clear at a glance.

Miao Zhu fetched a pair of new slippers for Mu Shanyi, the same style as the ones on her own feet, just a different color.

In that instant of placing the slippers by Mu Shanyi’s feet, Miao Zhu suddenly recalled her first time at Tower Shadow Sunny River. “…I bought several pairs. Emma and the others have these too.”

Mu Shanyi said nothing and stood on the entry mat to change her shoes.

Emma’s voice came from the phone on the sofa. Miao Zhu shuffled awkwardly to the sofa’s edge and grabbed it. “Emma, I’m fine. I’ll call you back later.”

Miao Zhu ended the call. Mu Shanyi had finished changing and walked over.

The light made her skin look even fairer. Her outfit that day was still understated: a dark gray coat and black trousers, with the only touch of color being the lustrous jade beads dangling from her earlobes.

She approached step by step, and Miao Zhu thought of the cello, her heartbeat fluttering up and down. “…Sister A-Heng, I made some fruit tea. Would you like a cup?”

Mu Shanyi said, “Miao Zhu, sit down.”

Miao Zhu froze. Mu Shanyi sounded like she was being considerate of her injured foot, telling her not to fuss, but it also felt like an opening line before a heart-to-heart. But…”Miao Zhu”?

How long had it been since Mu Shanyi had used such a formal address when they were alone together? Not Longlong, and certainly not baby.

Of course. They had broken up. The address should keep some distance.

It made her earlier explanation about the slippers seem superfluous. Mu Shanyi would not overthink it.

Miao Zhu had no heart left to entertain her. Mu Shanyi told her to sit, so she moved slowly and carefully sat down.

Mu Shanyi pulled over a dining chair and placed it lightly in front of the sofa.

The room fell quiet, save for the gurgling boil from the pale yellow enamel pot on the coffee table. Mu Shanyi leaned over to adjust it to keep-warm mode. The bubbling faded and stopped, no longer disturbing their conversation.

“When did you move here?”

Mu Shanyi sat on the dining chair across the coffee table.

So even conversations after a breakup required this physical distance. Miao Zhu learned that again. She said, “New Year’s Day.”

Mu Shanyi nodded. “You prepared it in advance.”

The incident had blown up on New Year’s Eve, and she had moved here on New Year’s Day. Mu Shanyi meant that Miao Zhu had planned everything and arranged her escape route ahead of time. Her tone was casual, but Miao Zhu was not sure if there was displeasure behind it. After all, Mu Shanyi had been part of her plan too. No one would be happy about being used.

Miao Zhu did not respond, so Mu Shanyi lifted her chin slightly and changed the subject. “What happened to your ankle? How did it fracture?”

“I twisted it in high heels.”

“Does that mean you have to pause work?”

“Yeah, I took leave.”

“How many days?”

Miao Zhu opened her mouth to answer, but Jiang Jingjing’s words suddenly echoed in her ear—

“You and your sister together… that atmosphere between you is really too intense…”

She had not described the atmosphere specifically back then, but Miao Zhu understood. Because that atmosphere had completely vanished now.

She could no longer feel it—that intense mutual pull with Mu Shanyi.

Mu Shanyi asked polite, inconsequential questions with proper decorum, either out of upbringing or lingering feelings, just to fulfill the duty of visiting the sick.

Yes, fulfill the duty.

Miao Zhu had deliberately left clues at Pearl Hospital. Mu Shanyi had seen through her intentions and come reluctantly to visit. There was no need to probe further about the cello’s origins that had haunted her all day. Whatever the answer, it was a closed book for Mu Shanyi.

Miao Zhu suddenly felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She realized this premeditated meeting was self-humiliating. Fortunately, the doorbell rang then, followed by her phone. Miao Zhu grabbed her crutches at once. “My dinner.”

Mu Shanyi reached out to support her.

If they were keeping distance, there should be no physical contact. Miao Zhu went along with drawing the line. “I can manage.”

Mu Shanyi withdrew her hand and watched Miao Zhu steady herself. “I’ll get it.”

Mu Shanyi fetched the takeout and walked into the kitchen beside the entryway.

Miao Zhu sat at the dining table. The apartment was so small that she could see everything Mu Shanyi did in the kitchen clearly.

Mu Shanyi unpacked the takeout: a clay pot soup. She tore off the spill-proof film with her fingers, lifted the lid, then opened several cabinets as if looking for utensils.

She went to the sink, washed her hands, dried them, took clean bowls and spoons from the cabinet, ladled a bowl of soup, and brought it out.

“It’s still very hot,” Mu Shanyi reminded her.

Miao Zhu’s chest felt stuffed. She buried her head and drank the soup.

When she was nearly finished, Mu Shanyi asked, “There’s more in the pot. Want some?”

Miao Zhu set down her spoon.

Want to keep distance? Fine. Want to show care? Fine. Mu Shanyi could do whatever she wanted, and Miao Zhu just had to accept it passively?

If she was going to take care of her, alright then. How far would that care go?

Miao Zhu stared into Mu Shanyi’s eyes. “I want to take a shower.”

She paused, then glanced toward the bedroom. “Sister A-Heng, I have trouble walking. Can you get my underwear for me? It’s in the dresser drawer in the bedroom.”