After throwing away the expired love letters, Gan Xun didn’t dare let Zhao Chiyun help tidy up, afraid she’d see more unknown embarrassing items.
Having been sent away, Zhao Chiyun saw through her thoughts and chuckled softly to herself, not stooping to her level.
Just having Zhao Chiyun sit there was enough to motivate her.
Gan Xun didn’t actually need help. She’d moved many times and was already familiar with the process.
The difference this time was that she had a roommate, which would only make things more efficient.
Following her planned checklist, she sealed the last box.
Each box and piece of luggage was clearly labeled by category, so unpacking at the new place would be quick.
By the time Cui Can and Tang Sifeng arrived, they were amazed at Gan Xun’s packing speed. They helped clean the apartment thoroughly and threw out unnecessary old items.
During this, they received Zhao Chiyun’s gossip about the items mostly coming from Gan Xun’s admirers.
Cui Can said it was normal, then stirred up trouble by asking the question Gan Xun didn’t dare to: “Does it make you jealous?”
Zhao Chiyun smiled and shook her head. “How could it? It just proves my taste is good.”
Gan Xun quietly rejoiced for a long time, not because of the compliment, but because Zhao Chiyun calling her own “taste good” meant Gan Xun was in her eyes.
Even though she no longer needed proof—everyone said Zhao Chiyun definitely liked her—Gan Xun still felt deeply satisfied each time.
Soon, the movers arrived. With everyone’s help, they quickly cleared out Gan Xun’s modest belongings.
On the final trip upstairs, the man who’d once been slapped reappeared in the hallway. He blocked the way obsessively and angrily, demanding why Gan Xun was moving.
He even thought they were unreasonable. He’d let it go, yet they were leaving anyway.
“So that’s why I haven’t seen you around for days, or lights on at home!”
Gan Xun warily checked if he had any sharp objects on him, worried about his mental state.
“I changed jobs. Commuting will be easier after the move.”
Gan Xun gave a non-provocative answer.
She didn’t want trouble here, especially not him walking away unscathed because he was crazy.
“Where does she live? With you?”
The man had been searching for Zhao Chiyun. Not finding her made him increasingly agitated.
As Gan Xun thought of a strategy, Cui Can came down to intervene. She smiled and steered the obstacle aside. “Come on, sir. Let her get back to it. We’ll chat.”
Before following, Tang Sifeng shot Gan Xun a look signaling not to worry, and took Zhao Chiyun to the car to wait.
No one knew what they talked about, but the man eventually slipped away quietly.
Gan Xun beamed. “Thank goodness you were here. How are you all so amazing?”
Tang Sifeng scoffed. “People like that are experts at bullying the weak and fearing the strong. They get cocky with young girls like you, but they’re cowards at heart—easy to handle.”
Cui Can flattered her girlfriend. “A lawyer’s tongue does have some skill.”
Everyone laughed in agreement at first.
Then suddenly, no one laughed. They fell silent, wondering if they should continue the topic.
Only Zhao Chiyun remained all smiles. “Lawyer Tang does have a clever mouth.”
The formally dressed Lawyer Tang could only force a smile at the innocent praise.
Gan Xun and Cui Can burst out laughing at Tang Sifeng’s awkward expression.
Zhao Chiyun, clueless but sensing something off, kept her head held high elegantly, not stooping to the noisy commoners.
Moving everything into the new place went even smoother since it had an elevator. They stacked the boxes on a cart, carried the rest by hand, and finished in one trip.
Afterward, they sat to rest. Outside the window, the dusk softly connected heaven and earth. The remnants of sunset lingered like juice on the horizon, while the moon’s outline waited beyond.
An immense sense of peace enveloped Gan Xun, making her feel the rent—more than double—was entirely worth it.
With nothing to eat at home and everyone thirsty and tired, they went downstairs together to find food.
A food street was nearby. Gan Xun used the salary Zhao Chiyun had handed over to treat the four of them to a hearty meal.
They clinked glasses, celebrating the new life.
Tang Sifeng remarked that Zhao Chiyun’s posture while eating and drinking tea was so refined it was like an ancient person had time-traveled.
Cui Can laughed. “Baby, your imagination is really something.”
Gan Xun and Zhao Chiyun kept their heads down without speaking, then exchanged smiles.
On the way back, they passed a standalone cinema. Seeing the movie preview on the first-floor billboard, Zhao Chiyun stopped.
The content intrigued her. She asked Gan Xun, “Can we watch at home?”
“Not yet. If you want to see it, I’ll take you in a couple days.”
Zhao Chiyun nodded.
She told Gan Xun, “I like it here.”
Before leaving, Cui Can and Tang Sifeng pulled housewarming gifts from the trunk.
Cui Can gave Gan Xun a set of tableware. Tang Sifeng prepared tea for Zhao Chiyun.
“I heard from A-Can you love tea. It’s from a client—should taste decent.”
After receiving the gift, Zhao Chiyun fairly evaluated to Gan Xun, “Litigator Tang is indeed thoughtful and attentive. I approve of her and A-Can’s relationship.”
Gan Xun chuckled. “Just for two boxes of tea?”
Zhao Chiyun shot her a look. “Shallow.”
“Then how do you see me?”
Zhao Chiyun looked her up and down. “Good-looking.”
“Shallow.” Not getting “thoughtful and attentive,” Gan Xun voiced her dissatisfaction.
Gan Xun carried Lawyer Tang’s thoughtful gift in one hand and held Zhao Chiyun’s hand in the other as they walked a lap around the lake.
The artificial lake wasn’t large, ringed densely with trees. There were pavilions by the shore, stone benches and chairs along the path, occupied by residents chatting and cooling off.
Plenty of people strolled, but it wasn’t as noisy as the old neighborhood. The night was serene and gentle.
Back home, the two began unpacking.
Zhao Chiyun didn’t idle. She carefully unpacked her own box.
She hung her clothes one by one in the closet, placed her brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and books on the secondhand desk Gan Xun bought for her, and set the photo frame on the bedside table.
The room quickly became her domain, filled with her scent and style.
Gan Xun was invited to tour it and help make the bed.
Zhao Chiyun wasn’t used to the bed in the center. Gan Xun had come over the previous two days and worked with the landlord to rearrange the master bedroom.
Seeing how pleased Zhao Chiyun was with her private space, Gan Xun grumbled inwardly while working: Before the move, she’d played hard to get, acting like she didn’t want to sleep together, but now who was grinning while admiring the room?
Before closing the curtains, Gan Xun stood by the window and saw lights by the artificial lake—joggers passing by.
She wanted to ask Zhao Chiyun if nights in the Prince’s Mansion were very dark, if candlelight reached far.
But she thought the question too silly.
Standing beside her, Zhao Chiyun mused, “Tomorrow morning at sunrise, it should be a fine sight.”
Gan Xun said, “It’ll rain tomorrow.”
Zhao Chiyun glared at her, called her a buzzkill, and turned to charge her phone.
Gan Xun looked at the phone in her hand, feeling happy yet a pang in her heart.
She recalled Zhao Chiyun’s extremely calm words last night: She didn’t need a new phone because it wouldn’t last long.
Remembering it still made Gan Xun sad.
She knew Zhao Chiyun wasn’t sentimental at heart, skilled at adapting and planning, with no thought of a future together.
If they had one, it would be Zhao Chiyun’s lifelong tragedy—proof she could never be County Princess again.
She really wanted to go back. As for Gan Xun, she was more like a brief companion from a vacation.
Summer Rain Lotus, perhaps.
That’s how Gan Xun defined herself.
She felt she had a good sense of humor and unconsciously smiled a little.
But Zhao Chiyun asked, “Why the worried frown? Because I threw away your love letters today?”
Gan Xun gritted her teeth. “Drop it.”
Zhao Chiyun couldn’t help but chuckle.
Even after leaving Zhao Chiyun’s room, Gan Xun still couldn’t bring herself to say: Tonight we can ease into it, sleep together once, then separate later?
She thought she’d be uncomfortable, and was sure Zhao Chiyun would be too.
But since Zhao Chiyun didn’t mention it, Gan Xun couldn’t say it either—it would make her seem too clingy.
That night, she indeed suffered insomnia, tossing and turning without sleep. When she finally dozed off, she dreamed Zhao Chiyun returned to Mirror Country and threw a party. Everyone said the County Princess had suffered, and so on.
Gan Xun stood at the foot of the steps watching, wanting to ask if she’d miss Gan Xun, but never finding the chance.
Zhao Chiyun was surrounded by people; she couldn’t get close.
First thing in the morning, she eagerly got up and hugged Zhao Chiyun, greeting her.
Zhao Chiyun looked startled. “What’s wrong?”
“I missed you so much. I dreamed you ignored me.”
Gan Xun whined pitifully.
Zhao Chiyun chided, “Why make me ugly in your dream?”
But she still kissed her cheek.
Gan Xun asked if she’d slept well. She said yes, it was quieter here—no night noises.
Gan Xun nodded. “Me too.”
They spent two days settling into the new place.
The layout was clean: Gan Xun’s room faced Zhao Chiyun’s master bedroom across from each other, with the bathroom in between. Kitchen and dining area were by the entry door.
The sofa was much larger than before—so big Gan Xun felt it crowded the living room.
But it was new and easy to maintain, no need for a cover. Being big had perks: It could seat four or five.
She and Zhao Chiyun could lie at opposite ends.
Before starting her job, Gan Xun needed a physical exam. This reminded her she could book one for Zhao Chiyun to check an ancient person’s health.
She told Zhao Chiyun about it. At first, she didn’t object, but after asking about the procedures, she flatly refused.
Gan Xun thought she was scared. “No need to avoid doctors. Whatever it finds can be treated.”
“No. I am a body of a thousand gold—how could I suffer such humiliation?”
She saw being poked and prodded, privacy invaded, bodily fluids examined as utter shame, self-inflicted torment.
Gan Xun was amused yet exasperated, trying to reason with her.
In the end, Zhao Chiyun cut straight to it. “I’m not from here. I don’t need your doctors. Since I’m staying temporarily, why waste money?”
“My health is fine. You go get checked.”
Gan Xun silently locked and unlocked her phone screen repeatedly before calmly looking at her. “True enough.”
She got up and left.
In early August, Gan Xun successfully started at her new company.
The days before involved training and getting familiar with work—time grew tight. She was busy after work and had discussed it with Zhao Chiyun in advance.
So these days, Zhao Chiyun learned to take cabs to work alone and pass time at home.
She ordered lunch, and for dinner sometimes waited for Gan Xun to cook, sometimes bought her own, or ate with Cui Can and the others.
She understood Gan Xun’s difficulties and didn’t complain.
But she wasn’t foolish. She could feel Gan Xun had grown distant lately.
That evening, when Gan Xun returned from overtime and finished showering, preparing to enter her room, Zhao Chiyun called her back.
She got straight to the point.
“Gan Xun, you’re dissatisfied with me.”
“No.”
Gan Xun answered quickly.
Zhao Chiyun presented evidence. “You won’t take me to the movie, don’t chat after work, just hole up in your room every day.”
Gan Xun explained gently. “I have work now. These days have been too busy—no time to hang out. It’ll get better once I adjust.”
After careful scrutiny, Zhao Chiyun stepped into Gan Xun’s room. “I’ve upset you.”
“Or have you become fickle-minded?”
