Chapter 54: She Became a Deserter in Matters of the Heart

Yi Qingzhuo heard that, standing one step below Shen Chaoyi, a grin spread uncontrollably across her face.

The clouds parted and the moon shone through.

She looked up, like a kindergartener who’d been handed a piece of candy.

The whole world turned sweet.

“Yi Qingzhuo, are you feeling pretty smug?” Shen Chaoyi turned completely to face her.

Shen Chaoyi was naturally shorter than Yi Qingzhuo, and now that the latter stood a step higher, she only reached her chin.

Slightly tilting her head, she said, “You’re smiling.”

Yi Qingzhuo dropped her gaze, met with Shen Chaoyi’s alluring collarbone and those smile-filled eyes—seductive without even knowing it.

A difficult swallow betrayed her shyness. She stiffly turned her head away and retracted her gaze.

Shen Chaoyi leaned in a little, and Yi Qingzhuo leaned back a little.

As if trying to cover it up, she said, “I’m not.”

“You’re so simple, Yi Qingzhuo. Almost thirty years old, how can you be this slow?” Shen Chaoyi said with a serious expression.

Yi Qingzhuo’s life felt like she’d stumbled upon a magic door.

Every time it opened and closed, she jumped from eighteen to twenty-eight, and now to twenty-nine.

In this era where ambiguity reigned and the smallest hint of affection spread like wildfire, rapidly bringing people together—maybe they’d be together soon—Yi Qingzhuo was too slow to warm up.

Shen Chaoyi approached tentatively, little by little, while Yi Qingzhuo retreated step by step in constant self-doubt.

“I’m not,” she said. Shen Chaoyi’s breath was so close that Yi Qingzhuo couldn’t help holding her own.

Her temples tightened, and she gripped the railing beside her.

Shen Chaoyi clasped her hands behind her back, leaning her upper body toward Yi Qingzhuo.

Her voice was barely a thread: “Again with ‘I’m not.’ Every time you deny it, you say ‘I’m not,’ and it has zero credibility. Besides, eyes never lie. Your eyes give you away every single time, Yi Qingzhuo. You’re completely incapable of lying—at least, not to me.”

“That book—how much have you read?”

Shen Chaoyi kept pressing closer, until Yi Qingzhuo was about to lose her footing.

Quick as a flash, Shen Chaoyi raised a hand and circled it around her waist.

But just as Yi Qingzhuo was about to brush against her, she suddenly pulled back.

She took a step backward, instantly widening the distance between them.

With her head down, Yi Qingzhuo said stiffly, “Not much.”

She knew that what Shen Chaoyi really wanted to ask was whether she’d seen that sentence.

But her thoughts were too tangled. Ever since she’d read those words, she couldn’t calm down at all.

She couldn’t make any decision right now.

She needed to calm down, needed a buffer before deciding.

When it came to feelings, Yi Qingzhuo was like an ignorant novice.

She’d never ventured into this territory, especially given the gap between her and Shen Chaoyi—a gap that made her feel she wasn’t good enough.

Yi Qingzhuo dared not take that step easily.

Even though Shen Chaoyi was gently and patiently guiding her from the front, Yi Qingzhuo still shrank back into her safe shell.

Please forgive me—I’ll be a deserter in matters of the heart, just this once.

The amusement in Shen Chaoyi’s eyes vanished in an instant. She stared at Yi Qingzhuo, stunned.

Had she only read a little and not discovered that sentence, or had she seen it and was giving a tactful refusal?

The hand that had held Yi Qingzhuo hung in midair, then fell back dejectedly.

Shen Chaoyi’s elegant brows furrowed slightly. She paused for several seconds.

But she was always tolerant, always gentle—no hint of displeasure on her face.

Her brows relaxed. “It’s okay. Take your time reading. No rush.”

There was more meaning behind her words. Shen Chaoyi wasn’t pushing for quick success.

Sensing perhaps that her own reaction had been too intense, Yi Qingzhuo softened her expression. “It’s an original English book, so I’m reading a bit slowly.”

“Mm. Even though it’s in the original, it’s really good. Don’t miss the plot—it’s fascinating, especially in some corners,” Shen Chaoyi said, giving her a deep look before turning to continue down the stairs.

Watching her slender figure, Yi Qingzhuo couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

Standing still, she took several deep breaths before following Shen Chaoyi.

The light, pleasant atmosphere from before seemed to vanish without a trace. Shen Chaoyi walked ahead alone; Yi Qingzhuo followed silently behind.

Between them, a quiet understanding formed in an instant.

Shen Chaoyi reached the cafeteria. At this hour, she had to settle for whatever was available.

She grabbed some random food and found a seat with her tray.

But since she’d come in, Yi Qingzhuo had disappeared. Shen Chaoyi looked around.

No sign of her.

Had she left?

Shen Chaoyi pressed her lips together and pulled out her phone.

Just then, someone passed by the opposite side. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a glass container of takeout food and a water cup.

She looked up—it was Yi Qingzhuo.

Yi Qingzhuo opened the takeout box. “My mom already ate at home. Little Xia heard I might be discharged and is busy planning where to take me, so she lost her appetite. Neither of them touched their food. I figured you wouldn’t like much of what they had here, so I brought this down for you.”

“The cup has fresh lychee juice. You can try it.”

While saying all this, Yi Qingzhuo never lifted her head.

Shen Chaoyi just watched as Yi Qingzhuo talked to herself without looking up, setting everything in front of her until her tray was full.

Finally, she sat quietly across from her.

She’d gone back to get all these things.

“What about you? Aren’t you hungry?” Shen Chaoyi tightened her grip on her chopsticks.

“Not really. I had an apple earlier, so I’m full. My mom still has some pig trotter soup upstairs, so I need to save room for that, or she’ll nag me,” Yi Qingzhuo said. She had little appetite; just a bite made her feel full.

Shen Chaoyi nodded slightly. “Eat a little. Go get some rice. Otherwise, I can’t finish all this by myself.”

Yi Qingzhuo originally planned to just watch Shen Chaoyi eat, but she realized that would make her uncomfortable.

So she said, “Okay.”

Just like that, what started as accompanying Shen Chaoyi turned into the two of them eating together.

Yi Qingzhuo got a small bowl that could be completely cupped in one hand, took a few mouthfuls of plain white rice, and sat up straight, spine rigid.

Shen Chaoyi watched as Yi Qingzhuo counted every grain of rice, keeping her head down whenever possible.

The scene was just like a socially anxious person having a meal alone with their boss.

Nervous—her main role was just to be company.

Shen Chaoyi gritted her teeth, exasperated by Yi Qingzhuo’s behavior.

“Yi Qingzhuo, are you nervous eating with me?”

Ever since she’d given Yi Qingzhuo that book, Shen Chaoyi felt she’d become very guarded.

Yi Qingzhuo looked up, the tiny porcelain bowl in her hand nearly crushed. “I’m not.”

Even though she was uncomfortable, she was still stubborn about denying it.

“Counting rice grains won’t fill you up. Eat some dishes,” Shen Chaoyi said, picking up a spare rib and intending to put it in Yi Qingzhuo’s bowl.

But seeing how cautious she looked, Shen Chaoyi’s breath grew heavier.

To avoid making her uneasy,

Shen Chaoyi changed direction at the last second and put the rib into her own bowl instead. She said, “Auntie’s cooking is always really good.”

Yi Changhuan’s cooking reminded her of her own mother’s—both had that indescribable taste of a mother’s love.

“Maybe I’m just used to it, so I think it’s average,” Yi Qingzhuo said. She didn’t notice the flicker of disappointment in Shen Chaoyi’s eyes. After a pause, she added, “But when I first got out of prison, I did think it tasted really good.”

“Yeah, same here. I’ve been eating my mom’s cooking my whole life. Get used to it, and it doesn’t seem that special anymore,” Shen Chaoyi said, taking a measured mouthful of rice, eating slowly and elegantly.

Yi Qingzhuo watched her from the corner of her eye and responded with an “Mm.”