Chapter 62: Every Side Is Beautiful

“When will you be done? I need to use the bathroom.”

Yi Qingzhuo gritted her teeth. “It’ll be a while. Go wait in your room.”

Xia Qinyu scratched her head and muttered, “What’s up with you tonight? Hogging the bathroom? How childish.”

With that, Xia Qinyu pushed the door open and went back to her room.

It never even occurred to her that there might be another person inside—let alone someone she would never have dreamed of seeing.

Once the hallway fell silent, Yi Qingzhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as she pushed the door open to step out, Shen Chaoyi stopped her. “Perfect timing. Let me check how your wound is healing.”

Otherwise, she’d keep worrying and wouldn’t be able to let it go.

Yi Qingzhuo’s hand froze on the doorknob. “Right now?”

“If you don’t want to, I won’t push. I respect your choice.” Shen Chaoyi let out a soft laugh.

Yi Qingzhuo was silent for a moment, then finally locked the door behind them.

She walked past Shen Chaoyi, sat down on the toilet lid, and with a single motion lifted her shirt over her head.

Her black hair tumbled messily over her chest as she unfastened the fixator.

A large expanse of pale skin was revealed—especially the taut muscle lines that appeared along her arm as she raised it, along with the scars left behind from the past. It was a different kind of feminine beauty.

Perhaps because they were in a more private space this time, the flash of attraction tinted the atmosphere between them.

Shen Chaoyi’s focus was genuinely on the wound, so once she confirmed that the healing was progressing as expected, she averted her gaze.

“Looks like you’ve really been following the doctor’s orders.”

“I told you—I’m the type of patient who listens to Doctor Shen.” Yi Qingzhuo tilted her head back, a glint of light dancing in her eyes.

Shen Chaoyi nodded and said softly, “Mm, you’re the easiest to take care of.”

It sounded like she was praising a kindergartener.

Yi Qingzhuo pulled her shirt back on. “That was a bit dismissive, but thanks for the compliment, Doctor Shen. Let’s head out.”

Xia Qinyu would probably come out again soon.

Yi Qingzhuo’s head throbbed at the thought.

She opened the door first and checked that the hallway was empty.

Only then did she fully open the door and walk back to the bedroom with Shen Chaoyi.

Shen Chaoyi stood at the doorway, her eyes immediately landing on the bookshelf that took up a third of the room. The chaotic assortment of covers was dizzying to look at.

Yi Qingzhuo followed behind her and closed the door.

Even though this was her private space—one even Xia Qinyu wasn’t allowed into casually—she felt no resentment at Shen Chaoyi stepping into it.

Instead, she only felt nervous. Nervous that she might leave a bad impression on Shen Chaoyi.

“Go on in.” Yi Qingzhuo’s voice was low.

Shen Chaoyi walked in slowly. Her gaze swept over the bookshelf that occupied nearly half the wall. Taking in the books, she couldn’t help but remark, “Your bookshelf is exactly the mess you described.”

The genres were all over the place.

There were out-of-print collector’s editions right next to picture books meant for kindergarteners.

Yi Qingzhuo leaned casually against the wall, watching Shen Chaoyi’s gentle silhouette. After a long pause of thought, she walked over to the bookshelf, browsed for a moment, and pulled out two books. “If you’re learning piano, staring at sheet music won’t help much. You need to start with the basics. These two books are great for beginners. You can take a look.”

“How did you know I was learning piano?” Shen Chaoyi didn’t remember ever mentioning it to her.

Yi Qingzhuo leaned against the desk, hands braced behind her, and said calmly, “Last time I was in your car, I happened to see the sheet music on your back seat.”

“And from that you guessed I was learning piano?” Shen Chaoyi took the two books, still puzzled how Yi Qingzhuo had come to that conclusion from just a few sheets of music.

“You also had flyers for piano lessons in your car. I doubt you’d collect useless flyers.” Yi Qingzhuo crossed her long legs, chin lifted slightly as she looked at Shen Chaoyi.

The light flickered softly, casting a shadow over Shen Chaoyi’s figure. Her outfit tonight screamed scholarly restraint and allure.

Yi Qingzhuo felt a wave of gratitude. Tonight, she had seen another side of Shen Chaoyi—warm and refined as jade.

Every side of her was beautiful.

The kind of beauty that made it impossible to look away at first sight.

Yi Qingzhuo even thought: maybe it would be okay for this moment to stop right here.

Hearing Yi Qingzhuo’s reasoning, Shen Chaoyi’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Mm, thank you. I’m sure these will be very useful for a beginner like me.”

Having said that, Shen Chaoyi suddenly asked, “What grade are you in piano?”

Caught off guard, a trace of discomfort flickered across Yi Qingzhuo’s face.

“I only know a little. Nothing worth grading.”

Shen Chaoyi caught the fleeting shadow of loneliness and seemed to sense something.

A phone ringtone interrupted her train of thought. She glanced over.

It was Shen Gan calling.

She picked up.

“Sis, it’s late and it’s still raining outside. When are you coming home?”

Shen Chaoyi glanced at Yi Qingzhuo and replied, “My car won’t start. I might take a taxi back a bit later.”

“Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.” Shen Gan said immediately.

“No need, I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll call a car. Send me your location.”

Shen Chaoyi thought for a moment. She realized that staying here too long could easily lead to Xia Qinyu seeing her.

So she said, “Okay.”

After hanging up, Shen Chaoyi turned to Yi Qingzhuo. “My brother will come pick me up soon. Let’s head downstairs first.”

Yi Qingzhuo hummed in acknowledgment, got up, and pushed open the door.

Xia Qinyu had probably retreated into her own movie world by now and wouldn’t come out anytime soon.

Yi Qingzhuo grabbed her keys. “I’ll walk you down.”

The door opened and closed. The room remained brightly lit, but within seconds, the two figures had disappeared.

Outside, the rain was still coming down hard. Yi Qingzhuo and Shen Chaoyi stood under the eaves of the residential building. Rain cascaded down like a curtain.

“I picked a bad time today. I’ve left you with an unpleasant experience.” Yi Qingzhuo’s voice was low and deliberate, each word carefully chosen.

If she had chosen a day with better weather to invite her out, none of this chain of events would have happened.

She never imagined that right after confirming their relationship, a twist of fate would bring Shen Chaoyi back to her home.

That hadn’t been her intention.

Shen Chaoyi said softly, “How could it be unpleasant? It feels like in just a few short hours, I’ve already left here with so many memorable moments. I find it interesting, not unpleasant at all.”

After all, not every relationship involves proposing with a ring and bringing someone home right after confessing.

This fast-forwarded progress bar made Shen Chaoyi start to look forward to what wonderful moments she and Yi Qingzhuo would share in the future.

“That’s good to hear.” Yi Qingzhuo murmured.

Not long after, Shen Gan arrived at the exact spot according to the shared location.

But the moment he got out of the car and saw Shen Chaoyi standing next to Yi Qingzhuo, his hand holding the umbrella trembled. He nearly lost his composure in front of them.

Yi Qingzhuo?

He looked up again at the residential building behind them.

When Shen Chaoyi left, she said she was having dinner with a friend. But was this a place for dinner?

And that friend… was Yi Qingzhuo?

“Sis.” Shen Gan walked up to Shen Chaoyi, then stiffly addressed Yi Qingzhuo. “Boss Yi.”

Oh god, what were the odds?

The internet café owner I constantly skip class to visit is standing here as friends with my older sister.

What am I supposed to do?

Perhaps sensing the awkwardness of the title, Yi Qingzhuo looked down, avoiding his gaze.

“Mm.” A shallow hum escaped her.

Shen Gan naturally took the books and clothes from Shen Chaoyi’s hands. “So… where did you guys eat? How did you end up here?”

“We just grabbed a bite. Let’s head back first.” Shen Chaoyi didn’t want to elaborate, brushing it off with a single sentence.

Then she turned to look at Yi Qingzhuo, who stood with her hands at her sides. “I’ll go now. You should head back inside too. It’s cold out here.”

Shen Gan held the umbrella as Shen Chaoyi got into the car next to him.

Just as he was about to close the door, his probing gaze swept over Yi Qingzhuo.

Yi Qingzhuo stood half-hidden in the dim light. Her tall, slender figure was barely outlined in the shadows.

Squinting, Yi Qingzhuo’s expression remained calm.

Shen Gan, on the other hand, furrowed his brow.

Turning back, he noticed that Shen Chaoyi had changed clothes.

She was wearing Yi Qingzhuo’s clothes? Where had they been?

“Sis… Yi Qingzhuo must be out of the hospital by now, right?” Shen Gan tested the waters.

At the mention of Yi Qingzhuo, Shen Chaoyi unconsciously reached up to touch the ring on her finger, her eyes as soft as autumn water. “She’s already been discharged.”

“Then you two…” Shen Gan pressed.

Friends?

“I don’t think you’re as narrow-minded as Mom, are you?” Shen Chaoyi’s gaze was deep as she looked at him.

Shen Gan felt a chill run down his spine at his sister’s expression. He froze for a second. “No, I was just asking.”

“I’ll handle my own affairs. Your priority right now is the college entrance exam. You need to decide what your goal is and make sure you don’t come up short in the end.” Shen Chaoyi was also concerned about her younger brother’s future and didn’t want him to focus too much on her.

Shen Gan took a shallow breath. “I understand.”