Chapter 24

Throughout the journey, Lin Sheng and Xu Xieyi did not say much, mainly because there were not many topics to discuss.

On the mountain at night, mist clung to the road after the rain. Lin Sheng kept his speed very slow. Occasionally, they passed a streetlamp, and the light filtering in brightened the car interior for a moment. Xu Xieyi turned her head and watched Lin Sheng for a while.

He was so silent.

She remembered that at the beginning, she had always thought of Lin Sheng as a gentle and enthusiastic big brother. However, after spending time with him, she realized that Lin Sheng was someone who was outwardly warm but inwardly cold.

Aloof, deep, and difficult to approach. His living habits were also quite picky—no, not just "quite." He was extremely fastidious.

Visiting his apartment had truly given her a full experience of his refined and particular lifestyle. No matter how unwell Lin Sheng felt, his bedclothes were always perfectly neat, he remained immaculate, and the things he used—down to a single bar of soap—were all imported. In his apartment, one could hardly find any mass-market brands.

He was fastidious—too fastidious.

Thinking of this, Xu Xieyi unconsciously sat up straighter, lest she make him feel uncomfortable.

They arrived home twenty minutes later. Xiao Hei barked happily in the courtyard, and Xu Xieyi played with it for a while as Lin Sheng watched from the side.

"Xiao Hei baby, big sister is back."
"Be a good boy, let me kiss your furry ears."
"Hehe, good boy, give me a kiss on this ear too."

Lin Sheng leaned back, his spine resting against a streetlamp, watching Xu Xieyi lazily from across the way.

The young girl’s hands, as she stroked the wolfhound, were slender and delicate. The low ponytail at the back of her head had loosened slightly after the long day, with a few strands of hair falling against the nape of her clean, fair neck. Her blue-and-white school uniform was also crisp and tidy.

She was a very comfortable girl, exactly how a seventeen-year-old should be. She loved flowers, plants, and animals, and she was attentive and considerate. Being looked after by her—whether it was the plants, the goldfish, or even... him—felt very comforting.

After teasing Xiao Hei for a while, Xu Xieyi inadvertently glanced sideways while dodging the dog's affectionate licks. She saw Lin Sheng leaning under the streetlamp, a cigarette held between his fingers, exhaling a plume of smoke.

In his black trousers and thin white shirt, with his eyelids half-lowered, Lin Sheng appeared arrogant, cold, and somewhat decadent when he wasn't engaging with anyone. His cheeks were slightly pale, and he looked exhausted.

The wolfhound's tongue was soft, licking her palm enthusiastically until it tickled. Xu Xieyi absentmindedly patted its head to make it settle down, her eyes never leaving Lin Sheng as she observed him.

For some reason, whenever she saw Lin Sheng, she was reminded of the rebellious, bad-tempered boys at school. And there was also an indescribable sense of loneliness...

Since arriving at the Lin household, and especially during this bout of Lin Sheng’s illness, Xu Xieyi had sensed that the place was cold and desolate. The relationship between Dujuan and Lin Sheng was also very distant. Even during the Mid-Autumn Festival, her godfather had