Chapter 34

If only he were a bit more ordinary, he would be perfect.

But Lin Sheng was simply not the ordinary type. Everything about him—his family background, his very self—was extraordinary.

Judging by his personality, one might expect him to be gentle, yet inside he was truly arrogant and cold. He possessed a face that made it impossible to keep a low profile, and a height that stood out even among the tall.

He was the center of attention for teachers, the leader among his peers, and a man followed by countless secret admirers and those eager to cling to his status. Born at a high starting point, every move he made was under the scrutiny of others.

How could he possibly be low-key? How could he be ordinary?

The romantic melody of the saxophone drifted through the air, a sentiment that a girl of her age had never experienced and found difficult to fully appreciate. Xu Xieyi rested her chin on her hand, watching and thinking as she sat by the table; she only half-understood it, feeling only that it sounded beautiful.

Lin Sheng would occasionally glance at her with a smile.

Toward her youthful innocence, he was immensely patient, guiding her with gentle encouragement.

Yet, toward the gasps of surprise or the longing gazes of others in the restaurant, he couldn’t be bothered to spare even a single look.

-

The two finished their meal and left the restaurant before nine.

Lin Sheng checked his watch and then took Xu Xieyi to the Xindu Grand Theater, as recommended by a friend, to watch a Russian dance performance.

The theater was small but exquisitely designed, featuring a tiered layout with small tables, each illuminated by a dim crimson lamp. It was artistic and elegant.

In the dimly lit auditorium, Xu Xieyi and Lin Sheng sat on opposite sides of their small table. On stage, Russian performers were enacting a classical ballet.

Xu Xieyi did not understand Russian and didn't know what was happening; after a while, her mind began to wander, and her gaze fell unintentionally on Lin Sheng, who was watching the performance.

People in the audience were excitedly filming the stage with their phones, but not Lin Sheng. He seemed rarely to take photos.

He sat with a posture that was both upright and natural, calm and composed.

He was neither excited nor indifferent.

After observing him for a while, Xu Xieyi lowered her voice: "Brother Lin."

Hearing that faint sound beneath the music, Lin Sheng turned his head. The girl’s eyes glimmered in the shadows. He responded, "Hmm? What is it?"

With a smile, Xu Xieyi took his jacket out of her large canvas tote bag. She had folded it neatly when she packed it, and it remained tidy.

She handed it to him. "Remember to put this on when we go out later."

Lin Sheng was surprised. "Mine?"

Xu Xieyi nodded. "I saw you didn't bring it when we got out of the car, so I just grabbed it."

Lin Sheng had never paid much attention to layering his clothes and was often dressed too thinly. Fearing he might refuse, Xu Xieyi explained, "It’s warm in the theater, but it’ll be chilly outside; it’s easy to catch a cold. You get so sick when you catch a cold, Brother Lin, you really need to be careful."

She glanced at his thin shirt, suppressing the urge to scold him for his carelessness. "The temperature has dropped these last two days."

In the dim light, Xu Xieyi held out the jacket. Lin Sheng seemed to smile slightly, remaining silent for several seconds without taking it.

Xu Xieyi suddenly realized she might have been too nagging, making him unhappy.

She felt annoyed with herself.

Knowing Lin Sheng’s internal arrogance, she offered a sheepish, placating smile and began to pull her hand back. "But if you aren't cold, then never min..."

The man’s arm flashed through the dark, and his low, hoarse voice broke the silence: "Thank you."

A faint light from the stage swept over them, and the man’s palm closed over the jacket and the girl’s hand together. His grip was firm, like catching a little rabbit, not allowing the cute creature any room to move.

Xu Xieyi’s breath hitched.

Reflected in the stage light, Lin Sheng’s eyes were deep, dark, and mesmerizing as he looked at her.

He curled his lips in a half-smile. "Thank you."

After putting on the black leather jacket, Lin Sheng turned his attention back to the stage.

Beside him, Xu Xieyi felt a tightening in her chest. She bowed her head and bit her lip, her face growing hot.

Quietly, with her slender white fingers, she slowly rubbed the back of her hand. The sensation of Lin Sheng’s fingertips still lingered there.

Delicate, dry, and slightly firm...

Does Brother Lin...

Does he have to be so alluring?

-

Lin Sheng hadn't realized that Xu Xieyi hadn't understood a thing all night.

It wasn't until they were on their way out of the theater parking garage—when Xu Xieyi lamented that she must learn some Russian in the future—that it dawned on him.

Thinking of how she had sat quietly beside him while her head was actually full of confusion, Lin Sheng couldn't help but laugh as he turned the steering wheel.

He laughed at her, and at himself for doing something foolish again.

"What is it, Brother Lin?" Xu Xieyi, who had been talking about how magnificent the ballet dancer's costumes were, like something out of a fairy tale, looked at him, puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"

Had she said something funny?

Lin Sheng turned his head, struggling to suppress his mirth. "Nothing. It’s nothing."

Then, regaining his composure, he added, "Actually, it wasn't a profound story. It was just *Sleeping Beauty*, written by Charles Perrault—the one from the storybooks we read as children."

"Ah?" Xu Xieyi was startled. "So it was *Sleeping Beauty*!"

"Yes."

Xu Xieyi reflected for a moment. "Now that you mention it... I suppose it was."

She realized it belatedly and smiled with great satisfaction.

She finally understood; it was that fairy tale after all. At least she hadn't wasted the whole night!

Lin Sheng watched her reaction clearly, his heart softening.

*So obedient...*

With the pressure of her senior year of high school weighing on her, Lin Sheng had wanted to take Xu Xieyi out to relax after her exams—watching games, dining out, seeing plays...

He had only thought about doing nice things for her, without considering her perspective.

He had forgotten that the girl he was pursuing was only a teenager. Perhaps what he found good and interesting, she didn't understand at all, or might even find dull and boring.

On the late autumn night, the mountain road was filled with fog and drifting, scattered leaves. The black Jeep drove steadily.

Lin Sheng felt relaxed, yet also had a slight headache.

*So young.*

*How should I cherish her?*

He didn't know what young girls liked these days. The road was quiet. As Lin Sheng pondered, his phone rang.

He glanced at it; it was Chu Yuefei.

He leisurely put on his Bluetooth headset and pressed answer.

As soon as the call connected, he heard Chu Yuefei’s meaningful voice: "You were slow to answer, Ah Sheng. You wouldn't be doing anything inappropriate for children, would you?"

In the background, he could hear the faint sound of Xiao Yufeng teasing him, with the ambient noise of a bar.

"What is it?" Lin Sheng tightened his grip on the headset.

"Nothing. Just a reminder to our military compound’s assassin-god—Chairman Mao taught us to be careful, don't bully the little sister, okay?" The voice on the other end laughed.

Lin Sheng glanced at the passenger seat. Xu Xieyi was looking at the scenery outside the window. Perhaps sensing his gaze, she turned back, looking a bit drowsy.

He kept his eyes on the road and replied calmly: "You all should worry about the fires in your own homes; don't worry about whether I’m lighting a lamp or not."

-

That night, Du Juan boiled chicken soup for Xu Xieyi.

With the heavy workload of the senior year, Du Juan had spoken to Xu Xieyi’s parents that afternoon and felt sorry for the girl. Her parents weren't around, yet she was self-disciplined, obedient, and studied hard.

She chatted with her for a while in her room.

Du Juan was a woman who knew how to handle people; she was enthusiastic and tactful. A woman from a poor background who could marry into a family like the Lins certainly wouldn't lack emotional or intellectual intelligence.

As she was leaving, Du Juan remembered something, turned back, and asked with a smile: "Did Ah Sheng take you out to play again tonight?"

Xu Xieyi sat on the chair in front of her desk. "Yes, we went to see a dance performance, Godmother."

Du Juan’s eyes flickered with a hint of doubt, then she smiled. "Xieyi is such a good girl, truly likable. I was worried your Brother Lin might make things difficult for you."

She smiled again, her eyes slightly cold. "That Brother Lin of yours, don't let his gentle appearance fool you; it is very difficult to truly get him to care."

*Hard? It’s as difficult as ascending to heaven!* Du Juan thought to herself.

To this day, she could never forget the boy who had looked right through her for four or five years. That ruthless, steadfast temperament was not something a normal child possessed.

To persist in one thing for years on end was incredibly difficult. Yet, for many years, Lin Sheng had simply treated her like air.

He was actually the most like the old man—at his core, a person of ruthless decision-making, only his personality was slightly more gentle.

*A facade of gentleness.*

Xu Xieyi naturally didn't know what Du Juan was thinking, nor did she know about the grievances among the three generations of the Lin family.

She recalled the time Lin Sheng was sick in his apartment, acting so delicate and spoiled.

She couldn't help but purse her lips in a smile and said, "Godmother, actually, I think Brother Lin is quite cute sometimes."

"..."

Even someone as smooth as Du Juan was stunned into silence.

"You." She thought she had misheard. "You said who is cute?"

"Brother Lin."

Xu Xieyi smiled. "I think he's quite cute sometimes, Godmother."

Whether he was being picky about his food or when he was sick.

His personality was so arrogant and unyielding, yet he actually loved to be coaxed.

And if you just coaxed him a little, he would take his medicine and eat his meals. He wouldn't say a word, and whatever you said, he would agree to. He had a handsome face and smelled good, too.

After leaving Xu Xieyi’s room and walking to the stairs, Du Juan frowned and muttered to herself:

"Wow! What are the girls these days thinking about?"

She actually thought Lin Sheng was "cute"?

Where was he "cute"??

He was deep, cold-blooded, arrogant, and difficult to approach. It was only because his manners and upbringing were better than the average man that he gave off an air of gentleness and humility.

Even the troublemakers in the compound, like Chu Yuefei and Chen Xia, took orders from Lin Sheng. He was a rebellious thorn!

Sometimes, even the old man couldn't do anything about Lin Sheng.

The more Du Juan thought about it, the funnier she found Xu Xieyi’s words. She let out an "Oh my~" and sighed slowly as she walked downstairs:

"She really is just a young girl, inexperienced in the ways of the world, heh."

-

Just after washing up and lying in bed, Xu Xieyi heard her phone buzzing repeatedly on the bedside table.

She reached out and grabbed it.

On the screen, QQ messages were piling up one after another.

【Tan Xiaotong: ?????】

【Tan Xiaotong: Reply to me quickly! [Angry]】

【Tan Xiaotong: If you don't reply, I'm really going to be angry, hmph ╭（╯^╰）╮】

【Tan Xiaotong: Yiyi!】

Xu Xieyi was confused. She rolled over onto her stomach, supporting herself with her elbows to unlock the screen, and opened the QQ interface to check the messages. Tan Xiaotong’s message bubble showed the number 16.

She was startled.

"Sending so many, what could be so urgent?"

Xu Xieyi hurriedly scrolled up and found the main point.

【Tan Xiaotong: Yiyi, Yiyi, Yiyi...】