Chapter 8

Guan Shanyan looked down at the candy, the light reflecting off it in rainbow hues.
“Beautiful candy. Where did you get it?”
Shen Youwei said, “I was helping a mother and daughter take photos today. The little girl gave it to me.”
Guan Shanyan looked up. “So this is giving a gift through borrowed flowers?”
“The candy was so pretty, I didn’t want to eat it.” Shen Youwei reached to take it back. “If you don’t want it, give it back.”
Guan Shanyan closed his hand around it. “If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
She suddenly realized her godmother was right, they were indeed childish.
“I’m going to sleep now.” Shen Youwei turned to her room. Sitting on the bed, she remembered she originally went out for milk.
Never mind, she’d just sleep.
She patted the little black cat plush beside her pillow and lay down.
Perhaps due to the day’s events, she dreamt again of falling from Qingjing Mountain, over and over, with Guan Shanyan catching her each time, exhausting them both.
In the morning, she lingered in bed a bit before getting up to wash. At the dining table, Guan Shanyan was already seated with Xie Mingqiu.
He wore new home clothes, looking much better, almost fully recovered.
Shen Youwei raised an eyebrow. When he was younger, fevers didn’t go down this easily, especially that time on Qingjing Mountain, when he had almost died.
“Youwei, why aren’t you sleeping a bit longer?” Xie Mingqiu asked as Shen Youwei came in, placing another set of chopsticks and a bowl in front of her. Shen Youwei sat down at the table, scooping some porridge with a spoon, feeling weak. “No, I had a messy night full of dreams.”
“Must be because you were startled yesterday,” Xie Mingqiu said, piling more food onto Shen Youwei’s plate. “Eat more to calm yourself down.”
“Thanks, godmother.” Shen Youwei looked at the mountain of food, thinking her godmother was treating her like a pig.
“Oh, by the way, Xiao Guo from the property management took a lot of photos at the park yesterday. Some of them include you two,” Xie Mingqiu continued after serving herself some porridge. “She said you’re very photogenic and wanted to use the pictures for promotion, but since you both have fans, she asked me to check with you first.”
Shen Youwei swallowed a pan-fried dumpling. “Better not, otherwise everyone will find out I’m living here.” She didn’t want to move again.
Xie Mingqiu nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell Xiao Guo no then.”
“Mm.”
Guan Shanyan suddenly spoke: “Do you have those photos? Send me a copy.”
“If you want, I can ask Xiao Guo to send me one,” Xie Mingqiu replied.
Xiao Guo quickly sent the photos, which Xie Mingqiu forwarded to Guan Shanyan. “Sent to your WeChat.”
Guan Shanyan looked at his phone. Shen Youwei, beside him, said, “Godmother, send me a copy too.”
Guan Shanyan raised an eyebrow and quickly said, “I’ll send it to you.”
Before Shen Youwei could react, the photos were already in her WeChat, followed by a few familiar red exclamation marks. “Done, sent to you.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
Wait, what is he doing?
Two seconds later, Guan Shanyan glanced at her inactive phone. “What, didn’t you get it?”
Shen Youwei: “…”
Xie Mingqiu beside her asked, “Is your network bad? Should we send it again?”
“Mm.” Guan Shanyan took the phone and started sending the photos again.
“…” Shen Youwei quickly grabbed her phone and swiftly removed Guan Shanyan from her blacklist.
The phone vibrated once, and she received a photo from him.
“Got it, got it. Maybe the network really was bad just now, haha.” Shen Youwei laughed nervously and put the phone back on the table.
Guan Shanyan responded casually, continuing his breakfast without changing expression.
His calmness made Shen Youwei inexplicably annoyed. She grabbed her phone and quickly sent him a message: [I’ll block you again later!]
Guan Shanyan: Hope my mom doesn’t find out.
Sister: [Smile]
“Both of you, enough with the phones during breakfast.” Xie Mingqiu glanced at them, then back at Shen Youwei.
Shen Youwei shivered under her gaze. “What is it, godmother?”
Xie Mingqiu smiled ambiguously. “At the Peach Blossom Festival yesterday, some neighbors saw you and Shanyan together and came to ask about you.”
“Ah?” Shen Youwei, holding a dumpling, was confused. “Ask about me for what?”
“To set you up with someone.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
The neighbors were really enthusiastic.
“How old is she? She doesn’t need a match,” Shen Youwei started, but Guan Shanyan objected first.
Xie Mingqiu glanced at him and chuckled. “Youwei is twenty-five. Why shouldn’t she need a match? You think everyone’s like you?”
“…” Guan Shanyan stayed silent for a moment, then argued, “You said we were just kids yesterday.”
Xie Mingqiu almost rolled her eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know you. Youwei has played with you since she was little, and no other boys dared approach her. You, fragile and sickly since childhood, could hit hard when you wanted.”
“Those I hit weren’t good people.”
“Right, right, you’re the good one.” Xie Mingqiu smiled. “Don’t worry, anyone I introduce to Youwei will be a good kid.”
Guan Shanyan wanted to say something, but Xie Mingqiu turned back to Shen Youwei: “Youwei, what kind of boy do you like?”
“Uh,” Shen Youwei replied honestly, “good-looking.”
“…” Xie Mingqiu maintained her smile and rephrased: “What kind of personality, or any particular skills?”
Shen Youwei thought for a moment. “I like long legs.”
“…” Xie Mingqiu looked her over, suspicious. “You already have someone you like, don’t you?”
“Cough cough.” Guan Shanyan choked on his porridge.
Xie Mingqiu glanced at him. “If she likes someone, why are you so worked up? I’m warning you, Shanyan, you’re not dating, don’t interfere with your sister’s love life.”
Guan Shanyan snorted and continued eating in silence.
Seeing him settled, Xie Mingqiu turned back to Shen Youwei. “Alright, I’ll have the neighbors prepare some photos. If you like anyone, I’ll introduce them to you.”
Shen Youwei blinked and nodded. “Okay.”
Guan Shanyan glanced over; Shen Youwei caught his eyes and smiled at him.
After breakfast, Shen Youwei returned to her room to prepare for a video shoot. Guan Shanyan stayed to clean the dishes.
Xie Mingqiu looked at him in the kitchen, he was good-looking, with long legs.
But so what?
Hearing her click her tongue outside, he shook his head in confusion and walked away.
After finishing the kitchen, Guan Shanyan washed his hands and picked up the phone. Shen Youwei had sent a message asking him to forward all the property photos.
He opened the album and sent the remaining two photos.
The property had taken three photos of them. Two showed Shen Youwei wearing a mask; the remaining one showed her walking beside Guan Shanyan, mid-bite on something.
Guan Shanyan casually set that photo as his phone’s lock screen.
Due to the unexpected events yesterday, Shen Youwei hadn’t taken photos herself. But the property had three shots for her.
Not bad, they were quite good. No wonder they wanted to use them for promotion.
As she admired the photo, she received a single period from Guan Shanyan.
She replied with a question mark.
Guan Shanyan: [Trying to see if I’ve been blocked again?]
Sister: [Smile]
Guan Shanyan: [Are you really planning to date someone?]
Sister: [Yes, I can’t hang on the same tree forever [Cute]]
Guan Shanyan frowned slightly, locked his phone, and returned to his room.
Sitting at his computer, he couldn’t focus, even though he had a lot of brand preparation work to do.
He pursed his lips and logged onto Weibo, finding He Zhou.
He Zhou was a net friend he met three years ago. Initially, the account left hostile comments on his posts. Guan Shanyan avoided online arguments, but once He Zhou critiqued his design, though harsh, it pinpointed the problem.
Guan Shanyan had already been dissatisfied with his design. After He Zhou’s comment, he found the solution.
After that, he reached out to He Zhou. They gradually became familiar, and aside from design discussions, he occasionally chatted with him about personal matters.
Shen Youwei saw Guan Shanyan’s message half an hour later. She typed back: [What’s up? Did your sister get into trouble again?]
After a while, Guan Shanyan replied: [My sister wants to start dating.]
He Zhou: [How old is she?]
Guan Shanyan: 25
He Zhou: [? That’s totally normal.]
Guan Shanyan didn’t reply. Shen Youwei thought for a moment. [Do you like your sister?]
Guan Shanyan: [Not a biological sister, just my mom’s goddaughter.]
He Zhou: [That’s not what I meant.]
Guan Shanyan: [I just don’t want her to meet the wrong person.]
Wasn’t that Chen Qing? And Xu Qairan knew him too. If it were his sister, he’d be furious.
He Zhou: [So what kind of person counts as “good”?]
Guan Shanyan: [At least better than me.]
He Zhou: […]
He Zhou: [I think you like your sister.]
Guan Shanyan: [She grew up with me. If he’s worse than me, why would she like him?]
He Zhou: [Maybe she just likes him without thinking of him as her brother.]
Guan Shanyan was silent for a while before sending another message: [Why are you starting to sound more like my sister?]
Shen Youwei: […]
He Zhou: [I’m just answering from your sister’s perspective, helping you analyze.]
Guan Shanyan said nothing more. Shen Youwei exhaled and picked up a flyer on the table.