Looking at her from this close, he could see her stunningly beautiful eyes, with long and thick eyelashes.
Shen Nian had a youthful, innocent face. Her delicate features were soft and gentle. When she smiled, her eyes crinkled, giving off a warm, radiant vibe.
He stared at Shen Nian, entranced.
Shen Nian still held a cup in her hand. Noticing that Lu Lingchuan had stopped drinking, she looked at him quizzically, only to meet his profound gaze.
His eyes were as alluring as ever, long and captivating. However, they now held a hint of intoxication, lacking their usual sharpness and intensity.
She froze for a moment, perplexed. "What are you looking at?"
His eyes remained fixed on her, staring intensely.
Did she have something on her face?
Shen Nian touched her face.
It didn't seem so; after all, she had just taken a shower.
"You," Lu Lingchuan replied, unexpectedly.
Moreover, he seemed to be genuinely answering her question.
"..." His single word felt as heavy as a thousand pieces of gold, leaving Shen Nian utterly floored.
What are you looking at?
You.
Put together, it meant—
Looking at you.
She gazed at Lu Lingchuan's face, her voice hoarse. "...Do you know what you're saying?"
"I know."
"Do you know who I am?"
"It's you." In that moment, his eyes saw only her, and nothing else.
"..." Seeing his earnest yet slightly foolish expression, Shen Nian wondered if he was truly drunk or sober.
If he wasn't drunk, why was he acting so silly when talking to her? But if he was drunk, how could he converse with her so fluently?
"I can't believe you remembered the door password in this drunken state," Shen Nian shook her head, muttering the words absentmindedly.
"Of course I remember." He leaned back on the sofa, lifting one hand to his forehead, staring at the overhead light. It seemed as if he had remembered something, and a pained, anguished look flashed across his eyes as his breathing grew heavier.
Shen Nian paid no attention to his response. Seeing that he had almost finished the honey water, with only a little left at the bottom, she didn't force him to finish it. She picked up the cup, intending to take it to the kitchen and wash it.
She had only taken two steps when Lu Lingchuan's voice, faint yet audible, reached her from behind. It was so soft that she almost doubted if he had actually spoken.
But Shen Nian heard it.
Those few short words instantly shattered her composure.
He said—
"The password is the memorial dates of my two children..."
"..."
The six-digit smart door lock password consisted of two parts. The first three digits represented the date of their first child's miscarriage, which was also Lu Lingrui's memorial date.
On that fateful day, Shen Nian had received Lu Lingrui's final text message before her suicide and frantically called Lu Lingchuan, searching everywhere Lu Lingrui might have gone.
She didn't witness Lu Lingrui's jump from the building. By the time she received the phone call, Lu Lingrui was already gone.
Shen Nian felt as if she had been struck dumb. She stumbled her way to the hospital morgue, where she could hear Li Mingshi's heart-wrenching wails from outside the door.
She slumped against the wall, her strength completely drained, staring blankly ahead, devoid of emotion.
It wasn't until she felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen that she was jolted back to reality.
She looked down to see her white dress stained with red, blood trickling down her thighs.
On that day, she endured a triple blow.
She lost her dearest friend.
She lost her first child.
In a person's short life, there are truly not many people they truly value – parents, spouse, children, and closest friends... that's about it.
Unlike most people, Shen Nian had lost her parents at an early age, so she already had two fewer important people in her life. But on that day, she lost her closest friend and her child as well.
It was on that day that Shen Nian realized there could never be a future between her and Lu Lingchuan.
Some people are simply meant to be missed, and she was destined to be a mere supporting character in Lu Lingchuan's life, someone he would eventually leave behind.
As for the last three digits of the password, they represented the date of her abortion, the memorial date of her and Lu Lingchuan's second child.
Shen Nian had changed the password after her miscarriage, and aside from her and Lu Lingchuan, no one else knew this new password.
When she had informed Lu Lingchuan about the password change back then, his expression remained impassive, showing no hint of reaction. Shen Nian had always assumed he didn't know the significance of those six digits.
But he did know. He had always known.
"..." Shen Nian's grip on the cup loosened, then tightened again.
Lu Lingchuan sat, while Shen Nian stood, maintaining their positions for over a minute.
Finally, Shen Nian moved first. She went into the kitchen, washed the cup, and then returned.
Glancing at her bag by the door, Shen Nian took out some pills and swallowed two of them, placing one hand on her chest. After a while, she felt her heart gradually calming down.
She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again before heading towards the living room.
In the living room, Lu Lingchuan remained in the same position, his elbow resting on his forehead, eyes half-closed.
She approached him and said, "It's late, you should get some rest."
She acted as if she hadn't heard anything earlier.
Some things were like bubbles, better left to float in the air undisturbed, for even the slightest touch would cause them to burst.
"..." Lu Lingchuan didn't respond.
Shen Nian took his hand, and the moment she touched him, Lu Lingchuan opened his eyes, his dark gaze fixated on her.
"..." Shen Nian felt uneasy under his intense stare and quickly averted her eyes, saying softly, "It's late, and you have work tomorrow."
With Lu Lingrui's matter unresolved and Li Mingshi's recent troubles, today must have been exhausting for him, not physically, but mentally and emotionally.
"..." Lu Lingchuan remained silent, but when Shen Nian helped him up, he didn't resist, obediently standing.
The alcohol was still affecting him, causing him to sway unsteadily as he walked. Shen Nian was afraid he might collapse at any moment, so she held onto his arm, supporting him.
Shen Nian had just finished showering when Lu Lingchuan arrived, and she was only wearing a towel, her slender arms and distinct collarbones exposed to the air.
As she supported Lu Lingchuan, their bodies were in close proximity. With just a slight tilt of his head, Lu Lingchuan could catch a glimpse of the alluring sight below her collarbone...
She helped him into the bedroom. In his drunken state, he likely couldn't manage changing clothes, so Shen Nian untied his loosely hanging tie, folded it neatly and placed it on the bedside table. She then removed his shoes and socks, letting him lie down.
As she was about to cover him with a thin blanket, Lu Lingchuan's hand hooked around her waist, pulling her towards him with force.
Shen Nian lost her balance and fell onto Lu Lingchuan, her hands landing on his chest. Their faces were pressed together, noses touching, lips against lips.
Their eyes met, and the distance between them was so close that they could feel each other's breath and warmth.
