Shao Xichen's Sudden Arrival

She vividly remembered the sight of him handing her a crumpled stack of money with red-rimmed eyes.

She had always wondered how someone as self-centered as Cen Ya Qin and Zhang Guotao could produce such a kind daughter.

Was it a genetic mutation, or perhaps the result of negative traits canceling each other out?

"How is your cousin doing?" During university, she had kept in touch with Zhang Xinrou. However, as time passed and their lives diverged, their contact gradually faded, and with different social circles, there was little to talk about.

Cen Ya Qin paused for a moment, nodding repeatedly, "She's doing well, but your cousin always talks about you."

She could ignore Cen Ya Qin, but she couldn't disregard Zhang Xinrou. After all, the latter had helped her during the most difficult times.

"When are you having dinner? Have your cousin let me know, and I'll come if I have time."

"Okay, okay, okay, then you should hurry to work, Auntie won't disturb you anymore." Cen Ya Qin's face was beaming with joy.

Three days later, Cen Yao received a message from Zhang Xinrou.

"Yao Yao, are you free to come over for dinner this afternoon?"

The previous message was a "Happy New Year" wish, but it had been over a year since then.

After some thought, she replied with a simple "Okay."

Before going, she deliberately bought something to bring along; it wouldn't have felt right to show up empty-handed.

The reunion after many years was not as awkward as she had imagined, and Zhang Xinrou's enthusiasm dispelled all her concerns.

"After so many years, Yao Yao has grown into a young lady, and even prettier than when we were kids." Zhang Xinrou acted like an elder, though she was only a year older than Cen Yao.

At the dining table, no one spoke, only Zhang Xinrou kept serving dishes to Cen Yao.

After lunch, Zhang Xinrou took her back to her room.

A typical girl's bedroom, with white and pink floral bed sheets and duvet covers, the floor spotless, and a light purple dream catcher hanging by the window.

The desk was neatly arranged, but a wooden photo frame in the corner seemed out of place with the rest of the room's design.

Cen Yao picked up the frame, her fingers gently tracing over the face of the little girl with two pigtails.

"You still have this photo."

It was her at sixteen, living like a flower in a greenhouse; she had been truly happy back then.

"Of course, how could I lose something so important? This is from when we took it together at the amusement park, I remember you had an identical one too."

Some fragmented images suddenly flashed through her mind, both good and bad, hitting her brain painfully.

Unfortunately, hers was lost, along with everything else from the past, never to be found again.

"Yao Yao, did I say something wrong?" Zhang Xinrou looked guilty.

Cen Yao smiled faintly, her smile laced with irony, not towards others but herself.

The events of that year were like a malignant tumor buried deep in her heart, torturing her fragile dignity at all times.

For a long time, people around her spoke to her cautiously, afraid to touch on her sensitive spots.

"It's all in the past."

She said this, but she knew she couldn't let go.

Because she simply couldn't forget the despair in her mother's eyes when she left, and the growing hatred.

She returned home in a daze, only to see Shao Xichen once again waiting at her doorstep.

He didn't speak, just pulled her into his arms. His large hand pressed hard on her back, as if he wanted to meld her into his body.

"You weren't working this afternoon, were you? Why are you back so late?" His gentle voice was like that of a long-separated lover, stirring her heart.

"I went to see a friend." She replied calmly, "Aren't you supposed to be back next week?"

"Mhm, I came back early." Because he couldn't wait to see someone, so he came back ahead of schedule.

Cen Yao broke free from the embrace and took out her keys to open the door.

The saying "second time's the charm" was vividly demonstrated by Shao Xichen; he treated it like his own home.

Entering the house, changing shoes, all these actions were very familiar.

"Don't you need to go home?"

Cen Yao glanced at his suitcase, clearly indicating that he had come straight from the airport.

After being away on a business trip for so many days, shouldn't he have gone back to report to his elders first?

Or perhaps, his need for such things was that strong.

"I live alone," Shao Xichen said.

They were in a relationship of mutual need, and knowing this, Cen Yao felt depressed.

The so-called equal exchange, upon further thought, didn't seem quite fair.

Why could he come and go as he pleased, while she had to wait in place for him to show up anytime?

"What friend did you see?"

Apart from Cheng Xue, it seemed she didn't have any other close friends around.

"You don't know her." She was expressionless, even her voice sounded cold.

Shao Xichen frowned, "Bad mood?"

The meal at the Zhang family's earlier had reminded her of many unpleasant things from the past, affecting her mood, and now everything seemed displeasing.

She would have dealt with it herself, but Shao Xichen's question really annoyed her.

"It has nothing to do with you, and next time you come, can you please give me some notice? Standing in the corridor like this is not good if neighbors see."

"Do I make you so uncomfortable?" Shao Xichen, on the contrary, got angry, grabbing Cen Yao's arm tightly, insistent on getting to the bottom of it.

From the beginning, he had made it clear that there was no talk of feelings, just sex. In front of others, they pretended not to know each other, and Cen Yao also thought she had played along well.

If it was an equal exchange, why should only she accommodate him, and he couldn't accommodate her?

"We are in a relationship of mutual need; of course, such an illegitimate relationship is not respectable."

"Cen Yao!" He had sworn before that if he heard the words "mutual need" from Cen Yao again, he would make her deeply understand what mutual need really meant.