13 Don’t Argue

Page (1/3)

“You have work to attend to tomorrow. What about Xixi?”

Sheng Huaining turned over in bed, curling one leg slightly and pulling the half-fallen down comforter tightly around herself.

The weather in Shanghai was scorching during the day, turning damp and sticky at night.

The central air conditioning above hummed continuously without pause.

The spacious room was filled with a fragrance unique to young women—rich to the point of sweetness.

This scent grew even stronger in the small living room beyond the bedroom, making one instinctively hold their breath when it wafted in.

On the small patch of floor beside the sofa, numerous exquisite bouquets bloomed vividly, dozens of varieties mixed together indistinguishably.

Luo Zhi, crouching nearby with one knee bent, shifted angles repeatedly and took dozens of photos before managing to find one or two that were barely satisfactory.

Knowing the person inside the bedroom was lazy, she carefully retouched the photos before sending them over.

Once done, she instructed assistant Xiao Qi to pack everything except the flowers neatly into a sturdy cardboard box.

Sheng Huaining, receiving the photos, propped her chin on her hand and stared at the person on the other side of the camera, unconsciously tapping the phone screen with her fingertip.

It had been exactly a week since they parted, yet it felt like several centuries.

After two consecutive performances, returning from the theater to the hotel left her body numb and her mind foggy.

She masked her fatigue on her face and withdrew her hand obediently beneath the covers.

He Chenye had just finished work, massaging his sore shoulders and neck before removing his black-and-gold half-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Through the crack of the door, he glanced toward the bedroom opposite and faintly saw the light just going out. After a pause, he smiled and replied, “Tomorrow afternoon I need to take her back to school. I’ll finish just in time to head to the restaurant.”

“Will you be busy until late?”

Sheng Huaining brushed the hair falling over her chest aside, lowered her body, and half-lay on the soft pillow, muttering tiredly.

He Chenye’s smile didn’t fade as he soothed her, “It’s just a meal. It will be late. Do you want to rest early?”

“We’ve only talked for ten minutes,” she frowned, her gaze wandering unhappily, “Sorry, I forgot you need to sleep early and wake up early.”

He Chenye shook his head helplessly, “Not that strict. Sometimes work keeps me up late. You’ve been non-stop with rehearsals day and night these past few days. Now that it’s over, you should rest well.”

Sheng Huaining opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. She glanced furtively at her phone; the status bar showed it was almost midnight.

Since graduating from university and going abroad, she rarely celebrated her birthday—just receiving wishes from her parents and close friends, then preparing a gift she liked.

But this time, selfishly, she wanted to spend it with He Chenye. Even though they were apart now and both busy tomorrow, as long as they crossed midnight together, she would feel content.

Lost in thought, she snapped back to reality, gently pressing her pink lips together and sweetly saying, “Then I’ll go to sleep first. You should rest early too. See you tomorrow.”

He Chenye’s fingers tapped absentmindedly on the table. Sensing her sudden drop in mood, he quickly said, “What do you want for dinner tomorrow? Tell me if you’ve decided.”

Hearing this, the girl smiled brightly, her eyes crescent-shaped, shallow dimples flickering on her delicate fair cheeks, her voice tinged with uncertainty, “Can I still order dishes? Anything I want?”

He fixed his gaze on her without blinking and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll send it to you tomorrow,” Sheng Huaining’s attention was immediately diverted. She yawned and smiled, “Then I’m off to sleep! He Chenye, good night.”

“Good night.”

As if deliberately waiting for her to end the video call, the door knocked from outside. After she responded, Luo Zhi pushed the door open and peeked in, “I sent the photos. Remember to thank our fans on Weibo.”

“Okay, I’ve edited them in advance and set them to post. I’m too tired, can barely keep my eyes open.”

Holding her phone, she turned over on the bed, picked up the Bubblu doll that had fallen on the floor, and casually switched off the floor lamp in the corner.

—

Faint and hazy.

At the moment daylight burst forth, lightning sliced across the sky like a sword, accompanied by rolling thunder.

The fierce wind howled, swirling dust and leaves in the air. Soon, the expected heavy rain began.

“Run! Mudslides are coming this way!”

“Ahhh—what do we do?”

...

Page (2/3)

Sheng Huaining had no idea how long the person carrying her had been running, but she was barely holding on.

Finally, a blinding flash of light streaked past.

She fell with that person onto the wet, muddy ground, dirt covering them both.

Vaguely, Sheng Huaining seemed to see the hand gripping hers—stained with blood, horrifying to behold.

“You...” she opened her mouth but suddenly lost her voice.

All she could do was watch helplessly as the person was swept away by the mudslide, vanishing without a trace.

The deafening thunder rolled on and on, blending with reality.

On the soft bed, someone lay on their side with knees bent, eyes tightly shut, fine sweat beading on their forehead, hands gripping the quilt so tightly the knuckles turned white, struggling to endure something.

Ah—

She suddenly sat up, unconsciously exclaiming, then quickly jumped off the bed to retrieve a small box of earplugs from her bag.

Sheng Huaining gasped softly as she left the bedroom, grabbed a small bottle of mineral water from the fridge, and drank half of it before slowly returning to the living room and curling up in the corner of the sofa.

Luo Zhi, disheveled and hurried, rushed out, then calmly tied the belt around her waist after confirming Sheng Huaining was okay.

Sheng Huaining hugged her knees, playing with the plastic water bottle in her hands.

Outside, the thunderstorm had ceased, but the rain still pattered softly, drumming on the window and leaving her heart uneasy.

Luo Zhi took a slow step, sitting on the single sofa to her left, glancing sideways and whispering, “Why did you get scared awake even after wearing earplugs?”

She squinted, “I forgot to put them in. Too tired.”

“Doesn’t psychological counseling help?”

A pause.

Sheng Huaining chuckled bitterly, furrowing her brow, “Too lazy. Every time I go, they hand me a sixteen-page questionnaire to fill out, then say some nonsense. So boring.”

Luo Zhi sighed and voiced a question she’d been holding back, “Are you still planning to keep this from your parents? If they knew, maybe there’d be a better way to handle it.”

She lowered her head and mumbled uncertainly, “No need. It doesn’t affect my life.”

After speaking, Sheng Huaining leaned forward, pinching her phone with her fingertips and placing it on her lap to check the time.

Unexpectedly, as the screen lit up, her drooping lips curled into a smile, and a soft chuckle escaped.

Luo Zhi was startled and tilted her head curiously, “What did you see? You’re smiling like that.”

Sheng Huaining blushed, her eyes sparkling with pink bubbles. The pale face, still ghostly from the fright, was now tinged with a faint flush.

She picked up her phone and turned it toward Luo Zhi.

On the pink wallpaper, the notification center showed nearly a hundred unread messages, but the one at the very bottom was sent just past midnight over two hours ago.

[Old Cadre: Happy Birthday.]

After a few seconds of speechlessness, Luo Zhi couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “What? He’s more effective than psychological counseling?”

Sheng Huaining instinctively shrank back and unlocked her phone to open WeChat.

Despite so many timely birthday wishes, she fixated only on that one message.

She read it over and over.

She always thought He Chenye was stuffy and unromantic, but he actually managed to be punctual.

Though old-fashioned, it still made her incredibly happy.

Ignoring Luo Zhi’s teasing, Sheng Huaining lay back on the sofa, her fingertips repeatedly tracing back and forth.

Suddenly realizing, she was startled for a few seconds, “Zhi-jie, do I seem a bit...”

“What?”

“Like I’m lovesick.”

“A little. Okay, a lot.”

She stomped her bare feet on the carpet anxiously several times, clenching her fists and pounding one palm.

Page (3/3)

Just as Luo Zhi expected her to say something remarkably sober, Sheng Huaining bent down to meet her gaze, her tone troubled, “Do you think he finds me annoying? I heard men don’t like clingy women.”

Luo Zhi burst out laughing, pinching Sheng Huaining’s left cheek and tugging it, exasperated, “The illustrious eldest daughter of the Sheng family, usually uninterested in anyone—I thought you were emotionally detached, like you’d been severed from all feelings. How come now you’re like this when you’re in love?”

She mumbled indistinctly, “Like what?”

The hand on her cheek finally loosened, and Luo Zhi smirked, “Someday you have to let me meet this guy. How did he manage to easily win you over? I need to learn.”

“Not like that.”

“Miss, I was always very cautious before, afraid that if I didn’t please you, you’d just abandon the whole team and quit.”

Hearing this, Sheng Huaining was incredulous.

She admitted she had a temper, disliked being controlled or restricted, but she wasn’t unreasonable nor reckless about work to the detriment of others.

After pondering a moment, she found it understandable.

Her voice small, “Actually, I’m not that difficult.”

“Sure, sure,” Luo Zhi agreed, “But Dita, you’re not the type to lose confidence easily. Your privileged background, respectable job, outstanding looks, and charisma—all your advantages.”

“Think about it—there are plenty of men circling you with good conditions. If one’s not satisfied, just kick him out and find another.” She added appropriately.

Sheng Huaining blushed and lightly kicked Luo Zhi, “You make me sound like some heartbreaker. I only want this one.”

The room fell silent for nearly ten minutes.

Luo Zhi stared in surprise, speechless, silently reflecting on why first love is said to be the most profound and unforgettable—no one can escape it.

Sheng Huaining stretched lazily, grabbed the earplugs from the coffee table, and headed toward the bedroom.

At the door, her steps faltered.

She hesitated and whispered with some guilt, “Zhi-jie.”

The soft voice sent a chill down Luo Zhi’s spine.

The next second, Sheng Huaining smiled gently, “Tomorrow night I won’t practice piano. I’m going to celebrate my birthday with my boyfriend.”

The door clicked shut. In the living room behind the wall, Luo Zhi couldn’t suppress her voice, grumbling, “Who was the one who cried to me during the day, saying her boyfriend would be busy with work, attending a jewelry appraisal and then practicing piano, telling me to be on standby? I knew when you put on that innocent act, there’d be trouble.”

Sheng Huaining, wearing earplugs, heard nothing.

She climbed into bed, turned over several times, a smile tugging at her lips as she recalled what He Chenye said before sleep. She thoughtfully typed on the keyboard, muttering the words to herself.

“Braised spareribs with chestnuts, garlic butter shrimp, okra thick omelette, winter melon meatball soup, red bean pancakes.”

After sending, she lowered her hand, suddenly worried.

Is this too much? It’d be wasteful if I can’t finish it all.

Suddenly, a vibration startled Sheng Huaining so much she almost dropped her phone.

She picked it up—it was a call from He Chenye, nearly three in the morning.

Phone pressed to her ear, the man’s low, husky voice came through, with traces of just-woken nasal tone, “You’re... still awake?”

Sheng Huaining: “I’m asleep, just got up for water. What about you? Did I wake you?”

“Same here. I just saw your WeChat message and thought you might still be awake,” He Chenye said, raising a cup to his lips. After swallowing, he solemnly said, “Happy birthday.”

Sheng Huaining was stunned for a moment. A feeling called longing shouted wildly inside her this night, restlessly tearing at her heart.

Tears blurred her vision, and her voice trembled from deep in her throat, “He Chenye, I miss you.”

After a long silence, just as she thought she would receive no reply, He Chenye’s chest rose and fell violently, his voice hoarse.

“Me too.”