Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I walked out of the mall, clutching a pile of shopping bags, with Shen Yi trailing behind me, also carrying a few bags. Today’s haul was impressive: two sets of couple outfits, a pair of couple rings, and a bunch of random little trinkets.
"Are you sure all this stuff is necessary?" Shen Yi asked, glancing at the bags in my hands with a slight frown.
I rolled my eyes. "Of course it’s necessary! If we’re going to pretend, we have to go all out; that’s the only way to fool others."
To be honest, I had expected Shen Yi to refuse my suggestion about buying couple outfits and couple rings. After all, in my impression, he was always serious and would likely scoff at such cheesy things. I was surprised when he followed me into the store without a word and let the sales assistant show him various styles.
"Are those rings really necessary?" he asked again.
"Absolutely!" I replied firmly. "The three essentials for couples: couple outfits, couple rings, and couple avatars. But we can hold off on changing our avatars for now since we just started 'dating.'"
Shen Yi nodded noncommittally and followed me toward the parking lot.
The next day, I got up half an hour early to carefully prepare myself. I put on the couple outfit we had bought yesterday—a white T-shirt with half a heart printed on the front, while Shen Yi's shirt had the other half. When we stood together, it formed a complete heart.
I looked in the mirror several times, feeling that something was off. I had never worn anything like this before; it felt a bit childish and somewhat cheesy. But thinking about the "mission," I steeled myself and wore it anyway.
The doorbell rang, and I took a deep breath before opening the door.
Shen Yi stood outside, also wearing that couple T-shirt. He looked even more fitting than I had imagined. With his tall stature and broad shoulders, even this slightly childish outfit somehow exuded a mature charm on him.
"Good morning," he greeted briefly, his gaze lingering on me for a second before casually shifting away.
"Good morning!" I responded nonchalantly. "I didn’t expect you to actually wear that shirt."
"Isn't this what you asked for?" he retorted.
"Yes, but I thought you would refuse."
"Once we agreed to cooperate, we must take it seriously," Shen Yi said with a serious expression, as if discussing an important work task rather than some farce of a pretend couple.
I couldn't help but laugh. "You really are a serious person."
As we walked down the street, I felt the eyes of those around us on us. Although I knew it was just an illusion, it still made me a bit uncomfortable. I stole a glance at Shen Yi and found him as calm and composed as ever, as if wearing matching outfits was the most normal thing in the world.
"Let's go to the mall," I suggested. "I heard there's a new dessert shop that’s supposed to be really good."
Shen Yi nodded in agreement without any objections.
The mall was bustling with people. I mustered my courage and gently linked my arm with Shen Yi's. His body stiffened for a moment but quickly relaxed, tacitly accepting my gesture.
"What’s with the sudden boldness?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, it's to make it more convincing," I whispered back. "Look over there; some girls are watching us."
Shen Yi followed my gaze and indeed noticed a few girls glancing our way, whispering to each other.
"What are they saying?" Shen Yi asked.
"I guess she's envious of us," I said proudly, "after all, we make such a perfect match."
Shen Yi chuckled lightly, not bothering to refute me.
We were wandering around the mall when suddenly, I felt Shen Yi stop in his tracks. Following his gaze, I saw a girl in a white dress walking toward us.
"Shen Yi?" the girl exclaimed in surprise, "Is that really you?"
I immediately realized that she was probably one of Shen Yi's admirers. The girl was beautiful, with fair skin and delicate features—definitely the type that boys would like.
"What a coincidence," Shen Yi said politely, nodding his head. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, long time no see," the girl said, her eyes darting between me and Shen Yi, finally resting on our intertwined arms. "Who is this?"
I felt a stir in my heart and quickly spoke up before Shen Yi: "Hello, I'm Lin Wei, Shen Yi's girlfriend." As I spoke, I deliberately waved my left hand to let the Couple Rings catch the light.
The girl's expression clearly froze for a moment but quickly returned to a smile. "Oh, so you're the girlfriend. Shen Yi never mentioned you."
"We just confirmed our relationship not long ago," Shen Yi said calmly. To my surprise, he didn't contradict me and even wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Sorry, but we have plans. We should get going."
The girl seemed reluctant to let it go and added, "Shen Yi, there's a gathering in our department next Saturday. Would you like to come?"
"Sorry," Shen Yi replied without hesitation, "I have plans with Lin Wei next Saturday."
The girl’s expression was somewhat unpleasant as she looked at me, her tone dripping with obvious hostility. “Shen Yi has always had high standards; I didn’t expect him to like someone like you.”
A surge of anger welled up inside me, and I was about to retort when Shen Yi spoke first. “I think Lin Wei is great. She’s smart, kind, and interesting; she’s the most special girl I’ve ever met.” His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable conviction. “If you can’t respect my choice and my girlfriend, then there’s no need for us to meet again.”
The girl was taken aback by his words, her face shifting from pale to flushed and back again. Finally, she tossed out a dismissive “Whatever you say,” before hurriedly leaving.
I stared at Shen Yi, my heart inexplicably racing. Was he just complimenting me? Though I knew it was all an act, hearing him say I was “smart, kind, and interesting” stirred a sweet feeling within me.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “You really acted like a true boyfriend just now.”
Shen Yi gave a gentle “mm-hmm” and released his arm from around me. “Let’s go get some dessert.”
In the dessert shop, we settled into a window seat. Shen Yi seemed uninterested in sweets and ordered only a cup of black coffee, while I opted for strawberry cake and milk tea.
“Who was that girl?” I asked curiously.
“A classmate from University,” Shen Yi replied briefly. “She’s had a crush on me for a while, but I’ve never responded.”
“Oh~” I elongated the sound playfully. “Looks like our fake relationship is quite useful after all; at least it helped you get rid of one hassle.”
Shen Yi didn’t respond, merely taking a sip of his coffee.
I glanced around and noticed a decent-looking guy at the next table engrossed in his phone. A mischievous thought suddenly crossed my mind—what if I went over to flirt with that guy? Would Shen Yi react?
Thinking of this, I deliberately stood up and walked over to the boy's table, pretending to accidentally bump into him.
"I'm sorry," I said with a feigned apologetic tone, "I didn't mean to."
The boy looked up at me and smiled kindly, "It's okay."
Just as I was about to continue the conversation, I suddenly heard the sound of a chair moving behind me. Before I could react, Shen Yi was already standing beside me.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his tone calm, but there was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn't quite decipher.
"Nothing," I said a bit sheepishly, "I just accidentally bumped into someone."
Shen Yi nodded and pulled me back to my seat. I secretly observed his expression, trying to see if he was jealous, but his face remained unreadable, making it hard to tell what he was thinking.
After finishing our dessert, we continued to stroll around the mall. As we passed a pet store, I was drawn to a little puppy in the window and couldn't help but stop in my tracks.
"So cute!" I leaned against the glass, gazing at the fluffy Little Corgi. "Shen Yi, look how adorable it is!"
Shen Yi stood beside me and also looked at the puppy, but his expression seemed a bit off.
"What's wrong?" I asked curiously.
"Nothing," he averted his gaze, "I just feel like you really like it."
"Of course I like it! Who wouldn't love such a cute little dog?"
Shen Yi fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "You had the same happy expression when you were talking to that guy just now."
I was taken aback for a moment and then couldn't help but laugh, "Shen Yi, you can't be jealous, can you?"
"Jealous?" He frowned. "Why would I be jealous?"
"Because I was talking to another guy."
Shen Yi shook his head. "I just think your eyes were brighter when you looked at that dog than when you look at me."
I was momentarily speechless, unsure of how to respond. This guy's thought process was really something; he was "jealous" because my affection for the puppy seemed to surpass my feelings for him?
"You really are a strange person," I said, half-laughing, "but I like it."
The words slipped out before I could stop myself, and even I was startled. Shen Yi clearly paused for a moment but quickly returned to his usual demeanor.
"It's getting late," he said, glancing at his watch. "Let me walk you home."
The night had deepened as we walked along the path home. The early summer evening breeze carried a hint of chill, and I couldn't help but shiver. Shen Yi noticed and silently took off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders.
"Thank you," I said softly. "I really had a great time today."
"Well," Shen Yi replied briefly, "me too."
When we reached the bottom of my building, we stood facing each other, and the atmosphere felt a bit delicate. Today's experience gave me a new understanding of Shen Yi; he wasn't as indifferent as he seemed on the surface, but rather unexpectedly gentle and considerate.
"Thank you for your cooperation today," I said sincerely, "especially when we encountered that girl. You handled it well."
Shen Yi nodded. "You're welcome."
In a moment of impulse, I stepped forward and gently hugged him. "Good night, Shen Yi."
His body tensed slightly, as if he hadn't anticipated my action. But soon, his hand gently patted my back. "Good night, Lin Wei."
At that moment, I felt my heart skip a beat. It was a strange feeling; even though it was just pretend romance, it stirred something real within me.
I released him and took a step back, feeling a bit shy. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Shen Yi said. "Sweet dreams."
As I watched his figure disappear into the night, I touched my chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat still resonating there.
This play seemed to be much more complicated than I had imagined.
Comment 0 Comment Count