The Stranger’s Homeward Journey

Due to his love for painting, Luo Shaoheng’s major in college was also art. Except for attending classes every day, he used to stay in the art room most of the remaining time. Drawing so diligently, the paints were used up very quickly. As such, he would buy more paints every time he went to the shop.

After getting together with Shen Mucheng, Shen Mucheng took the initiative to carry the bags whenever he accompanied him shopping. He used to ask Shen Mucheng if it was heavy, and Shen Mucheng’s answer back then was always the same as now.

It was as if even if you no longer existed in his memory, he would prove with his actions that his body still remembered.

Thinking of this, Luo Shaoheng’s mood improved.. 

When Shen Mucheng noticed that Luo Shaoheng’s steps slowed down as he started to trail behind, he also stopped and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Luo Shaoheng collected his mind and caught up to him while saying, “How do you know it’s lighter than me?”

“……” Shen Mucheng was speechless. He just said it casually without much thought.

“Next time you can try.” Luo Shaoheng said meaningfully.

This time it was Shen Mucheng’s turn to freeze on his spot. Try? How to try? Like carrying these things? Or …… Shen Mucheng’s mood started to fluctuate because of these words. He looked at Luo Shaoheng’s back in front of him, a black coat outlined his slender body. With just this one look, his mind wandered far away as he thought of many enchanting scenes. 

He closed his eyes briefly to suppress his discomposure then raised his feet to follow him.

After coming out of the stationary store, Luo Shaoheng went to buy some daily necessities nearby. By the time he was done, it was just about time to have lunch.

“Thanks for your hard work today. Let me treat you to lunch.” He said to Shen Mucheng as he placed the things in the car.

“What are we eating?” Shen Mucheng asked.

“Anything is fine, you decide.” Luo Shaoheng didn’t care where to eat, he fastened his seat belt and jokingly said, “It doesn’t matter what to eat, the point is who I’m eating with.”

Shen Mucheng just started the car, yet he almost turned off the engine accidentally. He turned his head to look and was met with the sight of Luo Shaoheng’s smile as he asked him, “What do you want to eat?”

This person clearly looked like an elegant gentleman, but when Shen Mucheng looked into his eyes, there was an indescribable feeling of deep affection and tenderness. Such a gaze made him almost believe that he was the reason for said emotions in the other’s eyes.

Shen Mucheng pressed down the fervour stirring in his heart, and pretended to calmly withdraw his eyes before looking straight ahead. “Steamed dishes.”

“Okay.” Luo Shaoheng responded quickly with not an ounce of objection, as if to him, whatever Shen Mucheng said was okay with him.

Facing such a Luo Shaoheng, Shen Mucheng felt that something was wrong with his own heart.

There were many hotels and restaurants in the commercial street, Shen Mucheng picked a steamed dishes restaurant that he had tried before. The two of them asked for a small private room.

After ordering, the waiter left after pouring tea for them, leaving only two people in the room.

Shen Mucheng took a sip of tea and asked, “How long do you plan to stay here?”

“I plan to stay for a long time.” Luo Shaoheng paused for a moment, “Does the landlord welcome?”

“Just make yourself at home.” Shen Mucheng wasn’t surprised by his answer. From the moment Luo Shaoheng said he was coming over, he was prepared for the other party to stay for a long time.

“Agreeing so quickly? Do I need to pay the rent?” Luo Shaoheng asked with a smile.

“I don’t need to rent out my house to make money.” Shen Mucheng said.

“I see.” Luo Shaoheng propped up his chin and looked at him. “Then is it okay if I use another way?”

“Hm?” Shen Mucheng raised his eyebrows.

“For example…” Luo Shaoheng stretched the end of his words as smiles could be seen from his eyebrows. “How about devoting my life to you?”

— Shen Mucheng, I took you in, how are you going to repay me?

— Bookkeep it.

— Bookkeeping? That’s too much trouble. Let’s do it another way.

— What?

— What about… you devote your life to me in return?

— ……

— Haha, you’re thinking the wrong way, aren’t you? You’re so dirty!

— ……

— I mean, you can model for me, I’m short of models.

— Oh.

— Is that fine?

— Yeah.

The past came alive bit by bit, filling Luo Shaoheng’s brain. The corners of his lips remained slightly raised, waiting for Shen Mucheng’s answer.

It seemed that he didn’t expect him to say such a thing. Shen Mucheng’s hand holding the cup paused, and he raised his head to look at Luo Shaoheng’s eyes. Obviously, he was smiling, yet, he could see the sadness hidden behind that smile.

What exactly are you being sad about? Why do you always look at me with this irredeemable loss in your eyes? Are you really looking at me, or… looking at others through me?

When he thought of this possibility, Shen Mucheng’s heart sank, his expression also turned cold. The hand holding the teacup slightly tightened.

This sudden change doused cold water on Luo Shaoheng’s expectant heart. Indeed, even if they were the same person, Shen Mucheng who had no previous memories would not treat him particularly warmly like before.

He lowered his head and laughed lightly, trying to subdue his emotions. He picked up the tea cup on the table and drank a mouthful. The tea that tasted fragrant earlier was now laced with a bitterness that could not be ignored. From the tip of his tongue, it swept across his entire mouth, spreading all the way to his stomach. This taste was surprisingly similar to the pointed wheat tea he previously drank in the Ancient Rock Temple.

Probably since the year Shen Mucheng left, whatever tea he drank was all the same taste.

“Knock Knock–“

Knocks on the door interrupted the delicate silence between them. They thought it was a waiter, but it turned out to be a young woman in a red dress.

Shen Mucheng saw the other party and frowned perceptibly.

The person who came in was He Shuyu. Coincidentally, she was having lunch at this restaurant. When she heard that Shen Mucheng was also here, she came directly. After all, she had been turned away by Shen Mucheng several times when she went to look for him, so she had to use this chance encounter well.

She walked straight towards Shen Mucheng and stopped next to him. Putting one hand on the back of his chair, she said intimately, “Mucheng, I heard that you’re also here, so I came to say hello.”

Shen Mucheng raised his eyes faintly to look at her, but didn’t open his mouth to offer her a seat and only nodded as a greeting.

His indifferent attitude made He Shuyu a little unhappy. Although her marriage with Shen Mucheng was not confirmed, both parents had this intention. However, Shen Mucheng had always been cold to her, she even needed to make an appointment to meet him when she went to the Shen family’s company building.

This time she had put aside her pride and taken the initiative to come over, yet Shen Mucheng still didn’t give her any face.

In view of the business relationship between her family and the Shen family, she suppressed the anger in her heart and softly said, “I went to visit Old Master Jiang yesterday. The old man is still in good health, and said that we should find time to go over together, so that we can talk about the two of us.”

He Shuyu came over this time mainly to remind Shen Mucheng that even if he was not satisfied with her, he should not forget that she still had Master Jiang backing her up.

Seeing that Shen Mucheng did not refute her words, she turned her gaze to Luo Shaoheng on the opposite side in a good mood and asked with a smile, “This is Mucheng’s friend, isn’t it? I didn’t disturb you guys by coming over, right?”

“No.” Luo Shaoheng was not sure what the relationship between the woman in front of him and Shen Mucheng was. But seeing Shen Mucheng’s attitude, they probably didn’t have a close relationship. However, the meaning behind her words was really misleading, so he simply greeted her, “Hello, I’m Luo Shaoheng.”

“Hello, I’m He Shuyu.” He Shuyu showed a standard smile, “Shen Mucheng’s fiancee.”

–I am He Shuyu, Shen Mucheng’s fiancee.

Luo Shaoheng’s face paled in an instant as he quickly looked at Shen Mucheng.

I prepared myself for being forgotten and starting all over again, but I never thought about how I should retreat when you have another person by your side.