Time ticked by, and finally, the doorbell rang.

Lu Liruan reflexively jumped up from the sofa, walked to the door, and feigned composure: "Who is it?"

Before anyone outside could speak, Lu Liruan had already seen the person standing outside through the peephole, and with a "whoosh," she opened the door.

Cheng Nianzhi stood at the door wearing a dark gray trench coat, the color of which was darkened by the rain on the shoulders.

"Come in quickly." Lu Liruan stepped aside and went to the bathroom to get some tissues.

When he returned and saw Cheng Nianzhi still standing at the door, he realized that he didn't have any slippers suitable for him at home.

She stuffed the tissue into his hand, then squatted down, her head almost touching the shoe cabinet, trying to find a pair of men's slippers, but to no avail.

She didn't notice Cheng Nianzhi standing behind her, his gaze falling on the shoe cabinet as he carefully examined it.

Li Ruan has always lived alone.

Finally, Lu Liruan found the largest pair of slippers, which she had bought herself to wear in the winter.

However, there is also a pair of rabbit ears on it.

Lu Liruan felt a little embarrassed, but then she saw Cheng Nianzhi naturally put on those rabbit ear slippers and walk towards the sofa with a clattering sound.

Oh my god, what an adorable big rabbit!

As Lu Liruan watched the gray rabbit ears tremble, she suddenly realized what was strangely cute about them.

If Cheng Nianzhi were really a rabbit today, Lu Liruan thought his ears would be drooping, making him look pitiful.

He nestled on the sofa, not saying a word, his chin resting on his arm, his eyes following Lu Liruan.

Lu Liruan went to the kitchen to pour him a glass of hot water. The moment she came out, she felt a little dazed: it was a strange feeling that Cheng Nianzhi was here.

When we lived in the villa, everyone lived together.

But home, though small, is a completely private space, and now Cheng Nianzhi is holed up there, which feels somewhat unreal.

"Here, drink it quickly, don't catch a cold."

The sofa in Lu Liruan's house is very small; if two people sit on it, they will be very close together.

Just as Lu Liruan was feeling a little uncomfortable and was about to sit on the carpet, Cheng Nianzhi suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to the sofa.

Before Lu Liruan could even speak, the other person rested their head on her shoulder and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Li Ruan..."

"Ok?"

Did you see the trending topics?

Lu Liruan thought to herself: Which one are you talking about? The one with Lu Zheng is the most impactful; it made my fists hard.

"what……"

The other party rubbed even harder.

Lu Liruan found his antics amusing, so she reached out and gently lifted Cheng Nianzhi's chin, using a little force to pull his face to the side: "What's wrong? Are you being coquettish?"

Cheng Nianzhi didn't exert any effort, letting Lu Liruan support him. He listlessly lowered his eyelids, and when viewed up close, his eyes had a smooth and beautiful shape.

"Ah."

"You still admit it? How old are you..." Lu Liruan's eyes widened.

"Why?" Lu Liruan asked involuntarily, softening her voice.

"Why doesn't Li Ruan care about me?" Cheng Nianzhi took a breath, his face remaining calm, but his heart was pounding. For the first time, he felt that the other party's possible answer was so tug at his heartstrings.

What if Li Ruan says something like, "Why should I care about you?"

"Huh?" Lu Liruan was taken aback for a moment by his question.

Immediately, pity spread and overflowed, occupying Lu Liruan's entire heart: What a charming man, waaaaah.

“How can I take care of you? I’ve never really cared about anyone before, tell me…” Lu Liruan curled up her legs and huddled with him on the sofa.

The two people were whispering to each other, their heads close together, looking like two small animals huddled together for warmth.

“Li Ruan didn’t even ask me if I was sick.” Cheng Nianzhi whispered in Lu Li Ruan’s ear.

His beautiful, dark eyes said, "Doesn't Li Ruan want to understand me at all?"

After being nagged by He Yujin yesterday, Cheng Nianzhi finally steeled his heart and took a step he had never taken before.

Take the initiative to move forward, instead of taking it one step at a time and waiting for the other party to approach you.

"Huh? I was worried you didn't like people asking you that~" Lu Liruan didn't expect Cheng Nianzhi to say something like that.

He has always given people the impression of being aloof. Even when you get close, Lu Liruan still feels that he has a very clear sense of boundaries, making people hesitant to step into his territory.

What triggered this?

"No, does Li Ruan want to hear about my past? Do you want to understand me?"

"Wait a minute..."

Under Cheng Nianzhi's questioning gaze, Lu Liruan jumped off the sofa, went to the kitchen to wash a plate of fruit, and then went to the bedroom to get a soft, fluffy blanket.

After thinking for a moment, he picked up two more dolls, shoving one into Cheng Nianzhi's arms and holding the other in his own.

The blanket wrapped around the two of them, and the warm feeling of being enveloped on a rainy day was enough to make them feel happy.

"Go ahead and talk. It's okay if there are parts you don't want to talk about."

Lu Liruan popped a cherry tomato into his mouth.

Cheng Nianzhi's voice was very pleasant, and his tone was very gentle. The stories he told sounded like they were about other people.

As Lu Liruan listened, her brows furrowed tightly.

Cheng Nianzhi talked about his childhood experiences and the first half of his life after returning to the Cheng family.

There was also his acquaintance with Shi Jingyun.

Lu Liruan suddenly realized why Shi Jingyun's attitude towards her was always so strange, and Aunt Li was the same way; they were expressing their guilt in their own ways.

"Was that scar on your chest from that time?" Lu Liruan's voice trembled slightly.

"Can I touch it?"

My fingertips touched the scar through the fabric; it was more serious than it looked, with a thin layer of callus growing on the rib area after healing.

"Did it hurt a lot at the time?"

"It hurts a lot." Cheng Nianzhi placed his hand on Lu Liruan's hand and said truthfully, "It still hurts occasionally now."

"Does it hurt today?"

“It would normally hurt on rainy days, but Li Ruan’s blanket is very warm, so it doesn’t hurt.”

"Was going to the hospital also because of something that happened when you were a child?" Lu Liruan suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

"I guess so." Actually, we haven't gotten to that point yet.

"Give me a hug?" Lu Liruan coughed lightly and forced a smile, reaching out her hand.

Cheng Nianzhi held her tightly, clinging to her affection.

“I was going to say how pitiful… but then I felt something was off.” Lu Liruan turned her head, and Cheng Nianzhi’s hair became tangled with hers.

"Because you went through that difficult time and are still living so well now, appearing before me as such a warm and gentle person, I should praise you for being brave and strong," Lu Liruan said affirmatively.

Cheng Nianzhi was stunned.

He had never heard anyone say that before.

He had heard people say that he was pitiful, that he had suffered an undeserved misfortune, that he deserved sympathy, and that he should feel resentment and fear.

But hearing someone praise you for the first time, having walked that path, being a good person, without resentment or fear, is courageous.

For some reason, all thoughts in Cheng Nianzhi's mind vanished in an instant.

The girl in his arms was so good that no malice, scheming, or plotting could taint her.

Cheng Nianzhi gave up...

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