Chen Cai peeled the second orange.
Chen Cai peeled the third orange.
By the time he got to the fourth, Chen Cai smacked his lips and passed it to Shi Wei: "Boss, why don't you give it a try?"
He was afraid if he kept tasting, his teeth might turn sour.
Shi Wei's sharp gaze swept across. "You have a lot of spare time? Hurry up and pack them all."
"Don't buy them."
A fresh and elegant voice sounded near his ear. Shi Wei lifted his eyes and glanced in the direction of the sound.
Yu Zhi stared right at him and repeated, "Too sour. Don't buy them."
Those clear almond-shaped eyes were like treasures submerged in the depths of the ocean, captivating enough to make it hard to look away.
Facing such a pure pair of eyes all of a sudden, Shi Wei hesitated for a brief moment.
"It's fine," Shi Wei lowered his gaze, his deep voice tinged with a hint of coolness. "It'll wake me up."
Yu Zhi pressed her lips together, silently awarding him a 'good person' card in her mind.
There weren't many oranges left, probably fewer than thirty.
Yu Zhi pulled out a few plastic bags and worked with Chen Cai to pack the oranges.
Her expression was incredibly serious, as if she were performing an exceptionally important task.
Her pale, porcelain-like fingers, framed against the golden-hued oranges, looked exquisite like a piece of art.
Shi Wei's throat moved slightly, and a shadow of depth flickered in his dark eyes.
"Boss, let's go." Chen Cai carried a few plastic bags and took the lead.
"Mm."
Shi Wei gave Yu Zhi a long, deliberate look before turning and leaving.
When he returned to the back seat, the girl had already packed up the plastic stool and cardboard mat, riding away on that red tricycle.
In the golden glow spilling from the setting sun, a single silhouette remained.
**
The empty villa exuded a chilling air.
Aside from the crystal chandelier in the main hall, there wasn't a trace of warmth to be found.
Shi Wei wore a loosely tied bathrobe, his long legs slipped into slippers, descending the staircase at an unhurried pace.
Freshly out of the shower, his entire body emanated a faint mist.
He draped the towel over his head, lightly dabbing at his hair. Droplets of water slid down from the tips, tracing a path from his forehead to his neck, disappearing into the slightly parted neckline of his robe.
The warm, golden light from above enveloped him, casting a hazy glow around his figure like an ethereal halo.
Shi Wei walked over to the sofa and sat down, propping his legs up on the table as he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
His gaze fell on the plastic bags to his left, and Yu Zhi's image surfaced in his mind.
Those clear eyes, those delicate hands—etched deeply into his memory, refusing to fade.
Shi Wei's lips curled into a slightly mocking smile. Could it be that he was actually captivated?
"Bang—"
The sound of a chair overturning echoed from upstairs.
Shi Wei raised an eyebrow, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, got up, and strode quickly toward the staircase.
On the second floor, the study door hung slightly ajar, and the sound of rustling papers drifted out.
Shi Wei kicked the door open without hesitation.
Just as he was about to flip the lights on, a sudden gust of wind rushed toward him.
Shi Wei turned his body sideways, narrowly avoiding the incoming fist, which brushed past his shoulder. He twisted the attacker's arm in return, engaging in a fierce struggle within the darkness.
Five seconds later.
The lights snapped on, revealing Shi Wei towering above, looking down at the man sprawled on the ground.
The man clutched his abdomen, his face contorted in pain. A flashlight lay discarded at his feet, alongside scattered A4 papers.
"Who sent you?"
Shi Wei adjusted the bathrobe draped over his body, his voice cold as the ice shards atop a spring lake—bone-chilling.