“Oh, it’s you. Why aren’t you sleeping?” She continued to draw while his hands were still massaging Xia Ruoxin’s shoulders; the muscles in her body were still slightly tensed up.

“The light was still on in the living room so I came out to take a look. Turns out you’re still here.” Gao Yi smiled like the way he used to, just that his line of sight darkened for a bit. They were different from before.

“I’m rushing my work. I owe quite a few of them.” Xia Ruoxin shook the pencil in her hand and drew a few more paintings. If not, she would feel guilty for taking her salary.

“You’re still the same. You never let yourself go for a while.” Gao Yi extended his hand and placed it on the canvas on her knee. He looked at the unfinished painting on the canvas; her art skills were better than before.

She really had potential in this, and she had found a job that was suited for her.

Just that, he still felt a bit upset deep down in his heart. He placed the canvas back in Xia Ruoxin’s lap. His smile was obviously there, but why did it seem like a tired kind of smile?

Actually, Xia Ruoxin felt the same way; she felt a little awkward.

Xia Ruoxin put her entire mind into painting, but it seemed as if she still could not focus; even the lines she drew were curved and haphazardly done. That night, she did not finish a single painting even though she did it for almost the whole night.

Wei Lan always had something to say, but it was difficult for her to do so.

“Auntie, is there something wrong?” Xia Ruoxin sat down and pulled Wei Lan with her. It seemed as if Wei Lan had something troubling her lately, and it was serious to the point where she was getting heaty. Xia Ruoxin had made chrysanthemum tea for her to drink.

However, if she continued like this, even if Xia Ruoxin made a whole jar of chrysanthemum tea; it would not cure Wei Lan’s anxiety. Actually, she had even wanted to ask Gao Yi if this was not even a disease, but it was because she was reaching menopause.

In actual fact, Wei Lan did not know what to say to Xia Ruoxin either.

She held Xia Ruoxin’s hands tightly and asked, “Ruoxin, do you think Xiao Yi is useless?”

Xia Ruoxin was stunned. Useless? Whoever she found useless, it would never be Gao Yi. “Auntie, you must be kidding.” She lowered her eyes and still had the beautiful smile on her face which showed her sincerity with no lies. “I will never find him useless.

“He had never seen me in that way so why would I do it to him?

“Even if he’s married, divorced, or a drug addict; it doesn’t matter. As long as he is Gao Yi, as long as he doesn’t tell me to leave, I will always, always be here for him. Even if he’s crazy, stupid, or handicapped; I will still be here.”

She held her hand really tightly. She would do what she said.

The things Gao Yi did for her, she would remember forever; and she could never repay him in this life. How could she, as someone so desolate, find other people useless?

“That’s good.” Wei Lan heaved a sigh of relief. “I know Xiao Yi really well. He has a really strong sense of pride; after something like this, I’m worried that he would just give up on himself. Luckily, you’re here. Luckily.”

Xia Ruoxin patted Wei Lan’s hand. “Auntie, don’t think too much. We can’t change the past so we can only accept the present and do our best for the future. I believe.” She picked up her cup, and there was the faint scent of chrysanthemum emerging from it.

“I believe, Gao Yi will definitely go back to his usual self.” That was because he was Gao Yi; he was like a warm breeze, like the morning sun.

Her lips had the slight chrysanthemum taste, and her gaze landed on something far away. Yet, she did not know that a man who was standing not far away had heard all of their conversation.

Hah, to repay me… Xia Ruoxin…

When dusk was approaching and night time arrived, there was still a faint flowery smell in the air-it was the roses. This was a quiet night yet also a noisy one.

With much difficulty, the noisy child fell asleep; and her mom just started working on the debt she owed. She had owed the studio seventy-eight pieces of painting, and she had no idea when she could finish it.

She yawned, and her nose twitched as if she could not continue anymore.

She rubbed her eyes and placed the canvas properly before walking to the toilet. Even when she was showering, she did it in a sleepy daze.

When she walked out of the toilet, the person on her bed gave her a fright in the dim light. She hurriedly covered her mouth, afraid that she would yell out loudly.

“Gao Yi! What are you doing here?”

She pulled onto her clothes tightly, thankful that she always had the habit of not coming out naked after her shower. Even if she was the only one at home, she would wear clothes, too.

If it was not for this habit of hers, he would have seen her completely naked.

Even though they were in the marriage phase

-between them, they were completely innocent. Gao Yi respected her so if it was not their wedding night, he would not touch her.

Just that, no one expected that they did not end up together in the end. Gao Yi got married, but the bride was not her. Now that he was divorced-with their current status, was it not weird and awkward that they were in such a situation?

“You, why are you here?” She tried to make herself nonchalant and pulled out a towel from the cupboard beside to dry her semi-long hair.

Gao Yi stood up and walked in front of her, and Xia Ruoxin felt her breathing had stopped before she turned around and continued to dry her hair. At this time, a hand reached over and took the towel. With a suitable force-just like the past, he helped Xia Ruoxin dry her hair. Along with his breathing-sometimes there and sometimes not-blowing against the back of her neck, she felt her skin standing.

She did not dare say a word and could only stand still. Her heart was beating quickly, but she was not emotional. She was scared.

Then, Gao Yi threw the towel in his hand aside and turned Xia Ruoxin’s shoulders around to make her face him.

“Ruoxin, what do you think a man and a woman can do in a room?”

What he meant, he expressed it really clearly. Xia Ruoxin was not an innocent girl that would think that they would be talking about their dreams and their next phase of life under the covers.

Suddenly, before she could recover her senses, the man was already pressing her down. Instinctively, she looked away; and the man’s breathing landed on her hair.

Her body stiffened. Actually, she was not very scared… just that she did not know what to do. She knew she and Gao Yi would come to this stage sooner or later.

The man’s breathing came nearer, and it was like slight asthma. Even though he was very thin, he was still a very healthy man. If he was a man, he would have his desires and instincts.

When she felt the obvious excitement of the man’s body, she did not dare move anymore.