If You Could Hear My Heart

Only when Shen Chi seemed to have fallen asleep did Bai Man carefully lower her hands and gently rest her head on his shoulder.

There was always a comforting presence about him that Bai Man found deeply endearing.

However, Shen Chi wasn’t asleep. When Bai Man leaned against him, he caught the scent of her cherry blossom perfume, causing his brows to furrow slightly.

The car wove through the city’s neon-lit streets, and soon they arrived at the Shen family villa.

Mr. Cheng parked the car quietly in the garage, making as little noise as possible. Seeing Bai Man resting on Shen Chi’s arm as if she were asleep, he glanced back at Shen Chi.

Shen Chi gestured with his eyes, indicating that there was no need to make any sound.

Mr. Cheng nodded, opened his car door, and got out.

Leaning against a camphor tree in front of the garage, Mr. Cheng lit a cigarette. The tip glowed intermittently, reflecting the scattered stars in the sky.

He looked up at the black sky, and a gust of wind blew, causing the cloud filaments to dance. The moon hung like a crescent hook in the night sky.

It was quiet and cool outside the garage. The spring breeze was like a gentle caress, bringing a soft, warm sensation to the skin.

When the cigarette was halfway burnt, Mr. Cheng saw a small figure approaching.

It was Chaomu.

She looked as if she had taken a shower, dressed in a pink pajama set, her damp hair fastened with a crystal hairclip.

As she walked toward the garage, she looked around cautiously.

Mr. Cheng thought that in the nighttime, Chaomu was still quite beautiful, her natural beauty unadorned with makeup, a unique purity of an eighteen-year-old.

Chaomu saw Mr. Cheng too. She approached him, “Uncle Cheng, you’re back! Is

Fourth Brother back too? Has he returned?”

Chaomu admitted to herself that she lacked backbone. She had been sullen all day after hearing Bai Man’s words in the morning, but she found herself missing Shen Chi before the day was over.

It was already her third time checking the garage that evening.

“Chaomu, no backbone. Would you die if you looked at him one less time?”

Alright, she might.

The struggle within her was fierce.

“Ahem.” Mr. Cheng cleared his throat lightly. Actually, without him saying anything, Chaomu had already seen, “He’s back.”

Indeed, with the aid of the villa’s streetlights, Chaomu saw the two people nestled together in the car.

One was Shen Chi, the other was Bai Man. Bai Man rested her head on Shen Chi’s shoulder while he leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed.

One dressed in a black suit, mature and cold; the other in a red dress, intellectual and elegant.

The moonlight was hazy, the clouds were light, and the evening breeze was gentle. The dim light shone on the car and illuminated the windows.

The two of them were like a painting, mesmerizingly beautiful to the point where even a whisper seemed to disturb the tranquil scene.

Chaomu was also stunned, they… were such a perfect match. She couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Shen Chi, as it was rare to see such tenderness on his cold face.

If she were to lean against him in the same way, he would unhesitatingly tell her to “get lost,” but he would never say that to Bai Man.

Chaomu backed away while watching them, understanding that loving someone and not loving someone made a big difference.

Mr. Cheng noticed the look of loss in Chaomu’s eyes, and said indifferently, “Miss Xu, you should go upstairs and rest early. It’s windy tonight. Your Fourth Brother is just tired.”

“He’s not just tired, he obviously worked too hard tonight!” Chaomu deliberately raised her voice.

“Uh…” Mr. Cheng’s face was a picture of disbelief; Chaomu knew all about these things, it seemed.

He didn’t know what to say, but fortunately, Chaomu didn’t linger and turned to run away.

Possibly awakened by their conversation, Shen Chi rubbed his temples and opened his eyes. Bai Man also awoke but was reluctant to leave Shen Chi. Bai Man smiled, “Look at me, I fell asleep on such a short drive…” “If you’re tired, go upstairs and rest,” Shen Chi glanced at her.

“Not at all, I’m not that sleep-prone. Hey, by the way, I think I just heard Chaomu’s voice.”

Bai Man glanced towards the window, but apart from seeing Mr. Cheng smoking in the distance, she saw nothing else.

Shen Chi heard it too, but he still responded indifferently, “Did you?”

“Oh, maybe I heard wrong.” Bai Man laughed, “Does that girl usually cling to you a lot at home?”

“No,” Shen Chi’s brow furrowed slightly.

“She seems to like you quite a bit, do you think… she might have a crush on you?” Bai Man spoke casually, as if offhand.

“I only see her as a sister.”

Shen Chi’s expression was impassive, his tone indifferent. After speaking, he opened the car door, stepped out with his long legs, and left the garage.

“Shen Chi, hey, wait for me!” Bai Man chased after him, her face alight with a happy smile, her voice exceptionally tender.

Clearly, she was satisfied with Shen Chi’s answer.

It was indeed unnecessary worry on her part. After all, how could the feelings she had for Shen Chi over the years change so easily? She needed to have more confidence in herself.

Besides, where did Chaomu stand in comparison to Shen Chi? She was just a

girl still reeking of milk and couldn’t hold a candle to him when they stood side by side.

Once back, Chaomu closed the door to her room and sat silently at her desk doing her homework. She suddenly realized that working on problems could lessen her worries, like solving a simple equation made her incredibly happy.

This way, Chaomu managed to forget the unhappy thoughts.

The puppet on the desk grinned at her, and every time she looked up, she’d see it.

Unhappy.

So she picked up the puppet and threw it out the window of her room without hesitation.

Everything else she once couldn’t bear to part with, it seemed throwing them away was no big deal after all!

Last night, in the storm, she had braved the elements to retrieve it, yet tonight, she threw the puppet away with her own hands.

Though it had been her companion for eight years, it ultimately didn’t belong to her.

But the puppet was picked up by Butler Ling. She was on her night patrol in the garden when she saw the puppet on the ground.

She recognized it instantly; wasn’t it Miss Xu’s cherished item? Why was it thrown into the garden?

She picked it up, intending to return it to Chaomu.

When she entered the living room, Shen Chi and Bai Man were having dinner. Seated opposite each other, they looked like celestial couples who had stepped out of a painting.

Butler Ling knew that Bai Man was to be the future mistress of the Shen family, perhaps even the lady of the house.

“Master Shen, Miss Bai, good evening,” said Butler Ling with a polite smile, careful not to offend anyone.

“Good evening, Butler Ling,” Bai Man returned the smile, charming and alluring.

Butler Ling couldn’t help but admire her; C City’s most beautiful woman’s every smile was a scene unto itself. Paired with Master Shen, they looked exceptionally well – matched.

It was Shen Chi, however, who noticed the object in Butler Ling’s hands, and his brow furrowed: “What are you holding?”

“Oh, Master Shen, Miss Xu’s puppet. It fell from the window, and I was just about to take it up to her,” Butler Ling explained.

“Leave it here,” Shen Chi glanced at the table and said indifferently..