A Heart-Racing Dare - Chapter 4

Changing the intended partner for the marriage went surprisingly smoothly. Only at the end did Mrs. Shen hesitate and say, “You young people have your own choices, of course. But Auntie hopes you’ll think it over. Our Xiao Xu is a good boy too. He’s just a little hotheaded…”

Zhaobei’s smile didn’t so much as waver. I couldn’t bear to listen. Perhaps small acts of favoritism hurt the most. Challenge one, and you seem to be making a fuss over nothing. Ignore it, and the hurt lodges in your throat like a thorn you can neither swallow nor spit out.

Under the tablecloth, I quietly laced my fingers through his and interrupted. “There’s no need, Auntie. Shen Zhaobei is wonderful. Besides, wouldn’t Shen Xu and his classmate Shi Yu be a better match?”

For a moment she looked uncertain. Then anger rose beneath her composed expression. “Shi Yu? Is Xiao Xu still seeing her?”

Oh? I had only meant to turn her down politely, but apparently I’d uncovered something. She didn’t know about Shi Yu. I skimmed the comments.

[Our girl let it slip! Good! Shen Xu’s in trouble now!]

[The Shens dislike Shi Yu for a reason. Mrs. Shen’s too shrewd to miss her social climbing.]

[Too bad Shen Xu’s an idiot, still imagining he’s the noble protector of a poor, delicate flower.]

[Selling Shen Xu’s brain. Brand new, unopened, never used. No bargaining.]

So that was it. Things were about to get unpleasant for him. I suppressed a smile, made an excuse to leave, and slipped away with Zhaobei before the storm broke.

The comments began racing faster.

[Whoa, they’re so close! Isn’t the room Zhaobei never lets anyone enter right behind her?]

[Go, heroine! He hasn’t had time to tidy it since yesterday. This is your chance!]

[Too bad there’s a keypad lock, though the code’s easy to guess.]

I was curious about that room myself. An easy code? What else could it be but my birthday?

I blinked and smiled at Zhaobei. “We were so busy talking that I’ve only just realized I’m hungry…”

He stood at once. “What would you like? I’ll make it for you.”

“I hear there’s a famous dessert shop nearby…”

Before I finished, he had his coat on. “I know the one. I’ll be right back.”

I smiled and nodded obediently. The instant the door closed behind him, I hurried to the hidden room.

Zero-five-one-nine. The lock clicked open. Zhaobei seemed complicated, but he wasn’t so hard to read.

I had thought I was prepared. Still, the contents of the room stunned me. Just as the comments said, its walls were covered with photos of me from every stage of my life: an award photo from a junior-high art contest; a group shot from a high-school physics competition camp; even a kindergarten photo of me being made to stand as punishment after fighting with Shen Xu. That one had been carefully framed—with Shen Xu’s half cropped out.

And there were paintings beyond counting. In some I smiled; in others I spoke to a classmate beside me. More often, I looked out through the thin paper with quiet curiosity at the real world. Or, rather, at the man painting me.

[She’s actually done it! Zhaobei’s collection is on display!]

[Will she be frightened? I’ve waited so long for this couple. Please don’t let them break up!]

[Surely not? He loves her so much.]

[He’s loved her secretly for years, but kept away because he didn’t want to hurt her. I’m crying.]

I looked at each drawing, each sketch and watercolor, unable to speak. I’d grown up with Shen Xu, but remembered little of his brother, who was a few years older. I had never known that Zhaobei had watched me so long, so quietly and tenderly.

I don’t know how much time passed before footsteps sounded behind me. I turned as if waking from a dream. Zhaobei stood in the doorway, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

“You saw it.”