Shen Xi took off as she was frightened by the boy.
Snow started to fall heavily as soon as she exited the alley.
She had no idea what was going through her head, but she bought soy milk and steamed dumplings before running back into the alley.
Perhaps he was tired or maybe waiting for something, but he was still there.
He seemed surprised as she came close. Even though he had not let his guard down, he was looking distraught.
Shen Xi, still afraid of him, threw the food on the ground and bolted off. She even gave him the new down coat that her mother gave her recently for fear that he might be cold.
She remembered vividly the white fur lining the hoodie of the red down coat. She loved it. She thought it was beautiful and had been wearing it ever since she got it from her mom.
Perhaps, she should have stayed. He probably had something to say to her, maybe he would smile at her? This memory of him that she has would not have been enough to invoke the feeling of utter despair by just the sight of him.
Shen Xi lowered her gaze while her lean fingers stroked the boy in the painting. Her eyes began to well up. All she wanted to do at that moment was to take away all traces of pain from the boy with all her might.
What sort of pain and ordeal did he have to go through at that time to look so anguished? Was it because he had nowhere to go when his father and the Fifth Family were hunting him down?
Li Yuan was turning a corner as she saw the young lady looking intensely at something. She was so engrossed that she did not notice his car coming.
She appeared to be lost in another dimension and failed to notice his presence.
He stood by her in silence, only to call her as the sun was setting. “Xixi”
She did not seem to hear him.
He called out to her once more. “Shen Xi.”
As she heard a voice, Shen Xi abruptly turned around and saw Li Yuan. She hastily shut the book before smiling at him warmly, “Brother, when did you get back?”
Li Yuan asked, “What are you looking at?”
“This.” Shen Xi gazed at him with her smiling eyes before flipping to a drawing to show him.
Fortunately, she has a stockpile of drawings of Li Yuan as she drew him every day. The book was basically filled with his portraits.
The man in the drawing was sitting in a wheelchair. His chiseled side profile was gentle and looking gorgeous in the sunset.
Li Yuan lifted his chin and took a closer look at the painting under the warm sunlight. Happiness filled his chest. “You were drawing this just now?”
As it turned out, the young lady was immersed in drawing him.
The warm grin on the man’s exquisite face snapped Shen Xi’s heart out of the bleak despair. She asked him, “Brother, don’t you think my drawing is alive?”
Thank goodness.
He was alright now and he was smiling at her.
Thank goodness.
He had not disappeared into the cold and forlorn snowstorm.
She should count her blessings.
Shen Xi wanted nothing more than to return to that point of time, to kneel by him even just to say a word.
She wanted to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay.
Li Yuan nodded and he was delighted. “Is this for me?”
Shen Xi shook her head and left him hanging. “Nope.”
He smiled at her warmly. “Can I use a gift to make an exchange instead?”
She was playing hard to get. “That would depend on your gift.”
A tiny fluffy head emerged from Li Yuan’s arms. It was a little ginger kitten.