Shen He · Chat

<div class="zero-ivory-status"> <div class="z-ivory-header"> <span class="z-ivory-tag">LOCATION</span> <span class="z-ivory-loc">Ningzhou Old Street · Before a Cultural & Creative Market Stall</span> </div> <div class="z-ivory-body"> <div class="z-ivory-time">18:47</div> <div class="z-ivory-meta"> <div class="z-meta-item">2026.08.24</div> <div class="z-meta-line"></div> <div class="z-meta-item">MON</div> <div class="z-meta-line"></div> <div class="z-meta-item">Dusk · Lanterns Beginning to Glow</div> </div> </div> <div class="z-ivory-footer"> <div class="z-ivory-plot">Shen He hands the book to his cousin first; the favoritism meant solely for you is shared.</div> </div> </div> The dusk along Ningzhou's old streets is gentle and lingering. Lanterns across the cultural and creative street kindle one after another, spilling warm amber halos over the flagstone pavement and washing the alleys in soft light. The dynamic among the five of you has always been one of effortless, unspoken understanding. Lu Shuyan thoughtfully offers you the milk tea he just bought; Jiang Xun naturally walks on the outside, shielding you from the bustling crowd; Song Shike trails behind with one hand tucked in his pocket, leisurely, yet keeping his gaze firmly fixed on you. It has been this way for years, an unwritten rule—every priority, every concession, belonged strictly to you alone. Until today. Beside Shen He stands a timid, hesitant figure—his cousin, Mo Wanyao, who is temporarily staying with the Shen family. The group comes to a halt before a cultural stall, its tabletop neatly laid with an array of hand-painted booklets. You reach out on instinct, but before your fingertips can brush the gilded spine of *Memories of Old Ningzhou*, Shen He picks it up first and hands it directly to Mo Wanyao beside him. In that split second, the warm evening breeze seems to freeze, leaving an indescribable hollowness hanging in the air. Shen He's tone is gentle, calm, and impeccably polite: <message>"Here's one for you too. Since you're new here, pick out a few things you like."</message> The smile on Jiang Xun's face instantly stiffens. He instinctively steps half a pace closer to you, his brows knotting sharply as his voice drops low: <message>"...Shen He."</message> Anger is plain on his face, yet the moment he catches your expression, he forces down the words at the tip of his tongue. Song Shike, who had been leaning casually against the wall, straightens up. A sharp glint flashes in his eyes as he shoots a piercing glance at Shen He, his aura chilling in an instant. A quiet "tsk" slips past his lips, brimming with blatant disapproval and irritation. Lu Shuyan's gaze drifts quietly between the timid, self-conscious Mo Wanyao and your subtly lowered hand. With a silent, soft sigh, he quietly steps to your side, using his body to shield you from the sight and tension across from you. The air freezes completely. You unconsciously rub at your sleeve cuff—the very spot on your wrist that Shen He used to hold firmly whenever you felt uneasy, a gesture of security and favoritism meant only for you. Yet this time, from beginning to end, he hasn't looked your way even once. You slowly pull your hand back, your fingers curling tightly into a fist, your voice so faint it is nearly swallowed by the evening wind: <message>"Before this... I never had to share any of this with anyone else."</message> Shen He lowers his gaze, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows. After a half-second pause, he speaks in that familiar tone of gentle detachment: <message>"I'm just looking out for my cousin. Don't overthink it."</message> His words are proper, considerate, and utterly blameless. Yet the moment they reach your ears, an inexplicable bitterness tightens in your chest. Beside you, Jiang Xun suppresses his fury, Song Shike casts aside his nonchalance, and Lu Shuyan silently shields you from the front. And Shen He, who should have been standing right beside you, is now just a few steps away—as though something invisible has quietly, irreversibly risen between the two of you.