"Do you really like these colors, Auntie?"
This was the first time Pei Zhen had ever felt such deep-seated nervousness. His impeccable manners and extensive social training usually provided him with the confidence to handle any situation appropriately. However, this was his first time giving a gift with money he had earned himself.
This expression of gratitude is too meager, he worried. She might look down on it.
He really is handsome, Xu Si thought. His voice is clear too. Even half-crouching, his tall frame is enough to block the scattered light from the window. That hesitant look on his face… it makes one reluctant to say anything disappointing.
She picked up another lipstick, one more suitable for everyday wear, applied it to her lips, her own curving into a smile as she gently hummed, "Thank you, Azhen. I really like it."
It wasn't perfunctory; she genuinely liked it.
Men are often said to be clueless when it comes to picking lipstick shades, but Pei Zhen didn't have this shortcoming. He was attentive, patient, and compared to others, exceptionally talented in this regard.
This color, when applied to Xu Si's lips, made her complexion appear snow-white. Her small face, with its red lips, white teeth, and brows like strokes of ink, possessed an aloof yet delicate beauty.
"As long as you like it, Auntie."
Pei Zhen smiled and averted his gaze.
In the future, I'll give her even better things, he resolved.
He rose and took a small step back. His deep blue, patterned uniform was draped over his arm. He wore only a clean white shirt, which felt cool, having absorbed the winter air from outside.
To avoid the chill from outside disturbing her, he chose not to sit down. Instead, he told Xu Si he was going upstairs to his room to change out of his uniform.
Beside the sofa, a small bronze brazier held water heating over a charcoal fire.
Through the steam rising from the brazier, Xu Si watched his retreating figure, her own eyes veiled by a thin mist.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the boy's reddened ear tips from the corner of her eye and smiled in surprise.
That must be from the compliment just now, she mused. Was Pei Zhen really so easily flustered back then?
Checking the time, she couldn't help but raise her voice to remind him, "Relatives have arrived. They're staying on the third floor of the outer building. You usually won't encounter them, but if you do, don't pay them much mind."
The young man paused, turning his head thoughtfully. He seemed to want to clarify the extent of "don't pay them much mind" and asked, "So, it's alright if I'm not particularly polite?"
"Of course, it's alright," Xu Si replied, her tone casual yet firm. "This is your home too. Be firm. They're used to taking advantage of people. Your studies are important; don't waste mental energy dealing with them. They'll leave soon. You're far more important than they are."
Her words, between the lines, once again stressed that the relatives were not as important as Pei Zhen.
At this moment, daylight had not yet completely faded. The westernmost buildings were bathed in the crimson glow of the sunset.
Pei Zhen smiled and replied, "Okay."
He walked back to his room. First, he took out a thick stack of test papers and placed them on the desk. Then, he turned and entered the bathroom. The sound of rushing water soon followed.
Under the glare of the overhead light, his grey hair appeared silver-white. It was a striking color, one that could be difficult to carry, yet his features somehow anchored it. The warm stream of water glided over the smooth lines of his face. His expression was relaxed, though his strong features held a subtle, inherent aggression.
Water dripped onto the floor, each drop sounding like a soft tap.
A bloody image drifted slowly through his mind: bustling city streets, smoking cars, and his parents collapsed on the ground.
He wanted to control that viewpoint, to go to his mother, to see if their expressions conveyed pain. But the mere attempt felt as if barbed needles were piercing his brain, forcibly compelling him to abandon recalling all the unpleasant memories and, in doing so, incidentally shielding him from all negative emotions. His memories of that day grew fuzzier with each passing moment. He only recalled the general sequence of events, his heart devoid of any turbulence. He could only steer his thoughts toward brighter things. He focused on the memory of that fog-laden day, of the person who had approached him, silhouetted against the light.
"From now on, I will protect you."
The sound of running water ceased abruptly. Someone emerged from the bathroom, toweling their damp hair.
An orange-hued moon hung in the gaps between the wildly blooming magnolia blossoms.
Pei Zhen sat before the desk lamp, opened a black journal, and uncapped his fountain pen. Without the slightest pause, his hand glided across the clean paper, leaving a trail of English words in a script that was both fluid and precise.
The entry translated to:
"She said she's not a savior, but that day she touched my head with her hand, and I felt blessed."