Cold, pale light spilled down from overhead.
After the man finished speaking, the air in the bedroom abruptly fell silent.
The two of them—one sitting on the edge of the bed, one half-crouched in front of her—simply stared at each other like that.
For some reason, they fell into a bizarre silence for a moment.
“……”
Lu Zhun thought she was unwilling, and raised his eyes to look at her. She was usually indifferent to everything, without much expression, her eyes calm and quiet no matter what she faced. But that didn’t mean she had no emotions.
She had certain subconscious little habits.
When she got a problem wrong, she’d press her lips together if she was irritated or angry; when she ate a cake she liked, her fingertips would tap lightly without her noticing; when someone she didn’t want to deal with tried to talk to her, she’d look away and pretend not to hear.
But whether angry or happy, none of these little habits showed up now.
The girl had a rare expression on her face, but it was strange. Under the light, her clear, calm amber eyes stared blankly at him, her lips parting slightly, but no sound came out—as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Lu Zhun paused, then asked gently, “Do you still have some concern?”
“About your ex-husband’s divorce matters, I’ll have my lawyer handle it for you—you won’t need to show your face, and you don’t need to worry about him coming after you again. As for the child, I’ll arrange for someone to take care of it.”
The girl’s blank gaze stayed fixed on him, silent for a long while, before she finally forced out: “……You’ve thought this through pretty thoroughly.”
Lu Zhun’s dark eyes watched her. “So……”
Jian Nian took a deep breath, and said in one quick burst: “Lu Zhun, have you ever considered that everything I said on that phone call was just a line to borrow money?”
“……?”
Lu Zhun paused slightly.
Jian Nian lifted her hand to cover her face. She’d thought the whole phone call thing had already blown over.
That had been the first time she’d made up such an embarrassing story on the spot, and the moment she’d finished saying it, she’d already wanted to crawl into a hole. She hadn’t expected Lu Zhun to actually believe it.
The air stayed silent for a long while.
The man’s dark eyes watched her, deep, with an almost imperceptible emotion stirring in them. He said softly, “……So you don’t actually have an abusive ex-husband, and a child who’s only half a year old?” BLACK LOTUS Translations — BLACK LOTUS NOVEL
Jian Nian mumbled, “It’s only been a week since I woke up. Where would a child even come from.”
Something cool and gentle suddenly pressed against her knee.
The man’s knuckles slowly rubbed against the scab, not too hard, not too light.
It itched a little, and being touched so suddenly felt strange too—Jian Nian instinctively flinched back a little. She lowered her hand and looked over, and unexpectedly met his pitch-black eyes.
“A week……then where did all this come from?” he asked slowly.
Jian Nian told him about the staged-accident scam she’d run into right after coming back, then thought about it. “I can’t really remember the rest. Maybe I bumped into something while I was sick? Or fell?”
She hadn’t known before, since she’d never bruised like this, but now she’d discovered her skin bruised very easily—the slightest bump would leave a mark that looked pretty serious, and it wouldn’t fade for days.
His reaction, once he knew, was calm—he didn’t laugh at her, and by now Jian Nian had recovered from her embarrassment too.
She said quietly, “Something that fake, and you actually believed it.”
She raised her eyes, but the man in front of her didn’t answer the question out loud—he just watched her with deep, dark eyes.
She couldn’t read what was in his gaze, but it felt like it scorched her a little, and her blood ran hot. She quickly looked away.
She thought, maybe it was because she was usually too serious?
She’d never said anything like that before—when she talked to people, it was always strictly business. It was only after spending time with Yu Qingqing that she’d learned all these smoother, more flexible ways of talking.
But he had no way of knowing how she’d changed—his impression of her was still frozen seven years in the past. And besides, he used to have such a rigid, stiff personality; even now, seven years later, he didn’t look like someone who’d understand internet memes.
Put that way, it made sense.
“Pfft.”
Not sure what she’d suddenly thought of, the girl in front of him burst out laughing without warning, her eyes curving, her slightly wavy long hair falling behind her shoulders, soft as a moon soaked in water.
Vivid. Alive.
An illusion he’d never once seen before.
Not sure what exactly had struck her funny bone, Jian Nian couldn’t stop laughing under her breath, her body suddenly collapsing sideways, face buried in the pillow, shoulders shaking nonstop.
Lu Zhun’s fingers were still curled around her injured ankle, steadying her so she wouldn’t hit the edge of the bed. He stayed quiet for a moment.
Then he spoke: “You just ate. Burying your face like that will give you a stomachache.”
Jian Nian really did feel a slight ache in her stomach, and hurriedly sat up, caught her breath, and her laughter died down.
The man let go of her ankle, opened the medicine box, and took out some ointment, squeezing it onto his fingertip and dabbing it onto the scab on her knee.
Eyes lowered, lashes down, he asked in a flat voice, “Why were you suddenly laughing?”
Jian Nian blinked, a little dazed. She wasn’t sure herself—she just hadn’t been able to hold it in for that one moment. Now that she’d stopped, she found it baffling too, and couldn’t quite make sense of it.
……What had she been laughing at?
She suddenly remembered her childhood.
She’d been different from other kids her age—always dazed and blank, slow to react, unable to laugh or cry, staying alone in a room, holding watercolor pens and drawing.
She didn’t know what the doctor who’d examined her had said to Ms. Xu, but one day, her father and mother had rarely managed to free up some time and taken her to an amusement park.
She’d been too young for the dangerous rides, but she’d kept staring fixedly at the drop tower and wouldn’t let it go, so Ms. Xu had sent him up to ride it.
Before going up, he’d talked big, telling her to watch closely from below and see his father’s heroic form. BlackLotus Reading | BLACK LOTUS NOVEL
A few seconds later, he was up there screaming nonstop, and by the time he came down, he was walking unsteadily, his legs giving out as he knelt in front of her.
Ms. Xu, standing off to the side, couldn’t stop laughing, mocking him mercilessly.
He’d stubbornly argued that he’d been too tired from overtime lately, that he wasn’t in good shape—but he hadn’t been able to hold back his own laughter either. He’d propped up his back, playing pitiful, telling Ms. Xu to stop laughing at him and give him a hand up.
She’d watched the two of them blankly, and after a good while, she’d started laughing along with them too.
After a moment of silence, Jian Nian said quietly, “I guess there wasn’t really a reason.”
The young man didn’t press further, slowly continuing to apply the ointment.
“Do you know how Jian Heng is doing now?” Jian Nian suddenly asked.
The young man paused, almost imperceptibly, then raised his eyes, asking gently, “Do you want to see him? I can arrange it.”
Jian Nian looked slightly surprised, a little puzzled. “No, I just want to know if he’s been caught yet.”
There were two seconds of silence, then the young man suddenly let out a soft laugh.
He pulled out a wet wipe and unhurriedly wiped his cold, pale knuckles, his tone light. “He was caught abroad three years ago, deported back to the country, and is currently serving his sentence.”
Jian Nian nodded. “Good.”
“His remarried wife was involved in money laundering and is also serving her sentence now. Their assets were confiscated. Their remaining son is stuck abroad, unable to come back, and is working in some shady restaurant to get by.”
The young man’s dark eyes watched her calmly. “Anything else you want to ask?”
Jian Nian blinked lightly. “You know an awful lot of detail.”
“Heard it in passing.”
His tone was casual.
Jian Nian made a small “oh” sound, lowered her head, and her fingers, braced against the edge of the bed, tightened slightly.
After a moment, she pressed her lips together and slowly spoke up. “Um, do you know anyone who can handle getting identity documents made?”
If she had a choice, she didn’t want to ask him for help. But for some reason none of her relatives were even in Huai City anymore, and she couldn’t think of any other way right now.
The young man lowered his head, packing up the medicine box, his tone gentle. “Rest well these next few days, and once your injuries have healed, I’ll take you to get it sorted out.”
Jian Nian looked at the man in front of her, thinking slowly that, seven years later, he seemed more mature and steady now.
Maybe this was just what time settled into a person—compared to how green and stiff he used to be, he’d become much gentler now, his tone of voice mild, with courtesy and a sense of propriety.
His black hair had grown a little longer, hanging down, still looking soft. His jawline was more defined now, his profile cold and pale. The black T-shirts he always used to wear had been replaced with a dress shirt and slacks.
His body seemed sturdier too, a size broader than before, his forearms firm and strong. Under the thin, translucent skin of the backs of his hands, the veins stood out clearly.
“What is it?”
The young man’s voice sounded, and Jian Nian snapped back to herself, meeting his pitch-black eyes, only then realizing she’d been staring at him the whole time.
She quickly looked away, saying quietly, “Nothing. Are you done with the ointment?”
“Mm.”
The young man stood up. “Remember to wrap it up when you shower these next few days, don’t let it get wet.”
Jian Nian was quiet for a moment. “……How do you even do that?”
Lu Zhun looked slightly puzzled. “Hm?”
Two seconds later, seeing the awkward look on her face as she glanced to the side, he suddenly understood, and let out a low laugh.
“It is a bit of a hassle. I’ll show you.”
Jian Nian followed him into the bathroom.
She’d wanted to shower the night before, but after fumbling around in there for a good while, she hadn’t been able to find the water heater switch. In the end, too sleepy to keep trying, she’d just gone straight to bed.
“Press here to adjust the temperature.”
The man stood behind her, reaching out to tap the touchscreen, which lit up with a row of function buttons. It controlled not just the water heater, but the bathtub, the heated dryer, and more.
Jian Nian stood in front, watching, but found her mind drifting a little. She remembered the time he’d taught her how to use the gas stove.
It had been the same position back then too. Back then, if he accidentally brushed against her, he’d quickly step back to avoid it. But now, the man behind her bent slightly, keeping his distance from her the whole time, never touching her.
No different from back then.
“There.”
He showed her once, adjusted the water to the temperature she usually used, then stepped back.
“Call me if you need anything,” he said gently, then walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him as he left. Black Lotus novel Novel Site | BLACK LOTUS NOVEL
“……”
Jian Nian stood there for a moment, then sat down on the stool, changing and showering with an expressionless face.
After drying off, changing into her nightgown, Jian Nian slowly made her way out, one hand against the wall, her wet long hair dripping water as she went. She sat by the table, drying it off.
The young man knocked on the door and came in carrying a glass of milk, setting it down in front of her.
He’d gone to the bathroom, and when he came back out, he had a hair dryer in hand, standing behind her and naturally starting to help dry her hair.
Eyes lowered, his dark gaze fixed on the slightly frizzy ends of her hair between his fingers, brows furrowing slightly.
The sound of the hair dryer filled her ears. Jian Nian drank her milk, feeling, in a daze, as if nothing had happened at all.
Her consciousness grew drowsy, and she started to feel sleepy.
Once her hair was dry, the man closed the door and left.
“Good night.”
Thinking the room had felt a bit stuffy yesterday, Jian Nian went to the window and tried opening it again, found it was still locked, and gave up, lying back down on the bed.
Her body sank into the bedding, which carried a familiar crisp, cool scent, and she fell asleep quickly.
The next day, Jian Nian got up early, washed up, and came out to find the young man already sitting in the living room, much like the day before, holding a cup of coffee with a calm expression, flipping through documents.
Someone else was standing beside him—the driver from that night. He was standing next to him, apparently reporting on something.
When Xu He saw her come out, a flash of surprise crossed his gentle eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and he greeted her with a warm smile. “Good morning, Miss Jian.”
Jian Nian didn’t disturb them, and after breakfast, went back to her room.
Over the next several days, the young man worked from home. Jian Nian also learned that this person was his assistant, Xu He.
The identity documents Jian Nian had been worrying about were also taken care of, and quickly too—just yesterday they’d finished entering her information, and today her identity and household registration were already sorted out and delivered.
The age on the new ID was still calculated based on her current age, with her birth date pushed back seven years.
Jian Nian held the little card, turning it over and looking at it for a good while, before picking up the phone next to her.
The phone was also something he’d given her—he’d used the documents to get her a new phone number. Jian Nian had spent the past couple of days registering for WeChat and setting up various little odds and ends.
She’d also gone online and learned a lot of information—like the fact that his company was Zhouxing Technology, which had gone public in Huai City a few years back, and that the Academy of Fine Arts’ unified entrance exam was in December, still half a year away.
Jian Nian lay on her stomach on the pillow, slowly swinging her legs.
WeChat suddenly popped up with a message, from her only contact right now.
L: [Come down and eat.]
Jian Nian was dazed for a moment, replied “okay,” put her phone away, and went downstairs.
After days of resting and recovering, her sprain had healed a lot, and she could walk with lighter steps now.
After dinner, Jian Nian went back to her room, planning to learn a bit more about the current state of things. She figured Yu Qingqing calling her a little antique wasn’t entirely unfair—there was so much she didn’t know.
There was even such smart AI now—looking up information was so fast, it was unbelievable.
Passing by the pantry, she saw the young man leaning against the wall looking at his phone, seemingly replying to a message, with a coffee machine brewing coffee in front of him.
Did he like drinking coffee that much now? She’d seen him drinking it constantly these past few days.
As if sensing her gaze, the young man turned his eyes toward her.
Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his dark eyes were deep and still, looking at her from a distance, his voice warm and low. “What is it?”
Jian Nian shook her head. “Nothing.”
She didn’t think much of it either, and went back to her room, continuing to cram on modern technology.
She studied until late at night, then Jian Nian turned off the light and went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard the sound of rain, hazy and half-conscious, and she woke up groggily to drink some water.
There was a temperature-controlled water pitcher on the nightstand. Jian Nian picked it up, poured out half a glass, gulped it down, and was about to set the glass down and go back to sleep when she suddenly noticed a sliver of light coming through the gap under the door.
……Had she forgotten to turn off the light outside?
Jian Nian blinked, shuffled over in her slippers, planning to turn off the light and go back to sleep.
The moment she pushed the door open, sure enough, the living room lights were on.
But there was someone sitting on the living room couch.
The computer glowed with cold light, the sound of the keyboard clacking under his slender fingers echoing through the living room. Beside the young man, on the table, sat a few stacks of folders, a fountain pen, and a mug, dark coffee steaming inside it.
Jian Nian’s footsteps stopped.
Noticing the sound, the young man suddenly looked up. He paused for a moment, looked at her, and asked gently, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Jian Nian: “……Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”
The light overhead was cold and pale, and Jian Nian, wide awake now, let her gaze settle on his face.
Under his glasses, she could see a faint layer of gray-blue shadow beneath his eyes, his expression heavy with exhaustion. His complexion was even tinged with a sickly pallor.
Putting it together with the fact that she’d seen him drinking coffee constantly these past few days, Jian Nian suddenly understood. “Don’t tell me you haven’t slept at all these past few days?” · Black Lotus Novel Archive | Black Lotus Novel
The young man paused slightly, his tone softening. “Why are you awake? Was the rain too loud?”
He reached his hand toward the mug, meaning to take a sip, but before he could pick it up, Jian Nian grabbed his wrist.
Lu Zhun raised his eyes slightly. “What is it?”
Jian Nian didn’t say anything, just pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes fixed on him.
Lu Zhun looked at her face, sensing something off in her mood, and was about to speak when the girl suddenly grabbed him and, without a word, hauled him up.
She dragged him all the way back to the dim bedroom, closed the door, and pushed him down onto the bed.
Her tone was muffled.
“Sleep.”
In the dark, the girl stood in front of him, her calm eyes meeting his, giving nothing away.
But Lu Zhun could tell she was angry.
He was quiet for a moment, then said softly, “Okay.”
Hearing him agree, Jian Nian was about to let go of his hand, but the next second, his cool, gentle fingers turned and caught her wrist instead.
He gave a light tug, and the next moment, the two of them fell into the soft bedding together.
Jian Nian lay on her side, watching as he adjusted his position in the dark, lying on his side next to her, closing his eyes.
But the fingers holding her wrist didn’t let go—just stayed loosely curled there, his fingertips resting right against the red string.
The cool, crisp scent in the air grew thicker. Jian Nian remembered the night she’d first arrived at his place, when he seemed to have had a nightmare, and she asked.
“If you don’t hold on like this, you have nightmares?”
The young man, eyes closed, gave a soft response.
“Mm.”
Everyone had their own little quirks, and Jian Nian didn’t think much of it—she liked sleeping while hugging a body pillow herself, and during those days staying at Yu Qingqing’s place, she’d never slept soundly, always jolting awake.
The two of them fell quiet like that.
After a good while, Jian Nian looked at his sickly, pale face, and suddenly remembered that he seemed to have caught a cold that night.
She reached out her other hand and pressed it against his forehead.
The young man’s breathing paused slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes.
Jian Nian felt it—it was a little hot—and sat back up, rummaging through her bag until she pulled out some cold medicine with one hand.
She poured out another half glass of warm water, poked him, and said, “Take your medicine.”
The young man lifted his eyelids, looking at her in the dark for a moment, his eyes unreadable.
He sat up, took the water from her hand, and took the medicine.
Then lay back down.
His bedroom bed was large, more than enough to fit the two of them.
But Jian Nian suddenly thought back to when she’d still been living in that rented room. The bed there had been small, only 1.2 meters, only big enough for one person.
The night he’d brought her home, he’d slept on a mat on the floor beside her.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the rain pattered on.
In the dark, Jian Nian spoke up: “Did you know I went to Wu City seven years ago? And there……”
She paused. “I was in a car accident.”
The man was quiet for a moment, then hummed softly in acknowledgment.
So he did know. Jian Nian was even more confused now—why had he been so calm, seeing her come back to life after death?
Jian Nian pressed her lips together. “So you don’t have anything you want to ask me?”
The bedroom light was dim and still.
The young man slowly opened his eyes, his pitch-black gaze meeting hers, the finger bones curled around her wrist lightly stroking the red string.
After a long moment, he spoke slowly.
“That ‘him’ you mentioned in the car the other day—who was that?”
Jian Nian: ?
