Chapter 11 — When the Ex Returns

This is the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The design concept and stylistic execution are truly worth studying.

Is Senior Shen also researching architecture? Lin Shi Xia asked, feeling slightly surprised.

It cannot be called research, not really. I am merely taking some additional architecture courses. I did not have any lectures today, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to audit this class.

Shen Yan Shu spoke while pouring her a cup of warm water, his expression gentle and harmonious. As if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes brightened as he looked at her.

If there is anything I do not understand in the future, I may have to rely on your guidance, classmate Lin. After all, over the past two months, I have heard whispers that the Architecture Department has produced a truly studious genius.

Lin Shi Xia felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck. Senior Shen, that is just a joke the others like to make. However, if there are things neither of us understands, we can always discuss them together. It would be mutually beneficial.

Shen Yan Shu nodded, continuing to walk her through various iconic structures and their distinct stylistic traits. Their conversation flowed naturally, and they even discovered a surprising synergy in their design philosophies, which bridged the distance between them significantly. Soon, the morning lecture came to an end. Shen Yan Shu took the initiative to invite Lin Shi Xia to the cafeteria for lunch. The sight of the two walking side by side drew quite a bit of attention, to the point that when Lin Shi Xia returned to the dormitory, she was immediately swarmed by her roommates.

Shi Xia, you must confess! You had lunch with Senior Shen again today; could it be that…

The teasing and laughter swirled around her in a chaotic mess, giving Lin Shi Xia a mild headache. It is not what you think. Senior Shen and I just happen to hold very similar perspectives on our studies, that is all.

Her friends were not convinced. We have never seen Senior Shen click with anyone else like that. Honestly, some people are just oblivious blocks of wood. We all understand, Shi Xia! No need to explain!

Watching the increasingly mischievous smiles on her roommates' faces, Lin Shi Xia could only offer a helpless shrug. Just as she was about to return to her seat, the dormitory manager called out to her. Lin Shi Xia, someone is here to see you.

Lin Shi Xia was puzzled but followed the manager’s gesture toward the tree standing before the dormitory entrance. As she approached, the figure waiting there felt hauntingly familiar. Then, a voice she had not heard in a long time cut through the air: Shi Xia!

It was Fu Zi Shen. The air seemed to turn stagnant for a heartbeat. After several seconds of silence, Fu Zi Shen spoke again. Are you doing well?

Lin Shi Xia looked at the man in the long overcoat standing before her. Even after enduring the elements, his features remained as arrogant and chiseled as ever. A wall of defensive wariness rose in her eyes. Why have you come? Fu Zi Shen, we no longer have any connection to one another.

Fu Zi Shen seemed as though he had been nailed to the ground; his body stiffened, unable to shift. In that moment, it felt as if his heart had been pierced by a sharp blade, and a bitter, stinging pain surged through him. Shi Xia, I only came to visit you.

Although Fu Zi Shen struggled to keep his tone steady, the underlying panic was impossible to conceal. Lin Shi Xia frowned and shook her head. There is no need. Commander Fu should probably head back.

That formal address struck him like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing any unrealistic illusions lingering in his heart. He forced a strained smile and unlatched his suitcase, revealing an array of items nestled inside. Shi Xia, look at what I brought you. I was on a mission in Moscow and used my leave to come and see you…

Fu Zi Shen had not finished speaking before Lin Shi Xia cut him off. Her voice was icy and detached. Thank you for your kindness, but it is not necessary.

Lin Shi Xia did not even glance at the suitcase, turning on her heel to leave. Fu Zi Shen’s hand, extended in a gesture of offering, hung frozen in the air, his smile crumbling into a rigid mask. No, Shi Xia, I know you are still angry with me. But these are things you used to love. I know you had always wanted them. I spent so much effort just to bring them here to you. I had hoped you would like them…

Lin Shi Xia’s stride faltered. Glancing back at the crestfallen man, she curled her lip. Fu Zi Shen, you said it yourself—these are things I used to like. But I do not like them anymore. Just like you. I used to love you, but I do not anymore. To be more precise, I will never like you again.

Lin Shi Xia’s voice drifted away on the wind, sharp and unforgiving. A sensation of bitterness and failure, unlike anything he had ever felt, washed over him like a tidal wave, drowning his spirit. Not until her silhouette vanished at the end of the dormitory path did Fu Zi Shen finally react. He looked down at the two large suitcases filled with treasures he had painstakingly sourced, and a hollow smile touched his lips. Faced with the most heartbreaking words she could utter, the compensation he had deemed so righteous now seemed laughable and utterly redundant. In the end, he retreated to his hotel in a daze. His roommate, seeing his disheveled state, could not help but sigh. Zi Shen, do not lose heart. Perhaps this girl is just nursing a grudge. She used to cherish you so much, always following at your heels—how could she say she no longer loves you?

Another man immediately chimed in.