Wen Yifan immediately took a step back, slipping her phone into her pocket. She didn’t answer his question, lowering her gaze instead to notice Sang Yan’s empty hands. “Weren’t you going to buy something?”
Sang Yan straightened up, casually replying, “Yeah, let’s go.”
“…” Wen Yifan asked, “You haven’t bought anything yet?”
“Hmm?” Sang Yan tilted his head slightly, his tone utterly unbothered. “I was just about to.”
Wen Yifan reminded him, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t carry it all?”
Sang Yan: “Yeah.”
“…”
Wen Yifan was momentarily speechless at his shamelessly nonchalant and arrogant demeanor.
Fine.
She’d just assume she misunderstood.
He probably meant he wouldn’t be able to carry it later, not that he couldn’t right now.
The two entered the supermarket.
A stretch of silence lingered between them.
At some point, Wen Yifan had begun to notice that the atmosphere between them had grown somewhat strange. It was similar to how they used to ignore each other, treating one another like strangers, yet somehow different—though she couldn’t quite pinpoint how.
Wen Yifan stepped onto the escalator first. Recalling Su Tian’s words, she brought it up: “How’s the renovation on your place coming along?”
Sang Yan stood a step below her, making him only slightly taller at this angle. Leaning against the handrail, he scrolled through his phone with one hand and replied offhandedly, “Why?”
Wen Yifan: “I did the math today. The original agreement was for three months.”
At this, Sang Yan glanced up.
“You moved in on January 20th, so two months have already passed,” Wen Yifan continued. “So I wanted to discuss this with you first.”
“Discuss what?”
Wen Yifan spoke gently, “When do you plan to move out?”
Sang Yan seemed indifferent. “We’ll see when the time comes.”
“I’m not rushing you. It’s just that I might need to start looking for a new roommate in advance.” Wen Yifan tried to reason with him. “I just want to confirm—if you don’t plan to extend the lease and will move out before March 20th as we initially agreed, then I can start arranging things with the next roommate.”
The escalator reached the second floor just then, cutting their conversation short.
Just as Wen Yifan was about to bring it up again, Sang Yan spoke first: “Fine.”
She turned to look at him.
Sang Yan’s lips curled lazily. “I’ll check the situation and let you know.”
……
This area was a small commercial district built as part of the Imperial Capital Flower City’s initial development.
Outside the residential complex was a ring of shops, and further out stood a large shopping mall. The mall had three floors—the first housed various high-end brand stores, while the upper two floors were occupied by a supermarket.
The second floor was the food section, and the third was for daily necessities.
Sang Yan grabbed a shopping cart, and the two headed straight to the third floor.
Wen Yifan hadn’t been to the supermarket in a while.
While waiting to serve as his pack mule, she watched as Sang Yan tossed item after item into the cart. It reminded her that the household supplies at home were indeed running low.
Sang Yan shopped with an air of nonchalance—grabbing whatever was needed without a second thought, tossing familiar brands into the cart without bothering to compare prices or alternatives.
But Wen Yifan’s shopping style was completely different from his.
Outside of work, she did everything at a leisurely pace.
Moreover, ever since her university days, Wen Yifan had lived frugally due to her tight financial situation. Just comparing prices could keep her rooted in place for several minutes.The two gradually drifted apart as a result.
Passing by the tissue section, Sang Yan glanced over and grabbed a roll of toilet paper and a box of tissues, tossing them into the cart before continuing forward. After about ten steps, he suddenly felt something was off and stopped to look back.
Wen Yifan was still in the same spot. She was carefully examining the price tags and comparing the number of rolls on the packaging, seemingly trying to determine which option offered better value for money.
Sang Yan walked back. "What are you doing?"
"Calculating the prices," Wen Yifan replied absentmindedly without looking up. "They're both four-ply. This one is 20 yuan for 10 rolls, 140 grams per roll. This one is 23 yuan for 12 rolls, 120 grams per roll... Which one's more cost-effective?"
"..."
Numbers always gave Wen Yifan a headache. "It's a bit tricky to figure out."
Understanding dawned on Sang Yan, and he watched her with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"So this one is 2 yuan per roll," she muttered to herself, pausing shortly after. "What's 23 divided by 12..."
Just as Wen Yifan was about to pull out her phone calculator, Sang Yan provided the answer.
"About 1.9 yuan."
"Oh." Wen Yifan's hand hovered over the 12-roll pack, hesitating. "Should I get this one then?"
Sang Yan didn't rush her, his gaze lowered as he watched her. At her words, he seemed to find it amusing, the corners of his lips quirking imperceptibly. "Go ahead. Isn't it more cost-effective?"
Wen Yifan looked up. "But this one only has 120 grams per roll."
Sang Yan: "Then get the 10-roll one."
Wen Yifan still hadn't calculated the answer and wasn't sure. "Let me think about it some more."
Sang Yan stared at her for a moment before suddenly chuckling. "Wen Yifan, are you here to take the college entrance exam?"
"..." Wen Yifan choked on her words.
"You could spend half a year calculating these numbers," Sang Yan checked the time on his phone, his tone lazy. "It's almost nine. I'm afraid you'll hand in a blank paper. How about I take this exam for you this time?"
Before Wen Yifan could respond, Sang Yan raised a brow slightly and tapped the nearby toilet paper rolls twice with his knuckles, considerately providing the answer.
"The 10-roll one is more cost-effective."
"..."
For the rest of their shopping trip, whenever Wen Yifan compared prices, the situation remained much the same. Eventually, she gave up entirely and left all the "exam-taking" to Sang Yan.
After finishing their shopping, they headed to the checkout counter.
The cashier bagged their items. There weren't too many things—two bags, one large and one small. The remaining items, the newly purchased toilet paper and tissues, were too bulky to fit into the bags.
Sang Yan picked them all up and casually instructed her, "Take the cart back."
"Okay." Wen Yifan returned the shopping cart and grabbed the two umbrellas inside before walking back to Sang Yan. Seeing him laden with bags, she offered, "Let me carry some of these."
"You hold the umbrella," Sang Yan said slowly, not handing anything over. "For me."
"..."
"Don't let me get wet."
"..."
They exited the mall.
Outside, the rain had grown heavier, and the temperature seemed to have dropped further as the night deepened. There were few people around, and the distant car lights tinted the raindrops, making them look like streaks of colored light.
Both were using single-person umbrellas, but Sang Yan's was slightly larger in comparison.Wen Yifan opened the umbrella, raising it high to shield Sang Yan from most of the rain. Though they stood close together, the umbrella wasn’t large enough, and raindrops still trickled down its edges, icy water splashing onto her shoulder and seeping into her clothes.
Before long.
Sang Yan suddenly spoke up, “Hey.”
Wen Yifan glanced at him. “Hmm?”
“Tilt the umbrella more toward your side,” Sang Yan said arrogantly. “It’s blocking my view.”
“Oh.”
Wen Yifan didn’t adjust it, merely raising her hand higher.
Sang Yan pressed, “Hurry up.”
“Alright.” Reluctantly, she tilted it slightly toward herself.
“More,” Sang Yan clicked his tongue. “Don’t you know how tall you are?”
“……” Wen Yifan felt that if she tilted it any further, he might as well not be under the umbrella at all. Noticing his slightly dampened right shoulder, she suggested, “Then why don’t you hold the umbrella?”
Sang Yan shot her a look. “What are you thinking?”
“?”
“Thinking of slacking off on everything?”
“……”
Since the way home wasn’t far, Wen Yifan didn’t dwell on it further.
Back at home, Wen Yifan propped the umbrella open on the balcony to dry. As she returned to the living room, she caught sight of Sang Yan out of the corner of her eye. Most of his shoulder was soaked, his hair damp at the ends, and droplets still clung to his jacket.
Sang Yan took off his jacket and draped it over a dining chair.
Wen Yifan remarked, “You should go take a shower first.”
She didn’t retreat to her room immediately, instead slowly organizing the items they’d just bought. Wen Yifan hadn’t gotten much rain on her, and seeing the stark contrast between them, she half-expected Sang Yan to mock her—
“Can’t even hold an umbrella properly.”
But after waiting a while, Sang Yan said nothing at all.
He merely gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” grabbed his clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
After tidying up, Wen Yifan pulled out the receipt and her phone, ready to start calculating expenses. As the screen lit up, she saw the webpage she hadn’t closed earlier—the search results for “Mu Chengyun” she hadn’t had time to check.
Below the search entry was a photo.
The young man wore a faint smile, dressed in a simple white T-shirt, looking bright and cheerful.
The accompanying information was sparse.
Mu Chengyun, male, actor.
January 2013, starred in the film Awakening to Ghosts .
“……”
The title gave Wen Yifan pause. She soon recalled that she had indeed watched this movie, though she hadn’t paid much attention and couldn’t remember the plot or characters now.
All that stuck with her was the ghostly pale face that had appeared intermittently.
The entry didn’t specify which character Mu Chengyun had played.
Not in the mood to dig further, Wen Yifan remembered that Zhong Siqiao had probably seen the film and decided to ask her later if she recognized this actor. If Zhong Siqiao was a fan, she could just give her the autograph.
Shaking off the thought, she opened the calculator.
Before she could start tallying, Sang Yan emerged from the shower.
Sang Yan wasn’t one to use a hairdryer, preferring to towel-dry his hair roughly before stepping out, leaving it fluffy and damp. Dressed in dark loungewear, he looked softer than usual.
Whatever shower gel he used had a distinct scent, faintly layered with sandalwood.
Without a word, Sang Yan sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.
Wen Yifan lowered her head and began calculating with the receipt in hand.
After a while, she heard Sang Yan send a voice message to someone, his tone lazy, “Recommend me a ghost film. Need something to help me sleep.”
“……”Wen Yifan had a keen interest in this kind of horror and supernatural films. She parted her lips, initially intending to recommend a few of her favorites, but then worried the other person might simply reply, "Already seen them."
So Wen Yifan chose to remain silent, planning to wait and watch together.
After double-checking the numbers to ensure they were correct, Wen Yifan transferred the money to Sang Yan via Alipay. At the same time, the TV came to life with sound. Her interest immediately piqued, and she turned her gaze to the screen.
Their home used internet TV, which allowed them to access not only regular channels but also on-demand movies and shows.
Sang Yan must have already selected the film, as it started playing directly from the opening scene.
On the TV screen at that moment:
A woman seemed to have just woken from a nightmare, her face filled with terror as she gasped heavily for breath. The surroundings were dimly lit, and the eerie background music pulsed ominously, a slow, rhythmic thumping.
Like the footsteps of an approaching ghost.
Wen Yifan found it somewhat familiar.
She continued watching.
The woman appeared either controlled or suddenly aware of something, her entire body stiffening. Then, with mechanical slowness, she turned her head to the left—only to come face-to-face with a ghastly, pale visage, its seven orifices bleeding.
The music crescendoed at this moment, accompanied by the woman’s uncontrollable scream.
"Ah—!!!"
A sudden noise came from Sang Yan’s direction.
His phone had fallen to the floor.
Wen Yifan instinctively glanced over and saw Sang Yan bending down with his back to her, picking up the phone.
Unable to see his expression, she turned her attention back to the screen.
The next moment.
The words "Ghost Upon Waking" appeared on the screen, dripping with vivid blood that slid downward in rivulets.
Oh.
Wen Yifan remembered now.
Although her impression of this ghost film was that it was exceptionally dull, her enthusiasm remained undiminished. Since she hadn’t paid much attention the last time, it didn’t affect her treating it as a brand-new movie to pass the time.
The living room was quiet.
Wen Yifan rarely spoke while watching movies, her focus always intense. But for some reason—perhaps because she had a vague memory of this film or because it was simply too poorly made—when a heavy beat accompanied the appearance of a ghost’s face, she couldn’t help but laugh.
"..."
The scene was somewhat terrifying.
Nighttime, an enclosed space, two people silently watching a ghost film. At the most tense and nerve-wracking moment, the person beside her suddenly burst into laughter.
Sang Yan’s brow twitched. "What are you laughing at?"
Wen Yifan had been so engrossed that she’d almost forgotten his presence. His voice startled her, and it took her a moment to respond. "It’s just funny."
"..." Sang Yan stared at her for a few seconds. "This is a ghost film."
"But that part really was funny," Wen Yifan pointed at the screen. "That ghost’s face was probably covered in flour, and it was so thick it started flaking off when it appeared—"
"..."
Moreover, over the next ten minutes or so, Wen Yifan gradually realized that the ghost in the film was none other than Mu Chengyun, whom she’d met earlier that day.
No wonder it had looked familiar.
Out of the entire movie, this was the only face she remembered.
Wen Yifan was about to continue watching when she noticed Sang Yan’s expression and suddenly realized her laughter might be ruining his immersion in the film.
She reflected on herself—laughing during such a serious and chilling ghost film was indeed inappropriate. Worried she might laugh again, she decided not to stay and instead planned to watch it on her computer in her room.
Just as Wen Yifan stood up—Sang Yan asked, "Where are you going?"
Wen Yifan answered honestly, "Back to my room."
"It's just a ghost film," Sang Yan paused for a few seconds before leaning back. "Scared like this—"
Before he could finish his sentence.
Suddenly, Mu Chengyun's face with bloody tears appeared close-up on the screen.
Accompanied by that familiar, chilling music.
Sang Yan's expression froze, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat, unsaid.
Wen Yifan followed his gaze to the screen, stared for a moment, and inexplicably felt like laughing again. She pressed her lips together and repeated, "Keep watching. I'm going back to my room."
She had only taken two steps.
Sang Yan called out again, "Hey."
She couldn't help feeling he was acting strange.
Wen Yifan looked at him, recalling his earlier reaction, and suddenly understood. "Are you scared?"
"..."
When he didn't respond, Wen Yifan didn't press further and turned to leave.
Sang Yan spoke up once more, "Alright, Wen Yifan."
She turned back for the third time.
Seeing Sang Yan pat the spot beside him, tilting his head lazily. "Sit here."
"?"
"I know you're scared too."
"..."
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