One and Only

Chapter 23: First Makeup Like You (1)

"'Qingcheng Pai Jiu'?" Du Feng smiled thoughtfully. "That's not a term you hear very often."

Zhou Shengren lowered his head and began flipping through the book he had brought. "Mr. Du seems quite interested in these things," he said, his tone suddenly cold and distant. Du Feng, however, didn’t seem to mind.

Perhaps it was Xiao Ren’s natural air of pride or something else, but Shi Yi sensed an unfriendliness between him and Du Feng.

While the others were enjoying themselves, Shi Yi found it all rather dull.

Watching Xiao Ren engrossed in his book, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He loved reading so much, yet here he was, forced to accompany her in idle chatter. She took a pen from her bag and quietly wrote on a tissue: Shall we go back?

Then, with her index finger, she tapped the back of his hand and placed the tissue over the page he was reading.

The boy blinked in surprise, then pressed his lips together and smiled.

They left soon after. Shi Yi returned to her room to fetch some books, paper, and pens, and the two of them found a quiet teahouse, settling by a second-floor window to read.

Every now and then, Shi Yi glanced up at Xiao Ren, struck by the strange illusion of being his guardian.

And this child was undoubtedly the studious type—the kind who needed no supervision. Once immersed in his book, he paid no attention to the world around him, his pen constantly scribbling notes as his eyes remained fixed on the pages.

Shi Yi lowered her head and returned to her own book.

She, too, had the habit of jotting things down while reading. Sometimes, she would copy a favorite phrase or line, helping her remember it. Whether it was the peaceful atmosphere or Zhou Shengren’s quiet focus that influenced her, her pen eventually stilled.

Almost unconsciously, she began writing a line:

Summer, the sixth month, Jihai. The Emperor passed away in Changle Palace. Upon the Emperor’s death, the imperial seal was bestowed upon the feudal lords. The Prince of Nanchen…

Her pen paused again, hovering over the paper, unwilling to continue.

She remembered clearly that it was the first day of the sixth month—because it was also the day she was born. The late Emperor had died, and she had entered the world. At the same time, the fourteen-year-old Prince of Nanchen had refused to accept the imperial seal, questioning its authenticity and nearly inciting a rebellion...

He was fourteen. She had just been born.

Before she ever met him, the stories she had heard about him could have filled a book.

Shi Yi’s writing was small, the strokes faint. She stared at it blankly for a moment, so lost in thought that she didn’t notice Zhou Shengren’s gaze until the boy set his book down and glanced at what she had written.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You’re writing about that Zhou birthday from ancient times?""

She was taken aback, studying him with uncertainty. "You know about him?"

"Of course," Xiao Ren said, his admiration for Shi Yi growing. "He’s in the Zhou family records." There isn’t much historical documentation, but I’ve always been interested in him. Accused of rebellion multiple times, and also... quite the romantic."

"Romantic?" Shi Yi was stunned.

"Daring to be involved with the Crown Princess—isn’t that romantic?" Xiao Ren chuckled. "The Crown Princess was the future Empress, yet she gave up everything for him and threw herself from a tower. Doesn’t that make him more romantic than anyone else?"

He said it half-jokingly.

Shi Yi was even more shocked.

"My mother told me my brother was specifically named after him," Xiao Ren added with a smile. "That’s why I’m even more curious about this man. It’s a shame there’s so little recorded about him."

Too little, and not much of it good.This was also something she regretted.

After chatting for a while, Xiao Ren returned to his book, but Shi Yi could no longer focus. Staring at the written lines, she hesitated briefly before continuing:

"Upon receiving the letter, the Prince of Nanchen refused to weep, saying, 'The imperial seal is too small—something must be amiss in the capital.'..."

Suddenly, an idea struck her—she wanted to write down all the memories lingering in her mind.

No matter how much she could still recall.

This thought kept her restless all night. When you desperately want to do something, your subconscious keeps circling back to it, completely beyond control. Tossing and turning until dawn, half-asleep, she relived every story she'd ever heard: the flooding of Jiangzhou, the bitter battle at Shuozhou, the six campaigns in Daizhou...

By the end, even Meilin couldn't take it anymore. As daylight crept in, she gave Shi Yi a weak shove: "I hate you... All that turning kept me awake too..."

Drowsy, Shi Yi murmured, "Kept dreaming—all chaotic war scenes."

"Exactly," Meilin opened her eyes, noting Shi Yi's pallor, "So maybe there wasn't any noise last night. Just your dreams..."

Shi Yi couldn't explain she'd been on the phone with Zhou Shengchen until sunrise, so she just smiled faintly. "Who knows."

"Shi Yi?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you think... sometimes you don't seem fully present in life?" Meilin said quietly. "You're indifferent to almost everything. You work just because you need a job. In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you passionate about anything—except that husband of yours, who appeared out of nowhere and married you."

Rolling onto her back, Shi Yi realized how bland her existence had become.

Perhaps it was because her previous life had been too dramatic—born into nobility, betrothed to unmatched wealth, taught by the man every woman admired... and harboring feelings the world would condemn.

Some things, once experienced, lose their allure.

From childhood, her sole obsession had been reuniting with him . That singular desire drove her to assimilate into this world, assuming the most ordinary identity to meet him again.

"Do you think wealth matters if reincarnation exists? Or scheming against others?" she mused. "Seems pointless to me."

"Sure... but I don't believe in rebirth, so I'm way more grounded than you. I love money, crave respect," Meilin exhaled. "You? Only emotions move you. That's why you're the perfect friend—I'd never fear you betraying anyone."

Shi Yi smiled silently.

Meilin sighed, thinking of the elusive husband Shi Yi adored. She'd yet to meet this man who lived on Earth yet studied Venus—truly intriguing.

With no idea when he'd return, Shi Yi could only promise to arrange a dinner next time.

The competition concluded successfully, with Meilin signing three promising newcomers—two boys and a girl.

On the boat, Meilin sipped tea with veteran voice actors, trading jokes while the newcomers sat shyly among them. One boy's natural vocal talent and acting instinct impressed Shi Yi so much that she lingered to chat with him before leaving Xizha.

As the boat glided slowly beneath a stone bridge, she ended their conversation and glanced absently at the shore.

Someone stood there, smiling at her.He was dressed in light beige trousers and a sky-blue collared short-sleeved shirt, clean and simple, utterly ordinary. He carried no luggage, standing casually in the shade by the shore, holding only his framed glasses in hand.

He was farsighted, so naturally, removing his glasses would allow him to see more clearly. Judging by his demeanor, he had clearly been watching for quite some time.

If the scenic area hadn’t been closed to the public yet, he would have easily blended into the crowd… Shi Yi urgently turned around and grabbed Meilin’s arm. “Quick, dock the boat, dock it.” Meilin was slightly startled. Spotting the man on the shore, she studied him for a moment before hesitantly asking, “Your husband is here?”

That single sentence instantly piqued the curiosity of everyone on the boat.

People were always more intrigued by the romantic attachments of beautiful women than ordinary ones, especially since the last awards ceremony had made it clear that Shi Yi had a partner so enviable it left everyone in awe. Now that he was here, they naturally wanted a closer look.

Of course, D Wang was undoubtedly the one scrutinizing him the most intently.

Shi Yi merely acknowledged the question, eager for the boat to dock.

She was afraid the prying eyes of so many people would make him uncomfortable.

Zhou Shengchen, however, was far calmer than she had expected. Noticing the gazes directed at him, he simply nodded in greeting, perfectly at ease. The boat temporarily docked at the nearest stone steps, and Zhou Shengchen walked over, extending a hand to steady Shi Yi as she stepped ashore.

“Mr. Zhousheng, hello,” Meilin called from the bow of the boat, scrutinizing him with an air of formality. “I’ve missed meeting you every time, but now I finally get to see you in person.”

With one hand firmly supporting her, Zhou Shengchen guided Shi Yi up the steps to stand beside him.

“Hello, Meilin,” he replied politely with a smile. “Shi Yi often speaks of you. Thank you for taking such good care of her all this time.”

Shi Yi was slightly surprised. She had always avoided discussing work matters with him, fearing he might find it tedious.

Meilin laughed and exchanged a few pleasantries with him.

As the boat departed, Zhou Shengchen glanced at the others once more, nodding and bidding them farewell.

His gaze briefly crossed with D Wang’s, but nothing more passed between them.

Once the boat had pulled away from the shore, Shi Yi finally couldn’t resist grabbing his hand. “When did you get back? Why did you suddenly return? What about your work over there? And the entry restrictions here—were those resolved too?”

The questions tumbled out one after another.

He chuckled, casually putting on his glasses, and unexpectedly wrapped an arm around her waist.

The movement wasn’t exaggerated, nor was his grip particularly tight, but it was enough to pull her into his embrace. Shi Yi was startled, but once she leaned against him, she noticed his arm was slightly damp with sweat against hers. Skin against skin—there was no need for literal nakedness in a private room. Even like this, right now, it was enough to make her face flush.

“I arrived in Shanghai this morning. Mostly, I was worried you might run into trouble here on your own. My work is temporarily on hold, including the research and entry issues,” he answered each of her questions, then countered with a faint smile, “Any more questions?”

“Hmm, just one more…” Since he had already initiated such closeness in broad daylight, she naturally draped her arms over his shoulders and asked softly, “Aside from worrying about me… was there another reason you came back? Like… missing me?”

Having him by her side was wonderful. The sky even seemed brighter.

Shi Yi knew all too well that every ounce of her joy and sorrow was tied to him alone, but she cherished it without regret.

She gazed at him.

He gazed back, smiling for a while before finally nodding."Yes, I missed you so much."

Shi Yi looked at him, her eyes sparkling—perhaps a bit too much, as if something was about to spill over.

Finally, she lowered her head slightly and asked, "Why did you deliberately look at D Wang earlier?"

"Me?" Zhou Shengchen wrapped an arm around her shoulder, guiding her further inside as he joked, "Paying respects to the loser."

Shi Yi was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

Seeing him, she became unusually talkative, unable to hide her joy. She chattered about everything—from complaining about the strange noises that night to the local delicacies here. He seemed very familiar with the layout of the place. When they passed by the decorative dyeing workshop, he immediately recognized it, which puzzled her. "This place was just built and hasn’t been opened to the public yet. How do you know it so well?"

"Because you’re staying here. I had someone show me the floor plan."

She let out an "Oh" and gazed at the dyeing workshop under the scorching sun.

The fabrics were hung high, long strips of deep blue cloth lifted slightly by the wind before settling again.

This small scene reminded her of the twenty-day siege battle she had once heard about. He had led ten thousand cavalrymen day and night to reinforce Qingcheng, while the enemy forces numbered a hundred and thirty thousand.

Twenty days later, reinforcements arrived.

When the retainers had long given up hope, they suddenly saw several tattered dark blue strips of cloth being hoisted onto the city walls, fluttering wildly in the fierce wind.

Dark blue—the color of the King of Nan Chen’s royal banner.

Those strips of cloth, whipping about on the walls, declared that the city still stood.

She remembered how emotional the scholar who recounted this story to her had been. He said the two hundred thousand reinforcements erupted into deafening cheers, their voices hoarse with exhilaration.

She remembered her own heart pounding as if she were there in that moment.

They walked past the dyeing workshop and down the narrow street to the room Xiao Ren had stayed in before. The child was peculiar too—arriving abruptly and leaving just as quietly, leaving only a note as farewell.

A single line: You two, I won’t disturb you any further.

Zhou Shengchen glanced at it and handed it to her, signaling that he wanted to shower first. "It’s too hot here—I’ve been sweating a lot. Wait for me a moment." With that, he took some clothes prepared for him from the closet and went into the bathroom.

Shi Yi picked up the remote and turned on the air conditioning, then closed all the windows.

The room had been stuffy from the open windows, and it took a while for the temperature to drop. Once it felt comfortable, she adjusted it slightly higher, worried he might catch a cold after his shower.

As she fiddled with the remote, studying the temperature settings, Zhou Shengchen emerged from the bathroom.

"What are you looking at?"

"The temperature. I don’t want you to catch a cold."

Even from behind, he could sense her earnestness.

Suddenly, his body grew warm with desire for her.

This feeling had surfaced a few times in Bremen, but he had suppressed it each time. Yet now, even though she was dressed modestly, she held an irresistible pull over him.

Or perhaps, there was no need to resist.

By the time Zhou Shengchen approached, Shi Yi had already set the temperature and casually placed the remote on the desk. He drew near, lowering his head to brush his lips against her neck. Shi Yi tensed for a second before melting into his touch.

(End of Chapter)