The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the parasol, casting dappled patterns of light on Shen Qingyao's phone screen.

The WeChat group notifications kept beeping. She swiped open the screen and saw that Xiang Yu had sent a photo of the dormitory corridor: "I thought I'd be the last one back, but it turns out you two were even later than me! @LuYingyingyingying @Yaoyao"

Xu Huihui immediately followed up with a crying emoji: "When I got to the dorm, it was freezing cold, and there was nobody there!"

Lu Ying's message popped up shortly after, accompanied by a selfie of herself skiing in the snow-capped mountains with a backdrop of snow-covered peaks: "Going crazy on the ski slopes in Switzerland! Eight of us can't take it anymore next Monday morning, back to school on Sunday."

"Where is Qingyao?"

Her fingertip hovered over the input box, and she suddenly hesitated.

After living together for half a year, they knew pretty much about each other's family circumstances.

If I suddenly said that I was with Meng Jiangyu, I would feel like I didn't know where to begin.

She stroked the inside of the iced coffee cup, her brows furrowing slightly.

"What's wrong?" Meng Jiangyu had just finished the call and placed his phone on the corner of the table. Seeing her staring blankly at the screen, he reached out and brushed away the stray hairs that had fallen onto her cheek.

His fingertips, warm from the outdoor sunlight, gently touched her earlobe.

Shen Qingyao looked up at him, a hint of hesitation in her eyes: "My roommate asked me when I'm going back to school..."

She paused, then lowered her voice, "Do you think I should tell them I'm in a relationship? And... we're on vacation in the South of France right now."

The sea breeze lifted a corner of the tablecloth, swirling around her wrist.

"What are your concerns?" Meng Jiangyu noticed the girl's hesitation.

"My roommates all know who you are, and I'm afraid that if I tell them, they'll think there's too much of a gap between us!"

"What do you want to do?" Meng Jiangyu asked the girl for her thoughts.

"I don't know!" Shen Qingyao said, somewhat conflicted.

Meng Jiangyu picked up her phone, quickly scanned the group chat history, and a faint smile curved his lips: "In my opinion, whether you talk about this or not depends on your judgment of their character."

He handed her the phone back, tapping her hand lightly with his fingertips. "Between friends, it's best if everyone is doing about the same thing. If one person does too well, it will inevitably cause the relationship to become unbalanced."

"At this point, their character becomes very important. If they have bad character, they might do things to hurt you."

"My roommates are all very nice people, I believe they wouldn't do that," Shen Qingyao said, conflicted.

"Yaoyao, I can't rule out the possibility that your roommate is a really nice person!"

"However, people's hearts are complex. The reason you got along well for the past six months may be because there were no conflicts."

"But now that the balance has been broken, whether conflicts will arise is unknown!"

"It's always good to be wary of others, but of course, you can also take a gamble."

"But a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall."

Shen Qingyao took a sip of coffee. "I understand!"

"What are your plans to do?"

"I'll only tell them part of it selectively, so it's not like I'm deceiving them! I said I'm in a relationship, and you're a pretty good catch. We're on vacation in the South of France right now, and we'll be going back next Monday."

"You're a promising young girl!" Meng Jiangyu looked at the girl with affection. "Haste makes waste. Since you can't handle it now, let's wait for things to take a turn for the better before dealing with it."

"Mmm!" Shen Qingyao typed a message in the group chat, which was filled with blessings.

"I've finally started dating after being single my whole life."

Meng Jiangyu refilled her glass of lemonade; the sound of the ice cubes clinking together was crisp and pleasant.

Several seagulls were chasing the cruise ship in the distance, their wings cutting through the shimmering waves.

"But for now, let's focus on enjoying our vacation."

Shen Qingyao nodded and put her phone back in her pocket.

The sunlight fell on the backs of their clasped hands, warm as melting honey.

"I'm a little hungry. I saw a restaurant recommended on Instagram. Let's go eat there."

"Okay! What's the restaurant's name? I'll navigate to it!"

Shen Qingyao stood up and took Meng Jiangyu's hand. "I've already planned the route. I'll take you there!"

After paying their bill, the two were about to leave when the coffee shop owner called out to them with a smile, "Wait a minute!"

She held up a Polaroid camera and said, "Sir and Madam, how about taking a picture to remember this moment? We have a couples' photo wall in our store, all left by our customers."

Shen Qingyao glanced at the person beside her, nodded in agreement with a smile in her eyes.

The shutter clicked softly, the photographic paper was slowly ejected, and the shop owner tossed the photo aside. "You two make a perfect couple!"

In the photo, the two are shoulder to shoulder, with the warm yellow lights of a coffee shop in the background. The person next to her is looking down at her, and the love in his eyes is unmistakable.

The shop owner displayed this photo in the most prominent position on the photo wall, with the caption written next to it in marker: "The sweetest thing isn't a caramel macchiato, it's the moment I secretly look at you~"

Following the directions given by the blogger on Instagram, I soon smelled the aroma of grilled food.

The restaurant's specialty, "Grilled Octopus Leg with Basil and Lemon Sauce," is written in chalk on a small blackboard at the entrance.

Shen Qingyao pulled the hand of the person beside her and quickly walked inside, her nose already anticipating the aroma of caramelized meat mixed with the refreshing scent of lemon.

The afternoon sun shone through the blinds, casting long, thin patches of light on the villa's floor.

Shen Qingyao leaned on Meng Jiangyu's shoulder, slowly walking back along the cobblestone path, her stomach still warm with the aroma of grilled octopus and the slight buzz of red wine.

"I'm a little sleepy." She yawned, her eyelashes still damp with afternoon weariness.

"Then go take a nap." Meng Jiangyu reached out to shield her from the sun, his fingertips tracing her slightly reddened cheeks.

The villa was quiet, with only the soft tinkling of wind chimes carried by the sea breeze through the corridor.

Shen Qingyao changed into a loose cotton and linen nightgown, lay down in the middle of the large bed in the bedroom, and instantly sank into the soft bedding.

When Meng Jiangyu lay down next to her, she rolled into his arms like a kitten seeking warmth, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

He patted her back gently, his voice as soft as a whisper on a pillow.

The sound of the waves outside the window became the best lullaby, and mixed with his steady heartbeat, Shen Qingyao soon fell into a deep sleep.

In her dream, she was back at the sea in the South of France, chasing after dolphins. Meng Jiangyu was behind her, laughing and calling out to her to slow down. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, tangled into an unbreakable knot.

When she woke up, the setting sun was slanting in through the cracks in the window, casting a warm diamond-shaped light on the floor.

Meng Jiangyu was still asleep, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were having some tiring dream.

She reached out to smooth his brow, and the moment her fingertips touched his skin, he opened his eyes, still drowsy from just waking up, but he firmly grasped her hand.

"Awake?" He pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Have you slept enough?"

"That's enough." She looked up at him, and the sunset glow outside the window shone in his eyes, as bright as if it were filled with starlight. "Look, the sunset."

The two leaned against the headboard side by side, watching the sunset paint the sky orange-red and pink-purple before gradually sinking into the distant sea.