8 No More Noise / 08

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He Chenye rarely found himself flustered or at a loss. Usually, he was the most eloquent and persuasive, able to handle even the most difficult clients with ease.

Yet, the person before him at this moment made him disdainful of using any of those business tactics or rehearsed phrases.

“You...”

He Chenye paused briefly, unable to utter a single word.

Sheng Huaining stared intently at his parted lips, and when no response came, she furrowed her brows, puzzled. Was it really that hard for him to answer her question?

She picked up the magazine and stuffed it back into Xixi’s arms, then shot He Chenye a look from the side.

He casually averted his gaze as if nothing was amiss, leaving her both irritated and bewildered.

“He Chenye, is liking me something shameful? My mom has a bunch of my magazines at home, and many products I endorse,” she said.

He Chenye had just felt that his silence might be inappropriate, but after hearing Sheng Huaining’s words, he realized that the mental struggle he had just gone through was a complete waste of time.

He exhaled quietly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, and chuckled softly. His expression was much calmer than before.

“It’s Xixi who likes to look at them.”

“Is that so?”

Sheng Huaining didn’t quite believe him. Her eyelids drooped as she scrutinized He Chenye and Xixi.

Compared to He Chenye, the little girl looked utterly innocent upon hearing her name, her small face full of bewilderment as if she hadn’t understood what the two had been talking about.

She rolled her eyes lightly, firmly believing what she saw but too lazy to argue, and with a smile, returned to the dining room to continue enjoying her meal.

An hour later, at the peak of the midday sun, a fine drizzle began to fall. The delicate rain traced down the clear glass, splashing onto the floor.

He Chenye retrieved a crocheted, hollow-knit sweater from the room and returned to the dining area, which was now deserted and immaculately cleaned.

He glanced around; the dishwasher embedded in the open kitchen wall was blinking its standby light, evidently triggered by a wrong button press.

After a moment, He Chenye smiled wryly and picked up the phone lying on the coffee table, then slowly walked to the kitchen.

During the interval while waiting for the dishwasher to restart, he noticed a message from Sheng Huaining just sent not long ago.

[SHN: I’ve tidied everything up, but I really don’t know how to use the dishwasher.]

[SHN: I tried looking up instructions online but couldn’t understand at all... so thanks for your trouble. I’ll use the treat money to take Xixi out for a feast~]

[SHN: See? I really did search for it.]

[SHN: Screenshot_of_web_history.jpg]

These few short messages filled the small phone screen completely.

He Chenye’s fingertips lifted and lowered, stroking the screen back and forth.

A new message popped up the next moment.

[SHN: I’m just going to change shoes, waiting for you in the parking lot, hurry up!]

[SHN: Cat’s haughty expression sticker]

He Chenye shook his head slightly, momentarily picturing Sheng Huaining dressed in white, a pink bow tied around her neck, standing proud and haughty like the cat in the sticker, teasingly urging him on.

He lowered his eyes, startled by his own strange train of thought, and loosened the tie pressing against his throat.

From the apartment to the pre-booked salon, the journey took almost half an hour.

During that time, Sheng Huaining and Xixi sat in the back seat, chatting and quickly becoming familiar.

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By contrast, He Chenye sat alone in the front, looking like a detached taxi driver, completely ignored.

Upon arrival, He Chenye opened an umbrella, intending to escort them inside one by one.

Sheng Huaining, unaware of his intention, took the umbrella, linked arms with Xixi, and the two entered the salon together.

He Chenye was left standing stunned in the rain, droplets soaking his face and shirt.

Fortunately, when Sheng Huaining closed her umbrella, she slightly turned aside and caught sight of the bedraggled man not far off from the corner of her eye.

“Xixi, wait here for me a moment.”

After calming the girl, she reopened the umbrella and stepped briskly into the rain to approach him.

“Sorry, sorry, I thought you wanted to hand us the umbrella. Why don’t you get inside the car to avoid the rain?”

She opened her bag, rummaged around, and after a while, pulled out a scarf to help wipe the rainwater streaming down He Chenye’s face.

She looked up, tiptoeing with some effort to dry the wet strands of hair on his forehead.

Unexpectedly, the puddled ground made her slip, and she lost her balance, falling into the man’s arms.

The familiar warmth beneath his shirt was as scorching as it had been that morning, sending a buzz through her mind.

Her lips parted with a soft protest, “He Chenye, you’re holding me too tightly.”

Waiting for the hands at her waist to loosen, Sheng Huaining blushed, hurriedly stuffing the umbrella and scarf into He Chenye’s hands, then took a few quick steps in her delicate low-heeled sandals.

She glanced back, “You... wipe yourself off, and don’t forget to come pick us up when you’re done.”

He Chenye remained silent, watching the graceful figure recede until it vanished from sight, then finally relaxed the stiffness in his back.

He stepped back, gripping the door handle that had just popped open, swallowing hard several times. His slightly hunched posture from afar resembled a beast crouched in wait, helplessly watching its prey escape.

Sheng Huaining, having led Xixi into the salon, evidently didn’t notice the fiercely predatory gaze fixed on her for so long.

She only knew that if she didn’t move faster, the pounding of her own heart would surely echo in He Chenye’s ears.

In front of him, she was like an unripe child, immature and vulnerable.

A shameful thing should never happen more than three times; she was determined not to embarrass herself again.

—

The SALON studio was rarely this lively. Sheng Huaining had just settled Xixi when she ran into a few wealthy socialites from her circle of close girlfriends.

She gave them a glance, awkwardly exchanged a few words, then hurried back to stay close to the visibly uneasy Xixi.

The senior stylist who greeted them was the one Sheng Huaining usually used — skilled and quick-witted. Noticing Xixi’s occasional slurred speech and slow movements, he didn’t pry, quietly focused on his work.

Leaning against the waiting area’s sofa, Sheng Huaining flipped through a magazine on the table, occasionally glancing up while sipping tea.

Buzz buzz buzz—

Her phone vibrated rhythmically inside her bag.

She checked it briefly, reminded the stylist, greeted Xixi, then stepped outside to take the call in the lounge.

Only minutes later, a sharp, piercing cry erupted from inside, mixed with the hum of electrical appliances, startling her.

She hastily ended the call and rushed back in.

From a distance, she saw the tear-streaked girl slumped weakly in a soft chair, her legs trembling as they rested on a footrest.

Her face went pale, and she hurried upstairs, pushing through the small crowd surrounding Xixi.

“Xixi, what’s wrong?”

The girl’s face, stained with tears, held bright, clear eyes filled with fear and panic. Her tightly pressed lips slowly parted upon seeing Sheng Huaining.

“Sister-in-law, I’m not stupid. I’m not.”

Just that sentence made Sheng Huaining understand everything. Casting a dark glance at the few silent people nearby, her beautiful face twisted with malice.

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She straightened up, took a tissue from the stylist, wiped the girl’s tears, then crumpled the tissue and tossed it into the trash.

“Was it you? Or you?” She paced back and forth. “Repeat exactly what you just said.”

The clients waiting for the senior stylist in the salon, seeing a stranger like Xixi without anyone accompanying her, grew resentful.

The interns nervously tried to soothe the situation but slipped up with their words.

SALON was one of the top hair studios in Harbor City, usually catering to prominent heirs and heiresses of wealthy families.

Before her debut, Sheng Huaining had some fame on various social media platforms and, combined with her striking looks, was often the center of attention.

Now, being recognized immediately, especially after Xixi’s whispered title, caused a stir.

Everyone in Harbor City knew Sheng Huaining’s fiery temper; she couldn’t tolerate even the slightest hardship or insult and would retaliate a hundredfold.

The spacious room fell into a suffocating silence; everyone was intimidated and retreated without a word.

Sheng Huaining raised her chin and told the stylist behind her, “Call Cathy to come back.”

After saying this, she pursed her lips, trying not to frighten Xixi, who was still restrained, but feeling unsatisfied, she forced a smile and preemptively warned the girl before unleashing her anger.

Hands on hips, she was formidable.

“Got a big mouth and think you’re so proud? You barely got your brains together before running out here to make a fool of yourself. Which sewer did you crawl out of, floating so lightly up here...”

“Brother.”

Before Sheng Huaining finished, Xixi’s voice startled her so much she nearly bit her tongue.

Her arrogant mood of less than five minutes instantly vanished. She lowered her hands obediently, turned toward the front door, and slowly lifted her eyes to meet He Chenye’s calm, slightly amused gaze before looking down again.

Xixi took small, quick steps over, tearfully explaining before pulling He Chenye to Sheng Huaining.

Just then, the salon’s owner Cathy arrived, resolving Sheng Huaining’s predicament.

She sighed inwardly, no longer as aggressive as before.

Cathy and Sheng Huaining had known each other for decades. After ordering the interns to apologize, she promptly dismissed them.

With the matter settled, Xixi sat back down for her haircut.

Sheng Huaining and He Chenye moved to the waiting area.

Faced with several delicate tea plates on the walnut round table, Sheng Huaining had no appetite.

Flustered, she pulled out powder and lipstick from her bag, looking at her small face in the mirror, bruised and battered, not yet recovered.

She dared not imagine how fierce she must have looked when she was angry earlier—truly unseemly.

After touching up her makeup, she gathered her composure and casually asked, “When did you get here? Finished work early?”

He Chenye sipped his tea, his eyes flickering slightly. After a soft “Hmm,” he said quietly, “It went smoothly and ended early.”

“So you saw everything just now?” She probed, quickly adding, “I don’t usually act like that.”

He didn’t respond, so Sheng Huaining tilted her head in confusion and lazily dragged out her words, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

After a moment, He Chenye’s voice came, calm and measured, mellow like a cello’s tone.

“Did anyone wrong you?”