After My Death, I Became a Heartless Madman - Chapter 60.2

Song Shizhou raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, so Miss Bai didn’t want me to pick her up. In that case, I’ll leave.”

Perhaps because of the rain, Bai Ruowei carried a chilly fragrance. A soft, inexplicable chuckle escaped her lips. After just two sentences, she closed the distance, pressing close to Song Shizhou’s face.

Forced to stay hidden, their kiss in the deathly quiet parking lot was stifled, restrained.

Footsteps echoed nearby, and blinding headlights swept past. Song Shizhou’s hands clutched the car seat in panic as Bai Ruowei swiftly pulled her into the backseat. There they lay, clothes disheveled, hair tangled together.

As the footsteps faded, the parking lot plunged into silence once more. Eyes locked, all they could hear was the other’s heartbeat steady, rhythmic, unmistakable.

Thump. Thump. Thump…

After their brief moment of recklessness, Song Shizhou drove toward the studio.

She had been too busy chatting with clients from the West District and still hadn’t finished today’s work.

Bai Ruowei healed quickly, the bite mark on her lips had already vanished. Song Shizhou wasn’t so lucky. Even after layers of concealer before leaving, the marks remained faintly visible.

Bai Ruowei sat quietly in the passenger seat, the black seatbelt blending into her suit, nearly indistinguishable.

Noticing how formally Bai Ruowei was dressed, Song Shizhou couldn’t help but ask,
“You’re dressed so formally, and Mia was in such a hurry to find you. Is something important going on?”

Bai Ruowei shook her head with a smile.
“Nothing major.”

“Mr. Bai was seriously ill for a while, but he’s finally starting to recover. That should’ve been something to celebrate.”

“But his private doctor discovered his symptoms resemble poisoning.”

“Now the entire Surveillance Institute is conducting internal investigations. Everyone’s on edge.”

While the entire Surveillance Institute was in turmoil, Miss Bai alone remained perfectly at ease.

Shedding the stern, grave expression she wore in front of others, her faint smile now carried a hint of relaxation as if Mr. Bai’s poisoning had been within her expectations all along.

It wasn’t rush hour, so traffic was light, and they soon arrived at Sweetwater Lane.

Xiao Zhao was about to clock out when she spotted Song Shizhou. Excited, she rushed over with her laptop.

“Boss, check the studio’s official email!!!”

“We’ve received an invitation from the Floral Society!!!”

Little Zhao never expected that just after mentioning the Huaguo Exhibition in the morning, their studio would actually receive an invitation that very afternoon. She was now completely overwhelmed with excitement. Song Shizhou had to tell her twice to calm down before taking the laptop from her.

Sure enough, a formal invitation lay quietly in the studio’s dedicated inbox.

Bai Ruowei glanced at it and was pleasantly surprised.

“Huaguo Exhibition?”

“Isn’t that the most prestigious ceramics exhibition in the industry?”

Coincidentally, Little Zhao had never met Miss Bai before. But seeing how naturally she looped her arm around Song Shizhou’s, and noticing the faint kiss mark near her lips similar to the one their boss had she instantly understood their relationship.

Blushing, Little Zhao quickly explained,

“Yes, the Huaguo Exhibition is the most elite event in the ceramics world. Every established ceramic artist attends. I thought our studio was too new to receive an invitation, but we actually got a spot!”

Bai Ruowei couldn’t hide her astonishment.

“Getting invited to a top-tier event so soon after opening? Song Shizhou, you’re amazing.”

Song Shizhou herself was stunned.

“Seriously?”

Even with the invitation right in front of her, she still felt dazed.

“Maybe Little Sun recommended us.”

She tried to rationalize the unbelievable opportunity.

Little Zhao chimed in,

“Either way, we got the chance!”

“This year’s Huaguo Exhibition is in the Third District. Boss, though the opening ceremony date hasn’t been announced yet, I’d guess it’ll last about a week, same as previous years.”

Bai Ruowei smiled.

“I remember it used to be held in the Inner City too. Did they change locations this year?”

Little Zhao clarified,

“The Inner City hosts a satellite event. Even though they’ve got deep pockets, their venue can’t compare to the Third District’s main exhibition in terms of professionalism and industry recognition.”

Miss Bai let out a quiet “Oh,” her expression unchanged, though her hands seemed to tremble slightly.

The studio had been open for less than half a year, yet it had already earned an invitation from the most prestigious exhibition in the field something Song Shizhou never anticipated.

After carefully reading the invitation, she said,

“Our studio’s business has been good lately, but our industry reputation is still low. Attending the Huaguo Exhibition will help boost our credibility, and I can also learn from experienced masters.”

Miss Bai’s grip around her arm tightened unconsciously.

The sky had darkened completely, and it was soon time to leave. The other shops in the alley had already started closing. The two walked out of the studio and headed toward the parking lot.

Sweetwater Alley had hosted several large events recently, keeping the area lively for days. Since it wasn’t a no-fireworks zone, scraps of colorful silk and red paper still littered the streets. Now that the bustle had faded, the place felt oddly desolate.

They walked side by side, their shoes tapping softly against the cobblestones. Though the footsteps weren’t heavy, Bai Ruowei felt each one resonates in her chest.

So, Shizhou wouldn’t stay in the Inner City forever.

A faint ache spread through her heart. Though unspoken, it was clear Song Shizhou might very well choose the ceramics exhibition in the Third District.

After all, the professionalism and reputation of the exhibitions there were incomparable to those of the branch venue in the Inner City.

She did some mental calculations.

The Flower Exhibition lasts for seven consecutive days, but Song Shizhou doesn’t necessarily have to attend every single day, so the duration might be shorter. But what if Master Zhao invites her for a brief gathering in the Third District? Add to that the travel time and sightseeing in the Third District.

How long would Song Shizhou be gone?

Her thoughts grew heavy, crystallizing into something as cold and solid as frost in the silent darkness of the night.

She didn’t want Song Shizhou to leave the Inner City.

Over the past month, Bai Ruowei had been confident about closing the distance between them. But now, Shizhou was suddenly going to be away for nearly half a month. It wasn’t possible for Bai Ruowei to shuttle back and forth between the Third District and the Inner City every day which meant they would be apart for a long, long time.

Yet, ever since reconciling with Shizhou, Bai Ruowei hadn’t wanted to waste a single second.

Getting Song Shizhou to forgive her had been a narrow victory. But now, forcing Shizhou to choose between staying with her and pursuing her career.

She didn’t dare gamble on it. Nor did she want to.

Because she had no right to hold her back.

After returning to the small apartment, the two took a shower. When Bai Ruowei stepped out of the bathroom, Song Shizhou was sitting on the sofa,

wearing black-framed glasses and typing intermittently on her laptop as she worked on a project plan.

The living room window was closed, and two pots of kaffir lilies sat on the windowsill. Bai Ruowei absentmindedly watered the flowers, her fingers brushing against the cool leaves.

Outside, the spring night was tender and lingering, a faint red sunset hovering in the sky both ambiguous and alluring.

Bai Ruowei paused, then set a glass of milk in front of Song Shizhou and asked,

“When is the Flower Exhibition? Has the date been finalized?”

Song Shizhou shook her head.

“Not yet.”

Bai Ruowei bit her lip, hesitating slightly in her tone.

“By the way, Xiao Bao has been staying at Snow Pavilion for a while now. He misses you. Do you want to visit him there tomorrow?”

It had indeed been a long time since she’d seen Xiao Bao. Beagles grew especially fast by now, he was probably almost a year old, soon to be past his most adorable phase. The thought of that cute little Snoopy turning into a long-eared, loud-mouthed donkey suddenly made Song Shizhou feel like life wasn’t worth living.

But no matter how “not worth it” life seemed, Xiao Bao was still her dog. Song Shizhou stood up and dug out the pet food cans she’d bought during her last grocery run.

She’d stumbled upon a pet section sale and impulsively bought over thirty cans enough to last Xiao Bao a month. But considering how much he might have grown, she now worried it wouldn’t be enough.

“Then let’s go back to Snow Pavilion tomorrow evening. I’ll bring these cans and the snacks I bought last time for him.”

Bai Ruowei hummed in agreement and sat down beside her.

Miss Bai’s tone sounded a little off.

Song Shizhou turned her gaze back to the woman.

It wasn’t just her tone, Miss Bai’s expression seemed strange too.

She looked lost in thought, but upon closer inspection, her eyes seemed slightly dazed, almost downcast.

She had just returned from an important meeting at the Surveillance Institute and had changed out of her crisp, solemn black suit. Her curly white hair, freshly washed, now hung straight over her shoulders.

Song Shizhou had heard some rumors about the meeting’s contents.

Mr. Bai’s sudden resurgence had left the Surveillance Institute in turmoil.

Song Shizhou remembered Bai Ruowei mentioning to her that in their past life, it was she who had killed Mr. Bai.

So, could Miss Bai be behind Mr. Bai’s poisoning now?

The woman who had always been spirited and composed when facing the Surveillance Institute’s thorniest problems now seemed troubled by something, her delicate brows furrowed in distress, her expression tinged with melancholy.

Was there really anything that could weigh on Bai Ruowei’s mind more than Mr. Bai’s death?

Just as Song Shizhou was about to ask what was wrong, Zhao called again.

“Boss, the dates for the Flower Congress have been set. This year’s event is much longer than usual, a full two weeks. Should we book tickets to the Third District?”

Two weeks. Booking tickets to the Third District.

The jade hairpin in Miss Bai’s hand suddenly clattered against the table.

The sharp sound echoed through the room, the hairpin nearly shattering. Bai Ruowei stared blankly at her palm, at the red mark pressed into her fair skin.

Song Shizhou hung up the phone.

“Bai Ruowei, what’s wrong?”

She bit her lip, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“I checked the dates for the Flower Congress. It’s next week. The event has drawn attention from all sides, so there’ll be a lot of people heading to the Third District. If you’re booking tickets, it’s best to do it early.”

She had never been one to fuss over such trivial matters before, but perhaps because she had fully realized her feelings for Song Shizhou, she had suddenly become more vulnerable, more sensitive.

“I booked four first-class tickets for you. The confirmation number’s already been sent to you.”

Song Shizhou paused.

“I never said I was going to the Third District.”

The Third District’s professional standards and industry recognition were indeed higher than the Inner City’s satellite venue, but her studio had been swamped lately. Being away for half a month was unrealistic.

More importantly, Bai Ruowei was still in the Inner City.

Their trial period had barely lasted three days, how could she just leave?

Before she could finish speaking, the woman beside her turned to her in disbelief.

Bai Ruowei’s eyes were filled with shock.

“You’re not going to the Third District?”

“No,” Song Shizhou replied.

“What’s wrong?”

She was about to press further when the other woman suddenly embraced her.

Song Shizhou froze.

They were pressed so close together that she could hear Miss Bai’s frantic heartbeat.

One beat, two beats, three beats. The nervous rhythm pulsed against her chest, sending electric currents across her skin.

Bai Ruowei seemed to be trembling all over.

Her voice was laced with both grievance and relief.

Relief, as if she had narrowly escaped disaster.

“I thought you were going to the Third District.”

“After all, the professional standards and recognition there are a tier above the satellite venue.”

Song Shizhou hesitated, then instinctively asked,

“You thought I was going to the Third District? That I’d leave you? That we’d be separated?”

“Why didn’t you just ask me?”

“So, you kept all this to yourself and suffered alone all this time?”

So, the absentminded melancholy on the way back from the studio, the distant look just now, all of it was because Bai Ruowei had thought she would leave?

Now it was Song Shizhou’s turn to be stunned.

Miss Bai rested against her chest, neither confirming nor denying. She simply lay there quietly, a faint blush of embarrassment gradually coloring her cheeks.

The blush lasted for about a minute before she raised her head and quickly pecked Song Shizhou’s lips.

“Shall we, do it?”

Support