You are all bad women! Don't come over!

The evening sun was dull and heavy, casting mottled light and shadow throughout the expanse of the library, all in silence.

"Why are you here?" Shen Mochen strolled to a desk and chuckled softly.

"Did you come?" Catherine put down the book in her hand and raised her eyes, a slight smile curving her lips.

She seemed so natural, as if she had already known Shen Mochen would come.

Shen Mochen almost thought he had returned to the time when they were dating, when they used to study in the library every day, and it was just as quiet during the deserted noontime.

"I just went to the class, but you weren't there." Shen Mochen pulled out the chair opposite him, "I almost thought there was no one here either."

"The holidays are coming, and there's nothing else to do, so I just came here to read and pass the time."

Shen Mochen fell silent.

He couldn't quite explain why he wanted to find Catherine, knowing well that it was best for them not to see each other anymore. Yet, when he didn't see that light golden figure in class, his heart suddenly felt empty.

As if something was missing.

After a lengthy silence, Shen Mochen's hand rested on the table, his fingers awkwardly twisting among themselves. Before seeing Catherine, he couldn't stop the impulse in his heart; after seeing her, there was only silence.

In comparison, Catherine seemed much more composed, gently caressing the book in her hands.

"Ah..." Catherine curved her lips in a sigh, as if conceding, and took out an insulated box with egg tarts inside, "Want one?"

"Yeah, I'm actually a bit hungry." Shen Mochen eagerly took an egg tart, took a bite, "The egg tarts you baked are really delicious, and they're still warm."

Catherine's eyes flickered up, her tone neutral, "I knew you would come, so I packed them in an insulated box."

"Princess, you truly are intelligent beyond measure! Mmm, delicious, delicious!" Shen Mochen devoured the tart.

Catherine chuckled lightly, "If I knew you were going to have them for dinner, I would've baked a few more."

Shen Mochen waved his hand, "No need, no need, that would have been too much trouble for you, I've eaten plenty!"

Catherine raised an eyebrow, "It doesn't matter whether it's a bother or not, making desserts is supposed to make people happy. Do you feel happy?"

Shen Mochen paused, whom was she making happy, Fuzi? Wasn't that something you could achieve just by stepping on it casually?

"Thank you for the egg tart, it was very tasty, and I'm quite happy now," said Shen Mochen.

"You asked me before why I like to make desserts, do you still want to know the reason?"

"Yeah... can you tell me the reason?"

"Forget it, I don't feel like saying anymore," Catherine shrugged.

A twitch formed at the corner of Shen Mochen's eye, he couldn't help but complain, "Hey, don't just arouse someone's curiosity and then leave them hanging!"

Catherine squinted her eyes with a smile, as if her teasing had been successful. Her long hair quivered slightly and under the glow of the setting sun, it seemed as if golden particles were sprinkled from it.

Shen Mochen also smiled helplessly. Although he had been teased, he wasn't angry, and for an instant, it was as if he had returned to his usual self.

Catherine gradually stopped smiling and looked directly at Shen Mochen again. The dim sunset fell into her eyes, like the sun setting upon the calm surface of a lake.

"May I ask," Shen Mochen hesitated, "what kind of person do you think I am?"

Catherine rarely fell into deep thought. She pondered for a long time, and finally spoke with a strange look on her face, "Sometimes I feel like you're not a person, but a beast cloaked in human skin, desperately playing the part of a human. You used to hide your face with thick hair, not just to keep a low profile but also because you didn't want people to see your true self beneath the skin."

Shen Mochen shivered inwardly and remained silent.

"…wanting to be a person isn't wrong, is it?" Shen Mochen's voice rasped.

"Right, there's nothing wrong with that," Catherine agreed.

Who wouldn't want to be a person if they could? Should he return to a slum, neither human nor ghost? What's wrong with me? I'm just trying to fit into society, is there a problem?

I dutifully obey the law; is there a problem with that?

"Exactly, I think it's perfectly normal." Shen Mochen grinned, pulling at a slight smile, "And you're really too much, calling me a beast, indirectly insulting me as a brute, are you?"

"Where is there a brute as handsome as you?" Catherine bantered with Shen Mochen, laughing along, "You're fine just the way you are, I don't see any problem either, and I would probably make the same choices if I were you."

"Ha ha, 'Secretly tell you,' the top brass at Buque said they're going to make me a star, you might even see my ads in the future!" Shen Mochen laughed heartily as he winked at Catherine.

I have a bright future ahead of me, you understand that, right?

Shen Mochen forced a smile on his face, each word he uttered carried weight as if he was wrestling with something. Only in this way did he feel a bit more at peace.

"That's great, you really are an excellent spokesperson," Catherine nodded as if she agreed with Shen Mochen's words, but her tone became sharp, and her speech unintentionally quickened, "You have a great life ahead of you, it's me who should apologize for dragging you into this mess!"

"No, not at all, I don't think you need to apologize, rather it's me who is often cared for by you, I'm the one who wants to thank you." Shen Mochen noticed a slight tinge of sarcasm in Catherine's words and quickly waved his hands.

Catherine raised an eyebrow and huffed.

Shen Mochen bowed his head slightly, feeling somewhat ashamed of his own cleverness.

"I heard about it, you helped Ms. Cai before, right?" Catherine suddenly said.

"Ah, which aspect are you referring to?" Shen Mochen feigned confusion.

"You made a scene in her hometown, in front of all the relatives, pulling Ms. Cai into your arms, claiming to be her man…" Catherine recounted.

"That, that was just a rescue, I was spouting nonsense!" Shen Mochen's face turned a tad red, interrupting Catherine's words, trying to defend himself.

"But you did help her, right? You pulled her out, you stood up to everyone who wanted to object," said Catherine, "You're not like this with everyone, Ms. Cai is special to you, isn't she?"

That can't all be the same, can it… Shen Mochen felt as if he was being interrogated, a sudden sweat breaking out, even though the library's air conditioning was sufficiently cool.

"I suppose the reason why Cai Yuncui is so important is that she was there with you throughout Yin Caiyu's accident, during your most vulnerable moments. Whoever was with you then would become special," Catherine stared at Shen Mochen, her eyes seeming to hold a blaze of anger, "But that's not fair. At that time, I was dealing with the mess with Gao Le for you. Maybe I should've done nothing, let you get caught and then rescue you. That way, you would appreciate what I've done for you!"