Chapter 74: The Catalyst

After a moment, Rong Shen walked steadily into the living room. His movements were always so composed—removing his overcoat, rolling up his sleeves, settling into his seat with practiced grace. Every step seemed so familiar to An Tong that she could almost recite them in her mind, as if she had memorized them long ago without realizing it.

At this moment, An Tong was crouched not far from the sofa, absentmindedly stroking An’an. Even after the man sat down, she remained silent, still lost in her thoughts.

“It’s late. How long do you plan on playing with him before getting some rest?” Rong Shen sat by the coffee table, pressed the button on the kettle, and, as his eyes lifted, cast a steady glance her way. His tone was casual, deep and magnetic.

An Tong ruffled An’an’s little head and replied softly, “I’m not very tired. I slept too much this afternoon.”

He watched her, a faint, unreadable smile curving at his lips as she absentmindedly petted the dog. No matter how calm she tried to appear, these tiny gestures betrayed her pretense.

The once-quiet living room now filled with the hum of the boiling kettle. Rong Shen murmured something, but An Tong didn’t catch it.

She tilted her head, stood up, and took two steps forward. “Dr. Rong, what did you say?”

“Come sit down,” he said, gesturing patiently to the spot beside him on the sofa. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

An Tong shook her head, suppressing her uneasiness, and took a seat across from him. She didn’t want to sit beside Dr. Rong, afraid her racing pulse would betray her and make him suspicious.

She hadn’t stayed up this late just to play with An’an. That morning, she’d felt a sudden bout of palpitations and shortness of breath, and thought something might be wrong with her heart. But after glimpsing Ling Qi talking with him outside the window earlier, the fluttering in her chest returned. She could now be fairly certain: the cause of her unease was Dr. Rong himself. As for the reason… that remained unclear.

Her expression was calm, but her thoughts raced. She watched intently as he rinsed and brewed the tea, his long, well-defined fingers, the rolled sleeves revealing toned forearms—whatever he did was a pleasing sight.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice when Rong Shen handed her a cup of hot tea, the fragrance wafting between them.

She accepted it with both hands and thanked him.

“Are you interested in tea ceremony?” he asked, his tone gentle, brows raised. “You’ve been watching for quite a while. Did you discover anything interesting?”

“Yes. I think tea ceremony… is quite fascinating,” she replied, picking up his cue, her clear, innocent gaze hiding her secret thoughts.

Rong Shen’s eyes glinted with amusement, his voice as steady and affable as ever. “If you’re truly interested, I’ll have Ling Qi sign you up for a tea class one day. Try something new—it might keep boredom at bay.”

An Tong snapped out of her reverie. “I’m not bored, but I’ll give it a try.”

A low, rich laugh rumbled from his throat as he pointed at her from across the room. “I’m not forcing you to learn anything. Do whatever you like at home, as long as you’re comfortable and not bored.”

His indulgent, almost doting tone made her heart skip a beat.

Before, she’d only thought of Dr. Rong as a gentle, gracious gentleman—tolerant of all her habits and moods. But since last night, she couldn’t help letting her imagination run wild. Whether she was over-interpreting or misunderstanding his intentions, the truth was… stray thoughts had taken root in her heart, and it was hard to face him any longer with the same respectful distance.

She stole a furtive glance at him out of the corner of her eye, distractedly sipping the scalding tea…

(I’m a bit busy. This is the only update for this morning; the rest will be posted around six or seven in the evening.)

(End of chapter)