Farewell to the Old Shell

The afternoon sun shone through the glass window onto Lu Yan's computer, which he had used for five years.

The old apartment building wasn't really that bad. The apartment was just too small, though it was more than enough for a bachelor.

But it was too small for two adults.

Especially when one of them was a woman like Aemeath, whose every movement carried a seductive and aggressive charm. For her, the place felt far too small.

"Phew, that's about it." Lu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the cardboard boxes neatly stacked on the floor.

He owned very little. Aside from the high-end computer and drawing tablet he relied on for a living, and a few books on professional drawing, all he had left were some ordinary changes of clothes.

"A-Yan, are we taking this too?" Aemeath sat on the edge of the bed, holding the old pillow Lu Yan had used for three years.

There was a determined look in her eyes.

"That pillow's too old. Let's buy a new one when we get to the new place." Lu Yan scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

He had never been particular about household items, but bringing all this old stuff into the elegant little courtyard still felt like it would spoil the atmosphere.

"No!" Aemeath shook her head. Her voice was soft, but her stance was firm.

She buried her face in the pillow and took a deep breath, then a blissful smile appeared on her face.

"It's covered in your scent, A-Yan. Until the new pillow is completely infused with your scent, I'm not letting go of this one."

Seeing Aemeath like this, Lu Yan felt his heart skip out of rhythm.

Over the past few days together, his understanding of Aemeath had been constantly changing.

In the past, Aemeath had been the girl who insisted on smiling even when saying her final goodbye.

Now, her obsession with his scent was steadily tearing through his defenses, the ones he called reason.

Perhaps her spirit had been suppressed behind Tethys for too long.

"Suit yourself." Lu Yan reached out and ruffled her hair, then smiled and called the moving company.

The movers were more efficient than he had expected.

In less than half an hour, two movers in blue work clothes knocked on the door.

"Well, young man, you don't have much. All delicate stuff, huh?" The mover in the lead glanced at Lu Yan's computer equipment.

"Thanks for your hard work. I'll keep an eye on the computer tower and monitor myself. Sorry for the trouble, but could you add some extra protective wrap?" Lu Yan politely handed them two bottles of mineral water.

As the movers came and went, the lived-in feeling gradually drained from the room.

Dust that had accumulated in the once-crowded corners was exposed.

Standing in the half-empty room, Lu Yan suddenly felt as though a lifetime had passed.

"Let's go, A-Yan." Aemeath walked up beside him and linked her arm through his.

Aemeath had changed into the light blue French-style dress Lu Yan had picked out for her, its skirt swaying gently as she moved.

As the two stepped out of the apartment, they happened to meet Auntie Chen coming up the stairs with a basket of groceries, followed by Uncle Wang, who was smoking.

Auntie Chen's face broke into a warm smile. "Oh, Little Lu! Are you moving?"

"I was just wondering who was moving."

Uncle Wang stopped too. Looking at the computer tower Lu Yan was carrying, he remarked, "Little Lu, you've made something of yourself! Made a fortune and moving on to bigger and better things?"

"I always said this kid was dependable. Even with drawing, he could make something of himself."

Lu Yan stopped and greeted them politely. "Uncle Wang, Auntie Chen, thank you for looking after me these past few years."

"A client happened to give me a big commission and rented me a studio with a courtyard. It's not far from here, so I'm moving there to make work more convenient."

"A courtyard? That's wonderful!" After speaking, Auntie Chen's gaze landed on Aemeath beside Lu Yan, and her eyes lit up.

"And this is...?"

Lu Yan's heart leaped into his throat.

This kind of concern from older neighbors was often accompanied by endless questioning.

He was just about to explain that she was a distant relative or a studio partner, but before he could put the words together, Auntie Chen spoke first.

"Oh my, what a pretty girl!"

Auntie Chen looked Aemeath up and down, clicking her tongue in amazement. Then she turned to Lu Yan, her voice carrying a hint of half-joking reproach. "Little Lu, you haven't been very fair to me."

"Whenever I offered to set you up with someone, you always said you were busy."

"My niece is a nurse at the central hospital. She's sensible and dependable. I was just telling her about you a couple of days ago."

"I told her you were a good boy who hardly ever got into arguments, a fine young man to settle down with."

"I was even thinking of arranging for you two to meet this weekend, and now look what you've gone and done..."

Auntie Chen clapped her hands, but before she had finished speaking, Lu Yan felt a distinct pressure on his arm.

Aemeath's hand, which had only been loosely linked around his arm, was now gripping it tightly.

Her ample snow pillows pressed tightly against Lu Yan's arm, and the contact left half his body tingling.

Lu Yan barely dared look at Aemeath's expression. He could almost feel the air around them growing colder.

Aemeath maintained her cheerful facade.

She leaned forward slightly, Auntie Chen's reflection in her golden, starry eyes, and curved her lips into a perfect smile. Her voice was sickeningly sweet.

"Hello, Auntie Chen. I'm Aemeath, the 'most important' person to A-Yan in this world~"

Aemeath placed special emphasis on "most important."

"The nurse must be wonderful, isn't she?"

Aemeath blinked, a dim glint flashing through her starry eyes. "But it's a shame. A-Yan works very hard, you know. He often stays up late drawing, and sometimes he's so busy he can't even manage three meals a day."

"Nurses are very good at taking care of people too, but A-Yan would be troubled if the person at his side didn't know every one of his habits and couldn't look after his feelings whenever he needed. Isn't that right, A-Yan~~~?"

A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on Lu Yan's back.

Aemeath sounded as though she were expressing regret on his behalf, but every word was really a declaration of ownership.

"Auntie Chen, please don't tease me." Lu Yan hurriedly waved his hands, his movements quick and tinged with panic.

"I already have Aemeath. Your niece is so wonderful, she's sure to find someone better."

Auntie Chen was taken aback by Aemeath's aura, then gave an awkward smile. "Yes, yes, of course. Seeing how close you two are, I can rest easy."

"My, Little Lu, you really do have high standards. No wonder none of the girls I introduced caught your eye."

Uncle Wang blew a smoke ring and chuckled. "Old woman, stop fussing over nothing."

"Look how lucky Little Lu is. I'm afraid your niece doesn't stand a chance. Come on, let's go home and make dinner."

"All right, Little Lu, I hope the move goes smoothly! Come back and visit often." Auntie Chen waved as she pulled Uncle Wang toward their apartment, muttering under her breath, "That girl really is beautiful, but the way she looked at me gave me the creeps."

Once the elderly couple disappeared behind their door, the stairwell fell quiet again.

Lu Yan turned to look at Aemeath.

Aemeath had already dropped her combative posture. She lowered her head, her bangs hiding her expression.

Aemeath suddenly released her tight grip on Lu Yan, her voice turning a little fragile. "A-Yan, do you know that nurse Auntie Chen was talking about?"

Lu Yan's chest tightened. He could feel that something was wrong with Aemeath's mood.

"No, I don't. I've never even met her." Lu Yan quickly took her small hand, his voice gentle and sincere.

"Aemeath, to me, you're not some choice I made because I have high standards. You're my miracle."

"If it weren't for you, I might still be sitting in that room, staring into space."

"Auntie Chen was only making an offhand remark. I'll be mindful of boundaries when dealing with the neighbors from now on."

Aemeath looked up, and her starry eyes, which had almost dimmed, lit up again.

She threw herself into Lu Yan's arms with such force that he nearly flung away what he was carrying.

"You said it. You're not allowed to lie to me."

She nuzzled against his chest, her voice muffled. "You're mine. No one is allowed to set you up with anyone else. Not even as a joke."

"I promise I'm not lying." Lu Yan gently patted her back, as though soothing a frightened kitten.

Feeling the girl tremble slightly in his arms, Lu Yan was almost crushed by guilt.

How could he have imagined that simply hearing an older neighbor offer to set him up with someone would make Aemeath show such anxiety?

He repeated his clumsy but sincere assurances over and over.

Yet, in a spot Lu Yan couldn't see,

was there even a trace of vulnerability left in Aemeath's eyes?

Beneath the shadow of her lashes, Aemeath's lips curved into a smile of triumph at her successful plan.

A-Yan is so cute... I only had to act a little pitiful, and he panicked this much.

Just as planned.

Aemeath greedily inhaled the scent of Lu Yan's sweat from moving, a scent that intoxicated her.

That scent intoxicated her, and drove her even crazier.

Aemeath sniffed deeply at the crook of Lu Yan's neck again, as though she wanted to carve that promise deep into her soul.

"All right, A-Yan, I believe you."

Aemeath raised her head from his embrace, her eyes still shimmering with a few tears, looking utterly endearing.

She reached out with her small hand and thoughtfully straightened Lu Yan's collar, which she had just mussed up. Her voice returned to its sweet tone. "The movers are waiting. Let's hurry. Let's leave this... place where people try to set you up with someone."

"Mm, let's go."

Lu Yan took her hand and looked back one last time at the now-empty room.

Goodbye, old shell called loneliness.