Chapter 44

“Hello, dear viewers! Welcome to our show, Heart-to-Heart Sync.”

A lively young woman holding a microphone appeared in front of the camera, her cheerful and adorable smile instantly warming the hearts of the audience.

She was Amy, the host of Heart-to-Heart Sync. At twenty-five, she had a youthful doll-like face that made her look like a high school student. However, she had already been in the hosting industry for over three years and was considered one of the rising stars among new-generation hosts.

The show Heart-to-Heart Sync mainly followed a street interview format, known for its sharp and bold questions. Those interviewed often found themselves revealing a lot of personal details before they even realized it.

And since audiences loved digging into other people’s private affairs to satisfy their curiosity, the show’s ratings had always been strong.

“Today’s interview topic is: How well do you know your partner?”

Amy glanced around, searching for interview targets. When she spotted a good-looking couple, she quickly approached them.

“Hello! Would you be willing to participate in a quick interview?”

The couple exchanged a glance and nodded. “Sure.”

But they soon regretted their decision, because despite Amy’s baby-faced innocence, her questions were shockingly blunt.

Basic questions like their partner’s height, weight, birthday, and blood type were just the beginning. Then came the real killers—things like their partner’s size and whether they were satisfied, or which position their partner enjoyed the most.

These questions turned the couple bright red. Flustered, they quickly waved their hands and ran off.

Amy watched them leave with disappointment, shaking her head at how easily embarrassed they were. Then, she turned to find her next interview target.

Suddenly, two tall, stunningly attractive women entered her line of sight.

Amy subconsciously swallowed. Wow. The slightly taller woman on the right was exactly her type. That S-shaped figure, that commanding gaze, even the faint smile at the corner of her lips—Amy’s heart pounded like a little deer running wild.

Overcome by sheer attraction, Amy immediately stepped forward. “Hello, sorry to bother you. May I interview you?”

The two women she stopped were none other than Shen Lihuan and You Changqing.

They had arranged to meet for lunch. The restaurant’s elegant atmosphere and soothing music had put them in a great mood. Feeling inspired, they had even played a four-handed piano piece together, earning enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Even after leaving the restaurant, they were still immersed in the lingering melody—until they were stopped.

Shen Lihuan glanced at the microphone in Amy’s hand and the camera behind her. She lowered her head slightly to ask You Changqing’s opinion. “If you want to do the interview, we’ll answer. If not, we’ll leave.”

You Changqing thought for a moment before turning to Amy. “What kind of interview is this? What do you want to ask us?”

Ahhh! So gentle! And so polite, asking for her partner’s opinion instead of making the decision herself like some dominant, controlling woman.

Just thinking about it made Amy feel that You Changqing was incredibly considerate.

Amy was screaming inside but kept a composed face. “Our topic is: How well do you know your partner?”

Partner…

You Changqing’s eyes lit up. She hooked her arm around Shen Lihuan’s and playfully acted coy. “Lihuan, let’s do the interview! Otherwise, the host will be put in an awkward spot.”

Shen Lihuan looked at her in slight surprise before lowering her head and smiling indulgently. “Alright, whatever you say.”

“Then let’s get started!” Amy suppressed her excitement and held out the microphone to Shen Lihuan. “Hello! Can you tell me your partner’s favorite dish?”

“She prefers light flavors but loves hot pot the most,” Shen Lihuan answered without hesitation.

Beside her, You Changqing beamed sweetly. From her expression, it was clear that Shen Lihuan had answered correctly.

“Alright! Do you know her favorite fruit?” Amy thought this one should be easy too.

“Litchi,” Shen Lihuan replied, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness. Meanwhile, You Changqing covered her mouth, giggling.

Amy instinctively sensed there was something worth digging into here. “Why did she laugh when you said litchi?”

“Because there’s a ‘Li’ (荔) in my name,” Shen Lihuan explained.

“So she loves eating litchi, which means she loves eating… hehehehe~”

Amy grinned mischievously.

Shen Lihuan shot a sidelong glance at You Changqing as if to say, See? I told you they’d laugh.

Before meeting her, You Changqing hadn’t even been that into litchis. But after they got together, her tastes mysteriously changed. Shen Lihuan really didn’t know what to say about it.

You Changqing was laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

“Next question! Do you know your partner’s favorite color?”

“Blue.” Shen Lihuan answered effortlessly.

“Hmm~ Looks like you really know her well. Now for the next question!”

Amy gave them a sly look. “Do you know your partner’s three sizes? And are you satisfied?”

You Changqing’s face immediately turned red, but she still eagerly waited for Shen Lihuan’s answer.

“I know,” Shen Lihuan said calmly, “but that’s private between us, so I can’t tell you.”

Unlike You Changqing, Shen Lihuan didn’t blush at all. She was completely composed as she refused to answer.

“Then are you satisfied?” Amy pressed on, unwilling to let her escape.

“Very satisfied.” Shen Lihuan’s gaze drifted over Amy briefly before she playfully added, “Even if I weren’t, just seeing you would make me satisfied.”

Amy looked like she was about to cry. “Hey! That’s a personal attack!”

In reality, Amy had a great figure—petite but delicately proportioned. She was adorable and charming in her own way.

But standing next to You Changqing, she instantly looked like a total nobody.

Amy helplessly switched to a new interviewee. “Do you know what kind of books your partner loves to read the most?”

You Changqing blinked and looked at Shen Lihuan with a smile. “She loves reading medical books.”

“Medical books? Is this young lady planning to become a doctor?”

Amy’s eyes lit up. A woman this confident and composed in a white coat? That would be the ultimate uniform temptation!

“Yes! I believe she’ll be an outstanding medical scientist in the future!”

You Changqing gazed at Shen Lihuan with bright, trusting eyes, firmly convinced that Lihuan would be the best.

Shen Lihuan reached out and lightly touched You Changqing’s soft cheek. Seeing the unwavering trust in her eyes, she suddenly felt an urge to lower her head and kiss her.

Her gaze was too criminally alluring.

Suppressing the impulse, Shen Lihuan let out a breath.

She was beginning to realize that her feelings for Changqing were subtly changing…

After the interview ended, Amy clenched her fists and cheered, “I wish you both happiness!”

You Changqing’s eyes curved into a smile. “Thank you for your blessing!”

She truly believed that she and Lihuan would be happy.

Shen Lihuan didn’t say anything. Linking arms with You Changqing, she led her away.

With more than an hour left before their class, the two decided to take a stroll to help digest their meal. The sun was still quite strong at this hour, and Shen Lihuan didn’t want You Changqing to get tanned, so she thought about finding a boutique store to buy a parasol.

At that moment, You Changqing spotted a young boy sitting on a small stool by the street. In front of him were neatly arranged bamboo-woven baskets, hats, and jewelry boxes.

The little boy sat with his hands clasped tightly, looking expectantly at passersby who stopped to glance at his wares. Whenever someone just looked and then walked away, the light in his bright eyes dimmed—his pitiful yet adorable appearance tugging at the heartstrings.

Seeing this, You Changqing’s heart softened. She pulled Shen Lihuan along and approached him. As they drew near, the little boy’s eyes brightened again. When You Changqing smiled at him, he blushed shyly.

“Little brother, did your family make these bamboo crafts?”

Unbothered by the lack of a seat, You Changqing squatted down to his eye level.

The little boy nodded and said softly, “My mom made them. She’s really good at it.”

Perhaps feeling that he was bragging, he blushed even more.

“They’re indeed beautifully made! Your mom’s craftsmanship is amazing!”

You Changqing pretended not to notice the boy’s embarrassment and gave him a big thumbs-up. The boy’s long eyelashes fluttered as he smiled shyly.

“Lihuan, which hat do you think suits me? I think they all look so nice.”

You Changqing turned to Shen Lihuan for help, feeling a bit indecisive.

“If you like them, buy them all and wear a different one each day.”

How could Shen Lihuan not see that You Changqing wanted to help the boy? She played along seamlessly.

The boy’s eyes lit up instantly, and a smile spread across his face. He looked at You Changqing with eager anticipation, his puppy-like gaze making her want to pinch his cheeks.

“Alright, I’ll buy them all! But how are we going to carry so many hats home?”

You Changqing frowned slightly, troubled by the logistics.

Shen Lihuan chuckled. “That’s not a problem. You buy them, and I’ll take care of getting them home.”

“Alright then, I’ll leave that to you.” You Changqing trusted that Shen Lihuan wouldn’t make empty promises, so she handed the responsibility over without hesitation.

Shen Lihuan let out a soft laugh, her gaze so gentle it seemed to ripple. “I’ll step aside to make a call. Wait here for me, okay?”

You Changqing nodded obediently. “Mm, go ahead. Come back soon.”

With that, Shen Lihuan stepped away to make the call.

“Little brother, I’ll take all your hats. How much do they cost in total?” You Changqing asked, looking at the delighted little boy.

The boy quickly replied, “Big sister, my mom said each hat is only thirty yuan. If you buy them all, I can give you a little flower basket for free!”

He gazed at her hopefully, praying she would buy the hats.

His mother had been sick for days, and their landlady had threatened to evict them if they didn’t pay rent soon. He was terrified—he had lived in the same alley since birth. If they were kicked out, where would he and his mother go?

“That’s so cheap.”

You Changqing examined the hat in her hands. Though made of bamboo, it didn’t look rustic at all. In fact, it had a vintage aesthetic that made it quite stylish. At just thirty yuan each, she felt like she was getting an incredible bargain.

Especially since the boy’s clothes were so faded from washing, and he had to sit here selling things all by himself—it was clear his family was struggling.

“Little brother, I don’t want to take advantage of you. How much is this little flower basket? I’ll pay for that too.”

She placed a hat on her head as she spoke.

“But that’s not right! Mom taught me to be honest. If you buy so many hats, you should get the flower basket for free.”

The little boy shook his head firmly, refusing her offer. No matter how much he needed money, he couldn’t forget his mother’s teachings.

“Your mother raised you well.”

You Changqing was touched. The little boy shyly pressed his lips together and smiled.

Since the flower basket had to be a free gift, she decided to buy a jewelry box instead. If she bought more, the boy could finish selling sooner and go home.

He was clearly still of school age, yet he had to sit here selling things to support his family. It was true—children from poor families grew up fast.

As she pondered, she wondered to herself: What else can I do for him?

“There are seven hats in total, so you need to pay 210 yuan,” the little boy said, skillfully pulling out a large bag. He carefully stacked the hats inside, placed the flower basket on top, and handed the bag to You Changqing with a smile.

“How much is this jewelry box? I want one—no, actually, I’ll take two.”

Seeing Shen Lihuan walking back toward her, You Changqing suddenly changed her mind. It would be perfect for them to have one each.

“This jewelry box is a bit more expensive—forty yuan each. It has two layers inside, so it can hold quite a lot of things!”

The little boy nervously tried to sell the jewelry boxes his mother had woven to You Changqing. Others had asked about the price before, but upon hearing it was forty yuan, they found it too expensive and left. He was afraid You Changqing would do the same.

“Alright, so the total is 290 yuan. I’ll give you 300. Do you have change?”

You Changqing took out her wallet and pulled out three 100-yuan bills.

The little boy swallowed nervously and nodded like a pecking chick. “Yes, my mom gave me some small change.”

He quickly pulled out a few five- and ten-yuan bills from his pocket—this was all the money they had left at home.

You Changqing handed him the 300 yuan and took the ten yuan in change, feeling its unexpected weight in her palm.

Shen Lihuan noticed her sadness and patted her on the shoulder. “Alright, I already called someone. He’ll take these hats and jewelry boxes back for us.”

“So fast?” You Changqing collected herself and stood up, looking incredulously at the burly man approaching.

“Yeah,” Shen Lihuan replied with a smile before thanking the man, “Thanks for your help, Brother Du.”

“You’re welcome.” Du Mingzhang took the bag containing the hats and jewelry boxes and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

“Who is he?” You Changqing was curious. When the man got closer, she could sense that his aura was different from that of ordinary people. However, he didn’t leave much of an impression, as if he had never been there at all.

“My bodyguard,” Shen Lihuan whispered in her ear. You Changqing nodded knowingly—no wonder.

The little boy tucked the 300 yuan safely into his pocket, his eyes shining with joy. He needed to hurry and buy medicine for his mother. Once she took the medicine, she would get better.

He quickly gathered up the remaining jewelry boxes and flower baskets, preparing to take them home.

Seeing his actions, You Changqing asked in confusion, “Little brother, are you heading home now? Or just moving your stall to another spot?”

“Big sister, I need to take these things home quickly, then go buy medicine for my mom. She’s been sick for days and can’t even get out of bed.”

Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes as he spoke. He was really scared. His mother was so weak that even talking drained her. When their vicious landlady came to scold them, he couldn’t fight back. His mother had been grabbed and bruised by the landlady multiple times.

“Is your home far? We’ll walk you back. I don’t feel comfortable letting a little kid carry so much money alone.”

You Changqing frowned slightly. Shen Lihuan took her hand and said to the boy, “Let’s go. With us accompanying you, it’ll be safer. If someone robs you, you won’t be able to buy your mom’s medicine.”

The boy bit his lip and hesitated for a long time before nodding. He politely thanked them, “Thank you, big sisters.”

“No need to thank us. Let’s go.” You Changqing waved it off and let the boy lead the way while they followed behind.

The boy was innocent and had no guard up. On the way, Shen Lihuan easily got all the details out of him.

His name was Yang Tianlin, and he lived in a nearby alley full of rental apartments with low rent.

His father had passed away shortly after he was born, leaving him and his mother to rely on each other. Life was tough, but they remained optimistic, finding joy in hardship. However, a few days ago, his mother suddenly fell ill and had been bedridden since. Their landlady kept urging them to pay rent, but with no other choice, he had set up a stall alone, hoping to earn enough money to buy medicine and help his mother recover.