I saw that Mi Cai's office drawer was filled with all kinds of cartoon stickers. I held back my laughter, careful not to make too much noise, fearing that if Mi Cai discovered, it would hinder my further investigation.

 

I pretended to look around the office, assessing the decor, while my hand carefully continued to pull out the drawer. Finally, from the corner of my eye, I spotted a Polaroid camera deep in the drawer, with a small stack of photos next to it.

 

I was thrilled. I quickly knocked a stack of files off the table on purpose, then picked up the photos under the guise of retrieving the fallen files. I squatted on the floor, carefully examining the photos in my hand.

 

In the photos, Mi Cai was posing in various ways, taking selfies. Some were of her pouting cutely, others were of her making the peace sign.

 

I struggled to hold back my laughter. These were treasures. I quickly pocketed a few of the most memorable photos, then picked up the files and sat back down in the office chair, pretending nothing had happened.

 

Of course, I knew this was Mi Cai's way of relieving stress, but it was such a contrast to her usual self. It was this contrast that made the photos worth keeping.

 

Mi Cai, oblivious, continued to eat her meal. After a while, she finally said to me, "I'm done eating."

 

"Oh." I responded and promptly vacated her office chair. After all, she was the rightful owner of this office. As a person of high standards, I would never overstep my boundaries.

 

Mi Cai didn't sit back down in her office chair. Instead, she said to me, "You should eat too. The food is still warm. Just wash the dishes and you're good to go. Or I can have my assistant get you a set of utensils from the company cafeteria."

 

I looked into the lunch box. Mi Cai seemed to be a picky eater; she hadn't touched several dishes. It would be a hassle to reheat the food later, so I decided to eat it there.

 

I didn't bother washing the utensils Mi Cai had used. I just filled them with rice and started eating. My lack of manners made Mi Cai stare at me for a while.

 

As I ate, I opened another unopened lunch box and said to Mi Cai, "This is a fruit plate I made for you. Eating a small amount of fruit after a meal can help with digestion."

 

Mi Cai took the lunch box I handed her and said softly, "Thank you for being so considerate."

 

"You've let me stay in your house. What I've done for you is nothing." I said nonchalantly, but I was thinking: Would she still think I'm considerate if she knew I had just stolen her photos?

 

Definitely not. She would probably call me "shameless". Of course, I would never give her the chance to find out, because I am indeed "shameless".

 

***

 

I finished my dinner in half the time it took Mi Cai, then cleaned up the lunch boxes and prepared to say goodbye to Mi Cai. I still had to go to the bar later, as it hadn't closed yet.

 

I said to Mi Cai, who was still working, "I'm leaving now."

 

"Wait."

 

"What's up?" I asked nervously, thinking Mi Cai had discovered that I had stolen her photos.

 

"I'll go with you."

 

I breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Have you finished your work?"

 

"There's nothing particularly important left. I'll pack up and go." Mi Cai said as she opened the drawer to put the files on the table inside, which made me nervous again.

 

Fortunately, Mi Cai didn't notice that I had tampered with the drawer. After arranging the files, she picked up her handbag from the shelf and walked towards me.

 

I breathed a sigh of relief again, but I couldn't help but reflect: One really shouldn't do things that weigh on their conscience. The feeling of being on tenterhooks was terrible.

 

Mi Cai and I walked side by side towards the office exit. I asked her, "Do you want to go to the bar later?"

 

"Mm, to relax a bit." Mi Cai surprisingly didn't refuse.

 

I nodded, but then Mi Cai said to me, "We just finished dinner. Let's walk there. We can also enjoy the snow scenery."

 

"It's too far! It's across several streets!" I immediately refused.

 

"If we get tired, we can take a taxi." Mi Cai insisted.

 

"That's more like it. But just to be clear, you're paying for the taxi."

 

Mi Cai glanced at me and said, "Do you also want me to pay for the meal just now?"

 

I thought for a moment and said, "Well… that's not necessary. It's my honor to cook for you!"

 

"I don't understand your logic!" Mi Cai exclaimed, quickening her pace towards the exit, seemingly tired of the office air.

 

***

 

Mi Cai and I finally left the building belonging to Zhuomei. Mi Cai closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Such a simple action, but because of her posture, her beauty, it made the entire snowy landscape look so picturesque.

 

I wanted to take out my phone and capture this scene, but Mi Cai had already returned to her usual self, asking coldly, "What are you doing?"

 

"Don't you think the snow scenery is beautiful? I want to take a picture."

 

"You can take a picture, but don't point the camera at me."

 

Mi Cai's rejection made me realize more clearly: She was so repulsed by just taking a photo, if she knew I had stolen her photos, she might trick me into going to some remote area near the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway again. I've had my fair share of such experiences.

 

The more I got to know her, the more I realized she was subtly cunning, much more sophisticated than my blatant mischief. In any case, I didn't want to be her opponent.

 

I gave a sheepish smile and put my phone back in my pocket, then put the thermos back in the car. I walked forward with Mi Cai, trudging through the snow.

All the way, Mi Cai took out her card camera and took pictures as she walked. Whenever she captured an interesting scene, she would share it with me. I finally understood why she chose to walk to the bar. She was good at finding joy in the journey and enjoyed it. Coupled with her habit of sticking cartoon papers in office drawers where others couldn't see, I truly understood how lonely she was, and how she had been living with a mask that was heavier than others.

 

I sighed softly, feeling pity for her, but I really didn't know what I could do for her.

 

Mi Cai finally put her card camera into her handbag. After rolling a small snowball on the ground, she kicked it forward. However, her hands were already red from the cold, and she held them to her mouth, breathing on them for warmth.

 

I asked her, "Are your hands very cold?"

 

"Mm." Mi Cai responded, continuing to breathe on her hands.

 

I told myself: it was all because of the cold hands. Finally, I mustered the courage and held her hand.

 

When our hands clasped together, I immediately felt a surge of warmth in my body. Mi Cai was stunned on the spot, her face turning red.

 

I stuttered, "That… I'm helping you warm your hands… My hands are… quite warm."

 

Mi Cai lowered her head and remained silent. I felt even more nervous, as if I had transformed into a man with no experience in love. For a while, I bravely held Mi Cai's hand and walked forward… Both of us kept our heads down, too shy to look at each other!