Henry Shaw turned to Lily Lee and said, "Scrub the pot and fill it with clean water."
"Okay." Lily Lee quickly found the pot, rolled up her sleeves, scrubbed it clean in no time, and brought it over to hang above the campfire with Henry Shaw.
As she was tossing ingredients into the pot, Henry Shaw suddenly reached out and grabbed Lily Lee's hand.
Lily Lee felt her whole arm stiffen.
What was he doing...?
"Don't rush to put everything in yet." Henry Shaw's voice sounded above Lily Lee's head. "Wait until the water boils, then add the ingredients. That way, they'll taste better."
After saying this, Henry Shaw didn't let go of her hand. The two of them stood there, half-natural, half-awkward, still holding hands.
Jack Lin saw this scene, and it stung his eyes.
Doug gently nudged Jack Lin, who finally grunted and looked away.
When the water finally boiled, Henry Shaw slowly let go of Lily Lee's hand.
Only then did Lily Lee finally feel like herself again.
She flexed her fingers, the rough and reassuring feeling lingering on the back of her hand as if it had never left.
Lily Lee silently tossed the ingredients into the pot, watching them swirl and rise in the creamy broth, just like her mood—up and down, unsettled.
Jack Lin and Doug kept chatting with Henry Shaw, leaving Lily Lee with almost no chance to join in.
Those high-end topics really were out of her league.
Even with her double PhDs, her life was all about research, experiments, caring for her sister, and working hard to earn money and take her sister to the doctor.
That's how she'd spent the first thirty years of her life.
She'd never cared that a plain Prada woven bag could cost tens of thousands, or that a tiny bottle of Shiseido water could be several thousand.
Those things were worlds away from her life—so far she couldn't even touch them.
Even after she started working with Cecilia Gu and became Yina Yin’s mentor, she was still far, far from all that.
"You could say I'm the young master's shadow. Wherever he goes, I follow." Henry Shaw gave a self-deprecating smile. "But over a decade ago, something major happened. You might've heard rumors, though people rarely mention it now. Still, it was a turning point for us. Mr. Yin staged a car accident that shattered our once-perfect family."
Lily Lee nodded. "I've heard a bit about it."
"That's right, that's the one. After it happened, I failed in my duty, so I followed the young master's orders and left for a distant place, living under a new name, carrying out a secret mission. In order to survive, I even fought underground boxing matches..." Henry Shaw shared all the dark parts of his past with Lily Lee, holding nothing back.
Henry Shaw didn't say much, but everything was laid out clearly and concisely.
"See, that's who I am—a guy who exists like a shadow." Henry Shaw smiled wryly. "The Yin family has treated me well, giving me a branch company. Honestly, I barely manage it because most of my time is spent traveling wherever the young master needs me. As long as he needs me, I'm his shadow, ready to go wherever he points. So, knowing all this, would you still like someone like me?"
Hearing Henry Shaw's honest confession, Lily Lee felt a little overwhelmed.
"We're both over thirty now, not exactly young anymore. No need for the shy games young people play." Henry Shaw chuckled and said, "I know you like me, and honestly, I like you too. If there's someone to walk through life with, and if you don't mind..."
Lily Lee looked up at Henry Shaw, her eyes shining.
But Henry Shaw suddenly found himself unable to continue.
Lily Lee laughed softly. "If you're a shadow, then I'm just a drifting cloud."
She sighed, brushing the messy hair from her forehead. "You know my story—my parents died young, I've been raising a sick sister alone, and it's been a struggle every step of the way. To have the life I have now, I'm truly grateful. So, I don't dare wish for more. Maybe shadows and clouds both live in the places the light doesn't reach. If you, as a shadow, don't mind me being just a humble cloud, I'd like to try—let me hide behind you and steal a few moments of peace in this busy life."
Henry Shaw smiled too, nodding gently. "Deal."
They looked at each other and laughed.
There was none of that dramatic chase between them.
They came together simply and quietly.
Who says love has to be dramatic?
Sometimes, the quiet kind of love feels the most real.
Everyone was already mature.
They understood each other's boundaries and values, and could handle their feelings and lives with maturity.
And that's enough.
That academic journal was nationally recognized!
He wanted to remind Jack Lin, but after that glare, Doug suddenly didn’t feel like saying anything.
Henry Shaw burst out laughing, hearty and cheerful.
Lily Lee sighed and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about it."
Any more and it’d just be embarrassing for someone.
No need.
They were basically strangers, so there was no need to embarrass anyone.
But Jack Lin, eager to impress Henry Shaw and put Lily Lee down, wouldn’t let it go. "Just say it! Could you possibly have a higher degree than me?"
Lily Lee sighed softly and stayed silent.
Henry Shaw answered slowly, "Actually, she does have a higher degree than you. In fact, her education is even higher than mine."
Jack Lin screamed, "Impossible!"
Doug couldn't hold back and asked Lily Lee, "Are you Professor Lily Lee, the one who published the research on marine skeletons in the international academic journal?"
Lily Lee looked at him in surprise. "You know me?"
Doug looked at her with admiration. "So it really is you! I read your article—they say it filled a gap in marine biology research! I admire you so much! I heard you have double PhDs in botany and marine biology?"
Lily Lee smiled and nodded. "Land plants and the ocean are closely connected. When I studied botany, I minored in marine biology, and after graduation, I switched to marine biology full-time."
Jack Lin's jaw dropped, completely shocked. "How is that possible?!"
Henry Shaw chuckled, "But it's true!"
Jack Lin stared at Lily Lee in horror.
How could such a plain, country-style woman be a double PhD?
Oh my god, his whole worldview was about to be flipped upside down!
Lily Lee smiled helplessly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Henry Shaw couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
After that, Jack Lin finally quieted down during dinner.
Even if he wanted to chat with Henry Shaw, sitting next to a double PhD made him wilt instantly.
Who was he trying to impress, anyway?
How could he even pretend?
She had double PhDs and had published in both world-class and national journals.
He was just a small-time photographer who'd never won any major awards.
Was that even in the same league?
So, dinner was unbelievably quiet.
After everyone finished eating, nobody bothered to look at the stars.
Even though she studied plants and the ocean, she must've taken astronomy and geography in college and high school!
Yeah, better not try to show off about that either.
Getting slapped in the face by reality hurts!
After dinner, Lily Lee and Henry Shaw went to the car, one after the other. Maybe they felt awkward about going to sleep so soon.
Gotta play it cool, after all.
Before Lily Lee could think of something to break the silence, Henry Shaw spoke up: "Want to hear my story?"
Lily Lee was stunned, then nodded.
"Ever since I was little, I was chosen to be Yin Sicheng's personal assistant. From that moment on, I stopped being just myself or a member of the Shaw family—I became part of the Yin family." Henry Shaw smiled faintly. "I ate, slept, and grew up with the young master. We got in trouble together, skipped class together, even got punished together. So, the young master is a very important person to me."