Chapter 112: Restless Hearts |
Lan Yixian changed back into her original clothes in the room, then handed the bag with the three new outfits back to Liu Changqing.
He took the bag without a word.
During the time it took for her to change, Liu Changqing had already swapped into his shoes at the door. He turned, opened the door, and was about to leave when Lan Yixian suddenly called out to him.
“Liu Changqing!”
He paused, holding the door ajar, and turned to look at her, puzzled.
A faint smile appeared on Lan Yixian’s face as she softly said, “It’s getting dark. Be careful on the road.”
“…”
Liu Changqing didn’t reply, just gave her a small nod before shutting the door behind him. The force of the closing door stirred her hair slightly, making it sway.
She stared at the closed door, listening to the sound of his footsteps gradually fading down the stairs.
Liu Changqing reached his car, yanked open the door, and threw the bag onto the passenger seat. After closing the door, he didn’t start the car right away.
Instead, he sat there, staring blankly ahead. His thoughts were unclear, drifting aimlessly.
After a while, he reached for the window handle, rolled it down, and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one and took a long drag, exhaling slowly.
Resting his left arm on the window ledge, he flicked the ash outside and took another drag.
The cabin filled slightly with smoke as he leaned back into the seat, his eyes half-closed.
Outside, the faint glow of summer nightfall barely illuminated the surroundings. Only the sounds of insects broke the silence.
He tilted his head back against the seat cushion, swallowed, and muttered to himself:
“Liu Changqing… You’re an adult. You need to control yourself…”
The summer night was humid but carried a faint coolness.
Zhou Shiyan pulled the brim of her sunhat lower, the wide brim shielding her face.
The movement caught the attention of Liu Zhiyue, who was walking nearby with his younger sister. He couldn’t figure out why Zhou Shiyan had insisted on tagging along when he was just taking Xiazhi out to play.
Since lending him her notes, Zhou Shiyan’s thoughts had always been an enigma to Liu Zhiyue. Her impassive expression rarely changed, and she always held her chin high when looking at others.
She was about the same height as his sister…
“Why are you staring at me?”
Zhou Shiyan tilted her hat slightly to peer at Liu Zhiyue, her head raised.
He didn’t flinch at being caught, his tone flat as he replied, “If I wasn’t looking at you, how would I know you were looking at me?”
“…”
The sharp response left Zhou Shiyan momentarily speechless.
Ahead, Liu Xiazhi was walking briskly, excited by the lively street stalls and small shops selling trinkets and snacks.
Having rarely been allowed to explore the world outside, everything felt fresh and new to her.
Suddenly, spotting something intriguing, Xiazhi broke into a run. The movement instantly caught Liu Zhiyue’s attention, and he dashed past Zhou Shiyan to grab his sister’s arm.
“Xiazhi!”
Pulling her back, he scolded, “There are a lot of people here. What if you get lost? You’ve never been here before and wouldn’t know the way home.”
“It’s fine!”
“Fine, my foot!”
He rapped her gently on the head with his knuckles, his expression serious.
“Don’t leave my sight again. Got it?”
“Got it…”
Realizing her brother wasn’t joking, Xiazhi pouted, unhappy but compliant.
Satisfied, Liu Zhiyue smiled and pulled out a tissue to wipe her face.
“Look at you. You’re eating squid, but you’ve got it all over your mouth.”
“Mm-mm!”
Xiazhi mumbled unintelligibly, her mouth full of squid, as he wiped her face clean and folded the tissue into his hand.
When she finished chewing, she held up the remaining skewer to him.
“Here, you eat it!”
“Finish it yourself. If you don’t, I won’t take you out next time!”
Xiazhi’s face scrunched in reluctance. She regretted buying so many skewers earlier. What started as tasty quickly turned into too much, leaving her belly round and full.
Seeing this, Liu Zhiyue patted her head and said, “Let this be a lesson. Don’t order more than you can eat. If you do, finish it. Understood?”
“Understood…”
“Good girl.”
He smiled warmly before glancing at Zhou Shiyan, only to find her staring intently at one of the toy prizes on a nearby stall.
It was a plush penguin with a red scarf.
After a pause, Liu Zhiyue pulled out another five-yuan bill and handed it to the vendor.
“Another round!”
The vendor, in the middle of resetting the balloons on the game board, paused and turned with a somewhat displeased expression.
Taking the money, he handed Liu Zhiyue the darts.
“This is your last game. After this, I’m done with you.”