Chapter 140: A Familiar Feeling |
The phrase "the boat will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridge" was one An Yuanyao firmly believed in. Following this mindset, she decided to take things step by step; it was far from the right time to lay all her cards on the table.
Her previously good mood, sparked by Liu Changqing mentioning a reward, vanished without a trace after a phone call, leaving her preoccupied.
Before pushing open the office door, An Yuanyao took a few deep breaths at the entrance to compose herself. Only after adjusting her emotions did she step inside.
Inside, the four people present remained silent. Quietly closing the door, An Yuanyao returned to her seat next to Liu Changqing, slipped her phone into her bag, and picked up her drawing tablet.
Suddenly, she noticed something—someone’s gaze fixed on her.
Across from her, two children were sitting close together. Liu Xiazhi held a notebook, jotting something down, while the younger girl with twin ponytails stared at An Yuanyao with dull, lifeless eyes.
This wasn’t An Yuanyao’s first time seeing her. At a previous parent-teacher meeting, when Liu Changqing had gone to discuss something with Feng Qian, she’d taken these two kids to a milk tea shop for a while and even helped redo the younger girl’s messy twin ponytails.
This time, her hair was tied much better…
Though unsure why the girl was staring, An Yuanyao smiled at her.
Feeling a bit puzzled, An Yuanyao tilted her head, trying to figure out why the little girl had been watching her. Unable to make sense of it, she picked up her drawing tablet, preparing to start work. But just as she was about to begin, Liu Changqing’s voice interrupted.
“That Qianxun… is he your brother?”
“Yes. Why?”
An Yuanyao nodded, looking over curiously.
Hearing her answer, Liu Changqing froze for a moment, his work momentarily paused as he processed the information.
“Uh… is he your biological brother?”
“Of course.”
An Yuanyao’s confusion deepened. “Why are you asking such strange questions—”
She trailed off mid-sentence, her expression shifting from bewilderment to amusement. Lowering her voice slightly, she said, “Wait, who did you think he was just now…?”
“I thought… I thought he was your brother. I just didn’t know you had one. Speaking of which… his name, An Qianxun…”
Liu Changqing repeated the name, his brows furrowed. “Your dad’s a famous traditional painter, right? Did he name both you and your brother?”
“No, my mom did,” An Yuanyao replied.
“Oh, that explains it…”
Though still puzzled, Liu Changqing accepted the answer. He had a vague memory of An Yuanyao’s father. After all, his former father-in-law had some connections with the man. While they hadn’t met often, the previous Liu Changqing had encountered him—a stern-looking, serious man.
As for An Yuanyao’s mother, Liu Changqing had no impression of her.
The reason he’d asked about An Qianxun was because the more he repeated the name, the stranger it felt—oddly familiar in a way he couldn’t pinpoint. It didn’t sound like a name a renowned traditional painter would choose.
“What’s with the name? Is there something wrong with it?” An Yuanyao asked, noticing his mumbling.
“No, it’s a good name,” Liu Changqing replied, unsure what else to say.
An Yuanyao thought for a moment, then changed the subject. “It’s such a pity I forgot to take a picture.”
“A pity about what?”
“My brother’s son just turned one hundred days old. He’s chubby and adorable,” An Yuanyao said, her voice softening. The earlier excitement faded as her gaze lowered slightly.
“Without realizing it, my brother’s already a father. It feels like just yesterday he was causing trouble all through high school, and now he’s got a kid…” She smiled faintly, reminiscing. “My mom told me his wife was his high school classmate. Her family situation isn’t great, but she’s a really nice person. Back then, my brother used to bully her a lot. She wasn’t afraid of him at all and even slapped him once…”
“…”
Liu Changqing stared at her, stunned. When he finally reacted, he asked quickly, “Wait… after that, did your brother start paying attention to her? Then they went from enemies to getting closer, went through challenges, and finally ended up together?”
“How did you know?”
“I just knew it!”
Seeing An Yuanyao’s surprised expression, Liu Changqing’s reaction was a mix of incredulity and realization.
The familiarity of the name An Qianxun now made sense—he’d seen countless school romance novels during his previous life, ones girls adored reading. The male protagonists always had names with a similar style!
With a father who was a famous painter, a privileged background, and his sister’s stunning appearance, An Qianxun was probably a suave, handsome guy. Add in his rebellious high school phase…
Liu Changqing was left speechless.
He glanced at An Yuanyao for a moment, said nothing more, and returned to his work.
“Let’s drop it. Let’s grab lunch together later.”
“Alright…”
As Liu Changqing ended the topic, An Yuanyao picked up her drawing tablet again, ready to work. But after a while, she hesitated, then shyly looked at Liu Changqing.
“Um… could you teach me again?”
“Thank you so much…”
Lan Yixian handed a chilled bottle of water to Liu Zhiyue, who wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm.
Sitting down, Liu Zhiyue froze for a moment before accepting the bottle. “Thanks.”
“I should be thanking you, coming out to help in this heat…”
Lan Yixian glanced at the now-organized shop interior. All it needed was a new set of tables and chairs, and it could open. She turned back to Liu Zhiyue, watching him twist open the bottle cap and drink.
A thought crossed her mind.
He… looks just like his father.
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