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墨書 Inktalez
Upon seeing Xiang Yuanqiu, she thought of An Shaojie and even more about the conversation she had just had with Shaw Min. Since returning home for winter break, she had not seen An Shaojie even once.
Sighing inwardly, Qinglan realized that it wasn't just during this winter break; it seemed that ever since entering university, although they were still classmates, she hardly had any opportunities to meet him outside of class.
Moreover, as first-year university students, most classes were large lectures with many students, making encounters unlike those in middle or high school. Even during the days when An Shaojie intentionally avoided her, there were still moments when their gazes would occasionally meet.
Those fleeting moments of eye contact made Qinglan's heart race and softened the resentment An Shaojie held towards her.
Yes, Qinglan could sense that no matter how indifferent or cold he acted towards her in the past, whenever their eyes met unexpectedly, she could see a hint of softness and warmth hidden deep within him through his flustered avoidance.
Though it was just a brief moment and only a trace of feeling, that fleeting softness and warmth gave Qinglan the courage to persist.
He kept her in both his most vulnerable and most hardened places in his heart!
But now, there were no more accidental meetings of their gazes. Aside from a few instances at the beginning of the semester, she hadn't received any of his glances for the past six months.
Without the intertwining of their gazes, Qinglan could no longer feel that softer part of his heart; it seemed as if An Shaojie had already drifted away from her.
She was afraid of this feeling!
Seeing that Qinglan seemed at a loss for words, Xiang Yuanqiu quickly put down her teacup and invited Qinglan to take her out for a walk.
"Uh?" Qinglan was taken aback, feeling foolish for not thinking of it herself; the guest was more considerate than the host.
There were indeed many places to explore around Liu Family Village. For instance, behind Azure Dragon Hill was a hawthorn grove that had been planted in recent years and was starting to bear fruit for the market, generating profits for Liu Family Village.
There was also the mulberry tree forest where they often played as children and the plum tree grove behind Lin Xi's home—both vast orchards where one could gaze out at the newly built roads leading away from Liu Family Village and the scenery beyond the mountains.
Even in winter, being among these trees offered a unique charm despite the frost weighing down the branches.
Thus, Qinglan led Xiang Yuanqiu out of the village.
Qinglan knew that Xiang Yuanqiu was always perceptive; her sudden visit surely wasn't just to catch up or admire the scenery of Liu Family Village. So Qinglan speculated that she had come for An Shaojie. Having harbored a crush on him since middle school through high school, now that they were in university, with her strong personality that wouldn't give up easily, it was likely she would seek an opportunity to confess her feelings to An Shaojie.
As they walked onto the Azure Stone Bridge, Qinglan deliberately pointed to An Shaojie's house across from her and said to Xiang Yuanqiu, "That's Brother Shaojie's home."
"Oh," Xiang Yuanqiu replied lightly, lowering her head to continue walking.
Qinglan paused for a moment, raising her head to gaze at An Shaojie's house for a long time.
It had been a while since she had seen him, and her longing felt like the wind on the bridge—desolate, lonely, yet painfully cutting through her heart.
Though it was not an unforgettable ache, it was still a feeling that could not be dispelled!
"Over there. The house is beautiful," Xiang Yuanqiu suddenly pointed to a small village across the pond, interrupting Qinglan's drifting thoughts.
"Oh, yes," Qinglan replied, still lost in her thoughts or perhaps just slow to react.
Xiang Yuanqiu's thoughts jumped too quickly.
"Let's go over there and take a look," Xiang Yuanqiu said enthusiastically as she took Qinglan's hand and walked away.
"Oh." Qinglan passively followed behind her.
Lin Xi's home was over there! Ever since Lin Xi left, Qinglan hadn't been there in a long time.
She had thought about going there earlier but was called back by Bai Cuifen. Since Xiang Yuanqiu was interested, she might as well accompany her.
When they reached the entrance of Lin Xi's home, Xiang Yuanqiu almost stopped at the same time as Qinglan.
Qinglan stood at the door for a long time before stepping forward to push the heavy wooden door. A rusty lock secured it shut, and some dirt and wood chips fell from above the door frame, landing on Qinglan's body and head.
"Whose house is this?" Xiang Yuanqiu asked as she looked at Qinglan.
"Lin Sister's home," Qinglan brushed off the dirt from her head. "Oh, it's Lin Xi—the Lin Mei Mei mentioned in Brother Shaojie's diary." Qinglan explained lightly.
"Oh." Xiang Yuanqiu had a faint smile on her face, but beneath that subtle expression lay a hint of coldness, even a touch of mockery.
Qinglan was not someone who was good at reading people's emotions; perhaps it was because she had never realized that sometimes the human heart harbors darkness.
She was lost in memories of the past. "This is her family's house." Qinglan clapped her hands and walked to the edge of the pond in front of Lin Xi's Home. "This is a Gardenia tree. It used to bloom with small Gardenias in early June, and it smelled so good. When I went to school with Lin Xi, we always wore two flowers in our hair clips, which made our classmates envious."
"But now, I guess no one knows when its flowers bloom and fall anymore?" Qinglan sighed unconsciously.
Indeed, there were only a few households left in the small village near Lin Xi's Home, and most had moved away to live outside the mountains. The houses were locked up, leaving the place desolate. The trees and bamboo groves that once surrounded the village seemed to have changed as well, feeling much more unfamiliar.
Although the village used to be small, it was very lively because of Lin Xi's Home. Her family often had people coming and going for help with literary matters from Lin Wenhui or household chores from Jia Zhilan.
More importantly, Qinglan would always bring a group of children from Dazhuang to play here.
Qinglan continued to point out every blade of grass and stone where she, Lin Xi, and An Shaojie had played in front of Lin Xi's Home while introducing them to Xiang Yuanqiu.
Little did she know that for Xiang Yuanqiu, these details were unimportant. Before coming to Qinglan's house, she had already gathered all information about Lin Xi's Home; she knew it was Lin Xi's house long ago. She brought Qinglan here with the sole purpose of discussing Lin Xi and probing for information about her.
"Oh, then... where is Lin Xi now? Do you know? Do you still have contact with her?" Xiang Yuanqiu asked from behind Qinglan.
"No, I don't know where she is now. I miss her very much," Qinglan replied as she stood still, feeling the breeze blowing from the pond. "Oh." Xiang Yuanqiu chuckled softly behind her. "Just as I suspected, Lin Xi has not been in contact with her; she only has secret dealings with An Shaojie." Xiang Yuanqiu looked at Qinglan's back and smiled smugly to herself.
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