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墨書 Inktalez
When Jian Ming and Qinglan arrived at the registration area, Shaw Min had already signed in with An Shaojie. As she stepped out of the crowd, Shaw Min smiled at Qinglan and waved to her and Jian Ming before heading off to handle other procedures.
After completing this procedure with Jian Ming, Qinglan went on to handle another one, making several trips back and forth, which was quite exhausting. Finally, Jian Ming suggested that Qinglan hand over all her things to him so he could take care of everything while she rested in the shade of a tree.
On one side was the stifling heat of a sun-drenched day with not a breath of wind, and on the other side was the bustling crowd in front of her, filled with noisy chatter.
Bored and restless, Qinglan began to feel a bit irritated as she fanned herself with her hand, her eyes wandering around.
“Dad, this is done!” A clear rural accent reached Qinglan's ears.
Oh, wait, it wasn't entirely a rural accent; it was just that hearing "Dad" in Beijing made Qinglan feel a sense of familiarity, and the crisp female voice indeed carried a hint of that accent.
Qinglan couldn't help but fix her gaze on the girl who had spoken.
That face looked so familiar! It felt like she had seen it before! And those features, that smile, those clear and gentle eyes like a spring of pure water! Qinglan tapped her head but couldn't recall if she had met this person before.
Standing under the tree, Qinglan stomped her feet in an effort to remember. When she looked up again, the girl had vanished.
“Finally finished!” Suddenly, Jian Ming appeared in front of Qinglan with a relaxed expression. He picked up the bag next to her and waved his hand. “Let’s go meet Simple and the others for dinner.”
What Qinglan didn't know was that just after she left, An Shaojie was frantically weaving through the crowd.
“An Shaojie, what are you doing?” Shaw Min shouted after him.
Having just completed the last procedure, Shaw Min turned around to call out to An Shaojie but found him desperately trying to push his way through the crowd. She chased after him while calling out, but he ignored her completely.
It wasn't until they reached a less crowded area that An Shaojie finally stopped.
“What’s wrong, An Shaojie?” Shaw Min asked gently as she stood beside him.
Just like when he was younger, she always worried about him. Although he was doing well academically and had been accepted into a prestigious university, Shaw Min still treated him like a child—indulging him and taking care of him.
Especially concerning his feelings; while she was confident about his studies, there was always an underlying unease regarding his emotional life.
“I think I just saw Lin Xi,” An Shaojie said, almost as if talking to himself but also addressing Shaw Min.
Upon hearing An Shaojie's words, the usually gentle Shaw Min's expression darkened as she said, "How can you still be thinking about Lin Xi? How old was she when she left, and how old is she now? Can you even recognize her? It's simply ridiculous!"
"Sister, where are we going to eat?" An Shaojie didn't mind Shaw Min's anger; after a moment of hesitation, he turned around and asked with a hint of longing.
Indeed, perhaps it was just an illusion born from his nostalgia. What were the chances of encountering Lin Xi's figure in such a vast crowd?
"Yeah, where should we eat? Beijing City is so big, and neither of us knows our way around," Shaw Min said, clutching her stomach, which was growling with hunger.
After a whole day on the train yesterday and a busy day today, Shaw Min was not only hungry but also very tired. She shot a weary glance at An Shaojie, filled with unspoken grievances.
Shaw Min's expressions stemmed from two reasons: she was genuinely exhausted, and she was still holding onto a note that Jian Ming had secretly slipped to her earlier. The note asked Shaw Min and An Shaojie to wait at the school gate so they could all eat together.
Shaw Min understood An Shaojie's temperament; if she told him directly, he would definitely refuse. However, he had always cared for his sister. Shaw Min knew very well that as long as she acted weak and helpless, he would surely soften.
So, Shaw Min guided An Shaojie towards the school gate. "Let's first see if there are any inexpensive little restaurants nearby."
An Shaojie nodded. Shaw Min's tired eyes made him feel compelled to comply with her wishes.
When they reached the school gate, they immediately spotted Qinglan, Jian Ming, Reiko, and Simple standing in a row waiting for them.
Upon seeing them, An Shaojie instantly displayed a wary and defensive expression and involuntarily took a step back.
His sense of caution made Shaw Min uneasy.
Yes, An Shaojie had always been this way since childhood—constantly prepared to flee from people and situations around him.
He was too sensitive! A person who is overly sensitive will either hurt themselves emotionally or inevitably hurt others.
Shaw Min worried too much about him.
"An Shaojie," Shaw Min said encouragingly as she looked at him. "This is Reiko." She first pulled An Shaojie in front of Reiko. "She is Sister's classmate in high school and her best friend."
An Shaojie smiled broadly at Reiko.
Sister's classmate and best friend. After hearing this, An Shaojie lowered his guard against Reiko.
Then, Shaw Min pulled An Shaojie in front of Simple, who was eating an ice pop, and said, "This is probably Jian Ming's sister, Simple."
Simple took the ice pop out of her mouth, waved her hand to interrupt Shaw Min, and said, "Hey, Brother Shaojie, I know you. No need to introduce. I also know your name is An Shaomin."
Simple's words made Reiko and Qinglan laugh. Reiko was also a carefree person but didn't speak as bluntly as Simple.
"Simple, how can you speak like that? It's Sister Shaomin," Jian Ming scolded angrily.
Simple showed no signs of embarrassment; instead, she glared at Jian Ming and said, "Old-fashioned scholar." Then she turned to Shaw Min and said, "Hehe, Sister Shaomin."
Shaw Min smiled gently and said, "It's fine. Simple is great like this; people like her are often the most popular because they are harmless."
Shaw Min's words were intentionally directed at An Shaojie to let him know that the people here meant no harm to him and even cared for him. He didn't need to be so reserved and defensive.
However, An Shaojie truly did not feel wary of Simple. First, he had known Simple for a long time and understood her innocent personality, which he liked. Second, Simple was friends with Lin Xi. This was the main reason An Shaojie accepted Simple.
After introducing Reiko and Simple, Shaw Min did not pull An Shaojie over to introduce him to Jian Ming and Qinglan; she simply exchanged smiles with Jian Ming and Qinglan. In fact, this action was meant to tell An Shaojie that these two didn’t need an introduction either; they posed no threat to him and only offered affection.
"Hey, why didn't Sister Shaomin introduce my brother to An Shaojie?" Simple asked bluntly.
Reiko and Qinglan laughed even harder. Suddenly, Qinglan noticed something was off; she glanced at An Shaojie and saw his face was pale. Qinglan quickly stopped laughing and tried to smooth things over by saying, "Because Brother Shaojie has already met Jian Ming." "Met?" Simple was about to continue asking when she finally realized something was wrong and stopped talking.
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