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墨書 Inktalez
In the evening, the atmosphere at Bai Cuifen's home was lively.
Jian Ming, who had been to Shaw Min's house before, acted as if he were the host rather than a guest. However, his role as a host was somewhat unusual; according to the customs of Liu Family Village, he, as a guest, was expected to stay in the kitchen, tending the fire and assisting Bai Cuifen while chatting with her.
Of course, Jian Ming, having grown up in the city, was unaware of these customs. It was Qinglan who subtly suggested and guided him in this regard. Following Qinglan's cues, he stayed in the kitchen with her, helping Bai Cuifen.
An Shaomin did not mind Jian Ming bustling about her home; she simply watched him with a smile as he fumbled around.
"Yes, this is the first hurdle he must pass in Liu Family Village," Qinglan quietly told Shaw Min in the kitchen.
Once Jian Ming gradually became familiar with the kitchen environment and started to get to know Bai Cuifen better, Qinglan went to Shaw Min's room to keep Simple and Reiko company.
In Shaw Min's room, while Qinglan was familiar with everyone, there was some degree of distance among the others.
As for An Shaojie, he was not familiar with Reiko or Jian Ming. He hardly knew Qinglan and Xiang Yuanqiu either. Thus, he could have easily remained detached from the lively gathering. However, because of Simple, it was impossible for him to stay out of it; Simple would not rest until she pulled him into the lively crowd.
For Simple, bringing An Shaojie out did not necessarily mean she wanted him to join them in their conversations and playful banter. She understood him well enough to know that he would never blend in with strangers. All she needed was for him to quietly be among them. From time to time, she would grab a handful of snacks from the fruit platter and place them in his hands as if she were the host—an exceptionally warm one—while he sat quietly on the side eating what she offered him like a shy guest.
Simple also had a way of making herself feel like a host wherever she went. However, her approach differed from Xiang Yuanqiu's; Simple's hospitality radiated warmth and friendliness like the sun in winter, making her very approachable and likable.
On the other hand, Xiang Yuanqiu's attempts to dominate at Qinglan's home carried an air of invasion and provocation. She seemed to subtly encroach upon and calculate for control over the host's status and territory, suggesting a scheme of covert manipulation and stealthy appropriation.
Thus, amidst the lively crowd, Xiang Yuanqiu tried several times to greet others as if she were the host but was consistently overshadowed by Simple's bright presence. Her pretentiousness came off as somewhat sneaky and insincere.
Everyone enjoyed themselves in Shaw Min's room—playing games, eating snacks, and chatting away.
After dinner, everyone dispersed early under the urging of Bai Cuifen, as they needed to wake up early the next day to catch a bus to the Provincial Capital for their train.
Until the moment they left, An Shaojie was still unaware that Shaw Min and the others had already booked tickets for Qinglan to return to the north.
So the next day, when Qinglan and Xiang Yuanqiu appeared in the group, he was taken aback for a moment. However, being calm by nature, he was good at hiding his feelings, and his astonished expression went unnoticed by others.
It was Simple's blunt personality that completely exposed An Shaomin's carefully arranged plan. "Sister Shaomin, you secretly booked tickets for Qinglan without telling us! I was left feeling regretful for a long time. Not only did you keep it from us, but you also hid it from Brother Shaojie and Qinglan, the two directly involved."
As soon as Simple said this, Shaw Min smacked his own head.
Seeing Shaw Min do that, Reiko, who was straightforward in her speech, chimed in, "Shaw Min, you're probably going to have a hard time in the future."
The others had not yet reacted, especially Shaw Min and Jian Ming, who both looked at Reiko and asked simultaneously, "What do you mean by that?"
They were probably curious about what new discovery Reiko had regarding love.
"You have a quick-witted sister-in-law with a sharp tongue!" Reiko said lightly and sincerely, as if she were stating a fact rather than making a sarcastic remark.
Simple caught the sarcasm in her words. Raising her eyebrows and glaring with wide eyes, she lunged at Reiko while also retorting, "You're so sharp-tongued that you'll never be my sister-in-law."
Simple chased after Reiko while Reiko laughed and ran ahead.
That's just how Simple was; if anyone else had said that, they would surely offend someone. But Shaw Min wouldn’t be offended; instead of frowning or showing embarrassment, he smiled as he watched them play around.
However, for Qinglan, Simple's antics turned out to be beneficial. At least it made An Shaojie realize that this arrangement was not her idea but rather her Sister An Shaomin's. If he had any objections, he shouldn't take it out on her.
At the same time, it served as a hint or warning to Xiang Yuanqiu, making Qinglan adopt a certain posture in front of her.
"How about this? No matter how strained my relationship with Brother Shaojie is, in front of Brother Shaojie's family, I am still his family, as close as family."
These words made Xiang Yuanqiu feel a subtle discomfort and bitterness in her heart. After all, An Shaojie was her first sincere love from her youth. Even though many years had passed, the initial feelings remained unchanged; they were just untouched in her heart, and once stirred, they still caused a faint pain.
In this world, if everything can be divided into good and bad, cheap and expensive, then sincere love is an exception. As long as it is genuine, it does not change due to a person's qualities.
Thus, there are many poignant emotions in this world.
For example, the feelings Xiang Yuanqiu had for An Shaojie made even Qinglan sigh and feel sympathy when she saw the instant dimming of her bright eyes.
Qinglan was kind-hearted. Seeing Xiang Yuanqiu alone in the crowd, she quietly approached her and said, "When we get to town later, I'll ask them to wait for you. I'll go with you to your house to help you get something, okay?"
Although she didn't come to Liu Family Village solely out of friendship to visit Qinglan, she was indeed there because of love—because of An Shaojie.
Those who toil for love may not deserve praise, but they are certainly worthy of sympathy.
Xiang Yuanqiu seemed to sense Qinglan's sympathy towards her and initially reacted with disdain towards her kind gesture. However, just a moment later, a smile appeared on her face. "Sure! We are good friends; if you don't help me, who will?"
Her voice was not loud but was audible to everyone else. At that moment, everyone realized that they seemed to have neglected an esteemed guest—Qinglan, a former classmate of An Shaojie and a good friend of Qinglan's. They immediately gathered around and offered her various snacks they were holding.
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