"..." Yun Qian slowly breathed, seriously writing down Xu Changâanâs name on the paper.
Probably because she was already very tired, she exhausted her energy after writing just a few words, and so she slumped on the stone table... with her face turned to the side, looking at what she had written, motionless...
Like a salted fish.
In an instant, the entire atmosphere they had created shattered like bubbles.
Xu Changâan: "..."
Xu Changâan sighed, feeling... ridiculous for his earlier absurd emotions?
He could explain it.
When people see an extremely beautiful scene, they often feel a sense of alienation that doesnât match reality, and thatâs whatâs happening now.
Yun Qian realized he was back, but still had no energy, so she turned her head with difficulty to look at the person standing at the door, blinking with a smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Youâre back?" Yun Qian asked weakly.
"Mm."
Then the atmosphere stagnated and slowly quieted down.
At this moment, Yun Qian leaned her head, her posture making her clothes appear a bit disheveled. In Xu Changâanâs view, he could see an almost perfect curved line.
Ah, my Miss Yun... truly beautiful.
He was captivated, wanting to etch this dreamlike scene in his heart to take out and look at occasionally.
Seeing Xu Changâan not speaking, Yun Qian gathered some strength and asked, "Why... not coming over?"
Xu Changâan stood at the door, dazed for a moment, then murmured, "Such a beautiful scene, it really is like a dream. If I go over... the dream will scatter, and Iâll never see it again."
Yun Qian, with her extremely beautiful hand on her face, said to Xu Changâan, "I am not a dream."
"Indeed."
Xu Changâan then walked over, touched Yun Qianâs face, and then seriously said, "Itâs indeed not a dream."
"Mm."
Yun Qian felt the warmth on her face, her eyes shimmering with a bit of moisture.
Xu Changâan put down the qin case from his back and placed it beside him, then sat down next to Yun Qian, reaching out to tidy her clothes: "Miss, if youâre so tired, you should rest inside the house. Why come out just to write something."
"To soak up some sun." Yun Qian said, pointing at the qin case and asked, "Whatâs this."
"Seven Strings." Xu Changâan squinted his eyes: "Borrowed from Junior Master Qin..."
He stopped halfway, looking puzzled at the paper in front of Yun Qian, "Miss, what are you writing here?"
He thought Yun Qian was copying some book as usual, but looking over... it was all names.
"Writing names." Yun Qian said truthfully.
Writing, names, thatâs all.
"I obviously know..." Xu Changâan looked at the paper.
Li Zhibai, Liu Qingluo, and others were written down... some names in between were scratched out and unclear, and beside them was his name.
This wasnât particularly strange, but Xu Changâan instinctively felt that the lady had some deeper meaning.
But no matter how Xu Changâan pondered, he felt that his own Miss Yun couldnât have any deep meaning, so he didnât guess wildly and directly asked, "What are you writing this for?"
"These are the ladies I can remember." Yun Qian thought for a moment, looking at Xu Changâan: "Just remembering the ladies... shouldnât be a problem."
Yun Qianâs senseless words would normally confuse people, but Xu Changâan understood.
Xu Changâan was quite helpless, he could guess a bit.
Yun Qian... is she worried that I might get jealous?
After all, she had mentioned that she kind of liked Liu Qingluo before in front of him, and was also pestered by the teacher...
"Miss, am I that petty?" Xu Changâan looked at her, he wished Yun Qian could have more friends.
Yun Qian thought for a moment, didnât speak, just stretched and leaned on Xu Changâan: "Iâm tired."
"If youâre tired, stop thinking about unnecessary things, weird things." Xu Changâan gently wrapped his arm around Yun Qianâs waist.
Yun Qian rested her head on his shoulder, asking: "How do you know Iâm thinking about weird things?"
"...What." A question mark floated above Xu Changâanâs head, and then he immediately said: "What weird things are you thinking about?"
Could it be sheâs thinking again about me calling her "mother"?
Xu Changâan only felt that his mind was lagging more behind her thoughts with each passing day.
"I..." Yun Qian was about to explain.
Xu Changâan suddenly interrupted her: "Let me guess."
He always felt, not being able to understand Miss Yunâs thoughts gave him a sense of defeat, as if he had lost.
"Mm." Yun Qian had no objection, she even wanted to see what Xu Changâan could guess.
"Let me see..." Xu Changâan looked at the paper Yun Qian wrote on.
Though hard to recognize, upon closer inspection, he could still identify the names of Li Zhibai, Wen Li, Liu Qingluo, Qinling, Zhu Pingniang, and even Gu Qiancheng...
And the most conspicuous among them was his own name.
The three characters [Xu Changâan] were written beside, as if signing the document, or signing for those names.
"Miss, you really remembered all these peopleâs names." Xu Changâan was slightly surprised.
"Theyâre people around you, I can remember them." Yun Qian calmly said.
Xu Changâan sighed.
He felt he was close to the truth.
Undoubtedly, these names were people with "connections" to him, forming the social network around [Xu Changâan]. So if he let go of this name, what would remain?
Xu Changâan was silent for a while, then seriously said: "Miss, Iâve said I wonât mind the past, including past family members... Iâm not even slightly interested at the moment."
"What are you talking about?" Yun Qian met his gaze.
"Werenât you thinking about my mother?"
Xu Changâan looked at Yun Qianâs shimmering eyes, extending a finger: "To me, the current relationships matter more, the rest I donât care about, not even the memories Iâve lost from the past."
She was caught up over his past since she knew about it, making a fuss over past and present.
Thatâs what Xu Changâan hypothesized.
After all, before he left, he talked to Yun Qian about this, so by all means, it seemed she was organizing his current social network.
Perhaps she was considering if finding those still existing "family" would change his life.
However, after speaking, he saw Yun Qian blankly staring at him, those beautiful eyes... showing rare traces of discontent.
Although faint, although fleeting, Xu Changâan still caught it.
"Did I say something wrong?" Xu Changâan asked quietly.
"..." Yun Qian lowered her head, looking at the hand embracing her waist, gently holding his fingers.
"I know I did something wrong."
She knew she inadvertently revealed things about his family, made a mistake.
But...
"You said you could pretend not to hear it..." Yun Qian slightly clenched: "You promised."
"You promised... that you could pretend not to hear that your mother is still alive."
"But I heard it after all." Xu Changâan was a bit vexed: "So it wasnât? Had I known, I wouldnât have said anything."
"Indeed, making a mistake deserves punishment, otherwise... it just wonât pass." Yun Qian extended the hand she just used to write in front of Xu Changâan.
"Miss, can I bear to hit you?"
"Punishment should be severe."
"That wonât do." Xu Changâan pressed down Yun Qianâs hand, then sought to shift her attention, asking: "So, writing all these names, what were you thinking?"
Yun Qian knew Xu Changâan wouldnât bully her this moment, could only look at the paper, truthfully stating.
"They know you, but are getting closer to me."
Liu Qingluoâs attitude needs no elaboration, Wen Li is her guide, Qinling is also calling her Miss Yun... even Gu Qiancheng fell for her at first sight.
Xu Changâan laughed, "Thatâs natural, as Iâve said, Miss, you are very charming."
"So... I was thinking, if they all like me, who would you get jealous of? Would you be unhappy..." Yun Qian tilted her head: "But I couldnât quite figure it out."
Xu Changâan: "...?"