Chapter 286: Childhood Memories

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Childhood Memories

The temple fair in Yanjing had become a cultural symbol of Yanjing, drawing many visitors from afar when it was time for the fair. Thus, the area was already swamped with crowds.

Liu Tingyu and Yun Hanrui, two girls, flitted between different stalls like dancing elves.

Fried tripe, stewed wheaten cake with liver, fried liver, iron plate squid, sheep meat skewers, candied hawthorns... Watching the two girls eat joyfully, Ling Feng also showed a relaxed smile on his face.

"I’ve eaten so much, I’m so full!" Liu Tingyu said with a satisfied expression, "It’s been such a long time since I’ve had such a joyful meal. I used to be scared of gaining weight."

"Why aren’t you afraid now?" Yun Hanrui also abandoned her CEO’s aloof demeanor and was eating joyfully as well.

Liu Tingyu giggled, "A little indulgence isn’t too bad, right? It was hard getting Sister Yun out today, so of course, I have to splurge!"

"Alright, now that we’ve had our fill, let’s go see the lanterns, follow that path to see the shadow puppets and paper cuttings, and finally go to the Wishing Tree to make a wish, okay?" Liu Tingyu said, holding Yun Hanrui’s hand with a smile.

Yun Hanrui nodded, "Let’s head over then!"

Ling Feng trailed behind with a miserable look on his face. He had thought it would be a romantic outing for two, but unexpectedly, Yun Hanrui had come along, and from what he gathered, it was Liu Tingyu who had invited her!

"What’s going on!" Ling Feng complained internally as he watched the two girls holding hands like twin lotuses, "Humph, wait till we get back and see how I’ll deal with you!"

"Ling Feng, hurry up!" Liu Tingyu’s voice came from afar.

"Coming, coming!" Ling Feng responded listlessly and caught up.

The various lanterns gradually lit up, illuminating the temple fair’s evening, with the two girls continuously taking photos, their laughter and voices unceasing. Seeing them so happy, the slight gloom in Ling Feng’s heart also disappeared.

He could see that Liu Tingyu and Yun Hanrui were truly enjoying themselves; they probably rarely had the chance to relax like this.

"Sugar figures, blowing sugar figures here!" At a nearby stall, an old man was impressively crafting various sugar figures from maltose, creating not only human shapes but many small animals as well, catching the attention of many children and customers.

Ling Feng squeezed in and asked, "Old man, can you make specific sugar figures?"

The old man proudly declared, "I, Sugar Man Zhang, have been making them for over sixty years. No matter what shape you want, I can make it for you!"

Ling Feng, pointing at the two girls admiring the lanterns, said, "Then please make sugar figures of those two girls, they are my friends!"

The sugar man glanced over and swiftly started crafting on his sugar frame.

In less than a minute, two sugar figures that closely resembled the girls were ready.

Ling Feng couldn’t help but marvel inwardly; although the old man was frail, he was a master in the domain of sugar crafting. Ling Feng could even feel the extreme confidence and power emanating from the old man!

After paying, Ling Feng brought the two sugar figures over to the girls from behind: "Ahem, what’s so fascinating about these lanterns? I’ve got a little gift for you!"

"What is it? Why the mystery?" Yun Hanrui turned around curiously.

Not wanting to keep them in suspense, Ling Feng took out the sugar figures: "Look, what are these?"

"Sugar figures? Oh, isn’t this Sister Yun? Is this me?" Liu Tingyu exclaimed upon seeing the two delicate sugar figures, unable to contain her excitement, "Wow, they are so beautiful! Oh, does this mean I am a bit narcissistic?"

Ling Feng handed the sugar figures to the two women, "It’s not narcissism. You should have an accurate understanding of your own appearance and aura! In the eyes of others, the two of you are like goddesses!"

"Stop it!" Liu Tingyu joyfully took the sugar figure. Faced with Ling Feng’s brazen praise, she felt a bit embarrassed, especially since Yun Hanrui was also present.

Yun Hanrui, a bit overwhelmed, accepted the sugar figure, "Thank you, Ling Feng!"

"Why be so formal with each other!" Ling Feng said with a laugh, then his expression paused as if he remembered something.

Yun Hanrui too stared blankly at the sugar figure, seemingly lost in her memories.

The windmill turns, the glass clinks, the sugar blowers! That year, when I was seven, I was playing at the temple fair with my friends. Accidentally, I bumped into a man, and the sugar figure in my hand fell to the ground.

Looking at the sugar figure covered in dirt on the ground, Yun Hanrui’s eyes quickly reddened.

For a child, getting to eat a favored sugar figure was a luxury.

What made Yun Hanrui even sadder was that the group of friends laughed loudly, "Yun Hanrui, you bump around clumsily, and now you can’t eat your sugar figure!"

Just as Yun Hanrui was sadly wiping her tears, an eight-year-old Ling Feng ran to the sugar figure stall and with all his pocket money, he bought a sugar figure and handed it to Yun Hanrui, "Here’s a sugar figure, stop crying, you look really ugly when you cry!"

...

Looking at the sugar figure in her hand, Yun Hanrui’s memories, those dust-covered experiences in her heart, once again surfaced. She still remembered her mixed emotions of crying and laughing that year, that sugar figure was so delicious.

"Let’s go!" Ling Feng also seemed to recall previous events, his tone somewhat somber as he patted Yun Hanrui on the shoulder and said, "Eat it, I wonder if it tastes like it did when we were kids."

Although Ling Feng hid it well, the fleeting pain in the depths of his eyes made Yun Hanrui’s heart tremble.

"He must be thinking of Uncle Ling and Auntie!" Suddenly, Yun Hanrui felt very heavy and oppressed inside. Looking at Ling Feng’s back view, she felt the urge to embrace him and comfort him!

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But seeing Liu Tingyu by Ling Feng’s side, she suppressed the impulse deep inside her heart.

"If I hadn’t been so opposed back then, I should be rightfully by Ling Feng’s side now," Yun Hanrui clenched the sugar figure, her heart filled with melancholy.

At that moment, a group of young people approached near Yun Hanrui. They were jostling and joking when suddenly one of the youngsters pushed another who stumbled toward Yun Hanrui’s direction.

"Ah!" Yun Hanrui quickly dodged, but struggled to move efficiently in her high heels. She swiftly dodged, her foot slipped, and she fell heavily to the ground.

The sugar figure in her hand was also knocked away by the youngster, breaking into several pieces as it mixed with the dust.

"I’m so sorry, so sorry!" the young man quickly apologized, "I’m really sorry, miss. Are you hurt? Let me take you to the infirmary to check."

Yun Hanrui sat blankly on the ground, as if she had lost her soul, her gaze fixed on the sugar figure on the ground, her mind somewhat blank.