“Even if I didn’t like you, the place you have in my heart is one that could not be replaced by anyone, to say nothing of the fact that I do like you.” Hearing Jiang Xichu say this, Chen Man was frozen for half a day, and only afterwards suddenly reacted, his complexion flushed in an instant; she tilted her head, pressing her lips together, and after a long time, she slowly turned her head back. She stammered a few words; Jiang Xichu, for a while, couldn’t hear them clearly, and she turned towards Chen Man slowly, and then turned her ear towards her, and said, “What are you saying? I can’t hear it clearly, speak a bit louder.” “I said,” Chen Man said, and drew a deep breath, and only with great hardship summoned her courage, and increased the sound of her voice, “I want to kiss you…” In total, five characters, each one’s loudness lower than the last. Jiang Xichu raised her head, gazing at Chen Man with astonishment; before, she hadn’t known that Chen Man had this sort of bashful and gi

After bidding A Luo farewell, Li Shiyi and the others rested at the residence for a few days. In the past, every time they would go on a trip, Song Shijiu would always become exhilarated; this time, it wasn’t clear whether she had once again gotten some lazy affliction or something similar, but unexpectedly, she would close the door and refuse guests, the curtain pulled tight; not to mention her visits to Li Shiyi every morning and evening, even when Tu-saozi, belly protruding, would come to invite her to eat, she would say in a discontented voice, “Go ahead and leave it outside,” and there wouldn’t be any sign of activity. Li Shiyi didn’t know if she’d been made into a cheap mother, [1] or if was some other mood; in short, she had become concerned; the character of “placid” had been written halfway, the vertical hook cutting it in half, and looking at it, it appeared crooked and at an angle, not upright in the slightest. She crumpled up the paper, washed up, and got into bed to sleep

A Yin’s gaze rose, her fawning peach blossom eyes in that moment showing a faint degree of restraint; they didn’t have tearstains, or a sense of aggrievement, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, reinforcing her boldness and arrogance. A Luo wasn’t in the best of spirits, and didn’t have the intention of reminiscing; she only gave a parting call to take care, and then gathered up her skirts and returned back to to the house. Song Shijiu and Tu Laoyao looked at each other, not knowing what to do, and only on seeing that slender man briefly brow and extend his hand to see them out took steps out of the residence, shoulder to shoulder with Li Shiyi, who had put away the matter on her mind. As they departed, Tu Laoyao paid attention to A Luo’s meaningful glance, and retreated a step, and hurriedly put the engraved golden calling card into his sleeve. A Luo, hearing the vermillion door creakily pulled open, and then creakily close once more, paused her steps on the stairs, and after

The restaurant that Chen Man had brought Jiang Xichu to had been open for a few decades, and from the fact that it had been open for so many years it could be seen that its dishes were pretty good. Chen Man particularly liked its flavours, but today’s meal she ate without tasting. The fault wasn’t with them; her entire mind was filled with the matter of Jiang Xichu. The two ordered three dishes, and in the end, together they didn’t finish even a single dish, having them put into takeaway boxes; Jiang Xichu walked at the front, the early summer night neither cold nor hot, and the warm breeze brushed against the bodies of the two; Jiang Xichu’s steps involuntarily became relaxed, and her lips lifted, slowly heading towards the parking lot. Behind her, Chen Man followed along, gaze fixed on Jiang Xichu’s figure. She really likes me? That can’t be, she doesn’t like me, I knew that from the start. Maybe I made a mistake, and it might still be that she likes me! No no no, if she liked me, li

Since they’d returned home, they’d eaten three meals a day in front of a hot furnace, and their taut muscles easily loosened, and unexpectedly they passed a month or two of peaceful days, Song Shijiu and Li Shiyi living in one courtyard, and every morning, Li Shiyi would open the door, always finding her placing a full bucket of water down, cuffs drawn high, raising her lustrous, pale arms to wipe away the faint perspiration on her face, asking after her morning with a smile. In the evening, Li Shiyi would flip through books, and every few days she would present the pastries she’d learnt how to make, waiting for Li Shiyi to try a couple, and then she would sit down, making use of every moment to cut paper and wash brushes for her. When the light was good, she would go to the market to buy seeds, and scatter the seeds onto the entirety of the flowerbeds, saying that once summertime came, they would be bound to be filled with fragrant, luxurious vegetation, and all the rooms would be fil

The rooster crowed at dawn; in the winter morning, the gurgle was hoarse, as if wailing; each call was more mournful than the last; A Yin had packed up quite a bit ago, and was sitting at the furnace, playing mahjong with Tu Laoyao. Song Shijiu, before, had always been diligent, but today, she dallied, and no one saw a trace of her presence; Li Shiyi, at the table, braced her temple and had tea, the corners of her eyes sweeping in the direction of the securely closed door, then sweeping again, and then, without making a sound, drew her gaze back, her fing finger idly pressing against the space between her brows. A Yin, seeing this expression of hers, held back laughter and cut a gaze at her, then at the faintly discernible bruising, and tossed her tiles at Li Shiyi’s side, saying with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “Who could have imagined.” “En?” Li Shiyi tossed the syllable at her. A Yin let out a sorrowful sigh, and said, “Who could have imagined, you’d indeed fall for it.” With

Afterwards, no matter how Chen Man asked, Doctor Liu would only emphasise a single phrase: “Assist her.” Chen Man’s heart muttered, how could she possibly assist her more, ah; she and Jiang Xichu went to work together, and left work together, and returning home they were still face to face; since it was like this, how could she assist her more? Manager Chen thought for half a day, and then finally understood. In the evening, Jiang Xichu watched, dumbstruck, as Chen Man moved herself, putting all of her own things in her own bedroom; seeing Jiang Xichu looking, Chen Man even argued, “Doctor Liu said, I’m to assist you; since it’s like this, before you get better, just live together with me. Let’s eat together, sleep together, and work together, and create a wonderful tomorrow together.” …Acting like this, aren’t you demoting yourself to the basement? Jiang Xichu watched her mirthfully; not only did Chen Man completely lack awareness, she was even arranging her clothes; Jiang Xichu walke

After running about for a day again, in the night they rested in a small village on the way; the village was very small; following a single road, one could walk from the start to the end; in the middle was a small inn, transformed from the previous owner’s courtyard house; it had been a few years, and was even more broken-down than A Tang’s inn; on entering the inn, there was a scent of horse hooves and wet rice straw blended with mildew. The four, bustling in, called for and cast about glances for a few bowls of noodles, and then without more talking, went directly to the rear court to rest. The inn was small and the inhabitants were few, and the waiter wasn’t particularly enthusiastic; only after plucking her brows for a good half the day did A Yin call for a few buckets of hot water, using a few to clean her body which had been wet for a day. Tu Laoyao, naked, leaned inside the bathing bucket, groaning and moaning difficultly in pain; the majority of the day’s silence had been stuff