Pei Zhi said firmly, “I can.”
Once she opened her heart to him, he would definitely close in the distance between them.
“It’s good to be confident.” Lin Kanglu looked like he did not think highly of Pei Zhi, but he actually liked him.
He picked up the peanuts and chewed slowly. “But talking is useless. Taking action is what is gonna get you what you want.”
Pei Zhi understood what he meant.
He raised his glass to toast him, his entire body exuding joy. “I’ll come to see you in a different identity next time.”
“I’ll wait and see.”
Lin Kanglu clinked glasses with him and pushed the plate beside him with the tip of his chopsticks, ordering, “Go wash the dishes first.”
“Okay.” Pei Zhi stood up to remove the dishes from the table.
He carried the dishes back to the kitchen next door. Just as he was washing them, a figure approached.
“Uncle.” Lin Jiao smiled at him.
She carried the basket to his left to wash the cucumbers. While washing, she picked up a cucumber and snapped it in half. “Do you want some?”
“I’m afraid I can’t eat it.” Pei Zhi raised his hands that were covered in detergent, his eyes filled with sadness.
Seeing that he really wanted to eat it, Lin Jiao fed it to him to reward his hard work.
As he chewed, she took a bite of her cucumber and enjoyed the taste of the sweetness.
Pei Zhi stared at her cute face and felt like his heart was filled with honey.
He swallowed the last piece of cucumber and wiped his hands with the handkerchief she handed him. “Where’s Yanshen?”
“He’s helping Grandpa plant lilies.”
“Shall we go over and take a look?”
“Okay.” Lin Jiao took a cucumber and sent it to Zhou Yanshen, who was still fiddling with the flower pot.
The noon sun was especially hot.
Even though they were standing under the roof, they could feel the heat wave coming from all directions.
A thin layer of sweat covered Zhou Yanshen’s forehead.
He moved the lily to the side and unbuttoned his collar. “It’s too hot! Let’s go in and enjoy the air conditioner.”
Lin Jiao turned around and entered the house.
She collapsed in the old chair and turned the air conditioner in the house to the right temperature. “Where’s Grandpa?”
“He went to sleep.” Zhou Yanshen drank a glass of cold water to cool down. “He asked us to weave the remaining bamboo baskets.”
Lin Jiao looked under the table and said in a soft voice, “Brother, I’m sleepy too.”
Zhou Yanshen said expressionlessly, “Cut it out.”
“I’m really sleepy.”
“You…”
“Go to sleep.” Pei Zhi was not as immune to her acting cute as Zhou Yanshen. “I’ll make the bamboo baskets with Yanshen.”
“Thank you for your hard work in advance.”
“It’s nothing.”
Having achieved her goal, Lin Jiao leaned back comfortably.
Only when he heard her soft breathing did Zhou Yanshen move closer to Pei Zhi and whisper, “I think you’ll spoil her sooner or later.”
“Are you not spoiling her too?”
“Even if I do spoil her, it still depends on the situation, okay? Unlike you. You basically let her do whatever she wants.”
Pei Zhi really had no bottom line when it came to loving Lin Jiao.
While making the bamboo baskets, he suddenly commented, “When you meet someone you really like, you will be like me.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Don’t be too sure.”
“I don’t believe I will anyway.”
Zhou Yanshen took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “No matter how much I like someone, I won’t be like you.”
Pei Zhi had no intention of arguing with him.
He took the cigarette from him and slowly lit it. “You’ll see.”
At this moment, Zhou Yanshen was confident.
Who would have thought that… in the future, after falling in love, his love would be even more unbridled.
#
In the evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the fields, embellishing the tender green.
The few people stepping on the mud road chatted and laughed as they admired the scenery. Even on the way back, the atmosphere was still lively.
“Grandpa, take care of yourself.” Lin Jiao stopped in front of the car and reached out to hug him.
She reminded him patiently, “If there’s anything, remember to call us. Don’t shoulder it alone.”
“I know.” Lin Kanglu patted her back, a trace of reluctance in his eyes. “Don’t stay up too late, and don’t eat too much takeout food.”
“Got you.” Lin Jiao looked up and smiled. “I’ll video call you often in the future and ask you to supervise me cooking.”
“You have to discipline yourself. I can’t be bothered to supervise you.” Lin Kanglu rubbed her head.
He looked at Zhou Yanshen, who always had a straight face when they parted, and waved his hand. “Alright, go back before it gets dark.”
“You go back first.” Zhou Yanshen stood still.
Lin Kanglu was sometimes very helpless about Zhou Yanshen’s stubbornness. He could only nod in agreement.
“See you next time.” He placed his hands behind his back and smiled meaningfully at Pei Zhi before humming a tune as he walked back.
The tune, accompanied by his reflection in the sunset, disappeared slowly from sight.
“Get in.” Zhou Yanshen retracted his gaze and opened the driver’s door first.
After they put on their seatbelts, he glanced at the house in the distance again and drove back the way they came.
When the exhaust smoke from the back of the car was blown away by the wind,
Lin Kanglu, who was hiding behind the wall, stood on his tiptoes to look for the car on the winding road.
Only when it turned dark did he unwillingly walk into the house.