Chapter 30 Holding Hands Successfully

Xijiao Lotus Pond is a famous wetland park on the outskirts of the city. Mid-July is the season when lotus flowers are in full bloom. When they arrived, the parking lot was already quite busy, but the lotus pond was so large that the visitors were spread out and didn't seem crowded.

"I'll go buy the ticket." Si Yan said after parking the car.

"No need, I bought it online a long time ago!" Li Jiawei shook his phone.

Si Yan raised his eyebrows: "When did you become so reliable?"

"I've always been reliable, okay!" Li Jiawei made a face, turned around and took Su Nian's arm, "Sister-in-law, let's go to the entrance first and let my brother park his car slowly."

Su Nian was pulled forward by Li Jiawei. She turned back and looked at Si Yan with a questioning look in her eyes.

Si Yan nodded at her and said, "Go slowly."

By the time Si Yan parked the car and rushed to the entrance, Li Jiawei had already walked for a while with Su Nian on the lotus plank road.

From a distance, two girls were standing on a wooden pier, one lively and the other quiet, but they were surprisingly harmonious.

The way Su Nian lowered her head slightly to listen to Li Jiawei's words made Si Yan feel warm in his heart.

"Brother! Why are you so slow!" Li Jiawei saw him and called out, "Come and see, the lotus flowers here are the most beautiful!"

Si Yan walked over quickly and caught up with them.

The three of them walked slowly along the plank road. The layers of lotus leaves in the lotus pond were dotted with pink and white lotus flowers. Occasionally, a dragonfly skimmed the water, stirring up a circle of tiny ripples.

Li Jiawei walked in front, turning back from time to time to explain to them the characteristics of different varieties of lotus, like a little tour guide.

"This is the 'Pink Tower', with layers of petals stacked up like a small building; the one over there is the 'White Fairy', pure white with a simple flower shape..." Li Jiawei introduced the different lotus flowers, pointing to them.

"How do you know so much?" Si Yan was a little surprised.

"Brother, you can't underestimate me anymore," Li Jiawei raised his head proudly, "I'm a professional!"

Su Nian chuckled softly: "Weiwei studied art, so her observation of beauty is naturally more detailed than ours."

"Sister-in-law really understands me!" Li Jiawei affectionately took Su Nian's arm, "Brother, you have to learn more from sister-in-law!"

Si Yan shook his head helplessly, but he noticed that Su Nian no longer seemed embarrassed by the title of "sister-in-law" and instead accepted it naturally. This discovery made his heart warm.

Reaching a viewing platform, Li Jiawei suddenly stopped and said, "Ah! The angle here is so good! I want to sketch here!" She quickly set up her drawing board and said, "You guys go ahead and explore. Don't worry about me."

Su Nian frowned: "Let's go together..."

"Oh, art creation requires quiet time!" Li Jiawei winked at Si Yan. "You guys go to the pavilion up ahead and wait for me. I'll come find you when I'm done."

Si Yan immediately understood his cousin's intention. This girl was quite understanding. He looked at Su Nian and said, "Let's go to the front and rest..."

Si Yan and Su Nian walked side by side on the plank road, speechless for a moment. The fragrance of the lotus pond lingered around them, and an occasional breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness in the heat.

"Weiwei is very cute." Su Nian broke the silence, "You two have a good relationship."

"Yes, we grew up together." Si Yan nodded. "Although she is noisy, she has a kind heart."

They came to a pavilion, an antique hexagonal pavilion built in the center of a lotus pond with a superb view. There were no other tourists in the pavilion, so the two of them were alone.

"Are you tired?" Si Yan asked, motioning Su Nian to sit down and rest.

"Not bad." Su Nian sat down, his eyes still lingering on the lotus pond. "It's so beautiful here."

Si Yan took out a sippy cup from his backpack and handed it to her: "Drink some water, it's a bit hot."

Looking at the girl drinking water beside him, Si Yan took a deep breath. "Su Nian, I've been thinking for a while now that if it weren't for that accident, we might never have had the chance to meet each other. But now... I'm so glad that fate brought us together. I don't want to miss you!"

Su Nian lowered her head, her fingers gently stroking the water glass: "You don't have to..."

"It's not a responsibility," Si Yan interrupted her, his voice firm. "I did think so at first, but not anymore. I like seeing you focus on your work, I like hearing you excitedly talk about design, I like... I like you as a person."

A breeze blew from the lotus pond, carrying the fragrance of lotus flowers, brushing across their faces. Su Nian was silent for a moment, and when he raised his head, his eyes flashed with a complex light.

"Professor Si, I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm scared that all this is just for the child. I'm scared that you'll regret it someday."

Si Yan reached out his hand, hesitated for a moment, and gently placed it over hers. "Give me a chance, okay? Let me prove that this isn't a momentary impulse. I want to legitimately take care of you and our child."

Su Nian looked at the lotus flowers in the distance, her hand trembling slightly in his palm, but she did not pull it away.

In the lotus pond, a lotus flower sways gently in the breeze, as if witnessing the promise of this moment.

Just then, Si Yan's phone suddenly rang. It was Li Jiawei calling. "Brother, I'm done painting. Where are you guys? I can't find you." Si Yan looked at Su Nian and said softly, "Weiwei is looking for us." Su Nian pulled her hand back, calmed down, and said, "Okay, let's go out and meet her."

After the three of them reunited, Li Jiawei turned the drawing board around like she was presenting a treasure. "Sister-in-law, look at this painting of mine called 'The Pleasures of the Lotus Pond'. I specially put the 'Pink Tower' and the 'White Fairy' together!"

Su Nian leaned in for a closer look, lightly tapping the paper with her fingertips. "You've captured the layering of the lotus leaves so well. You used a gradient of grass green to express light and shadow, which is much more vivid than simply painting flat." She paused, pointing to the edge of the petals. "But you could be a little bolder here—the edges of the lotus petals actually have a natural curl, like silk slightly curled by the wind. Adding a few curved strokes would make them more lively."

Li Jiawei's eyes lit up. "That's right! I always felt like something was missing. It turns out it was lacking that 'flowing feeling'! Sister-in-law, you're amazing! You explain it better than my professional teacher!"

Su Nian felt a little embarrassed by the compliment, her fingertips tracing over the budding lotus buds in the painting. "You have a great sense of color, especially the reflection on the water. You use a light blue with a hint of purple, which is very delicate."

"That's right!" Li Jiawei raised her chin proudly and glanced at Si Yan secretly, "It seems my brother didn't lie to me. My sister-in-law is really a hidden master!"

Si Yan watched Su Nian seriously commenting on the painting. The sunlight shone through the gaps in the lotus leaves and fell on the tips of her hair, making the surrounding lotus fragrance become gentle.

He reached out and brushed away a petal that had fallen on her shoulder, and whispered, "Let's go. It's getting hot. It's time to go back."

On the way back, they walked slowly along the lotus pond. Si Yan held Su Nian's hand tightly, as if he was holding the whole world.

The lotus flowers in the distance look particularly beautiful under the summer sun.

Li Jiawei followed behind with a drawing board on his back. Looking at the clasped hands in front of him, he secretly took out his phone, took a photo and sent it to the family group, "Mission accomplished, hand-holding success!"