Chapter 4 During the rainy season, of course we have feelings for each other.

Liang Yanzhe wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Zhong Shuwen was intentionally or unintentionally targeting him during the meal.

He was only guessing in his mind when someone asked him directly and pointed it out precisely.

"Cousin, why are you being so mean?" Lin Fei stuffed a mouthful of honey-glazed beef into his mouth, getting it all over his lips.

Zhong Shuwen has had a smooth life. As Zhong Xian's grandson, he receives some respect from outsiders, except for his cousin, who speaks more directly about sexual orientation than anyone else present.

"Mind your own business, and you're even speaking up for him?" Now that he'd been called out, he stopped pretending. "What kind of relationship do you have? Just eat your food."

Lin Fei looked at Liang Yanzhe, licked her lips clean, and then smiled and said, "Of course we have feelings for each other. You were the one who introduced us, didn't you?"

Zhong Shuwen choked up.

It really was him who made the connection. When Lin Fei first arrived in the port city, her younger sister was making a huge fuss, unable to accept that her grandfather had another granddaughter, mainly because she didn't fit her sister's ideal image of an older sister. This caused a headache for the family, and the elders took turns trying to mediate. Lin Fei, being a woman of temper, grabbed her suitcase and headed out, refusing to stay at the Zhong family's house. With both sides causing a commotion, Zhong Shuwen remembered that her friend Liang Yanzhe had an apartment near the Zhong family's house, so she let Lin Fei stay there temporarily.

The problem remained unresolved. Lin Fei diligently reported to the Zhong family every day, not to please the old man, but mainly to provoke his younger sister. He would only leave satisfied after seeing his younger sister's helpless rage.

My parents turn a blind eye, thinking that my little sister is spoiled rotten and needs to be disciplined.

Adults can avoid it, but the eldest brother of the same generation cannot. He was caught in the middle and had a very tiring time.

“What kind of vague and ambiguous statement is this…” Zhong Shuwen swallowed back the words “ambiguous and unclear”.

Lin Fei chuckled. Liang Yanzhe could tell she was quite happy, the kind of happy that comes from teasing someone.

mischievous sprite.

The topic changed, and lunch continued.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Grandma called Lin Fei to say that she had prepared dinner and asked her to remember to come home for dinner that night.

Lin Fei deliberately ate only until he was 70% full. Compared to restaurants outside, the local dishes made by his grandmother were the most authentic. If he could eat his aunt's stuffed mushrooms, that would be even better.

Zhong Shuwen paid the bill for this meal; it was impossible for Lin Fei to pay, otherwise his grandfather would definitely scold him to death if he found out.

The three of them left the store. Zhong Shuwen needed to go to the restroom. After walking a few steps, she turned back and stared at the two of them for a while without saying a word before hurrying away.

Liang Yanzhe asked in confusion, "Does he have something to say?"

"Yes, he's afraid we'll develop something," Lin Fei said frankly. "My grandfather just called him, wanting him to act as a matchmaker for us."

Liang Yanzhe's smile turned somewhat helpless.

Several years have passed, and Lin Fei remains the same, doing things his own way and adhering to his own set of principles in speaking and acting.

“I’m serious, otherwise why would he suddenly blurt out that vague sentence? The next sentence must have been ambiguous…” Lin Fei stopped there, shrugged, “Never mind what I said.”

Liang Yanzhe chimed in: "Ambiguous?"

Lin Fei smiled.

A moment later, he laughed with her, his eyes filled with tender light.

The two stood in a clever spot, right in front of the shop window, half a meter apart, a friendly social distance. The luxuriously decorated shopping mall played soothing music and was well-cooled, making it a cool retreat in the bustling city. As dinner time approached, the number of customers increased, and the comings and goings of people occasionally blurred their figures, making it possible to vaguely make out their smiles at each other.

Their past is vague and ambiguous.

No one drew a line, no one crossed it, but they indulged their hormones and tacitly indulged in romance.

For two months, which felt both long and short, she lived with him.

He took her to see the fireworks at Victoria Harbour, led her through the streets bathed in the dark orange glow of the setting sun, and rode side by side on the sunset roller coaster.

When a friend asked who she was, he just laughed and said, "Don't joke about children."

She assumed he was taking care of her as a friend's younger sister and had no other intentions.

But when a blizzard hit Jiangdu and she saw him as she stepped out of her dormitory, she wavered.

He came to fulfill his promise—to spend her birthday with her.

He also said a formal goodbye to her, and at dawn he would head abroad, away from his family, to become a Doctors Without Borders in a foreign land.

Before leaving, he left behind a pocket watch that still held his warmth.

Their past comes to an end here.

She kept that period of time hidden deep in her heart, never daring to wipe it away, letting it be covered with a thick layer of dust.

The pocket watch was also kept at the bottom of the box, never to be opened again.

Only by mentioning and joking about it casually can they show that they have let go of the past.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhong Shuwen interrupted coldly as she returned, pulling Lin Fei aside. "I'll take you back to the old street first. Liang Sheng, wait for me at the coffee shop downstairs."

Lin Fei withdrew his hand: "Going around in circles is too much trouble, let's go together."

Zhong Shuwen remained unconvinced.

Liang Yanzhe smiled and said, "You guys go ahead, I'll take a taxi straight back to the hospital. The patient's condition is quite urgent, I need to go see him."

"Okay, let's go." Zhong Shuwen didn't say anything more and pulled Lin Fei away.

-

Lin Fei walked home from the street corner, greeting people all the way, and was extremely thirsty.

As soon as I entered the house, I shouted "Grandma!" and rushed to the refrigerator. I took out the plum juice that my aunt had made and drank a big glass.

"Big sister, leave some for me..."

A weak male voice behind Lin Fei reminded him.

Lin Fei finished the last sip before turning around and mumbling a greeting: "Ah Yao, you're out of school?"

Chi Yao saw the empty kettle in the refrigerator and pouted, "Yeah, it's not just me, my second sister came back from school too."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Chi Xin's furious roar echoed through the courtyard.

"Lin Fei, are you doing this on purpose? These clothes were borrowed from the photo studio, and I just finished washing them. How am I supposed to return them if you wear them? If I don't return them by tomorrow, it'll be considered overdue! It's a hundred yuan a day!"

With a few thuds, Chi Xin sprinted down from his second-floor bedroom.

Lin Fei shirked responsibility: "Grandma told me to wear it, you can ask her if you don't believe me."

Grandma came out of the weaving room, glanced at the three of them, and said, "I'll wash it for you later, and it will definitely be dry by tomorrow."

"Grandma!" Chi Xin called out in dissatisfaction.

Lin Fei stepped forward and took the clothes, saying, "Okay, this is immoral of me. I'll take it to the dry cleaners later and return it to you tomorrow when I get it."

Chi Xin yanked the clothes off her and glared at her: "I can do it myself!"

Chi Xin stomped back into his room.

Only then did Chi Yao dare to speak, leaning closer to Lin Fei: "Big sister, what did you do to offend second sister?"

It's just a piece of clothing, why are you yelling at each other? My second sister isn't that petty. Usually, in this situation, it's definitely because the two of them have a conflict.

Lin Fei shrugged: "I don't know."

If she had known, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

During the meal, Chi Xin didn't give Lin Fei a friendly look and silently ate her rice. Lin Fei didn't care; as long as she didn't provoke her, she would ignore him. However, since she was eating stuffed mushrooms made by their mother, who was also her aunt, she generously let it go and even drove her to the subway station on her electric scooter after dinner.

Chi Xin is a third-year business administration student at Jiangdu University. There is a curfew in the dormitory at night, and the checks are strict at the beginning of the semester, so he cannot stay at home overnight.

Chi Xin and Chi Yao are the children of the younger sister. After their divorce, they were both taken back to her parents' home by the younger sister.

The three grew up together, and like many siblings, their relationship was characterized by frequent minor arguments but a strong bond.

Passing by a small shop at the street corner, Lin Fei went in and bought a popsicle. The old man didn't take her money, saying that a man had paid for his meal earlier that day, and before leaving, another man bought a pack of cigarettes and didn't ask for change, so he would consider it her snack money for the week.

Lin Fei immediately guessed that it was Liang Yanzhe.

When they lived together, she had no money. Her family felt that her food and lodging were expenses of the household, so they didn't give her any. Liang Yanzhe regularly left some money at the convenience store downstairs so she could go downstairs to buy what she needed at any time.

Lin Fei thanked him, returned to the electric scooter, opened the packaging bag, cut the popsicle in two, and handed it to Chi Xin.

Chi Xin glanced at it with a sour face, hugged the Yao ethnic costume he had borrowed from the photo studio tightly, and snorted softly.

"I don't want to."

Their current relationship isn't suitable for sharing a popsicle.

Lin Fei clicked his tongue: "What did I do that you have such a big problem with me?"

Chi Xin glared at him: "Why did you come back?"

"Oh! So you're unhappy that I came back," Lin Fei said. "What should we do? I'll be staying for a long time."

Chi Xin's eyes blazed with anger: "You're not going back to Jiangdu to develop your career, are you? Have you gone mad? Haishi has such a bright future, why would you come back?"

"Why are you even more boisterous than Grandma?" Lin Fei still didn't understand why Chi Xin's resistance to her returning to Jiangdu was so strong.

Chi Xin pulled open Lin Fei's clothes to prevent the melting water droplets from wetting her: "You weren't joking when you told me you were quitting last month! Going home for the holidays is fine, but please don't go back to Jiangdu. Have you forgotten that Grandma urged you to settle in Gangdu?"

"I know what I'm doing. You focus on your studies and stop worrying about me." Lin Fei's patience was running out, so she stopped playing the role of a confidante. She stuffed the popsicle into Chi Xin's hand, hopped on the electric scooter, and headed towards the subway station 500 meters away.

Upon arrival, Chi Xin finally gave Lin Fei the first kind look he'd had since returning home.

"I can't be bothered with you anymore. I don't like meddling in other people's business." Chi Xin muttered. "Hurry up and find a company to work for, or you'll really have to settle down in Hong Kong."

Lin Fei really didn't know whether Chi Xin was her cousin or a career fan.

“I understand now. You’re afraid that I won’t be able to resist Grandma’s pleading and nagging in Jiangdu, and that I’ll agree to settle in Gangdu and never come back, right?” Lin Fei said with a smile. “So, beneath the scolding lies deep love!”

Chi Xin blushed, perhaps out of anger, and walked away without looking back, carrying her things: "Chatterbox!"

Lin Fei shouted towards the entrance of the station: "Remember to message me when you get to school!"

Lin Fei returned home as the last rays of the setting sun shone through the darkness.

After dinner, people who had been cooped up at home to escape the summer heat finally came out to play. The folk square was bustling with activity, with people playing ball, dancing, and children playing. It was the liveliest place on the street at this time.

Grandma and Auntie went out to chat with their friends, and Chi Yao also went out to have some fun.

Lin Fei wasn't in a hurry to go back to his room. He sat in a rattan rocking chair in the courtyard on the first floor, enjoying the cool breeze after sunset, and basking in the tranquility bestowed by nature.

After the fiery sunset comes the grand blues hour, with stars hanging low, cicadas chirping at varying volumes, and even the sound of a gentle breeze passing by in the empty building is exceptionally clear.

The lights in the house were off, and the dim light coming in was just right. A breeze was blowing on my face, making me want to sleep.

She only opened her eyes when Chi Xin sent her a message.

After replying to Chi Xin, Lin Fei returned to the contact page.

After hesitating for a long time, she opened the search bar and entered "Liang Sheng".

A chat window pops up.

She has changed phones several times, but she has always backed up her chat history.

The latest news is from six years ago.

After a while, she opened the input box.

Thank you, Dr. Liang, for the ice cream.

A few seconds later, she deleted it.

Soon Zhong Shuwen will be returning to Hong Kong, and she and Liang Yanzhe will no longer have any contact.

A note from the author:

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Don't worry, you two will not only have something in common, but you'll also get married. Fei is still relatively reserved right now, but he'll be pulling out all the stops later (just kidding).

My cousin is Fei's biggest fan/career fan [shy]

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The age difference was initially 9, then 7 seemed better, so it was changed once, but later it was changed back to 9. This was because it wouldn't be reasonable for the male lead to be a deputy director at such a young age. So, I consulted with doctor friends, and the male lead is currently a returned overseas student and a specially appointed deputy director. He has no exes because he's solely focused on his studies, has mild mysophobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and also developed feelings for the female lead six years ago. (I'm explaining this now to avoid misunderstandings.)

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This chapter is still 66, and from now on, updates will be at midnight. [starry-eyed]

I'll reply to/feature/like any comments I like, so feel free to interact!