Chapter 29: Window Paper Father, You Smell So Good...

Si Yao and Fang Zhiyue sat down together.

Fang Zhiyue pushed the dishes on the table toward her. "Sister Yao, you're hungry, aren't you? Come and eat. I bought these at the market this morning. They're very fresh."

"Little father also eats..."

Si Yao picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of mutton, tasted it, and then put another piece in his bowl.

Fang Zhiyue was just about to pick it up.

Si Yao from the other side spoke slowly, "Why did you make fish soup today, little father? Didn't you get tired of it on the boat and feel sick just by the smell?"

She seemed to be saying it casually.

Fang Zhiyue was completely unprepared.

The mutton picked up by the chopsticks fell back into the bowl with a plop.

A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and he replied vaguely: "...This fish was kindly given to me by someone."

"Actually, I'm much better now. It's okay to eat a few bites."

“So it was given to me by someone else…”

Si Yao looked at him in panic.

She slowly laughed, "It seems like little father has adapted well. He's made new friends in such a short time. I'm relieved."

She didn't seem interested in the other people he mentioned.

Didn't ask too much.

Fang Zhiyue had already decided to tell her the truth.

Unexpectedly, Si Yao stopped talking after he finished speaking.

Watch her pick up the chopsticks and start eating again.

Fang Zhiyue felt a pang of anxiety and was in great pain.

"What's wrong, little father? Why don't you eat anymore?"

Si Yao picked up a few more pieces of food for him with his chopsticks, and smiled at him with a frown, "I can't eat so much by myself."

Seeing this, Fang Zhiyue had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks and start eating.

Neither of them got up immediately after eating.

Fang Zhiyue felt that the room was too quiet and asked her about her life in the academy.

Finally, as if he suddenly thought of something, he asked Si Yao, "By the way, Sister Yao, didn't you say you have a sweetheart in Yunzhou? Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, why don't you invite him to your home and let me meet him too?"

“No rush…”

Upon hearing this, Si Yao tapped his fingers on the edge of the table twice. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while. But it should be soon..."

She glanced at him meaningfully and curled her lips: "Little Father might be able to see him in advance."

If he made a mistake, she would have a reason...

Fang Zhiyue was a little confused.

I didn't quite understand what she meant.

"...Isn't he in Yunzhou City right now? I'm not in a hurry. I can see him anytime."

Si Yao didn't say anything else.

He put the topic aside and said, "Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. There will be a lantern festival in Yunzhou City tonight. How about I take my father out for a walk then?"

"My little father promised me that he would spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with me. My studies at the academy are very tight, and I don't know when I'll be able to come back this time. I want to spend the next two days with my little father."

She has said so.

Fang Zhiyue had no reason to refuse.

Nodding, "Okay, let's go out together tomorrow night."

After the two of them agreed, they sat for a while and then went back to their rooms.

Have a good night's sleep.

The next morning, Fang Zhiyue got up and walked out of the house, only to see Si Yao and Shi Qi squatting in the yard.

He walked over curiously, "Sister Yao, what are you doing?"

“Make lanterns.”

Si Yao turned and smiled at him.

Fang Zhiyue moved closer and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of making lanterns? Don't hurt your hands."

"I heard this is a custom in Yunzhou City. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, men, women, young and old, carry homemade lanterns and hang them on the century-old tree at the Bodhi Temple in Yunzhou City to pray for peace."

Si Yao twisted the wooden stick in his hand and said, "Since we live here, we must follow the local customs."

"What kind of one do you want, little father? I'll make it for you."

"A normal one will do—"

Fang Zhiyue responded and warned, "Don't make it too troublesome. I'm not picky about appearances."

"good…"

Si Yao responded with this.

When it was finished, Fang Zhiyue got a rabbit lantern.

Her eyebrows curved and a smile flashed across her face. "Isn't my father born in the Year of the Rabbit? This one suits you best."

Fang Zhiyue reached out and took it.

Looking at the tiny scratches on her fingers, he felt a little distressed: "I told you not to do it, but you didn't listen. Your fingers are now broken."

He dragged her into the house to apply medicine to her.

Si Yao listened to the lecture quietly with a smile on his face the whole time.

In the evening, after dinner, the two went out with lanterns.

As soon as they left Jingshui Lane, they saw many people holding lanterns like them.

There were all kinds of them, reflecting people's smiling faces, and even the bright moon in the sky seemed to be infected, looking a little softer than before.

"Father, follow me closely. The further we go, the more people there are. Be careful not to get separated."

Si Yao turned his head and reminded him.

Fang Zhiyue clenched the rabbit lantern in his hand and nodded: "Okay..."

They followed the crowd towards Bodhi View.

I don’t know how long I walked, but I finally saw the brightly lit place and the huge ancient tree covered with red ribbons.

The towering crown seemed to cover the full moon above, which was very shocking.

"This tree is really big. I don't know how many years it has lived."

Fang Zhiyue looked at the ancient tree from afar and murmured.

"I heard from the local people in Yunzhou City that this tree has existed since their ancestors. I think it must be hundreds of years old."

"Let's go and hang up the lanterns."

The two squeezed through the crowd and continued walking forward.

When we arrived under the tree, there were already many lanterns hanging on the branches.

Si Yao was tall and just hung it up casually.

Fang Zhiyue tried hard to stand on tiptoe, but failed after several attempts. Her little face turned red with anxiety.

Look at his clumsy appearance.

A smile flickered in Si Yao's eyes.

Walking up behind him, she pinched his waist and picked him up, "Little father, hang up the lanterns quickly."

Fang Zhiyue was caught off guard and let out a small scream.

After coming to her senses, she looked at the eyes around her and immediately struggled: "Yao, Yao Jie'er, put me down quickly, what are you saying!"

"Hurry up, little father—"

Si Yao didn't move, but urged again.

Fang Zhiyue had no choice but to endure the embarrassment and quickly hang up the lantern.

Then he patted her arm and said, "Okay, put me down quickly."

He finally landed on his feet.

The warmth left by Si Yao still lingered on my waist.

Fang Zhiyue's cheeks flushed. "Sister Yao, don't do this again. There are so many people watching us."

Si Yao hasn't spoken yet.

At this moment, a voice suddenly called out from behind: "Junior Sister?"

Mu Tong, Zhou Rusheng and others were standing not far away, holding lanterns in their hands, looking at them from afar.

Si Yao turned his head when he heard the voice, and after seeing a few people, his expression paused slightly.

"It's you, Junior Sister. I didn't expect you to come and hang lanterns."

Mu Tong confirmed that it was her and trotted over.

His face was full of surprise at the unexpected encounter.

When I got closer, I found that there was a boy standing behind her.

A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and she whispered to Si Yao, "Who is this young man?"

"This is my cousin, he lives with me now."

Si Yao introduced himself frankly, his expression frank and open.

Fang Zhiyue couldn't be as calm as her. When he noticed Mu Tong's gaze on him, he immediately lowered his head like a guilty thief.

Noticing his nervousness, Si Yao stepped forward to block him and said with a smile, "My cousin is introverted and not good at talking. Senior sister, please don't stare at him like that, it will scare him."

Mu Tong withdrew his gaze awkwardly.

Only then did he realize that he seemed a little reckless.

She quickly apologized to Si Yao: "I'm sorry, Junior Sister, I didn't mean to offend your cousin."

"Senior Sister Changsu, let's hang up the lanterns first, or we won't be able to find a place to hang them."

At this time, Zhou Rusheng and the other two behind him reminded him.

Mu Tong quickly helped them hang the lanterns on the tree.

Then he returned to Si Yao and said, "It's a rare coincidence that I meet Junior Sister and Cousin here. Rusheng and I are planning to go to the Red Moon Restaurant. I heard there's an acrobatic troupe there. Junior Sister and Cousin, would you like to come with us?"

Si Yao didn't reply to her immediately.

Instead, he turned his head to look at Fang Zhiyue behind him, "Little——"

"Sister Yao!"

Fang Zhiyue interrupted him hastily, his heart pounding.

Seeing that several eyes were focused on him, his face turned pale: "...I, I'm a little tired, I want to go home first..."

"It's okay, it's okay. We can just go."

Mu Tong said quickly.

Sensing that the atmosphere between the two seemed a little off, she tactfully said goodbye to Si Yao: "Junior sister, please go back with your cousin quickly. We'll be leaving first."

"good…"

Si Yao smiled at the four of them with a normal expression: "Tomorrow I will invite you, senior sisters, to my house for a drink as an apology for not being able to come with us today."

"Okay, it's settled then."

Mu Tong and others also started laughing.

Then he waved his hand and walked away, and soon disappeared in the crowd.

Si Yao withdrew his gaze.

His gaze fell on Fang Zhiyue behind him again.

Seeing him pursing his lips tightly, she apologized: "Little Father, please don't be angry. I just said that out of impulse and didn't change my mind."

"What if your classmates hear it?"

Fang Zhiyue was a little annoyed. "You've already introduced me to them as your cousin, but you keep calling me little father. What do you want them to think?"

"I'll be more careful next time..."

Si Yao softened his voice and coaxed him gently: "If you're still not satisfied, I'll let you slap me a few times when we get home, okay?"

"Don't be so talkative—"

Fang Zhiyue glared.

She couldn't help but complain, "It's all your fault. You insisted on calling others cousins. I told you not to do that, but you insisted."

"If you invite your classmates to your house tomorrow, remember not to call them by the wrong names again."

Si Yao listened to his scolding and nodded obediently.

*

The next evening, Mu Tong and his companions came to Si's house in the afterglow.

Si Yao opened the door and invited them directly into the main room.

As he walked along, Mu Tong looked around the spacious house and couldn't help but sigh: "Junior sister, your house is really nice. It must have cost a lot of money."

Si Yao smiled quietly without saying anything.

Lead them directly into the house and sit them down.

She brought the prepared drinks to the table and said, "Senior sisters, please don't be polite today. There will be plenty of drinks."

Hearing this.

Mu Tong took the lead and opened a pot, pouring a large bowl.

He raised his head and drank it in one gulp. "What a good wine! It tastes like Saji's Bamboo Leaf Green, sweet and refreshing!"

She couldn't help but pour another bowl.

The dishes had not yet been served, but a few people started drinking.

Mu Tong, Zhou Rusheng and Zheng Minxuan were all lightly intoxicated and were already eight-tenths drunk.

Only Kong Mengruan remained somewhat conscious.

He was discussing schoolwork with Si Yao sitting opposite him.

Fang Zhiyue came in at this time, holding the food in his hand and stopped immediately after seeing this scene.

Smelling the strong smell of alcohol in the air, he hesitated, not knowing whether he should go in.

Si Yao happened to be sitting facing the door. When she saw him out of the corner of her eye, her eyes lit up instantly.

The eyes that were stained by the smell of alcohol looked straight at me, "Little——"

“The food is here!”

Fang Zhiyue realized something was wrong and immediately interrupted him.

He glared at her secretly, walked in and put the food on the table.

Kong Mengruan, the only sober one, shook his head and bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry, cousin. We are so rude."

"It's okay, it's okay..."

Fang Zhiyue replied with a smile, "I'll go make you some hangover soup."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Si Yao, who had been silent the whole time, grabbed my arm and said in a somewhat aggrieved tone, “Why is my little father ignoring me… Ugh!”

Fang Zhiyue was caught off guard and quickly went to cover her mouth.

He didn't bother to look at Si Yao, and turned his head to look at Kong Mengruan beside him.

Sure enough, I saw a flash of surprise in her eyes and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was confused about something.

Fang Zhiyue quickly added, "She's drunk and has started talking nonsense. I'll help her back to her room and let her lie down for a while."

"…good."

Kong Mengruan responded slowly.

Watch the two of them leave the house.

He shook his head again.

What are you thinking about? It seems that Junior Sister Yuzhuo is really drunk.

Here, Fang Zhiyue helped Si Yao into the house and pushed her directly onto the bed.

He was a little angry, "Didn't we agree on this yesterday? Why did you forget again?"

She was determined to scare him to death.

Si Yao lay on the bed, blinked a few times, and looked drunk.

Fang Zhiyue felt a little discouraged.

Thinking about the few people still lying in the main room, he turned around and left the house to find Shi Qi to help send them all back.

When he came back from his busy schedule, he saw Si Yao standing at the door of his house.

He kept knocking on the door and shouting, "Little father, little father, little father——"

He paused, feeling somewhat helpless.

Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore and walked over, "Sister Yao, I'm here. Why are you out here instead of sleeping well?"

I was just about to reach out to hold her arm.

Unexpectedly, Si Yao suddenly turned around and hugged him tightly.

She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, "Where have you been? I kept calling you, but you didn't open the door."

Her tone was aggrieved, like an abandoned puppy.

Fang Zhiyue pushed her, but failed, and she pushed him against the pillar under the corridor.

He panicked instantly, "Sister Yao, please let me go! Shi Qi will be back soon."

It would be embarrassing for her to see the two of them like this.

"No."

Si Yao held him tightly and didn't let go, his lips gently touching the side of his neck, "Little father, you smell so good. Did you apply sugar water here..."

The sound of breathing hit him.

Fang Zhiyue's eyes suddenly widened when he felt the damp heat coming from his neck.

"Sister Yao, what are you doing?"

He exerted force and pushed her away.

Si Yao staggered a few times and fell on his back against the wall.

Bang——

She groaned softly in pain.

The brain, which was infected by the smell of alcohol, also became a little clearer.

"Little father..."

Si Yao raised his head with a hoarse voice, his dark eyes fixed on him.

"I……"

It seems to contain thousands of words.

Fang Zhiyue stood there in panic, lowering his head as if to escape.

Without waiting for her to finish, he ran towards his room.