Until one day, she saw Xu Lanzhi in the store again.
It was lunchtime. After she bought her food, she saw Xu Lanzhi standing at the store entrance.
The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before Pei Ruoyun spoke first: "You're still buying things here? Trying to be ripped off again?"
Xu Lanzhi paused for a moment, looked at her and said, "I wanted to see if you were still there."
Pei Ruoyun was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Xu Lanzhi frowned slightly. "I noticed you haven't been to the bookstall for a long time, so I thought you had left."
Pei Ruoyun paused for a moment, then turned her face away and asked, "So what if you left?"
Xu Lanzhi pursed her lips. "If I leave... I won't be able to see you again."
"Why do you want to see me?" Pei Ruoyun asked.
"Because I..."
Xu Lanzhi stammered when she asked him the question, and fled in panic, his ears turning bright red.
Pei Ruoyun watched his retreating figure, her earlier arrogance vanishing instantly, and she raised her hand to clutch her chest.
Her heart was pounding, about to jump out of her chest, but only she knew that.
From that day on, when she got off work, she would walk back down that same road and deliberately pass by his used bookstore.
Something between them became an unspoken understanding.
It's just a matter of seeing the window.
Two days later, when Pei Ruoyun went to buy books, Xu Lanzhi slipped a letter into the book he handed her.
"Go back...remember to check it out."
Pei Ruoyun was taken aback, then said, "Okay."
She found it rare; she had never communicated with anyone by letter before, and this was the first letter she had ever received.
She carefully took it home, opened it, and discovered that it contained a sentimental poem.
Her eyes got sore from staring at her.
After reading it, she carefully put it away.
The next day, she went to the used bookstore as usual.
She deliberately asked Xu Lanzhi, "What does your letter mean? I'm not well-educated and can't understand it."
Xu Lan was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to say that, and her ears turned slightly red. "It's...that's what I mean."
"Which one?" Pei Ruoyun asked.
Xu Lanzhi looked at her silently, paused for two seconds, and finally spoke: "What I mean is, I... I like you, I want to be good to you, can you be my girlfriend?"
His expression was solemn, as if he had made a major decision, yet with a hint of expectation, as he stared straight at her, his earlobes burning red.
Looking into his shy and innocent eyes, Pei Ruoyun suddenly felt terrible.
She was the one who liked him first, but she forced him to confess his feelings to her.
However, Xu Lanzhi certainly wouldn't think she was bad.
Because he's a good person, and also a bookworm.
He only knows how to say things like "a beautiful lady is sought after by a gentleman," and that it should be him who confesses his feelings.
From that day on, they naturally began to fall in love.
Later, Pei Ruoyun saved some money, resigned from her job at the wholesale market, and prepared to start her own business.
However, because of his young age and lack of experience, he was cheated out of his money by someone using substandard products.
Pei Ruoyun burst into tears; this was the first time she had ever lost her composure like this.
Xu Lanzhi held her in his arms and comforted her, saying it was no big deal, that he could write articles, that he could earn money, and that he could support her.
"How much do you earn writing articles?" Pei Ruoyun asked, sobbing.
Xu Lanzhi frowned, then said seriously, "Then I'll write a few more chapters, until my brain cells are exhausted, and I guarantee you'll have meat to eat every meal."
Upon hearing this, Pei Ruoyun instantly went from tears to laughter.
For some reason, even though nothing was resolved, just by talking to him for a few minutes, Pei Ruoyun felt as if the sky had been lifted up again after collapsing.
She thought, "So this is the meaning of love."
So she rallied and became energetic again.
Three years later, they finally had some savings and got married in the new millennium.
In the first year of their marriage, Pei Ruoyun gave birth to their first child, a boy.
Xu Lanzhi named him Pei Zhi.
It symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge, focus, and diligence.
More than a year later, she gave birth to another girl.
Xu Lanzhi named her Pei Xi.
The character 晰 means clear and understandable, and implies brightness and wisdom.
He put the most beautiful meanings and hopes in the world into their names.
Xu Lanzhi personally took care of the two children, watching them grow taller day by day and recording every little detail of their growth.
Pei Ruoyun's company gradually expanded and slowly developed into a brand that consumers could recognize.
For them, those were happy days that everyone envied.
Their careers are thriving, their relationship with their spouse is sweet, and their two children are well-behaved and adorable.
However, it is generally true that the most undesirable thing in this world is perfection.
Xu Lanzhi was suddenly diagnosed with cancer.
Pancreatic cancer was discovered too late, making surgery impossible.
He had a regular lifestyle and no bad habits, yet he still inexplicably contracted this disease.
Pei Ruoyun put aside all her work and stayed with him at the hospital every day.
She never cried in front of him, but she would always secretly shed tears alone in the middle of the night.
Xu Lanzhi, however, remained optimistic as if he were not the one who was sick.
He told Pei Ruoyun that millions of people die from cancer every year, which is no small number.
So it wasn't fate deliberately targeting him.
He was simply following the natural laws of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
He remains as kind and gentle as ever, and still thinks of everything in a positive light.
He thought that the world is a balance of waxing and waning, and since he had borne the pain, his Ayun and the children would not have to.
He was willing to give up the rest of his life to ensure their peace and health for the rest of their lives.
He's willing.
His Ayun, his Xiaozhi, his Xixi, will surely live a healthy and happy life from now on.
May everything go smoothly and without worry, and may you live a long and carefree life.
——【The End】——
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