Chapter 25 Shen Mengqing, what do you take me for? ...
There's a restaurant at this attraction that specializes in exquisite desserts and afternoon tea. The three of us didn't have much of an appetite because of the heat, so we decided to come here for some refreshing and sweet treats to tide us over, saving our appetites for the food street in the evening.
Shen Mengqing and Yu Xin casually ordered two drinks. Hao Qisi looked at the menu and found it very novel, so he ordered three or four desserts, wanting to try them all.
As soon as the order was placed, Yu Xin paid the money. Hao Qisi exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, does the tour guide have to cover all the expenses of the customers before settling the bill? If you have a whole group of people, won't you have to pay a lot of money upfront?"
Why ask so many questions?
Shen Mengqing really underestimated Hao Qisi's thirst for knowledge at her age. Her third aunt's name was quite fitting; she was just like her name, curious about everything.
She thought for a moment and realized that her mother's name was Hao Meng, which should have been a very auspicious name, but after her father got sick, her mother probably hadn't had any good dreams at night.
The food was served quickly. Except for the drinks, which had to be made fresh, the desserts were prepared in advance and kept fresh in a small refrigerator. Hao Qisi tasted each one and nodded with satisfaction.
He seemed to have many questions about Yu Xin's job, so Shen Mengqing asked him speechlessly, "What, you want to be a tour guide?"
Hao Qisi nodded seriously and said, "I've already thought it through. After I go to university, I'll find some part-time jobs to earn money."
“Why would a kid like you need so much money?” Shen Mengqing said.
Hao Qisi took a sip of the bayberry shaved ice he ordered and said, "My mom wants to open a shop recently, but we don't have enough money at home to rent a place. I want to save up some money to help her with the deposit, and we'll make a little money if we can."
Shen Mengqing was touched that Hao Qisi had asked for this, and said, "How much money do you need? I've saved some over the years and have nowhere to spend it anyway, so I'll lend it to you."
"No need, no need," Hao Qisi waved her hand. "My mom said that the money you work so hard to earn in Beicheng is for you and your boyfriend to get married and buy a house. She won't ask you for money. By the way, sister, it's been a long time since I've seen your boyfriend. How have you two been lately?"
Shen Mengqing: "..."
Yu Xin: "..."
Shen Mengqing's feelings of being touched vanished instantly. She glared at her annoying brother and said, "I broke up with my boyfriend. Didn't Auntie tell you?"
Hao Qisi chuckled awkwardly, then frowned and tried to recall, but he couldn't remember his mother mentioning it.
Having inadvertently stepped on Shen Mengqing's landmine, Hao Qisi became more restrained afterward, speaking only half as much.
After finishing their simple meal, the three of them moved on to a park opposite the tourist attraction.
For Hao Qisi, a restless and active young man, taking a walk in the park was really boring. He didn't understand the elegance of appreciating the scenery. When he saw that there was a boating activity, he bought a ticket without saying a word.
His favorite little yellow duck boat could only be played by one person. After asking Shen Mengqing for permission and receiving it, he went to play by himself.
Shen Mengqing looked around. She figured it would be easier for two people to row, so she pointed to a two-person boat and asked Yu Xin, "Shall we row together?"
Yu Xin nodded, having no objection.
When the boat docked at the shore, Shen Mengqing stepped onto it. The boat swayed unsteadily, and she cried out in surprise. Her arm was quickly caught off guard, and Yu Xin helped her maintain her balance. However, Shen Mengqing still dared not let go and held on tightly to Yu Xin.
She couldn't move forward, as if her feet were chained together. But if Yu Xin also stepped down, the weight at the end would be too great, and the lake water would flood in.
Yu Xin sighed and said, "Let go of me first, and I'll help you stabilize the boat. You can walk forward to the middle."
Shen Mengqing looked up at him somewhat awkwardly, her eyes seeming to say that she was not quite comfortable with his advice.
The two remained locked in a stalemate for a while. Under the blazing sun, Shen Mengqing felt her back soaked with a thin layer of sweat. She was still holding onto Yu Xin, and the close physical proximity made her even hotter.
She couldn't hold back any longer and gritted her teeth, saying, "Okay, I'll do it your way."
After slowly releasing Yu Xin, the boat rocked slightly again, but much less than before. Yu Xin squatted down with his legs spread apart, bracing himself on the bow with both hands to resist the swaying of the boat. The sunlight shone on his white arms, and the bulging veins were particularly noticeable as he exerted force.
With the thought that dying sooner is better than dying later, Shen Mengqing strode to the middle of the boat and sat down. Sure enough, it was much safer after the center point. Even though the boat was still moving, it was relatively stable behind the edge of the boat he was holding onto.
This stability was instantly shattered when Yu Xin boarded the boat. He was heavier, and the boat swayed even more when he boarded. If there hadn't been no way to turn back, Shen Mengqing would have definitely run ashore.
After they sat down, Yu Xin handed a paddle to Shen Mengqing.
The boat they were on required two people to row with one oar on each side, which really tested their teamwork.
The park was beautiful, with lush trees, birdsong, and fragrant flowers. The lake water was clear and green. Spending time in the natural scenery calmed the mind and made one feel cooler. In the distance, a small, secluded lake had many brightly blooming lotus flowers, which Shen Mengqing glanced at a few times.
The two worked together surprisingly well and made it smoothly to the middle of the lake. More and more boats appeared around them, and the noise of people made their boat seem strangely quiet.
Perhaps out of sheer boredom, Yu Xindu was the first to speak, asking Shen Mengqing, "You want to buy a house?"
"I guess so."
Shen Mengqing had actually figured it out some time ago. If she wanted to stay in Beicheng, buying a house was an unavoidable hurdle. However, the thought of whether or not to return to Chucheng kept swaying her, and she couldn't make a decision yet.
Yu Xin's brows furrowed slightly, his eyes reflecting the shimmering surface of a lake. He said in a low voice, "Is it because you want to settle down in Beicheng?"
Shen Mengqing paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "It has nothing to do with this."
Yu Xin put down the oar and asked again, "Why did you break up with him back then?"
After he stopped rowing, Shen Mengqing's efforts to row were futile; the boat would only drift further off course. So she simply threw down the oars and let the boat drift on its own.
Shen Mengqing said calmly, "He broke up with me using the silent treatment."
The atmosphere cooled down imperceptibly. She didn't really want to share her past romantic experiences with Yu Xin, which felt strange to her. After a moment of silence, just as she was about to change the subject, she noticed Yu Xin looking at her with slightly darkened eyes.
The undulating lake surface, reflected in his eyes, seemed to have lost its vitality, turning into a stagnant pool, deep and still, like a dangerous swamp. If you stared at it for too long, you would be firmly grasped and deeply trapped in it.
“He was the one who suggested it,” Yu Xin said slowly, her tone devoid of emotion. “So, you still… have feelings for him, right?”
He swallowed the word "love" that was about to slip out of his mouth, but it felt like swallowing a sharp blade; his flesh was cut open, and he felt a dull pain.
Shen Mengqing frowned even more deeply: "No."
Yu Xin didn't really trust her; she could read his thoughts from his eyes.
"Don't believe me? So in your eyes I'm someone who can't let go of her ex-boyfriend and can sleep with other men casually?" Shen Mengqing chuckled. "Yu Xin, what's wrong with you lately? And what about Li Qinghe's matter? What exactly are you dissatisfied with? For a relationship like ours, isn't it enough to just go through the motions when we meet and then keep to ourselves the rest of the time?"
She knew those words were hurtful, but she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because she had been dealing with too many troubles lately, and she was feeling overwhelmed. The time she spent with Yu Xin was her only escape from reality, but his questioning made her feel that even this only utopia was declaring war on her, and she couldn't hold back any longer.
As soon as Shen Mengqing finished speaking, she felt the boat lurch violently. She lost her balance and fell forward. Yu Xin reacted quickly, leaning forward and bracing himself against the edge of the boat beside her, trapping her in a small space. The lake surface around the boats splashed up fine spray from the sudden collision, and a few drops landed on Shen Mengqing's arms, cool and piercing.
"Just give it a try?" Yu Xin's voice was low, as if he was squeezing the words out from deep in his throat.
His body was still in place, his arms were tense, and instead of letting go of Shen Mengqing, he trapped her even tighter. The boat tilted dangerously because of his shift in center of gravity, and Shen Mengqing panicked, but could only grab onto him, the person on the same boat as her.
His breath was hot as he whispered, almost touching her earlobe, "So every time we meet, you're just going through the motions. Am I a burden to you?"
Even though Shen Mengqing didn't turn around, she could imagine how sharp Yu Xin's gaze was at that moment. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and wanted to ignore the imbalance of the boat and move away from him, but she was blocked by his arms and the edge of the boat, and had nowhere to escape.
“That’s not what I meant…” she tried to explain, but found her lips were terribly dry.
Yu Xin's eyes were exceptionally cold: "Then what do you mean? We'll keep to ourselves, Shen Mengqing, what do you take me for?"
His indifferent expression sent a chill down Shen Mengqing's spine. Even during their first meeting, he hadn't been this cold.
“I thought you understood.” Shen Mengqing met his gaze with feigned composure and said, “We are just getting what we need, and we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s private lives.”
Yu Xin sneered: "So, once you get back together with your ex-boyfriend, or hit it off with some blind date, you can just casually let me know and end this relationship at will, right?"
Shen Mengqing couldn't break free from him. Under his constant questioning, the frustration and grievances in her heart burst forth, turning into sharp thorns that pushed others further and further away.
She said coolly, "Otherwise what? I said from the beginning that anyone who likes someone can end the relationship, and so can you. Yu Xin, are you just a sore loser? Or are you actually taking me seriously?"
Yu Xin's eyes churned with emotions she couldn't understand, like a volcano that had been dormant for a long time and was about to erupt, but returned to calm at the last moment before the scorching lava burst forth.
"You're right." Yu Xin suppressed all his emotions, finally letting go of her, his expression becoming calm. "I crossed the line."
An awkward silence spread between the two. Shen Mengqing opened his mouth, belatedly trying to say something to ease the atmosphere, but couldn't utter a single word.
"Let's go back."
Yu Xin suddenly spoke, breaking the icy atmosphere. He picked up the oars again and decisively turned the boat around.
Upon reaching the shore, Yu Xin jumped off the boat first, then turned around and reached out his hand to her.
Shen Mengqing looked at him with some surprise, hesitated for a moment, and then extended her hand. His palm was warm and strong, and he steadily supported her, letting go immediately after ensuring she was safely ashore, as if he didn't want to touch her for even a second longer.
Hao Qisi played by himself for a long time and returned long ago. He was sitting on a bench by the shore playing on his phone.
Upon seeing them, he excitedly ran over: "Sis, tour guide, let's go again..."
"I'm leaving now," Yu Xin interrupted him. "I have something to do tonight."
"ah?"
Yu Xin's change of attitude was so sudden that Hao Qisi was a little confused and stared blankly as he walked away.
He looked blankly at Shen Mengqing, only to find that his sister's expression didn't look good either, her eyes were empty.
He asked cautiously, "Sis, did you two have a fight?"
Shen Mengqing quickly denied it: "No."
She snapped out of her daze and continued walking forward.
Water had seeped in from the boat, and the soles of her shoes were slightly wet, making them sticky and uncomfortable to walk on.
Hao Qisi glanced at him secretly and whispered, "Sis, he's not actually a tour guide, he's your friend, right?"
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A note from the author:
The tonic is making a fuss~~
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