Chapter 49 Heartbeat
Luo Yan was a little girl who didn't have many secrets from her family, especially from her brother.
She knew she couldn't tell anyone, so as she swayed in the back seat of the car, she said, "I have something to tell you."
Luo Hong didn't turn around: "What?"
Late at night, there were hardly any people on the street, and even the streetlights only sparingly illuminated the small area in front of them.
A young girl's secrets, even when laid bare in the shadows, are enough to make one blush. Luo Yan bit her lip: "I can only tell you when we get home."
Wow, so mysterious.
Luo Hong became interested, pedaled his bicycle hard, and asked as soon as he entered the courtyard.
Luo Yan pushed him shyly, saying, "Let's go inside and talk."
When has my sister ever acted like this? Luo Hong couldn't think of anything. He looked at her suspiciously for a couple of seconds, then held back for a few more seconds.
The parents were tidying up the "mess" left behind by the neighbors after they finished watching TV in the living room, stacking up the extra stools, and said to their two children, "Lock the door."
Luo Yan locked the door behind her and dragged her brother into the room.
The couple looked at each other, exchanged a glance, and muttered to themselves, "We still need to have two children, at least they'll have each other for company."
They don't ask what the children say.
But Luo Hong wanted to ask. His sister had kept him in suspense the whole time. He was sitting sprawled out on a stool in her room, one foot practically touching the wall, and he raised an eyebrow: "Go ahead and ask."
"Why are you acting like a hooligan?" Luo Yan couldn't stand it and slapped her brother's leg: "Put it down, you've gotten it all dirty."
Luo Hong clicked his tongue to urge them on.
Luo Yan said, "I'm going to the city library tomorrow."
She goes to the library every day, what's so special about that? Luo Hong tapped the desk: "Stop with the preamble."
In short, it was just one sentence. Luo Yan added the other half: "With a male classmate."
"With what?" Luo Hong was full of questions: "Is he from your class? When did you meet? Is it just the two of you? What's his name?"
Luo Yan explained everything, then blinked her big eyes, waiting for her brother's evaluation.
Luo Hong didn't have much to say, except that his brow furrowed slightly when he heard the words "Guangzhou people," but it quickly disappeared. He simply said, "I'll take you tomorrow; I'll be off work then."
His younger sister was born beautiful, which caused him countless worries. He couldn't bear to leave her unseen, not wanting to see what kind of person she was.
Luo Yan was already dependent on her family, and her asking meant she wanted to hear her brother's opinion, so she naturally wouldn't object. However, she felt something was missing, and her eyes darted around.
Luo Hong patted her head for no apparent reason: "Go to sleep early."
After he finished speaking, he went back to his room and had a dream that night. He dreamed that his younger sister had married and moved far away after graduating, and he woke up feeling melancholy and sighing.
Rationally, he supported all of his sister's choices.
Emotionally, he already had a preconceived dissatisfaction with Zhou Xiuhe, but he just didn't say it out loud. After all, they were just going to the library together, and who knows, he might have lost all contact with Wang, the classmate who went to the zoo with him last time.
The next day, Luo Hong took his sister to the city library with this mindset in mind.
The brother and sister were riding their bikes together when, about three meters from their destination, Luo Yan said, "I saw him."
There are always crowds at the entrance of the city library all year round, but Luo Hong still accurately identified which one was Zhou Xiuhe.
First, he was good-looking, with a tall and straight figure and a touch of scholarly air. Second, his eyes, which were originally darting around like searchlights, were now focused on his sister, and he withdrew his hand when he saw that there were other people around.
Luo Yan called out to him first: "Have you been waiting long?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "I just arrived too."
Her gaze drifted to the man beside her, and she instinctively assumed a military posture.
Luo Hong was only two years older than him, but their life experiences were completely different. Just by meeting him, he knew that Zhou Xiu and this person did not seem to be doing anything wrong, so he felt relieved.
He didn't put on any formality, after all, things hadn't gotten to that point yet. He nodded to indicate that he had said hello, then turned to his sister and said, "Dinner is at 12 o'clock, don't be late."
He was going to go with Zhou Weifang to get the license later, and he was going to treat Zhou Yuyao and Wang Delin to lunch. He hadn't originally planned to bring his sister.
But on a whim, I wanted to let people know that my sister had someone waiting for her at noon, so they wouldn't have any bad intentions. That's what I said.
Although it was sudden, Luo Yan nodded and explained after her brother left, "My brother had some business to take care of nearby, so we went out together."
As expected, it was the older brother. Zhou Xiuhe had just guessed the same thing, saying, "You two siblings don't look alike."
Luo Yan: "Yes, he looks more like my dad."
She took her schoolbag out of the bicycle basket, instinctively worried: "There are so many people, I don't know if there will be any seats."
Zhou Xiuhe: "I've reserved a seat."
Huh? Luo Yan glanced at her watch, thinking she wasn't late, and said, "What time did you leave?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "The school is close by, and bicycles are very fast."
The two walked in while talking, until they reached the spot against the wall that Zhou Xiu had reserved in advance.
He even disguised it by placing books, an open notebook, and an uncapped pen on the table. At first glance, anyone would think the owner was just temporarily away, but that wouldn't stop them from moving these things to the side.
Fearing that people would think he had ulterior motives, Zhou Xiuhe quickly said, "The space I just occupied wasn't this narrow."
Luo Yan: "It's good enough to have a place."
But when I sat down, I realized I had spoken too soon, because it was really narrow.
Her left hand was hitting the wall, and any movement of her right hand would bump into Zhou Xiuhe. She could hardly even sit up straight, and her shoulders were crooked.
Zhou Xiuhe leaned to the other side, thinking to himself that it was lucky there was a man to his right, otherwise he would probably have been arrested as a hooligan.
He asked, "Isn't it too crowded?"
Since everyone else had gotten up so early, Luo Yan couldn't say what was on her mind. She awkwardly opened the book with her left hand and said, "No need."
It's barely passable.
The two were so close that Zhou Xiuhe could hear her breathing. He felt a surge of nervousness and was trying to think of something to say when he turned his head to look and found that she was already doing her homework.
He opened his mouth blankly and then closed it again, deciding to remain silent, but he couldn't hide his disappointment, thinking: It seems she really came here to learn.
Luo Yan wasn't as calm as he thought; his heart was pounding.
But she was a girl after all, and her reserved and demure manner seemed to be innate. She suddenly remembered that everyone praised her for having a pretty dimple, and unconsciously pursed her lips.
In the silence, it seemed as if a contest was taking place.
Finally, Zhou Xiuhe couldn't resist and randomly picked a problem to ask, "Luo Yan, how do you do this?"
Finally, he spoke. Luo Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't even need to get close; she could count his eyelashes just by tilting her head slightly.
She suddenly stammered, "I, let me see."
Luo Yan's mind seemed to freeze for a moment. She stared blankly for a few seconds before regaining her train of thought and hesitantly asked, "This question?"
Zhou Xiuhe hadn't looked closely before, but upon closer inspection, he realized the excuse was too far-fetched, and forced himself to say, "Uh, um."
Okay, let's just say he's done too many difficult problems and can't get past the basic ones right away.
Luo Yan explained in a low voice in one sentence, and then asked him if he understood.
Zhou Xiuhe: "I understand, I understand."
And for some reason, he glanced at her cautiously.
Luo Yan: "Is there anything else you don't understand?"
Zhou Xiuhe thought to himself that if he continued to pretend, he would probably look like a fool in her eyes, so he said, "No, that's all."
Oh, Luo Yan shifted her gaze back to the book, habitually turning the page with her right hand. As she moved, her elbow bumped into someone.
She said, "I'm sorry."
"Excuse me."
Zhou Xiuhe said the same thing at the same time, and the two of them spoke almost simultaneously, their tacit understanding was so awkward that it was embarrassing.
Luo Yan suddenly didn't know where to look, and lowered her head slightly.
I am a man.
Zhou Xiuhe asked himself this question, took a deep breath, and then asked, "Are you busy this afternoon?"
Luo Yan: "No."
Zhou Xiuhe: "Do you want to go see a movie?"
She added, "My mom is coming to Beijing tomorrow, and I need to go with her to take care of some things."
If it were only the first sentence, Luo Yan would probably have hesitated a bit more, but considering that he would probably be with his parents for the rest of the year and would return to Guangzhou on the third day of the Lunar New Year, he nodded almost unconsciously: "Okay, but I'm having lunch with my brother."
Zhou Xiuhe had naturally heard about it in the morning and had expected it, so he said, "It's okay, there's no rush, you can eat slowly."
There were other people at lunch, so I reckon it won't be quick.
Luo Yan was being cautious and arranged to meet him at the movie theater entrance at three o'clock, adding beforehand, "It might be a little later."
As long as it comes, Zhou Xiuhe will wait even if the sky falls and the earth cracks.
He said, "It's alright, you can come anytime."
These days, when a guy asks a girl to go to the movies, the meaning is pretty obvious. So every word he says sounds like it's imbued with emotion.
Luo Yan touched her reddened ears and gave an embarrassed "hmm".
Zhou Xiuhe was secretly delighted and grinned foolishly.
Luo Yan clenched her fists, adding a touch of shyness: "Don't laugh."
She spoke those three words as if she were pouting, and Zhou Xiuhe's heart skipped a beat: "Okay, I won't laugh."
He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't hide his true emotions. Luo Yan had no choice but to pretend he didn't see it and sit up straight: "I need to do my homework."
I don't know if I'm saying this to others or to myself.
With the afternoon's appointment as a foundation, Zhou Xiuhe was able to calm down and write a few words.
The two of them didn't speak again until lunchtime.
Luo Yan was going to meet up with her brother. She put her schoolbag in the bicycle basket and said, "See you this afternoon."
Leaving aside Zhou Xiuhe's actions of returning to his dormitory to change clothes while muttering those three words, let's focus on Luo Yan's situation.
She circled the street before finally finding the restaurant her brother had mentioned. Not seeing the familiar bicycle in front of the restaurant, she wandered around aimlessly, waiting. When she saw Zhou Weifang appear, she was quite happy and said, "I thought I had come to the wrong place."
Then he asked, "Where's my brother?"
Zhou Weifang: "Toilet."
Knowing better than to ask, Luo Yan changed the subject: "Has the license been processed?"
Zhou Weifang: "Okay."
He even took it out of his handbag to show her.
Luo Yan had always heard people talk about licenses, but this was the first time she had ever seen what one looked like. She held it in her hand and looked at it from all angles: "It's just a thin piece of paper, it's so hard to handle."
This was hard-won, so she quickly returned it, saying, "Put it away safely."
Zhou Weifang put it back in his bag and said, "Go inside and wait, it's cold outside."
Luo Yan rubbed her hands and followed behind him. After entering the private room, she felt warm and cozy, so she took off her coat and put it on the back of the chair.
She originally intended to wear the wool coat that people borrow for blind dates when she went out today, but the wind blew it away and she immediately changed her mind. She went back to her room and changed into a cotton coat, but she didn't change her inner outfit; she still wore a pink sweater.
Zhou Weifang rarely saw her wearing such bright colors, and couldn't help but take a second look.
Luo Yan noticed, looked down at herself, and suddenly realized that he was also a man. She asked for his opinion: "Am I dressed strangely?"
Zhou Weifang: "No, it looks great."
Although he was also a man, Luo Yan did not take this as a compliment from a man, but simply stroked the hem of his clothes with satisfaction: "That's good."
Why was it "That's good"? Zhou Weifang found this sentence a bit strange, but before he could ask, Luo Hong entered the private room and said, "Shouldn't we wait at the door?"
"It's never wrong to be polite," Zhou Weifang thought, and that made sense. As he stood up, he saw Luo Yan following suit and said, "No need for the child."
Luo Yan seemed to accept that she was a child, maintaining a half-standing posture while watching her older brother.
Before Luo Hong could speak, today's guests had already pushed open the door to the private room.
Although they were called guests, everyone was actually quite familiar with each other; even Luo Yan could exchange a few pleasantries with Wang Delin.
After exchanging pleasantries, everyone sat down. Zhou Yuyao was seated with her boyfriend on one side and another girl present on the other.
Ignoring what the men were talking about, she touched Luo Yan's sweater sleeve and asked, "Your sweater is very nice. Where did you buy it?"
Luo Yan: "My mom knitted it."
Zhou Yuyao laughed: "I was thinking of buying a couple more to sell."
Luo Yan: "I think green is all the rage this year."
Even during the Lunar New Year, one shouldn't wear bright green on such a joyous occasion.
Zhou Yuyao: "During the Lunar New Year, pink and red are still the best-selling colors."
Indeed, the two girls chatted casually about the latest fashion trends.
Zhou Yuyao quite liked Luo Yan, thinking that the girl had a good temper and a kind heart. The first order from Luo Yan came from her when the stall opened, and she would occasionally introduce her classmates to the stall.
She believes in treating others as you would like to be treated, and she doesn't mind when she notices that others sometimes can't keep up with the conversation. She simply takes the initiative to find someone easier to respond to.
Since that's how they are, Luo Yan naturally gets along well with her, though she spares a little attention to listen to her brother and the others talking.
They all grew up in the same alley. Although Wang Delin was a few years older than Zhou Weifang and Luo Hong, they all knew each other.
He also had a rough personality, saying, "Don't thank me like that, we're all family from now on."
Even family members sometimes need to speak differently. Zhou Weifang knew this, so before the dishes were even served, he took a sip and said, "Then I won't say any more."
Luo Hong also drank it all in one gulp.
Wang Delin stopped them: "Your sister glared at you, just give her a little something in return."
It seems that in this relationship, the older sister has him completely under her control.
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief and put down his cup: "I don't dare to provoke her either."
Zhou Yuyao exposed her younger brother's weakness: "Who have you ever been afraid of since you were a child?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered something, glanced at Luo Yan, and said, "Just eat, why drink that useless stuff?"
It was just a matter of courtesy, Zhou Weifang put the wine bottle aside and glanced at Luo Yan.
Huh? Why is everyone looking at me?
Luo Yan looked somewhat bewildered, took a sip of soda, and smiled.
She actually has the face of a grown woman, but her expression always carries a hint of childlike innocence, making people want to take extra care of her.
Zhou Yuyao didn't continue, not because she cared about her younger brother's feelings, but because she was afraid Luo Yan would be shy. She lowered her voice and said, "When Sanfang was little, he would run away with his head in his hands whenever he heard your name."
Those four words are an exaggeration. Luo Yan: "They were probably afraid I would stop them from causing trouble."
The word "fear" doesn't fit the image of a younger brother.
Zhou Yuyao didn't connect the two of them; she simply found the whole thing quite interesting and changed the subject.
It seems the two of them get along quite well.
Luo Hong was not surprised. Since he could take his sister out, he knew what kind of situations she could handle. He just didn't like to go out with her and would avoid them if he could.
Zhou Weifang was thinking about all sorts of random things. If the waiter hadn't come to serve the food, he would have already thought of what names to give his children after the wedding.
But he knew that things were far from settled, and he didn't even have a legitimate reason to take care of her in front of so many people, so he sighed silently.
Luo Hong, unaware of his childhood friend's melancholy, took advantage of the moment when everyone else was talking to ask his sister, "Nothing much this morning, right?"
Luo Yan: "Is it okay if we go to see a movie this afternoon?"
It seems she had a pretty good morning. Luo Hong: "No, eat your food."
He was the one who asked the question, and he was also the one who didn't want to hear it. Luo Yan shrugged, took a bite of her food and found ginger mixed in, then swallowed it with a frown.
Zhou Weifang, sitting diagonally opposite her, could see everything clearly, and calmly moved a dish of Kung Pao Chicken in front of her.
Luo Yan thought it was just a coincidence, took a couple of bites to suppress the taste in her mouth, and gave a faint smile.
Some things are simply more needed by the people doing them.
Zhou Weifang didn't need anyone to know; he just wanted to be happy. He verbally agreed with his future brother-in-law.
Everyone chatted, and we didn't break up until after 2 a.m.
Zhou Yuyao and Wang Delin walked away together, their backs almost out of sight, when Luo Yan couldn't wait any longer: "I'm leaving too!"
Luo Hong simply told him, "I need to go home for dinner tonight," and couldn't think of anything else to say.
Zhou Weifang asked in surprise, "Where is she in such a hurry to go?"
Luo Hong: "I went to see a movie with my classmates."
Zhou Weifang knew that Luo Yan had gone to the library in the morning, but he only thought it was her alone. He said, "It's rare to see her go out with her classmates."
Luo Hong seemed to be gritting his teeth: "I'm afraid it won't be so rare in the future."
Zhou Weifang: "What do you mean?"
My sister says she's a blabbermouth, but that's not entirely true. Even if they're in a committed relationship, Luo Hong won't bring it up until they're married.
He mumbled, "It's Chinese New Year, who doesn't have fun?"
That's true, Zhou Weifang: "It's good to have some fun."
Luo Hong gave a forced smile and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket: "Give me one."
He doesn't usually smoke, but he always carries a pack with him. He was feeling very annoyed right now, so he lit one for himself.
Zhou Weifang pushed away his cigarette pack: "The licenses are all done, why are you still looking so worried?"
Luo Hong exhaled a smoke ring: "Have you ever been to Guangzhou?"
Although Zhou Weifang found it strange, he still told the truth: "No, but I might go this year to see if there are any other ways to make money."
Luo Hong had only said it casually, but then he became interested: "Isn't the car dealership's business enough for you to keep going?"
Zhou Weifang: "With a monthly income of only three to five hundred, how long would it take to make a living like this?"
If he doesn't make something of himself, he won't even be able to stand himself, let alone expect anyone to be interested in him.
Luo Hong had always known he was ambitious, so he wasn't surprised. He stubbed out his cigarette and said, "If I can get leave, I'll go and take a look."
If his sister really were dating Zhou Xiuhe, he would at least know the whole story.
Although their purposes differed, the two of them managed to roughly plan a trip to Guangzhou.
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