Chapter 48 (Combined)
After finishing the book, Luo Yan returned it early.
Sparrow had just opened her shop today and was cleaning the tiny space when she saw her and smiled, "You didn't sleep all night, did you?"
Luo Yan put the book on the counter: "I'm going to sleep. I read it quickly."
“There’s no rush,” Sparrow put down the broom, dusted herself off, “Then pick another one.”
Luo Yan shook her head slightly: "I haven't finished my homework yet, I can't look at it anymore."
Like she would say, Sparrow: "Okay, come if you want to watch, I won't charge you."
Luo Yan gave a polite reply and rode away on her bicycle.
Her figure disappeared around the corner. Sparrow stuffed the book back onto the shelf, looked around the small space, and dusted it off: "Don't think about it anymore."
What she was thinking, Luo Yan will never know.
She went to the library as usual, and when she entered, the librarian said, "Student, we're going on holiday tomorrow, so you need to borrow the books you need today."
Huh? How come the date is earlier than the one originally announced?
But Luo Yan was used to obeying arrangements, and even if she had doubts, she didn't say them aloud. She nodded to indicate that she understood and said, "Okay, thank you."
She was still thinking about this when she sat down, but after looking around, she immediately knew the answer.
After all, compared to when the holiday just started, only a handful of people have come in the last two days.
One of those who persisted was Zhou Xiuhe.
He had obviously heard the news too, and his first words upon arriving were: "There's nowhere to go tomorrow."
Luo Yan heard him mention that the dormitory building had no electricity during the day during holidays, and the rooms were so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. She suggested, "You can go to the city library, it's not far from the school."
Zhou Xiuhe wasn't entirely disappointed about her studies; he looked at her and asked, "Are you going?"
Luo Yan hesitated for a moment: "There are so many people, I definitely won't be able to get a seat."
For this reason, she would always borrow the books and leave immediately.
Zhou Xiuhe: "I'll go reserve it for you."
He'd fight for any seat, even if it meant being showered with knives.
Meeting at school and meeting outside of school are two different things for Luo Yan.
She was no longer just thinking about whether or not to go to the city library; she hesitated and didn't answer immediately: "Let me think about it."
Zhou Xiuhe realized he was being too eager and said, "Okay, no rush."
But he was actually anxious; he would read a couple of pages and then secretly glance at the people around him.
Luo Yan's expression was the same as usual, her gaze sweeping down line by line. When she encountered any difficulties, she would habitually bite her lip and fidget with the pen in her hand.
It seems that the things he's thinking about have nothing to do with himself.
But Luo Yan had already made up her mind. When he asked her again at noon when they went to the cafeteria together, she replied, "I'm going, I have two books to return."
Whether it was truly a perfect match, only she knows.
Anyway, Zhou Xiuhe hoped it wasn't true. With that one in ten thousand possibility in mind, he restrained his smile and said, "Okay, then I'll go and save a seat for you."
Saving seats is not Luo Yan's forte. After all, the more crowded and jostling a place is, the more she will back away, saying, "There are so many people, it's probably not that easy. You can save one for yourself. I can learn at home."
Zhou Xiuhe: "No, it's better to be together than not to have company."
Since his words sounded too ambiguous, he added, "It's also convenient to ask if you don't understand."
That's right, it's all for the sake of learning.
Luo Yan tried to convince herself, but she still found it hard to ignore the little expectation in her heart. She even planned to dig out a piece of clothing that she had kept at the bottom of her trunk and wear it. Her eyes also became more bright.
She looked happy, and Zhou Xiuhe indulged in countless fantasies, unconsciously walking with his arms and legs moving in unison.
Luo Yan felt that he looked a little awkward, but couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. She took a second look.
Zhou Xiuhe followed her gaze to himself, immediately realized the problem, and abruptly stopped to try and adjust his stance.
But it seemed a little strange which foot he took, and finally he stood there blankly, scratching his head: "Why can't I walk yet?"
Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh, politely turning her head away, her shoulders twitching.
Zhou Xiuhe laughed along, but at least he regained some of his human instincts and took two steps forward: "It's fine now."
It was feasible, but Luo Yan found it even funnier.
But the more she tried to control herself with her head down, the less she could control herself. Even covering her mouth, she couldn't hide the happiness overflowing from the corners of her eyes and brows. She said, "I'm not laughing at you."
This was the first time Zhou Xiuhe had seen her with such a carefree expression: "It's alright, it's good to make you smile."
Luo Yan felt embarrassed and secretly glanced at him while pursing her lips.
Zhou Xiuhe noticed but pretended not to see it, only unconsciously straightening his back and opening his shoulders back.
Luo Yan inappropriately thought of the peacocks displaying their tails at the zoo, and because of the meaning behind the action of "displaying tails," she secretly clenched her thumb and forefinger.
This unprecedented feeling amused Luo Yan, and she wanted to laugh again.
She began to understand a little bit what Chen Yingying meant when she said "I'm happy as soon as I see him." Her heart was twisted and she didn't feel like herself as she looked at the bare tree in front of her.
Zhou Xiuhe glanced at her, then glanced at her again, and then glanced at her once more, unable to hide his youthful feelings.
No one spoke again, yet it seemed as if they had said a lot.
The walk from the library to the cafeteria felt much longer than usual.
--
After eating, they returned to the library.
Considering I can't come tomorrow, I'll borrow the books I want to read during the Lunar New Year.
The number of books that can be borrowed is limited, but the administrator gave them special permission: "It's okay to take a few more, just remember to return them when school starts."
With a long winter break, Luo Yan figured she had nothing to do at home, so she picked up a few more books from her reading list.
There were too many, so Zhou Xiuhe moved hers out before closing time and put them in the bicycle basket parked at the entrance: "Can you still ride it like this?"
Luo Yan: "Yes, thank you."
Zhou Xiuhe: "Then take your time, see you tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
Luo Yan pondered these three words for some reason as she returned home and moved a stack of books into her room.
The neighbors watching TV in the living room greeted her, saying, "Yanzi's back! You're still working so hard even on holiday."
Luo Yan called out to everyone, but she couldn't handle the situation any longer. Without even drinking a sip of water, she hurriedly went out again.
Her brother hadn't gotten off work yet at this time, so she slowly walked to the car dealership. When she got to the door, she glanced at her watch again before lifting the curtain. She stopped in her tracks when she saw what was inside.
Zhou Yuyao was standing with her back to the door when she noticed a gust of wind coming in. She thought there was a guest and was about to let her younger brother off the hook.
Turning around, she saw Luo Yan and said, "Yanzi is here."
The atmosphere seemed a bit off. Luo Yan greeted her, "Sister Yuyao."
He tilted his head slightly and looked at Zhou Weifang, who was standing like a "prisoner".
Zhou Weifang didn't know she was waiting for her brother here. Thinking that he hadn't given her any assignments lately, he asked, "Is the car broken?"
Luo Yan could tell he desperately needed a way out, and awkwardly touched the end of her hair: "I didn't ride a bike."
So she came to find him? Zhou Wei's glimmer of hope was instantly extinguished.
Luo Yan said, "My brother said he'll come over tonight."
As expected, he was just being presumptuous. Zhou Weifang gave up his seat, saying, "Then you can sit and wait for a while. He should be getting off work soon."
The chair was sandwiched between the siblings, and Luo Yan couldn't easily squeeze in, so she stood obediently in place and even took a step back with good judgment.
With outsiders present, Zhou Yuyao glared at her younger brother and said, "Do as I just said."
Then he put on a friendly smile and said, "Yanzi, please sit down. I have to go back to my stall, so I won't chat with you any longer. Come to my house another day."
Luo Yan exchanged a few polite words with her, and after the person left, she turned her gaze to Zhou Weifang, who was relieved. Although she couldn't suppress her curiosity, she didn't ask any further questions.
Zhou Weifang explained, "My older sister is dating someone and works at the police station."
So what? Luo Yan only knew that the license couldn't be renewed for the time being, but she didn't know the specific problem. She blinked at him.
Zhou Weifang continued, "I didn't originally intend to ask her for help. The man's family is already well-off, so I didn't want the woman's family to look like a burden."
That's quite considerate; after all, he's just someone her sister's new boyfriend, and asking for a favor might be inappropriate. Luo Yan: "But Sister Yuyao found out first, and then came to scold you?"
Why does she seem particularly happy when she talks about being scolded? Zhou Weifang pointed out keenly, "You seem quite happy, huh?"
Luo Yan casually changed the subject: "So, the license issue can be resolved?"
Zhou Weifang: "Yes."
Luo Yan's eyes darted around: "But you don't seem very happy."
Zhou Weifang: "I'm just afraid that if someone helps me, I'll have a problem with her."
Luo Yan said in surprise, "I didn't realize you were so thoughtful."
Zhou Weifang glanced at her: "Your brother said it."
There were a few more sentences before that, such as, “Yanyan has high standards and will definitely choose a good family in the future, and find a college graduate who will enter the government like her. We brothers can’t help her, but we have no reason to hold her back.”
But when it comes to the Zhou siblings, Luo Yan has to give them a compliment. When she mentions the older brother, she wrinkles her nose and says, "That only proves that the man isn't sincere."
Zhou Weifang: "After all, my relationship with my sister is not like yours with Luo Bo."
They have a sibling relationship, but it wasn't very close when they were young. They were separated for ten years and rarely even exchanged letters. Now that he suddenly needed someone's help, he was afraid that he wasn't influential enough, so he simply kept quiet to avoid making things awkward for everyone.
Indeed, Luo Yan had seen the Zhou sisters passing by, chatting and laughing, and had been thinking about it ever since. Now she felt a little embarrassed and thought she should go to their stall in a couple of days and buy something as an apology.
Zhou Weifang had no idea what she was thinking about. He only saw that she was lost in thought, so he reached out and waved his hand, asking, "What are you pondering?"
Luo Yan looked up: "You need to study tomorrow."
This really caught Zhou Weifang off guard. He remembered his childhood friend's warning before he "became an apprentice," and said with a half-smile, "I know."
Luo Yan said earnestly, "If you don't look at it for too long, you'll forget it."
She always spoke in this tone when she was a child, and Zhou Weifang found her annoying more than once. But years later, when he revealed his interest in learning, she was still willing to give him the greatest possible help.
Zhou Weifang had to admit that he was indeed initially attracted by her beauty, but now it was more than that.
He said, "I'll start watching now."
"Very good," Luo Yan gave him a thumbs up, took out the book she always carried with her, and sat down to wait for her brother to arrive.
When Luo Hong arrived at the car dealership after get off work, he saw that the two of them seemed quite relaxed and asked knowingly, "Is the matter resolved?"
Zhou Weifang: "My eldest sister came."
No wonder, Luo Hong said: "I'll give my eldest sister a big red envelope when she gets married."
Zhou Weifang also helped him set up a seedling bed: "It won't do without at least thirty or fifty seedlings."
He closed the book again: "Let's go get a good meal."
"What are you waiting for? Leave now," Luo Yan said, tapping the table as she watched him intently. "Finish reading this chapter."
What's the point of watching only half of it?
Zhou Weifang obediently opened the book again, and heard his childhood friend's mocking voice saying, "I think your brother also needs to work on improving himself."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Luo Hong slapped him on the back of the head: "How can you be so jealous of other people's success?"
Luo Yan glanced at her brother and said, "If I could get him to agree, he would be in college by now."
Please spare me, Luo Hong: "Even if I studied myself to death, I still wouldn't be able to get into a vocational school."
Luo Yan: "How would you know if you haven't even read it?"
Luo Hong: "Because I have self-awareness."
Luo Yan, annoyed, uttered a rare swear word: "You're talking nonsense."
After speaking, he pursed his lips and put his hands on his hips.
In any case, no one can convince anyone else on this matter.
Luo Hong rolled up his sleeves: "Whatever the work is, I'll do it for you."
Zhou Weifang wouldn't feel bad about giving him the order, so he casually pointed and said, "That pole is loose, weld it back on for me."
Luo Hong had nothing better to do than finish welding and patch up two tires as he did so, saying, "My dad has two bottles of good wine; I'll bring them to you tomorrow."
Since I'm asking someone for a favor, I can't be stingy with courtesy.
I'll definitely give it to him, but it's not appropriate to take Uncle Luo's things.
Zhou Weifang: "I'll just buy it separately."
Why waste that money? Luo Yan rarely joined in these discussions about social etiquette: "It's okay, my dad doesn't drink either."
In the end, it all ended up in her brother's belly.
Since even she said so, Zhou Weifang stopped refusing and inquired, "What's better for our uncle? I'll mention it to him next time."
"Dad's hobbies?" Luo Yan didn't grasp the deeper meaning in his words and said, "Practicing calligraphy and playing chess."
Zhou Weifang: "It sounds cultured and sophisticated."
How can praising someone sound like an insult? Luo Hong: "Are you alluding to me?"
Zhou Weifang: "Are you implying something?"
Luo Hong slapped him with his oily hand: "Stop talking so much nonsense and hurry up and finish reading."
Zhou Weifang glanced at the "teacher" cautiously: "I've finished reading."
Luo Yan: "You understood it all?"
Zhou Weifang pointed it out to her: "I don't quite understand this."
If you don't understand something, it proves that you've actually grasped it.
Luo Yan leaned closer for a glance and explained, "The actual costs should be included in the operating costs..."
Luo Hong listened to it and felt that it did not sound like human language. He thought to himself that even if Cangjie were to be reborn, he might not be able to understand such a combination of characters.
He was even less than a saint, and shook his head, beginning to empty his mind.
He only snapped out of his daze when he was called for dinner, looking even more relieved than the students: "Let's go, let's go!"
Luo Yan clicked her tongue and vented her anger by throwing a punch at her brother from behind.
She caught Zhou Weifang secretly laughing at her, and her face tightened.
Honestly, Zhou Weifang wasn't joking; he genuinely found her adorable and quickly composed himself, closing the shop door behind him.
The three of them didn't walk far before finding a small restaurant nearby.
While waiting for the food, Luo Hong said, "How about I go with you to see Delin tomorrow? We shouldn't make it seem like you're the one doing all the favors."
Delin? That name sounds familiar.
Luo Yan thought for a moment, then had a look of sudden realization: "Sister Yuyao's boyfriend is Brother Delin."
Although they were all people of similar age living in the same alley, she probably wasn't familiar with Wang Delin, yet she called him "brother" so naturally.
It seems he's the only one in the whole world who hasn't gotten to hear the "brother" greeting. Zhou Weifang couldn't help but sigh.
Why are you sighing? Luo Hong said, "If someone is willing to help, they must care about your older sister."
Still uneasy, she asked, "Did he bring it up himself?"
Zhou Weifang: "Yes, otherwise how would my sister have known?"
That's good. Luo Hong knew he was influenced by his words, and while fiddling with the bowls and chopsticks, he joked, "You're going to be my brother-in-law, so he has to make a good impression."
Speaking of this, Zhou Weifang said meaningfully, "You'll have the chance to be my brother-in-law in the future."
He was preparing for the worst, feeling that he would also have a difficult time getting through this in the future.
Luo Hong glanced at his sister: "It's not easy to get past her."
She knows her younger sister's personality best. She has very high standards for making friends, and she can only count two people she has made friends with so far, let alone a partner she wants to spend her life with.
Luo Yan sensed something was off about the conversation: "You're making it sound like I'm hard to get along with."
Luo Hong: "I can't imagine what kind of person you'll find in the future."
Luo Yan also thought about it, and a vague image gradually emerged in her mind.
If there were no outsiders present, she would probably have mentioned Zhou Xiuhe to her brother and heard his opinion, but now was not the right time. She just pursed her lips and said, "That proves you lack imagination."
Luo Hong replied perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, I'm lacking."
Instead of continuing on that topic, they changed the subject to something else.
Zhou Weifang wasn't disappointed at not getting many useful words. He just observed Luo Yan's expression and, seeing no sign of budding romance, secretly breathed a sigh of relief before continuing Luo Hong's words.
Luo Yan watched whoever spoke, her gaze shifting back and forth, keeping her extremely busy.
They're just so adorable!
Zhou Weifang thought to himself: Not only did I not like reading when I was a child, but I was also blind.
He was pondering these random thoughts when the waiter came to serve the dishes. He quickly put down a few plates and rushed off to do other things.
Zhou Weifang switched the positions of the two dishes. Although he didn't say anything, everyone knew who he was taking care of.
Luo Yan smiled at him, picked up a piece of stir-fried green peppers and pork with her chopsticks, and started eating. But after just one bite, she was so spicy that she covered her mouth and coughed.
Luo Hong wanted to get his sister a soda, but found that someone else had gotten it first. He looked at his childhood friend suspiciously.
Zhou Weifang was only focused on prying open the bottle cap and said, "Let's smooth it out."
Luo Yan tilted her head back and took two sips to suppress the spiciness, sniffed, and didn't forget to say, "Thank you."
Zhou Weifang: "Don't be so polite with me." He shifted his gaze from her and noticed Luo Hong staring at him. He said, "Is there something on my face?"
Luo Hong thought he was probably overthinking things, after all, his childhood friend had always been a kind-hearted person and had been very friendly to his sister since they were young.
He said, "No."
Zhou Weifang's shoulders relaxed slightly, thinking that he probably hadn't noticed anything amiss.
In any case, Luo Yan didn't have the slightest suspicion.
In the past two years, she has often gone out with her brother. Thanks to his good relationships with others, she has always been the one who is taken care of among his childhood friends.
She didn't think Zhou Weifang was doing anything particularly special. She quietly ate her stir-fried green peppers and pork, her face turning red, which only calmed down a little when the wind outside blew.
Seeing that his younger sister was almost in tears, Luo Hong laughed and said, "Do you really have to eat this?"
Luo Yan breathed heavily: "It's good."
Her mouth is burning hot right now, and she can't even pronounce the retroflex and alveolar consonants clearly in Mandarin.
Luo Hong showed no sympathy, his laughter growing even more rampant. Only after his sister punched him did he straighten up, glancing at his watch: "Going home or...?"
Luo Yan: "There were a lot of people at our house this afternoon."
It would seem rather inappropriate for her to retreat into her room after entering the house.
Luo Hong understood what she meant and said to Zhou Weifang, who had just finished paying the bill, "Want to play cards?"
In Luo Yan's opinion, Zhou Weifang should be given a few more pages to read.
But she learned a lot from her brother's "failed education" and now realizes that excessive pressure can easily make people lose interest, so she did not voice her opposition.
Zhou Weifang had no reason to refuse, so the three of them went back to the shop, set up a table, and passed the time.
If guests arrive midway, Zhou Weifang gets up to work, managing to do both without delay.
It was almost ten o'clock when Luo Hong said, "We have to go back."
Luo Yan didn't ride her bike; instead, she sat sideways on the back of her brother's bike, waving to Zhou Weifang with her free hand.
She was afraid of the cold, so her scarf almost covered her entire face, leaving only her eyes visible, which looked even more gentle in the moonlight.
Zhou Weifang spoke only to her, his voice unusually rough: "Slow down."
But if he knew what the siblings' conversation was about to have, he would hardly be in a good mood.
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Author's note: Goodnight~
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