memorable
In the living room, Qiao Yu and Yang Yu sat on a beige armchair, arms crossed, listening to the information Xi Da had gathered from the property management.
Xida exclaimed excitedly, gesturing wildly, "Wow, it really is Teacher Ling who moved to the opposite side of our house! What a surprise!"
Qiao Yu and Yang Yu glared at her with exasperation, then stared at each other fiercely.
Yang Yu: "This isn't a surprise, it's a real shock!"
Qiao Yu said coldly, "Can you imagine what it feels like to have someone watching you first thing in the morning?"
Yang Yu cursed, "I'm going to find that scumbag Kimi."
......
On the same floor, a few dozen meters away, Kimi sneezed three times as soon as he stepped out of the elevator.
Assistant Xiao Zhu followed behind, carrying a full lunchbox, and asked with concern, "Kimi, do you have a cold? You should get treatment as soon as possible."
Kimi rolled her eyes at him: "You're the one who's sick."
The two chuckled and rang the doorbell of Ling Chuanye's house.
The door opened, and Ling Chuan glanced at them with disdain before walking back to the bar and picking up a cup to drink his coffee.
Xiao Zhu was in charge of arranging the lunchboxes, while Kimi strolled around leisurely, treating the place like his own home.
"Hey, not bad, but it's a bit lacking in customers. How about we get a few people together for hot pot sometime?"
Ling Chuan glanced at him sideways and said, "Get lost, that stuff smells strong."
"How about we come over for drinks and a game of cards?"
Ling Chuan also put down his coffee cup with a stern expression, ignoring Kimi, and said, "If you're bored, just turn right when you exit the community gate."
Xiao Zhu, who was holding the lunchboxes, chuckled.
Kimi was confused and asked, "Which way is it if I turn right after I go out?"
Ling Chuan returned his grin and pulled out a dining chair to eat.
Xiao Zhu suppressed a laugh and replied, "There's a square there. Go and dance with the aunties. With Kimi's looks, he might even become the leader after a few days."
Ling Chuan also raised his hand to cover his lips and smiled.
Just as Kimi was about to explode and swear, the doorbell rang again.
All three of them were taken aback.
I just moved here yesterday, and everyone who knows the neighborhood is already sitting here. Who else would come?
Only Ling Chuan glanced indifferently at the window opposite, a triumphant smile spreading across his lips.
He instructed Xiao Zhu, "Go open the door."
The door opened, and Yang Yu stood there with her arms crossed, dressed in a smart black suit.
Before the three still-dazed people could speak, she spoke first, her tone cold: "Teacher Ling, you scared my Qiaoqiao, what are we going to do?"
She spread her hands, looking quite innocent.
Kimi felt her pupils dilate in shock and turned around in disbelief to look at Ling Chuan, who was still sitting there perfectly fine.
This guy had already found a place to live long ago, without letting him interfere, but he moved in across from Qiao Yu!
Xiao Zhu just blinked, pretending not to know anything.
......
Qiao Yu, nestled on the sofa with a face mask on, stared blankly at the paper airplanes gently floating on the ceiling.
These paper airplanes seem to carry her restless thoughts from all these years, swaying back and forth, seemingly with a place to return to yet still lost and wandering.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from outside the window, and a paper airplane was violently swept towards the window, crashing headfirst into the glass.
Qiao Yu got up and walked towards the window, just as she was about to take the airplane back, she caught a glimpse of a figure looking in her direction from the window of the bedroom opposite.
Their eyes met, and they paused for a moment, stunned.
Through the transparent glass, Ling Chuan also looked at the paper airplane in Qiao Yu's hand, a touch of sourness flashing across his eyes.
The arc of the paper airplane cut open long-buried memories in his heart. Once upon a time, he too used such simple paper airplanes to convey his joys and sorrows.
After exchanging glances for only a few seconds, Qiao Yu turned and went back to the living room, handing the paper airplane to Xi Da, who was still looking around, before lying back down on the sofa.
"Qiaoqiao, Teacher Ling is still watching this area."
Hearing Xida's teasing, Qiao Yu's heart inexplicably raced, and her brief glance touched the softest corner of her heart.
Seven years ago, they were the same.
Across the street, she lived in the student apartment of Haicheng Experimental School, while he lived in the villa community next door; both were on the third floor.
The windows, however, are opposite each other.
They chatted and discussed things almost every day in front of those two windows...
From snow-covered landscapes to spring blossoms, and then to the arrival of summer, torrential rains occasionally dampen their windows and blur their vision, but they cannot stop their communication. They gesture by the window, sharing their world with each other.
......
The vibration of her phone pulled Qiao Yu back to reality; it was a message from Ling Chuanye.
[Sorry, I startled Teacher Qiao. To express my apologies, I'd like to treat you to a meal.]
Qiao Yu thought for a moment, then took off the face mask and replied, "No need!"
Can we talk?
Not receiving a reply from her, he sent another message: "Give me a chance."
......
An hour later, Qiao Yu, dressed in a light pink casual suit, wearing a matching baseball cap and mask, stood in the elevator lobby on the B1 floor.
A black Mercedes-Benz G-Class pulled up and came to a stop at high speed. The passenger window slowly rolled down, revealing Ling Chuanye's handsome and charming face.
He wore sunglasses, a carefree smile curving his lips, and tilted his head slightly: "Get in the car."
Qiao Yu could only silently repeat to herself, "I can't get a shot, I can't get a shot."
He deftly opened the passenger door and got in.
As he fastened his seatbelt, the black G-Class engine roared with a deep, powerful sound, and Ling Chuan stepped on the gas, propelling the car forward in the blink of an eye.
Ling Chuan gripped the steering wheel firmly with both hands, his gaze fixed intently ahead, his face expressionless.
The trees, streetlights, and pedestrians along the street became blurry afterimages in Qiao Yu's vision.
She propped her head up with one hand and gazed out the window, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.
She was startled by Ling Chuan when she woke up this morning, and now she's sitting next to him. She must be terrified to agree to chat with him.
Walking with him along familiar routes and streets, Qiao Yu felt a mix of emotions.
As the car slowly drove into the old town and onto that familiar ginkgo avenue, Qiao Yu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
The old shops along the street are still there, their mottled signs telling the story of time, but the scene of the two of them strolling here together in the past is like being covered by a thin veil, hazy and distant.
As the G-Wagon slowly moved forward, memories flooded back with each passing spot.
Qiao Yu didn't snap out of her daze until the car stopped in front of Zhang's Snack Shop.
Looking at that familiar sign, my thoughts instantly drifted back to the past.
Five years ago, she and Lingchuan often frequented this shop. The two of them would squeeze into a small table in the corner and share steaming hot wontons. The soup was fresh and delicious, warming their hearts.
For the past five years, she has often come here alone, but he has never been by her side.
A person walks into the store, their gaze sweeping over every corner, memories flashing like a revolving lantern, yet a stubborn smile tugs at the corners of their mouth, trying to find those scattered, warm moments in this familiar, bustling atmosphere.
Five years later, he actually brought her back here.
In the afternoon, the old town was bathed in sunlight, casting a warm yellow glow over the ancient streets.
The narrow streets were uneven, and the exterior walls of the buildings along the street were covered with the marks of time.
The utility poles along the roadside were crooked and leaning, with the power lines tangled together like a spider web.
The library on the other side of the street still stands there, bearing the marks of time.
In a nearby alley, several elderly people sat on small stools, basking in the sun and chatting about everyday life.
Ling Chuan also parked the car against the wall, and after a few steps walked to the passenger side and opened the car door.
"get off."
"Why did you bring me here?"
Qiao Yu sat in the car, not getting up immediately, her brows slightly furrowed, her voice trembling.
This place holds so many memories for them—laughter, arguments, and vows that ultimately came to nothing.
Her gaze met Ling Chuanye's again, trying to find the answer in his eyes.
Ling Chuan also leaned down slightly, placing his hands on the car door to meet her gaze.
A barely perceptible tenderness flashed in her eyes: "Weren't you worried about being recognized? Right now, there's no one here, so no one can recognize us."
He spoke with unwavering conviction, his deep voice tinged with a hint of hoarseness, as if polished by the passage of time.
After a moment of silence, Qiao Yu unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.
The two entered Zhang's Snack Shop one after the other.
The shop was filled with the familiar aroma of food, and the old tables and chairs were neatly arranged, everything was almost the same as before.
The proprietress noticed Ling Chuan entering first. What a handsome young man, so cool with those sunglasses.
He looked vaguely familiar, but after a couple of seconds he couldn't place him. Then a smile immediately spread across his face: "Welcome, please make yourself at home."
Ling Chuan nodded politely to her, and then the proprietress turned her eyes to him from behind, exclaiming with even greater surprise, "Qiao Qiao is here! I haven't seen you in so long!"
He stepped forward, took Qiao Yu's hand, and led her inside.
Qiao Yu took off her hat and mask, giving Ling Chuan a perfunctory smile, as if to say, 'Just like you said, no one would recognize us, but look what happened...'
Ling Chuan awkwardly pushed up his sunglasses.
Aunt Zhang led the two into the innermost courtyard, where several pots of unidentified wildflowers bloomed freely in the corner, and next to them was a private room with a floral curtain swaying gently in the breeze.
Aunt Zhang smiled and lifted the curtain, gesturing for us to come in: "Come in and sit down, it's quiet here."
She knew Qiao Yu's identity and always arranged this room for her whenever she came.
A simple landscape painting hung on the wall. Qiao Yu sat down, and Ling Chuan followed, taking off his sunglasses and sitting down opposite Qiao Yu. Just as he was about to speak, Aunt Zhang came in carrying two steaming cups of tea. "Try my freshly brewed milk tea, it's so fragrant!"
She warmly placed the milk tea in front of the two of them, asked what they wanted to eat, and then turned to leave.
The private room fell silent again, with only the rising steam from the teacups.
Ling Chuan cleared his throat, preparing to break the deadlock, but when he caught a glimpse of Qiao Yu's profile as she looked out the window, that familiar yet unfamiliar expression made him swallow back the words he was about to say.
She comes here often, otherwise she wouldn't be so familiar with the proprietress. Thinking of this, Ling Chuan pushed a cup of milk tea in front of Qiao Yu, but she still didn't seem to care about him.
His Adam's apple bobbed silently, and something seemed to weigh heavily on his heart.
After a long silence, Qiao Yu finally spoke: "Teacher Ling, what would you like to talk about?"
Ling Chuan also looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Qiaoqiao, I'm sorry, I..."
"Teacher Ling, please don't call me that. We're not close. If you're apologizing for what happened this morning, then I understand."
At this moment, Aunt Zhang came in carrying dishes and placed them on the table one by one, saying, "Qiaoqiao, these are all your favorite dishes, try them."
Qiao Yu smiled and thanked her, picked up her chopsticks, but couldn't muster any appetite.
After Aunt Zhang left, Ling Chuan opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was choked by something. He paused, then uttered a few words: "Not familiar? Fine!"
Qiao Yu puffed out her cheeks and glared at him, then put down her chopsticks and said coldly, "Fine, Teacher Ling, please eat slowly..."
After saying that, she stood up, but as she passed Ling Chuanye, he suddenly grabbed her with his hand.
Qiao Yu paused, a flash of anger in her eyes. She instinctively struggled, but couldn't break free from Ling Chuanye's grasp.
Ling Chuan also stood up, his gaze deep and unfathomable, and slowly stepped forward.
In the cramped private room, Qiao Yu was forced back against the mottled wall by Ling Chuan.
He braced his hands against the wall, leaned slightly forward, and held Qiao Yu firmly in his arms, his eyes burning with passion and determination.
Their eyes met, and Qiao Yu's breathing gradually became rapid. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and her face was filled with terror.
"Ling Chuanye, what are you doing?"
Ling Chuan also gave a playful smile, his dark eyes fixed on her: "Not familiar? Then what was the meaning of you hugging me at the beach?"
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