Since that confession at the beach, Lu Wanwan no longer deliberately avoided He Xiao when they faced each other, and became more natural.
Sometimes he would bring her freshly dried fish, and she would accept it with a smile and offer her a cup of warm tea.
Lying in bed at night, Lu Wanwan often thought about her childhood.
Since the two lived close by, He Xiao was always called by his family to take care of her.
She fell and cried, and he clumsily handed her candy.
When she was bullied by the neighbor's child, he was the one who frowned and chased the child away.
At the time, I only thought of him as a cold older brother. Looking back now, I realize that the care hidden beneath that cold face was actually quite obvious.
When her mother talked to her, she also mentioned He Xiao's family background and character. "The He family is a respectable family in the courtyard. He himself is down-to-earth and hardworking. He is an honest child just like you."
As Lu Wanwan listened, she secretly pondered to herself that he was a few years older than her, so she could always be more accommodating.
Despite her good circumstances, she never put on airs and was always gentle.
That day, He Xiao came to bring back seashells he had collected from the beach. Looking at the patterned white seashells in his hand, Lu Wanwan suddenly asked, "Next time you go beachcombing, can you invite me along?"
He Xiao was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'll tell you in advance."
Seeing his steps quicken as he turned around, Lu Wanwan couldn't help but smile.
Gu Xiao took this to heart and soon came to call her.
The day before going beachcombing, He Xiao came to the family compound to find Lu Wanwan. "The tide will be out at five o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting for you at the compound gate."
As he spoke, he took out a pair of straw sandals from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "The stones at the beach are slippery, these are non-slip."
Lu Wanwan took the shoes, her fingertips touching the rough straw weave pattern on the surface, and felt a warm feeling in her heart.
These shoes were clearly new; the edges still smelled of fresh grass, suggesting that he had prepared them especially for her.
"Thank you, that's so thoughtful." She looked up and smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the two headed towards the beach.
He Xiao carried two bamboo baskets and even prepared a wide-brimmed straw hat for Lu Wanwan, in case she got sunburned.
When we arrived at the beach, the tide had just receded, leaving behind a dense array of tiny pores on the sand, and many seashells embedded in the sand, shimmering faintly.
He Xiao had been stationed on an island before and was relatively familiar with things by the sea.
"Look, these patterned ones are clam shells; they're pretty and can be strung together into bracelets."
He Xiao squatted down, picked up a seashell and handed it to Lu Wanwan. Suddenly remembering something, he added, "When you were little, you always cried for beads. I even went to the river to collect snail shells to make up the numbers for you, but my mom scolded me for it."
Lu Wanwan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "I remember! Later you even dyed the snail shells red, saying they were rubies, but my brother threw them away."
When they started talking about funny things from their childhood, they became very talkative.
When Lu Wanwan mentioned that He Xiao had taken the blame for her and been beaten, He Xiao laughed and told her the embarrassing story of how she stole dates from her neighbor's house and hid in the kitchen to stuff her mouth with them.
The two squatted on the beach, picking up seashells and chatting about the old days. Occasionally, their fingertips would accidentally touch, and they would quickly pull back, their cheeks turning red.
As the sun rose higher, the bamboo basket was filled with seashells of various colors. He Xiao looked at the fine sand on Lu Wanwan's nose and couldn't help but reach out to brush it off for her.
Lu Wanwan looked up at him and met his gentle gaze, which softened her heart.
When it was time for dinner, Gu Mingyue invited He Xiao to stay for dinner. Lu Wanwan stood by the stove helping to serve the dishes, her cheeks flushed slightly.
Lu Lin sat at the table, glancing at He Xiao from time to time with a scrutinizing look.
"Eat more fish, it's freshly caught." Gu Mingyue picked up a piece of fish for Lu Wanwan, then turned to ladle a spoonful of fish soup for Lu Lin, "You should drink some too, to nourish your body."
Lu Lin took the bowl and deliberately squeezed Gu Mingyue's hand in front of He Xiao: "My wife still cares about me the most."
He Xiao lowered his head and ate his rice, pretending not to see, but Gu Mingyue's ears burned from the sudden intimacy, and she quickly picked up a piece of green vegetable to cover it up.
Seeing this, Lu Lin put down his chopsticks and said, "He Xiao, staying in a guesthouse isn't a long-term solution. If you have nothing to do, go back to Beijing as soon as possible and stop loitering around here."
"Brother," Lu Wanwan hurriedly interrupted him, afraid that the atmosphere would become awkward.
Gu Mingyue smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "We're eating, why are you talking about these things?"
She put a piece of pork rib into Lu Lin's bowl, "Eat yours quickly, or the food will get cold."
Lu Lin snorted, but still gnawed on the ribs with relish, and finally complained to Gu Mingyue, "Your cooking is still the best. No restaurant can compare."
He Xiao silently placed a piece of scrambled eggs, which Lu Wanwan liked, on her plate and whispered, "Eat more."
Lu Wanwan looked up at him and met his gentle gaze. She quickly lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth quietly curved up.
As soon as dinner was over, Lu Lin gave He Xiao a wink, and the two walked to the beach one after the other.
The evening breeze rustled through the leaves, perfectly masking their conversation.
Lu Lin leaned against the tree trunk, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out two cigarettes, and handed one to He Xiao. "Do you smoke?"
He Xiao took it, but didn't light it. He just held it in his hand and twirled it: "I learned a little in the army, but I don't smoke often."
After a moment of silence, Lu Lin spoke first, his tone noticeably serious: "Mingyue and I have both seen your feelings for Wanwan. She is young and naive. If you truly want to be good to her, treat her well and don't let her suffer any injustice."
He Xiao gripped the cigarette in his hand tightly, looked up and stared directly at Lu Lin: "I know. I came here this time to wait for her to think it over. If she's willing, I'll tell my family to propose marriage according to the rules."
He paused, then added, "I've applied to the military for a transfer, hoping to get to a place closer to Beijing so it will be easier to take care of her in the future."
Upon hearing this, Lu Lin's expression softened somewhat.
He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring: "You've practically watched Wanwan grow up, you know her temper, you have to go along with her, don't hold a grudge against her."
The criticism in these words was less pronounced and more like the advice an elder gives to a younger person.
He Xiao nodded: "I know. It was wrong of me to tease her so much before. I won't do it again."
He assured Lu Lin, "I will treat her well."
Lu Lin patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.
This person has always had an icy expression since childhood, never showing his emotions. When he was a child, all the children in the neighborhood were afraid of him, but only Wanwan dared to argue with him.
Lu Lin used to think that he was just cold-hearted and didn't care about anyone. Now, he realized that those seemingly unintentional approaches were all thoughts he had kept hidden for many years.
To put it nicely, he was calm and collected; to put it bluntly, he was incredibly shrewd, so much so that even his older brother didn't notice a thing.
Perhaps this is for the best. He Xiao may seem cold, but he is actually more clear-headed than anyone else. Once he makes up his mind, he will put in more effort than others.
The thought of his younger sister being taken away by this taciturn man still left him feeling uneasy. He secretly thought that he should keep a close eye on this kid in the future and not let him bully Lu Wanwan.
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