Chapter 71: Gifts and Reunion
Lu Yusheng was taken aback by the sudden change in the situation. He completely forgot about Xiao Lin and quickly tried to reassure both sides: "Don't be like this, I'm fine. Do you still want to play the game? I'll go turn the machine on for you."
Even Sikong Zhaixing's expression turned serious: "Do you think I'm just someone who knows how to have fun?"
She instinctively replied, "No, I was just trying to comfort you."
Upon hearing this, Sikong Zhaixing felt the slight sourness that had just risen in her heart vanish without a trace.
He even took the initiative to step onto the step she offered, which was a rare act of consideration for him.
Just before putting on his headphones, he caught a glimpse of Lu Yusheng walking towards Hua Manlou out of the corner of his eye. He froze for a moment, but didn't say anything.
Then he played games without eating, glancing at the two of them from time to time to keep an eye on their interactions.
As he watched the two figures begin to overlap, he immediately became alert and wanted to rush over to stop them, but in the instant he stood up, he saw the specific situation clearly.
Lu Yusheng was craning his neck and squinting at the wooden block in Hua Manlou's hand. He was bending over so that his entire upper body was very close to it, which made it look like an embrace in his eyes.
In fact, he was not unaware of Hua Manlou's character and knew that he was not a frivolous person. He just hadn't thought things through and made the connection too far.
As he was thinking, his gaze shifted down to the wooden carving held in Hua Manlou's hands, and Lu Yusheng immediately leaned in to examine the details without blinking.
I don't know what kind of thing he carved, but she cherishes it so much.
Sikong Zhaixing was somewhat displeased.
But she soon couldn't sit still any longer. Although she didn't want to disappoint Lu Yusheng's good intentions in comforting her, she still couldn't help but fly upstairs to find his needle and thread.
He thought angrily as he walked away, "If this continues, I'll turn myself into a woman sooner or later."
Meanwhile, when Lu Yusheng heard the noise and turned around, there was only one empty seat left by the window.
She turned her gaze back to the palm-sized wooden Guanyin carving in Hua Manlou's hand, still looking at it with great astonishment.
He had only been practicing for a short time, but his skills had already become so exquisite that he could even roughly depict the willow branches in the jade bottle.
His eyes were fixed on the screen, and the words he had just wanted to say were forgotten, leaving only one thought.
"Could you carve one for me too?"
Lu Yusheng shamelessly became a freeloader, and even turned his face away somewhat embarrassedly after speaking. However, although she had a very open-minded expression and seemed to be prepared to be rejected, she was actually very confident in his response.
Fortunately, that was indeed the case.
The latter, of course, had no reason to refuse, and in fact, had already intended to give it to the other person as a gift, so he immediately replied, "Okay, what kind do you want?"
"You can have whatever you want. I'm not picky; I just want to keep it as a souvenir."
So Hua Manlou fell silent. Just as Lu Yusheng thought it was really that difficult to choose and wanted to say something to offer more ideas, he spoke up again: "Then I'll carve Xiaoyu."
Lu Yusheng pointed to himself with a lack of confidence: "...Me?"
There was no doubt in her mind, but after all, she was a living, breathing person. Hua Manlou probably wouldn't have a general understanding of her like he would of other animal or plant sculptures. Even if her clothes and figure were a little off, it wouldn't matter, but what about her face?
She truthfully voiced her doubts and mentally prepared herself to face a strange, incomprehensible block of wood.
Thus, Hua Manlou finally had the opportunity to carefully feel the features of his beloved with his fingers.
He gently touched Lu Yusheng's cheek with his fingertips while sketching the other's appearance in his mind.
Her face was thin and small, but her features were quite distinct, and her eyes seemed to be a bit bigger than mine.
Just then, Lu Yusheng blinked unconsciously.
Feeling her eyelashes brush against his palm, Hua Manlou withdrew his hand as if burned, then casually covered her palm again amidst her somewhat puzzled reaction.
This time, I held her chin in my palm and gently stroked it with my thumb.
Lu Yusheng's face is not large, and he only needs one hand to cover most of it.
At the same time, he also paid attention to every subtle reaction of the person under his fingers. From the slightly red cheeks and uneven breathing caused by the air conditioning and heating, he could feel the tension in the other person's voice.
We need to speed things up.
As he pondered this, his fingers unconsciously continued to wander downwards, only to suddenly touch an even softer area.
Feeling the warmth of her lips, Hua Manlou's face flushed red, and his hands froze in place.
When I came to my senses, it felt like being pricked by a needle, and I abruptly withdrew my hand.
"Finished?"
Lu Yusheng's heart rate was almost as high as when he first played mahjong a few years ago and got a winning hand at the start. It took him a while to recover and open his eyes.
Hua Manlou coughed lightly before giving a brief "hmm".
The two remained awkwardly in the same spot for a while, and when Lu Yusheng recalled this period a few days later, he couldn't remember how they parted ways.
The three of them coexisted in this strange yet peaceful state for a month.
Although Lu Yusheng occasionally felt that Sikong Zhaixing was holding back something big, he gradually gave up on the idea since he didn't hear any news.
He didn't stay here the whole time. He encountered a very urgent job in the middle and disappeared for four or five days before reappearing. After returning, his mood strangely improved a lot.
Lu Yusheng had known him for quite some time and was fairly aware of his asking price. The fact that the employer was willing to let him work during such a lazy and unproductive period meant that the offer must have been an extremely difficult number to refuse.
She stopped guessing how long the shop's revenue that money would represent; she was happier to see him return safely so soon.
Now, Hua Manlou and Sikong Zhaixing both have their own handicrafts to do. Lu Yusheng, watching from the sidelines, sometimes feels the urge to develop another hobby and get involved in it. He has been learning from them for a while now.
Unfortunately, the results of several attempts were far less than those of the two of them, so they eventually gave up, adhering to the principle of not competing with others for business.
The temperature dropped sharply again today. Thanks to the power of the air conditioner, after dinner, everyone stayed in the lobby without leaving.
Lu Yusheng lazily scrolled through the game, and after some time, he looked up and saw that Sikong Zhaixing was gone again.
His movements were so subtle that even in the same space, Lu Yusheng couldn't always notice his movements.
Of course, this wasn't anything particularly noteworthy; he might just be going to the toilet, or he might be tired and need to go back to his room to rest... But what attracted her more at that moment was what Hua Manlou was wiping with a silk handkerchief.
"You actually managed to carve it..."
Her exclamation suddenly rang out in the hall. Upon hearing the sound, Hua Manlou smiled and quickened his pace in wiping away the wood shavings.
Finally, under his gaze, he raised the small wooden carving to his lips and blew on it very lightly, as if afraid it would be blown away.
After confirming that there would be no more debris left that could not be wiped away, she carefully handed it to Lu Yusheng.
"I never thought I would receive my own little figurine one day."
Lu Yusheng examined the little figure in her hand over and over. As she thought, Hua Manlou couldn't see her clothes, so she couldn't determine her appearance by touch like she could when identifying a face... that would be too explicit.
So the little figure was dressed in a gauze dress that women often wore.
The most authentic part is the headdress. After Sikong Zhaixing started the conversation about giving away hairpins, Hua Manlou seemed to suddenly have an epiphany and took advantage of several trips to the city to buy various ornaments.
Some of the jewelry he found in the jewelry shop, and some he found in his family's storeroom, he gave them all to Lu Yusheng.
The latter felt a lot of pressure because she hadn't officially confirmed her relationship with Hua Manlou yet, and she always felt like she was taking advantage of his generous gifts.
It wasn't that he hadn't refused before, but whenever the other person showed a troubled expression and talked about the difficulty of making the round trip, the suspicion that would arise if he took the gift back, and imagined his situation at home, Lu Yusheng gradually accepted it.
Fortunately, after strongly expressing his disapproval of this behavior, Hua Manlou's attention returned to the carving.
After nearly a month of meticulous work, he finally carved this palm-sized piece of sandalwood into a shape that closely resembled his vision.
The headdresses on the little figures in her hands were some of her favorites, but what surprised Lu Yusheng even more than these decorations was the depiction of their faces.
Frankly speaking, considering the overall level of technology in this era, her expectations for this wood carving mostly stemmed from her desire to cherish the sentiments expressed by the other person.
But the actual product made by Hua Manlou far exceeded her expectations.
Comparing this wood carving to oneself, while not exactly like looking in a mirror, it's certainly to the point where an outsider could immediately recognize the figure as the original.
Feeling the person in front of him turning the small wooden carving over and over again, but only offering an initial exclamation that he couldn't understand, Hua Manlou felt a little nervous for no reason.
Perhaps it's because he's too concerned that he's making a mistake. He's confident in the results of his hard work, and this kind of emotion is really inappropriate.
"A work of art, this is a work of art!"
Lu Yusheng felt that he had reached the peak of his support today. Before Hua Manlou could react, he continued, "I have never seen a better carving than this. From the moment this work was created, I, as the prototype, was destined to appreciate in value."
Hua Manlou understood this sentence and chuckled, saying, "It's not that exaggerated."
“I never realized my eyes told so many stories.” Lu Yusheng stroked the little figure’s eyes and continued to marvel, “Looking at them makes me feel like my social standing has been elevated.”
Hua Manlou was smiling at first, but when she heard Lu Yusheng's praise containing self-deprecation and insecurity, she gradually lost her composure.
He looked at her very seriously: "But in my eyes, even if this wood carving were polished ten thousand times, it still wouldn't be half as good as you."
Lu Yusheng was taken aback upon hearing this, and all the words he had prepared were stuck in his throat. In the end, only a simple but heartfelt response remained.
"Thank you, I like it very much."
It was at this time that Sikong Zhaixing, who had disappeared without a trace for half a day, reappeared without a trace.
He naturally saw what Lu Yusheng was holding so carefully, but he didn't make any comment. He simply invited her upstairs in a calm tone.
Lu Yusheng sensed that Hua Manlou had something left to say, so he didn't immediately follow Sikong Zhaixing away.
Hua Manlou didn't stop her, nor did he intend to say anything else. He simply affirmed in a permissive tone, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you."
——————
When Lu Yusheng saw that red scarf, he truly felt a strong sense of disconnection from the world.
The sense of unreality of receiving this from Sikong Zhaixing was even greater than that of the other common modern appliances in his room.
But more than that, she was delighted to be receiving gifts all day.
Lu Yusheng didn't ask Sikong Zhaixing directly. Instead, he seemed to realize something and took out his phone, then suddenly understood.
"I knew it, it's Christmas today."
No wonder people were able to give gifts despite the unusually cold weather.
"What?"
Just as Sikong Zhaixing asked the question subconsciously, she saw Lu Yusheng smiling as he wrapped the scarf around his neck again and again.
Not only Lu Yusheng, but even he himself did not expect that the thing he initially imitated from memory could be restored to be exactly the same as the one in the play.
"So warm," she exclaimed, then looked down and brought the other half of the scarf up to her eyes for a closer look.
The color Sikong Zhaixing wove was not solid; it also contained white rabbit fur that he had previously collected from Chief Cui.
The rabbit fur woven into the design is cleverly crocheted into irregular, scattered tufts of fur, a very thoughtful design even by modern standards.
"It was my oversight, thank you."
Lu Yusheng liked it more and more as he looked at it, but suddenly he sincerely promised, "I will definitely give you a gift in return."
Hearing this, Sikong Zhaixing narrowed his eyes. Although he was pleased that Xiaolu seemed to really like the gift, what did this reaction mean?
Thinking of this, he asked truthfully, "What gift should we return?"
Just as Lu Yusheng was about to answer, he was interrupted by a shout that suddenly came from downstairs.
She frowned, subconsciously trying to recall who the familiar voice belonged to.
Sikong Zhaixing reacted even faster than her, because the owner of the voice also called out his name, and he already recognized who it was.
The two of them walked out of the open door of the room together, their steps synchronized as they headed towards the stairwell.
As they closed the distance, after turning a corner, the scene in the hall came into view.
Besides Hua Manlou, there were two other people standing in the room, both looking on in astonishment as they examined the source of the mysterious warmth emanating from beneath the air conditioner.
It's quite remarkable that these two are old acquaintances of Sikong Zhaixing and Lu Yusheng, and one of them even indirectly led to the start of Sikong Zhaixing's internet journey.
—That's right, the young man downstairs who returned with Lu Xiaofeng was none other than Jin Jiuling, the head constable, who came from the Six Doors and was renowned in the martial arts and wisdom circles.
Several months later, when Sikong Zhaixing saw this person again, his expression was no longer so sour, but he felt no joy at the long-awaited reunion.
Compared to the constable who almost landed him in jail, Lu Xiaofeng's face seemed much more approachable and lovable.
After the two came downstairs, he naturally started a conversation, pointing at them and introducing them to Jin Jiuling: "You already know Sikong Zhaixing, and the other one is the owner of this place, you've met her too, just call her Xiaolu."
When someone suddenly mentioned it, Lu Yusheng subconsciously gave a smile and looked at the chief constable whom he hadn't seen for a long time and whose image was now very vague.
Perhaps because he was not on official business this time, although he was still wearing a white robe similar to the one he wore when they first met, it was clearly a more luxurious and precious style.
As Lu Yusheng sized her up, Jin Jiuling's gaze also fell on her face.
On the day he first met the shop owner, it was dark, and he was so focused on the unusual things about the room that he didn't notice that the owner was quite handsome.
But setting aside the shop owner, the shop's appearance was exactly the same as when he first passed by, with only a few simple additions. It was still quite different from the extravagant places he used to frequent.
This Chief Constable Jin's personality is completely unlike that of an ordinary chivalrous person. He is flamboyant in his actions and indulges in wine and women. He came here because he had just solved a major case with Lu Xiaofeng.
Afterwards, as the two celebrated with drinks, he mentioned that the small shop had been officially opened for business, and the shop's many strange features even amazed and impressed Zhu Ting, who was now recognized as the number one master of mechanical devices in the martial arts world.
He had little interest in government agencies, but was curious about the value they could create.
There was no other way; Jin Jiuling lived a very extravagant life and always had to find ways to make money.
However, he naturally wouldn't reveal his inner schemes in front of everyone in the room. When he spoke, he said loudly, "It's been a long time. How can we celebrate with fine wine today, given that we are all gathered here again?"
As he spoke, he looked at Lu Yusheng and said, "Boss Lu, please bring out more food and drinks so we brothers can have a good time."
"...I'm so sorry."
Lu Yusheng replied awkwardly, "We're out of alcohol for now. We don't have a lot of dishes, but we have all kinds of meat—beef, pork, chicken, and fish. You can order whatever you like."
There was no other way; no guests had come here for a month, and it was freezing cold. As a result, Lu Yusheng had ordered Sikong Zhaixing and Hua Manlou to reduce the number of times they went out to resupply.
In winter, the two often drink to warm themselves up, which naturally speeds up the consumption of their inventory.
Even in ordinary times, who would expect that someone would come to such a small shop in the wilderness and immediately want to throw a big banquet?
Jin Jiuling's face darkened for a moment. Even though the other party's tone was very polite, saying no at this time was tantamount to slapping himself in the face.
"If you don't even have alcohol, why are you advertising food and lodging?"
He said these words in a joking tone, but Lu Yusheng found them particularly displeasing.
Unlike Lu Xiaofeng and the others, she didn't understand his personality, nor did she know that with his martial arts skills and status, he had enough right to be picky. At this moment, she felt a sense of disgust from the depths of her heart because of the look he inadvertently gave her.
But she didn't think too deeply about it at the moment, only assuming that the person was just pretending and didn't want her to embarrass him.
Although he was unhappy, he didn't show it outright.
She could tolerate it, but some people couldn't.
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