Chapter 18 Seeking Praise: "Is it good?"
Luyao Town seems to possess a magical power, like a vast and unrestrained river, with a silent and all-encompassing strength. Here, both Qiao Yunzheng's worries and Wen Hong's sharp edges were invisibly soothed.
A tacit understanding had formed between Qiao Yunzheng and Wen Hong; they never mentioned the matter of Shencheng, which made things much more harmonious.
Besides Wen Hong's maternal grandmother, there was also an elderly woman of similar age in the courtyard who took care of her grandmother's daily life.
Qiao Yunzheng could tell that her grandmother was a refined and beautiful woman when she was young, and even in her old age, she could not hide the elegance in her every move.
She grew many flowers in the yard, and she often squatted by the flower bed, staring at the flowers and plants in a daze; more often, she liked to sit in the wicker chair under the tree to read a book, and then gaze into the distance in a daze.
Only when she saw Wen Hong would her cloudy eyes light up, and she would softly call out to him, "My dear."
Grandma didn't talk much. When she saw Qiao Yunzheng, she would usually just smile, but there was an unfamiliar restraint in her eyes, which was completely unlike her intimacy with Wen Hong.
She didn't seem to recognize her as the girl who used to live next door.
Qiao Yunzheng didn't feel much about it, just a little disappointed. Being forgotten was normal, and she didn't notice anything wrong with it.
In this small courtyard, she also met the gentlest Wen Hong. He would squat by the rattan chair and speak softly to his grandmother; he would even take a wooden comb, move two stools, sit in the sunlight, and skillfully comb his grandmother's hair.
Rain becomes more frequent in late spring and early summer.
One rainy afternoon, Grandma was fast asleep when Wen Hong, holding an umbrella, took Qiao Yunzheng to that tavern.
It was a rainy day, and the bar wasn't crowded. The owner was idly scrolling through his phone on the counter. Hearing a noise, he looked up and saw the two people.
Qiao Yunzheng recognized the slightly overweight middle-aged man; he was the owner of this tavern. Back when she came to find Wen Hong, he would always tease her a bit in a good-natured way.
The man's gaze swept quickly over Wen Hong, lingering on her for a few seconds before he grinned, "Isn't this little Yun Zheng! It's been so many years!"
Qiao Yunzheng asked in surprise, "Boss, you still remember me?"
The man quickly waved his hand: "Of course I remember, but I'm not a boss..."
"Hmm?" Qiao Yunzheng remembered that this man was always here whenever she came here, and Wen Hong would always say a few words to him before leaving. So she naturally assumed that he was the owner of this tavern.
The man gestured with his chin: "Our boss is over there! I'm just an employee, Xiao Yunzheng can just call me Fatty." Then, he raised his voice and asked, "Boss, you've finally decided to come back and inspect the work?"
He was pointing in the direction of Wen Hong.
Qiao Yunzheng's eyes widened suddenly, and she turned to look at the person next to her in astonishment.
Wen Hong glanced at her sideways: "You don't know?"
There weren't many people in the tavern to begin with, so Wen Hong simply told Fatty to close the shop, and the three of them started cooking hot pot inside.
Qiao Yunzheng and Wen Hong sat side by side opposite Fatty. Fatty looked them up and down for a long time before suddenly laughing and saying, "It's great that you're still together after all these years. If I may be so bold, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I've watched you grow up, would it?"
He seemed unaware of the complicated relationship between Qiao Yunzheng and Wen Hong, assuming they had always been together.
Qiao Yunzheng wanted to explain, so she looked at Wen Hong beside her, only to see him raise his glass, clink it with Fatty's, and drink it all in one gulp, showing no intention of explaining.
The room was filled with rising steam. After a few drinks, Fatty's face was flushed: "But speaking of which, all these years, you haven't come back to visit your brother. That's really not nice of you."
Qiao Yunzheng was trying to come up with an excuse when Wen Hong cut her off:
"Who the hell are you? Who's your brother?"
"Hey!" Seeing Wen Hong's reaction, Fatty laughed even harder. He slapped his face twice in a mock manner, "Yes, yes, I was just being a smart aleck. You're my brother, okay?"
Wen Hong gave a soft hum, barely satisfied with the answer.
Fatty chuckled and chimed in, "But with your temper, only Xiao Yunzheng could put up with it! What girl could tolerate that?" Then, he leaned closer and asked Qiao Yunzheng seriously, "Xiao Yunzheng, what exactly did you see in this dog?"
What exactly did she see in Wen Hong back then? Qiao Yunzheng herself couldn't say for sure.
There was this guy standing there, and just one look from him made her feel comfortable and interested. She once thought that her so-called instant attraction was lust, after all, Wen Hong was quite "lustful".
Later, she read a passage in an article that roughly meant that the human soul is always incomplete at birth, and throughout life, people are searching for the missing half of their soul. Rather than falling in love with that kind of person, it's more accurate to say that she fell in love with the part of herself that her other half never possessed.
Upon reflection, Qiao Yunzheng wholeheartedly agreed.
From a young age, she felt as if her father had placed her in a giant glass dome. She was like a paper kite that could never fly away, impervious to wind and rain, yet forever unable to reach the sky she longed for.
Wen Hong represents the freedom she yearns for, the passion she lacks, and the unrestrained arrogance she can't learn.
Qiao Yunzheng certainly wouldn't say such sentimental things to Fatty. She lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and said calmly, "Maybe, I like his craziness!"
"What?" Upon hearing this, Fatty spat out a mouthful of wine. "Hahahaha! Yes, Xiao Yunzheng is absolutely right, this guy is a madman, brilliant!"
Wen Hong seemed to be drawn to something on the bar, and got up to fiddle with something in a small box, seemingly not hearing much of the conversation between the two.
Fatty laughed and slammed his fist on the table: "Who wouldn't be crazy enough to give up a fortune of hundreds of millions and run off to this remote, impoverished place to be a crazy young man? Who wouldn't be crazy enough to suddenly decide to take the bar exam and actually succeed? None of the things he's done are things a normal person could do!"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Qiao Yunzheng: "Speaking of which, little Yunzheng is quite a surprise."
Qiao Yunzheng asked curiously, "How so?"
"Remember that time you were wearing a thick, snow-white coat, a scarf, and a woolen hat, with only one eye showing?" Fatty gestured to his face as he spoke, "You looked as docile as a little rabbit. Who would have thought that you'd come in, head straight for Wen Hong, and down a whole glass of strong liquor in one go, ending up in the hospital? You were pretty tough..."
Looking back, Fatty clicked his tongue in amazement: "We secretly thought that only a woman with a slim waist, long legs, and a captivating charm could tame that slut Wen Hong. Who would have thought she'd fall for you, my sweet little bunny!"
When the party ended, Fatty was already passed out under the table and was taken to a room inside the bar by the bartender.
Wen Hong had also drunk quite a bit, and Qiao Yunzheng was a little worried, but she saw that he looked normal, walked steadily, and even the hand holding the umbrella did not tremble.
The raindrops pattered on the umbrella like drumbeats, each one striking the heart.
Wen Hong walked beside her, holding an umbrella, but he was much quieter than usual.
Qiao Yunzheng wanted to break the silence, so she asked, "Wen Hong, didn't you tell Fatty that we broke up back then?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Wen Hong remained silent.
Perhaps the sound of the rain was too loud, because Wen Hong didn't hear what she said at all.
Sure enough, Wen Hong stopped and slightly turned his toes to face him.
He leaned down slightly, his ear facing Qiao Yunzheng.
She thought he hadn't heard her clearly and was hesitating whether to ask again when Wen Hong suddenly spoke:
"Ah Zheng, is it good?"
"ah?"
Qiao Yunzheng looked up and met his gaze.
My eyes seemed to be flashed by some tiny, almost negligible light.
She searched blankly for the source of the light, and finally discovered that he was wearing a tiny black and gold earring on his earlobe.
Qiao Yunzheng had grown accustomed to Wen Hong's current impeccably dressed and aloof demeanor; it had been far too long since she had seen that flamboyant face from that summer when the flowers were in full bloom.
Perhaps it was because the rain was getting heavier, but Qiao Yunzheng felt that the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella was becoming more urgent and frequent, and her heartbeat was starting to accelerate uncontrollably.
Receiving no answer, Wen Hong turned her head slightly, her eyes not filled with arrogance that kept people at arm's length, but with dazzling tenderness.
Like a stubborn child demanding praise, he asked her again in a soft, slightly ingratiating tone, "Is it pretty?"
Author's Note: Thank you so much to "Sunshine" for the nutrient solution! Love you! Mua!
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