Go out and play
The recent resistance to reforms had far exceeded expectations. For several days, Lin Qingyue's air pressure had been eerily low. She spent increasingly long hours in her study, the sound of the video conference call ringing out coldly even through the door. When she occasionally emerged to get some water, her brows were always furrowed, her eyes etched with a lingering sense of fatigue and irritation, making the very air in the apartment seem frozen.
Shen Yu saw everything, his heart tightening slightly as if entangled by a thin thread. He continued to silently do all the logistical work - coffee that was always at the right temperature, a steam eye mask that appeared at the right time to relieve eye fatigue, and a bowl of light but nutritious midnight snack when working overtime late at night. But it seemed that this was all he could do. He couldn't intervene in her business battlefield, so he could only use this most clumsy way to try to share a little pressure for her.
However, looking at her increasingly thin cheeks and almost disappeared smile in recent days, Shen Yu felt that he had to do something to take her away from this suffocating job temporarily, even if it was only for a moment.
On Saturday evening, Lin Qingyue ended another unpleasant phone call early, and came out of the study rubbing her temples, her face still gloomy.
Shen Yu did not hand over the coffee as usual, but walked forward and gently took her hand. His palm was warm and dry, with a hint of imperceptible firmness.
"Sister," he said softly, with a hint of cautious tentativeness, "The weather is nice today, can we... go out for a walk?"
Lin Qingyue frowned and subconsciously wanted to refuse: "I'm not in the mood, there are still many..."
"Just an hour," Shen Yu interrupted her. This was a rare situation. He was brave and pleading in his eyes. "Don't go far, just walk around nearby. You've been bored in the room for a long time."
His eyes were so clear, their worry and anticipation clearly written across them. Lin Qingyue looked at him, the cold refusal swirling on her tongue, but ultimately remained unspoken. She truly felt an unprecedented weariness, and perhaps getting some fresh air wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Where are you going?" She said with a softer tone.
Shen Yu's eyes lit up instantly: "Follow me."
He took one of her thin windbreakers, then took her hand and took her out the door almost like a "kidnapping". Without calling a driver, Shen Yu stopped a taxi and reported an address in the city center.
The car finally stopped at a brightly lit, bustling plaza. A giant neon sign flashed the words "Starlight Paradise," and the sounds of cheerful music and laughter filled the air.
Lin Qingyue was stunned. She stared at the spinning carousel, the speeding roller coaster, the sweet and fragrant marshmallow and sausage stalls, and the densely packed crowd, their faces brimming with simple joy. She was momentarily dazed.
"You brought me here?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu pursed his lips a little embarrassedly, but his eyes were sparkling: "Well. I heard that when you are in a bad mood, coming here will be very effective." He paused and added, "I only came here when I was a child, and I don't know what it has become now."
The last sentence touched Lin Qingyue gently. She thought of his past. With that kind of growth experience, he really had no chance to go to the amusement park. And her own memories of the amusement park were also very complicated. She remembered that her younger brother Lin Jinxuan loved riding the carousel when he was a child. He clamored to go every day. His father scolded him for wasting his time, and he cried sadly. She was just a teenager at that time. Seeing her brother crying, she felt rebellious for the first time. After school, she did not go home. She took her brother's hand and ran to play. Naturally, her father found out. After returning home, she was scolded by him. He said that she was the leader of the mischief and did not behave like a sister.
Lin Jinxuan... She retracted her thoughts and said nothing more. She let Shen Yu hold her hand and buy a ticket to enter the park.
As soon as he entered the garden, Shen Yu seemed to have changed. He was no longer the quiet and cautious boy. He looked at everything curiously, interested in everything. He bought her a huge, cloud-like pink marshmallow. Lin Qingyue frowned and took a bite. The sweet taste melted on the tip of her tongue, unexpectedly diluting the bitterness in her heart.
He took her to ride the carousel and picked out two of the most beautiful ones. The music started, the carousel went up and down, and the children around were screaming and laughing excitedly. Lin Qingyue was a little stiff and uncomfortable at first, but when she saw Shen Yu turned around and looked at her, her beautiful face was smiling without any haze under the colorful lights, and the corners of her mouth could not help but rise slightly.
They also played a shooting game. Shen Yu had good eyesight and steady hands, and easily won the largest plush doll - a cute brown bear. He stuffed the doll into her arms with a little pride on his face: "Give it to my sister."
Lin Qingyue hugged the soft bear that was almost half a person's height, and looked at Shen Yu's rare lively look that was in line with his age. A corner of her heart was soft and messed up.
They boarded the Ferris wheel. The car slowly climbed higher, the city below growing smaller and smaller, its bright lights like scattered stars. The noise gradually faded, leaving only the two of them and the giant bear in the car.
Shen Yu calmed down and looked out the window. His profile looked particularly gentle under the interweaving of moonlight and lights. He whispered, "Sister, look, looking down from above, those things that bother you seem to become very small."
Lin Qingyue followed his gaze, taking in the bustling bustle of the entire city. Strangely, she no longer felt oppressed. The tangled negotiations and the nitpicking of interests seemed infinitely smaller under the vast night sky.
She turned her head and looked at Shen Yu. He turned his head as well, looking at her with clear and focused eyes, which were filled with undisguised concern and a tenderness that made her heart palpitate.
"Thank you, Xiaoyu," she heard her own voice say, more than a little softer than usual.
Shen Yu smiled, her eyes curved like two beautiful crescent moons: "Is sister happier?"
"Yeah." She nodded slightly.
The Ferris wheel rose to its highest point, and the night view outside the window reached its most gorgeous moment. Shen Yu suddenly leaned over and placed a dragonfly-like kiss on her lips very gently. This kiss was without any lust, only pure comfort and joy.
"I hope that sister can be as happy as she is now every day in the future." He stepped back a little and whispered, his ears slightly red.
Lin Qingyue didn't scold him, but just looked at him quietly. The light in the car was dim and ambiguous, outlining his delicate features even more charmingly. She suddenly reached out and touched his hair.
At that moment, all her worries were completely forgotten. It seemed as if the only thing left in the world was this small, slowly moving car and this beautiful boy who only wanted to make her happy.
On the way back, Lin Qingyue hugged the big bear doll and leaned against the back seat of the car with her eyes closed. Shen Yu sat quietly beside her, with a slight, satisfied smile on her lips.
The neon lights outside the car window flowed across her cheeks like water, and she felt a long-lost sense of pure relaxation and joy.
Perhaps, an occasional "elopement" that goes off track like this is not a bad thing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com