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The car finally stopped in Huaihua Lane.
Qi Zui got out of the car first, then stood by the roadside and waited silently for Wen Xubai to park the car. As soon as he got out, Qi Zui went up to Wen Xubai, took his hand, and said with a smile, "Let's go."
Wen Xubai nodded and followed him into the alley.
The alleyway was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going. There were old men playing chess under the trees, old women carrying groceries they had just bought at the market, and children running around and playing... Just like three years ago, nothing had changed.
He took a deep breath, the air filled with a mixture of scents, which was far more comforting than the expensive fragrances from the Wen family that cost millions. Wen Xubai liked this eclectic, down-to-earth atmosphere...
At least this atmosphere... makes one feel alive, rather than a stagnant, lifeless silence...
"Ring ring—"
A bell rang behind them. Qi Zui quickly pulled Wen Xubai aside and dodged the bicycle speeding towards them.
The boy in school uniform on the bicycle suddenly turned around as he passed them, then abruptly put his leg down, stopping the bicycle.
As if in disbelief, the boy's pupils widened suddenly the moment he saw their faces, and he pointed at them and stammered, "You...you are Brother Qi Zui?"
The two were both startled, exchanged a glance, and then Qi Zui turned back to examine the boy closely. Finally, as if remembering something, he pointed back in the same manner and exclaimed in equal shock, "Xiao Hai?!"
Upon hearing this, the boy immediately jumped off his bike, grabbed the handlebars, and ran back in a few steps, excitedly saying, "It really is you! My mom said you moved away, and I thought you were never coming back!"
"Oh right, something happened at home, so I came back now..." Seeing familiar faces, Qi Zui was very happy, and his smile widened even more. However, he couldn't talk much about what had happened in the past three years, so he simply changed the subject, patted the boy's shoulder and said, "Wow, you've grown so tall, almost as tall as me! Are you... in junior high now?"
"I'm in high school now!" Xiao Hai yanked his school badge off his chest and showed it to the two of them. "I'm a freshman!"
Both of them recognized the school name written on it; in fact, it was a school that everyone in Jiangcheng knew. Wen Xubai had also attended high school there.
"Wow, not bad! You managed to get into a top high school! I knew you were cut out for studying!" Qi Zui gave a thumbs up!
"Hehe..." The shy boy rarely received such praise, and he blushed slightly.
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries until Qi Zui glanced at his watch and asked, "Hey? Shouldn't you be in class at this hour?"
The boy was shocked and immediately jumped onto the bike, quickly stepping on the pedals. Before leaving, he waved to the two of them and said, "Brother, I'll come find you to play another day!"
"Alright!" Qi Zui waved his hand and shouted, "Be careful on the road!"
"Got it!" the boy said happily, then strode away.
Well, he took back what he just said. Wen Xubai thought to himself: Locust Flower Lane has changed, for example, the people.
Qi Zui turned back with a smile on his face. Seeing Wen Xubai lost in thought, he squeezed his hand and sighed, "Time really flies, doesn't it?"
“Yes.” Wen Xubai lowered his eyes.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. The innocent child has transformed into a teenager, yet these three years have felt incredibly long…
Three years of separation... three years of missed opportunities...
Qi Zui noticed his disappointment, so he gripped his hand even tighter and comforted him, "It's okay, we have many more three-year periods ahead of us."
Wen Xubai nodded. He wasn't one to indulge in sentimentalism, but he was simply moved by the moment.
"Let's go eat." Qi Zui smiled broadly.
Despite having some suspicions, Wen Xubai's heart still skipped a beat when he stood in front of the familiar noodle shop again.
He stood in front of the noodle shop just as he had when they first met, while the man inside, wearing a t-shirt and pulling noodles, suddenly looked up and met his gaze.
He was startled; the face that had been raised was not the one he had imagined.
When the hand next to him tightened, Wen Xubai suddenly came to his senses and turned to look at the person beside him.
The face from his memory suddenly came into view, like a calming agent, instantly soothing his uneasy heart.
Yes, now this person is standing beside him.
The man who had just made the ramen ran over with a warm smile and asked, "Two guests? Would you like some noodles?"
“Yes.” Qi Zui replied with a smile, then led Wen Xubai into the small shop and found a seat near the door.
This is exactly where Wen Xubai sat back then.
Coincidentally, it was daytime, and the noodle shop was almost full, with no seats available, yet this particular seat was reserved for them, as if it had been specially arranged for them.
Wen Xubai suddenly seemed lost in thought.
It wasn't until a familiar female voice rang out that he suddenly realized what was happening.
"Brother Lin, let me do it, you go ahead and get busy." A young woman wearing an apron walked over, wiped her oily hands on the apron, took the booklet from the man's hand, and waved to him.
"Guest, you..."
The moment she saw the two of them, the woman gasped in surprise, covering her mouth before letting out a deafening scream: "Ah!"
The customers at the next table, who were slurping noodles, jumped in fright, dropping their chopsticks to the floor. A dozen pairs of eyes turned to the woman in the center. Even "Brother Lin," who had just taken a step forward, was startled and pulled back, turning around with fear in his eyes, asking, "What happened???"
Wen Xubai nodded slightly to the woman and said with a light smile, "Long time no see, Xia."
The woman in front of me looks exactly the same as she did three years ago, except that the years have taken their toll on her youthful face, giving her a more mature appearance and making her more worldly and sophisticated in her dealings with others.
Qi Zui laughed and said, "You've grown up. You're no longer the naive little girl following behind 'Brother Zui'?"
Xia realized her lapse in composure and hurriedly got a clean pair of chopsticks for the next table, then briefly explained the situation to the chef...
When she returned to the table with the two of them after finishing everything, the woman, still unable to calm her heart, asked in a trembling voice, "Is it really you two? Brother Zui? Brother Che?"
Wen Xubai smiled and nodded.
Qi Zui then spread his left hand: "Genuine, no doubt about it."
Xia looked at the two people's hands wrapped in white gauze. She first looked at Qi Zui's right hand hanging in front of his chest, then turned to Wen Xubai's left hand on the table. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again.
She really wanted to ask what had happened between the two of them, and how they had been doing all these years. But even if she was slow to realize, she could tell that neither of them really wanted to talk about these topics.
So the words that were about to come out took a different turn. Xia pursed her lips, tears welling up in her eyes.
Qi Zui was startled and hurriedly raised his left hand, saying, "Hey, hey, why are you crying? Are you unhappy to see us?"
"No!" Xia wiped away her tears upon hearing this, her fingers trembling as she held the pen, suppressing a sob in her throat. "Happy? How could I not be happy?"
Qi Zui breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "That's good. I thought you weren't welcoming us. Then we'll have to find somewhere else to eat... Oh dear!"
Wen Xubai subtly stepped on Qi Zui's foot under the table, interrupting his teasing, and then smiled at Xia, saying, "Don't worry, we've been doing very well these past few years. Although a lot has happened in between, it's all in the past."
As expected, the little girl managed to calm her surging emotions a bit, but she still couldn't help but choke out, "Then... will you leave again after you come back this time...?"
When asked this question, Wen Xubai and Qi Zui both fell silent. After all, they had not escaped the control of the Wen and Ruan families, and it was hard to say whether they would leave again.
Seeing the two of them silent, Xia understood. A pang of sadness welled up in her heart, but she didn't press the matter.
Afraid that tears would fall at any moment, Xia quickly lowered her head and asked them casually, "What...what do you want to eat?"
"Two bowls of plain noodles," Qi Zui said with a smile.
"Okay..." Xia choked up again, and her handwriting was crooked and messy. After finishing the last stroke, she quickly turned and walked towards the stove.
But after taking two steps, he turned back, looked at the two of them, his eyes flickering, and whispered, "It's good that you're back... It's good that you're back..."
These two sentences, which sounded like whispers, left Wen Xubai and Qi Zui unsure whether she was speaking to them or simply talking to herself. However, one thing was certain: Xia was truly sincere towards them.
That's enough.
Watching the chef skillfully pull noodles in the stove, Wen Xubai's memory of Qi Zui's appearance overlapped with it. Perhaps it touched a soft spot in his heart, and Wen Xubai couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you looking at? Why are you laughing so happily?" Qi Zui was confused. Following his gaze, he couldn't help but curl his lips. "If I could move my hand, I would have pulled it for you myself... What, is it as good as me pulling it?"
Wen Xubai knew he was jealous, so he shook his head helplessly and went along with him, saying, "No, you're the most beautiful."
Qi Zui was clearly satisfied with his statement, and smiled smugly as he handed him the chopsticks, saying with a smile, "Right? That's what I thought too."
At this point, Wen Xubai suddenly became curious, "Qi Zui, what were your thoughts when you first saw me?"
"What were your thoughts?" Qi Zui was a little stunned by his sudden question. He rested his chin on his hand and thought for a long time before saying, "Hmm—I thought you were quite unique back then."
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