Summer Ripples
The summer heat intensified, and the capital's summer carried a dry and scorching atmosphere. Lin Xueyin's life continued to run on the track drawn by the invisible hand.
Song Zhiyuan's appearance became a regular and fixed mark on her calendar, like the waxing and waning of the moon, with an unquestionable inevitability.
That Friday, when the black car pulled up to her workplace again, Lin Xueyin was no longer as panicked as she had been initially. She even managed to maintain a surface of composure under that penetrating gaze, whispering a quiet goodbye to Sister Jiang before silently walking towards the car. Only her slightly quickening heartbeat and the subconscious clenching of her fingers betrayed the turmoil within her.
However, this time, things seem a little different.
The car did not drive directly to the dormitory compound, but turned in another direction at a fork in the road. Lin Xueyin's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but turn her head to look at Song Zhiyuan.
He seemed to sense her uneasiness, his eyes still fixed straight ahead, and he explained calmly, "Let's go eat first."
It wasn't an order, more like a simple notification, but it still didn't give her a chance to choose.
The car finally stopped in front of a quiet restaurant near Houhai. The restaurant, a renovated courtyard house, features grey bricks and gray tiles, shaded by green trees. Lanterns hung under the eaves, unlit, yet exuding a certain elegance. Unlike the bustling, time-honored "BBQ Season" I'd visited before, this place felt more tranquil and intimate.
The waiter led them to a private room overlooking the water. Pushing open the carved wooden door, they saw a pool of clear water, a few graceful lotus flowers, and the evening breeze carried a faint lotus fragrance. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden glow on the water.
The environment was beautiful, but Lin Xueyin had no time to appreciate it. She sat stiffly opposite Song Zhiyuan, wondering why he had brought her here.
He was still in charge of ordering the dishes, but this time, he asked her for the first time: "Any dietary restrictions?"
Lin Xueyin was stunned for a moment and shook her head.
The dishes arrived quickly, all light and delicate Huaiyang cuisine, unlike the rich, oily and sauce-laden Beijing dishes. Song Zhiyuan didn't eat much, mostly just watching her eat, occasionally serving her food with the serving chopsticks, his movements natural, as if they'd been rehearsed countless times.
"Is work going well?" He asked, still talking about the same ordinary topic, but in this quiet environment, it lacked a sense of official business.
"...It went smoothly." Lin Xueyin replied in a low voice.
"Comrade Jiang Weihong, has he taken good care of you?" he asked again, his tone devoid of emotion.
Lin Xueyin's heart skipped a beat. He even knew Sister Jiang's name so clearly. "...Sister Jiang is a very nice person."
"Yeah." Song Zhiyuan responded and didn't ask any further questions.
The meal passed in an eerie silence. He said nothing more, only occasionally casting his gaze toward the lotus pond outside the window, his profile blurred in the fading light.
After dinner, he didn't call the driver immediately, but said to her, "Let's go for a walk."
After saying that, he stood up and walked out first. Lin Xueyin had no choice but to follow.
On a summer night in Houhai, the day's heat has faded, and the evening breeze, carrying moisture, is refreshingly cool. Willows sway along the shore, and the lights, just coming on, are reflected on the inky water, a dazzling display of light. Numerous residents and tourists stroll along the shore, enjoying the cool breeze. The sound of people is faint, yet not a clamorous scene.
Song Zhiyuan slowed down his pace and walked side by side with Lin Xueyin on the stone path by the lake. There was still a polite distance between the two of them. He did not try to get closer, nor did he speak, but just walked in silence.
This pure, unforced "walk" was unprecedented. Lin Xueyin's tense nerves, caught in the quiet night and the rhythmic sound of footsteps, unconsciously relaxed a little. She secretly raised her eyes and studied his profile.
The dim light from the street lamp outlined his cold and hard figure, but the way he walked silently at this moment was inexplicably less fierce than usual, and had a hint of... an indescribable loneliness?
As soon as this thought came to her mind, Lin Xueyin quickly extinguished it. How could she have such a ridiculous association with him?
Just then, a street vendor selling candied haws passed by. The bright red hawthorns, coated in glistening sugar, looked particularly tempting under the light. Lin Xueyin's eyes were drawn to them, and she took a second look.
Song Zhiyuan paused and followed her gaze. Then, he walked straight to the vendor, bought the largest string of candied haws, and handed it to her.
Lin Xueyin was completely stunned. She looked at the candied haws that were placed before her, a sight so incompatible with her current state of mind and age, and then looked up at Song Zhiyuan. His face remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on her calmly, as if he were doing something perfectly natural.
"Here." He said simply.
Lin Xueyin took it hesitantly, her fingertips trembling slightly at the touch of the cool bamboo stick. The sugar coating melted quickly in the summer night, emitting a sweet aroma.
She held the string of candied haws, like a bewildered child, not knowing whether to eat it or not.
Song Zhiyuan ignored her and continued walking forward.
Lin Xueyin followed him, watching his back, then looking down at the dazzling red candied haws in her hand, feeling a mixture of emotions. What did he mean by this? A slap in the face followed by a sweet date? Or... some clumsy overture of goodwill that she couldn't understand?
In the end, she didn't eat the candied haws, but just held it silently until the sugar coating melted and became sticky on her hands.
The walk didn't last long, and Song Zhiyuan signaled the driver to drive over and take her back to the dormitory.
Before getting off the car, he looked at her and suddenly said, "There's a movie being screened internally next weekend. Do you want to go see it?"
It wasn't an order, it was a question. Although his tone was still calm and there wasn't much of a question in it, this was the first time he had made an "invitation" to her in this way.
Lin Xueyin's heart skipped a beat. She stared into his eyes, which grew ever deeper in the night. She opened her mouth, the words of rejection swirling around on her tongue before finally fading into an inaudible, "...Okay."
She didn't know why she agreed. Was it because she was afraid of the consequences of rejection? Or was it that the quiet moment of that summer night stroll and that inappropriate string of candied haws had cast a tiny ripple in her heart, one she hadn't even noticed?
Song Zhiyuan didn't seem surprised by her agreement. He just nodded imperceptibly and said, "I'll pick you up when the time comes."
The car left.
Lin Xueyin stood downstairs of the dormitory building, still holding the string of candied haws that was already in a tattered state in her hand. The summer night breeze blew on her face, but it could not blow away the chaos in her heart.
Has he changed? Or hasn't he?
He still controlled everything, decided her schedule, and knew everything about her. But tonight, he seemed to be trying to get closer in a more... "gentle" way.
This change made her even more confused and uneasy.
Tiny bubbles seemed to begin to bubble up from the warm water. And as the frog, in the gradually rising water temperature, felt not comfort, but a deeper fear of the unknown and a hint of... an indescribable throbbing.
She tossed the candied haws into the trash can and walked upstairs. The ripples of the summer night gently spread across her heart, disturbing the once-silent spring water.
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