Lu Yu led Jiao Yuyin on foot for several kilometers, then took a taxi and transferred to a bus. They traveled from north to south, then back to the north.
After several twists and turns, we arrived at the gate of a vineyard on the outskirts of the city. The vineyard was located in an orchard.
A dark purple fence is embedded in a light purple wooden door, on which are carved three small figures, clearly marks made by stone.
Lu Yu took out her key and unlocked the door. With a creak, the gate opened, and the shadowy figures inside the courtyard became clearer.
The courtyard gate faces north, and the red brick and white tile house is located in the southwest, with a large open space between the house door and the courtyard gate.
The two gates are connected by a pebble path. On the west side of the pebble path is a well, next to which are two large water vats and a stone shelf. The edges and corners of the stone shelf are not very regular, and the carved horizontal railings are uneven. Some items and small green plants are placed on the shelf, which gives it a somewhat natural feel.
The grapevines stand tall, their green vines and leaves covering the northeast corner of the yard. Clusters of grapes are hidden among the vines and leaves, their true forms faintly revealed as the wind stirs them.
A grape trellis and several clumps of vegetables are distributed on the east side of the courtyard. In the southeast corner, there is a persimmon tree, where the setting sun dapples the ground, casting slivers of light into the yard.
Lu Yu led Jiao Yuyin to sit on a stone chair under the grapevines. "My home is a bit simple, please don't laugh at me."
Jiao Yuyin didn't sit down. He looked at a corner of the well and asked, "Can I use the well water? I'm all sweaty from running around and want to wash my face."
Lu Yu didn't say anything, took a basin from the stone shelf, placed it on the stone block, scooped two ladles of water from the water vat, and gestured with his lips to indicate that Jiao Yuyin should come and wash his face.
Then she scooped up another ladle of water and splashed it onto a towel, then began to wipe her face.
She opened the door and took out two bottles of purified water.
Jiao Yuyin splashed two handfuls of water, cooling his hands, face, and neck thoroughly before comfortably exhaling the lingering heat from his lungs. After washing his face, he shook his head and waited for the water droplets on his face to air dry naturally.
After a flurry of chatter, the two finally settled down.
As the sun set, sparse rays of light drifted down to the two people under the trellis.
"You're quite something, managing to evade so many people." Jiao Yuyin exclaimed before getting straight to the point, asking, "I won't ask anything else, you just need to explain your purpose."
Lu Yu took a sip of water, stared at the stone tabletop, and asked, "Um, if I may ask, would you be willing to be a sugar daddy/sugar baby?"
After she finished speaking, she felt embarrassed and that it was inappropriate, so she twisted her fingers tightly.
"Cough!" Jiao Yuyin, who was also drinking water, choked hard. He raised his hand to wipe his mouth and complained, "That was quite presumptuous."
Jiao Yuyin's eyelids twitched, and the woman in his vision seemed somewhat unreal. Refusing to accept his fate, he pointed at himself again. "You? Keeping me as a mistress?"
"Oops, I misspoke. I'll say it again." Lu Yu chuckled sheepishly, racking her brains for a better vocabulary. "Could you live with me? Just two nights a week is fine, I'll pay you."
"Isn't this the same thing? Stop with the formalities, I'm short on time." Jiao Yuyin leaned back, his eyes wary.
Lu Yu thought to himself, "I'm not some monster."
He still managed a smile and explained in detail: "My mind-reading ability sounds pretty good at first glance, but it's uncontrollable. The thoughts of the people around me automatically rush into my head, and my ears keep ringing all day long. I can't sleep, and that's how I got these dark circles under my eyes."
Lu Yu squeezed the water bottle, making a couple of clicks, and continued, "Actually, I play basketball, specifically women's basketball. This chronic insomnia is really affecting my physical condition. Coincidentally, God sent you to me today. My mind-reading ability is the only thing I can't hear your thoughts about, and when I touched your hand today, I suddenly stopped moving."
As Lu Yu spoke, she became a little agitated. She composed herself and summarized the matter: "I just want you to help me cure my insomnia and block out my inner thoughts. I just want to be able to touch your hand while I sleep, even just a finger. You can tell me what you want."
Seeing that Jiao Yuyin had not yet expressed his opinion, Lu Yu added a few more words: "I don't need you to have a lifetime appointment, just a period of time, how long it lasts depends on you."
After listening to Lu Yu's description, Jiao Yuyin finally responded to the matter. He casually remarked, "No wonder the women's basketball team members are so fast."
He glanced at the small courtyard filled with the smell of cooking fires and asked the question that had been bothering him: "Why aren't the women's basketball team members training? Why are they going back to their homes in the suburbs every day?"
The grapevines rustled in the wind, filling the air with the sweet scent of grapes, a scent that soothed the soul.
Lu Yu moved her lips, her upper and lower teeth touching, grinding her little tiger teeth a couple of times, her expression becoming somewhat indifferent. "My physical condition isn't ideal right now. I'm a substitute player for the local team. The situation is special; you can think of me as a fringe player. I haven't been training with the team much."
Jiao Yuyin's scrutinizing gaze remained undiminished; he practically had "I don't believe it" etched onto his face.
Lu Yu said coldly, "Lu Yu, the Lu as in road and the Yu as in taro, search it yourself, if you still don't believe me, then forget it."
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