Chapter 268 Epilogue - The New World Arc (Sixty-Five)
The heat rose up.
The room was filled with white steam and the soft bubbling of boiling water.
The induction cooker was borrowed from the cafeteria. E027 had given prior notice, so it didn't take much trouble.
We've made plenty of preparations just for this small meal of glutinous rice balls.
But in the end, the glutinous rice balls were wrapped and cooked successfully, but the person who had been clamoring for them that morning never came back...
Yu Qingzhou stood in front of the pot, occasionally adding some cold water and stirring it with a spoon.
The tiny white dough balls bobbed up and down in the soup, looking almost alive.
His vision was blurred by the rising steam.
For a fleeting moment, the surrounding scenery seemed unreal and surreal—
The overhead incandescent light bulb disappeared—
But then I saw a few flickering candles illuminating the room with their glow.
Carved tables and chairs, jade screens, and the delicate fragrance of wood, flowers, and steaming sugar water blend together, creating a lively and warm atmosphere that directly touches one's heart.
[Hmph~ You think you're such a blockhead that you'll actually take root in the ground?]
Suddenly, a young man's voice, rising in pitch, reached my ears.
Yu Guangzhong let down a lock of his long, light gray hair with silvery white streaks, which swayed gently beside his cheek, releasing a sweet, drowsy pear scent.
That voice, that aura, were inexplicably familiar.
Yu Qingzhou's heart suddenly stirred.
Suddenly, I really wanted to turn around and look at the person who was speaking, but my body seemed to have its own ideas.
He simply kept his head down, his eyes lowered, looking as if he didn't want to talk to the other person.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy again?" The voice came closer, and a lock of long hair draped over "his" shoulder.
He remained silent, intently staring at the contents of the pot.
After a while, as if he had not achieved the desired effect, the man spoke again, somewhat disappointed.
This time, his voice was softer, almost like he was whispering. His tone was much gentler, but unfortunately, what he said was still just as infuriating.
[Look at you, so petty and easily teased. No wonder you haven't grown taller. Hahaha—]
[...]
"Hey, pay attention to me! It's the Lunar New Year, and it's so cold. I was worried you'd be lonely all alone here, so I braved the wind and snow to come all this way. I like you so much, can't you even spare a glance?"
(Why...can't you just look at me more?)
Two very similar questions rang in my ears at the same time.
Yu Qingzhou was momentarily distracted, and her hand trembled so much that she almost dropped the long-handled spoon she was using to stir into the pot.
Fortunately, a hand reached out from the side, caught the spoon, and put it back into his hand.
Slender, warm hands.
—It's Dr. Shen.
The woman had also approached without anyone noticing.
Their eyes met, and the emerald green in the other person's eyes made Yu Qingzhou momentarily dazed.
But it was only for a moment before Yu Qingzhou suddenly came to her senses.
Suddenly I realized what day it was and where I was... and all that had just happened was nothing more than a strangely real daytime illusion in a daze.
"I...I'm sorry," Yu Qingzhou said instinctively.
Shen Yingxue looked at him quietly. Her fair and beautiful face was expressionless, but Yu Qingzhou could still sense a sense of helplessness.
"Actually, I'd rather hear you say something else than apologize," the woman said softly.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingzhou was taken aback.
Shen Yingxue didn't continue speaking, but glanced at the steaming pot and said, "The glutinous rice balls are cooked."
The glutinous rice balls were already cooked; if they were boiled any longer, they would have become mushy.
Yu Qingzhou had been distracted and hadn't noticed. Now, facing a pot of almost completely dissolved white noodle soup, she was at a loss.
This doesn't look appetizing at all.
"Um...why don't you go to the cafeteria and see if there's anything else?"
"What else?" Shen Yingxue raised one eyebrow slightly, as if asking a question.
"It's... something that tastes pretty good."
As Yu Qingzhou spoke, she glanced at the clock. There wasn't much time left before the cafeteria started serving breakfast.
Then, he suddenly realized, belatedly.
Dr. Shen had already finished her work here. If I hadn't suddenly suggested eating glutinous rice balls, she wouldn't have had to stay here until now.
Dr. Shen's original purpose in making this trip was simply to deliver a message for E027, to tell Yu Qingzhou that the person he was waiting for would not be returning...
"But right now I want to eat the glutinous rice balls you cooked."
Shen Yingxue suddenly spoke, her tone revealing a rare childlike persistence.
As she spoke, she paused slightly as if she had thought of something, and a smile suddenly appeared in her emerald eyes as she looked at the boy.
It was just a little cold.
"Or is it that what you just said wasn't from the heart, and you were just being polite, while I was the fool who took it seriously?"
"—No."
Yu Qingzhou was at a loss for what to do.
He was just mentioning it casually, but he really didn't expect Dr. Shen to seem to care about it so much.
It's just a bowl of glutinous rice balls, how did it suddenly become associated with true feelings?
If that's the case, then what am I, sitting here making glutinous rice balls while waiting for E027 to return...?
It can't be—
Have you fallen for that person?
That kind of despicable person who acts arbitrarily, does everything according to their own whims, is capricious, and is adept at setting traps to deceive people, then walks away as if nothing happened.
How could I possibly... Oh right, that's it!
How could he forget that E027 loves to lie?
So, this might actually be another new trick.
This time, however, the person who was originally supposed to play the missing role has become E027 himself... Well, it makes sense; playing the same trick too many times gets boring.
The more Yu Qingzhou thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and the more convinced she became that this was the truth.
But then, what's the situation with Dr. Shen in front of us?
—Were they also kept in the dark, or were they accomplices?
Yu Qingzhou became uncertain again.
Logically speaking, Dr. Shen shouldn't lie to him... but what if she might?
Compared to myself, I have known these two people for a longer time and we are closer.
Even if they seem to dislike each other, it's only on the surface. Who can guarantee that these two won't team up?
Shen Yingxue didn't know why she said those things.
Even knowing that saying it would be meaningless and would only create more discord between the two people.
But she just couldn't control herself.
Because of resentment... because of jealousy... or because of some other emotion?
Her usual composure vanished the moment she faced the boy before her.
Should I really care about the other person so much?
Shen Yingxue didn't think so.
She knew very well that she wasn't a very emotional person, and given the short time they spent together, her initial feelings for the boy were only a slight fondness.
But--
Deep down, she clearly felt that the other person should belong to her.
Yu Qingzhou should like her...
She should be all I see and think about...
Just like at the beginning of their reunion, whenever the boy looked at her, he showed that kind of cautious joy, that kind of unintentional affection.
Shen Yingxue is not someone who likes to be the center of attention.
But Shen Yingxue felt she could make an exception for the boy.
She hoped things would continue as they were. As for the specific outcome, Shen Yingxue hadn't thought about it.
But it shouldn't be the other person who looks away first.
He even stepped back from her side first.
I clearly didn't do anything.
Why is it that the person who makes the first move can act as if nothing happened, while the other person, left hanging in mid-air, suddenly falls because they lose support?
They did such cruel things, yet they still acted as if they were completely innocent and uninvolved.
Too cunning.
"Really...too cunning."
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