Chapter 48: Cousins' Situation - The Fall (Part 5)
—Plop.
A raindrop hits the ground.
Then countless raindrops fell in quick succession, vying to merge into a torrential summer downpour.
So the long-awaited sunny holiday was ruined.
Amidst the clamor of rain, a familiar melody suddenly rang out.
Yu Qingzhou took out her phone, and paused for a moment as she swiped the screen.
"Brother?" he asked as he answered the phone.
"Yes, it's me."
Hearing the deep, quiet voice coming from across the street, Yu Qingzhou turned to look out the window.
The lush green shade flashed by, and the mountain breeze, carrying a drizzle, brushed against my cheek.
Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but take a deep breath, and a slight coolness immediately rose in her chest.
He turned his head, and the scene of their last meeting suddenly flashed before his eyes.
The two sat facing each other for a long time.
For some reason, the conversation suddenly turned to the time when Yu Qingzhou mischievously planted a tree branch when he was a child.
Yu Qingzhou leaned against the hospital bed, staring at Shen Yun's thinner profile. The young man, lost in memories, had a calm yet gentle expression.
"My mind went completely blank until I felt your heavy weight pressing down on my arm... I held you then, and you wouldn't let go, so I just held you like that. You cried yourself to sleep, and I lay down next to you. With my eyes closed, I could feel my hands trembling violently. But I just didn't want to let go because I was scared..."
This was the first time Yu Qingzhou had ever heard Shen Yun speak so much in one breath.
In my memory, Shen Yun, as the elder brother, was silent, utterly silent yet utterly reliable.
Although they are not actually related by blood.
Yu Qingzhou had never known before that Shen Yun could also be afraid of things, just as he had said.
Gazing at the young man's pale fingertips, Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but drift into a daze.
Without much thought, I instinctively reached out and grasped the other person's hand.
Looking up, she met Shen Yun's unblinking, dark eyes and saw the complex expression surging within them, and suddenly felt a little awkward.
Yu Qingzhou thought she could say something casually to ease the tension, at least to make the other person feel less guilty.
That way, Yu Qingzhou would feel a little better.
After all, if it weren't for myself...
If it weren't for this incident...
The current Chen Yun should never appear in a place like this.
"Well, look at me, I'm perfectly fine now, so—"
So, don't show that guilty expression.
That's what Yu Qingzhou wanted to say to comfort the other person.
Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.
Yu Qingzhou was taken aback.
Because he noticed that Shen Yun was trembling uncontrollably.
Feeling lost and helpless, she could only let the other person hold her.
Shen Yun's body wasn't very cold, and the cool fragrance lingering in the air evoked a sense of nostalgia.
Smelling the familiar scent on the other person, Yu Qingzhou gradually felt sleepy.
It can be considered——
It becomes a habit.
In a half-dream, half-awake state, Yu Qingzhou seemed to hear Chen Yun's scattered whispers.
It seemed to be muttering something like, "I'll never... let go..."
I don't know if it's a dream or reality...
As Yu Qingzhou hung up the phone, she glanced up and suddenly caught a glimpse of Li Xiao's ambiguous smile in the rearview mirror.
"What's up?"
"Your expression just now was quite something."
"Thank you for the compliment, but I would be even happier if Young Master Li would be more attentive to the road while driving."
"With you by my side, I wouldn't mind dying on the road."
Li Xiao scoffed, "A double suicide on the highway sounds pretty romantic, doesn't it?"
"Is that so? I think a love story between a human and a ghost is even more romantic," Yu Qingzhou retorted casually.
"That's true. If I were to leave first, I guarantee I'd haunt you even in death."
Li Xiao still smiled, seemingly not taking it seriously, but his tone was surprisingly serious.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingzhou frowned.
Even non-superstitious people would find such words disheartening.
Just then, the car suddenly braked hard.
Yu Qingzhou was caught off guard and lurched forward, only to be violently restrained by the seatbelt midway, almost catching her breath.
"Are you crazy?!"
Yu Qingzhou really wanted to curse this time.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao unusually did not reply immediately. Instead, he opened the car door and got out.
The rain outside intensified. For some reason, Li Xiao opened his umbrella and wandered around outside for a while. His clothes were soaked, and he got back into the car with an indescribably strange expression.
Yu Qingzhou noticed Li Xiao's unusual behavior and softened her tone.
"What exactly happened? Why did it suddenly—"
"I might really be seeing a ghost."
Li Xiao suddenly said.
Cold rain pounded on the quiet mountain road. Yu Qingzhou stared at the young man's bright red lips, wet with rain, when the sound of an engine starting broke the silence.
"Haha, I was just kidding. You actually believe that kind of nonsense?" Li Xiao said casually, a hint of mockery even flashing in his eyes.
"……Neuropathy."
Yu Qingzhou muttered a curse under her breath and leaned back in her seat.
That's what he said, but deep down he felt something was off.
Outside the window, the scenery rushes by.
For a fleeting moment, Yu Qingzhou seemed to catch a glimpse of white flashing through the trees below.
Before he could think any further, his view was once again blocked by the deep, unfathomable green.
...
The car finally arrived at its destination without any major incidents.
As soon as they arrived at the apartment building, Yu Qingzhou opened the car door and nimbly climbed out.
Li Xiao leaned out of the car window and said with a smile, "Why didn't you invite me up for a seat today?"
Yu Qingzhou twitched the corner of her mouth: "...Don't say things that could be misunderstood."
"Seriously, are you really okay with me walking home alone on this slippery road in the rain?"
Li Xiao raised her chin, slightly narrowed her emerald green eyes, and made a submissive gesture. With her pretty face, she really looked quite pitiful.
To be honest, Yu Qingzhou was a little tempted, but reason told him that he had to refuse.
Before Yu Qingzhou could speak, Li Xiao suddenly put away his expression.
"Let's skip it today."
Yu Qingzhou was surprised at how the other party had become so understanding.
A voice suddenly rang out behind me: "Qingzhou?"
Yu Qingzhou turned her head and saw Shen Yun standing at the door.
Over her neatly ironed shirt was a half-new apron that Yu Qingzhou herself had hardly ever seen before, giving her the air of a virtuous woman who could handle both formal and domestic duties.
Standing in this seemingly familiar scene, Yu Qingzhou felt a bit overwhelmed.
"Is this... keeping a mistress in a gilded cage?"
Li Xiao lowered his voice with a half-smile and then greeted Shen Yun in a generous manner: "Hello, senior."
Shen Yun remained calm and composed, saying, "You're too kind."
Yu Qingzhou was caught between the two, and her feelings were somewhat complicated.
When did you two become relatives?
"When you were stabbed and hospitalized."
Li Xiao paused for a moment, then put on a smile again and looked at Yu Qingzhou.
"Is this what they call fate?"
Yu Qingzhou glared at that affected face, feeling a sudden urge to bite her, especially when she felt Shen Yun's gaze fixed on her. Yu Qingzhou immediately raised her hand and slammed the car door shut.
"I'm hungry, you should go home and eat early too."
Li Xiao raised his eyebrows, then looked at Shen Yun and smiled.
"Then I won't disturb you two brothers going back for your reunion dinner. Goodbye."
Having said that, he started the engine without any hesitation.
Yu Qingzhou watched the car disappear into the rain, and the unease she felt earlier seemed to be making a comeback.
Suddenly, as if he had noticed something, he turned his head and caught a glimpse of a fair hand on his shoulder out of the corner of his eye.
—It is a deep and resonant tone.
For some reason, she didn't even notice him getting closer.
"elder brother?"
"Aren't you hungry? Let's go."
Shen Yun leaned closer and said, her breath brushing softly against his ear.
This suddenly reminded Yu Qingzhou of the hug in the hospital, the comfortable feeling that enveloped him in a hazy mist... He remembered the words he heard, was it a dream?
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