Tomb raiders: You stole my little Qilin?

In the morning, Wu Wei had just finished practicing with Zhang Qiling, his fingers still trembling, when the phone rang.

"Brother Wu Wei, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner."

Since returning from Ningxia, Xie Yuchen has been calling every few days.

Sometimes I would ask him what he was doing, and sometimes I would share some interesting business anecdotes, all in a natural tone, as if we were just friends.

Wu Wei initially felt very uncomfortable, but gradually got used to the frequency and would occasionally take the initiative to reply to a few messages.

But meeting him for a meal still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"I'm quite busy, I can't go out."

Wu Wei draped the towel over his shoulder, trying to make his voice sound as casual as possible.

"I've increased my training volume recently, and I'm exhausted like a dog every day."

That was the truth, but Wu Wei knew in his heart that he was being somewhat evasive.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Wu Wei could almost picture Xie Yuchen lowering her eyelashes, perhaps with a hint of disappointment flashing in her gentle and calm eyes.

"Okay. You go ahead and get busy." Xie Yuchen's voice remained as calm as ever.

Wu Wei hung up the phone, tossed it onto the coffee table, leaned back on the sofa, and sighed.

Around noon, Wu Wei's phone rang again.

He was in the middle of a fight with Hei Xiazi, and both of them were covered in sweat.

Hearing the ringtone, Hei Xiazi stopped what he was doing. Wu Wei walked to the stone table, picked up the phone, and saw that the screen still showed Xie Yuchen.

"Little Flower?"

"Brother Wu Wei, I had someone bring you some food, it should be arriving soon. Let's have lunch together."

"...Okay." Wu Wei finally gave in.

After hanging up the phone, he turned to look at Black Bear, who was wiping his sweat in the yard, and Zhang Qiling, who was coming out of the house:

"Someone will bring the food in a little while."

Black Bear paused in wiping his sweat, then looked up at him: "Who is it?"

"Xiaohua." Wu Wei put his phone back in his pocket.

"They said they brought food and would eat with us."

Black Bear draped the towel over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes:

"Master Jie is really attentive."

"They were just being kind by bringing me food," Wu Wei said, trying to cover it up.

Xie Yuchen arrived quickly. Wu Wei had just washed his face and changed into a clean short-sleeved shirt when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

"They're here."

Wu Wei opened the door, and Xie Yuchen was standing in the doorway.

Wearing a casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, she looked a little thinner than the last time we met.

He was followed by several people, each carrying two mahogany food boxes, which were exquisitely carved with cloud patterns.

"Brother Wu Wei." Xie Yuchen smiled at him.

Wu Wei stepped aside to let him in, and then nodded to the people carrying food boxes.

Xie Yuchen stepped into the courtyard and nodded slightly to Hei Xiazi at the entrance of the main hall and Zhang Qiling sitting on the stone bench: "Brother, Master Hei, I apologize for disturbing you."

Zhang Qiling nodded expressionlessly.

Black Bear leaned against the doorframe, a smile playing on his lips: "Master Xie, you're too kind. You came all this way and brought so much."

"Of course." Xie Yuchen directed the group to place the dishes from the food box onto the table one by one.

Wu Wei really didn't expect that his "bringing food" meant this kind of thing.

Steamed shad, crab meat lion's head meatballs, Longjing shrimp, Dongpo pork, pine nut corn, seasonal vegetables in broth, and scallop stewed with fish maw. In no time at all, the table was filled with food.

The presentation of each dish was so exquisite that it felt out of place in this courtyard house with its gray bricks and tiles, creating a sense of temporal displacement.

After the last dish was served, Xie Yuchen gestured for the others to leave, then pulled out a chair and naturally sat down next to Wu Wei.

Xie Yuchen first served Wu Wei a bowl of soup, saying, "Try it and see how it is."

Wu Wei took it and nodded.

Hei Xiazi had been observing Xie Yuchen from the moment he sat down.

As someone who has feelings for the same person, they can accurately discern certain signals.

Hei Xiazi picked up a piece of Dongpo pork with his chopsticks, chewed it, and had to admit that it tasted really good.

This realization made him even more upset.

After the meal, the people Xie Yuchen brought took away the bowls and plates, stacked the food boxes back up, and quietly left the courtyard.

Only four people remained in the main hall, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Wu Wei said to Xie Yuchen, "You don't need to go to such great lengths."

Xie Yuchen smiled, her eyes filled with sincerity and earnestness:

"I always want to see you."

These words were so blunt that even Zhang Qiling looked over.

Hei Xiazi tapped his fingers on the table twice unconsciously.

Wu Wei sighed, "Xiao Hua, come sit in my room."

Xie Yuchen readily agreed.

Wu Wei pulled out a chair from in front of the desk and let Xie Yuchen sit down.

"Aren't you busy lately?"

"I'm too busy to be in two places at once."

Xie Yuchen leaned back in his chair, unusually candid.

"Then you don't need to..."

"If you're going to reject me, then there's no need to say anything more."

Xie Yuchen interrupted Wu Wei, her tone calm, her fingers on her knees tightening slightly.

He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I've heard a lot about it lately."

Looking at him like that, Wu Wei couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

I wasn't moved, but I felt sorry for her.

Wu Wei sighed, his tone softening slightly: "Can't you just treat me like an older brother?"

"I'm not reconciled."

Xie Yuchen lowered his head, a rare occurrence for him. His usually composed eyes drooped, and his eyelashes cast soft shadows on his face.

Her voice was no longer clear, but somewhat hoarse: "I'm not willing to give up on the first person I ever liked."

The room was quiet for a moment, then the sound of pomegranate leaves rustling in the wind came from outside the window.

"I'm sorry." Wu Wei's voice was also very soft. He didn't know what else to say besides these two words.

Xie Yuchen looked at the undisguised apology and trouble on Wu Wei's face and suddenly smiled.

A touch of bitterness mingled with understanding and acceptance.

"I know," Xie Yuchen said, trying to regain her gentle tone.

"It's okay, can I wait a bit?"

Wu Wei didn't respond to that, but walked to the door and opened it: "Let me take you back."

Xie Yuchen stood up after him, and the two walked through the corridor one after the other.

In the alley outside the courtyard gate, Xie Yuchen's car had been parked there for a long time.

When the driver saw his boss come out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the back door.

Xie Yuchen walked to the car, but instead of getting in immediately, she turned around and looked at Wu Wei.

The alley was quiet, with only the distant sound of bicycle bells.

Most of the sunlight was blocked by the blue brick walls on both sides, leaving only a narrow strip of light between the two people.

Wu Wei stood in the light strip and looked at Xie Yuchen. "I'll come when I have time in the future. You don't need to always make time to see me."

Xie Yuchen smiled, but her eyes held a complex expression.

"You are always so gentle."

Wu Wei frowned; he didn't think he had anything to do with the word "gentle."

Seeing the confusion on Wu Wei's face, Xie Yuchen didn't explain and bent down to get into the car.

See you next time.