Returning to university, starting with confessing to his ex-wife, his counselor.

Unlike most other unmarried young teachers who were assigned to the youth teachers' apartment in Lvyang Village, Yang Shuxi moved into Xinzheng Building at a young age.

The new Zheng Building was built in the 70s and is located next to the old Zheng Building, which is full of senior professors and retired faculty and staff.

When Yang Shuxi draws back the curtains in the early morning, she always sees old men playing chess and practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard, and old ladies across the way tending to their flowers, feeding their birds, and tidying up their houses.

In the past, every holiday morning, she would brew herself a pot of hot tea and lie on the bamboo chair on the balcony.

I closed my eyes and basked in the sun while listening to the sounds of the elderly people downstairs bustling about.

Her friends all say that she doesn't like shopping or socializing. She spends all her time growing flowers, making tea, and sunbathing. She's only in her twenties, but she looks like an old lady and isn't vibrant at all.

Yang Shuxi herself thinks it's pretty good. She knows how to do makeup, loves to wear pretty clothes, and even occasionally watches dating shows. How did she become an old lady?

At work, she was driven crazy by all the phone calls, so after get off work she just wanted some peace and quiet and to bask in the sun.

But today, this rare moment of relaxation has also been cruelly taken away.

To be precise, it stopped yesterday afternoon, not today.

Yes, Li Zhiya arrived yesterday afternoon.

Thinking of this, Yang Shuxi, who was lying on a bamboo chair basking in the sun, slowly lowered the novel in her hand and secretly glanced at her "good niece" who was quietly playing the guzheng.

Yang Shuxi bought the guzheng when she was a sophomore in college.

That year, at the school's welcome party, she saw a girl wearing a plain-colored traditional Chinese dress, her slender fingers lightly plucking the strings of the guzheng, her graceful figure stunning the entire welcome night.

Although the girl wasn't as pretty as her, her ethereal beauty made her mouth water!

Who doesn't dream of being a fairy? It's just a guzheng, right? I'll buy it!!

Without a second thought, Yang Shuxi rushed to the music store the next day and spent nearly 30,000 yuan to buy a professional-grade golden nanmu dragon and phoenix guzheng.

To become a fairy, she even enrolled in a guzheng (Chinese zither) class, and then discovered...

She's just not cut out for this; her fingers are so clumsy she can only use chopsticks to eat!

Then, that professional guzheng, worth 7 yuan, sat gathering dust in a corner for seven years.

Thinking of this, Yang Shuxi couldn't help but raise her eyes and glance at Li Zhiya again.

At this moment, the latter was wearing a pure white long dress, playing the zither with her eyes closed, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, her appearance serene and elegant.

She wasn't playing a traditional guzheng piece, but rather Jay Chou's "Blue and White Porcelain," a popular song, which she performed with a clear, melodious, and natural grace.

As the strings are plucked, melodious music lingers, captivating the listener and making them feel as if they could truly see the misty rain of Jiangnan if they closed their eyes.

Yang Shuxi didn't learn the guzheng, but she can still distinguish between good and bad.

She felt that her niece played the guzheng better than her former guzheng teacher.

[She's as beautiful as a fairy, and she plays the guzheng so well! If Xiaoya were to perform at the freshman welcome party, wouldn't all the boys in the school go crazy?]

Yang Shuxi pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "We're both girls, and even relatives, so how come Xiaoya is so amazing?"

Waaaaah~ The kids are so envious!

Zheng—

After a melodious final note, Li Zhiya stopped playing the zither and opened her clear eyes.

Seeing her aunt staring at her, she blinked in confusion, and after thinking for a while, she pushed the guzheng forward a little.

Then, he looked at Yang Shuxi and remained silent.

Yang Shuxi was immediately embarrassed.

"Haha~ You play, you play, Auntie... Auntie's finger joints are a little uncomfortable, next time, next time for sure!" She forced out an awkward but dignified smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiya was stunned.

I really wanted to say that there are guzheng finger picks here, so playing the guzheng won't affect your finger joints, but after thinking about it, I just gently nodded my chin instead.

"it is good."

Li Zhiya replied softly, but didn't play the piano anymore. Instead, she took out her phone, placed it on the table, and tapped it a few times.

Then he stared at the screen without blinking and didn't say anything.

Seeing this, Yang Shuxi couldn't help but feel curious.

She held a thermos in one hand and propped herself up on the wicker chair with the other, stealing a glance.

Yang Shuxi initially thought Li Zhiya was reading some sophisticated articles or watching some videos, but she never expected that Li Zhiya was sending WeChat messages to someone.

Because the guzheng blocked a third of the screen, Yang Shuxi couldn't see the contact name or nickname, but she did see that her fairy-like niece had sent that person three words: "What are you doing?"

After sending it, I stared at my phone screen and waited quietly.

Those lines, that gentle look in her eyes... could it be?!

With her gossip-loving spirit rekindled, Yang Shuxi's eyes lit up immediately.

Just then, a message popped up in the chat box, and Yang Shuxi immediately saw that her little fairy's lips curved into a very subtle smile.

She laughed! Ya Ya actually laughed!!

Yang Shuxi stared wide-eyed, somewhat incredulous.

Outsiders only know that Li Zhiya is cold and aloof to everyone, and somewhat unapproachable. But what they don't know is that Li Zhiya suffered from autism in her childhood.

What others call autism is a congenital neurodevelopmental disorder.

Fortunately, it was discovered early, and her privileged family background allowed her to receive the most professional long-term treatment, which enabled her to return to a normal life when she was eleven or twelve years old.

But that only means that they appear normal on the surface.

This can be seen from her constant rejection of social interaction and her subconscious resistance to physical contact with others.

Only because I am her closest aunt can I occasionally hug her and talk to her.

But now, she actually smiled because of a message from a boy.

Does this mean... Xiaoya has a chance of recovering?

Almost instinctively, Yang Shuxi took out her phone, eager to tell her older cousin about this amazing discovery.

That is, Li Zhiya's father.

But after thinking about it, I held back.

While Li Zhiya was still hesitating, she ended the chat.

Looking at her niece, whose eyebrows and eyes had clearly relaxed considerably, Yang Shuxi bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and then carefully asked a question.

"Ya Ya, were you... chatting with a boy just now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiya, who was about to continue playing the zither, paused for a moment.

"Um."

The girl's voice was flat, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible emotion.

Yang Shuxi frowned immediately, wanting to ask who the boy was, but then thought that Li Zhiya wouldn't tell her, so she changed the subject.

"What did you talk about?" the older sister asked softly and patiently.

Yang Shuxi thought Li Zhiya wouldn't say anything, but the latter glanced at her and then gave her the answer.

Ask him what he's doing.

"Hmm, what did the boy reply?"

Yang Shuxi's eyes lit up, and she held her breath.

He said he was busy and asked me what was wrong, but I said nothing.

"And then! And then!!"

Yang Shuxi's tone quickened unconsciously as she looked expectantly at Li Zhiya.

The latter frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.

"Mmm." Suddenly, Li Zhiya nodded her chin cutely twice.

Hmm? What does "hmm" mean?

Yang Shuxi froze, somewhat at a loss.

Seeing this, Li Zhiya thought for a moment and then explained.

He said... "Mmm~"

She nodded her chin twice more, very seriously.

Yang Shuxi: "..."

The older sister was a bit confused; she tried to understand the deeper emotions contained in the conversation and wanted to know why her niece was happy.

After trying for a while... I still couldn't figure out what made Li Zhiya so happy!

There's no emotion involved, it's all just perfunctory talk!

That kid across the street is playing with my little Ya Ya's feelings!

Yang Shuxi's anger flared up instantly, and she said without thinking.

"Ya Ya, tell your aunt who this little boy is... how dare he treat you so casually? How could he dare?!"

She had barely finished speaking when Li Zhiya suddenly stood up and said in a slightly louder voice.

"He didn't just give me a perfunctory answer!"

"Hmm, isn't that enough to just give a perfunctory answer?"

Li Zhiya seemed a little unhappy, looking at her aunt with a serious expression.

"No, he also replied with an emoji!"

As the girl spoke, she took out her phone and sent an emoji to her aunt with great seriousness.

"This is it!"

Yang Shuxi frowned and also took out her phone.

Upon seeing it, I immediately couldn't hold back anymore.

Lee Ji-ah: [Grinning face]