Chapter 317

Chapter 317: 310: Extra: if route grand reunion 5 Chapter 317: 310: Extra: if route grand reunion 5 Ah Na was in his second year of postgraduate studies when he brought home a friend. He said it was his junior from school, a big name who’d been covered in the sports news draped in the national flag.

The Ice Hockey Prince, Wen Changling, had seen him on TV.

Ah Na introduced him, “This is Yan Cong.”

Wen Changling was very friendly to Ah Na’s friend, “Hello, little brother Yan Cong.”

Little brother Yan Cong was a bit shy and quickly averted his gaze.

Ah Na nudged him, teasing him on purpose, “What are you staring at, call her sister.”

He awkwardly turned his head away, unable to utter the word.

The dinner was lavish, and Wen Yuan brought out some wine that he had been saving for years to treat the guests. During the meal, Ah Na talked about how he met Yan Cong. Ah Na, a medical student, had a graduate supervisor who was Yan Cong’s attending physician. Ah Na didn’t mention the illness but said it was already cured.

Wen Changling had a weakness for alcohol; she didn’t eat much of the meal but drank glass after glass. The fruit wine was sweet, smooth on the palate, but packed a punch later on.

After dinner, she went outside to bask in the moonlight. Tonight’s moon wasn’t very bright, but there were many stars.

Yan Cong came out to call her, “Ah Na is asking for you inside.”

She turned around, her eyes blurry and moist as if soaked in water, clearly drunk, “How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

Eighteen, such a blooming age, Wen Changling nodded in agreement, “That’s nice.”

“What is?”

“It’s the best age.” After saying that, she tilted her face upward toward the starry sky, letting the Milky Way fall into her eyes, “One, two, three, four...”

She was counting the stars.

“Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight.”

When he heard her stop, Yan Cong pointed to the sky, “There’s one more over there.”

Her tone suddenly became very serious, “Little brother, you can’t point at the stars with your finger, it’ll cause your ears to rot.”

“Who said that?”

“Yueyue’s great-aunt.”

Yan Cong touched his ears, indeed, they were quite hot.

“Hey.” He couldn’t bring himself to call her sister, “Let’s go inside, there are a lot of mosquitoes.”

In the summer mountains, mosquitoes were both plentiful and vicious. Wen Changling did not listen, sitting on a stone bench in the yard, still stargazing.

Yan Cong had no choice but to call for Ah Na, “Your sister is drunk.”

Ah Na, who had just finished making the bed and was sweating all over, washed his hands and went to pat Wen Changling’s shoulder, “Changling, let’s go inside to sleep.”

She hummed, “You’re being disrespectful.”

Ah Na laughed, coaxing her with good humor, “My dear sister, shall we go inside to sleep?”

“Ah Na.”

“What is it?”

She leaned on the stone table, supporting her chin with one hand, her eyes shining like pearls, “I want to eat chicken, go catch one for me.”

Ah Na was at his wit’s end, “Ancestor, the chickens are already asleep.”

The ancestor ordered him sternly: “You go catch it.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go.”

Ah Na let Yan Cong help with the flashlight and reluctantly went to the chicken coop.

Changling, the little ancestor, picked up a leaf and listlessly played the tune that Xie Qingze had tapped out on a teacup. It was crooked and out of tune, but Yan Cong listened closely and could tell it was the nursery rhyme, Little Star.

Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

*****

In the first weekend of June, Guan Qingyu returned to the country, and as the “social butterfly” among friends, Gu Yihuan organized a lively welcome party for her, inviting both close and not-so-close acquaintances. The venue was chosen to be a serene farmhouse, aiming to let Guan Qingyu, who had been eating abroad for years, enjoy the taste of local food.

During the meal, some guests started joking around.

“Qingyu, having been overseas for so many years, haven’t you snatched a blonde, blue-eyed boyfriend to bring back?”

With a good personality and temper, Guan Qingyu didn’t mind the teasing from her friends: “How can I compete with your desirability? Why don’t you teach me how to snatch one?”

It was no secret that Guan Qingyu fancied Xie Shang during their school days.

“I’m still single.” A friend, thinking to lend a hand, tilted their chin towards Xie Shang, “Since Xie Shang is single too, why don’t you two consider each other?”

Xie Shang simply continued drinking, without joining the conversation.

He Dongzhou, with his upright face and those somewhat devilish, peach-blossom eyes, sat beside Xie Shang. “Yu Zewen, having just gotten married, you’ve begun playing matchmaker?”

Seeing Xie Shang’s disinterest, Yu Zewen let the topic drop with a jest, “Marriage is a grave, and I just wish you’d all rest in peace sooner to save yourselves from rotting in the wild.”

“My fourth brother won’t marry so soon.”

Gu Yihuan believed that no one was yet worthy of her fourth brother who met top standards in every aspect, and he himself, cold and desireless, showed no interest in women.

After eating, everyone found their own entertainment; there were mahjong, darts, and board games available. Xie Shang, not particularly fond of indoor games, exchanged some work-related words with He Dongzhou at the bar. He Dongzhou stepped away mid-conversation to take a call from Miss Little Scar, and Guan Qingyu sat down next to Xie Shang.

Xie Shang offered her a glass of warm, low-alcohol wine: “Are you staying for good this time you’ve returned?”

“I’m staying, coming back to serve the motherland. What about you? Really not becoming a lawyer?”

Guan Qingyu had heard from her father while abroad that Xie Shang hardly took any cases, instead taking over the pawnshop that belonged to his maternal family. Her father had mentioned that it wasn’t just any ordinary pawnshop, but dealt also with transactions in a legal gray area, where nothing was off-limits. Xie Shang operated solely by his own rules, rebelliously refusing to conform. Her father lamented when talking about it, saying that the Xie family, with a legacy in legal studies, ended up raising a “lawless maverick”.

Guan Qingyu was not too surprised; Xie Shang seemed to have always been that way, following his own desires, whether orthodox or unorthodox, both elegant and rebellious. He didn’t even seem to value his own life, indulging in dangerous activities abroad. Such a man couldn’t be restrained by dogma or social conventions.

He said, “We’ll see.”

It was an indifferent attitude.

Guan Qingyu asked, “Is running a pawnshop interesting?”

“Quite interesting.”

In his wine glass was plain water. Not fond of alcohol, nor addicted to the pleasure of the cup, he had no can’t-live-without indulgences, staying sober as he played the game of life.

Guan Qingyu always felt like he seemed to drift in the wind, unaffected by anything, unrestrained by anyone.

“Ah! Why did I miss again?”

A graceful beauty leaned over the billiards table, softly pleading towards the bar, “Xie Shang, could you teach me?”

Xie Shang’s eyes were distinctive, reminiscent of a Western Earl in the movies.

“Sorry, I’m not very good at it.”