Tangled Soul
Ever since that time at the hospital—well, it wasn’t eavesdropping, she was listening openly; after all, it wasn’t her fault they hadn’t closed the door—ever since she slipped away without seeing Bai Fanhao, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Why did he seem to have it in for her?
He’d admitted to Wang Feiyan that he liked her, but he’d always acted like he couldn’t stand her! If he didn’t like her, why say he did, and why help her fend off drinks at Xi Haifei’s birthday party? Besides, hadn’t he promised Wang Feiyan he’d pretend to pursue her? Yet all he ever did was mock and ridicule her, never showing any kindness at all!
“Aiya! This is so complicated!” Mu Qingxi sat in her room, scratching her head in frustration.
She heard the sound of the door opening. That must be her mother and little brother coming home. As she slipped on her slippers, she called out, “Mom, did you get me any seaweed snacks?”
“You little glutton, still craving seaweed?” came a playful yet refined voice.
Hearing it, Mu Qingxi hurried out and grumbled at the figure in the doorway, “Brother, you finally decided to come see me!”
Zuo Kun raised an eyebrow, feigning arrogance. “Oh, absolutely. Who else would be willing to visit you, right?”
“All right, Kun, Qingxi, Qingyang, you three play here. I’ll go make dinner,” Shen Yali said.
Once her mother was in the kitchen, Mu Qingxi dug out a deck of cards from her drawer and joined her cousin Zuo Kun and her brother Mu Qingyang for a round of “Digging Pits.”
“Brother, what brings you back this time?” she asked.
Zuo Kun stared at his cards. “Of course, I missed my darling little sister and Qingyang. I’m interning this year. The internship just ended, so I thought I’d drop by. I’m afraid once I start working, I’ll have no time to visit. The longing would be unbearable, so I had to come and soothe it now.”
“Brother, I don’t know if Qingxi believes you, but I absolutely don’t. Anyway, I win—pay up, three rounds, twelve bucks each. Hurry up, no credit at this establishment,” Mu Qingyang boasted.
Shuffling the cards, she retorted, “Please! I’m broke, you’ll have to wait.”
…
“Come on, dinner’s ready!” their mother called from the dining room. “I made Kun’s favorite braised pork, Qingxi’s favorite steamed fish, and a couple of side dishes.”
“Mom, you made their favorites—what about mine?” Mu Qingyang protested as he eyed the dishes.
“Mu Qingyang, don’t you eat enough already? Less talk, more action—go bring the soup,” their mother replied with a laugh.
She and her cousin exchanged a smile before diving into the meal.
“Kun, are your parents both at home now?” her mother asked.
“Yes, both Mom and Dad are home. Dad’s working again, everything’s fine, Auntie, don’t worry.”
“That’s good, I’m relieved. You’re about to graduate—will you work locally?”
She noticed her cousin’s hand pause slightly as he gripped his chopsticks. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll look for something after graduation,” he replied.
After dinner, her cousin took her and Qingyang out for a walk. As they strolled, her brother spotted a classmate and dashed off, leaving the two of them to wander slowly. Suddenly, her cousin stopped and looked at her. She asked, “Brother, what are you looking at me for?”
He regarded her seriously. “Xiao Mu, you’re not as proud as you used to be. And you’re ignoring your brother’s advice.”
She hurried to explain, “Brother, it’s not that I’m ignoring you. They brought this on themselves. You know I’ve been keeping a low profile, behaving myself. Every day, I try to make myself invisible, but for some reason, Xi Haifei and Bai Fanhao have taken an interest in me. I’m still puzzled—why on earth do they like me?”
Her cousin fell silent. The two of them wandered aimlessly, eventually finding themselves in their old stomping grounds. Donghuan Street, lined with bars, housed a little place called “The Wanderer”—their secret hideout.
“Brother, let’s go check out our base!” she said excitedly.
Her cousin glanced up, stern yet hopeful. “Let’s go.”