When Xi Mingzhou helped Yulan out of the police station, it was nearly six o'clock in the evening.
The sunset was exceptionally beautiful, and Xi Mingzhou couldn't help but stop to admire it. "The sunset today is truly gorgeous."
They say that chewing noisily in front of a hungry person is a form of discourtesy, and clearly, Xi Mingzhou lacked that kind of refinement.
Yulan’s expression was indifferent, her tone as flat as water. "Is that so? It’s a pity I can’t see it."
Completely oblivious to the coldness in her tone, Xi Mingzhou replied nonchalantly, "You’ve been in Chuanshi long enough; you see it all the time. It’s not like you’re missing out on much."
Yulan fell silent at once.
Every time, it was these tiny, trivial things that tore her mood to shreds. If it were a major, serious issue, she could have an argument with him to vent, but Xi Mingzhou always erred in such insignificant ways—so small that if she brought them up, she would only appear unreasonable.
"The sunset on your right is a blend of gold and purple, and there’s a cloud at the top that looks like a puppy sticking out its tongue. The left side is more ordinary, just a simple sunset glow mixed with the blue of the sky."
Shen Zhixing’s voice was calm. Yulan felt a flicker of surprise and turned toward the right. "Is the puppy with the tongue over here?"
Shen Zhixing turned his head to look at her.
The young woman held her head high, her long hair spilling over one shoulder. Her profile was translucent and smooth, with tiny, soft hairs visible along her cheek. Her slender, graceful neck stirred an almost uncontrollable impulse to reach out and cover it with his hands.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, Shen Zhixing knit his brows, averted his gaze, and said coldly, "I’m leaving now."
Watching Shen Zhixing walk away for no apparent reason, Yulan was flustered. She asked Xi Mingzhou, "Did I say something wrong just now?"
Xi Mingzhou thought for a moment. "Not at all. Little Uncle is probably just busy; he only came here for a meeting and just happened to give me a lift."
With that explanation, Yulan understood. She asked again, "Where is the puppy cloud?"
Xi Mingzhou adjusted her shoulders to turn her slightly. "It was right here earlier, but it’s late now; only the tongue is left."
The two of them joked around for a while before getting into the car.
"You can’t live in that shop anymore. Let me take you to your parents' place."
The pleasant atmosphere was ruined by that single sentence.
Yulan shook her head. "They smashed the downstairs, not the upstairs."
"With your eyes the way they are, how can I rest easy leaving you to live alone?" Xi Mingzhou countered. "You’re just being stubborn. Your parents are both old professors, they’re reasonable people. What kind of grudge could there possibly be that can't be resolved?"
Yulan shot him a sidelong glance, her tone hardening. "I said I’m going back to the shop."
"All right, all right, my little Yulan flower, don't be angry. I was just mentioning it. There’s no grudge between parents and children that lasts overnight. Look at me—back then, I insisted on coming to Chuanshi to study, and my parents threatened to disown me. But when I went back, they were all smiles, grinning from ear to ear. You, you’re just like an ox—stubborn as can be."
After this nagging, Yulan opened the car door without a word. Her vision was limited to blurry light and shadows, and in her carelessness, she tumbled out of the passenger seat.
Xi Mingzhou hadn't expected such a flare-up of temper; he quickly opened the door to help her.
But in those dozen seconds, Yulan had already walked several meters away, leaning on her iron rod.
Xi Mingzhou’s own temper flared. He stood where he was and shouted, "Yulan! Can you stop being so inexplicably angry? I’m worried about you!"
Yulan was already holding back a swell of emotion, and upon hearing this, she stopped walking, turned back, and yelled, "Xi Mingzhou!"
Xi Mingzhou: "I'm here."
Yulan was shaking with rage. She took two steps in one, uncaring of whether she stumbled, and swung the iron rod at him.
"I have really had enough of your big mouth! How many times have I told you not to bring up my parents? Are you deaf? Can’t you hear me?"
Xi Mingzhou scrambled to avoid the chaotic swings of her rod. Only then did he realize she was truly furious. In all the time they had been together, Yulan had almost never lost her temper with him; he had even teased her, calling her the "last shred of gentleness in Chuanshi."
"Oh, right, right, I’m the deaf one, you’re the blind one—we’re a perfect match. Good Yulan flower, sweet Yulan flower, stop hitting, be careful you don't fall."
His words were like pouring oil on fire. The thought of the lawsuits she was facing, combined with her failing eyesight, brought a wave of grief. She threw the iron rod aside, covered her head, and crouched by the roadside, sobbing loudly.
Xi Mingzhou was suddenly at a loss. His handsome face scrunched up as he reached out cautiously to embrace her.
Yulan shoved him away hard, gasping for breath as she sobbed, "Get lost! When will you ever grow up?"
"I... I..." Xi Mingzhou licked his lips, not knowing how to answer. Finally, he managed to squeeze out: "I'm sorry."
This scene was witnessed not only by Shen Zhixing from a distance but also by Father Yu and Mother Yu, who had just arrived.
"What is this pulling and tugging in a public place?"
Hearing that long-unheard, yet both strange and familiar voice, Yulan tensed up. She stood up immediately, wiping her face frantically. Uncertain of where she was looking, she gave a hurried bow. "Dad, why are you here?"
Father Yu was a man in his fifties. His hair was combed neatly back, and he wore thick, black-rimmed glasses on his square face. He looked straight at Yulan and asked, "The news about your shop has spread all over the university. How could I not come? How could you scam people just to make money?"
Mother Yu pulled at his sleeve. "It’s all just rumors online. You haven't even asked her yet; how can you just slap a label on her?"
"A label? The counselor of the poisoned student has already found me. Could they be slandering her? I told you from the start she shouldn't have gone out to open some shop. You insisted on agreeing, and now look—I’m old, and I have to bear the disgrace of a daughter poisoning students."
Yulan stood stiffly, her back straight. "I have always used the best materials for my business and have always earned every cent of my prices. I am just as surprised by what happened today as anyone else. I have not only reported it to the police, but I also paid the students' medical bills immediately."
"Businesspeople are the most deceitful of all. Whether you cut corners or passed off cheap goods as quality, you are the only one who knows. I heard your shop was smashed. You are coming home tonight; I have things to discuss with you," Father Yu said harshly.
This indiscriminate accusation forced Yulan to clench her teeth and tighten her fists. During the two years she had operated the shop, prices in the area had risen again and again, but she had kept her prices the same while using the highest-quality ingredients. She had a clear conscience.
She stood tall, head held high. "Dad, I won't be coming home for now. Whatever you have to say, say it here."
Father Yu was so incensed by her defiant posture that he coughed dryly several times before turning his head away and speaking stiffly: "The one who splashed paint on you at noon is my student. He has a very promising future. You are to write a letter of leniency for him, and I will see to it that he comes here to apologize."