Chapter Twenty-Seven – A Date for an Outing

The weather was not as fine as predicted. After waking up, Yi Shu opened the window to peek outside. The sun was feebly hiding behind clouds, which were tinted pale pink by the morning light. It probably wouldn’t rain. Xu Shi Xi sent a message saying he was on his way to Jin Lan Community. Su Yi Hui had the day off today, having worked for over half a month; it was a rare break. Yi Shu opened the bedroom door and saw the blanket on Yi Hui's bed neatly folded. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

“Aren't you going to work today?” Yi Shu asked Yi Hui, who was visible in the mirror.

“I’m off today.” Yi Hui swished some water in his mouth before spitting it out and continued, “I only remembered I didn’t have to work after getting up, and I wasn’t really sleepy, so I just got up.”

In truth, it was the restaurant owner who had forced him to take a day off. During his time there, he had dutifully assisted in the kitchen, with the senior chefs delegating all non-cooking tasks to him. Sometimes, after the guests in the dining area finished their meals and left, he still had to clean up the plates and wipe the tables. He was juggling multiple roles.

Yi Hui always acted strong, but he didn’t have the strength to back it up; some challenges and fatigue could easily reveal his exhaustion. The restaurant owner was a decade older than Yi Hui but was surprisingly born on the same day and month. During the interview, he had looked at Yi Hui's bony figure with disdain, but somehow, those misty eyes had deeply moved him.

Due to his introverted personality and lack of communication skills, along with the fact that the dining area was mostly self-service, he was assigned to the kitchen for logistical work. Although his colleagues pretended to be friendly, their selfishness prevailed; they would push work onto others whenever possible. New employees had no voice and thus silently bore the burden.

Unable to wait downstairs, Xu Shi Xi came upstairs to find Yi Shu.

“I came to pick you up and to eat the breakfast you made,” Shi Xi said with a beaming smile at the door.

Yi Shu glanced back inside, then turned to say, “Come in.”

Yi Hui emerged from the bathroom and was startled to see Shi Xi entering, feeling awkward. But his bedroom was right next to the living room; he couldn’t just hide in the bathroom or his sister’s room, could he?

“You must be Yi Hui,” Shi Xi said, stepping further inside, casually speaking. In fact, he had to take the initiative to break the ice.

“Nice to meet you.”

Yi Hui nodded stiffly, his body rigid, making him question if he had become paralyzed.

“Please have a seat,” Yi Shu invited, “Yi Hui, you come sit too. I’ll make breakfast.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned tense; none of them spoke easily, their gazes drifting and unfocused.

Shi Xi and Yi Hui sat across from each other—one looked to the side, the other stared at his own hands.

Yi Shu walked toward the kitchen, starting to prepare breakfast. The kitchen was in the same area as the living room, and she could clearly sense the low-pressure atmosphere emanating from behind her. Yet at this moment, she felt happy; if they were meant to meet, then the sooner, the better.

Her taut nerves gradually relaxed.

Shi Xi, being in the marketing and planning profession, had experienced various situations and witnessed many things. This small predicament was hardly a challenge. After pondering for a moment, he began to converse with Yi Hui.

With the college entrance exams just finished and the time for filling out applications upon them, there was certainly something to discuss.

“Yi Hui—” Xu Shi Xi folded his hands and tentatively asked, “Can I call you that?”

Yi Hui lifted his eyes, glancing upward, “Um.” He thought it was normal for his sister's boyfriend to call him by name. Thankfully, he wasn’t being called something cutesy like “Little Hui” or “Hui Hui.”

“I heard from your sister that you’re filling out college applications now,” Shi Xi leaned forward, his facial muscles relaxing. “Do you have a school in mind? If you're unsure, I can help you consider some options.”

“No need!” Yi Hui replied softly yet emphatically, “I can make my own decisions.”

Seeing Yi Hui’s cold expression, the warmth that had risen in Shi Xi’s heart suddenly dropped several degrees. Did Yi Hui have an issue with him, or was he doing something wrong to warrant such a cold attitude?

It seemed the road ahead wouldn’t be smooth.

Yi Hui fell into deep thought; he didn’t actually dislike Shi Xi; on the contrary, he felt a certain unexplainable closeness to him. His face flushed slightly.

Yi Shu brought the noodles she had prepared into the living room, and Shi Xi quickly took them from her.

It was that familiar aroma, unforgettable for a lifetime.

The three of them sat around a square table, slowly eating. The layout of the living room was small; after placing Yi Hui’s folding bed, it felt even more cramped. One side of the table was against the wall, and Yi Shu sat in the middle.

Xu Shi Xi looked at the red, yellow, and white noodles in his bowl; beside him, Yi Shu seemed like a blooming jasmine, elegant and refined.

Yi Hui merely focused on eating, trying to minimize the slurping sound of the noodles.

“You're off today; why not join us for a stroll outside later?” Yi Shu said, her chopsticks resting in the bowl as she turned her head. “You should relax a bit.”

“I think I won’t go; going out can be tiring too.” Yi Hui glanced at Shi Xi across from him, then lowered his head again, “I don’t think it would be convenient for me.”

“What’s inconvenient about it?” Shi Xi interjected eagerly. “It’ll be lively with more people.”

Yi Hui shook his head; he understood these were just polite words. Two lovers out on an excursion, having a third person present would inevitably be awkward. Sometimes, the space for two people in their world was so limited that there wasn’t even room for a bug to stand.

The sky remained in a half-cloudy, half-clear state, and the sun, rising into the firmament, painted the scene in a uniform, pale hue.

Looking out, the scenery was veiled in a light gray.

Yi Shu didn’t mind; her mood lifted with the gentle breeze. The distance from Jin Lan Community to Hui Ji Mountain was not too far. Watching the pleasant view outside and listening to the music playing in the car, even the dull journey became a form of enjoyment.

“The gentle wind brushes past your hair, lifting yesterday’s imagination.
The soft breeze arrives with the warm sun.
In the long years, the vastness of time,
Does the passage of time hold scorching memories?
How many dreams can we grasp in our youth,
As long as I’m by your side, and you’re in my heart.
The gentle wind lightly scatters,
Drifting into the old times of that year, that month, that day.”

At this moment, scenery and sentiment intertwined beautifully.

The parking area at the foot of the mountain was filled with cars of various colors. Shi Xi drove in deeper, finally finding an empty spot at a turn in the back.

Summer had already passed the solstice, and stepping out of the car, a wave of heat hit them.

The cicadas in the woods chirped in unison.

Exiting the parking lot, they needed to wait for the shuttle at an open area near the entrance. A car had just left in front, and Yi Shu and the others stood at the front of the line.

The wind rustled through the leaves, bringing a hint of coolness.

The temperature in the mountains was a few degrees lower than in the city. Yi Shu wiped the small beads of sweat from her forehead, eagerly anticipating the shuttle.

Winding along the mountain, a sea of green continuously spread before their eyes.

Yi Shu looked around, and when she turned to the right, she found Shi Xi’s gaze fixed on her, never wavering.

“What are you looking at?” Yi Shu asked shyly.

“I’m admiring the scenery,” Xu Shi Xi intentionally tried to divert his gaze away from her.

In his heart, Yi Shu was the most beautiful landscape in his life.

The shuttle stopped halfway up the mountain, and they had to proceed on foot from there.

As they got off the car, Yi Shu caught sight of the Doushuaitian Palace standing at the peak of Hui Ji Mountain. The entire structure was cylindrical and pristine white, with a golden lotus atop it, reaching into the clouds with auspicious clouds hovering above.

Following the winding path, they reached the steps, and Yi Shu suddenly felt a rush of energy beneath her feet, walking briskly.

Shi Xi walked beside her.

After finishing the steps, they arrived at the entrance of the Doushuaitian Palace. Shi Xi bought two tickets at the ticket booth and then went to a nearby shop to buy two bottles of mineral water.

The decision was made in haste, leaving no time for preparation.

Shi Xi handed the water to Yi Shu, “Are you tired? Do you want to take a break first?”

Yi Shu opened the bottle cap, took a couple of sips, and tightened the cap again, “Let’s rest when we get up there.”

The steps leading upward were made entirely of white marble, with symmetrical stairs, rising on the right and descending on the left. The width of the steps was narrow, causing some slower walkers at the front to crowd together, forcing those behind to come to a halt.

The Zodiac Pool sat at the entrance of the main hall, with the stone statues’ mouths slightly open, continuously spraying slender jets of water.

Yi Shu finally felt tired and moved to a nearby stone bench to sit down, with Shi Xi joining her.

Looking down from the mountain, a sea of lush greenery spread out.

The sun remained faint, and a layer of flowing mist enveloped the mountain.

It was like a fairyland.

The road they had traveled earlier could only be seen as a thin outline, resembling a white snake winding through the landscape.

The interior of the main hall happened to be under renovation and was closed to visitors.

Yi Shu could only walk around the building.

In truth, she hadn’t remembered most of the sights.

She had once heard that the most important aspect of traveling wasn’t the scenery seen along the way, but the person accompanying you to view that scenery. At this moment, Yi Shu was deeply experiencing the happiness and emotion that Shi Xi brought her.