By July, the number of tourists had already begun to swell, and the sound of car horns echoed from the roadways every now and then.
With so many people on the street, Lin Yiren held Xing Yao in her arms. Chen Zhaoyue walked parallel to her; their shoulders would draw close and then drift apart, but even at their furthest, only a few fingers’ width of distance remained between them.
“Xing Yao, look at the lanterns.”
Chen Zhaoyue leaned over slightly, pressing a finger into Xing Yao’s soft cheek before pointing ahead and upward.
Xing Yao had been nestled against Lin Yiren, playing with her hair. Feeling her cheek being poked with that familiar touch, she followed Mummy’s hand and looked over. A bright red lantern hung from the corner of a white wall.
Lin Yiren looked over as well. The small bulb inside the plump lantern emitted a glow that, amidst the surrounding neon lights, radiated an ancient, simple red hue.
Lin Xingyao reached out her small hand, wanting to grab the fat lantern, a look of curiosity flowing through her eyes.
Chen Zhaoyue then bent her legs slightly and leaned close to Xing Yao’s ear, explaining in a soft voice what a lantern was.
The glossy, jet-black crown of her head swayed gently beneath Lin Yiren’s eyes, easily stealing her attention. To her, even the small cowlick in the center of her hair seemed tiny and adorable.
“Can I take the lantern down?”
“This one won’t do, but there are lanterns you can carry in your hand. You can ask your mama to buy you one next time.”
“Mama?”
“Mm… sure.”
People constantly passed by, their voices sounding like an endless stream of water. But in this moment, it was as if they were stripped away from the noise, and only each other’s voices were clear.
The top of the head suddenly rose, and Lin Yiren hurriedly averted her gaze, moistening her dry lips.
Chen Zhaoyue stretched her arms back, moving her back.
“Let’s keep walking forward.”
She suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Lin Yiren’s shoulder. Her palm and the exposed skin of Lin Yiren’s neck pressed together, warm and searing.
“Mm.”
Lin Yiren’s eyes flickered as her body leaned a bit closer to her. Their shoulders remained aligned on the same path.
The streets by the sea didn’t seem much different; the sea breeze couldn’t penetrate the high-rises to reach this road embedded in the steel forest. Instead, seafood was transported in and turned into delicious dishes, and every street corner and alleyway had shops hanging “Laozihao” plaques.
They turned a corner and reached a crossroads.
The traffic police in the middle of the road and the traffic lights overhead were all performing their duties diligently, but the significant flow of cars still made the road crowded.
“That gift shop across the street has even more people than the one we saw before. Why don’t we go take a look?”
Chen Zhaoyue pointed to the shop across the street adorned with light decorations.
“…It seems so. Let’s go see.” Lin Yiren nodded, acting a bit sluggish.
In truth, she hadn’t noticed what was on the previous street at all. The hem of her skirt brushing against her calves had left her mind in a daze, and she had walked here without even realizing it.
“Why are you acting so blankly?” Chen Zhaoyue couldn’t help but laugh, opening her arms wide. “Are you tired of carrying her? Let me hold her.”
“I know it’s comfortable with your mama, but she’s tired,” she added to Xing Yao.
Lin Yiren somehow detected a hint of playful resentment in those words.
Ultimately, Xing Yao reluctantly let go of the hand wrapped around the back of Lin Yiren’s neck and crawled onto Chen Zhaoyue.
“Do you want to grab onto the hem of my clothes from behind too?” Chen Zhaoyue said to Lin Yiren with a beaming smile.
“How could I possibly—the light is green, let’s go.” Lin Yiren felt her face heating up and stepped out first.
After walking a few steps, Lin Yiren slowed her pace, but her peripheral vision didn’t catch Chen Zhaoyue following.
She couldn’t help but look back, and as it turned out—they were quietly following behind her, that pair of peach blossom eyes shimmering with laughter.
She had been toyed with again!
Lin Yiren’s cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish as she turned back crossly, grabbing Chen Zhaoyue’s hand to lead her forward.
“Joking around in the middle of the street.”
“I was just following behind you.”
“Whatever… just move!”
“Hehehe.”
Tugging at each other, they walked into the shop as a “Welcome” chime rang at the door.
***
There were quite a few people gathered in the center of the shop. Lin Yiren squeezed in and saw neatly arranged boxes of packaged specialties.
It was all seafood; was it really this popular? She looked through them one by one until she saw a yellow sign at the very end.
Clearance Sale.
Someone tapped her from behind. Lin Yiren turned around and found that Xing Yao was no longer in Chen Zhaoyue’s arms. Chen Zhaoyue stepped aside to reveal Xing Yao squatting in front of a row of Stuffed Toys, her hand reaching out to wobble their furry heads.
“My daughter doesn’t even want to stay in my arms for very long.” It was a joking tone.
The Eldest Miss’s gaze swept over her. Although she didn’t say anything, Lin Yiren felt like she had been severely teased.
“Maybe it’s because the way you hold her is wrong.” Her face flushed as she turned sideways, using her back to block the gaze.
“Hmph.”
Just then, Xing Yao finished picking out a toy and came running over with a hop in her step.
It was a blue octopus.
“I think we already have one of these at home?” Chen Zhaoyue knelt down, using two fingers to squeeze the octopus’s smiling mouth into a slit.
“It’s different, this… mm…” Xing Yao tried to say something in her milky voice.
“It’s like this.” Lin Yiren took the octopus, using both thumbs to press on the octopus’s head and flip it entirely inside out. The smiling face instantly turned into a crying face.
“Oh~”
Xing Yao took the octopus back, following beside them and flipping it herself as they walked.
“You’ve played with this before?”
“No, a very young cousin came to my house once and brought one of these.” Lin Yiren held Xing Yao’s hand, reminiscing as they walked.
“Were you responsible for looking after her back then?”
“She watched TV by herself. I’m no good at looking after kids.” Lin Yiren shook her head.
Chen Zhaoyue suddenly stopped, her gentle eyes rippling with light.
“Aren’t you doing very well right now?”
Lin Yiren felt herself being gazed upon, as if wrapped in a gentle sea. She lowered her head, stroking Xing Yao’s small hand. It was small and soft, making one want to cherish it.
“It’s just… okay.”
Xing Yao was definitely different. Seeing her… it felt as if something inside her heart had been awakened. She didn’t dare say she was doing a great job; after all, she truly had no experience. In the future, there was still so much to learn.
What would the future be like?
Lin Yiren looked back into Chen Zhaoyue’s eyes, wanting to find an answer in that place that was as clear as a mirror.
It reflected her own figure.
Those eyes, originally as gentle as the sea, suddenly flared with heat after catching the confusion deep in her gaze. It was as if gorgeous peach blossoms were about to bloom layer by layer, releasing the hidden deep affection from within.
Just as that affection was about to aggressively invade the clarity in Lin Yiren’s eyes,
“They sell shells here.”
“Yeah.”
A female voice came from the side. A middle-aged tour group holding a small flag walked up to the same shelf.
***
Lin Yiren quickly withdrew her gaze, busying herself with the products in front of her. She picked up a shell, turning it over and over to examine it.
“This shell has quite a pretty pattern.”
Chen Zhaoyue gave a helpless smile, her finger also brushing over the shell.
“The texture isn’t great.”
“Then…” Lin Yiren put the shell down and looked left and right until her gaze locked onto a certain spot. “How about this one?”
A pale yellow conch was wrapped in brown stripes.
“Not bad?” Chen Zhaoyue squinted to look inside, the smooth surface spiraling inward. “Maybe it even has the sound of the ocean.”
“Then let me try.” Lin Yiren pressed her small mouth close to the conch’s opening and blew air into it with all her might, her fair face puffing up like a balloon.
“That probably won’t work.” Watching her flushed face, Chen Zhaoyue covered her mouth, a silver bell-like laugh escaping her.
“Is that so?” Lin Yiren exhaled her last breath and pulled away from the conch, reaching one hand behind her to scratch her hair. Although it hadn’t made a sound and it was a bit ridiculous, her heart leaped with joy.
As long as she could make her laugh, it was enough.
“I’ll buy it anyway.” Lin Yiren looked at the conch in her hand.