The man frowned. "Why did you only eat one bowl?"
"I ate a few watermelons just now. I'm full."
The man paused, "Is it sweet?"
Qin Shu recalled the taste of the sweet melon she ate and replied, "It's quite sweet..."
She couldn't finish her sentence because she felt the man getting closer to her from behind.
"I should go back. Grandma will definitely be worried if I take any longer."
"Someone is chatting with her." Fu Tingyu didn't let go of Qin Shu. Instead, he tightened his arms a little. He was reluctant to part with Qin Shu.
He liked to quietly hug his Bao'er like this. He also liked the harmonious atmosphere around them at the moment. It made him sink deeper into this moment and became unwilling to extricate himself.
In summer, in a narrow space, it was unusually stuffy and hot.
Qin Shu's forehead was full of sweat. She glanced at the old madam and Xu Wei, who were still chatting in the pavilion. She said, "Grandma likes Xu Wei very much."
"You have me." The man's voice was full of love and doting.
Qin Shu looked at the man in the darkness. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, so Qin Shu couldn't see his eyebrows and eyes clearly. But she saw the frightening whites of his eyes.
His sharp and cold outline showed a trace of gentleness. She was lost in his change of expression for a while.
There was a long silence.
Fu tingyu called softly, "Bao'er."
Qin Shu answered, "Hmm?"
"I will always be by your side."
The man said in a deep and masculine voice. Qin Shu was lost again in his promise.
"Qin Shu, where are you?"
Qin Shu wanted to ask him if anything was wrong, but she heard Fu Tingyan's call. She swallowed back her question.
"Excuse me."
Qin Shu pushed his arms away and walked out of the artificial mountain.
Qin Shu left his embrace. Fu Tingyu froze in the spot before coming back to his senses.
He saw the girl's thin figure disappear into the night. He was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he took a step back and leaned his back against the rock wall of the artificial mountain. He took out a cigarette box from his pocket and put a cigarette into his mouth before lighting it up.
He took a deep breath in, and the strong taste of tobacco entered his mouth. Then, smoke slowly flowed out from the corner of his mouth and blended into the night.
The gap inside the artificial mountain was not deep. Qin Shu turned around, took three steps, and was out of the artificial mountain.
After Qin Shu left, she saw Fu Tingyan's slender figure coming out of the artificial mountain from the side. He stepped into the moonlight.
With his back against the moonlight, his appearance was shrouded in the shadows, and he looked somewhat similar to Fu Tingyu.
Fu Tingyan also saw Qin Shu. He had been sitting in the gazebo and didn't see her come back for a long time. He was afraid that something bad had happened, so he came searching for her.
"Can you not run around?"
It would make things difficult for him, the brother of Fu Tingyu.
If Fu Tingyan ignored her and something happened to her, his brother would be upset.
If Fu Tingyan didn't ignore her, he would feel like a bodyguard who constantly worried about her safety.
Fu Tingyan thought that his brother wouldn't come after the message.
"I saw the fireflies in the grass. They were pretty, so I stayed there and watched for a while."
Qin Shu glanced at the gap of the artificial mountain behind her. She could smell the faint smell of tobacco, which meant that the man hadn't left yet. He was hiding inside and smoking.
Qin Shu had a feeling that the man was acting weird lately.
It was not the first time that he had said that he would always be by her side.
However, he said it with extra determination tonight, as if he was using all his will.
"What's so good about fireflies?"
Fu Tingyan said and then turned around. He did not return to the gazebo. He was walking towards his room.
...
.....