"It actually went up by one yuan, damn profiteers," Xu Qingfan grumbled as he walked.
Wu Lingyu’s body stiffened, her grip on Xu Qingfan’s hand unconsciously tightened.
After walking for a while, Xu Qingfan noticed Wu Lingyu had been quiet for some time; suddenly, he realized he might have said something wrong.
"Yu, I didn’t mean that just now. Price increases during the New Year are normal. I was just joking, Yu’s mom isn’t a profiteer. It’s perfectly normal for things to be twice as expensive over the New Year!"
Wu Lingyu looked up sneakily at Xu Qingfan’s face and saw his anxious expression.
The little girl felt touched and gave him a radiant smile, "I know!"
"Good, as long as you know," Xu Qingfan said with a chuckle as he ruffled her head.
Meeting Xu Qingfan’s gaze, Wu Lingyu quickly became shy and lowered her head again.
After crossing the Licheng Bridge hand in hand and walking for another seven or eight minutes, they finally stopped in front of an eight-story old-style residential building.
Wu Lingyu’s eyes filled with nostalgia as she pulled Xu Qingfan’s hand and walked in.
The structure of the building was very distinctive; the residential building formed a "return" shape, and looking down the stairs could make one’s legs go weak.
"What place is this?" Xu Qingfan asked, puzzled, as they reached the sixth floor and Wu Lingyu showed no sign of stopping.
"My old home," Wu Lingyu said, her emotions stirred by the surroundings, taking each step slowly.
The two finally stopped at 803 on the eighth floor. Wu Lingyu pointed to the iron door and said, "I used to live here with my dad, mom, and grandpa. After dad got sick, the house was sold to someone else."
There were colorful graffiti left on the lime wall at the entrance, "Did you draw this?" Xu Qingfan asked, pointing at the drawing.
"Hmm... *cough cough*... this one is dad... this one is mom... this one is grandpa... this one is me." Wu Lingyu’s eyes suddenly swelled red, choking up as she introduced them to Xu Qingfan.
"Alright, when Yu has earned some money, we’ll buy the house back," Xu Qingfan said, wiping the tears off her face with his sleeve.
"Hmm.. *sniffle sniffle*..." Wu Lingyu seemed to be recalling the happy times of the past, her tears uncontrollably flowing out.
It’s not auspicious to cry in front of someone else’s house during the New Year, Xu Qingfan worried about being chased out by someone with a broom, so he pulled Wu Lingyu by the hand and walked towards the rooftop.
Xu Qingfan found a relatively clean spot to sit down, while Wu Lingyu squatted on the cement floor crying.
He just silently accompanied her, not saying anything else to comfort her, because sometimes, it’s better to let out what has been repressed in the heart for too long.
Time passed without them knowing how long.
Wu Lingyu felt that she had cried herself out of tears, the corners of her eyes stinging painfully, "Brother Fan, thank you." She sobbed.
"As long as you know," Xu Qingfan pinched her nose.
*Cough cough*... "Brother Fan, you’re teasing again," Wu Lingyu laughed through her tears after coughing for a while.
Wu Lingyu shook her head like a rattle-drum, "Not anymore, I feel much better."
"Get up, I’ll teach you something else to do when you’re unhappy," Xu Qingfan said as he got up and patted his butt, reaching his hand down to pull Wu Lingyu up.
He led her to the cement railing of the balcony, spread his arms wide, and yelled, "Ah—"
"Your turn," he nudged Wu Lingyu with his elbow.
"Hurry up!" Xu Qingfan warned with his eyes.
"Ah—" Wu Lingyu imitated his action and shout.
"Ah——" Wu Lingyu completely abandoned her shame and yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Even louder than that!"
"Louder, louder, louder!"
Hand in hand, Xu Qingfan and Wu Lingyu returned to the first floor, glancing back at the top of the building before sharing a smile.
Wu Lingyu followed behind Xu Qingfan, eyes unwaveringly fixed on his back, [He’s wonderful.]