"Only the three of them know!" He Zhilan hurriedly interrupted He Teng, "I didn’t say anything because I don’t want complications that come with many people knowing. I only told friends that I am close with."
He Teng understood this. He Zhilan was the type who took her time in opening up to others, even to the point of appearing cold. Avoiding unnecessary trouble was just in her nature. A freshman in college who was already married at eighteen, the gossip that would ensue if her peers found out would be inevitable.
"Let’s keep it a secret then." He Teng watched as He Zhilan swiftly tidied up the items on the cabinet, her slender hands moving gracefully. She hummed a tune that he didn’t recognize. "You seem in good spirits, Zhilan?"
"Hmm?" He Zhilan responded with a nod before flashing a sweet smile at He Teng. She then continued with her task. After a moment, her voice, light and soft, wafted to his ears, "Don’t ask why I’m happy. It’s a secret, and I won’t tell you!"
She dragged out the word ’secret’ in her playful tone, revealing a hint of wittiness.
"Heh," He Teng chuckled lightly, though he couldn’t pinpoint why he found it amusing. Nothing in her words seemed particularly humorous, yet he couldn’t help but grin at that moment.
Somehow, He Zhilan uttering childish words seemed exceptionally interesting to him.
Since He Zhilan moved into the He family home, He Teng hadn’t stayed there for long. He only visited occasionally. But during those visits, he had never observed any hint of juvenile tendencies in He Zhilan, the kind one would expect from someone her age.
He vividly remembered when He Zhilan first moved in. Her and He Dongxue were only two months apart in age. When Dongxue was six, she would play to her heart’s content all day long, climbing onto the roofs with He Da, fishing by the river, or throwing jujubes from the trees.
On the other hand, He Zhilan behaved quite differently. Though she was quieter than even he was, she spent her time reading books or learning calligraphy from the elders. As she got older, she rarely left home and continued to enjoy her books or spaced out in the yard. Occasionally, she would disappear without a trace, without anyone knowing where she went.
Young Zhilan had never hummed a song cheerfully or smiled at him playfully as she did today, speaking to him with such light-heartedness. In fact, he had hardly ever seen He Zhilan act her age, until her temperament began to reflect her growing age.
The cabinet was not that big, and tidying up a few items didn’t take much time. After finishing up, He Zhilan sat down and looked at He Teng with a smiling gaze. He Zhilan knew that He Teng was not the type to probe when she claimed something as a secret. However, she couldn’t hide her mood.
"Brother, I am especially extremely happy today!" Because for the first time in twelve years, she saw a scene involving her relatives so clearly, even if it was just a picture. Tan Heqian and Tan Heshu, the two brothers, were standing right in front of her in reality.