Leaving behind these words, Old Sir Xu leaned on his cane and walked away, leaving only his back for him to see.
Xu Fan was a bit confused. He turned to the driver and asked, "What oranges?"
The driver smiled faintly, then opened the car door. A flash of bright orange nearly blinded Xu Fan.
One of the oranges, at that moment, slipped out of the bag and rolled to Xu Fan's feet.
**
It was nearing dusk.
The remnants of the sunset filtered through the gaps in the trees, dappling the ground with patches of golden autumn light.
A black Bentley sped by in an instant, swift and fleeting.
Shi Weiqing leaned against the back seat, intently focused on the laptop on his knees. His long and slender fingers occasionally tapped at the keyboard.
The driver sitting in the front seat sneaked a glance at him through the rearview mirror, then...
Played a thumping electronic beat.
Not five seconds later, a voice colder than ice blades pierced the air: "Chen Cai."
Shi Weiqing gave a succinct command: "Get out."
"Boss, I'm sorry, I played the wrong track..." Chen Cai immediately switched off the music, laughing awkwardly.
He had intended to play a soothing tune, but the English letters all looked the same to him...
Shi Weiqing pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and closed the laptop. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned two buttons at his neck, crossing his legs as he silently gazed out the window.
The car stopped at the villa gate.
Shi Weiqing glanced through the window at the red tricycle parked outside. He opened the car door and stepped out, his long legs moving gracefully.
Mr. Xu was worried the young girl would sit outside all day without selling all her oranges.
So he asked Xu Fan to call each of the villa residents one by one.
Shi Weiqing was one of them.
A girl dressed in a white hoodie sat on a plastic stool, sprawled out in the cargo box at the back of the tricycle, fast asleep.
Her head had tilted to the side, exposing a long, swan-like, elegant neck.
Her fair, petite face was adorned with lashes as long and curled as butterfly wings. Her slightly pursed lips were a soft shade of crimson, making her look peaceful and delicate.
Shi Weiqing glanced at her, his fingers slightly curling, and lightly tapped the tricycle twice.
Hearing the sound, the girl quickly opened her eyes and straightened up. "Buying oranges?"
Perhaps because she had just woken up, her voice carried a slight rasp. Her left cheek bore a faint red imprint, her hair was a bit disheveled, and a few tufts stuck up stubbornly.
Shi Weiqing replied with a quiet "Hmm," shifting his gaze as he picked up an orange. "How much?"
In the cargo box, only a few scattered oranges remained, suggesting that all the villa residents had already visited.
Yu Zhi stood up, walked around to the cardboard sign, and pointed at it. "It's written there."
Shi Weiqing glanced at the bold characters on the sign, his eyebrow slightly raised.
He turned his head and glanced at the approaching Chen Cai. "Pack them all up."
"A-All of them?"
"Mhm."
Scratching the back of his head, Chen Cai smiled awkwardly at Yu Zhi. "Are your oranges sweet? Can I try one?"
Hearing this, Yu Zhi casually picked an orange and tossed it to him. "Go ahead, try."
Chen Cai peeled the orange in just a few moves, meticulously removing every last strand of white fiber.
He broke the orange into three segments and stuffed them all into his mouth, chewing twice.
"Oh my—" Chen Cai squinted his eyes, his entire face scrunched up. "This is way, way too sour..."
Yu Zhi: "..."
She carefully picked out the biggest, brightest orange and tossed it to Chen Cai again. "Try this one."