Just as he was about to step into the alley, Turquoise Pool turned to look at Li Changzhou.
"I'm off to handle some matters, I'll come look for you afterward."
"...You don't have to look for me," Li Changzhou replied.
To say he wasn't attracted to Turquoise Pool was utter nonsense, a blatant lie, a deception.
Her charm was enchanting, her beauty could overthrow cities, her perky bosom, her slender waist like a willow branch, and her beautiful legs and fair skin—who wouldn't like them?
Feeling attracted is something normal humans can't control; who you like or dislike has little to do with one's will. If your spirit tells you to like someone, you just have to like them.
Behavior can be controlled, though.
To like someone is not to approach; to dislike someone is to deliberately get closer.
That's why there's a saying: the greatest distance in the world is between affection and action, although it's usually meant to encourage people to not just talk the talk.
Li Changzhou not only refrained from acting, but he also went against the tide.
In his heart, all he wanted was the image of Miss Yang sitting on the bus, bathed in slanted sunlight, wearing a baseball cap. Every time he thought of this scene, he felt a warmth like sunshine in his heart.
Li Qianxia had an expression of watching a play; if not for the fear of being hit, she really wanted to take out her phone and record every minute and second.
Should Turquoise Pool and her brother end up together in the future, she would show it to them!
Her gaze shifted to Yang Qinglan. This was a play involving three people after all!
Yang Qinglan seemed to be admiring the long-missed Yanhe Road, but the corners of her mouth revealed a smile, and the rhythm of Ruyi tapping on her delicate shoulder lightened.
Turquoise Pool looked at Li Changzhou for two to three seconds, then suddenly smiled.
"They say that one's instincts can reveal what kind of person they are. What do you think, with a 'Favored Concubine' like me, what kind of person am I?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know," Li Changzhou said, but he couldn't help thinking about it in his heart.
Suddenly, Turquoise Pool reached out her hand and unexpectedly flicked Li Changzhou's chin.
By the time Li Changzhou tried to dodge, his chin had already been grazed by her fingers.
"What I want, I will definitely get," Turquoise Pool laughed lightly, her beauty bewitching and alluring, her smile blooming like a flower.
She suddenly drew close, pressed her lips against Li Changzhou's face: "Wait for me, my little obedient one."
Her figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind a heart-racing sensation.
...
"The favored concubines in the romance novels you read, are they all of this nature?" Li Changzhou, rubbing his face, asked Li Qianxia—not daring to look at Yang Qinglan.
"You've come to the right person!" Li Qianxia snapped her fingers crisply, then crossed her arms—not daring to look at Yang Qinglan, deliberately changing the subject, putting up a pretense.
She didn't understand why she, as a sister, should feel anxious just because her brother was dating!
Pretending that nothing happened, she said, "Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen's beloved consort was the favored among the favored. To make Ming Xianzong like only her, she caused all the consorts and palace maids in the harem to have abortions."
"What does that tell you?" Li Changzhou asked.
"That's extreme! Favored concubines are all extreme! Brother, you better be careful in the future. If she can't have you, Turquoise Pool might just kill you."
Li Changzhou shuddered, feeling that January's winter got a bit colder.
He said to Yang Qinglan, who was looking at him, "I won't see her again."
"Really?" Li Qianxia stopped pretending and became a bit anxious.
She didn't mention the first time they met in 1928 at the apricot garden, or the three significant events after Zheng Chenggong reclaimed Treasure Island, Song City killed the Saint Master, and the attack on the Four Seasons Star—she had already become true sisters with Turquoise Pool.
"I won't see her, but you can," Li Changzhou said.
Li Qianxia huffed softly, murmuring, "I didn't expect you to be so heartless."
"Am I heartless?" Li Changzhou asked Yang Qinglan.
"It's quite good," Yang Qinglan replied with a smile.
Li Changzhou felt at ease.
After making up his mind and stating his position, the three of them walked into Yanhe Road.
It was now two o'clock in the afternoon, January 14, a Saturday. The street was crowded, and many bystanders turned their heads to look at the three of them.
Being good-looking was one reason, but also because of their clothes.
In Ming City, the average daytime temperature in January was 6℃. Although they were not wearing short sleeves or skirts, their attire was definitely not suitable for this temperature.
But strange happenings were all too common lately, with a building exploded not long ago, and rumors of monsters and attacks on alien planets circulating every now and then. Wearing thin clothes in winter hardly counted as news.
The clear winter day made Qing Lan Bookstore's glass look so clean that it lifted one's spirits. The shop was full of customers, and even the bench outside had people resting on it.
Just like a typical Saturday afternoon.
"Boss, you're back?"
Yang Qinglan nodded slightly, her eyes scanning over the bookstore.
Ever since the courtyard where the two siblings rented was bombed, she hadn't returned. The two female employees were curious, but as long as their salary was paid on time every month, there was no problem.
On payday, they would occasionally ask about the fairy boss and her recent life. Yang Qinglan would send them some travel photos, saying she was on a trip.
The travel photos she sent were all temporary stops to avoid being followed, such as the Himalayas, Iceland, and the like.
With customers in the shop, Yang Qinglan didn't linger and led the two siblings directly into the backyard.
This was Li Changzhou's first time here.
As he examined the potted plants in the courtyard, he asked, "Do your shop's employees pay taxes? According to the law, the taxable income is the remaining amount after deducting a 5000 yuan exemption from the monthly income. For ten thousand a month, that's a tax of 290 yuan."
"No," Yang Qinglan answered, "and there's no social security either."
Walking into the room, as far as the eye could see, it was practically a library; there were so many books they spilled onto the floor.
But everything was very tidy, even the thin layer of dust looked delicate.
"Qian Xia, go into the honey jar world, and I'll send in the rest of the things that need to be sorted out. Help me with organizing them."