Chapter 29.2 - Heart to Heart Connection (2)
"Don't be angry, girl," the rickshaw driver said. "I see you two are chatting and not listening to my introduction, so I just butted in. Keep talking, no need to pay attention to my nonsense. I think your perspective is truly good."
Luo Zhi had to admit that the driver wasn’t wrong.
"Maybe from a bigger perspective, in the cycle of reincarnation, you might have been wronged and killed in this life, but the heavens see all. He has his karma, and you’ll continue on with your cause and effect. But we are all foolish mortals, and all we can see is this life. For many things, it’s better not to look too deeply." Sheng Huainan interjected just in time, laughing as he helped her out of the awkward moment.
Just as Luo Zhi was lost in thought, wondering if she had been too hasty and thoughtless in handling relationships throughout her twenty years, Sheng Huainan suddenly said, "It's really hard to connect with you on a heart-to-heart level."
She gave a bitter smile but remained silent.
"But I still hope that we will never have misunderstandings. Connecting with you on a heart-to-heart level is something most people can’t do, but I’m not most people. This difficult task, leave it to me," Sheng Huainan said, his face slightly flushed. After speaking, he turned his head to look out the window at the alley and courtyard, not noticing the tears that filled Luo Zhi's eyes in an instant.
The rickshaw driver, following Sheng Huainan’s instructions, stopped the rickshaw at the entrance of the Jiumen Snack Alley. He paid and then tugged at her sleeve, leading her inside. There were a few other customers walking along with them, and Luo Zhi glanced back at the driver, who was wiping his sweat. Unfortunately, he was still facing away from her, and throughout the ride, she hadn’t once looked closely at his face.
For lunch, the two of them indulged in the array of snacks at Jiumen: Bao Du Wang, crispy fresh milk, fried cakes with cream, donkey rolls, tofu pudding... they laid out a feast. Suddenly, Sheng Huainan asked, "Want some mung bean soup?"
Luo Zhi shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum. "I heard it tastes like leftover dishwater."
He laughed. "Your description is just like my dad's."
She felt a bit embarrassed. "Everyone says that."
"Not drinking it means your life is incomplete!" Sheng Huainan didn’t give up trying to convince her.
"Why don't you drink it then?"
"My life is already complete."
"Oh, I can tell just by looking at you. A life that’s incomplete is definitely more beautiful."
Luo Zhi finished all the crispy fresh milk and finally felt like she couldn’t move any longer.
"I was right to bring you to the buffet tonight. I made a huge profit. You’ve successfully demonstrated the highest level of buffet eating," he said with a mischievous eyebrow raise.
"Mm?"
"Go in leaning against the wall, and go out leaning against the wall."
Luo Zhi mimicked a move from a combat cartoon and slapped the back of his body with a hand chop, but he quickly grabbed her hand from behind. They both exerted force, and at first, neither reacted much—until they relaxed their strength, and she felt the tips of his fingers, which had been holding her hand, become suddenly hot. She quickly pulled her hand away and said, "Let’s go."
After a long while, Sheng Huainan finally found his voice and said, "Let’s go ice skating."
Through the glass separating the rest area, Luo Zhi saw many children practicing spins under the guidance of their teacher. She was a bit lost in thought, and when she came to her senses, Sheng Huainan had already put on his skates and was looking at her with a helpless expression. She hurriedly sat down, placed her white figure-skating boots at her feet, and began to take off her shoes.
Because he was watching her, Luo Zhi felt nervous. She managed to get her left foot into the boot, but when she tied the laces, she made a knot that was nearly impossible to undo. As she started to put on the right boot, Sheng Huainan suddenly knelt in front of her.
"Are you sure you didn’t get into university through the back door back then?"
Luo Zhi stopped, unsure how to process the ambiguous reproach and sarcasm in his words. Before she could react, he lowered his head and took the laces from her hand, swiftly threading them through the eyelets.
While tying her laces, Sheng Huainan’s head rested against Luo Zhi’s knee. She could clearly smell the scent of shampoo and the fragrance of Bilan laundry powder from his scarf—like a dream, unchanged for years.
