Yang Conglong's voice finally jolted Qin Chuan and Yang Zimo out of their mutual gaze.
In that instant, both regained their senses. Qin Chuan quickly suppressed the ache in his heart, plastered a bright and warm smile back on his face, strode down the steps, and waved to Yang Zimo on the sofa, "Teacher Yang, long time no see!"
"It has been a long time, Qin Chuan. Welcome to my home!"
Yang Zimo stood up from the sofa, a faint smile gracing her delicate, picturesque face.
However, as Qin Chuan heard her words, he sensed a distance he hadn't felt before. Yang Zimo would never have been so polite to him in the past.
And that smile, no matter how he looked at it, seemed forced.
A bitter ache welled up in Qin Chuan's heart. It seemed they truly couldn't go back to how they used to be.
"Qin Chuan, sit! Don't just stand there!" Yang Conglong said.
"Okay, thank you, Brother Long!"
Qin Chuan thanked him, walked around Yang Zimo, and sat down on the other side of the sofa.
"Xiao Mo, aren't you and Qin Chuan friends? Why aren't you more enthusiastic when you see him?"
"It's such a hot day, and you're not even helping him get a soda, just drinking one yourself!" Yang Conglong said to his sister.
Yang Zimo glanced at Qin Chuan, who was sitting a bit awkwardly at the foot of the sofa. She eventually turned and walked to the refrigerator, opened it, took out two bottles of soda, and tossed one to Yang Conglong.
She then handed the other bottle to Qin Chuan, her face as calm as still water, devoid of any expression.
"Thank you, Teacher Yang!"
Qin Chuan reached out and took it.
Suddenly, Yang Zimo's gaze paused on Qin Chuan's outstretched wrist for a moment, then she acted as if nothing had happened.
On Qin Chuan's left wrist, he was wearing a colorful bracelet. It was the one she had given him that day, and she hadn't expected him to still be wearing it.
"Qin Chuan, I've been meaning to ask you something. Isn't my sister teaching over there? I heard your area is quite difficult, remote, and the transportation isn't good. Where exactly is it?" Yang Conglong asked after taking a long swig of his soda, looking refreshed.
"Where we are, it's..."
"Don't say it!"
Just as Qin Chuan was about to answer, Yang Zimo suddenly exclaimed.
This made Qin Chuan swallow back the words that had reached his lips, a look of confusion on his face.
It seemed Yang Conglong didn't even know where Yang Zimo was teaching.
"You little girl, I was just casually asking, showing I care about you. You're too nervous," Yang Conglong said indignantly. "If we really wanted to know, we could just go to the education bureau and find some connections, and we'd find it quickly!"
"Whether you look for the education bureau is your business. In any case, don't try to get information out of me," Yang Zimo snorted.
Seeing the strange behavior of the siblings, Qin Chuan had a sensitive premonition that there was a story behind this. He wisely chose to be a wallflower. However, with him sitting there, and given his special relationship with Yang Zimo, how could he have his way?
As expected, Yang Zimo's eyes flickered, shifting from Yang Conglong to Qin Chuan. She asked, "I haven't asked you two yet. How did you end up together?"
"Qin Chuan, when did you come to the provincial capital?"
"Last Friday!" Qin Chuan answered honestly. "Brother Long helped me out last time, and I never had a chance to thank him. I was in the provincial capital on business this time, so I called Brother Long out for a drink."
"Have you been together these past few days?" Yang Zimo asked again.
"No, I went to other places for business. I ran into Brother Long on the street today, and he invited me over as a guest!"
"That's right! We bumped into each other by chance on the street today. Brother Qin Chuan and I hit it off really well, so I brought him to our place as a guest!" Yang Conglong quickly added. "Besides, aren't you and Qin Chuan friends too? This guy has been talking to me a lot about wanting to see you, asking for your phone number. After thinking about it, I brought him here!"
Hearing her brother's words, Yang Zimo glanced at Qin Chuan with a complicated expression. Qin Chuan noticed this and inwardly rejoiced, wishing he could hug his future brother-in-law right then and there. This brother-in-law was truly a good person, speaking up for him. Qin Chuan vowed not to tell anyone about his complications with a married woman, or his preference for mature women.
"Qin Chuan, how are you developing now?" Yang Zimo asked again.
Mentioning this, Qin Chuan's face showed a bitter expression, a look of helplessness. "It's just so-so. Starting a business is too difficult! Especially for a rural youth like me with no background or financial resources!"
"Tell us about it. We've never started a business before. Tell us your story so we can hear it!" The 'best support' of a brother-in-law, intervened at the opportune moment, creating an opportunity for Qin Chuan. Yang Zimo remained silent.
Qin Chuan's gaze inadvertently fell on Yang Zimo's face, and he smiled bitterly, "You won't be interested in this. It's probably best if I don't say anything!"
"Just say it if you're told to. What are you hesitating for?" Yang Conglong frowned.
Yang Zimo hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Since there's nothing else to do, just talk about it casually!" Inwardly, she was very curious about what Qin Chuan had been doing these past six months. After all, they hadn't contacted each other for a very, very long time! Thinking of this made Yang Zimo angry. If she didn't allow him to call, was he just not going to call? Or had Qin Chuan found someone new and completely forgotten about her! Yang Zimo was very proud and never took the initiative. Since Qin Chuan hadn't contacted her, she certainly wouldn't call. She had even passed by the county town during her summer vacation without stopping, returning directly to her home in the provincial capital. If Qin Chuan truly cared about her, he would have taken the initiative. If they never contacted each other again, it would mean they were destined to be apart.
"This..." Qin Chuan showed a distressed expression, then gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, just consider it a story you're hearing!"
"I always thought that starting a business wasn't that hard. As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll definitely succeed."
"But reality is very cruel, especially for someone like me, born into an ordinary rural family."
"After busy for half a year, working over fourteen hours a day, eating, drinking, and sleeping at the construction site, I still haven't stabilized my position!"
"Don't underestimate my small town, it's just a shabby county. But there are so many people who envy your success. You knock one down, and another one pops up, endlessly."
"It's truly the smaller the place, the more scheming there is. Poor mountains and bad waters produce difficult people, and their methods become increasingly vicious..."
Qin Chuan began to pour out his troubles. There was no other way; this was an opportunity Yang Zimo had given him. If he didn't seize it, he would truly be finished. So Qin Chuan immediately began an impromptu performance, speaking seven parts truth and three parts exaggeration, completely stunning the Yang siblings beside him. The brother and sister, born with golden spoons in their mouths, had almost never lacked money. They had never experienced the hardships of starting a business. Qin Chuan's experiences were like opening a new world for them. Whenever Qin Chuan spoke of his opponents using despicable tricks to sabotage his business, the siblings showed worried expressions. Yang Zimo even clenched her delicate fists, forgetting to drink her favorite soda.