Lang Xiao and Nie Ran’s injuries healed rapidly. After resting at home for a few days, they were already lively and energetic, and you couldn’t tell they had been injured at all when they put on their clothes.
Wan Yue also became more accustomed to life here. Sometimes, Ning Xin would “forget” to tie him up after meals and secretly observe his behaviour. She found that he just quietly watched TV and didn’t behave as she had expected, trying to escape or resist.
After a few times, Ning Xin felt more at ease with him and began planning to take him out. Wan Yue couldn’t just interact with them, he would eventually have to interact with outsiders. His behaviour in front of outsiders would be the most authentic.
On the fifth day of the 21st century, Ning Xin discussed with the three of them and decided to go out to the city after breakfast. Since the mental institution had plenty of food supplies, there was no need for a shopping mission this time; they could just enjoy themselves.
Before heading out, she brought two sets of clothes for Wan Yue to choose from, which she had secretly prepared yesterday. One set was a men’s shirt and jeans, and the other was a women’s blouse and a long skirt.
She had considered whether to prepare some gender-neutral clothes for him. After all, there were quite a few people dressing this way in this era, and people were more accepting.
But then she decided against it.
This was a fresh start; he should make a clear decision instead of continuing to be confused.
“Wan Yue, which outfit do you want to wear?”
Ning Xin looked at him.
He slowly put down the milk cup in his hand, sizing up the two outfits, and furrowed his brows after a moment.
“Forget it, you guys go ahead, I’ll stay.”
“Don’t you want to go out?”
He opened his mouth, thinking he did, of course, but looking at that unfamiliar world, he was worried about repeating past mistakes.
As long as he never went out, couldn’t he always hold onto hope?
Wan Yue returned to the window and said, “I don’t feel like moving.”
“Do you want to reconsider…”
Ning Xin was about to persuade him when Nie Ran came out of the bathroom wearing changed clothes and glanced at the two, saying, “If you don’t want to go, then forget it. Cowards like this should stay hidden at home.”
“Who are you calling a coward?”
Wan Yue turned his head.
He sneered, “Who are you talking about? Others have everything prepared for him, all he needs to do is move forward, yet he doesn’t even dare to do that. Isn’t this kind of person a coward?”
“You…”
Seeing the two about to argue, Ning Xin quickly intervened.
“Alright, alright, why argue so early in the morning? Wan Yue, if you don’t want to go, just stay at home. We’ll bring you something delicious to eat.”
After saying this, Ning Xin walked into the bedroom to pack her bag.
Money, bank cards, ID, phone, she stuffed everything into her small crossbody bag, slinging it over her shoulder and going out to change shoes.
The temperature here was still quite high, so she wore a white dress and a pair of white flat shoes.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Ning Xin finished packing, took the small umbrella, and prepared to open the door. From the corner of her eye, she saw a figure coming out of the bathroom.
He was tall and thin, with short black hair slightly covering his eyebrows. His skin was pale, almost sickly, yet it gave off a delicate beauty.
Especially with those uniquely large eyes, they were unforgettable at first sight.
It was Wan Yue.
He had changed into a men’s shirt and jeans, also wearing white flat shoes.
So refreshing and clean, he looked completely different from the person in purgatory.
Ning Xin was slightly surprised. “Are you coming too?”
He seemed a bit embarrassed, awkwardly nodding.
“That’s great, I was worried you’d be bored at home alone.”
Ning Xin grabbed his hand and pulled him close.
“Let’s go, we’re off!”
Wan Yue was being dragged along by her, feeling both uncomfortable and awkward.
However, as she chattered away while walking, explaining to him how to lock the door, how to use the elevator, the discomfort in his heart was instantly diluted, and he even vaguely wanted to be closer to her.
*cough cough!*
Behind them came a disgruntled cough, and Ning Xin turned around to see Nie Ran looking very resentful.
“Take care of Lang Xiao properly, don’t let him run around and get hit by a car, be good.”
She patted his shoulder and then ran to hold hands with Wan Yue again.
Nie Ran was full of complaints but couldn’t say anything, feeling increasingly displeased with Lang Xiao.
If it weren’t for this tag-along, would she be so self-righteous in ordering him around?
With this in mind, he stopped in his tracks and kicked Lang Xiao’s butt.
The latter turned around inexplicably, “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a bug on your pants.”
“Oh.” He patted his butt and politely said, “Thank you.”
Nie Ran: “…”
The other’s silly expression made him lose his temper, so he suppressed his emotions and continued walking forward.
As Ning Xin ushered them onto a bus and found four empty seats in the back row, he pre-emptively pulled her to sit together, leaving Wan Yue to sit with Lang Xiao.
“What are you doing? I haven’t even taught him how to ride a bus yet.”
Ning Xin, mischievous as ever, attempted to switch seats.
Nie Ran grabbed her shoulder and forcefully pressed her into the seat, his voice low as he said, “You stay put!”
Seeing he was about to explode, she obediently sat down but couldn’t resist a comment.
“Are you being a bit petty?”
Clearly, he was a person who had been dead for thousands of years, yet he was jealous over such trivial matters. Others might think she did something wrong.
Nie Ran’s expression turned sour.
“I’m petty? How many words have you said to me in these past few days?”
“I’ve been busy, at least we’re together every night.”
“So you only need me when you’re sleeping?”
His voice was too loud, drawing the attention of everyone on the bus.
Ning Xin felt extremely embarrassed and buried her head.
“I’m not going to argue with you.”
Fine, no arguments then!
Nie Ran turned his face away, ignoring her.
The first destination they reached was a forest park located in the south of the city.
It was quite large, with many small animals reportedly living inside.
Ning Xin had wanted to come and visit for a long time, but she never had the chance.
Since it was Saturday, many parents brought their children to play.
As they got off the bus, they saw a long line at the ticket booth.
Outside, there were many food stalls, and plenty of children were running around.
Wan Yue’s body visibly stiffened, and his complexion looked strange.
“Ning Xin, Lang Xiao, if you two feel uncomfortable, we can go back. We don’t have to go in.”
After this period of adjustment, Lang Xiao was already able to handle crowded places calmly. He also enjoyed coming to lively places like this and couldn’t wait to go in.
The only one feeling uncomfortable was Wan Yue. He looked expressionless as he stared at the crowd, unable to move his feet.
“Big brother.” A little girl holding a rose walked up to them and tugged on Wan Yue’s pants leg. “Buy a flower for sister. It’s five yuan each, and the money we earn will be donated to poor students in rural areas.”
Wan Yue shook off her hand and took several steps back, startling the little girl who looked at them with a frightened expression.
Ning Xin quickly took out some cash, bought four flowers, comforted the girl for a while, and then persuaded her to leave.
The roses were a pale pink, fresh and beautiful.
She picked up one and held it out to Wan Yue, waving it in front of him.
“Look, it’s just a flower. She meant no harm.”
Wan Yue didn’t take it, so she turned to offer it to Nie Ran.
Still mad at her, he huffed and said, “I don’t want it.”
“Tsk, I didn’t want to give it to you anyway. Lang Xiao, you take it.”
Lang Xiao happily accepted the four flowers, holding them to his nose and sniffing them, clearly pleased.
Ning Xin looked at Wan Yue again, seeking his opinion.
“Have you decided? Do you want to go back?”
Wan Yue looked at the bustling crowd not far away. They were dressed in unfamiliar clothes, speaking with accents he wasn’t used to, doing things he had never done before.
Everything felt so unfamiliar, but the genuine smiles on their faces were real.
Many, many years ago, his mother would secretly give him some snacks and chat with him when she had a moment to spare, with the same smile on her face.
Go, go.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Wan Yue clenched his fist, gathering his courage.
“I want to go in and take a look.”
Ning Xin was quite surprised but didn’t say anything, so she queued up to buy tickets.
More than an hour later, the four of them entered the forest park, walking through the wide and tranquil forest.
Most of the trees planted here were cypresses, tall and straight.
Tall trees stood like mountain peaks, neatly towering over the surroundings.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, casting a blanket of green and golden hues.
The stone path was strewn with fallen leaves, rustling underfoot.
Lang Xiao, with his keen hearing, sensed some movement and looked up, scanning the area.
Ning Xin followed his gaze and excitedly pointed to the treetops.
“Look, there are squirrels!”
Other visitors heard and gathered around, taking out their phones to take pictures.
The deep brown little sprites with their big bushy tails boldly displayed themselves in front of everyone, holding a nut and gnawing on it.
The children were delighted, hopping and jumping with joy.
“It really is a squirrel! It’s so cute!”
“Dad, can you make it come down?”
“I really saw a squirrel!”
Amidst the commotion, Ning Xin stole a glance at Wan Yue. Seeing that he didn’t have any particular reaction, she relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.
Along this long forest path, they encountered squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and even small deer.
There were also numerous nameless exotic flowers and plants, dazzling the eyes of the visitors.
After walking for over two hours, they arrived at a specially designated picnic area within the park, a flat and clean grassland.
Next to it was a small lake with a flock of swans swimming in it.
There were staff here renting out barbecue equipment, and a row of refrigerators nearby where you could scan a code to select the food you wanted to purchase, very convenient.
Ning Xin saw that it was already lunchtime, and they obviously wouldn’t make it out for lunch in time, so she rented a set of equipment and planned to do some barbecue.
Lang Xiao was the most enthusiastic, running around helping her with starting the fire and skewering the meat.
Wan Yue sat on the grass, gazing ahead at a family of three who were also barbecuing, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Nie Ran wore a scowling expression, sitting in a corner and shooting cold glares with his eyes.
Ning Xin endured for half an hour, then when everything was ready, she had Lang Xiao watch the stove and approached Nie Ran.
“How long are you planning to sulk?”
“Who’s sulking?”
“Who do you think? You pig.”
“You…”
He clenched his fist in frustration. “I won’t argue with you.”
Ning Xin sat next to him with a cheerful smile, nudging his shoulder with hers.
“Don’t be like this. Men with petty minds aren’t charming, you know.”
“Thank you for your compliment.”
“…Are you planning to keep this up forever? Fine, then I won’t bother you.”
As she said she was going to leave, he grabbed her wrist.
“I could forgive you, you know.”
“Under what conditions?”
Nie Ran pointed to his mouth. “Give me a kiss, right now.”
“Get lost.”
“Not willing? Fine, then give me ten reasons why you like me. If you can’t, you’re not allowed to leave.”
Was he trying to force her into this?
Ning Xin rolled her eyes, too lazy to bother with him, but quietly counted in her mind.
The first one, he risked his life to save her when she was in danger.
The second one, he’s handsome and fits her aesthetic preferences.
The third one… um, he’s skilled, too.
The fourth one…
The fifth one…
After thinking it over, she came up with nine reasons, but she couldn’t think of the last one.
Seeing that she still hadn’t spoken and looked constipated, Nie Ran lost interest.
“Forget it.”
Ning Xin had a sudden idea. “You just let me speak. Why aren’t you saying anything? Hurry up, tell me, what do you like about me? Why do you want to be with me?”
Nie Ran shrugged. “I guess I must be blind.”
“…I’ll give you one more chance to tell the truth.”
“Because…”
He looked into her eyes, intending to come up with another reason to tease her, but found himself inexplicably drawn in.
Before he realized it, his lips were already on hers.
Ning Xin also froze, completely unprepared for this.
A nearby child covered their face and screamed, “Daddy, mommy! Look, someone’s doing something naughty!”
In an instant, everyone on the grassland turned to look, including several swans in the lake.
Ning Xin experienced first-hand what it meant to be embarrassed to the extreme.
She pushed Nie Ran away, ran back to the barbecue grill, and used adding charcoal to mask her embarrassment.
Nie Ran’s cheeks also turned slightly red, but he acted as if nothing had happened, even threatening the screaming child.
“Shut up or I’ll throw you into the lake.”
The child made a face and quickly ran away, and laughter and chatter returned to the grassland.
Wan Yue withdrew his gaze, intending to take a nap.
A family that he had been staring at for a while suddenly approached. The little girl was holding a camera and, encouraged by her parents, asked him, “Big brother, can we take a picture with you? You’re really handsome.”
Wan Yue’s lips seemed to be glued shut, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
Seeing his indifferent expression, the little girl felt very disappointed and prepared to leave.
“Wait.”
He finally spoke, “You can take the picture.”
“Great, thank you!”
The mother sat on his right side, holding the little girl close.
The father sat on his left side, with one hand on his shoulder and the other holding a selfie stick.
The little girl stood in front of him, making a “Y” shape with her hands.
Wan Yue smelled the unfamiliar scent emanating from them, trying hard to suppress the discomfort in his heart.
Click, the photo was taken.
The little girl exclaimed enviously, “Big brother, why are your eyes so big?”
He thought for a moment, his expression softening.
“Because my mother has big eyes.”
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