85: Chapter 85 This little girl has a good business sense.

Zhou Waner picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of fish. It tasted fresh and sweet. She nodded in satisfaction. "The food at this shop is pretty good; I came here once with a friend before."

Hu Tian also started eating, his pace unhurried.

Outside the window, the street began to light up again, one streetlamp after another, illuminating the entire street.

From time to time, young couples walked by, and tourists dragging suitcases peered into the shop.

The two ate quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words. It was all casual, everyday chatter, nothing of great importance, but the atmosphere was steady, exuding a sense of ease and comfort.

Halfway through the meal, Zhou Waner put down her chopsticks and said softly, "Hu Tian."

"Hmm?"

"I have to return to Jinling tomorrow," she said. Her tone was calm, but it clearly carried a hint of something real.

Hu Tian looked at her, not making any grand promises, just saying, "I will come back safely."

Zhou Waner lowered her head and smiled. "I know."

The streetlights outside bathed the old street in a warm glow. The bustling crowd walking through the light seemed both lively and quiet, like a painting.

Hu Tian picked up a piece of vegetable and placed it in Zhou Waner's bowl. "Eat."

Zhou Waner looked down at it, said nothing, and picked up her chopsticks to eat it.

After they finished their meal and paid the bill, it was nearly eight o'clock.

The night breeze carried a hint of the sea's saltiness; it wasn't dry, and felt rather comfortable against the skin.

Hu Tian patted his stomach. "Let's walk to digest the food."

Zhou Waner followed him, and the two walked slowly along the street. Without a specific destination in mind, they just kept walking, eventually following the flow of people toward Binhai Park.

A row of colorful lights hung at the park entrance, bright enough to be seen from far away.

Once inside, the hustle and bustle washed over them.

To the right of the entrance was a large plaza, where dozens of elderly men and women were stepping to the music from a speaker. Their movements were surprisingly synchronized, their rhythm steady. Looking at the sea of red and green, they seemed even more energetic than the young people.

A few onlookers stood by the edge of the plaza, nodding along to the music and smiling happily.

Walking further in, small stalls lined the road one after another, selling glow sticks, candied hawthorns, dough figurines, and children's toys. The stalls weren't big, but the lights were bright, and the vendors shouted at the top of their lungs to greet passing tourists.

A child ran past holding a newly bought glow stick and nearly bumped into Hu Tian. He reached out and steadied the child, who ran off without looking back.

The area by the lake was the quietest, with stone railings lining the edge. A few lit boats drifted on the lake, their reflections swaying in the water.

Couples were gathered here—some leaning against the railings, some sitting on stone benches, some with their heads bowed in conversation; there were all kinds.

Hu Tian and Zhou Waner found a slightly wider stone bench and sat down.

The breeze on the lake was softer than over at the plaza, diluting most of the music from the square dance. All that remained was the soft, steady sound of lake water lapping against the stone bank.

The two sat like that, not saying much.

At some point, Zhou Waner leaned over slightly, her shoulder resting against Hu Tian's. Hu Tian didn't move, just letting her lean on him, his eyes fixed on the swaying light reflections on the lake.

Behind them, rolling mountain silhouettes pressed against the skyline. The lake surface was dotted with shimmering light, and a few stars faintly peeked through overhead. The entire scene was as quiet as an ink wash painting.

Just then, a flash of light suddenly went off.

Both of them instinctively looked toward the direction of the sound.

It was a little girl, about seven or eight years old, with her hair in two buns. She wore a white T-shirt with a cartoon print and held a small pink camera in her hands. She was standing on tiptoes, looking at the screen with a face full of pride.

She looked up and grinned at them, turning the camera screen around to show them.

In the photo, the two were sitting side by side, backs to the lake. The lake and mountains unfolded behind them, light reflections rippled on the water, and even the horizon was pressed with a touch of warmth. The lighting in the photo was perfect, the composition natural, and it looked better than many photos taken with professional posing.

Zhou Waner was stunned for a moment, then leaned in to take a closer look. Her eyes curved into crescents as she said softly, "You took a great photo."

Hu Tian also glanced at it. He didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Seeing that they had both finished looking, the little girl didn't hesitate to extend a small hand, palm up. She tilted her head back to look at them, her expression matter-of-fact.

The two exchanged a glance, unable to hold back.

Zhou Waner laughed aloud, reached into her bag for a ten-yuan note, and bent down to place it in the little girl's palm. "Little one, you took a very good photo. Thank you."

The little girl took the money, looked down at it, and shoved it into her pocket with a deft movement. She turned her head and shouted to someone not far away, "Mom! I got paid!"

Then, without looking back, she hung the camera on her wrist, pulled out a mobile phone from somewhere, the screen lit up. She swiped her finger across it a couple of times, looked up, and asked Zhou Waner, "Big sister, let me scan your WeChat QR code."

Zhou Waner found her demeanor rather amusing, so she obediently took her phone out of her bag, pulled up the QR code, and held it out.

The little girl leaned in to scan it, tapped the screen a few times, and within two seconds, Zhou Waner's phone vibrated.

She opened it to see the photo had been transferred, along with a line of text: "Big sister is beautiful, and big brother is handsome too."

Zhou Waner struggled to hold back her laughter and looked up at Hu Tian.

Hu Tian's expression remained as usual, though there was something uncontrollable in his eyes.

The little girl had already shoved her phone into her pocket, clutched the camera to her chest, and turned to run, disappearing into the crowd in a flash. Only the sound of her slippers slapping against the stone path remained, growing fainter and fainter.

Zhou Waner looked down at the photo on her phone screen again. With the lake lights and shadows, the two of them sitting side by side, their backs actually looked quite like a proper couple.

She placed her phone screen-down on her lap, said nothing, and rested her shoulder back against Hu Tian's. She looked toward the lake, where the lit boat in the center was still drifting slowly, the water ripples stretching the light reflections into long, thin lines.

The night breeze blew across the lake, feeling a bit cool.

Zhou Waner straightened up, still smiling. "That little girl has a good business mind."

Hu Tian pulled his gaze back from the crowd. "It really is a good photo."

Zhou Waner glanced down at her phone, saved the image, and looked at the two people sitting side by side by the lake in the photo. She didn't speak, just tucked the phone back into her bag and rested against Hu Tian's shoulder again.

The breeze on the lake continued to blow gently. The music in the plaza had changed to another song, still lively, drifting over from afar, yet not in the least bit annoying.

The night breeze brushed over again, carrying the dampness of the lake. Zhou Waner leaned more firmly against Hu Tian's shoulder, her eyes still fixed on the lake, remaining silent.

The two sat quietly. The music in the distant plaza changed song after song, lively and bustling, which only made things here seem quieter by contrast.

The lit boat in the center of the lake had stopped at some point, quietly moored on the water. The lights on the boat were still on, their reflections swaying in the lake, looking as if someone had pressed stars into the water.

Hu Tian turned his head and looked down at Zhou Waner.

Her eyelashes were lowered, and the lake lights were reflected in her eyes. Her expression was very calm, with a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth, as if she were still thinking about the little girl.

He didn't speak, just raised his hand and pulled her shoulder toward him, letting her lean more securely.

Feeling this gesture, Zhou Waner didn't pull away; she leaned her full weight against him and let out a soft breath. "Let's sit for a little longer."

"Hmm."

She said a little longer, but that little while turned into a long time.

The people by the lake gradually dispersed, and the music in the plaza stopped. Only a few streetlights remained on, casting a dim, yellowish glow, and the wind blew the tree shadows, making them sway on the ground.

At some point, Zhou Waner had closed her eyes. Her breathing became light and even, her whole body soft against Hu Tian's shoulder. It was unclear whether she had fallen asleep or just didn't want to move.

Hu Tian looked down; the top of her head was right in front of him, emitting a faint fragrance. He didn't move, just let her lean on him, his eyes looking back toward the lake.

After a while longer, Zhou Waner stirred and lifted her head from his shoulder, her voice a bit lazy. "What time is it?"

Hu Tian glanced at his phone. "It's almost eleven."

Zhou Waner braced herself against the railing to sit up straight, rubbed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, and looked up at him. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes."

She paused, feeling a bit embarrassed. "How long did I sleep?"

"Less than half an hour."

Zhou Waner looked down at herself; her hair was a bit messy from the wind. She raised her hand to smooth it out, said nothing more, and just whispered, "I'm hungry."

Hu Tian stood up and reached out his hand. "Let's go."

Zhou Waner looked at his outstretched hand, paused for a second, and placed her hand in his.

His palm was broad and steady. He closed his fingers, gripped her hand, and pulled her up from the stone bench in one smooth motion.

The two walked side by side naturally, not letting go, following the path along the lake toward where the car was parked. Their footsteps on the stone path, one large and one small, created a staggered rhythm.

The lake was still lit, and the lights stretched their two shadows out long, casting them onto the ground where they overlapped.

Zhou Waner didn't speak, nor did Hu Tian, but this silence was different from when they were sitting by the lake earlier. There was something in it, hard to define, but both of them knew it well.

The car was parked on the side of the road not far from the lake. Hu Tian opened the door, and Zhou Waner climbed in, buckled her seatbelt, and leaned back against the seat, turning her head slightly toward the window to watch the lake lights slowly recede from view.

The night roads weren't busy, and in less than twenty minutes, the car drove through the gates of Yunding No. 1.

The lights in the villa area were sparse, with occasional warm yellow glows leaking through the greenery. The roads were clean and very quiet, with only the sound of tires rolling over the gravel path.

The car stopped at the villa entrance, and both got out. Hu Tian reached out to press the door lock. Zhou Waner stood beside him, looking up at the roof of the villa. The silhouette of the roof edge pressed against the ink-blue night sky, and the pot of bougainvillea in the corner swayed slightly in the wind.

The door opened, and they went inside. The sensor light in the entryway turned on, and the warm light filtered in layer by layer, illuminating the interior softly.

Zhou Waner placed her bag on the low cabinet next to the entryway and went to change her shoes. While bending down to fasten her shoe buckle, she became lost in thought. Hu Tian came up from behind, moved in front of her, and knelt down to fasten the buckle for her. When he rose, his gaze lifted, meeting her eyes perfectly.

The two stared at each other, and Hu Tian did not pull away.

Zhou Waner stood still, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her breathing pausing for a beat.

Hu Tian raised his hand and tucked the stray hair blown by the wind behind her ear. His fingers paused for a second beside her earlobe, then slowly slid down, gently resting on her chin.