After Becoming a Spare Tire, I Got Together with My White Moonlight - Chapter 24

As Yan Guiqiu walked toward the airport exit, she couldn’t help but pause and shiver.

Jiang Xuehe noticed her movement and reached out to take the suitcase from her hand, asking, “Cold?”

As she spoke, she prepared to open the suitcase to find a coat.

Yan Guiqiu quickly pressed her hand down and took the suitcase back, dragging it herself while shaking her head. “No, no, I just felt like someone was talking behind my back.”

The average temperature in Ningcheng was even higher than that of Yunhua, so it naturally wasn’t too cold.

But Jiang Xuehe still seemed somewhat doubtful.

Yan Guiqiu rubbed her nose, quickened her pace while pulling the suitcase, and tried to divert her attention. “My mom said she sent someone to pick us up, at North Exit No. 2. North should be over there.”

She glanced around before roughly identifying the direction.

Jiang Xuehe had sharper eyes and quickly spotted the sign for North Exit No. 2. “It’s diagonally across.”

By the time the two reached the exit, someone was already waiting outside.

Fortunately, it was someone Yan Guiqiu recognized, and she raised her hand to greet them.

“Brother Yun, over here.” Yan Guiqiu waved, then turned to introduce Jiang Xuehe. “He’s one of my mom’s assistants, surnamed Yun. Just call him Brother Yun.”

Assistant Yun was a well-dressed young man wearing metal-framed glasses, appearing steady and refined. He was clearly familiar with Yan Guiqiu, walking over to take the suitcase from her and greeting them casually.

“General Manager Meng is currently meeting with guests and probably won’t be free until after 4 p.m. Ah Zhou has classes today and won’t be back until after 3 p.m.,” Assistant Yun said. “Ah Qiu, why don’t you and Miss Xuehe go back and rest first?”

Yan Guiqiu glanced at Jiang Xuehe. She had asked earlier when they got off the plane, and Jiang Xuehe wasn’t particularly tired. Besides, going home now meant no one would be there.

After a moment’s thought, she finally said, “No need. Just help us take the luggage back. Drop us off downtown instead. I’ll take Sister Xuehe around, and we’ll go back for dinner in the evening.”

Assistant Yun, who was essentially there as a helper, nodded in agreement and asked, “Do you need me to find you a guide?”

After all, Yan Guiqiu hadn’t been back in a while.

“No need,” Yan Guiqiu replied decisively. “We’re just going out for a meal.”

Assistant Yun didn’t insist further but briefly introduced a few of the more popular shopping centers downtown. Half of them had been built in the last two years, and there were also several parks nearby, popular with couples for after-dinner strolls.

After checking with Jiang Xuehe, Yan Guiqiu chose the shopping center closest to home.

Assistant Yun pulled over by the roadside at the shopping center, dropped the two off, and then continued on to the Yan residence.

Yan Guiqiu squinted as she watched the car disappear around the corner, then pointed in that direction and said to Jiang Xuehe, “My home is over there, about a ten-minute walk.”

She then looked around the area. The surroundings were filled with old residential complexes and shopping centers, which she still vaguely remembered.

She pointed diagonally across the street at another residential complex and said, “An Chen’s family used to live there.”

A decade or so ago, that area had been considered upscale.

When they were kids, the two often walked to school together. To the west was their elementary school, and further north were their middle school and university, all within walking distance of the shopping center.

After graduating from elementary school, Yan Guiqiu rarely came here except when visiting Song Anchen.

By high school, the Song family had relocated to another city due to their company shifting its focus, and they sold this house altogether. Though Yan Guiqiu and Song Anchen kept in touch, she no longer had a reason to visit.

On the rare occasions she returned, she was either too busy to stroll through the mall or too lazy to move in the cold.

It wasn’t until Yan Guiqiu had circled the mall with Jiang Xuehe that she remembered they had come to eat.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she glanced at Jiang Xuehe, only to find her listening attentively.

“This is where you grew up, isn’t it?” Jiang Xuehe stood by the railing of the small river next to the mall, looking up at the distant high-rises and shaded trees. Every inch of the scene felt fresh, making her reluctant to miss a single detail.

“Mm,” Yan Guiqiu replied, her own attention drawn by Jiang Xuehe’s earnestness as she gazed into the distance.

What she didn’t say was that this city had already grown somewhat unfamiliar to her.

That was something one could guess without being told.

But after all, she had been born and raised here in this lifetime her family was here, her roots were here. To her, this city always held a special significance.

Even after years away, standing in this place that felt both strange and familiar, she still felt a vague sense of warmth and belonging.

What was the place where Xuehe-jie grew up like?

Yan Guiqiu couldn’t help but wonder.

She turned to look at Jiang Xuehe, whose gaze happened to meet hers at that moment.

“Let’s go eat first,” Yan Guiqiu finally said, unable to voice her thoughts. She looked up at the large clock atop the mall. “It’s almost mealtime. Some restaurants should be open by now.”

Jiang Xuehe followed her gaze and smiled. “So that’s not just a decoration?”

The giant clock on the mall’s roof looked quite old, bearing clear marks of time and weather. She had initially thought it was merely a vintage-style ornament, but now she noticed that the minute hand seemed to have shifted slightly.

“It’s a real clock. Someone must still be maintaining it,” Yan Guiqiu explained. “When I was little, it would chime every hour when school let out, but I haven’t heard it much since then.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “There used to be rumors that nearby residents complained about the noise, so the mall disabled the chime function.”

As they talked, the two walked into the mall.

Unlike the historical feel outside, the interior was bustling. Popular shops had long queues, and the floors and walls had clearly been renovated bright, clean, and filled with various directional signs. No wonder the place had stood the test of time.

But they weren’t there to inspect the premises. They casually picked a less crowded restaurant and sat down for lunch.

By the time they finished eating, the mall had grown noticeably busier.

Many of the newcomers looked like students, probably having rushed over right after class to grab a meal and do some shopping.

Yan Guiqiu sighed helplessly at the crowded escalators and turned to Jiang Xuehe. “Shall we go for a walk outside?”

Jiang Xuehe asked, “To the small park?”

“…” Yan Guiqiu nodded, feigning calm. “Let’s get some fresh air.”

Across the river and past the parking lot next to the mall stood a newly built park.

The area was originally a vacant lot from a demolition project, but it had been combined with the nearby low hill and the river, fenced off, and replanted with new trees and flowers. A square was paved, several winding paths and pavilions were built, and some fitness equipment was installed.

I had assumed only the elderly would frequent such a place, but as I approached, I found the street at the entrance lined with all sorts of stalls.

From children’s toys to street fortune-telling, and from candied hawthorns to cotton candy and tofu pudding, the scene was just as lively as any shopping mall.

Assistant Yun’s recommendation was truly reliable, Yan Guiqiu thought.

The park was free to enter, with only curved barriers at the entrance to keep vehicles out, allowing pedestrians to pass through unimpeded.

Several young couples, sharing the same ball of cotton candy, huddled close together, sweetly and affectionately making their way toward the park entrance.

Yan Guiqiu instinctively averted her gaze.

Then, a candied hawthorn skewer appeared in front of her.

“Want some?” Jiang Xuehe asked, already placing one into Yan Guiqiu’s hand.

Yan Guiqiu reflexively took it, and Jiang Xuehe turned back to buy cotton candy.

Two of each, one for each of them.

So, as they entered the park, both were holding cotton candy in one hand and candied hawthorns in the other.

A gap-toothed child nearby looked up at them, sucking on a finger and drooling, a face full of envy.

Yan Guiqiu: …

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be!

Jiang Xuehe turned to look at her and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

Yan Guiqiu swallowed her words and nodded, “I like it.”

She took a bite of the candied hawthorn. It was sweet at first, but before the sweetness could settle, a sharp sourness rushed up her nose.

Jiang Xuehe laughed beside her, “That sour?”

Yan Guiqiu nodded with a scrunched-up face, “And astringent, too.”

Jiang Xuehe said, “Then don’t eat it. I’ll buy you something else later.”

Yan Guiqiu took a bite of the cotton candy to soothe her palate. “It’s not so bad. Eating them together actually gives a unique flavor.”

The subtle sweetness tempered the sourness, creating a rather distinctive taste.

Seeing her brow relax, Jiang Xuehe handed over her own candied hawthorn skewer. “Try this one?”

Yan Guiqiu instinctively bit the top hawthorn, chewing cautiously. Her eyes lit up. “This one’s sweet.”

“Really?” Jiang Xuehe took it back and casually bit into one of the lower fruits. Her expression remained unreadable, but after swallowing, she said, “Quite sweet.”

For her, this wasn’t high praise, she wasn’t fond of overly sweet things.

As Yan Guiqiu casually tossed the leftover skewer into a trash bin, Jiang Xuehe handed over the remaining candied hawthorns. “If you like it, you can have the rest.”

She also passed over the untouched cotton candy.

Yan Guiqiu never refused sweet snacks, especially when offered by Jiang Xuehe. Without much thought, she took another bite while keeping an eye on the path ahead.

The young couple in front huddled together, whispering intimately. They drew closer and closer until, with a loud “smack,” one planted a kiss on the other’s cheek.

The one who was kissed froze for a moment, then flushed bright red, but still wrapped an arm around their girlfriend’s waist and quickly kissed them back.

They were unabashedly flaunting their affection in public.

From further back, a faint “Ew!” could be heard.

In broad daylight, under the clear sky.

Yan Guiqiu was in the midst of shaking her head and sighing when she suddenly froze. Looking down at the candied hawthorn in her hand, from which three berries had already been bitten off, her thoughts drifted to something else. After a dazed moment, her cheeks slowly flushed red.

Was this an indirect kiss? Her mind couldn’t help but wander.

Jiang Xuehe’s voice sounded beside her: “Do you want to try it too?”

Yan Guiqiu hadn’t yet snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at her blankly. “Hmm?”

Jiang Xuehe reached out and took her hand.

By the time Yan Guiqiu came to her senses, they had already turned onto a small path.

Dense trees surrounded them, and the faint sound of flowing water could be heard. Looking up, she could make out the silhouette of a stone bridge. The path sloped downward, likely leading to the riverbank.

No one else was in sight. Shadows of trees swayed gently, and the murmuring of the water masked all other subtle sounds.

Jiang Xuehe pulled Yan Guiqiu’s hand closer, their noses accidentally brushing against each other, and then a real kiss descended.

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