Chapter 70: The Final Calm

Yaoye and Liuxin stood together, steadying themselves. Liuxin took Yaoye’s hand, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
“Come on! There are only two days left. Spend today with me, will you? Let’s have a good time shopping.”
Yaoye beamed at her, lightly tapping her on the nose. “Of course, of course! Today, I’m all yours—at your service, my queen!”
Liuxin burst out laughing, her hand still holding his as the two of them ran toward the bustling marketplace.
Shortly after leaving the academy, the lively cries of street vendors filled the air. The sight of the crowded streets only heightened their excitement.
From a distance, Liuxin was drawn to a vendor selling candied hawthorn skewers. She hurried over, grabbed one, and began eating, waving enthusiastically for Yaoye to join her.
“Yaoye, hurry up!” she called, her girlish charm on full display. Seeing her so happy, Yaoye couldn’t help but laugh, quickening his pace to catch up. Liuxin handed him a skewer, then dashed toward a stall selling sugar figurines.
“Hey, hey, miss! You haven’t paid!” the old vendor shouted after her.
Yaoye shook his head with a wry smile. After settling the bill, he hurried off to catch up with Liuxin.
When he reached her side, she was juggling an assortment of snacks—candied hawthorn, meat skewers, sugar figurines, and more.
A crowd of vendors followed close behind, shouting, “Miss, you haven’t paid! Don’t run!”
Liuxin ducked behind Yaoye, savoring her treats, while he looked at her with indulgent affection and quickly settled the bills with the pursuing vendors one by one.

“My dear senior sister,” Yaoye teased, “if you keep running around like this, the whole market will be in complete chaos because of you!”
Liuxin, still munching, gave him a silly grin. “That’s why I have you with me! I’m not afraid at all!”
Yaoye could only shake his head in both exasperation and delight, gently brushing her hair until she’d finished every last bite. At last, Liuxin looked up at him.
“Yaoye… don’t you dislike me being this way?”
Yaoye burst out laughing. “Now you think of that? It never crosses your mind while you’re eating! But honestly, I like you no matter what. How could I not love your innocence and sweetness?”
Liuxin giggled, taking his arm. “Come on! There’s a jewelry shop over there. Let’s take a look.”
Without waiting for his reply, she pulled him straight toward the shop. Once inside, Liuxin was enraptured by the dazzling array of jewelry, trying this and that, holding pieces up and admiring herself in the mirror.
Just then a young salesgirl approached, smiling sweetly. “Are you here to buy a gift for your beloved, sir? May I recommend something?”
At the word “beloved,” both Liuxin and Yaoye blushed. “Uh, we’ll just look around a bit more,” Yaoye stammered.
The salesgirl bowed politely. “Of course. If you need anything, just call me.”
After she left, Yaoye let out a quiet breath, feeling the tension ease. His eyes then caught sight of a blue jade hairpin across the room. He hurried over, picked it up, and gently placed it in Liuxin’s hair, smiling as he admired the effect.

“How does it look?” Liuxin asked eagerly, her fingers caressing the hairpin. She was happier than words could say, her heart racing at the thought that this was the first gift Yaoye had ever given her.
Yaoye, gazing at her in a pale yellow dress adorned with the blue hairpin, was utterly captivated. “Beautiful—stunning!”
Seeing his dazed expression, Liuxin’s joy bubbled over. “Then will you buy it for me?”
He nodded, called the salesgirl over, and paid for the hairpin. Hand in hand, Yaoye and Liuxin left the shop, making their way toward the food stalls.
As dusk fell, the two of them strolled side by side in the golden afterglow, Liuxin absentmindedly touching her new hairpin with a happy smile.
“It’s wonderful having you by my side, junior brother.”
Feeling Liuxin’s affection, Yaoye couldn’t help but lower his head to look at her.
Liuxin, cheeks flushed, met his gaze shyly. Her adorable look, her blushing face, her inviting lips—Yaoye could not resist and kissed her.
In that moment, embraced beneath the setting sun, they became a living poem—a fleeting, cherished moment of peace and intimacy, lost in each other’s company.