Feast of Flowers

Chapter 23: Don't Overthink

The car once again arrived outside the somewhat dilapidated alley. The water on the ground hadn't dried up yet. Silently, Pei Yan got out of the car and accompanied Hua Jin to the entrance of the building.

"Mr. Pei, thank you for today," Hua Jin said. In the night, the man walking quietly behind her seemed to have calmed down. The pride in his eyes transformed into the tranquil reflection of the moon on the lake, carrying a sense of peace.

"Who asked me to have such bad luck and always encounter situations like this?" Pei Yan lazily waved his hand. "Goodbye."

He walked to the entrance of the alley but stopped in his tracks, turning around to see Hua Jin still standing in place. "You're not giving me money for the gas this time?"

"No need," Hua Jin smiled, her eyebrows arching. "We're already so familiar with each other, so let's consider ourselves friends. Charging for a ride from a friend would only strain our relationship."

Pei Yan had never heard of the concept of rounding off a payment when it came to being friends. He couldn't be bothered to correct her. "To avoid paying for gas, you can come up with so many excuses. You're quite talented."

Hua Jin innocently smiled.

As she watched Pei Yan leave, Hua Jin walked to the second floor. Suddenly, she remembered that Pei Yan had asked her about her preferences for tasting dishes, but he hadn't asked her after coming out.

Lost in thought, she was startled when a figure emerged in the corridor. She almost screamed, "Grandma Chen?"

It was almost ten o'clock at night, and the old lady wasn't asleep. Was she out here to scare people for fun?

"I saw it," Grandma Chen said with a smiling face. "That young man is so handsome. He looks much better than the boy someone introduced to you. You have good taste."

Hua Jin helplessly smiled and said, "Grandma Chen, he's just a friend of mine."

"Yes, yes, yes, young people all start as ordinary friends, don't they?" Grandma Chen nodded repeatedly. "I understand."

Hua Jin: ...

What do you understand?

"The Sichuan bean paste you gave me last time was delicious. It made the dishes especially fragrant," Grandma Chen, thinking that Hua Jin was being shy, handed her a jar of homemade fermented bean curd. "Take this back and taste it. If you like it, you can come and get more from me."

"Thank you, Grandma Chen." Hua Jin didn't refuse. She was familiar with most of the tenants in the building, and they would often share their homemade seasonings or small dishes, making their lives quite lively.

As she reached the fourth floor, the lights were still on in Sister Qin's apartment. Hua Jin guessed that her children were probably still doing their homework. Just as she took out her keys to open her own door, Sister Qin's door opened, and instead of Sister Qin, a young boy with a crew cut and black-framed glasses walked out.

"Hello," he said, his gaze somewhat shy and evasive upon seeing Hua Jin.

"Hello," Hua Jin unlocked her door, placing her hand on the doorframe and taking two steps back towards the open doorway. "May I ask what you need?"

"Hua, you're back from work?" Sister Qin peeked out from behind the door, casting a somewhat embarrassed look at her distant relative, before giving him a gentle push towards the house. "You've worked all day and must be tired. Go back and rest."

Observing Sister Qin's embarrassed expression, Hua Jin guessed that this young boy must be the distant relative Sister Qin had mentioned before, the one she had tried to matchmake. Acting as if nothing had happened, Hua Jin pushed the door open, locked it behind her, and threw herself onto the sofa.