A steamy white heat wave rose from the ground.
The cicadas shrieked piercingly, the leaves curled up lazily, and Li Younan and Huang Xiaoyang walked along the shadow cast by the wall, the backs of their T-shirts soaked with dark salty stains.
Honestly, strolling along the lakeside in such weather, even walking to the heart of the lake and back, something that sounds leisurely, is absolutely not pleasant. At least this trip for Li Younan wasn't as leisurely as the previous ones.
But there's no choice, since they're already here...
"Since we're here," is really an expression that can be quite a pain. This phrase is the sweetest coercion, the sugar-coated shell of hardship literature.
Of course, Li Younan was not incapable of enduring a little hardship. Besides, what he was doing now was very meaningful to him. He raised his hand to check his smartwatch, which showed over 15,000 steps, and by the time they returned, it would surely surpass 20,000 steps.
Compared to himself, it was even more torturous for Huang Xiaoyang. Li Younan glanced at him secretly and saw that Huang Xiaoyang's forehead was also covered in sweat, with stains under his arms and on his back. At least Li Younan could earn a reward for checking in, while Huang Xiaoyang was simply suffering by accompanying him.
But Huang Xiaoyang didn't ask questions like "Why choose to take a walk in this weather?" He just followed silently.
Li Younan stopped: "Let's head back."
Huang Xiaoyang nodded and asked blandly, "By the way, I heard you broke up."
Li Younan rolled his eyes: "You're even more gossipy than those fan girls in class."
Ignoring Li Younan's sarcasm, Huang Xiaoyang continued: "I know, it must've been the other person's fault."
Li Younan chuckled: "Why are you so sure?"
Huang Xiaoyang pulled out a tissue from his pocket and leisurely wiped the sweat off his forehead: "Personality."
"Your personality is the best I've ever seen."
"If it's not your problem, then it must be the other person's problem."
"It's probably for the best, your girlfriend wasn't a good match for you."
Li Younan was stunned for a moment, avoiding Huang Xiaoyang's gaze, he muttered to himself, "Heh..."
He quickened his pace.
Watching Li Younan leave, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of Huang Xiaoyang's mouth. "But there's another question."
Li Younan turned his head: "What question?"
Huang Xiaoyang squinted at the not-so-clear blue sky, the scorching sun on his face: "Why choose such a time to take a walk?"
Li Younan patted Huang Xiaoyang on the shoulder, feigning depth: "You haven't experienced it before, have you?"
Of course, he couldn't say, Huang Xiaoyang, you're being a real sucker, it's pure torment for you, but not for me, I'm tormented for a reward.
After finishing, Li Younan left with a stylish back view, continuing on.
Standing in place for a moment, Huang Xiaoyang bowed his head deeply, seemingly enlightened, and muttered to himself, "Is that so..."
Huang Xiaoyang thought, what Li Younan meant is, this isn't a poetic stroll, but rather the body truly living through the physical torment.
The intense heat surprisingly became a mirror of truth, revealing the carefully constructed cocoon of comfort—many people have never truly felt the pulse of summer.
The true dimensions of this piece of land unexpectedly opened up to him in the midst of this hardship.
Suddenly, Huang Xiaoyang felt that the current Li Younan was a philosopher.
...
[Check-in complete!]
[Random reward...]
[Carving skill +1]
Honestly, Li Younan felt a bit of regret. What he most wanted at the moment was to gain driving skills. To drive across the country, crossing rivers and mountains, driving skills are essential.
Currently, his driving skills are merely passable.
However, having an extra skill also made him feel quite amused.
Earlier, while scrolling through short videos, he came across one about jade carving. Artisans carving raw jade materials into meaningful shapes is also a form of art. Li Younan always liked things that could capture emotions, like photography.
Now with this carving skill, perhaps one day he would drive to someplace like Yunnan, buy a piece of raw jade, and carve it into a beautiful gift for someone important.
The first person who came to mind was his mother.
One day, he wanted to carve a gift for his mom that would move her to tears.
As the saying goes, when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Li Younan suddenly remembered that Huang Xiaoyang's family seems to have a jade store. He thought, perhaps he could ask this young master if he could find a piece of jade at their store to practice on, which shouldn't be difficult.
But to Li Younan's surprise, before he could even ask, Huang Xiaoyang had something to say. By now, they were already at the entrance of a tea house. Huang Xiaoyang said, "Let's go in and rest for a while, I have something to tell you."
Li Younan nodded.
The tea houses near West Lake are quite different from those in the Sichuan-Chongqing area. Teahouses there focus on leisure and entertainment, bustling with the sounds of mahjong, laughter, and conversation, emphasizing liveliness. In contrast, these tea houses are rather quiet, with mostly wooden structures, even the chairs are made of bamboo and wood, no sofas. Most private rooms host business conversations, but everyone speaks quietly. Sitting here drinking tea makes one feel inexplicably calm, with a slight bitter flavor, reminiscent of the scene described in "The Ode to a Humble Room."
Li Younan couldn't help but lament, no wonder people from the Jianghuai region are good at doing business, soaking in these tea houses daily, even those with millions to their name always feel as though they have nothing, constantly driven to get rich.
Huang Xiaoyang said, "I have something to tell you."
Li Younan took a sip of tea and nodded.
"Do you remember Yang Manman?" Huang Xiaoyang asked.
Li Younan looked a bit puzzled, trying to search his memory for that name. After a moment, he furrowed his brow and shook his head: "Who is she?"
Huang Xiaoyang was a little surprised: "Turns out you forgot her." He took something from his bag and placed it on the table, pushing it over. It was a jade carving.
Li Younan's eyes lit up.
Due to his newly acquired carving skill, he also gained a lot of knowledge about jade and immediately recognized it as Lantian jade. A piece of this size and quality would only be worth around a thousand yuan. However, what puzzled Li Younan was that this piece was carved with the image of someone playing basketball.
Huang Xiaoyang said blandly, "This was commissioned by Yang Manman, asking our family's artisan to carve it."
Suddenly, Li Younan realized something: "Could it be that this is a gift for Wang Yue?"
Wang Yue was the junior that Huang Xiaoyang referred to.
Huang Xiaoyang nodded.
Li Younan was momentarily stunned, and constructed the outline of the whole matter in his mind: "So, the girl Wang Yue likes is in a new relationship, and Yang Manman is giving this to Wang Yue?"
Huang Xiaoyang calmly sipped his tea, nodding and shrugging: "That's the case, a complex love triangle. I thought you would remember Yang Manman; she used to watch basketball games from the sidelines, a small girl with thick glasses... she's gotten prettier since she stopped wearing them."
Li Younan was a bit speechless: "I thought she was after you, who knew she was after Wang Yue."
Huang Xiaoyang said: "I only found out when Yang Manman contacted me, that the reason she came to Lin'an City was because of Wang Yue."
After hearing this, Li Younan fell into contemplation. He stared at the jade carving on the table, then suddenly smiled oddly: "Can I borrow your family's jade carving equipment?"
Huang Xiaoyang asked, a bit puzzled: "What do you want to do?"
Li Younan picked up the jade, caressing it: "I've dabbled a bit in carving, so I'd like to do some additional processing."
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ps: About six or seven years ago, when I went to West Lake, it was this kind of weather, not fun at all, who else would understand, dear friends...