The city streets were sparsely populated. The rumbling of the carriage wheels sounded especially conspicuous as the carriage passed by. After leaving the city gate, it headed toward the outskirts.
Inside the carriage, Chen Guan and Qing Lin sat on the left. The little girl clung tightly to his arm, looking somewhat downcast. Though she did not say a word, her deep dependence could be felt.
Opposite them, Zhao Gang, with his somewhat simple-looking face, kept stealing glances at them before shifting his gaze away with flickering eyes. A while later, he could not help looking again, over and over.
He wanted to speak but stopped himself, stopped himself but wanted to speak, then wanted to speak again but held back. If it had been a woman, it would probably have looked like the first stirrings of love. But seeing a grown man act like this left Chen Guan rather helpless.
"Zhao Gang, we grew up together, after all. Just relax. Say whatever you want to say."
Hearing that, Gang Zi finally loosened up a little and asked with a wry smile.
"Chen Guan, you're a Dou Zhe now, aren't you?"
"Mm. I advanced to Dou Zhe quite a while ago."
"No wonder. You've really changed so much, both in appearance and temperament. I almost don't dare look directly at you. It's hard to believe."
Bitterness showed on Zhao Gang's face. He did not mention the difference in their statuses. Thinking of their childish competition when they were young, he felt like it had been a joke.
"Have more confidence in yourself. You'll grow stronger too. I've only experienced a few more things than you have. Your talent is genuinely quite good. Cultivate well; your future holds great promise."
Chen Guan gave him a small dose of encouragement.
He recalled