Su Qing'an Likes Hua

The hour hand moved to 6:30, when the sun was setting below the horizon.

The two got out of the taxi, Su Qing'an used her phone to pay the fare using a payment app she hadn't used in a long time.

After hearing the notification that fifty-three yuan had been deposited into his account, the driver glanced meaningfully at the two people who had concealed their appearance the entire way as they got out of the car, then started the vehicle and merged into the rest of the traffic.

Using his access card to swipe through the obstacles, Su Qing'an led Fu Hua to the neighborhood where "he" had lived most of his life. Having discarded the few remaining childhood memories, this place was merely a mark of his long, aimless years.

It's like something that's made up of countless trivialities and endless little details, seemingly dispensable, but at some unrelated moment and in some unrelated place, a vague familiarity and echo will occasionally flash through your mind.

Then you will suddenly realize that your past life was not entirely worthless. You have eventually left some traces of your future self at some point. And often, as long as you follow these traces, you can overcome all the hardships and despair, defeat many unbearable pains and sorrows, and live on in an ugly yet resilient way.

For example, Murata Himeko, Theresa, Nishikujo Sara, and many, many other people...

This also includes Su Qing'an and Fu Hua.

And this is probably the meaning behind this seemingly insignificant act, and also the reason why Fu Hua never asked Su Qing'an why she wanted to go home or what she wanted to do there.

Because she has very little memory left, she is the one who can best understand this feeling.

There is no such thing as true empathy in the world, but for some reason, after looking at the rare expression on the boy's profile, Fu Hua was able to understand what this person was thinking at that moment.

This is a small corner in the suburbs of Canghai City, an inconspicuous location that stands in stark contrast to the dwindling balance in Su Qing'an's parents' bank account.

As they walked past the somewhat worn-out amusement facilities, the laughter of children and the casual conversations between parents were carried by the gentle breeze through the rustling leaves, reaching their ears.

The two remained silent, and this natural atmosphere, where there was no need to speak and no awkwardness, was very comfortable.

This strange tacit understanding, whether due to similar personalities or compatibility, made the girl raise her head. Sunlight, dappled by the branches and leaves, fell on her fair face, and her steps involuntarily faltered slightly.

Fu Hua looked at the boy's back in the soft light, her clear image reflected in her clear, unblinking eyes.

Su Qing'an's habit of maintaining a tense mind and instinctively controlling her body's posture to ensure it was suitable for combat gradually disappeared as she stepped into this place.

She had noticed it long ago: the repression and indescribable heaviness in Su Qing'an's heart; it seemed that this person was facing a despair far greater than she knew.

Therefore, Su Qing'an dared not slack off in the slightest and was unwilling to linger for even a moment. Even in the most relaxed moments, he never let his guard down.

But now, that string has been loosened.

It felt like coming home.

Fu Hua once thought that Changkong City was the place Su Qing'an could never forget, but now it seems that this place is perhaps more special.

Upon closer examination, it is perfectly normal. This place holds most of the young boy's life. With his parents gone and no relatives around, this seemingly insignificant "home" naturally harbors some important things in his heart.

But... the boy's silhouette reflected in her eyes faded for a moment in the backlight. In the instant the boy's figure disappeared, the halo of the afterglow magnified and became somewhat dazzling.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a strange emptiness left the girl bewildered and almost completely lost.

Fu Hua subconsciously called out the boy's name:

"Su Qing'an?"

He stopped in his tracks, turned back, and asked:

"What's wrong, Hua?"

That strange, throbbing feeling vanished as if it had never existed.

The young woman calmly followed the other person's paused footsteps. She coughed twice and said:

"It's okay, I'll cook today."

What do you like to eat?

Su Qing'an casually said:

"If it's Hua, she'll do anything."

Just a few minutes later, night had gradually enveloped the original scene.

The two stepped into the building marked with the number 28, entered the old elevator, and arrived at their final destination amidst creaking noises.

The boy calmly took out the key and opened the door.

Fu Hua was actually quite curious as to why he still had these things. She remembered that when she rescued Su Qing'an from Ganesha, the only item she found and brought back from the scene was a fragment of [Calming the Tempest].

As Su Qing'an opened the door, he said to Fu Hua:

"The key and access card were given to me by Himeko. She wanted to come and see me in person during the time my parents had their accident, but she couldn't because of her mission. I guess she prepared these things during that time."

He suddenly remembered Himeko's room and this person's usual routine and habits, and said helplessly:

"Honestly, if you're this busy, taking care of yourself is more important than worrying about others."

Fu Hua said softly:

"Major Himeko, that's the kind of person she is."

The two walked into the room as they talked, Su Qing'an turned on the light.

Under the incandescent light, the view suddenly became clear, and the scene that came into view was nothing special compared to the usual home furnishings.

A thin layer of dust covered the furniture and floor, indicating that no one had lived here for a long time. The front view was of the kitchen, and through the transparent glass door, one could see the messy sink full of unwashed dishes.

A thin blanket and a few pillows were draped over the sofa in the living room. Several game boxes with CDs not properly inserted sat haphazardly on the TV cabinet, the controllers still connected to their consoles. Snack bags and drink cans were carelessly tossed on the floor...

All these details reveal the owner's life before his departure, as if the past had remained here.

Fu Hua remained silent.

Su Qing'an took off her shoes and put on slippers from the cabinet.

He walked step by step through the dusty living room, and finally entered several tightly closed rooms. He seemed to be trying to confirm something, from his father's habit of arranging books in the study to the photos tucked inside the thick books at the bottom of the cabinet.

The boy said blankly:

"It really is... exactly the same."

The location, the interior, the lifestyle, and every detail are exactly the same as in the original world.

The only difference is the parents' identities.

Judging from the memories and the clues left in this house, Su Jinyan and Chen Luoqiu in this world have personalities that are completely consistent with their parents in their own world.

Fu Hua felt that he had completely relaxed earlier because, in a fleeting moment of daze, Su Qing'an truly thought that he had returned to his original world.

And now, these indistinguishable scenes seem to be whispering in the boy's ear.

Welcome home, Su Qing'an.

The girl suddenly moved closer to him, and softly uttered the exact same words:

"Welcome home, Su Qing'an."

Su Qing'an was stunned. He felt his emotions surging like a tidal wave at this moment, and he couldn't calm them down.

However, unlike the previous negative emotions, this time the feelings were completely different.

Welcome home.

These words held profound significance for this young man who had endured numerous hardships.

The girl paid no attention to Su Qing'an's momentary unease about how to cope with her feelings; she continued to speak softly about scattered, trivial matters:

"Let's go out for dinner, and then clean your house. But before that, how about we open the windows to air it out?"

"Hmm." He nodded.

"I just checked, and after six months, there's nothing left in your fridge. Luckily, you still have all the seasonings, so you just need to go out and buy some groceries."

"Okay." He nodded.

"Take the trash downstairs with you later."

"Mmm." She nodded again.

A thousand words stuck in my throat.

Su Qing'an seemed to have lost the ability to organize his thoughts, and could only nod awkwardly in response.

The girl, amused by his appearance, patted his hair and said:

"Then let's go downstairs and buy groceries together. Didn't you say anything was fine? How about we have dinner according to my preferences tonight?"

Su Qing'an nodded her head following the soft, slender hand, and softly responded with the same words as before:

"Good."

It was as if, when facing this person, no matter what request was made, he could only nod and comply.

The warmth emanating from the girl's cool fingertips dispelled the darkness lurking deep within her thoughts.

My heart is beating quietly.

Xinbing gradually became clear and transparent amidst the turbulent yet calm vortex of emotions.

A bright mirror, a bright mirror.

With just a few words and a few accidental gestures from the other party, Su Qing'an took another big step closer to that threshold.

Compared to negative emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and hatred, the Mind Lake itself has always welcomed positive emotions. Moreover, because these emotions occur so rarely, they are even better nourishment than negative emotions.

This was clearly not a good thing, but his mood didn't worsen at all.

Su Qing'an understood that, less than a year later, as he returned "home," a deeper imprint had been left on his heart than before.

The mental barrier that was breached beneath the ruins that day has now been layered with precious everyday moments and memories along its original path. The added weight has become part of Su Qing'an's Soul Essence, making him feel that the meaning of life now has other options.

The boy could no longer deny the feelings that existed deep within his chest and soul.

Su Qing'an likes Fu Hua.

I've liked it for a very, very long time.

I've liked it since... 50,000 years ago.

Say it out loud.

The choice flashed through her mind, and Su Qing'an, who was always used to being calm and restrained, was almost unable to control herself at this moment.

The soft fingertips left the hair, but even the remaining warmth was like a drowning poison at this moment.

In the dusty, dimly lit study.

He spoke to the girl who was standing close to him.

"Hua..."