Chapter 237

It didn't feel so real, and it made Hua Xin feel a little dazed. Was she really not dreaming? Thinking about it, Hua Xin, somewhat disbelieving, lightly pinched the back of her hand with her fingernail. Seeing the faint red marks appear on her skin, which easily bled and bruised, she chuckled and lowered her hand. It seemed she wasn't dreaming. In the car, a soft English song played, its mellow melody a memory from her intensive high school English exams, allowing the girl with her exceptionally good memory to roughly translate it. Uh... but the final assessment... The girl, gazing out the window, paused, a slight smile appearing in her eyes. The specific meaning was best left to herself; if it were in Chinese, it might seem like filler lyrics. In short, it was a slightly risqué song with a great rhythm. Li Xue and Shan Qing were in the front, while Hua Xin and Xia Yan sat in the spacious back seat. But surprisingly, it wasn't Brother Shan Qing was driving, but Sister Li Xue, who was in the driver's seat, who was driving with great enthusiasm and showed no signs of fatigue. She chatted with Shan Qing occasionally, and it seemed that everyone was having a good time on this trip. Even after more than an hour, she didn't show any signs of fatigue, and the car was very smooth. She wasn't like the kind of female driver you sometimes see on video apps who has road rage and a sign on her rear window that says, "I failed my driving test seven times." Her driving skills were quite impressive. If she were like that, Hua Xin probably would have jumped out of the car halfway through. Sister Li Xue was very serious and reliable. The girl adjusted her posture. For some reason, the excitement she had when she first got in the car gradually faded as the journey became more and more mundane, replaced by an increasingly strong drowsiness. She turned her head slightly and saw Xia Yan also leaning back in his seat, gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought. But then, as if sensing the girl's gaze, he turned his head and gave her a rather greasy wink. "..." Hua Xin, who was just about to mentally praise Xia Yan's Hua Xin profile, couldn't help but look away with a disgusted expression upon seeing this. Okay, whatever, she'd pretended she hadn't thought that. This guy was as unserious as ever! Hua Xin cutely stuck out her tongue at Xia Yan, then looked away again, leaning back in her seat and staring blankly out the window. Come to think of it, this seemed to be her first time riding in a private car? From childhood, she had always gone to and from school alone, or wandered aimlessly in the parks near her home, or hid in that small, lockable room—the storage room the girl now used to store her belongings. She had never left that place; an invisible constraint bound her tightly, preventing her from moving, until Xia Yan's appearance changed everything. Hua Xin's fingers involuntarily tightened around the hem of her clothes. The girl herself knew very well what that feeling was like. The unfamiliar scenery outside the window left her speechless for a moment, but the faint warmth from his hand brought Hua Xin back to her senses. "What are you thinking about?" "Nothing..." "Also, your hand is on mine." The girl dispelled her displeasure and turned her head, feigning indifference as she spoke softly. However, she didn't pull her right hand away from Xia Yan's grasp. Their bracelets shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the car window. "Ah... I accidentally bumped into her, the back seat is a bit cramped." Xia Yan lied earnestly, but he didn't let go of the girl's hand. He easily shifted to the side, instantly closing the distance between himself and Hua Xin, almost touching. Although being affectionate at this time wasn't appropriate, he wanted to cheer the girl up this way. A person's eyes often reveal emotions that they themselves are unaware of, hence the saying, "The eyes are the windows to the soul." Although Xia Yan didn't know why the girl beside him often showed such heartbreaking loneliness and pain, he couldn't personally tear open her wounds and ask her directly. He could only try to alleviate it in his own way. Until the day the girl was willing to confide in him arrived. Xia Yan didn't find it difficult or patience-consuming, nor did he think he would ever lose that patience and love. His gaze fell upon the girl, who was clearly unhappy but pretending to be indifferent because of him. Xia Yan laughed and spoke to her in a corny, cheesy way, teasing her with a look of disgust, while using the warmth of his own hands to dispel the coldness in hers. He believed. That day wouldn't be far off. The two spoke in hushed tones, clearly not wanting the two people in the innocent stage of their relationship to overhear anything from the two curious onlookers in the rearview mirror. "You guys... um..." Li Xue glanced at the rearview mirror with a mischievous glint in her eyes, trying to catch the two in the act, before Shan Qing quickly silenced her with a sweet piece of fruit. Shan Qing, his face full of helplessness, made an "X" with his hands in front of him, signaling Li Xue not to be a third wheel. Having known Li Xue for over a decade, he obviously knew her personality all too well. As the saying goes, a couple's personalities complement each other; identical puzzle pieces can never be put together. Clearly, they were quite different in many ways. Li Xue, seemingly unconvinced, obediently ate her fruit, but also refrained from any further mischievous thoughts, though her eyes occasionally darted towards the rearview mirror. One quiet, one active; one calm and reserved, one lively and energetic—perhaps this best describes Shan Qing and Li Xue. "Ahem... I brought a Switch, do you want to play?" Xia Yan, now slightly more composed, spoke to the girl in his normal voice, but his tone still held a subtle allure. "?" "Why didn't you say so earlier?" "You didn't ask me." "..." "What games? What games?!" Hua Xin seemed very excited watching Xia Yan rummage through his bag. The relaxed feeling of not having played games for a long time was like a tempting treat. In other words, she was addicted. After her computer broke down and her phone was in terrible condition, the girl hadn't played games for a very long time. She spent her days either doing naughty things or on her way to doing naughty things. Because of that cup of water, she missed countless opportunities to rank up! Hua Xin was also quite curious about game consoles. When she was little, she had only seen a PSP from someone else. Back then, she didn't have a phone or computer, and the various moving characters and strange moves remained deep in her memory. But back then, she only dared to look at them from afar. Now, recalling that memory again, Hua Xin was so excited. "Zelda? Mario?" "Look at these, what do you like to play? I also brought Kirby." Xia Yan attached the side controller to the Switch and handed it to the eager girl beside him. Hua Xin's attention was clearly focused on the red and blue game console, and she unconsciously leaned closer to Xia Yan, some of her hair falling onto his shoulder, making him smile gently. "Press this, then press this. If you've played a certain game, you should be able to play Zelda, right?" "I haven't played it. I'm a gaming genius." Hua Xin denied ever playing it without batting an eye.