Chapter 247

Isn't it just lust at first sight? It's just a dopamine rush from seeing someone with a good figure, good looks, and good clothes—a mere euphemism for one's own desires. And what does "love grows over time" mean? It's just the literal meaning—using time to smooth over one person's feelings for another until a compromise is formed, and they're half-heartedly together. Or perhaps it has another literal meaning, but in today's rule-of-law society, that's probably a very small possibility. In short, these are all things Xia Yan doesn't approve of. He stole a glance at the girl driving at a normal speed, a helpless smile playing on his lips. Who would have thought that Xia Yan would one day feel these two kinds of impulses towards a girl? He sighed softly, but without any regret on his face, Xia Yan approached the girl in a good mood. This moment was the moment he wanted to spend every day of his future with her... His thoughts were interrupted. Seeing Hua Xin, engrossed in driving, about to turn left without a second thought, he quickly shouted, "Wife! Go straight! Go straight!" "Wrong turn..." "Thump..." Xia Yan closed his eyes and stopped the car, unable to bear the sight that awaited him. He saw Hua Xin, unfamiliar with turning, standing bewildered beside him, while the electric scooter lay motionless on the ground, looking so bad that even Megatron would have to apply some engine oil to his eyes to prevent antifreeze from seeping out. Well, actually, it wasn't that bad; Hua Xin had just jumped off. "It shouldn't be broken, right..." the girl said weakly. She understood the principle of having to pay for broken things. Xia Yan righted the scooter, relieved to see there were no damages or scratches. At least it had fallen onto the grass, the newly sprouted green shoots providing some cover. Rental cars don't usually have insurance; if it's damaged, you have to pay for it. "How about... we ride one?" "..." "I feel like I've almost learned it, but I'm still a tiny bit short." Hua Xin turned her head away guiltily, trying to explain herself. Actually, she had almost completely mastered riding an electric scooter, but the turns were a bit too sharp. The girl, who often played games on the computer, subconsciously planned to press F to jump out of the vehicle as her first priority, otherwise, if the vehicle exploded, she would be doomed. But now it was reality, and in some ways, the scooter was more important than her. Because Hua Xin couldn't afford to pay for it. "Let's stop here for now? There's a park up ahead. Let's go for a walk there. There's a lighthouse where we can take pictures, and we can also rest for a while and enjoy the sea breeze." Xia Yan said softly after parking and locking the scooter, smiling gently at the somewhat helpless girl beside him. If only he had a lot of money right now. That way, he could let her sit in the scooter and take her wherever she wanted to go, instead of her clumsily riding the scooter and falling over every turn. "Let's go..." "Anyway, you made the plan, I'll just go with you." Hua Xin glanced at the vehicle that had fallen after jumping out of the car, then coughed lightly to dispel her slight embarrassment and worry, and followed Xia Yan into the park. The surrounding area was all built-up, and the park was like a raised area, a specially designated place for people to play and take photos. Perhaps this is common near the sea, since their trip only required walking along the coastline on the edge of the city. The path to the park wasn't very long, and occasionally adults and the elderly would be seen running and jumping with children, and there were no entrance fees. It was clearly a very relaxing park, and even in the off-season, there weren't many people. The girl walked along, looking around curiously. Such leisurely moments were rare in her memory. Suddenly, a tall white lighthouse appeared in her sight, standing out against the backdrop of the sea, and in the bright sunshine today, it looked even more radiant than the bleak loneliness of winter. Lighthouse, seaweed-thatched houses, swings, the sea, trees. The girl couldn't quite describe the feeling she was experiencing. "Let's take a picture? It looks better here in person than it does online," Xia Yan said, waving his phone at Hua Xin. "Okay," the girl belatedly nodded, slowly following him to the white lighthouse. Hua Xin felt the person beside her stop, gesturing for her to continue, before realizing that Xia Yan wanted to take a picture of her alone. What an oblivious young man. Doesn't he know that a group photo is appropriate at times like this? The girl pursed her lips, then looked around politely and asked a young-looking woman to hold Xia Yan's phone. "Let me take one for you first." "I don't really like taking pictures, so it's more fun to take one together." "Oh~ then I'll gladly accept." "You little rascal." The two standing together could easily hear each other's words, and their first time in front of someone else's camera made them both a little reserved. "Come closer, say cheese~" The auntie happily held Xia Yan's phone horizontally, her eyes filled with reminiscence as she looked at the man and woman on the screen, as if she saw her former self in their youthful exuberance. A "click" sounded, and a photo was permanently saved as data on the phone. The two in the picture were very close. Xia Yan smiled happily, while Hua Xin's eyes seemed somewhat disgusted, but the upturned corners of her mouth betrayed the girl's feelings. However... when did their hands, adorned with matching bracelets, become intertwined? 188. What exactly was that sound? 3k6 When the sea breeze blew, the girl didn't have any particular thoughts in her mind. But compared to the blue light she had seen from afar on the balcony, the current scene clearly gave her a feeling that was unreal, yet expansive and unsettling. Today's sunshine was the brightest it had been in recent days. Even though the rainy season was approaching, the weather had been sunny ever since their group set off, as if even the heavens hadn't been capricious enough to dampen their spirits. The brilliant sunlight was dazzling, but not unbearably hot; the sea breeze was gentle, even somewhat mild. The shimmering sea wasn't like the occasional cruise ship and towering skyscrapers that the young woman had seen in Shanghai. Hua Xin couldn't see the horizon. The azure sea, with its gentle waves, stretched endlessly, dotted with glittering reflections of light. At that moment, she recalled how Eren and his group in Attack on Titan had finally escaped the walls, traversing countless life-or-death situations before finally reaching the boundless sea at the edge of the island after defeating the Titans. Their joyful expressions were like those of children who had just tasted something sweet. At that time, Hua Xin could only sense that they were full of hope for the future, had seen what they had always wanted to see, and had achieved their goal of driving out the giants during that period. Meanwhile, she, still struggling to make ends meet in her Little Black, could only sincerely envy them from in front of her computer screen.