"Excuse me, please let me through."
"Sorry..."
The boy pushed through the crowd.
He squeezed through a narrow gap.
The hem of a fluttering black trench coat entered his field of vision.
The boy's eyes lit up.
His weary legs suddenly filled with strength.
He shouted and rushed forward.
"Un-uncle?"
The face that turned around was unfamiliar.
It wasn't... his uncle.
The boy let go of the other person's clothes.
"S-sor~ry."
The boy took a deep breath. "I mistook you for someone else."
The other person walked away.
"Huff... huff..."
The boy braced his hands on his knees, head hanging low.
Disappointment and exhaustion washed over him.
His eyes were unfocused.
"So slow."
"Get over here."
A familiar, low voice, tinged with impatience, reached his ears.
The boy suddenly looked up.
Uncle!
Ah!
There he was!
The boy's eyes widened.
His face glowed with delight.
His tired body filled with strength once more.
He hurried through the crowd.
"Sorry."
"Sorry, please let me through."
"Excuse me..."
"Uncle!"
The boy finally reached the man's side.
"I thought you'd already left..."
Zhou Lin glanced at the boy.
Since he'd said he would talk to the kid, he wasn't about to go back on his word and make himself look bad.
He said nothing and turned to walk ahead.
The boy hurried after him.
This time, he stayed close, following right on his heels.
Only after sitting down did he come back to his senses.
This was... a teahouse?
The boy found his own uncertainty a little amusing.
The tea-scented room and the tea set before him made it perfectly clear this was a teahouse, didn't they?
He was probably just a little surprised.
His uncle had actually brought him to a teahouse.
His