At noon, they stopped to rest at a riverside teahouse outside a restaurant.
The river was broad, and painted pleasure boats drifted past from time to time. Little bronze bells hung from their prows, chiming when the wind blew. Willow branches along the shore drooped low, and sunlight shattered into a sheet of gold across the water. Bamboo tables and chairs filled the teahouse, while nearby stalls sold flaky pastries and candied lotus root. Passersby came and went, stopping to sit for a while. It was lively without being noisy.
Chu Yang ordered a pot of light tea and a plate of candied lotus root.
Su Wanwan stared at the plate and suddenly asked in a soft voice, "How did you know I like sweet things?"
"When you took that packet of sugar cake from me at the entrance to town the first time, your eyes lit up."
"Did they?"
"You don't even know yourself."
She lowered her head and picked up a slice of lotus root with her chopsticks. The sweetness melted over her tongue, and something in her heart slowly softened along with it.
"Chu Yang."
"Hmm?"
"Why... why are you suddenly being so nice to me today?"
Chu Yang paused with his teacup halfway to his lips, then raised a brow. "Was I not nice to you before?"
"It wasn't that you were bad." Su Wanwan pressed her lips together. "It's just... you always used to bully me."
"That was bullying?"
"Yes." She answered immediately. "You made me wash pots, mend clothes, sort socks, mix mud, and you were always provoking me."
"That was because you weren't honest back then."
"So I'm honest now?"
"Better than before." Chu Yang took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "At least now you know how to block blades for