Notes of Fleeting Light (4)

Seeing how happy Senior Sister Ye looked, Xu An felt a sense of satisfaction too. It seemed today had ended perfectly. He felt he ought to start thinking about where to take her tomorrow...

Watching the two of them act as though she wasn't there, Belle didn't know what to feel.

(Should I be under the car~ instead of inside it?)

"Senior Sister, I need to think about where to take you tomorrow. (✿^‿^) You finally got a chance to come down the mountain, so you should have some proper fun," Xu An said. Then he scratched his head and began thinking.

Holding both pots of flowers in one arm seemed a little inconvenient, so he had to lower the hand scratching his head and carry one in each hand instead.

"How about visiting Sixth Street? It should feel pretty new to you, Senior Sister, right? You really like animals, so I think you'll definitely like it there," Belle quickly suggested when she heard him.

Heh-heh, once you're on my home turf, let's see how you ignore me.

Ye Shunguang looked at the sky. It was already getting late. "It's getting late, so let's say goodbye here~ Little Junior Brother. I'll leave the diary on the table. There should be some of my thoughts and the photos we took today in it. Remember to read it when you have time!"

"Can't you just tell me directly, Senior Sister?" Xu An asked, a little puzzled.

"Y-you're being way too direct, Little Junior Brother! ...Some things feel different when you say them face-to-face instead of writing them down!

"Anyway, remember to read the diary! These are memories we made together." Ye Shunguang's cheeks were slightly flushed as she explained to Xu An, emphasizing that last point.

"That does seem true," Xu An said after thinking about it. Then he leaned close to Ye Shunguang's ear and said, "I like you, Senior Sister."

?--? Ye Shunguang froze, and Xu An got to witness the appearance of a steam girl. Then Ye Shunguang hurriedly said goodbye and jogged away from him, as though he were some fearsome beast.

"Senior Sister! I'll come pick you up tomorrow!" Xu An called as he said goodbye.

"I wonder if she heard me."

Then Xu An looked at Belle beside him.

"Uh, Belle, how about I buy you some milk tea to soothe your anger?" Xu An asked sheepishly.

"Two cups, or I'll stay unhappy." Belle tilted her head and smiled. Since you still remembered me, I'll forgive you just a little.

"Sure, sure. I'll buy a few extra cups and bring some back for Master and the others to try."

The two wandered around a little more, then soon returned to the temple.

By the time they reached the temple, it was already dark, and Senior Brother Pan had just finished cooking. Xu An set the milk tea he was carrying on the table.

"This one's Master's, lightly sweetened tea with milk. Fruit tea for Senior Brother Pan, full-sugar boba for Senior Sister Fufu, and half-sugar milk foam tea for Senior Brother Ye and Wise." After handing them out one by one, Xu An sat down to eat.

"Did you go shopping today?" Yixuan asked.

"Yep, we happened to have a day off, hehe, so I went out with Senior Sister Ye and Belle," Xu An said.

Hearing that, Ye Shiyuan raised his head and glanced at Xu An, his thoughts unknown. Wise did the same. Then the two exchanged a glance, as though confirming something.

Xu An, however, hadn't noticed their actions and continued talking to his master.

"I thought Xiaoguang must be bored staying on the mountain every day, and I happened to want to go out too, so I arranged to go with her. We ran into Belle along the way, so we all went together."

Yixuan glanced at Belle when she heard that. This girl had checked her phone halfway through her work and then rushed off. Yixuan hadn't known what she was off to do.

"It's all Senior Brother Xu's fault. He told me he was going shopping but didn't tell me where, so I could only look around on instinct. Who knew I'd find him walking hand in hand with Little Senior Sister in Lumina Square?" Hearing this, Ye Shiyuan seemed unable to sit still. His eyes were fixed firmly on Xu An.

His stare made Xu An's skin crawl.

"What do you mean, hand in hand?" Yixuan asked Xu An, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, looking as though she didn't mind making the spectacle even bigger.

"Well, we were crossing the road. Yes, that's right, holding hands is safer. What if one of us wasn't paying attention, right? Don't you agree, Master?" Xu An explained haltingly.

Beside Ye Shiyuan, Wise held him back and said quietly, "Easy, easy. Come on, friends can hold hands too. They were crossing the road. Holding hands is normal."

"Oh, right! After that, Senior Sister Ye and I took Xu An by the hands and went to a flower shop to arrange flowers!" Belle sat with her little face propped in her hands, waving the chopsticks she held as though recalling the scene.

"Calm down, Junior Brother Wise. It's fine, it's fine." Now it was Ye Shiyuan's turn to hold Wise back.

"Oh, and we agreed to visit Sixth Street together tomorrow too, hehe," Belle continued.

"There's a tomorrow too?!" Wise and Ye Shiyuan asked loudly in unison.

"What's wrong, Brother? Senior Brother Ye?" Belle looked thoroughly puzzled.

"N-nothing." The two adjusted their collars and unfastened their necklines. For some reason, they seemed a little hot.

"Then take Xiaoguang out and make sure she has fun tomorrow. Sorry for the trouble, and be sure to stay safe," Yixuan said after some thought.

"Mm! You can rest assured leaving Senior Sister Xiaoguang to me!" Xu An promised.

"No problem, Master. I know Sixth Street really well!" Belle readily agreed too.

For the rest of the meal, the atmosphere seemed to become a little peculiar. Ye Shiyuan and Wise both stared at Xu An, and Yixuan and Belle stared at him too.

As for Pan Yinhu and Ju Fufu, one fidgeted in his seat and fled as soon as he finished eating, using the things he hadn't tidied up in the kitchen as an excuse. The other kept her head down and devoured her food, her momentum at that moment rather befitting a tiger.

Xu An: ...I think I'm a little dead. Could you please stop staring at me?!

Xu An was screaming inside.

"Ahaha~ I'm full, so I'll head back to my room now. Master, Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, Belle, and Wise, take your time eating. Yeah, take your time!" Xu An stood as he spoke, preparing to retreat, then vanished from the spot in a flash.

Once Xu An left, the atmosphere between the others eased considerably.

"Master, Xiaoguang..." Ye Shiyuan hesitated.

"It's fine. Xiao An is very strong, and Belle will be with them too. Nothing will go wrong," Yixuan reassured him.

"Belle, since you're heading back tomorrow anyway, I'll go back with you to tidy up the shop. I think I forgot to bring something," Wise said with a forced smile.

"Huh? Brother, didn't I remind you so many times? How did you still forget something? Honestly (┳◇┳), you're not reliable at all," Belle grumbled.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll just go get it tomorrow. It's fine," Wise said helplessly.

Early the next morning, Xu An arrived at Ye Shunguang's residence on the mountain, but she was nowhere to be seen.

The quilt was neatly folded, and the pot of flowers Xu An had arranged yesterday sat by the window on the bedside table.