The scene of their eting wasn’t what Li Qing had envisioned.
Instead of answering Liu Changqing's question, her eyes fell to his chest, guilt flickering across her face.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I didn't an to…"
"I know you didn’t."
Liu Changqing wasn’t angry. Looking at the girl with her head lowered, he asked again, "So, weren’t you supposed to go ho for sumr vacation? Why are you here?"
"My mom wanted to et a friend and insisted I co along…"
"A friend?" Liu Changqing thought for a mont.
"Is she planning to set you up for a blind date?"
Li Qing's head shot up in surprise. She hadn’t thought of that possibility, but the more she considered it, the more uneasy she felt. Why else would her mom insist on bringing her along when she’d refused outings in the past? Her expression turned anxious.
"It shouldn’t be a blind date, right? I’m just a first-year college student!"
"Who knows? Maybe she’s just eting a friend and nothing more," Liu Changqing replied.
His words, however, didn’t alleviate Li Qing’s worries. The possibility of a blind date sent waves of panic through her.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Liu Changqing turned to Feng Qian and explained, "This young lady used to frequent the bookstore where I worked."
"Oh, I see," Feng Qian replied, a look of understanding crossing his face.
To him, Li Qing appeared to be a student. Though her interaction with Liu Changqing seed sowhat close, if there were anything inappropriate between them, he’d have to reevaluate his impression of Liu Changqing. The thought of soone going after a girl more than ten years younger gave him a shiver.
Noticing Feng Qian’s visible reaction, Liu Changqing glanced around in confusion. The mall’s air conditioning felt fine—what was with the shiver?
Li Qing snapped out of her thoughts and suddenly grabbed Liu Changqing’s arm, her face full of panic.
"Uncle, help !"
"Huh? Help you with what?"
Her outburst drew the attention of passersby, so even stopping in their tracks. Embarrassed, Liu Changqing gently pried her hand off and spoke in a lower voice.
"Talk properly, don’t shout like that."
"You’re right, Uncle. The more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems. My mom was unusually persistent today. Normally, if I refuse once or twice, she gives up, but today she was adamant no matter how much I protested…"
Li Qing’s face was full of worry as she looked at Liu Changqing with a pleading expression.
"Uncle, could she really be trying to set up on a blind date? I’m still young…"
"You’re not that young!" Liu Changqing replied after giving her a once-over.
"When I was younger, there were plenty of people getting married at 16 or 17. By the way, how old are you now?"
"19…"
"19, huh? That’s still pretty young," he muttered before realizing sothing.
When this girl was born, his original body was already 16 years old…
Kids these days grow up fast, he thought, shaking his head.
Seeing her worried expression, Liu Changqing chuckled.
"Relax. At 19, you can’t even legally register for marriage. There’s no way your mom’s taking you to a blind date. Maybe after you graduate from college, it’s more likely."
"My mom doesn’t play by the rules!" Li Qing protested.
"If you don’t want to go, she can’t force you," Liu Changqing reassured her. Then, with a teasing smile, he offered a suggestion:
"If it really is a blind date, just act silly. Order soda, take a big gulp, and spit it out on purpose."
Li Qing froze. Such an embarrassing act…
"That’s… not a good idea…"
"Alright, then cry. Cry loudly and as dramatically as you can. The more heartbroken you look, the better."
"...Uncle..."
From her exasperated tone, Liu Changqing could tell she wasn’t taking his suggestions seriously. Dropping the playful tone, he said, "You’re not even 20 yet. There’s no way she’s taking you to a blind date. Stop overthinking it."
With that, he moved to change the topic.
To Liu Changqing, Li Qing was still a child. She had only recently started college and still carried a youthful innocence, untouched by the complexities of the world. He couldn’t help but find amusent in teasing her, much like he would with his own children.
Pulling out his phone, he pretended to check the ti and feigned surprise.
"It’s this late already? Old Feng, let’s head back to the office."
Turning to Li Qing, he said, "You shouldn’t wander around on your own. Call your mom."
"Uncle, are you working now?" Li Qing asked curiously.
"Yeah, I’m working at a company. Just taking my lunch break to buy shoes for his daughter," he said, gesturing to Feng Qian and his daughter.
"I need to head back soon. Let’s chat another ti."
With that, Liu Changqing walked past her, waving offhandedly.
"And you, don’t wander around aimlessly."
He glanced back at Feng Qian and his daughter, who were still standing there, and called out, "Why are you two just standing there? Let’s go."
Feng Qian nodded at Li Qing as a quick goodbye before taking his daughter’s hand and following Liu Changqing.
Li Qing stood there in a daze, watching Liu Changqing walk away. She didn’t call out to him but quietly observed his departing figure, lost in thought.
After leaving the mall, Liu Changqing noticed Feng Qian’s hesitant expression and peculiar gaze.
Stopping in his tracks, he asked, "Why are you staring at like that?"
"That girl seems to feel sothing special for you," Feng Qian said, his tone suggestive.
"…" Liu Changqing fell silent.
He understood Li Qing’s feelings. Though their first encounter was rather chaotic, they got along well afterward. She frequently visited him at the bookstore, chatting casually. From the original owner’s fragnted mories, he vaguely recalled her presence.
That was last year, though…
Liu Changqing sighed.
This body left quite the ss to clean up.
Glancing at Feng Qian, he resud walking.
"She’s still a kid. Sotis young people misinterpret emotions as affection. Give her so space, and she’ll let go eventually."
As they neared the parking lot, he murmured,
"Ti… will heal everything."
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