Shen Qiao felt that his reaction was rather flat. She comforted herself, thinking that he was simply like that, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if he didn't like her. These two conflicting thoughts swirled in her mind, causing her to unconsciously pull her expression back into a more neutral one.

It felt like this would make it seem like she wasn’t losing out.

Both of them had serious expressions, and if you looked at them, you might think they were arguing. Zheng Zhong, confused by her sudden change in mood, thought to himself that he had already said his part, but now she wasn’t responding. What should he say next?

He thought back to the place he had just tidied up and awkwardly said, “Do you want to come to my place for a bit?”

After thinking for a moment, this already felt like quite a long sentence for him.

Shen Qiao, who had been standing at the door, felt curious but smiled and replied, “Sure, I’ll go back to the educated youth station and grab something.”

It was only right to bring a gift when visiting someone's home, and since she didn’t have much, she decided to at least pick some vegetables.

It was dinnertime, and the educated youth station had already set the table.

She quickly ate her own meal, a bite of soup, a bite of vegetables, then took the freshly made pants and said, “I’m going out for a bit.”

It was still bright, the sun having just set.

Shen Qiao took a few steps outside and saw Zheng Zhong hesitating, unsure whether to knock on the door. He had made dinner and thought she might be coming soon, but now he wasn’t sure if she had changed her mind.

When their eyes met in the dim light, Shen Qiao smiled with delight. “Are you here to pick me up?”

She was actually a little scared of the dark, and with few people on the road, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Zheng Zhong realized that she must have wanted someone to accompany her.

He’d never considered the idea of picking someone up before, but now, with this new door opening in his life, he said somewhat sheepishly, “Yeah, I’m here to pick you up.”

Shen Qiao was surprised; he didn’t look like the type to do something like this. She quietly said, “Thank you, I was actually a little scared to walk alone in the dark.”

It wasn’t quite night yet, but it was getting there.

Zheng Zhong looked up at the sky and remembered when he was younger, walking across two mountains at night. He said, “You don’t have to be scared.”

It was easy for him to say, but Shen Qiao always told herself not to be afraid, though she couldn’t help it. She sighed and said, “I’ll try to get over it.”

Zheng Zhong turned to look at her, observing how small she was. She seemed fragile, as though a gust of wind could blow her down, but she also looked stubborn, unwilling to bend.

He looked at his own strong hands. They had deep lines, and he couldn’t help but wonder if just a slight touch could hurt her.

She should be afraid, and it was okay for her to be afraid.

He said, “If you can’t get over it, that’s okay.”

She immediately responded, “But I can’t keep being like this.”

Society had certain expectations of people’s character, and she felt like she was guilty of not meeting them, constantly reflecting on herself.

Zheng Zhong said, without thinking, “It’s fine.”

But he couldn’t explain why it felt fine.

Shen Qiao insisted on asking, “What’s good about it?”

Zheng Zhong wasn’t the type to flatter with words. He tried a few times but couldn’t form an answer. He licked his lips and muttered, “I don’t know.”

His honesty made Shen Qiao giggle. “You don’t need to comfort me.”

She knew that she wasn’t very impressive.

Zheng Zhong wasn’t comforting her; he just didn’t want her to be unhappy. He said, “I’ll pick you up.”

It didn’t matter where they went; with him, she didn’t need to be afraid.

Promises, even if simple, contained many emotions. Shen Qiao’s heart raced as she asked, “Always?”

Zheng Zhong looked up at the sky, a bit puzzled. “If you stay at the commune.”

He felt a strange sense of disappointment after speaking those words.

Shen Qiao, having little hope of returning to the city, sighed faintly and said, “I’ll probably be here for a while.”

Zheng Zhong felt his heart race too, as though something inside him was starting to grow.

He said, “Then I will.”