Chapter 122 A Chance Encounter at the Museum
"I happen to be free today. Is there any particular place Aoba would like to go?" Zuo Qinghuan asked Aoba. Aoba has been in China for a week, and she hasn't yet fulfilled her duty as a host. Today, she will take her around while running errands.
"How about a museum?" Aoba asked. She really likes Chinese culture and has half Chinese heritage herself, giving her an inexplicable sense of familiarity and longing for China.
"Okay." Because Qin Wanshu likes antiques and has been quite knowledgeable about them over the years, maybe she can even be Aoba's tour guide, Zuo Qinghuan thought to herself.
However, after arriving at the museum, Zuo Qinghuan realized that she wasn't a very good guide. Aoba was more familiar with some history than she was. If Aoba and Qin Wanshu were together, they would definitely have a lot in common, Zuo Qinghuan thought. In fact, later it proved to be true.
"There are fewer and fewer children who are so familiar with history these days. Most children nowadays are somewhat impetuous," an old man nearby said admiringly upon hearing this.
Zuo Qinghuan and Aoba returned friendly smiles. However, Zuo Qinghuan's smile froze when she saw Qin Wanshu not far away. Zuo Qinghuan wasn't surprised to see Qin Wanshu here, but she was surprised that they would appear at the museum at the same time. Was it fate? Zuo Qinghuan felt very happy.
Aoba noticed Zuo Qinghuan's surprise and followed her gaze, indeed seeing Qin Wanshu.
"Do you know Miss Qin?" The old man asked, seeing them both looking at Qin Wanshu, intuitively thinking they knew each other.
Zuo Qinghuan nodded. It wasn't just knowing her; she was the most important person to her.
"Since you are friends of Miss Qin, you must be exceptional. Miss Qin is the most outstanding woman I have ever met. The breadth of her mind and her demeanor are something even someone my age might not possess. She is gentle, beautiful, and virtuous. That Guanyin statue was returned to China thanks to her." The old man's praise for Qin Wanshu was overflowing.
"She has always been such a wonderful woman," Zuo Qinghuan said with a smile. She looked at Qin Wanshu's back. Qin Wanshu didn't know she was there. She seemed to be looking at that Guanyin statue very seriously, lost in thought. That faint, tranquil aura... this was the woman she knew best and loved most deeply.
"You must take a good look at that Guanyin statue. Its posture is extremely serene, calming the hearts of those who look at it," the old man said with a sigh, and then quietly left.
"Shall we go over?" Aoba asked. She thought her sister would be happy to see her, and she really wanted to get to know Qin Wanshu. The polite smile last time didn't allow them to truly get acquainted. Today might be a good opportunity.
Zuo Qinghuan shook her head. Although seeing Qin Wanshu always made her feel uncontrollably excited, she didn't want to disturb Qin Wanshu at this moment, unwilling to interrupt her refined interest. Moreover, just looking at Qin Wanshu at this moment made Zuo Qinghuan feel very content.
Aoba sensed that when Zuo Qinghuan saw Qin Wanshu, her entire being followed Qin Wanshu, and she no longer had the mind to accompany her on the tour.
"Sister, I'd like to wander around by myself for a bit and come back to find you later, is that okay?" Aoba asked very considerately. Her sister hadn't seen Qin Wanshu for a long time and must want to look at her properly.
Zuo Qinghuan looked at Aoba in surprise. Aoba had always been such a considerate child. Rather than accompanying Aoba absentmindedly, it would be better to let her be alone. Aoba was an independent child and knew how to take care of herself, so Zuo Qinghuan felt quite at ease letting her explore on her own.
"Then call me after you're done looking around," Zuo Qinghuan said to Aoba apologetically.
"Okay," Aoba smiled brightly at Zuo Qinghuan, seemingly not caring at all. Only then did Zuo Qinghuan feel somewhat relieved.
Qin Wanshu looked at the serene and peaceful Guanyin, and couldn't help but feel a sense of historical vicissitude and loss. Perhaps this feeling could only be felt more deeply when entering a museum, even more directly than when holding these cultural relics and playing with them in her grandfather's study. Qin Wanshu always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when looking at these ancient objects, always speculating about the ancient world, or desperately searching for some ancient written records, as if seeking some clues...
After Aoba left, Zuo Qinghuan stood not far away, watching Qin Wanshu intently. Zuo Qinghuan was very curious about what Qin Wanshu was thinking. She really wanted to touch Qin Wanshu's world, which was still unknown and mysterious to her.
Qin Wanshu seemed to feel someone's gaze. Qin Wanshu instinctively followed her feeling and found the source of the gaze. She believed that when a person's mental power reached a certain level, it would generate some kind of energy or tug at that invisible thread of connection. Zuo Qinghuan's hair was loose behind her, longer than before. She really did still prefer Zuo Qinghuan with long hair. Qin Wanshu remembered the feeling of Zuo Qinghuan's long, fine, and soft hair twining around her fingertips. All her memories of Zuo Qinghuan were still vividly clear. The moment she saw Zuo Qinghuan, Qin Wanshu's heart wasn't unmoved, but on the surface, she tried her best to remain calm. She didn't want to forgive her so soon, even though her heart had softened the first time they met.
When Qin Wanshu turned her head, Zuo Qinghuan knew that Qin Wanshu had noticed her. How did she notice? Zuo Qinghuan felt a slight nervousness in her heart. For some reason, facing Qin Wanshu after their reunion always made her feel nervous. Could it be because she cared too much?
"What a coincidence, you're at the museum too," Zuo Qinghuan walked forward and smiled at Qin Wanshu like a white lotus flower, just like the smile when they first met.
"Were you just secretly watching me?" Qin Wanshu asked, still with a cool tone.
"I just didn't want to interrupt your meditation," Zuo Qinghuan explained.
"You've become more skilled at sophistry than before," Qin Wanshu said, frowning slightly.
"Can't I look at you?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, looking directly into Qin Wanshu's eyes.
The fervent warmth in Zuo Qinghuan's eyes made Qin Wanshu feel a little afraid to look directly at her. She quickly avoided Zuo Qinghuan's eyes, because eyes couldn't always hide one's emotions.
"Oh, then do as you please," Qin Wanshu said lightly, turning around to leave, not intending to continue talking to Zuo Qinghuan.
Zuo Qinghuan wasn't discouraged by Qin Wanshu's coldness, but closely followed behind Qin Wanshu, keeping a distance of about three steps. Wherever Qin Wanshu went, she followed. Zuo Qinghuan's persistent tactics had some effect. At least Qin Wanshu couldn't calm down to look at other cultural relics, even though Qin Wanshu had seen these relics countless times and was already very familiar with them.
"How long are you planning to follow me?" Qin Wanshu stopped and asked, frowning.
"Qin Wanshu, I miss you very much," Zuo Qinghuan replied irrelevantly.
Upon hearing this, Qin Wanshu turned around and continued to ignore Zuo Qinghuan.
"Qin Wanshu, I miss you very much," Zuo Qinghuan said again, seeing that Qin Wanshu continued to ignore her. She knew that as long as Qin Wanshu still loved her, everything else was a paper tiger. She wasn't afraid that Qin Wanshu wouldn't soften her heart.
Qin Wanshu turned her back to Zuo Qinghuan, as if she hadn't heard anything.
"Qin Wanshu, I like you," Zuo Qinghuan continued, her voice obviously much louder than before. Even some tourists passing by looked at them sideways.
Qin Wanshu remembered that before they separated, Zuo Qinghuan loved to whisper these words in her ear. It was as if time had flowed backward. However, compared to Zuo Qinghuan's public display of affection at this moment, she preferred the private whispers with lips touching ears when they were alone. Some words were only suitable for quietly telling another person.