Ning Yao had just finished tapping at the self checkout when she saw Lin Yuan waiting for her near the supermarket exit.
When she reached him, Lin Yuan held out a small plastic bag, "Uh, I bought this accidentally but I don't like salty foods, do you want it?"
It was full of his sister's favourite potato chips, he didn't know which flavour Ning Yao would like so he bought quite a few.
"Thank you but it's fine…" Thinking of what her elder sister had taught her, Ning Yao rejected him, albeit hesitantly.
Lin Yuan smiled when he saw that Ning Yao looked very reserved but her eyes were very bright.
"You can have it." Lin Yuan placed the bag in her hand, she wasn't carrying much so she could hold it in her other hand.
Looking down at the various colourful flavours in the bag, Ning Yao had a bright smile "Thank you, Brother Lin Yuan."
"..."
Listening to her natural address Lin Yuan was stunned.
This little girl is really professional…well it's not too bad hehe.
Ning Yao happened to glance up at that moment. Seeing a familiar expression appear on Lin Yuan's face, her eyes shone even brighter.
So they both walked toward the exit together in a good mood. At least for a few moments.
Standing in front of the exit, Ning Yao looked at the pouring rain outside and her good mood instantly shattered.
She was actually supposed to go buy groceries together with her grandmother earlier but her grandmother had fallen asleep. Thinking it was not good to wake her up, and considering the fact that Ning Qing would be arriving later today, she had decided to just go by herself. Unfortunately, maybe she was a little too excited because in her haste she had forgotten to bring her umbrella.
"You don't have an umbrella?"
Lin Yuan, who had taken out his umbrella from its plastic bag, noticed her standing still in front of the exit.
"...No."
"Why don't you buy…" He seemed to think of something and his voice trailed off. He hesitated for a moment and changed his words, " I mean…how about I walk you home? This is very close to where you live, right?"
"..."
"Thank you."
Ning Yao thought about it and nodded politely, but then she paused and couldn't help looking at Lin Yuan with a strange expression on her face.
Lin Yuan didn't notice this however. He just opened his damp umbrella and held it above him. The umbrella was large and considering the fact that Ning Yao was quite small, he thought it wouldn't be a problem for both of them to fit inside. Otherwise, he would have to buy another one for her.
Turning around to Ning Yao, whose face had returned to normal, he asked, "Do you want me to hold your bags, it must be heavy right?" Lin Yuan wasn't carrying much. After giving her the potato chips he only had a small bag.
"No, it's fine."
"Don't be polite." Lin Yuan thought she was just being reserved again, so held out his hand, hooking out a finger.
Ning Yao glanced at him, and then slowly placed the reusable shopping bag into his hand. She had only let go for a second when his arm dipped and a strained expression appeared on his face.
What the hell, why is it so heavy?!
Ning Yao quickly took back the shopping bag. Looking at her short figure holding the bag easily, Lin Yuan was confused. Is it really not heavy?
He coughed lightly and explained, "Actually, it was just heavier than I expected is all. I'll hold it."
"It's fine." Ning Yao had an expressionless face as she calmly lifted the large bag up and down as if to show it wasn't heavy at all.
Damn it.
Lin Yuan knew he wasn't particularly athletic but it didn't make sense.
You put in too much stuff and meat is very dense, it's not that I'm too weak but that you're too strong, he thought.
Lin Yuan wanted to say as much, but he felt it was too shameful to argue with a 12 or 13 year old. So he could only cast a resentful glance at the abnormally strong little girl.
Seeing him staring at her, Ning Yao thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to hold your bag?"
"No!"
…
…
…
In the pouring rain two figures walked side by side under a large umbrella.
Lin Yuan glanced at the short figure beside him and then looked down at his phone. It was past 6:30.
"By the way, it's pretty late. Why are you buying groceries alone?"
Although the store seemed quite close to their house, she was only a young girl in middle school. It seemed strange to go out to buy groceries in the pouring rain.
"Grandma fell asleep." Her voice was quiet amongst the sound of the rain.
"Oh."
"...Your sister wasn't there?"
Ning Yao glanced up at Lin Yuan. He was staring straight ahead with a calm expression on his face.
"No."
"Oh."
Actually, my sister was a little angry yesterday so -"
"- Did she say why?"
Looking at Ning Yao who was staring at him, Lin Yuan seemed to realise he lost his composure, so he coughed and explained in a soft voice.
"I mean she doesn't seem the type to get angry."
Ning Yao couldn't help but think his expression was very suspicious. Even though her sister had told her the reason she was upset had nothing to do with Lin Yuan, she still felt that there was something else to it. Also, she had never seen Lin Yuan in this neighbourhood before and now she suddenly met him. She felt she had caught on to something fishy.
Ning Yao was a pretty straightforward girl, so as soon as she thought of it, she asked him directly.
"You made my sister angry?"
Lin Yuan was taken aback by the question, he almost stopped walking for a second. He didn't know what to say.
"Well…I think so."
Hearing this Ning Yao couldn't help but scrutinize him closely.
Well, he must have said something. Ning Yao did think he seemed a little silly. Though she was curious about what he could have said, since it was hard to make her sister angry.
"What did you do?"
"What did she say?" Considering it seemed like a sensitive topic, Lin Yuan thought he probably shouldn't say.
"..." Ning Yao wasn't sure whether to lie.
Seeing her silent, Lin Yuan quickly made something up, "Actually, I'm too bad at English. I made her angry because I was too stupid."
"..."
Seeing her stunned expression, Lin Yuan felt embarrassed for saying such an obvious lie.
"Really?!" Ning Yao asked excitedly.
"Yeah…"
Lin Yuan didn't understand why this little girl was suddenly so happy.
"That makes sense, that makes a lot of sense. Hehe."
Surprisingly, Ning Yao seemed to believe him. She swung her shopping bag a few times, then turned to look at Lin Yuan again.
"By the way, my name is Ning Yao."
"I know…"
"I thought you forgot."
"Oh."
Ning Yao hesitated for a while, then said very graciously, "Actually, you can call me Xiaoyao."
"Um…then you call me Brother Lin Yuan?"
"I already did."
"Oh."
They walked in silence for the rest of the way to Ning Yao's house. Sometimes Lin Yuan thought he should probably try to start a conversation, but he didn't have anything to say, so he simply kept quiet.
Ning Yao also didn't want to speak, so she was grateful that Lin Yuan didn't ask the same boring questions that adults like to ask.
When they were about to reach the doorway to her house, Lin Yuan was surprised to see a figure standing there. Under the dim glow of the streetlight, he saw Ning Qing holding an umbrella with her head down.
"I just got a message from my sister." Ning Yao hadn't seen her sister yet. She was looking at her phone.
"Your sister is outside your door."
Ning Yao looked up upon hearing those words. Seeing her sister and then thinking about the message she'd just received, Ning Yao felt worried. She thought for a moment and glanced up at Lin Yuan beside her, then she was relieved.
While Ning Yao was pondering, they had already reached the gateway to her house and Ning Qing had spotted them.
When she saw Lin Yuan holding an umbrella walking next to her sister, Ning Qing was visibly confused.
"Lin Yuan? Why are you with Xiaoyao?"
Although Lin Yuan had hoped to meet her today, now that she was in front of him he didn't know what to say.
"Um, we met -"
"-Sister, I need to put the groceries away. You two can talk." Before Lin Yuan could explain, Ning Yao interrupted quickly, and then suddenly dashed out the umbrella and jogged into their house, leaving behind the two stunned figures.
Looking at Ning Yao's anxious face, Ning Qing saw through her thoughts instantly and she couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha, sorry about my sister. She didn't even say thank you."
"No, it's fine. I just met her at the grocery store. She didn't have an umbrella so…"
"Oh? Do you also shop at that place?"
"No, I mean this time, this time I just happened to go there - because it was on the way, so I thought it would be better." Lin Yuan didn't expect that question so he was flustered. Was it too weird that he came here? Would she find it troublesome?
Seeing him stumbling through his words she seemed to realise something. She didn't expect it.
"Thank you, Lin Yuan." You are a good kid.
Looking at her gentle smile his racing mind was calmed, "It's fine."
Ning Qing looked around at the rain that was still falling heavily and thought she should invite him in but her grandma was awake and Ning Yao was inside too. Actually she wanted to talk to him privately now that he was here.
Still, it would be rude not to.
"Lin Yuan, do want to -"
"- About yesterday…I'm sorry if I did something to make you upset." Lin Yuan softly interrupted her. His voice was vague in the rain but Ning Qing could still understand him clearly.
"No, no, it wasn't you. Yesterday my mood was off, I should be the one to apologise." Ning Qing shook her head. She wanted to apologise to him.
Lin Yuan looked at her silently for a moment, then his eyes lowered, and he said softly, "My sister, she told me…about your parents…"
"Oh -"
Lin Yuan continued, "- I was probably acting a bit strange because of that…I made you uncomfortable."
Seeing his serious face, Ning Qing didn't speak for a while.
"Yes. I was a little uncomfortable. Actually, I don't need anyone's pity, I'm doing fine. I have my grandma and a cute little sister!" Ning Qing smiled.
"I'm sorry…I know how that feels."
"Because of your father?" Seeing Lin Yuan look up at her with a surprised expression she explained, "Your sister told me."
At the time it happened, she had already known Lin Yuerong, it was also after that experience when they became a lot closer.
"Oh." Even though Lin Yuerong seemed blockheaded, she was actually quite private and insular; they must be very good friends if she had told Ning Qing about Lin Yuan's father.
"Actually I should also say sorry, before…I said some unnecessary things."
"Huh?" Lin Yuan didn't know what she was talking about, but thinking about it, for some reason he couldn't help but laugh.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just a bit weird, we're taking turns apologising to each other."
The two looked at each other for a moment and smiled.
"Haha, you're right, it's strange!'"
"So we're good?" Lin Yuan said awkwardly.
"As long as you agree to never call me Sister Qing." Ning Qing said in a teasing voice.
"You were the one who told me to do that in the first place." Lin Yuan replied softly.
"..."
"Ahem." Ning Qing coughed, and then gestured inside, "Do you want to come in for a while? To wait out the rain?"
Lin Yuan glanced at the time on his phone, he was cutting it close, "No, I should get going." He held up the grocery bag.
…
…
…
When Ning Qing put down the umbrella and reached the veranda, her grandmother was there waiting for her.
"Grandma, you should've stayed inside, it's cold." Ning Qing decided to dry out her umbrella in the bathroom since it was still very windy. She took her grandmother's arm and led her inside.
"Were you talking to Lin Yuan?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you invite him in? It's raining very badly. At least we should have given him some tea."
"It's fine grandma, he had groceries so he said he needed to go home."
"Oh well…anyway that boy is really nice, he even walked your sister home! That family raised a good child."
"Yes. They really did."
"...By the way grandma, you been falling asleep alot-"
Before Ning Qing could finish, Grandma Ning interrupted her with an exasperated voice, "-Oh come on, not you too. It's because I've been playing too much mahjong in the afternoons. Don't worry about me. Anyway I'm already an old woman you know, we old folks get tired more easily."
"..."
"You're not old grandma, you're still young." Ning Qing's soft voice was very firm as she hugged her grandma and leaned against her.
"Haha, why are you acting like a child now?" Grandma Ning stroked Ning Qing's hair, "Okay, okay, I'm still young."
"A beautiful young lady!"
"Of course, it must be beautiful! Otherwise how could I be your grandma?"
"Hehe…"