When the couple saw He Sui’an bring home someone with highly exotic attire and distinct features, they both froze in unison.
Could this be her classmate?
Yang Jin had never heard He Sui’an mention having classmates from ethnic minorities.
The key point was that He Sui’an had only ever brought home female classmates, never a male one. Yang Jin couldn’t help but look at Qi Buyan, slightly lost in thought.
Fortunately, He Jin was the first to react.
Thinking it wouldn’t be right to let them stand at the door, he stepped aside and kindly invited them in: “Sui Sui, is this your classmate?”
Qi Buyan didn’t understand what the word “classmate” meant. Hearing He Jin’s words, he habitually turned to look at He Sui’an. The silver ornaments in his hair made a crisp sound with his movement, which was quite pleasing.
He Sui’an, on an impulse, had brought him home: “Yes, yes, he is my classmate.”
Lying to her parents made her stammer.
Luckily, their attention was all on Qi Buyan and didn’t notice her nervousness.
After all, He Sui’an was going to college soon, and since she had never dated, this couldn’t be considered an early romance. However, she still thought it should proceed gradually.
Actually, He Sui’an had considered asking Qi Buyan to change out of his indigo clothes and silver ornaments before coming, but she later realized she wanted him to meet her parents in his most authentic form.
Yang Jin invited Qi Buyan to sit down.
Then she pulled He Sui’an aside.
Yang Jin glanced at Qi Buyan, who was sitting on the sofa but still looking at He Sui’an, and asked, “Sui Sui, weren’t you traveling alone to that place called Tianshui Village?”
She replied honestly, “Yes.”
Yang Jin asked again, “And what about him?”
He Sui’an nervously swallowed: “He is from Tianshui Village and also my ‘classmate,’ a very, very good ‘classmate.'”
While the mother and daughter were whispering, He Jin poured a cup of tea for Qi Buyan.
“Here, have some tea.”
He Jin was particular about health and didn’t like the beverages young people drank. He always had tea at home, and this pot had just been brewed: “By the way, Sui Sui’s classmate, what’s your name?”
“Qi Buyan.”
Qi Buyan picked up the teacup and smelled the tea’s fragrance. His appearance seemed pure and kind, making it hard for anyone not to like him. His voice was naturally gentle, just like his mother, Qi Shu.
He Jin nodded.
He wasn’t as adept at socializing as Yang Jin and couldn’t think of anything to say, so he awkwardly commented, “Good name, the character ‘yan’ in your name implies benevolence and etiquette. Your parents chose your name well.”
Qi Buyan smiled faintly without speaking.
He Sui’an, who was walking towards the sofa, heard He Jin’s words and became a bit clumsy, then instinctively sat next to Qi Buyan.
Benevolence, etiquette, and such.
Qi Buyan had none of those.
Perhaps He Jin selectively forgot that there was a “not” character before the “yan” in Qi Buyan’s name.
He Sui’an took a deep breath and said, “Dad, Mom, he might need to stay at our house for a few days. I brought him out from Tianshui Village.”
After graduation, classmates would return to their hometowns, and she had brought him from his hometown.
That didn’t sound wrong.
Qi Buyan wouldn’t leave her side now; he definitely wouldn’t agree to stay alone in a hotel, and she couldn’t rest easy letting him stay somewhere else alone.
So even though bringing this up was a bit abrupt, He Sui’an had to make a decision.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, He Jin and Yang Jin exchanged glances. He Jin wanted to say something but didn’t, while Yang Jin’s expression remained natural. She smiled, “Of course, he can. We have a vacant room.”
Yang Jin didn’t ask why He Sui’an didn’t arrange for Qi Buyan to stay in a hotel but brought him home instead. It wasn’t often that He Sui’an brought girls home to stay overnight, let alone boys.
There must be something unusual going on.
Yang Jin understood this.
But she trusted He Sui’an, believing her daughter had her reasons for everything she did. Even though Yang Jin was curious about her reasons, she wouldn’t ask too much today.
She would wait until He Sui’an was willing to tell them the real reason.
Yang Jin asked He Jin to tidy up the room. Although it wasn’t dirty, it hadn’t been occupied for a long time and would be dusty. The bed sheets and quilts needed changing before it could be used.
He Jin dutifully went to clean up.
The three of them were left in the living room.
He Sui’an looked up at her mother and quietly asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why?” Why not let him stay in a nearby hotel?
Yang Jin lovingly pinched her slightly thinner face. “Didn’t you say he’s a very good classmate of yours? It’s normal for very good classmates to stay at each other’s homes.”
Yang Jin, with her open-minded views, didn’t see anything wrong with boys staying over.
He Sui’an’s ears turned red.
Qi Buyan quietly watched them.
So, this is how He Sui’an’s parents interact with her, completely different from his own. However, Qi Buyan still wanted He Sui’an’s eyes to be on him alone, but he neither said nor did anything about it.
Yang Jin sipped her tea.
There was another main reason she allowed Qi Buyan to stay.
Since He Sui’an’s return after her disappearance, she had been listless and had hardly smiled. But today was different; there was an unconscious joy and happiness in her demeanor.
And the person responsible for this change in He Sui’an was the one she brought home today.
Yang Jin looked at Qi Buyan again.
Qi Buyan was looking at He Sui’an, but when he felt someone looking at him, he slightly shifted his gaze to meet Yang Jin’s eyes. His eyes were clear as spring water, capable of reflecting one’s heart.
“Can I see your flute?” Yang Jin asked with a kind smile, her eyes catching the bone flute at Qi Buyan’s waist, showing considerable interest.
The reason she opened a Hanfu shop was her interest in traditional clothing.
A bone flute could be considered an accessory.
Yang Jin could immediately tell that this flute was not a modern replica.
Qi Buyan glanced at He Sui’an first, then handed the bone flute to Yang Jin. She examined it for a few minutes, marveling at its exquisite craftsmanship and unique material, which she had never seen before.
“Do you know what this flute is made of?” Yang Jin asked gently.
Qi Buyan replied, “Bone…”
He Sui’an immediately covered his mouth.
Yang Jin’s eyes filled with curiosity. “Sui Sui, what are you doing? Let go of him.”
He Sui’an, feeling like a child who had done something wrong, slowly lowered her hand. Fortunately, Yang Jin was focused on scolding her and forgot to continue asking about the bone flute: “How can you cover someone’s mouth and not let them speak?”
“It won’t happen again,” He Sui’an quickly admitted her mistake.
Yang Jin didn’t intend to truly reprimand He Sui’an. Seeing her so apologetic, she said a few more words before changing the topic to ask questions about Qi Buyan, ensuring not to offend him.
Most of the time, He Sui’an answered the questions for him until Yang Jin’s gaze made her restrain herself a bit.
Qi Buyan remained calm.
Very few things could stir his emotions and make him feel somewhat normal, except for He Sui’an, so he didn’t react much.
He Jin finished tidying up the room and came out.
He Sui’an pulled Qi Buyan up, saying they wanted to check out the room, and Yang Jin let them go.
Thus, Qi Buyan temporarily stayed at He Sui’an’s house. He didn’t bring the two boxes of gold, only two sets of indigo clothes and his silver ornaments, as she had not allowed him to bring them.
Taking a flight wouldn’t require two boxes of gold, but she would have to help him store it later.
*
On the third day of Qi Buyan’s stay, He Sui’an wanted to take him to the museum.
He Sui’an woke up early, noticed her parents were not in the living room, and their shoes were missing from the entrance, so she assumed they had gone out. She walked into Qi Buyan’s room and asked him to braid her hair.
Instead of using a hair tie, they used silk ribbons, just like before.
While braiding, Qi Buyan sat behind He Sui’an, who obediently sat cross-legged, occasionally handing him a ribbon and chattering away like a little chatterbox.
The young man braided her hair while listening to her, seemingly enjoying her chatter.
When Yang Jin and He Jin returned from grocery shopping and passed by the room, they saw this scene. They didn’t say anything and quietly left.
He Sui’an didn’t notice at all.
However, Qi Buyan glanced at the fleeting shadow at the door but ignored it.
After the braiding was done, He Sui’an and Qi Buyan walked out of the room. Yang Jin was sitting on the sofa in the living room, as if she had just returned and sat down: “Sui Sui, are you going out today?”
He Sui’an grabbed the small bag hanging on the wall: “We want to visit the museum.”
Qi Buyan followed her closely.
They were like conjoined twins.
He Jin came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a plate of washed fruit: “Would you like some fruit before you go?”
“No need.”
He Sui’an bent down to put on her shoes.
Yang Jin didn’t delay them: “Then come back early tonight.”
It’s summer vacation, after all. It’s good for them to go out and have fun. He Sui’an and Qi Buyan were at the prime of their youth and shouldn’t be cooped up at home. Besides, having someone with her made it safer.
Going out with parents and going out with peers felt different.
“Okay.”
He Sui’an agreed.
With modern transportation, it took them less than an hour to reach the museum, which exhibited artifacts related to the Qi Dynasty.
Not well-versed in history, she wanted to learn about the Qi Dynasty this way.
He Sui’an held Qi Buyan’s hand as they wandered through the museum, stopping at various exhibits. Each artifact had a description beside it, detailing its origins or related stories.
She saw information about Princess Luoyan.
Due to He Sui’an’s time travel, history had slightly changed.
In the current historical records, Princess Luoyan did not die. After her political marriage, she was greatly favored by Tuoba Wu, the prince of the Nanliang Kingdom. They had children, and this harmony between the Nanliang Kingdom and the Qi Dynasty lasted nearly a century.
Xie Wenqiao became the youngest Grand Secretary of the Qi Dynasty’s Cabinet, implementing a series of reforms during his tenure. He never married and died at the age of forty-five.
He Sui’an couldn’t describe her feelings at that moment; they were complex and indescribable.
She had actually met them.
After another half hour, they left the museum. Once outside, He Sui’an stared at Qi Buyan for a long time, and he looked back down at her.
Today, He Sui’an wore the red Qixiong Ruqun she had worn when she returned from the past, with her hair tied with the same silk ribbon. With the modern Hanfu trend, it wasn’t strange to wear such an outfit outside.
Qi Buyan was in his usual indigo clothes. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve.
This was a sign she wanted to speak quietly.
He bent down to listen to her.
But He Sui’an lifted her head and kissed the corner of Qi Buyan’s lips. His brows relaxed slightly, and his eyes revealed a hint of innocence as she suddenly said, “I think I like you very, very much.”
The red thread on her wrist had completely disappeared.
In contrast, the red thread on Qi Buyan’s wrist was so deep it seemed as if it could bleed.
The wind blew, and the sound of bells echoed. His indigo clothes brushed against her red skirt, the contrast striking yet harmonious.