Ye Shuya feels as if she is living on the pinnacle of happiness every day, enjoying unparalleled pleasures in dining, chatting, and strolling with a man who is a feast to the eyes.
Su Yao always looks at her with a focused gaze, gently tugs at the corners of his mouth, and then smiles. Ye Shuya can't fathom Su Yao; this man is like a poppy shrouded in a layer of mist, exuding a hazy yet fatal allure amidst the curling smoke.
Once, while enjoying the scenery by the river, she suddenly felt that Su Yao was like the bright moon reflected on the water's surface, and Qin Wei was the river beneath the moon. She shared this thought with Qin Wei, who gently replied, "Ya Ya, the moon only rises at night, while the river is eternal."
Qin Wei is so wonderful, considerate, and tolerant. Every time her heart skips a beat for Su Yao, she finds herself in a whirlpool of struggle. Yet, she is also very vain. When Angie, with utmost sincerity, says that she and Su Yao are a perfect match, she is so delighted that she can't sleep all night.
She never tires of hearing this.
"Teacher Ye, you and Brother Su are such a great match. There's an idiom in China, 'jade girl and golden boy,' right?"
Her entire face softens, and she responds with a voice that suppresses her joy, "Angie, it's 'golden boy and jade girl.'"
Angie sticks her tongue out, "But I think 'jade girl and golden boy' sounds better." She bats her eyes, "Hey, Teacher Ye, have you and Brother Su been intimate?"
Ye Shuya is left speechless.
Angie continues, "Brother Su must have a great physique. How big is he?"
Heaven knows why a twelve-year-old girl can speak so seriously about such matters.
Ye Shuya briefly imagines it in her mind and immediately blushes, but she quickly composes herself, "Angie, you're only twelve. You shouldn't talk about this in the future."
Angie nods obediently, "I understand. This is a matter between adults, and children shouldn't interfere."
Ye Shuya has always felt that Angie is a child who skillfully blends the qualities of an angel and a devil. In the evening, when Su Yao comes to Angie's house to drive her back, Angie twinkles with innocent eyes and asks in a voice as if singing a hymn, "Brother Su, how many times can you and Teacher Ye be together in one night?"
Ye Shuya wants to dig a hole and bury herself on the spot, but Angie won't let her off the hook, "I think Brother Su must be very impressive because every time this topic comes up, Teacher Ye blushes."
Children at this age are indeed the most terrifying. Ye Shuya is choked into silence. Su Yao chuckles and says, "Angie, Teacher Ye is easily embarrassed. You shouldn't tease her in the future."
In the car, Su Yao tells her, "Ya Ya, next time Angie asks you, you should reply with seven words."
"What seven words?"
He looks at her, "Very big, very long, very impressive."
"Pff—" The always expressionless driver bursts into laughter. Su Yao gives him a look, and he immediately becomes solemn, his expression as serious as if attending a funeral.
Ye Shuya asks, "Do all men like this?"
Su Yao counters, "Doesn't Qin Wei like this?"
She is taken aback. Su Yao seldom mentions Qin Wei. In fact, this is only the second time he has brought up Qin Wei's name. When she is with him, she always carefully avoids mentioning Qin Wei. Every time they have some physical contact, the concept of having an affair comes to her mind. This notion always jumps out just in time when Su Yao is about to kiss her.
She doesn't know how to answer Su Yao's question, so she keeps silent.
Su Yao suddenly chuckles, breaking the awkward and silent atmosphere. He smoothly changes the subject, "Ya Ya, have you ever climbed Xi Mountain?"
"I climbed it once during a school activity."
"The moonlight is beautiful tonight. How about we take a walk on Xi Mountain?"
"Now?" She glances outside, where the wind is so strong it seems determined to blow people into the Pacific Ocean.
His eyes fill with amusement, "I'll show you something."
She raises her eyebrows, "Okay."
Xi Mountain is located in the suburbs of Hai City. A few years ago, the government constructed a winding mountain road with nine sharp turns, leading all the way to the summit. The scenery of Xi Mountain is truly beautiful, with different views in every season, and its night view is particularly charming.
The driver navigated the winding mountain roads for over an hour before finally reaching the summit with Ye Shuya and Su Yao. The wind on the mountain was so strong it was almost impossible to keep one's eyes open, and it was biting cold, like a knife. The driver excused himself to use the restroom at a nearby house, actually to give Su Yao and Ye Shuya some private space.
Su Yao made a mental note to give the driver a raise. The car was parked on a flat area where the streetlights cast an orange glow. Ye Shuya looked around but couldn't see anything particularly special.
"What are you going to show me?" she asked.
"The moon is beautiful tonight, but the wind is a bit strong," Su Yao said, gazing at the moon in a trance. "When I was a child, every time I saw the moon, I would try my best to figure out how to keep it."
"What happened then?" she inquired.
He turned his head and smiled at her, "I kept it on canvas."
"A moon with eyes, nose, and mouth, making faces in an abstract way?"
Su Yao laughed, "I painted one when I was about ten or so."
"Ya Ya, do you believe in fairy tales?" he suddenly asked.
"Hmm?"
"In fairy tales, witches in the forest can conjure a little wooden house to lure pretty girls who pass by..."
She couldn't help but giggle, "And then the witch was going to eat the girl, only to be saved by a handsome prince?"
Su Yao nodded solemnly.
She was taken aback, and Su Yao took her hand and led her out of the car. The wind outside was still cold, and Su Yao's hand was also cold, but she felt an unprecedented warmth and joy in her heart.
"Ya Ya, we're here," Su Yao announced.
She looked up in a daze to see a small wooden house, exquisitely made, as if it had come out of a fairy tale book.
"If there's a witch inside, would you dare to go in?" Su Yao asked with a playful glint in his eyes.
She raised her chin confidently, "Aren't there princes to save me?"
Immediately, a smile filled Su Yao's eyes. He released her hand, opened the door to the wooden house, and they stepped inside. Ye Shuya found that despite its small size, the house was well-equipped with all the necessary furniture and a variety of painting materials.
"Is this cabin yours?" she asked.
Su Yao turned on the heater, and the room quickly warmed up. Ye Shuya took off her coat and hung it on a wooden chair nearby. Su Yao poured her a glass of water, "No, it belongs to my sister."
"Sister?"
"Yes, I have a sister," he said, taking out a photo album from a cabinet and flipping through a few pages before pointing to a photo. "This is my sister."
Ye Shuya gasped upon seeing the photo, "Wow, are you twins?"
"Yes, her name is Su Yao, Yao from 'Jade Pool'," he said, his fingers gently stroking the edge of the photo album.
"Hmm?" Ye Shuya was slightly taken aback, then looked at Su Yao with interest, "So how do you distinguish when people are calling for you or your sister?"
Su Yao's fingers continued to stroke the edge of the album, and he fell silent for a long time. The cabin grew quiet, and Ye Shuya suddenly felt the air thin, her sensitive nerves telling her that she had asked an inappropriate question.
"I was just curious, you don't have to answer," she quickly changed the subject, "Did you used to paint here often?"
Su Yao remained silent. After a long while, he suddenly closed the photo album with a snap, causing Ye Shuya's heart to jump. He put the album back in the cabinet, and she noticed his face had turned pale, his eyes filled with an indescribable expression.
"Su Yao..." Ye Shuya spoke cautiously.
Before she could finish, his expression changed abruptly, his body even trembling, his entire demeanor extremely unpleasant. It seemed he was trying hard to suppress his emotions.
It felt like an eternity before he said to her with a tired face, "I'm a bit tired, let's go back."
She nodded obediently.
When Ye Shuya got home, it was already midnight. Su Yao's car that had been parked downstairs had left. She turned back from the window, feeling suddenly very sad.
Women have the most sensitive nerves in the world. Su Yao was preoccupied tonight, not even saying goodnight to her, and she sensed something was wrong, feeling very uneasy inside.
It seemed like something had started to change. She felt she had done something wrong. It seemed to have started with her inappropriate question. She sat on the cold floor, curling up in the corner.
Every time she felt uneasy, this position always gave her a sense of security.
Qin Wei always teased her for being immature, but she would argue back. No matter what she said, he would never get angry, unlike Su Yao tonight, who suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
She called Qin Wei.
Qin Wei's voice was as gentle as ever, "Ya Ya, you said Su Yao is like the moon in the river. You can touch the river, but you can never touch the moon. The moon waxes and wanes, but the river remains constant."
She opened her mouth but couldn't find any words to say.