Chapter 772: Chapter 752: The Strange Old Man in the Dream
Had she been overthinking things? Why did the study feel as if someone had gone through it? To prevent anyone from being in the study, she decisively chose to close the door, allowing Qin Nuan to escape upon hearing any sound.
After carefully inspecting the room, she found no traces and no sense of someone having been there, puzzled and without a reason; it didn’t make sense for Lu Simiao to randomly rummage through things.
But after taking a closer look, there was nothing amiss, yet when she entered, she had felt certain that someone had rifled through the place. What was that about?
At that moment, Qin Nuan approached with embroidery in hand and knocked on the door hesitantly, "Qianqian?"
"Hmm?" Luo Qianqian checked under the desk and behind the curtains to ensure nothing was amiss before she heaved a sigh of relief and opened the door.
"You scared me." Seeing Luo Qianqian open the door, Qin Nuan patted her chest, "I thought something was wrong when I saw you close the door. See, I even prepared the needle for you."
Looking at the short embroidery needle in Qin Nuan’s hand, Luo Qianqian felt a mix of helplessness and relief.
Qin Nuan noticed her discomfort but didn’t leave; instead, she wanted to help. That was enough to prove she hadn’t chosen the wrong friends, wasn’t it?
"No, it’s nothing. I just felt things were a bit messy and unusual." Luo Qianqian touched her head, "But on closer inspection, there’s nothing wrong."
"Uh... I looked through things last time I came, could that be why?" Qin Nuan looked a bit embarrassed, "I couldn’t find a book and asked my brother if he had it, he said it might be here, so I..."
Hearing this, Luo Qianqian harbored no doubts and nodded, "That’s okay then. You go back to your cross-stitching; I’m going to enjoy chatting with my brother."
Then she turned on her computer, and Qin Nuan nodded, taking the needle with her as she left.
Efficiently logged into her email, Luo Qianqian suddenly felt a bit helpless; why did she have to communicate with her brother in this way? It had been more than a year since she’d seen him; she wondered if he had grown taller.
He must have, right?
As Luo Qianqian typed the email, tears streamed down her face; with her brother not around, she had so much to say with no one to tell.
Even though she had male cousins, even though she had close friends, and even though there were many people around her, she still wished her brother was there.
After a moment of hesitation, she didn’t tell her brother about her troubles with the organization but simply shared some updates and her longing.
Unexpectedly, she received a reply the next second.
And it read, spelled out in three big letters: Luo Qianqian.
Then, despite staring at her screen intensely, Luo Qianqian didn’t see any more content, puzzled and waiting, until the next email arrived.
It started with an explanation about the hurried typing and accidental send-off, followed by a few greetings, but the focus was the last line: "An old friend returns."
Luo Qianqian frowned slightly; could it be that her brother was coming back? No, that didn’t make sense; if he was coming back, he would have just said so directly. Why mention this?
What old friend? Now when she thought of these two words, all she could think of was the poem, "The old friend bids farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower"...
Blinking, she didn’t ask about it; she knew that if her brother wanted to tell her something, he would say it outright. If he didn’t want to discuss it, asking more wouldn’t help.
Nonchalantly, she sent some messages expressing her longing and didn’t receive any more responses from Luo Shufan. Luo Qianqian pouted and logged off her email and shut down the computer.
"What’s wrong? You look unhappy." Qin Nuan was somewhat surprised, watching Luo Qianqian’s expression. Normally, wasn’t she delighted after communicating with Luo Shufan? Why did she look so morose this time?
"My brother was speaking in riddles, talking about an old friend returning, but both of us know so many people we can’t see anymore, especially since I’m in Capital City." Luo Qianqian shared the incident, "I even suspect that he might have gotten a girlfriend? And perhaps I know this girlfriend?"
... Qin Nuan helplessly shook her head, but she quickly thought of a possibility, "Hey, wait, I’ve got it."
"Hmm?" Luo Qianqian looked up, her face filled with confusion.
Qin Nuan frowned and put down her cross stitch,"Maybe it’s that person we were just talking about?"
Although she had never met Luo Shufan, from Luo Qianqian’s description, that person surely had.
Luo Qianqian was stunned for a while, then fell silent.
Her eyes drifted to the window not far away. The night deepened, the evening breeze was cool, and the starry sky was filled with loneliness.
Her hands fidgeted. After a moment, Luo Qianqian stood up, "Forget it, who cares." She hooked her lips slightly, but her face was filled with reluctance, "Let’s go back to the dorm."
Qin Nuan looked at Luo Qianqian’s expression and felt a heavier sense of pity, helplessly nodding her head.
If it was that person, she really was powerless. There were many things she could discuss with Luo Qianqian, including teasing Jimo Cheng, but that person, she didn’t have the courage to mention, nor the bravery to even say his name during their conversations. Because, to Luo Qianqian, that person was coveted but out of reach.
The two walked on the road back to school, Luo Qianqian clinging to Qin Nuan’s arm, "You really need to treat my Fourth Brother well."
"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Qin Nuan, amused, replied, "We’re doing fine, don’t worry about it."
"Because... I just feel like something bad is going to happen." Luo Qianqian curled her lips, unconsciously guarding the backpack she carried with her other hand.
Qin Nuan resignedly said, "Don’t worry, little kid, don’t fret over adult matters." Qin Nuan was more mature inside than she appeared, so the usual couple problems—arguments—were not present between her and Luo Yanran. Only occasionally playing petty, which she quickly smoothed over, providing a way out for both. A bit of bickering added some flavor after all. Besides, it was already quite good given that the other person was a celebrity.
Luo Qianqian just tugged at the corner of her mouth and said nothing more.
Looking into the ink-dyed night, she left behind a low sigh.
The next morning, Luo Qianqian got up early. While everyone else in the dorm was still asleep, she climbed out of bed looking bewildered, then sat on it, deep in thought. If it had been just one bizarre dream, that would have been fine, but this was the second time in a row, and both times she dreamed of the same person, the same white-bearded old man. Strangely, the old man was discussing the knowledge from a book she had read—it was all too weird.
The timing and location of the two dreams were different; there was no reason they should have been the same.
If it had occurred under the same circumstances, she would have thought there was something peculiar about that spot.
But now...
Luo Qianqian hadn’t thought much further when her phone vibrated. She quickly picked it up and saw a message from Jimo Cheng: "If you’re awake, what would you like to eat? That person suggested we meet at the cafe this morning. I checked, and it seems you don’t have class."
Luo Qianqian quickly replied: "Time and place? I just got up, I’d like a sandwich."
After replying, she waited a while, then carefully got out of bed, walked softly to freshen up, and quietly changed clothes. As she turned around, she saw several pairs of eyes watching her, giving her a start.
"What are you up early for?" Qin Nuan yawned, "You’re up earlier than my alarm clock."
Luo Qianqian shrugged, "Going to have breakfast with my mentor." She blinked and pulled on her jacket, slinging on her backpack, "Don’t miss me too much, after all, I have no classes this morning."
"This child..."
