"You seem very excited."
Seeing Lin Shen’s curious expression as he looked around, Qin Yuenan suddenly felt a sense of joy, like her own hobby was being validated by someone else. The corners of her mouth subconsciously curled up slightly.
"Hiking is pretty fun, isn’t it?"
"It’s definitely nice."
Lin Shen let out a hearty laugh.
"Quitting my job was definitely the right decision!"
"You’re still young."
Qin Yuenan said, lecturing him in the tone of an elder.
"When you get to my age, you’ll understand. There’s no right or wrong, only things you love to do and things you have to convince yourself to do."
"Actually, Nan, you’re not that old."
Lin Shen’s tone was sincere.
"Twenty-eight is a woman’s most beautiful age."
"Where did you learn to say things like that?"
"You were my boss, after all. Hehe."
Lin Shen said with a grin.
"Am I wrong?"
"Completely wrong."
It seemed like Qin Yuenan had a bellyful of grievances she wanted to pour out.
"I’m getting old, and my family keeps nagging me to find someone and get married. I get it, but when it comes to those so-called ’successful men’..."
"Come on, Nan, give me a smile!"
Lin Shen deliberately changed the subject, leaning his head close to Qin Yuenan’s and raising his phone for a selfie.
SNAP—!
In the photo, the two of them were one behind the other. One was a handsome boy with a sunny, brilliant smile; the other, an unsmiling, cool beauty.
They didn’t seem to match, but they were surprisingly harmonious together.
"Isn’t hiking all about forgetting your troubles?"
Lin Shen chuckled.
"No need to get hung up on the present or worry about the future. No experience in life is useless. So we just keep walking, and the sky will always brighten."
"..."
"That’s something Haruki Murakami said. The context doesn’t quite fit our situation, but the meaning is good."
Lin Shen continued walking forward. Qin Yuenan stood stunned for a moment before catching up to him, her previously melancholic expression gradually softening.
"You seem to know a lot."
"I just read a lot of random stuff."
With Lin Shen’s guidance, Qin Yuenan stopped thinking about her troubles.
The two of them continued along the mountain loop road. Sometimes they’d be captivated by a towering ancient tree, discussing its species and age.
Other times they’d find a lucky four-leaf clover and pick it to press later.
Amidst the overlapping peaks, the distance between them grew closer.
And that didn’t just refer to their hearts.
Shoulders brushing, the backs of their hands lightly touching.
As the physical contact became more frequent, Qin Yuenan felt an unfamiliar, strange emotion gradually building in the bottom of her heart.
It made her subconsciously steal glances at Lin Shen beside her.
His goofy, clownish antics, his carefree and hearty smile.
All of it made Qin Yuenan’s cold eyes sparkle with an unusually brilliant, surprised light.
She saw in Lin Shen a love for life that was unique to the young,
and a positive, healthy mindset.
Especially after Lin Shen had successfully lost weight, this unique, sunny disposition became more and more pronounced, even infecting those around him and filling them with vitality.
’Maybe this is his true self?’
Qin Yuenan bit her lip, her eyelids lowered as her thoughts stirred.
However, in the moment she was lost in thought, Lin Shen had already fallen several paces behind. He seemed to be getting hit on by two female university students.
"Excuse me, handsome, can you help us take a picture?"
"No problem!"