Outside the bookstore, neon lights blinked awake, painting the wet pavement in streaks of pink and blue.
Inside, the shop had thinned to a few late customers. Qing Yun was tidying the counter when Gu Ze Yan closed his newly purchased book and glanced toward the sisters.
"Let me drive you both home," he said casually, as if it were the most obvious arrangement.
Qing Yun straightened immediately, smile polite but firm. "No need. The bus is fine. You've worked all day, Mr. Gu—you should rest."
But before she could finish, Si Yao's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll drive us? Perfect! Then I can ask you more about AI on the way!"
"Si Yao," Qing Yun murmured, a touch of helplessness in her tone.
Her sister grinned, tugging at her sleeve. "Jiejie, don't refuse! It's so cold outside. And besides, I want to hear more. Mr. Gu, you studied technology, right?"
Ze Yan's lips curved, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Yes. In the U.S., actually."
Si Yao gasped. "Really? Which school?"
He named it, and her eyes practically sparkled. "That's one of the best! That's… my dream! I want to study abroad too. Maybe computer science, maybe engineering. Jiejie says I dream too big, but—"
"Dreams aren't meant to be small," Ze Yan said, his tone warm, certain. "And from what I've heard about your grades, you're already halfway there."
Si Yao beamed, her cheeks flushed pink—not only from the cold seeping through the glass windows. She turned to her sister, triumphant. "See? Even he says so!"
Qing Yun sighed, defeated but smiling despite herself. "You two have ganged up on me."
"Then it's decided," Ze Yan said smoothly, rising with his book in hand. "I'll drive you both. And before that—dinner. My treat."
"You don't have to—" Qing Yun began.
"But I want to," he cut in, his voice gentle yet firm. "You can't let a man's first red bean soup punishment be the last. Tonight, it's a proper meal."
Qing Yun blinked at his phrasing, a faint heat rising in her cheeks.
They stepped into the winter night. The air smelled of roasted chestnuts and coal stoves, a thin mist hovering over the street. Ze Yan's car waited at the curb, sleek and black, a sharp contrast to the bicycles lined along the alley.
Inside, the heater hummed low, filling the space with soft warmth. Si Yao practically leaned forward from the backseat, firing questions before they even left Haiyun Road.
"What's it like studying in the U.S.? Is it really that competitive? How do you even apply? What should I prepare now?"
Ze Yan answered each with steady patience, his voice calm but animated, weaving small stories about late-night labs, professors who were brilliant and absent-minded, classmates who turned into lifelong friends.
Qing Yun sat in the passenger seat, half-turned to watch her sister glow with excitement. Her own heart softened at the sight—Si Yao rarely opened up this much to strangers. Yet here she was, hanging onto every word.
Ze Yan caught Qing Yun's gaze briefly, a quiet understanding passing between them. He wasn't just charming her tonight. He was winning her sister too.
They stopped at a family-style restaurant tucked into a side street, steam fogging the windows, lanterns swaying gently above the doorway. Inside, warmth wrapped around them instantly—thick with the scent of ginger, garlic, and sizzling clay pots.
The waitress led them to a corner table near the heater. Condensation streaked the glass beside them, blurring the neon outside.
"Order whatever you like," Ze Yan said, sliding the menu toward the sisters.
Qing Yun waved it away. "Something simple is fine."
"Simple is not allowed tonight," he said with a half-smile.
Si Yao grinned, taking the menu eagerly. "Braised eggplant! Sweet and sour pork! And—jiejie, your favorite fish!"
Qing Yun touched her sister's hair affectionately, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "Don't get carried away."
But Ze Yan only chuckled. "Get carried away. I'll eat it all."
The dishes came quickly, filling the table with color and steam. Fish fragrant with scallions, clay pot tofu bubbling, a plate of dumplings so hot they hissed when split.
For a while, conversation melted into the rhythm of clinking chopsticks and shared laughter. Si Yao soaked up every story Ze Yan offered, eyes shining with admiration. Qing Yun listened too, quiet but smiling, refilling her sister's bowl before her own.
Ze Yan noticed. Every time. The way her hand reached for Si Yao's bowl first, the way she nudged the softest piece of fish into her chopsticks, the way she murmured, "Eat slowly, it's hot," with instinctive tenderness.
And something inside him tightened—not with jealousy this time, but with a longing he didn't know how to name.
When the meal ended and they stepped back into the damp winter night, the air bit cooler than before.
"Thank you, Mr. Gu!" Si Yao said, practically bouncing. "Next time, tell me more about research programs abroad, okay?"
"Of course," he said warmly.
Qing Yun shook her head, half-exasperated, half-laughing. "You've already recruited her as your student."
Ze Yan glanced at her, his smile softer now. "Not just student." His eyes lingered, voice dropping just enough that only she could hear. "Family deserves the best guidance."
Her breath caught, but before she could reply, Si Yao tugged at her sleeve. "Jiejie, let's go home. I have to revise before bed."
Ze Yan opened the car door for them, his movements smooth, deliberate.
As they settled back inside, Qing Yun thought of his words—family. She held her sister's hand, feeling its small warmth against her palm.
Outside, Liangcheng's winter streets blurred past, neon lights glowing like fireflies in the mist.
And in the quiet hum of the car, something unspoken stretched gently between them—warmer than the heater, steadier than the city lights.