NOVPUBNight had fallen.
An Yuanyao sat in the back seat of the van, glancing at Liu Xiazhi, who held a plastic bottle in her hands. At that moment, they were the only two in the car.
Liu Changqing had just parked by the roadside, mentioning he would quickly grab some daily necessities from a nearby supermarket and return shortly.
It wasn’t a particularly late night. Although Feng Qian and his daughter were still at the company, Liu Changqing had chosen to send An Yuanyao home early so she could rest. He’d noticed over the past couple of days that she hadn’t been sleeping well, and her complexion seemed off.
Rather than pushing her to work late, he decided to end the day earlier than usual, the time only nearing 8 p.m.
As An Yuanyao looked at the now-quiet Liu Xiazhi, she realized the child had become much less talkative and lively than before. Earlier, when Liu Changqing announced he was heading out to buy supplies, the girl had wanted to tag along, but after some coaxing, she reluctantly agreed to stay in the car.
She then pulled a plastic bottle out of her little backpack and stared at it intently.
An Yuanyao had already seen her take out the same bottle earlier at the office, sharing its contents with Feng Shuyan. At the time, she hadn’t had the chance to ask about it, but now curiosity got the better of her. In a soft voice, she asked, “Xiazhi, why do you carry a bottle with you everywhere?”
“It’s tadpoles…” Liu Xiazhi replied quietly, holding the plastic bottle with both hands and extending it toward An Yuanyao.
That was when An Yuanyao noticed the contents—two small tadpoles, now sprouting legs.
The bottle was so close that An Yuanyao instinctively leaned back, her gaze shifting to Liu Xiazhi’s eager face.
“Did you… raise these?”
“Yes! Aren’t they cute?”
When the topic turned to Liu Xiazhi’s third favorite thing, her demeanor visibly brightened, and her large eyes lit up as she stared at An Yuanyao.
Scooting closer, Liu Xiazhi extended the bottle toward her. “If you look closely, you’ll see how adorable they are!”
“Ador… adorable?”
An Yuanyao stammered, glancing between the bottle and Liu Xiazhi’s expectant expression. After a brief hesitation, she reluctantly took the bottle.
The water inside was cold, a sensation An Yuanyao felt immediately upon touching it. She’d never seen live tadpoles before, only pictures in textbooks. This was her first close encounter.
Suppressing the urge to toss the bottle away, she leaned forward slightly to peer inside.
The dark little creatures, with their newly sprouted legs, swam around in the bottle. The sight made her shudder.
After about three seconds, she quickly handed the bottle back to Liu Xiazhi, avoiding the girl’s bewildered expression as she rolled down the car window and gulped in fresh air.
Too… terrifying!
Black, slimy, and squirming in the water—seeing them up close only magnified her fear. Tadpoles were absolutely horrifying!
“Do you not like my tadpoles, Aunt An?”
The girl’s soft, disappointed voice snapped An Yuanyao out of her thoughts. Turning back, she saw Liu Xiazhi’s large, teary eyes staring at her with a hint of grievance.
“No… not at all. I think tadp… tadpoles are cute too.”
“Really?”
Liu Xiazhi brightened instantly and began unscrewing the bottle cap, mumbling as she did. “You’ll see them better if you look through the opening—”
“No! That’s not necessary!”
“Here, Aunt An, take another look!”
“I… I…”
“Aunt An?”
Pressed against the seat with no escape, An Yuanyao stared at the bottle being held out to her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the two tadpoles with legs might suddenly jump out…
I don’t want to see tadpoles anymore!
Liu Changqing, help me!
“Alright, that’s enough.”
A voice rang out behind her, and a hand reached through the car window, grabbing the bottle. Liu Changqing’s tone carried a trace of exasperation.
“Not everyone likes tadpoles, Xiazhi. Also, don’t unscrew the cap so casually. If the water spills, your precious tadpoles won’t survive.”
With that, he gently took the cap from Liu Xiazhi’s small hands and screwed it back on.
An Yuanyao froze. For a moment, when Liu Changqing had leaned over to grab the bottle, it felt as though he had embraced her. The fear that had gripped her moments ago suddenly melted away.
Turning her head, she watched him secure the bottle cap, his face calm, though a bit scruffy from the stubble starting to grow in.
And yet…
“Changqing!”
“Huh? Why are you calling me that?”
“Nothing! You misheard!”
Startled by her own words, An Yuanyao quickly turned to face forward, avoiding his gaze.
Due to the dim lighting, Liu Changqing didn’t notice her flushed face. Scratching his head in confusion, he walked around the car to open the driver’s side door and got in.
“Take good care of it, and don’t scare people with it.”
Pouting, Liu Xiazhi took the bottle back. She clearly didn’t think she’d been scaring anyone.
“But Aunt An said she thinks tadpoles are cute…”
“Really?”
Surprised, Liu Changqing glanced at An Yuanyao, who had her head lowered.
“You like tadpoles too?”
“They’re… okay…”
“Alright then. I don’t really get you two…”
With that, Liu Changqing started the engine, and the car settled into a quiet hum as they drove off.
About 20 minutes later, they arrived at An Yuanyao’s apartment complex.
After parking at the entrance, Liu Changqing stepped out, and An Yuanyao followed. Liu Xiazhi stayed in the car, focused on her bottle.
Standing before her, Liu Changqing paused in thought.
“Set your alarm for 8:30 tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at 9.”
“Alright.”
“Wait, you need time to do your makeup. Set it for 8.”
“…”
“Just kidding. I’ll come at 9:30. No rush.”
Looking at him, An Yuanyao didn’t respond with the usual playful punch. She simply watched him.
Noticing her unusual quietness, Liu Changqing chuckled awkwardly, then pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“Your reward, as promised.”
“What’s this?”
“Lipstick. I bought it earlier.”
“…?”
Stunned, An Yuanyao stared at the lipstick, then at Liu Changqing. Slowly, her eyes began to glimmer.
“Than—”
“Forget it, I’ll keep it!”
Seeing her hesitation, Liu Changqing moved to retract his hand. Panicking, An Yuanyao snatched the lipstick and clutched it tightly.
Her quick reaction made Liu Changqing chuckle. “Go on inside. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
Watching him drive off, An Yuanyao smiled and turned to head home.
Inside, she changed into her unsightly pink slippers, tossed her bag onto the sofa, and rushed to the bathroom.
Standing before the mirror, she opened the lipstick and applied it carefully.
Staring at her reflection, especially her lips, she froze.
After a while, she murmured to herself as if it had been inevitable:
“I knew it…”
