'He knows how to be shy?'
'And here I thought he was so bold.'
He was bold enough to put food on my plate at the dinner table. Mom hadn't even said anything, so why was he suddenly so embarrassed?
Chen Wanqing pressed her lips together, hiding the smile in her eyes. She called to Zhao Jing, "Jing, let's go to the backyard."
Zhao Jing's voice sounded as if it were stuffed with cotton—hoarse and choked, with a raw edge. It was hard to tell if he was desperately reining in an overwhelming emotion or if there was some other reason.
"Alright. I'll walk in front. A-jie, you can follow me."
"It's fine. It should be safe here."
"It's better to be careful."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
The courtyard was quiet; the voices of Xu Su Ying and Chen Song could no longer be heard.
On this brilliant, sun-drenched afternoon, the sun beat down with a scorching heat that made one drowsy, feeling light-headed and weak-kneed.
