At this time of year in Yangshuo, the mountains and rivers remain unchanged, and the galleries are still the same. Nothing seems to have altered.

They chose to stay at an inn by the river. When they opened the window, they were greeted by the misty landscapes of Guilin. The mountains were steep and strangely shaped, and the water of the Lijiang River was clear and green. In the evening, they both felt a bit lazy and wanted to order food while enjoying the scenery of the Lijiang River.

“Damn, we can’t. Will asked me to go out and check the banquet restaurant,” Lumi suddenly remembered the temporary task Tu Ming had given her: “Let’s go have a good meal, a trial dinner.” Lumi winked at Shang Zhi Tao.

“Just look at the menu, we’ll charge it to the card later,” Shang Zhi Tao always felt that Tu Ming could be stingy with expenses. She had heard Daisy and Serena chatting about how Tu Ming scrutinized expense reports closely.

“He asked me to arrange the banquet. How can we know if the food is good without trying it? Let him cover the card charges,” Lumi snorted.

“You’re always at odds with him. How can you sleep with him? I’ve observed that Will is usually very cautious and doesn’t give anyone a chance,” Shang Zhi Tao summarized Tu Ming: He treats everyone equally and fairly. He would discuss or even debate with Luke during meetings, always maintaining a dignified demeanor.

“If he doesn’t give me a chance, I’ll create one. I don’t believe I can’t handle him,” Lumi said with a laugh, her tone nonchalant, making it unclear whether she was serious or joking.

“You’re really thinking about it?” Shang Zhi Tao asked her seriously.

“He’s a rare breed,” Lumi whistled: “I want to test him out and write a review afterward.”

“You’re talking nonsense. Don’t always act like a hooligan.”

The two of them laughed and joked as they left the inn, walking in the night scenery of the Lijiang River. Even the river seemed to become gentle, and they both tacitly fell silent. Shang Zhi Tao was officially stationed in the northwest, and while Lumi was reluctant to see her go, she always supported her and wished her the best. She disdained making friends in the workplace, but Shang Zhi Tao was the only one she opened her heart to. A mutual friend, Sun Yu, once joked with them: “If one of you changed your orientation, we’d be eating your wedding candy by now.”

“I applied for support to go to the northwest exhibition hall, and Will approved it. He even praised me,” Tu Ming’s praise of Lumi was particularly amusing. She mimicked his tone: “It’s very commendable to take the initiative to go to a challenging place. I also hope that you can gain experience and have better development in the future.” After mimicking him, she asked Shang Zhi Tao: “Doesn’t he sound like a political science teacher?”

“Yes, he does!”

“He’s like that, speaking in a strange way, always so tense, like a plaster statue,” Lumi summarized Tu Ming.

They made their way through the crowd, and Lumi found a restaurant that offered a view of the Lijiang River at night and a direct view of the nearby performance “Liu Sanjie,” with an excellent location. Looking at the scenery from a high place always felt a bit different. The night view of Chongqing was similar to that of Hong Kong, while the night view of Guilin was scattered among the mountains and rivers. In any case, the lights were beautiful, each with its own charm.

The blue color permeated the night, and white mist rose from the river surface. The scenery was picturesque, with folk songs being sung and harmonized. The two of them sat high up, watching everything clearly.

“I’m really happy to be able to see the scenery with you,” Shang Zhi Tao tugged at Lumi’s sleeve and said.

“The way you say it, as if I’d agree to see it with anyone else!” Lumi’s eyebrows rose, her expression both unruly and sincere.

Lumi remembered her first trip to Guilin with Lu Qing. It was the year Lu Qing graduated from high school, and Lu Fu gave her 20,000 yuan to travel on her own. She brought Lumi along, and the two of them hit it off, arriving in Guilin the next day. At that time, there weren’t as many tourists in Guilin. The two seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls ate rice noodles at small shops and rode bicycles around the Shi gallery for three days in a row without feeling tired. Now, looking back, it felt like it was just yesterday.

So she sent a message to Lu Qing: “Yangshuo is still quite beautiful, but it’s too crowded. It’s not as good as when we came here years ago.”

Lu Qing took a long time to reply: “Exactly! Back then, we could just wander around when we traveled. Now, we have to think about avoiding the crowds wherever we go.”

“What are you doing? You’re always on your phone, so why are you so slow to reply?”

Lu Qing glanced at Yao Luan sitting opposite her. He was leisurely watching her, as if guessing she was about to lie. But Yao Luan still didn’t understand Lu Qing, the Lu family always played it straight. Even Lu Qing wouldn’t lie to her family about such things.

Lu Qing sent Lumi a voice message: “Yao Luan invited me to dinner. We were just discussing what to do after eating. He suggested going to my place for a bit.” Her face was slightly red, and her expression was a bit excited, as if she were a teenage girl preparing for her first act of rebellion.

‘Shit.’

Lumi exclaimed in disbelief, looking at Shang Zhi Tao: “Sis! Lu Qing! She’s changed after her divorce!”

“What?”

“She invited Yao Luan to her house!”

“My goodness!” Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes widened. Both of them were a bit excited and wanted to watch Lu Qing bring Yao Luan home.

Lumi, sharing the same thought as Shang Zhi Tao, said to Lu Qing: “Bring him home! Bring him home! Forget about dinner! What’s so good about dinner! Go home quickly! Don’t be shy!” This string of exclamation marks truly conveyed her eagerness, hoping that her cousin would have an extraordinary night.

Lu Qing received Lumi’s message and smiled. Adult men and women, having dinner and then going home for a visit, what was so unusual about that? Hadn’t she had enough of a conventional life? Lumi was right, if she was happy and willing, she should do it.

She put down her phone and said to Yao Luan: “I’m almost done eating, how about you?”

Yao Luan saw a seemingly gentle woman becoming wild, and he found it quite refreshing. He had a hint of reluctance: “I’m almost done too, shall I drive you?”

“Let’s go.”

They left the Western restaurant, and a cold wind blew by, causing Lu Qing to shiver. Yao Luan quickly draped his coat over her, but he withdrew his hand just as quickly. Adhering to the principle of being a gentleman, he didn’t want to take advantage of the situation. He was both “wild” and principled, which was somewhat similar to Lumi.

Lu Qing gripped his coat tightly and walked with him towards his car under the dim lights. Today, Yao Luan was riding a motorcycle, and Lu Qing finally felt less fear. She sat in the passenger seat, and the seat heater was turned on, relieving the chill from earlier and making her feel a bit relaxed. Lu Qing’s back slightly bent, sinking into the seat, as she looked at Yao Luan. Her gaze was deep and inviting, though not very skilled.

She thought: I’ve lived for thirty years, following the world’s expectations and evaluations, being a good girl, an excellent student, a virtuous wife, but what did I get in the end? The reality was so suffocating. Why should I live like this? I should be more reckless and live according to my own desires.

Yao Luan looked at her deeply and started the car. The scent of the desert rose on Lu Qing’s body made his car interior gentle and cozy, and he found it quite pleasant.

During the drive, Lu Qing’s mind was at war with itself. She never did anything out of line before, unlike Lumi, who was always free and easy. She used to think it was because Lumi was young and impulsive, but later she realized that wasn’t the case. It seemed like she had never been young.

When Yao Luan parked the car, the interior was dim and quiet, and their breathing became an ambiguous presence. Lu Qing didn’t even notice that she was holding her breath, taking shallow breaths like a timid lamb.

TN: [Warning: The other scene may not suitable for 17 and above. Read as your own risk. ]

“Should we do it in the car or go upstairs?” Lu Qing said slowly, as if she had made a big decision.

“In the car, it’s more exciting,” Yao Luan unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to her, placing his hand on her knee.

He leaned in, kissing her lips gently, his eyes fixed on her closed eyes. Her eyelashes trembled, betraying her inner struggle. Yao Luan stopped and wiped her slightly cool lips with his fingertips, laughing unexpectedly.

He found it quite amusing.

Yao Luan had seen many men and women in the world being unrestrained and carefree, and he had also seen those who pretended to be proper, but most wanted to appear as good people. Lu Qing, however, wanted to pretend to be casual.

“Can you be more intense?” Lu Qing’s eyes were half-closed, her hand gripping his collar: “Kiss me like you would when you were twenty, with our teeth clashing, but make it really intense.”

Yao Luan didn’t speak, he kissed her fiercely, his tongue exploring her mouth, wrapping around hers, full of aggression. His tongue was soft, his teeth sharp, and their saliva exchanged, with a faint sound of water. His scent enveloped Lu Qing tightly, and she leaned back, but he pressed forward. Both of them were a bit breathless, and in the end, his teeth bit her lips: “Like this?”

“Or like this,” Lu Qing pulled his hand on her knee and slowly guided it upwards.

Yao Luan suddenly laughed out loud: “You’re quite good at this.” He returned to his seat, his fingertips touching his lips: “So eager to become wild?”

“If the car isn’t good, will you come upstairs with me?”

“No.” Yao Luan drank some water, the sound of gulping making Lu Qing hold her breath.

“Did you invite me to dinner just for boredom?” Lu Qing’s mood suddenly turned sour. Since her divorce, she had become somewhat unpredictable. Her temper often flared up suddenly, and she couldn’t even control it herself: “If you’re just looking for entertainment, find someone else. There are plenty of people with time to play with you.” She got out of the car, the sound of the door closing a bit heavy, and ran into the residential complex.

Yao Luan watched her back, raised an eyebrow, and then took out his phone to call her.

Lu Qing had already reached her building and answered the phone, panting: “What is it?”

“Which building, unit, and floor do you live on?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m coming to find you. After all this, it would be a shame not to do something.”

The phone went silent. Lu Qing’s earlier boldness had vanished, replaced by regret.

“What’s wrong, Lu Qing? Now you’re playing shy? You didn’t hold back when you slammed the car door just now.”

“Wait for me on the road leading in.”

“Alright.”

Yao Luan got out of the car and wrapped his coat tightly around himself. His walking posture was like that of an ancient warrior, with the battlefield ahead, and surrender was not an option. Lu Qing saw his menacing stance, which seemed to sharpen the autumn evening breeze, cutting her face with a fiery pain.

“Do you still have alcohol at home? To set the mood.” Yao Luan’s hands were in his pockets, ready to scare Lu Qing to death.

“I only have green tea at home.”

“That’s enough, it’ll do.”

“Do you want freshly ground coffee?”

“Anything’s fine.”

Yao Luan followed Lu Qing into her home and saw a clean and comfortable house decorated in a rustic style.

“Nice style.”

“I decorated it when I was single. After getting married, I moved out for a few years and just moved back recently,” Lu Qing didn’t hide the fact that she had just divorced.

“How do you feel?”

“About what?”

“Your feelings after the divorce,” Yao Luan’s body was relaxed on the sofa, looking at Lu Qing sitting on the chair opposite him. She was holding a water cup with both hands, looking like a child who had done something wrong. He patted his leg: “Come, sit on my lap and tell me.”

Lu Qing sat down, the water cup still steaming. Through the thin mist, she looked at Yao Luan, and the desire to confide came suddenly.

“Sometimes I feel great, sometimes I doubt myself, sometimes I’m glad I left, sometimes I feel it’s a pity. My mood swings, and my emotions change drastically, but overall, I can get through it.”

“There are also tough times, like when mutual friends mention him or when I pass by a place we used to go together, and there’s an emptiness in my heart.”

“I’m afraid of the dark. At night, the house is pitch black, and when I turn over, there’s no one beside me anymore.”

“But I’ve gotten through it. In Lumi’s words, such a fucked-up idiot isn’t worth it.”

“I know you’ve gotten through it.”

Yao Luan nodded and took a sip of water: “Your summary of your post-divorce state isn’t very comprehensive.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes you’re very ladylike, and sometimes you pretend to be wild,” Yao Luan pointed at her lips: “You’re thinking of rebelling, and your lips are ready.” When they kissed, her lips were tense and uncomfortable. Yao Luan smiled: “I’m quite interested in you, and my body drove me to ask you out, but I never thought of taking advantage of you. You know what I mean.”

He stood up and walked over to Lu Qing, patting her head: “I’m leaving, see you later.”

Lu Qing followed him to the door, and as Yao Luan turned to look at her, he said: “How about we have tea together another day? Or drinks?”

“Riding a motorcycle is fine too.”

“Let’s skip the motorcycle, your screams are too eerie. When I get back from my trip, I’ll ask you out.”

“Or I could go with you?”

“Sure, next time.”

They both laughed.

Lu Qing saw Yao Luan off downstairs and watched his back disappear. She suddenly realized something: despite her divorce, her body was still attractive. As long as she was willing, whether she was thirty, fifty, or seventy years old, there would be men willing to take her home.

But that wasn’t important. What mattered was whether she needed a man to take her home, and from now on, that depended on her own choice.

“Lumi, nothing happened between us. Yao Luan was a gentleman,” Lu Qing knew Lumi would be waiting to hear something and told her.

“Oh…” Lumi was clearly disappointed. This was different from the scenario in her mind where the big bad wolf tore apart the little white rabbit. It wasn’t as exciting! But upon reflection, it was quite good.

“How was your day?” she asked Lu Qing.

“Very good,” Lu Qing said: “Don’t worry, I’m not the woman who was cheated on and actively sought a divorce, waiting to be rescued. I’ve come back to life.”

“That’s great.” Lumi sent a hug: “At least Yao Luan’s actions prove one thing: divorce is nothing for a woman! Our charm is huge!”

“Yes! Breakups too! They don’t affect my little sister’s charm.”

The pain from the breakup had long passed. The world turned the page quickly in Lumi’s eyes, and there were always new and interesting things waiting for her. She was willing to give all her enthusiasm to all of this.

To give it to the beauty of life.