Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He didn't think much about it, but turned and walked into the bathroom. The moment the faucet was turned on, hot water quickly flowed out of the spout, and the bathroom was immediately filled with warm steam. Li Xiangqian stood in front of the mirror, closed his eyes, and felt the warmth of the water. He tried to calm himself down and quietly washed away his fatigue.

Water dripped down the ends of his hair, and he gently massaged his scalp with his fingertips, trying to relax his tension. However, his thoughts did not disappear with the water, but became heavier and heavier. The investment in the land, the departure of his wife, and the bugs in his hair, all of these seemed to form some kind of intertwined connection at this moment, which troubled him and made him unable to get rid of it.

Li Xiangqian lowered his head and used his palm to brush off the water droplets on his hair. His tired face was reflected in the mirror, and the dark circles under his eyes were more conspicuous. Suddenly, he saw that his expression in the mirror became more and more unfamiliar, and that face seemed to be more and more distant from him. The loneliness and uneasiness in his heart once again emerged in his heart.

He walked out of the bathroom and stood in front of the bed, still not taking off his wet clothes. Suddenly, he heard movement outside the door and footsteps coming into the room. Li Xiangqian's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he almost subconsciously turned his head to look at the door.

The door was gently pushed open, and standing at the door was Xiao Zhao.

Li Xiangqian's eyes flashed with surprise, and then turned into a complicated expression. He looked at Xiao Zhao's face, as if he wanted to find some answers from her eyes, but he felt a distance that he could not understand.

Xiao Zhao did not speak, but stood quietly at the door, looking at Li Xiangqian. There was a stagnant atmosphere in the air, and Li Xiangqian suddenly felt that the string in his heart seemed to be about to break.

He frowned slightly and couldn't help asking, "Where have you been? Why are you back so late?"

Xiao Zhao's eyes were a little evasive, but she still managed to force a smile: "Nothing, I went to the street to walk around and buy some things. Have you washed your hair?"

Li Xiangqian stared at her steadily, his uneasiness growing stronger. He still did not answer, but stared silently into Xiao Zhao's eyes, as if he wanted to read more from them. However, although he was full of questions, Xiao Zhao's smiling face made him dare not ask any more questions.

"What's wrong today?" Li Xiangqian's voice was low and silent. He knew that his doubts might make Xiao Zhao feel uneasy, but he couldn't control his inner distress. "I feel like something is wrong with you today."

Xiao Zhao's eyes flickered, and finally she sighed softly, walked into the room and closed the door. She did not answer Li Xiangqian directly, but walked silently to the head of the bed and sat down gently.

"It's okay, it's really nothing." Her voice was a little tired, but still seemed so gentle, "I'm just a little tired, I just need to rest for a while."

Li Xiangqian sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes unconsciously falling on the gradually darkening sky outside the window. His mind was still filled with chaotic thoughts, those about the decision to invest in land, about the bugs in his hair, about his wife Xiao Zhao's unusual behavior - all these details were like ropes tightly wrapped around his heart, making him more and more unbearable.

He just stopped in front of the bathroom for a moment, his fingers involuntarily stroking his hair again, the itch still did not go away. Whenever he thought of insects, he felt sick, as if his body had been eroded by something unknown. At this moment, the smile on Xiao Zhao's face seemed to become more and more difficult to interpret.

"Xiao Zhao, are you really okay?" Li Xiangqian asked in a low voice, but his eyes never left her.

Xiao Zhao sat at the head of the bed, her expression still calm, but the fatigue in her eyes was more obvious. She did not answer immediately, but reached out to pick up the water cup on the bedside table, took a sip of water, and then slowly said: "It's okay, it's really okay. I just went for a walk, maybe I'm a little tired."

"Walk for a walk?" Li Xiangqian raised his eyebrows, but he knew clearly that today's situation was different from the past. Xiao Zhao usually came back early to have dinner with him or chat with him about daily trivial matters. But today, she came back hesitantly and thoughtfully.

The doubts in his mind became clearer, and he couldn't help but ask: "Is there something you are hiding from me?"

Xiao Zhao was stunned for a moment, her face changed slightly, then she smiled: "Why do you think so? How could I hide it from you?" Her voice was a little soft, but with an unquestionable tone.

Li Xiangqian's eyes became sharp, "If you don't tell me, how can I know?"

Xiao Zhao seemed startled by the sudden words, with a complicated expression. She lowered her head and whispered softly, "It's nothing, just a little thing." Then, she suddenly stood up and said, "You are tired too, take a rest first, I will talk to you tomorrow."

Li Xiangqian watched her gradually turning back, and the feeling of uneasiness in his heart surged like a tide, almost making him breathless. Xiao Zhao's abnormal behavior was no longer a simple matter of fatigue. He could feel that she was deliberately avoiding something, or even escaping from something. He couldn't ignore the feeling of alienation, and he couldn't control himself.

He took a deep breath and suddenly felt a little angry and powerless. This emotion made his mind blurry and his heartbeat gradually accelerated, as if some kind of repression had reached its limit.

"How could you do this to me?" Li Xiangqian's voice became low and hoarse, "Are you hiding something from me?"

"No." Xiao Zhao turned around, her face still as calm as usual, but there was a hint of strangeness and avoidance in her eyes that he had never seen before. She looked at him, and finally turned and walked towards the door, saying in a flat tone: "I'll go to the kitchen and take a look and prepare something for you."

Her words were like a heavy stone hitting Li Xiangqian's heart, and his original doubts were instantly magnified. At this moment, he finally realized that he had been pushed to a limit and could no longer endure this unclear silence and speculation. A voice in his heart told him that he must find the answer and figure out what happened, even if it would make him desperate.

Li Xiangqian looked at Xiao Zhao's back, and the uneasiness in his heart became acute. He urgently needed an outlet, a place where he could hear the truth, an outlet that could help him break free from this oppression.

He no longer hesitated, pulled out his cell phone, and quickly dialed a number. He hadn't called this number for a long time, and it was even a little strange, but at this moment, Li Xiangqian felt that only she could give him some clues and some answers.

After a few rings, the phone was connected. Lou Xiao'e's familiar voice came from the other end, a little tired but warm: "Hello? Li Xiangqian? It's so late, what's the matter?"