Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Oh no..." Li Xiangqian thought to himself. He knew that he couldn't let this situation continue and had to take action immediately. He decided to wait for Qin Huairu to come back in the evening and make things clear in person. He couldn't delay any longer.

The sky gradually darkened. Li Xiangqian cleaned up the dishes with mixed feelings. The food was left on the table to cool, but he had no appetite at all. With a conflicted mind, he finally decided to go find Qin Huairu and talk to her face to face. After all, the matter would become more and more complicated the longer it was delayed, and he never liked to drag things out.

When the night enveloped the entire courtyard, the courtyard became quiet. Li Xiangqian looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for Qin Huairu to go home. He hesitated for a moment, but finally walked out of the house and stood in the yard waiting for her.

Not long after, Qin Huairuo came back. She was carrying a basket of vegetables and looked normal. She didn't seem to notice Li Xiangqian's abnormality. When she entered the yard, she saw Li Xiangqian standing there. She was slightly startled, then smiled and greeted him: "Xiangqian, why aren't you sleeping so late?"

Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Qin Huairu, I have something to tell you."

The smile on her face froze for a moment, then she regained her composure and took a few steps closer: "What's wrong? Just tell me what you want to say."

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and organized his words: "Recently... you've been coming to my place all the time. I think this might not be a good idea. People in the yard are gossiping, and if it gets out, it might not be good for you."

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What are you worried about? We are just neighbors, who would say anything?"

"You know, these people in the yard..." Li Xiangqian's tone was a little heavy. He didn't want to say it too harshly, but he knew in his heart that if he didn't say it more directly, Qin Huairu might not understand what he meant. "Although that's what I said, if gossip really spreads, others won't say it that way. Especially to you..."

Qin Huairu was silent for a while, with a complex look in her eyes. She looked at Li Xiangqian, as if trying to figure out the deeper meaning from his words. She moved her lips, and finally whispered: "Do you think I'm causing you trouble?"

Li Xiangqian nodded, then shook his head, looking a little embarrassed: "I don't think you're causing trouble, I just think it's not good for you to continue like this. We all live in the same yard, so there will inevitably be gossip, and I don't want you to suffer unnecessary harm."

Qin Huairu heard this, and a complicated light flashed in her eyes, as if she understood something. She sighed softly, put down the basket in her hand, looked up at Li Xiangqian, and said with a hint of helplessness: "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. In fact, I also know that people in the yard are gossipy, but... forget it."

Li Xiangqian felt even more uneasy when he saw her hesitate to speak. He originally wanted to draw a line between them and not make their relationship complicated, but the current stalemate made him feel even more depressed.

Qin Huairu smiled softly, as if mocking herself: "Don't worry, I won't come over again. You are a thoughtful person, I shouldn't make things difficult for you."

Hearing her say this, Li Xiangqian felt relieved. Although he felt a little uneasy, he also felt that the matter had finally come to an end. He nodded and whispered, "Thank you for your understanding."

Qin Huairu didn't say anything more. She turned around and slowly walked back to her room with her basket. Her back looked a little lonely under the dim light. Li Xiangqian stood there and watched her walk into the house. He felt a little uncomfortable. He knew that the matter was not completely resolved, but it was only a temporary calm, but he was powerless to think more.

Li Xiangqian returned to the room and turned on the dim light bulb. He was still thinking about the conversation he had just had with Qin Huairu, and felt that everything seemed to have become more subtle. He walked into the kitchen and prepared to clean up the food on the table, but he accidentally saw a bunch of grapes on the table.

He was stunned for a moment, and a question immediately popped up in his mind: "Where did these grapes come from?"

Li Xiangqian clearly remembered that he had not bought any fruit recently, and he didn't usually eat grapes. Thinking carefully, the only person who could have sent this bunch of grapes was Qin Huairu who had just come. When she left, she was carrying a basket with vegetables in it. It seemed that she had secretly left this bunch of grapes on the table. Li Xiangqian looked at the bunch of purple and green grapes, and felt a little complicated.

"Is she... sending something here? Or does she have some other intention?" He frowned unconsciously, feeling vaguely uneasy.

Li Xiangqian originally thought that the conversation just now could make them a little more distant, but this bunch of grapes seemed to break his expectations. Qin Huairu left something for him even though she knew he wanted to avoid suspicion. This action made it even more difficult for Li Xiangqian to figure out her thoughts.

He stared at the bunch of grapes, his mind in a mess, unable to sort out the meaning. Was she still trying to get closer, or was she simply expressing her gratitude? Li Xiangqian felt that he had never been so passive before. His life used to be orderly and routine, but now he felt like he was being pulled by some force towards an unknown future. He couldn't help but sigh, thinking, "Why is this matter getting more and more complicated?"

"Maybe she just feels embarrassed." Li Xiangqian secretly comforted himself, not wanting to overthink things. But on second thought, Qin Huairu is not a brainless person, and every move she makes has a deep meaning. Everyone in the courtyard knows that Qin Huairu has her own plans for life, especially after her husband's death, life has been difficult. She raised several children alone, and she shouldered too much, so she couldn't do things casually.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian felt even more depressed. He sat back at the table and stared at the bunch of grapes in a daze. The purple and translucent grapes looked particularly tempting under the light, as if they were quietly waiting for some kind of response. However, he did not reach out to take them.

This reminded him of his past. Li Xiangqian did not live a wealthy life when he was young. His parents taught him to be honest and frugal, but never asked for extra things. Therefore, he was always careful and cautious about the "gifts" in life. He always felt that there was some expectation or request behind the sudden kindness, and this expectation sometimes made people feel pressured.

"What favor does she want me to repay?" This question flashed through his mind. Although Qin Huairu did not make any explicit request, her actions made Li Xiangqian feel uneasy, as if he had already owed her a favor. Although he did not ask her to do anything for him, her repeated initiatives put him in a moral dilemma.