Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He wanted to refuse, but it had already happened. "Should I go to her place tomorrow to return the grapes?" Thinking of this scene, he felt it was absurd. Doing so would not only fail to resolve the dilemma, but would lead to more misunderstandings, which might make things even more difficult to resolve.

"Alas." Li Xiangqian sighed softly, and finally decided not to care about it. He stood up and put the bunch of grapes into the refrigerator, telling himself that he would wait for a few days before talking about it. Maybe Qin Huairu would understand what he meant and slowly stop taking the initiative to contact him.

However, this self-consolation did not make him feel relieved. On the contrary, he felt even more depressed. Life in the courtyard was simple and closed, and any small movement could cause waves. And now, he felt as if he was involved in an unexpected storm, which made his originally peaceful life become confusing.

As the night deepened, the courtyard became even quieter. Li Xiangqian stood in front of the window, looking at the dim lights of Qinhuai Homestay across the street, with mixed feelings in his heart. How should he deal with this relationship? He thought about it again and again, but could not find a clear answer.

"Did she misunderstand something? Or... did I really do something wrong?" Li Xiangqian began to doubt himself. Was he too cold, which made Qin Huairu think he was pretending? He recalled the little things that had happened in the past few days and couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. In any case, he didn't want the matter to get out of hand, and he didn't want to put himself and her in an embarrassing situation.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian woke up earlier than usual. He barely slept well last night, and the bunch of grapes and Qin Huairu's smiling face kept turning around in his mind. As soon as the sky was light, he got up and started to work on the things at hand, hoping to use the busyness to stop himself from thinking about those annoying things.

However, just as he put the breakfast on the table, there was a slight knock on the door. Li Xiangqian was stunned and felt inexplicably nervous. Who else would knock on his door at this time? His first reaction was - Qin Huairu again?

The uneasy feeling in his heart gradually increased. He put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, walked to the door, and slowly opened it. As expected, it was Qin Huairu standing outside the door. She was wearing a simple sweater today, with a faint smile on her face, and still holding a small basket in her hand.

"Xiang Qian, it's early this morning. I just made some steamed cakes. I thought you might like them, so I brought some over for you." She said with a smile, as if the conversation last night had never happened.

Li Xiangqian's heart sank slightly, and he immediately understood that this matter was not as simple as he thought. Last night, he thought that talking it out would allow them to have some distance, but Qin Huairu's actions proved that she had no intention of backing down.

He stood at the door, silent for a few seconds, and finally said: "Huai Ru, thank you, I have prepared breakfast, I really can't accept your kindness anymore."

The smile on Qin Huairu's face faded a little, but she did not give up immediately, and still said softly: "This is nothing, it's just a small matter between neighbors, you don't have to be so polite."

"But I really don't need the things you gave me." Li Xiangqian looked her straight in the eyes and said firmly, "What I said yesterday was not a joke. Everyone in the yard is watching us. If we come and go so frequently, there will always be people gossiping."

Qin Huairu was slightly stunned, and her expression seemed a little helpless. She bit her lip and whispered, "Don't worry, I don't care about those gossips. Besides, I don't come to bother you every day. Today I just brought some food over."

Li Xiangqian sighed secretly. He knew that if he pushed it back and forth like this, it would only make the relationship between the two more complicated. He thought about it carefully and decided to change the way to make her understand.

"Huai Ru, it's not that I don't give you face." Li Xiangqian slowed down his tone and said with a little helplessness, "In fact, your family is not easy either. Keep these things for yourself. Your children also need to eat better. Don't always think about me."

Qin Huairu's eyes softened when she heard this, as if she was touched. She was silent for a while, and finally nodded: "Okay, since you said so, I won't force it."

Li Xiangqian sat at the table, staring blankly at the food in front of him, with the chopsticks in his hand hanging in the air, but he couldn't move on. He felt a little dizzy, as if his brain was wrapped in a layer of mist, and he fell into an inexplicable trance.

"What's going on?" He muttered to himself, rubbing his temples, trying to wake himself up. This feeling has lasted for several days, and is occasionally accompanied by a slight headache. Li Xiangqian has never been a sickly person. He used to be very strong, but recently, for some reason, he always feels that he can't lift his spirits. Could it be that the recent events have made him worry too much?

"Is it because of the things with Qin Huairu that I am too tired?" Li Xiangqian thought, and couldn't help but recall the scenes of her coming to his house several times. Since the bunch of grapes, Qin Huairu seemed to retreat on the surface and took less initiative to communicate with him, but Li Xiangqian knew in his heart that her attitude had not really changed. Her eyes, tone, and even inadvertent contact always made Li Xiangqian feel that things were not that simple.

But do these things really make him so uncomfortable? Li Xiangqian shook his head, feeling something was wrong. Although he was upset, he was not someone who easily lost control. The inexplicable fatigue and occasional dizziness made him feel confused and uneasy.

"Should I go see a doctor?" This thought came to his mind, but he quickly rejected it. The courtyard was not rich, and it would cost money to see a doctor. Li Xiangqian was usually a careful budgeter and was unwilling to spend unnecessary money. Besides, this minor symptom was not a serious illness.

But as this trance continued, the doubts in his heart grew. He never thought that he would be tormented by such a small thing and even his daily life became difficult.

"Xiang Qian, what's wrong with you recently?" A voice came from outside, pulling Li Xiang Qian back from his daze.

He looked up and saw his neighbor, Lao Liu, standing at the door, looking at him curiously. Lao Liu was an old resident in the yard, and he had a good relationship with Li Xiangqian. He often went to his house to drink tea when they chatted. Today, when he saw Li Xiangqian sitting there in a daze, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"It's okay, I'm just a little tired lately." Li Xiangqian tried hard to force a smile, stood up and tried to cheer himself up to deal with it, but his feet swayed slightly and he almost fell.