Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Things have been so chaotic lately, I need to calm down." He thought to himself, slowly putting down the teacup. Although the doctor said there was nothing serious wrong with him, Li Xiangqian knew that the real root of his illness was not in his body, but in the tangled people and things in his life.

"What exactly is Qin Huairu planning?" This is the question he has been thinking about the most recently. Why does she always appear in front of him? Does she really need help, or does she have other intentions? Thinking of this, his brows slightly frowned, feeling that things are much more complicated than they seem.

The recent rumors in the courtyard seemed to be related to her. Although no one said anything, Li Xiangqian could feel it from the casual glances and gossip. He knew that many people had begun to make a fuss about their relationship, which made him feel a little uneasy.

"I don't want to have anything to do with her, and I must not let myself get too deeply involved." Li Xiangqian reminded himself vigilantly. He has always been cautious, especially with a woman like Qin Huairu who has a complicated background. He has to be even more careful.

He picked up the teacup and took a few sips slowly. The temperature of the hot tea calmed his mind a little. However, the problems that followed were not so easy to get rid of. How could the people in the yard, especially those who loved to gossip, let such a thing go easily? They would stare and talk until the situation became uncontrollable.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangqian couldn't help but smile bitterly. In the past, he always felt that he was different from others, that he could avoid these gossips and live freely and unrestrainedly. But now, reality made him understand that no matter how cautious a person is, he will inevitably be involved in some insignificant but exhausting troubles.

Suddenly, a slight knock on the door interrupted Li Xiangqian's thoughts.

"Who is it?" He frowned, feeling a little irritated instinctively.

"Come forward, it's me." A woman's voice came from outside the door, and it was indeed Qin Huairu.

When Li Xiangqian heard her voice, he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. Why did this woman come again? He was about to pretend that she was not there when the knock on the door sounded again, with a steady rhythm.

"Oh, there's no way to avoid it." Li Xiangqian sighed in his heart, thinking that if he didn't answer the door, Qin Huairu would definitely continue knocking, making it possible for other people in the yard to hear it, which would be even more troublesome.

He stood up, walked slowly to the door, and opened it. Qin Huairu was standing at the door, still holding her basket, with a smile in her eyes, looking very natural, as if she just came to say hello.

"Are you busy?" she asked with a smile.

Li Xiangqian forced a smile: "Nothing, I just finished my tea, is there anything wrong?"

"It's nothing serious. I just came to see you on the way." She said lightly, but her eyes swept over Li Xiangqian, as if she was sizing up his condition.

Li Xiangqian couldn't help but feel a little wary. Qin Huairu always looked harmless and her words were not sharp, but her approach made him unable to let down his guard. Every time she spoke, her tone was caring on the surface, but the temptation that was inadvertently revealed made Li Xiangqian feel uncomfortable.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He answered subconsciously, with a hint of alienation in his tone.

Qin Huairu obviously noticed his coldness, but she did not show any displeasure. Instead, she smiled slightly and said gently, "That's good. I see that you are a little bit abnormal recently. Are you feeling well? Don't get too tired."

"Fortunately, I was a little tired a few days ago and went to see the doctor. He said there was no big problem." Li Xiangqian was reluctant to talk more and tried to respond as briefly as possible.

Qin Huairu nodded, seemingly not intending to continue asking: "That's fine. If you need any help, just tell me, don't be shy."

Li Xiangqian looked at her, feeling somewhat helpless. Her kindness was superficial, but he never dared to accept too much, fearing that he would fall too deeply into it. So he could only nod and said with a smile: "Thank you, I will tell you if there is anything."

The short conversation between the two ended in silence. Qin Huairu did not stay for long and turned to leave. Li Xiangqian looked at her back and felt relieved, but also felt a sense of inexplicable burden.

"What on earth is this woman planning?" He stood at the door, watching her figure disappear around the corner of the yard, and felt that the situation was becoming increasingly thorny.

Back in the house, Li Xiangqian sat back at the table and picked up the teacup. But the tea had already cooled down, the heat had long since dissipated, and the tea fragrance in the cup had become faint.

Li Xiangqian sighed deeply, feeling that this cup of tea seemed to symbolize his current life. The originally peaceful and stable days seemed to have gradually lost their original flavor with the intervention of Qin Huairu. Whenever he wanted to stay away from these troubles, new problems would always come one after another, and he seemed unable to avoid them completely.

He picked up the teacup and poured another cup of hot water, watching the tea leaves tumbling and floating in the water. He secretly made up his mind that he would stay awake no matter what this time and not let himself get involved in Qin Huairu's life. Those interpersonal relationships and seemingly harmless concerns would not allow him to continue. "He whispered, took a sip of the hot tea, as if this was a way for him to cheer himself up.

The heat of the tea made him feel warm again. Although he still had doubts in his heart, Li Xiangqian decided not to think about it anymore. He just wanted to live a good life and try not to let those complicated interpersonal relationships affect his mood.

After returning to his room, Li Xiangqian lay on the bed and began to think about growing onions. It's not that he hasn't grown anything before. When he was a child, he and his grandfather also grew some vegetables in his hometown, but that was many years ago. Now, he lives a plain life in this courtyard, and it seems that he doesn't have too many pursuits. Planting some onions can not only kill time, but also make the yard more green. Thinking about it, Li Xiangqian smiled.

"What a great idea," he muttered to himself.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian went to the nearby farmer's market to buy some onion seeds. The market was bustling with people, and all kinds of stalls were filled with fresh vegetables and seeds. The air was mixed with the fragrance of soil and vegetable leaves. He walked along the way and finally found onion seeds from an old vendor. The old vendor was a wrinkled old lady wearing a worn cotton hat, and looked very kind.

"Old lady, are your onion seeds good?" Li Xiangqian asked casually.

The old lady smiled, revealing a few broken yellow teeth: "Young man, this seed is from my own family, it is very good, I guarantee it will grow strong."