Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian sat at the table, staring at the dish of pork belly and onions in a daze, still holding the chopsticks he had just put down. The aroma of the food was still in the air, but his appetite seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden. He felt an inexplicable pressure in his chest, as if something was weighing heavily on his heart. Although the dizziness subsided temporarily, the uneasiness in his heart was like a snowball, growing bigger and bigger.

"What the hell..." Li Xiangqian muttered in a low voice, his voice sounding a little tired. He shook his head, trying to put those chaotic thoughts behind him.

"I have to get some tea to clear my mind." He thought to himself, stood up, and decided to find some tea to refresh himself. Maybe a cup of hot tea would make him feel better. After all, tea can sometimes dispel the dazed feeling and make people concentrate again.

He turned and walked towards the kitchen, still feeling a little dizzy, but he tried to ignore it. After entering the kitchen, Li Xiangqian habitually opened the cupboard and took out the can of tea he usually drank. This was the tea he had been accustomed to drinking for many years, with a slightly bitter fragrance. It was this slightly bitter taste that always allowed him to find some peace in the fatigue of the day.

However, the moment he opened the tea can, a strange premonition came to his mind again. His movements slowed down, and a subtle thought flashed through his mind - what happened to him recently? Why did he seem to be unable to find his previous state after Qin Huairu appeared that night? This state seemed to spread silently, like the humid water vapor in the air, and it had unknowingly permeated his life.

He picked up the kettle and boiled the water. The sound of boiling water came to his ears. Normally, this sound always made him feel comfortable, but today, even this tiny noise had an uneasy echo. Li Xiangqian frowned slightly, feeling a little confused. The fingers holding the teapot tightened involuntarily, and the knuckles turned white.

"What's wrong with you lately, Li Xiangqian? It's just cooking a dish, why do you make such a fuss about it?" He whispered to himself, as if he was making fun of himself, but there was a hint of anxiety and confusion in his tone.

The water finally boiled, and he put the tea leaves into the teapot. When the hot water was poured into the teapot, the tea leaves rolled in the water, and the green tea began to emit a faint fragrance. He picked up the teapot, shook it gently, and poured it into the teacup. Hot steam rose, carrying the bitter taste, and the color of the tea slowly became translucent. Li raised the teacup forward, and the heat from the cup wall passed through his palm to his body, making him feel a little warmer.

"Well, tea is still the most refreshing." He whispered to himself and took a sip. The bitter tea fragrance spread on the tip of his tongue, seeming to dilute the uneasiness in his heart. However, he knew in his heart that this calmness was only temporary. The lingering confusion and doubts, like deep-rooted vines, were quietly growing in his heart.

"What went wrong?" Li Xiangqian put down his teacup, leaned against the kitchen wall, frowned, and began to think carefully. Everything that happened recently seemed nothing special, but he always felt that there was some connection behind these little things. He thought of Qin Huairu's sudden approach and his inexplicable dizziness. All of this seemed to be stirring up his life invisibly.

"Could there be something wrong with my body?" This thought suddenly occurred to him, and his heart sank. Perhaps, these trances and fatigue were not simply caused by stress or lack of rest, but that he was really sick. He remembered that when he woke up in the morning recently, he always felt dizzy and sometimes even had a little chest tightness.

Li Xiangqian bit his lip nervously and wanted to go to the hospital, but he knew that if he was really sick, it would be troublesome. He lived alone in the courtyard, without family to rely on, and usually didn't want to have too much interaction with neighbors. If something serious happened, he would probably just have to grit his teeth and hold on.

"Forget it, let's go to the clinic tomorrow to check it out." He made a silent decision in his heart. Although he was unwilling to face this possibility, if he didn't confirm it now, the uneasiness in his heart would only grow heavier.

At this moment, the sound of rain outside suddenly became louder, like a huge waterfall suddenly falling from the sky, instantly breaking the tranquility of the entire courtyard. The raindrops hit the window heavily, making a series of rapid snapping sounds, as if urging something.

Li Xiangqian walked to the window, opened a crack, and looked out. The rain curtain enveloped the entire yard in a gray and humid atmosphere. The ground was full of puddles, soaking every brick and stone. The leaves of the old tree in the yard shone with a wet luster under the rain, like a huge rain curtain hanging before his eyes.

He looked at the rain, and suddenly he felt an indescribable feeling of boredom. The rain not only disrupted his thoughts, but also made him feel depressed, as if the whole world was trapped in this wet quagmire and he couldn't get out of it.

"Oh, when will it be sunny?" He sighed to himself, feeling that this rainy weather seemed to reflect his current mood.

Just as he was about to turn around and go back to the table, he suddenly heard a slight sound of footsteps outside, which was faintly heard amid the sound of rain. Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, and his eyes quickly swept towards the yard. Although the rain blurred his vision, he vaguely saw a blurry figure standing at the door of the courtyard, seemingly hesitating whether to come in.

"Who would come in this kind of weather?" He immediately became alert. After all, people in the courtyard usually don't go out on such a rainy day, not to mention it was already late.

The figure seemed to have finally mustered up the courage and gently pushed open the gate of the courtyard, the umbrella swaying slightly in her hand. As she slowly approached, Li Xiangqian recognized the person, it was Qin Huairu. She was still wearing the old gray coat, holding a dark umbrella, with a bit of urgency and helplessness between her eyebrows, as if something had forced her to come to see him on this rainy night.

Li Xiangqian frowned, his heart suddenly filled with doubts and uneasiness. Why did she come again? What did she want to do this time?

"It's so late, why is it her again?" He muttered to himself, and the uneasiness in his heart came back again. He didn't want to get involved too much with Qin Huairu, especially now that his own state was unstable and he was completely unable to deal with the complicated situation she brought.

Qin Huairu's footsteps gradually approached, and the raindrops fell on her umbrella, making a slight tapping sound. She stood in front of Li Xiangqian's window, hesitated for a moment, and then knocked on the window gently.