TIMO - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“I didn’t kneel, so I’m not tired.”
Fu Zhao picked up the seafood she had just packed and turned to leave, but her movements were visibly stiff. Although she wasn’t the one who had knelt, she was still the one bearing the consequences.
She quickened her pace but could still hear faint laughter from behind her. It sounded like someone was trying very hard to hold it in, only letting a little sound escape when they couldn't suppress it any longer.
Fu Zhao stopped in her tracks and looked back.
Shi Nan stopped just in time, but the distance between them became a little too close. She was only a step away from Fu Zhao, who had turned to look at her. She froze for a moment, and before she could react, Fu Zhao suddenly pulled away again. Only a faint scent of tea lingered at the tip of her nose, but it soon dissipated with the sea breeze, replaced by the salty, damp air.
“If you want to laugh, then laugh. Don’t hold it in.” Fu Zhao met Shi Nan’s gaze, her tone a bit awkward as she said softly, “I can hear you even if you hold it in.”
With that, she turned and continued walking, though her pace was slightly slower this time.
Shi Nan blinked, watching as Fu Zhao walked further away after saying her piece. The corners of her clothes rustled in the sea breeze. The ponytail she had tied up during dinner swayed in the wind, and a few strands of hair at the nape of her neck had come loose. It was messy, yet it made the figure ahead of her seem all the more vibrant.
And increasingly distant.
She watched silently for a moment and was suddenly reminded of something. When she used to walk ahead of Fu Zhao, would Fu Zhao also stand in place like this, watching her shrinking back?
What must Fu Zhao have been feeling back then?
But before Shi Nan could figure out the answer to that question, Fu Zhao stopped up ahead and turned around. Her figure glowed in the slanting rays of the setting sun. She was awkwardly clutching the takeout bag, swinging it involuntarily.
“Why aren’t you keeping up?”
The voice that carried over was scattered by the wind, soft and gentle, yet it held a hint of complaint.
Shi Nan was jolted from her thoughts. She quickly reined in her complex emotions, flashed a smile at Fu Zhao, and ran over with large strides, using a tone as if coaxing a child.
“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more. I promise to zip my lips and not mention another word~”
“Then let’s change the subject. How about you tell me what the ‘Ten Standards of Alpha Virtue’ are? I’m quite curious.”
“If you’re so curious, why didn’t you ask Jiang Wenqing to recite them for you just now?” Fu Zhao replied without looking at Shi Nan.
Shi Nan looked at Fu Zhao, who was standing ramrod straight with her neck held high, like a model student oblivious to the world around her. She couldn’t resist reaching out to tug on the corner of Fu Zhao’s sleeve. Laughing softly, she softened her voice, “Aiya… she was busy just now. Just tell me~~”
Fu Zhao felt her fingertips stiffen for a moment. She composed herself, pulled her sleeve from Shi Nan’s hand, and unnaturally created more distance between them. She shot a glance over before quickly and discreetly looking away. “It’s nothing special. You can have Xiao An tell you when you get back. Xiao An can also introduce you to some of the island’s scenic spots.”
“You mean…” Shi Nan paused, looking at her empty fingertips. Her gaze returned to its usual calm, and the smile on her lips faded. “Starting tomorrow, you won’t be taking me out anymore, is that right?”
Fu Zhao didn’t answer immediately, pretending not to see Shi Nan’s direct stare. After a moment of silence, she replied, “Starting tomorrow… I’ll have other people show you around and accompany you wherever you want to go. If you can’t think of anywhere, I’ll have a guide make recommendations for you. If you want to stay on the island indefinitely, I… welcome that as well. You can rest assured, no matter what, I won’t treat you poorly. You will always be… an honored guest of Nanke Island.”
Her plan had indeed been to arrange for a few “guides” to show Shi Nan around the island starting tomorrow. Firstly, it was to complete the task Fu Wanqing had given her, and secondly… she couldn’t possibly accompany Shi Nan forever, could she?
To be fair, she didn’t feel uncomfortable when spending time with Shi Nan. On the contrary, she felt relaxed and happy. At times, she would even forget about the original host’s relationship with Shi Nan, and how it was destined to end.
She even had the thought, “If she weren’t the original host, and Shi Nan weren’t Shi Nan, maybe they could have become friends.”
Such a thought was dangerous.
Because the more she felt this way, the more her rationality pulled at her, like a taut string. The slightest tug would only make it tighter, telling her: You need to stay away from Shi Nan.
“An honored guest…”
Shi Nan’s voice was soft as she repeated the words. Not “the most honored guest,” just “an honored guest.” It seemed many things had changed this time, even the title.
But it was just the absence of the word “most,” so why did she feel so uncomfortable?
She shouldn’t be like this, she warned herself.
Shi Nan composed herself and looked at Fu Zhao quietly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her gaze wavering. “Alright.”
On the way back, Shi Nan remained quiet and didn’t say anything more.
Fu Zhao would occasionally glance over, but she would immediately look away when she noticed Shi Nan about to look back. Her mouth opened and closed, pressing into a tight line, but in the end, she said nothing.
Until the iron gate in front of them shut with a “thud,” followed by a “beep”—the sound of the newly installed keypad lock automatically engaging.
She froze, staring silently at the locked, cream-white iron gate. She sighed softly, watching Shi Nan turn a corner in the yard and disappear from her line of sight before she turned to go home.
Maybe she shouldn’t be trying to keep her distance from Shi Nan while simultaneously trying to maintain a relationship that was neither too close nor too far.
She had it wrong. Between her and Shi Nan, they could never be friends who watched each other from afar.
Being polite strangers, being courteous old classmates.
That was the best choice.
As Fu Zhao walked her own path, lost in thought, she suddenly stopped. She carefully scanned her surroundings, not missing a single corner. As she passed the bushes by the roadside just now, she thought she had seen a dark shadow flit by.
She took a few steps back and pushed aside the bushes to check carefully. It was clean inside, not even any trash.
Strange…
Fu Zhao frowned, looking at Shi Nan’s locked yard. The keypad lock was top-of-the-line. She narrowed her eyes, thought it over, and then took out her phone again to call the community’s security department.
Where the novel’s female lead was concerned, it was better to be cautious.
With these lingering concerns, she walked into her own yard and, as expected, saw Fu Wanqing lying back on the swing chair, swaying gently and staring unblinkingly at the moon in the sky.
In the less than a month since she had transmigrated, she had seen Fu Wanqing watch the moon for nearly a month.
By day, Fu Wanqing was the gentle, busy Island Master. But whenever she had free time at night, Fu Wanqing would always lie outside, hugging a bottle of wine, watching the moon and the stars.
It was because of Gu Shubai.
Fu Zhao knew without even having to think. Although she hadn’t inherited the original host’s memories, she had pieced together the story from what she had seen and heard these past few days.
The story was one of regret, and the one left behind was filled with sorrow.
Fu Zhao understood this principle well but could do nothing to change it. Compared to those who wallowed in despair, Fu Wanqing, who just drank and watched the moon, was already doing much better.
“Mother.”
She called out softly. The person on the swing chair looked at her, her gentle eyes filled with a dazed expression. She closed them slightly, and when she opened them again, the confusion was gone, replaced by warmth. “Oh, it’s Zhaozhao…”
“Looking at you like this, you really resemble Shubai.” Fu Wanqing sat up from the swing chair and patted the spot next to her. “Come sit with Mom for a while~”
Fu Zhao sat down, feeling a bit unnatural. She was used to calling Fu Wanqing “Mother,” not “Mom.” The latter felt unfamiliar, and she was a little uncomfortable hearing it.
“You drank half a bottle more today.” She looked at the scattered wine bottles on the ground, counted them carefully, and lowered her eyes. “Drinking too much… isn’t good.”
She had been an orphan in her original world, lacking familial affection. This was the first time she had said something akin to an “admonishment.” But it was easier to say than she had imagined, so she added, “If you want to drink in the future… don’t do it alone. I can keep you company.”
“Hm?”
Fu Wanqing blinked, smiled, and stroked Fu Zhao’s head, her voice gentle. “I know, our Zhaozhao is a good girl, always listens to Mom~~”
“But I still want to drink alone. After all… our Zhaozhao’s time is for keeping Nannan company, right?”
Fu Zhao paused. Hearing Fu Wanqing’s teasing words, she replied with a straight face, “I told you before about wanting to break off the engagement. You still haven’t given me an answer?”
Fu Wanqing’s movements stopped. She withdrew her hand, slowly picked up the wine glass beside her, took a sip, and frowned. “Mm, this wine isn’t good. I’ll buy some new ones tomorrow.”
“…” Fu Zhao pressed her lips together, silently staring at Fu Wanqing’s back as if trying to bore a hole through it.
Fu Wanqing sighed softly and had no choice but to turn and look at Fu Zhao with a helpless expression. “Do you remember why I didn’t let you break off the engagement when you knelt in the cemetery for those three days and three nights?”
Three days and three nights again…
The original book was written from Shi Nan’s perspective and never mentioned the original host kneeling for three days and three nights. When Fu Zhao transmigrated, it had been a long time since that event. The original host’s residual consciousness, aside from basic social skills and her views on Shi Nan, had no memory of those “three days and three nights.”
Fu Zhao said nothing.
Fu Wanqing placed the wine glass on the small table beside her and looked at Fu Zhao quietly. “You can’t break it off now. You must wait until after you turn thirty to break off the engagement.”
Fu Zhao was stunned. She took a deep breath. “Why thirty? Why… is there such a restriction?”
“Thirty is the age to inherit Nanke Island.”
Fu Zhao frowned, still unable to accept this explanation. “Why can I only break off the engagement after I inherit Nanke Island? That’s not reasonable, is it?”
“It’s very reasonable. You can have Shi Nan initiate the breakup, or you can dissolve the engagement yourself, but only after you turn thirty.” Fu Wanqing’s gaze drifted past Fu Zhao, landing on the large patch of roses in the garden not far away.
“This is a rule passed down by our ancestors.”
“You’ll understand in the future. Because your engagement partner…” She paused, silent for a long time, her voice growing much softer.
“Was your own choice from the past.”
Comments
Post a Comment