Chapter 42: Old Yan (Part Two)

Qi Yan and Li Ruoke each carried two large bags of fruit in their hands. As they chatted and entered the house, they discovered that there were already two guests at Xuanxuan’s home.

Li Ruoke paused in surprise, glanced at Xuanxuan, and hurriedly greeted, “Uncle Yan, you’re… here.”

Xuanxuan stood up and, seeing the puzzled look on Qi Yan’s face, quickly introduced, “You’re back already? Um, these are both my relatives. They happened to be traveling in Bangkok and stopped by to see me.”

Before she could elaborate, Uncle Yan came over on his own, and without another word, grasped Qi Yan’s hand warmly. “Hello, hello! Ah, you’re all Xuanxuan’s friends. The house is lively today!”

Qi Yan felt a bit uneasy at this enthusiastic handshake from a stranger, but he managed a polite smile. “Hello, uncle.”

“Hey, don’t call me so old! I’m only fifty-two this year. Just call me ‘uncle.’”

Uncle Yan was indeed only fifty-two, though he looked somewhat older than his years. Yet his energy was vibrant and overflowing.

Qi Yan awkwardly grinned again. “Fifty-two… Well, you’re older than my father, so I’ll stick with ‘uncle.’”

“Hahaha!” Uncle Yan laughed heartily, then turned to Li Ruoke. “I already heard from Xuanxuan. Keke, you’re here in Thailand on business this time. Haven’t seen you in a while—my, you’ve grown even more beautiful!”

Li Ruoke offered a helpless, wry smile, thinking this uncle truly hadn’t changed at all—over fifty, but always showing his most cheerful, optimistic side.

In truth, she’d known he would visit today; she’d heard it last night. But with Qi Yan present, she couldn’t act too familiar.

Just then, Qi Yan noticed another guest besides the boisterous uncle—a strange girl wearing dark sunglasses. She didn’t get up from her chair, merely turned her face slightly in their direction.

In that brief instant, Qi Yan, separated by just a few meters and a pair of jet-black sunglasses, exchanged a glance with the girl.

And yet, he felt an uncanny sensation, difficult to describe—as if his very soul were being seen through, his every secret laid bare.

He felt utterly exposed, as though nothing could be hidden.

This momentary daze lasted until the girl turned her face away.

Was it just his imagination? What had happened just now? And why was this girl wearing such dark glasses indoors?

Xuanxuan noticed Qi Yan’s change in expression and hurried to introduce, “Oh, this is… my cousin, Ding Lingzi. You can just call her Zizi…” As she spoke, she made a gesture near her own eyes.

Qi Yan quickly understood. So… the girl was blind. Had that feeling of being seen through just been his own paranoia?

Li Ruoke also glanced curiously at the girl. She knew Uncle Yan, but this Ding Lingzi was unfamiliar… Was she truly Xuanxuan’s cousin? Probably one of Uncle Yan’s companions?

Was she also… one of them?

Once everyone had taken their seats and the fruit was washed and served, Qi Yan’s strongest impression was that this uncle was truly, irrepressibly cheerful. Although he was a middle-aged man, he showed no restraint among the young people present.

He was a remarkable conversationalist—endlessly so! He talked and talked, barely letting anyone else get a word in.

Not that he discussed anything particularly important, just jumped from topic to topic. Some people can kill a conversation, but not Uncle Yan. His enthusiasm could enliven even the most awkward atmosphere. Coupled with his regional accent and infectious, sing-song laughter, everything he said carried a touch of humor.

“I just love hanging out with you young folks! Makes me feel years younger. Sometimes, when I make so many young friends, I feel like I haven’t even grown up yet, hahaha…”

“Don’t hold back around me—I’m a fashionable kind of uncle. You can talk about anything in front of me. Xuanxuan, have you noticed? Now the performers in those ladyboy shows are getting more and more beautiful, while the ones in adult shows are getting uglier. When boys get flamboyant, you girls can’t compete! Isn’t that hilarious…?”

“Oh right, Keke, are you still doing overseas shopping? Then I won’t bother going out to buy things. I’ll just get them from you—don’t be shy, but I want every cent of shipping fees accounted for. Last time I bought two latex pillows, this time I’ll get a whole latex mattress! My old back’s been hurting for years, but that’s supposed to work wonders! Oh, and bird’s nests—they say Phuket’s are the best. Get me a few jin… What? By the jin is too much? Well, then a few liang! What do you young people call that? Right, rich and capricious!”

Qi Yan truly broadened his horizons today—his understanding of “talkative” was utterly redefined. He’d thought Li Ruoke was a master conversationalist, but after meeting Xuanxuan, the guide, he thought she was the queen of banter. Now, this uncle… was the god of idle chatter!

In truth, compared to him, Qi Yan was more curious about the blind girl sitting quietly at the side, speaking little from beginning to end. The contrast between the exuberant uncle and the silent girl was striking—almost surreal.

The afternoon passed with everyone sitting in the living room, forced to listen to Uncle Yan’s impromptu stand-up routine. Only when they excused themselves to use the bathroom could they snatch a moment of respite.

A little after four, Li Lan finally returned. Seeing him come in, exhausted and drenched in sweat, Xuanxuan couldn’t help but tease, “Li Lan, I only asked you to buy some groceries. Did you travel through time? You’re only just back now.”

Of course, Xuanxuan had deliberately sent him out, since he knew nothing about their business, but even so, he’d been gone a very long time.

Li Lan first took a big drink of water, waving his hand as he spoke, “Don’t mention it. I went to that little market you mentioned, but they were out of mantis shrimp, so I went to another seafood market nearby, but then…”

Xuanxuan quickly made a “pause” gesture. “Alright, enough, as long as you’re back safe.”

Catching his breath, Li Lan finally noticed Uncle Yan, whom he’d met once before and who had left a deep impression as a mischievous elder.

But the girl in sunglasses was unfamiliar.

She was a stranger, but after glancing at her, Li Lan’s mouth opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Seeing this, Li Ruoke quickly grabbed him and the newly bought groceries and hastened to the kitchen. “Come, Lan, help me out. It’s time to prepare dinner…”

Qi Yan, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed Li Lan’s change in expression despite how quickly he was whisked away by his sister.

If it had been anyone else, it wouldn’t have meant much, but Li Lan…

Before he could think further, Uncle Yan launched into another torrent of chatter directed at him.

Qi Yan began to feel uneasy. Why did it seem like everyone was acting a little strange today? What was going on—something mysterious was afoot. He had a strong sense that even Li Ruoke was hiding something from him.

They all tried to act as naturally as possible, but Qi Yan could still sense an awkward difference in the air.