Thinking

"Hey, over here!"

The bustling night market street was alive with activity as Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou into a modest open-air eatery. The place was simple—worn wooden tables and plastic stools arranged haphazardly, yet every seat was filled, the air thick with the aroma of sizzling food and lively chatter.

A group was already seated at one of the tables, waving them over as soon as they arrived.

It was Chen Hai and his crew, along with his entire family. Besides Chen Hai’s wife, there was his six- or seven-year-old daughter, Chen Qiaoqiao, sporting a cute hime-cut hairstyle and chubby cheeks that made her utterly adorable.

"Uncle Ye!" Chen Qiaoqiao immediately hopped off her plastic stool and dashed over, wrapping her arms around his leg.

"Good girl." Ye Shuang patted her head before scooping her up into his arms.

Bai Yuyou, standing beside him, blinked her beautiful eyes as she watched him hold the little girl.

"Are you in elementary school now, Qiaoqiao?" Ye Shuang asked.

The little girl nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice. "Mhm! First grade!"

Seeing how much Chen Qiaoqiao had grown, Ye Shuang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Chen Hai had already been married for seven years, while he himself was still single—well, more accurately, if things hadn’t gone sideways this year, he probably would’ve been married by now.

He had thought this year would mark the end of a long journey, only to realize he’d been running in the wrong direction all along—no finish line, no starting point.

After settling into his seat with the little girl on his lap, Ye Shuang kept her still. Though children were usually restless, Chen Qiaoqiao stayed quiet in his hold, clearly fond of him. Kids were straightforward like that—drawn to good looks without pretense.

"Come, sweetheart, sit by Auntie here." Aunt Li gestured for Bai Yuyou to take the seat beside her, which conveniently placed her next to Ye Shuang as well. Without hesitation, the girl sat down.

After a pause, she murmured, "Aunt Li..."

She had only met Aunt Li once before, but to Bai Yuyou—often seen as an oddball by others—this person was nothing short of kind.

The girl never judged people based on appearances. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have handed a pack of instant noodles to Ye Shuang back when he looked like a disheveled drunk outside the convenience store.

"Hehehe." Aunt Li giggled, clearly delighted. Dressed in a gold sequin bodycon dress, she pursed her purple-painted lips and gave Bai Yuyou a thorough once-over before nodding approvingly. "Mm, you look much livelier now. Good job, little Shuang."

"Of course," Ye Shuang replied, a hint of paternal pride in his voice.

Just then, Chen Hai tossed a cigarette pack his way. "Here, try this."

"I quit," Ye Shuang said with a smile.

"You quit for good?" Chen Hai raised an eyebrow, surprised. This guy had been a heavy smoker—had he really kicked the habit entirely?

"Yeah." Ye Shuang nodded, glancing at the girl beside him.

At first, he’d stopped smoking because he thought Bai Yuyou couldn’t stand the smell. But on reflection, quitting was better for his health anyway.

Chen Hai didn’t press further. He moved to light one for himself, only for his wife to kick him under the table. "Smoke, smoke, smoke. Keep it up, and when your lungs give out, I’ll find someone else—drive your car, live in your house, and smack your precious daughter around."

"Mommy, I don’t wanna get smacked!" Chen Qiaoqiao, still perched on Ye Shuang’s lap, shouted, drawing laughter from the group.

Chen Hai coughed awkwardly before tossing the cigarette pack to Aunt Li instead.

"Ugh, disgusting. No thanks." Aunt Li wrinkled her nose in disdain. "What’s so great about smoking anyway?"

Now Chen Hai was the odd one out. Muttering about how all three of them used to smoke back in the day, he quickly called for the food to be served.

"Coming right up!"

The shirtless owner, standing behind the grill with a cigarette dangling from his lips, expertly flipped the skewers with his muscular arms—one of which was tattooed with a Hello Kitty.

As they waited for the food, Aunt Li took Bai Yuyou’s hand and asked, "Sweetie, is anyone still giving you trouble at school?"

Bai Yuyou thought for a moment before shaking her head lightly. "No..."

"If they do, you tell Auntie. I’m great at dealing with bullies—I’ll straighten them right out."

"Okay... thank you..." Bai Yuyou nodded.

Meanwhile, Chen Hai turned to Ye Shuang. "So, when are you getting married?"

"Dunno. Not really thinking about it right now."

"What better option do you have besides Chen Qin?" Chen Hai pressed. "You don’t want her waiting till she’s thirty, do you?"

Chen Hai’s wife chimed in, "Look how big Qiaoqiao’s gotten already. It’s about time, Ye Shuang."

"I wanna go to Uncle Ye’s wedding!" Chen Qiaoqiao raised her tiny hand.

Ye Shuang chuckled and pinched her chubby cheeks. "Qiaoqiao, do you even know what a wedding is?"

"It’s when you get married and have babies!" the little girl declared. "I really like Auntie Qin and Uncle Ye. You should get married and have a baby!"

She even started whining playfully, "Uncle Ye~"

"See? Even the kid gets it," Chen Hai grinned.

Amid the lively banter, Bai Yuyou sat quietly, her expression as placid as a delicate doll’s. Aunt Li noticed this and suddenly spoke up, "Yuyou, dear, come with Auntie to grab some fried noodles. The ones here aren’t great. We’ll pick up a drink for you too."

Without hesitation, Bai Yuyou stood up.

"Where are you gonna get fried noodles?" Chen Hai asked. "The ones here are fine."

"Mind your business," Aunt Li shot back, rolling her eyes before leading Bai Yuyou away.

Once the girl was out of earshot, Chen Hai leaned closer to Ye Shuang and lowered his voice.

"Seriously, man, what’s going on in that head of yours? You really have zero interest in Chen Qin? She’s gorgeous—long legs, fair skin—it’s not like you’d be settling."

"Or are you still hung up on that ‘compatibility’ nonsense?"

Ye Shuang exhaled. "I’ll probably end up marrying Chen Qin."

"Damn it, don’t say ‘probably’ like it’s some reluctant obligation!" Chen Hai punched his arm. "If you’re not into it, just say so. I’ll talk to her myself."

"At the end of the day, I don’t want either of you to be unhappy."

"It’s not about me settling—it’s about her settling for me," Ye Shuang said with a faint smile. "Besides, I turned her down a long time ago. I’m not in the right headspace for a relationship."

Ye Shuang had been hurt too deeply to pour his whole heart into love again. He’d made that clear to Chen Qin, but she refused to accept it—or maybe she understood and chose to pretend otherwise.

Chen Hai’s wife hesitated before asking, "Ye Shuang, that girl earlier... what’s her deal?"