Stealing Pens: Travelers from the End of the World

Autumn is a rainy season.

After staying in the hospital for nearly two months, when I came out of the hospital, it was drizzling and the air was still hot and humid, affecting the mood of the people around me.

Qin Yuchen pulled Zhang Qiling over and made way for the passerby who was cursing and had a bad look on his face to enter the hospital. Through the hazy rain and fog, he looked at an off-road vehicle parked on the side.

Zhang Qiling opened the umbrella, completely covering the two of them, and walked across the flower bed to the cross country.

"Oh, you're coming down pretty early? Do you two miss me so much?" The driver's window slowly lowered, revealing Hei Xia Zi's familiar face.

"The hospital is busy freeing up beds." Qin Yuchen smiled honestly, opened the back door of the car, threw the two backpacks in first, and then got in the car and sat down.

Zhang Qiling followed closely behind. He folded his umbrella, shook off the rain, closed the door and fastened his seat belt.

Both of them tacitly ignored Hei Xia Zi's next words and waited for the man to drive.

"Yeah, that's right. This hospital is full of people, and many people are waiting to be admitted." Hei Xiazi was used to the attitude of the two people, so he didn't care, but he still expressed his grievance symbolically.

"Why would the mute and Lao Tan miss me?"

The two people sitting in the back: "..."

A hint of smile flashed across Hei Xiazi's eyes. He started the car seriously and asked, "Who are you going to see first?"

"...Who should I see first?" Qin Yuchen thought for only a second and chose to throw the question to Zhang Qiling.

"..." Zhang Qiling looked at Hei Xia Zi expressionlessly.

"I understand. Let's go home first." When asking this question, Hei Xia Zi would occasionally look at the two of them through the rearview mirror. He understood Zhang Qiling's eyes and slightly accelerated his car towards the courtyard.

A lot of things happened in the past two months, and Hei Xia Zi picked out some important things to tell the two of them.

During the time they were in the hospital, except for the initial period when they moved in, there were people who would come to see them and tell them about what was happening outside the hospital.

Afterwards, he came less frequently, as if, as Jie Yuchen had said, he was becoming too busy to handle the work.

In Hei Xia Zi's story, everyone is moving forward step by step, one dragging another.

The two people whose changes were most obvious were Huo Xiuxiu, who gradually adapted to being the head of the family, and Wuxie, who returned to Wushanju and began to help Wu Sanxing manage the betting market.

As the story draws to a close, the outline of the house ahead gradually appears in sight.

Hei Xia Zi parked the car in front of the gate of the courtyard and let Qin Yuchen and Zhang Qiling go in first while he parked the car at the back.

After several months, Qin Yuchen still felt a little emotional when he opened the door again.

There hasn't been much change, except that the flowers in the flowerbed have reached the withering season, and now it looks a bit desolate, and there are some dead branches and rotten leaves in the fish pond under the rockery.

But the fish were still full of energy. They sensed someone passing by and just poked their heads out before quickly retracting them.

Every room is still tidy, with only a thin layer of dust on the windowsills and tabletops, which can be wiped off with a light wipe.

The same goes for the turtle in the living room. The water is clean and the environment in the tank is the same as always.

However, perhaps because of the rain, the two turtles were retracting their heads and hiding in the shadow under the rockery.

"Grandpa Huaer has asked people to come and clean the house regularly." Hei Xiazi parked the car and came to the living room. Seeing the two people looking around the house, he explained.

"Yeah." Qin Yuchen threw his backpack next to the coffee table, picked up a pillow and patted it hard on the sofa, holding his breath and waiting for the dust to settle before sitting down.

He patted the seat next to him and looked at Zhang Qiling, motioning for someone to come over.

"I finally got back, let me rest for two more days."

"Okay." Zhang Qiling took Qin Yuchen's hand which was placed on the sofa, held it in his palm, and sat down next to him.

"That's fine." Hei Xiazi sat opposite the two of them.

"I don't think I have time to go with you. Second Master wants me to do something, so I can only wait for you to come back home."

Zhang Qiling shook his head, not caring whether Hei Xiazi could go with him: "It's okay."

"Are you going there by yourself or with a tour group?" Hei Xiazi picked up the small teapot on the table, took a look at it, then put it back in its place and half-lay on the sofa.

"Still thinking about it, but it would be safer to join a tour group?" Qin Yuchen continued.

Hei Xia Zi: "So you won't be coming back to celebrate the New Year this year?"

"Can we have a good new year this year?" Qin Yuchen smiled, took out a bottle of mineral water from his backpack and threw it to Hei Xia Zi.

"That's right." Hei Xia Zi nodded seriously.

Qin Yuchen: "Before I leave, I will go see Xiaochen and Xiuxiu and tell them."

"Together." Zhang Qiling looked at Tan Yuchen.

"Uh-huh."

Qin Yuchen let go of Zhang Qiling's hand, turned his back to Zhang Qiling, rested his head on his legs, then put his legs on the armrest of the sofa, closed his eyes and nodded.

"Then let's go together and tell them that we won't be going home for the New Year this year."

"Yeah." Zhang Qiling raised the corner of his mouth, stretched out his finger and poked Qin Yuchen's face, then grabbed the loosened hand and held it tightly again.

"...Tsk, tsk, tsk." Hei Xiazi felt that his eye disease seemed to be more serious. Seeing the two of them like this, his eyes twitched in pain.

"Speaking of which, Mute, to what extent have you recovered your memory?"

"?" Zhang Qiling tilted his head, expressing his confusion about the question.

"What I mean is, do you remember the time when Lao Tan used to avoid you?" A hint of ill intent flashed through his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, but he gave a kind explanation.

Zhang Qiling: "..."

"It's not me." Zhang Qiling said the truth coldly.

"It's us."

"Hahahahaha!!"

Qin Yuchen laughed unrestrainedly, opened his eyes and turned his head to see Hei Xia Zi's expression.

It was only the pair of large sunglasses that saved him. Hei Xiazi numbly maintained the smile on his face, trying his best not to let Qin Yuchen notice it, otherwise that person would only laugh even louder.

He was about to speak to hide his embarrassment when he heard the voice with a clear smile continue to stab him:

"You were the one I avoided the most at first, because when I met Zhang Qiling, he was always silent and looked uninterested in the people around him.

But you, the blind man, are different. Every time we meet, you always try to test me in every possible way."

"..." Hei Xia Zi pursed his lips, silently wiped away his non-existent tears, picked up the tea set on the table and walked out the door.

"Forget it, forget it. Whenever you two have free time, you always bully a blind man like me. I won't bother with you any more. I'm going to go make some tea."

"Dip the one I brought here last time!" Qin Yuchen said hurriedly.

"understood--"

Qin Yuchen was satisfied after hearing the drawn-out answer. He found a comfortable position and closed his eyes again.

"dust."

"Ok?"

Those who were about to open their eyes found that their vision was blocked by a hand, leaving only darkness.

Then, soft and warm lips fell.

A kiss that was about to break off fell on his lips. Qin Yuchen smacked his lips, slightly propped up his body and held down Zhang Qiling who wanted to raise his head, prolonging the time of the kiss.

Zhang Qiling's ears turned red, and a soft laugh melted into the kiss. He heard Qin Yuchen say:

"It's a sneak attack, it doesn't count."