Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

After saying goodbye to the third uncle, Cao Wei and Liu Guang walked side by side and slowly towards the depths of the yard.

It was evening at this time, and the setting sun was like a huge orange-red fireball hanging in the sky, emitting warm afterglow.

The afterglow shines through the gaps between dense branches and mottled leaves, falling on the ground like golden threads, interweaving into dreamy light and shadows.

The light and shadows swayed gently in the wind, like a beautiful and poetic painting unfolding before their eyes.

The two of them bathed in the warm and charming afterglow.

Cao Wei walked slowly and seemed to suddenly think of something important.

His face was expressionless, but his tone was filled with a hint of inquiry, as if he was asking casually, "Guangqi, I remember now, your previous girlfriend was called Qi Sihui, right? How is she doing recently? You two should have a good relationship, right?"

This sentence sounds ordinary, but to Liu Guangqi, it was like a huge rock suddenly thrown into the originally calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves in his heart.

Liu Guangqi's originally steady pace suddenly stopped because of this sentence, and his body seemed to freeze in place in an instant.

His eyes first looked ahead blankly, and then a trace of imperceptible panic quickly flashed across his eyes.

However, after going through countless hardships and struggling in this courtyard, he has already developed the ability to handle all kinds of situations with ease.

So, despite having just experienced a brief moment of panic, he was able to quickly adjust himself and return to his usual calm self.

He just raised his head without changing his expression or beating his heart, and showed an expression of indifference on his face, as if everything that had just happened was not worth mentioning to him at all.

Then, he pretended to be relaxed and casual, and said carelessly: "In fact, we have parted ways a long time ago! My father despises her and refuses to let us continue to be together. Alas, there is no way to change her. We have no choice but to break up!"

When Cao Wei heard these words, he couldn't help but feel a little funny in his heart.

He glanced at Liu Guangqi with a mixture of laughter and tears, thinking that this guy was really good at talking nonsense.

Because he was the only one who knew the truth of the matter best - if he had not happened to witness the two of them walking out of the Civil Affairs Bureau hand in hand, happily holding their marriage certificate, and everyone's face was filled with a happy and sweet smile.

I'm afraid that at this moment I might really be fooled by the seemingly sincere performance of this guy in front of me!

Thinking of this, Cao Wei did not immediately expose the other party's lies, but continued to look Liu Guangqi up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

At the same time, the corners of his mouth slightly curled upwards, revealing an imperceptible arc.

Then, he said slowly in a slightly doubtful tone: "Oh? Really? But why do I hear that the relationship between you two is very good, and you are inseparable all day long!"

Liu Guangqi's heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

He looked at Cao Wei with a strange expression and began to panic. However, his years of experience made him try to stay calm. He pretended to be calm and laughed dryly twice, saying, "How is that possible? You must have heard it wrong. If we really broke up, how could I lie to you?"

Cao Wei did not continue to ask, but just smiled meaningfully and said earnestly: "Okay, you must be careful about emotional matters, don't delay the girl's youth."

After hearing this, Liu Guangqi nodded quickly, but a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead unknowingly, sparkling in the dim sunset.

The two continued walking forward. When they reached the middle courtyard, it was still early in the morning and the afterglow still gently sprinkled on the courtyard.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai walked out of the house slowly and leisurely.

He was seen walking steadily, holding an old iron bucket steadily in his hand, and it seemed that he was going to fetch water to meet the daily needs of his family.

Liu Guangqi happened to be walking from a distance and saw Yi Zhonghai at a glance.

His originally dull face seemed to light up in an instant, and he smiled broadly.

The smile was so brilliant, even a little exaggerated, as if it was pulling all the muscles of his face together.

Then, he couldn't wait to step forward, his enthusiasm was like a burning flame that could not be ignored.

I only heard him shouting in a clear and loud voice: "Uncle Yi, are you coming out to get some water?"

His voice suddenly sounded in this relatively quiet courtyard, seeming particularly abrupt.

Moreover, there was a hint of deliberately created warmth in that voice, as if the man was afraid that others didn't know about their close relationship.

When Yi Zhonghai heard the shouting, he raised his head calmly.

His eyes, which had gone through the vicissitudes of life but were still bright and lively, were now gently falling on Liu Guangqi.

Then, a kind smile slowly bloomed on his face like a spring breeze, in response to Liu Guangqi's warm greetings.

"Guangqi, yes, we don't have enough water for cooking at home."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he turned his head slightly.

His eyes swept behind Liu Guangqi and soon noticed Cao Wei standing there quietly.

So, he smiled, nodded slightly, and said to Cao Wei: "Cao Wei, you just came back too."

Seeing this, Cao Wei raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and nodded politely in return.

Then, he just stood there quietly, neither saying much nor interrupting their conversation.

However, deep in his seemingly calm eyes, he actually revealed a complex expression of scrutiny and curiosity.

At this moment, he was observing the interaction between the two people in front of him with great interest.

He keenly noticed that there was a barely perceptible nervousness in Liu Guangqi's eyes, and that Yi Zhonghai's seemingly natural smile also had some unusual meaning, as if there was some unknown secret hidden between the two of them.

After they slowly walked through the middle courtyard, there was no one else around and the entire courtyard suddenly fell into an exceptionally peaceful atmosphere.

At this moment, only the gentle breeze blows gently, causing the leaves to sway slightly, making a subtle and crisp rustling sound, as if nature is whispering some mysterious story.

At this moment, Cao Wei suddenly turned sideways without any warning, and a faint, elusive smile quietly emerged on his handsome face.

He opened his mouth nonchalantly and asked softly, "Guangqi, why do I feel like the relationship between you and Yi Zhonghai has been getting better and better recently? I've never seen you two so close before."

Hearing this, Liu Guangqi's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if struck by lightning, and a strong feeling of uneasiness suddenly surged in his heart.

He felt as if Cao Wei had seen through the unknown secret hidden deep in his heart in an instant. The smile that had originally appeared naturally on his face suddenly became a little stiff.

However, Liu Guangqi is a sophisticated man after all, and his ability to respond is first-class.

In just a blink of an eye, he quickly adjusted his state, restored his previous relaxed look, and quickly explained: "Cao Wei, look at what you said! It's not as exaggerated as you think! In fact, Yi Zhonghai and I really don't have any special relationship. It's just that we occasionally meet on the road and say hello to each other."

"Think about it, we all live in the same yard, we see each other every day, and we greet each other when we run into each other. Isn't this the most normal thing?"

Cao Wei raised the corners of his mouth slightly, staring at him with a smile, his deep eyes flickering with an elusive light of teasing, and he said slowly: "Oh? Really? But I always feel that things don't seem to be that simple. Are you hiding something important from me on purpose?"

When Liu Guangqi heard this, his heart skipped a beat. His already tense heartstrings were pulled even tighter.

He only felt that his heart was like a wild beast out of control, beating wildly in his chest, and every powerful impact seemed to break his fragile chest.

However, despite his inner turmoil, he still tried his best to maintain his composure on the surface.

He forced out two dry laughs and responded in a nonchalant manner: "Haha, you, stop making wild guesses here! There's really nothing special happening. Yi Zhonghai and I are just ordinary neighbors. What else can go wrong? You're just overthinking it."

However, when Liu Guangqi met Cao Wei's suspicious and slightly strange gaze, his heart suddenly tightened and an inexplicable panic instantly surged in his heart.

So, he couldn't wait to start explaining hurriedly: "Oh, what I said is the absolute truth, Cao Wei! I was just saying hello to Yi Zhonghai just now. The relationship between us is really not that good."

"Besides, you also know that everyone in our courtyard knows that Yi Zhonghai and my father have always been incompatible with each other. As my father's eldest son, how could I possibly get too close to Yi Zhonghai? Isn't this clearly meant to anger the people in the family and make them unhappy? So, don't worry, there is absolutely no shameful trick involved."

As he spoke, he secretly observed Cao Wei's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead again, sparkling in the afterglow of the setting sun.

After hearing what Liu Guangqi said, Cao Wei still had a faint smile on his face, but his eyes revealed a trace of scrutiny. He gently patted Liu Guangqi's shoulder, the force was not too light or too heavy, but it made Liu Guangqi's heart tremble suddenly, and said: "Really? I saw that the two of you were laughing very warmly, and I thought there was some new progress in your relationship."

Liu Guangqi smiled awkwardly, with a hint of embarrassment in his smile, and quickly explained: "Haha, there is no progress at all. We just met in the yard every now and then, and we just said hello. Don't think too much about it."

Cao Wei nodded slightly and did not go further into the topic. The two continued to walk deeper into the yard.

In response to Liu Guangqi's perfunctory words, Cao Wei just smiled and said nothing. That smile seemed to hide the wisdom that saw through everything.

He knew in his heart that Liu Guangqi was trying his best to cover up the truth. The more he explained, the more it showed that there was something fishy going on. But he was not in a hurry to expose him. He watched with interest as Liu Guangqi struggled with this lie.

The two continued to walk deeper into the yard. Along the way, Liu Guangqi seemed exceptionally quiet. He carefully glanced at Cao Wei from time to time, his eyes full of vigilance and uneasiness, as if he was racking his brains to figure out how much Cao Wei knew.

Cao Wei seemed to be completely unaware of Liu Guangqi's thoughts. He hummed a tuneless little song, walked leisurely, and put his hands behind his back, as if he was just enjoying the quiet evening.

After walking a few steps, Liu Guangqi, as if to change the subject, said with a flash of anxiety in his eyes: "Hey, Cao Wei, what are you busy with recently? It seems that you seem to be quite leisurely."

Cao Wei raised the corner of his mouth and said jokingly: "What can I be busy with? Unlike you, you are busy with love and have to hide it from everyone."

Liu Guangqi's face changed slightly, as if someone had touched his sore spot, and he quickly said, "Hey, I've already told you that Sihui and I broke up, why are you still teasing me about this?"

Cao Wei smiled but didn't respond, but he was thinking: "This kid is really stubborn."

There was silence for a while, and it was so quiet that only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

Liu Guangqi couldn't help but ask, "Cao Wei, have you really not heard any other news about me?"

There was a hint of nervousness and anticipation in his voice that was hard to conceal. He was afraid of hearing an answer he didn't want to hear, but at the same time he hoped to get some comfort from Cao Wei.

Cao Wei raised his eyebrows and asked, "What other news are you referring to? Are you hiding something else from me?"

Liu Guangqi waved his hands hurriedly, his movements were a little exaggerated, and said: "No, no, I'm just asking casually."

Cao Wei found Liu Guangqi's nervous look a little funny, thinking that this kid's psychological quality was still not good, so he decided not to tease him anymore and said, "Okay, I really didn't hear anything else, don't scare yourself."

Liu Guangqi heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and forced a smile on his face, saying, "That's good, that's good."

But that smile seemed a little unnatural no matter how you looked at it, as if it was a mask forcefully stuck on the face that could be blown off at any time by the breeze of reality, revealing the panic-stricken face underneath.

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