Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

He must not be moved by such emotions. If the relationship between the two of them were to be spread one day, he would be the first to suffer. He did not want to live in the gossip of others. The invisible pressure was enough to make him breathless.

The aroma in the pot became stronger and stronger, the spicy pepper and the oily aroma of the pork belly intertwined and rushed straight into Li Xiangqian's nose. But at this time, this delicious aroma did not bring him any comfort. On the contrary, he felt more and more heavy in his heart.

"Don't make it public. This matter must not be made public." Li Xiangqian warned himself again and again in his heart. He didn't want Qin Huairu's approach to become a variable in his life, and he didn't want to see himself involved in those complicated relationships. He has always been cautious, and it is this caution that has saved him from many unnecessary troubles over the years. The interpersonal relationships in the Siheyuan are complicated, and if you are not careful, you will get into trouble.

As he pondered, he continued to stir-fry the ingredients in the pot. As the pork belly gradually took on color, the aroma became stronger, and the oil shimmered in the pot, making people's appetites grow. But Li Xiangqian's mood did not improve. In his mind, there were still those familiar faces - the eyes of the neighbors, the ears that came from time to time in the yard, all seemed to be silently watching him, waiting for any details that could spark conversation. Qin Huairu's approach was undoubtedly a time bomb that could explode at any time in this peaceful daily life.

"Ah..." He sighed softly, looked down at the almost cooked pork belly in the pot, reached out and grabbed a pinch of salt from the seasoning jar and sprinkled it into the pot. His movements were skillful and natural, but his mood did not relax as the dishes in the pot were gradually finished. On the contrary, he felt a vague anxiety, which was like a suffocation in his chest, and it lingered for a long time.

"Xiang Qian, are you home?"

Just as he was deep in thought, a voice came from outside. It was Aunt Wang from next door.

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned down the fire, walked quickly to the door, opened it a little, and stuck his head out. Sure enough, Aunt Wang was standing at the gate of the yard, holding a small basket in her hand, as if she had just returned from outside.

"Hey, Auntie, what's the matter?" He smiled and tried to appear natural.

Aunt Wang looked inside and said with a smile: "It's nothing, I just heard the smell of cooking in your house. It smells quite nice, so I was wondering if you were cooking something delicious. Oh, it's pork belly?" She had a sensitive nose and could smell the aroma of meat in the pot immediately.

Li Xiangqian's heart tightened, thinking that he really shouldn't cook such a delicious dish at this time, which would easily attract other people's attention. He smiled and said, "Well, I bought some pork belly today, thinking of eating something good."

Aunt Wang nodded and a satisfied smile appeared on her face: "That's right, don't always be frugal, make something delicious to reward yourself." As she spoke, she looked into the room a few more times, as if she wanted to see if there was anyone else.

Li Xiangqian knew that she was a curious person, so he became more alert and said quickly, "Auntie, why don't you go back first? The food here is almost burnt." After saying that, he pretended to be in a hurry and walked back.

Seeing this, Aunt Wang smiled and did not stay any longer, turning back to her own yard. Li Xiangqian closed the door, leaned against it and took a deep breath. He knew that people like Aunt Wang were everywhere in the courtyard. They had sharp ears and sharp eyes, and the slightest movement would not escape their eyes. If they found out that he and Qin Huairu were too close, the news would definitely be exaggerated, and then he would not be able to live a peaceful life.

He returned to the kitchen, picked up the spatula, and gently turned the dishes in the pot. The oil splashed, and the ingredients in the pot were fully flavored, with a fresh aroma. Li Xiangqian took a bite and it tasted very good, but his mood could never return to the joy he had just felt.

“I’d better eat these dishes slowly by myself, and not let anyone else know.” He thought secretly.

At this moment, he suddenly heard a gentle knock on the door. The knock was neither fast nor slow, as if it was deliberately gentle.

Li Xiangqian frowned, and suddenly became alert. He did not intend to open the door, but just stood there and listened quietly, thinking quickly in his mind who it was. Could it be Aunt Wang who had just left and came back? Or Qin Huairu? Thinking of this, he became more and more uneasy.

The knocking on the door didn't last long. After knocking three times, there was no sound. Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that maybe it was just a passing child playing around. He decided to ignore it for the time being and went back to the kitchen to take out the food from the pot and prepare to enjoy this meal.

But just as he was about to sit down, there was another light sound of footsteps outside the door. This time the sound was lighter, but he could still hear it. Someone was lingering at the door, as if hesitating whether to knock.

Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly tightened, and the chopsticks in his hand almost fell. He was sure that there must be someone at the door, and it was very likely coming for him. Various possibilities flashed through his mind quickly, but he finally decided to get up and see what was going on.

He walked to the door, took a deep breath, held the door handle, and slowly opened the door. As expected, there was someone standing outside the door - it was Qin Huairu. She stood outside the door, looking a little hesitant, holding a bag in her hand. When she saw Li Xiangqian open the door, she showed an apologetic smile on her face.

"Master Li, am I disturbing you?" She spoke softly, with a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.

Li Xiangqian's heartbeat suddenly quickened. Although he had been trying to avoid such a scene, it still happened. He took a deep breath and tried to look natural: "It's okay, Aunt Qin, what's wrong?"

Qin Huairu lowered her head and glanced at the bag in her hand: "I... thought it would be inconvenient for you to live alone, so I just bought some vegetables from the market and brought some to you. There's nothing special, just some greens, tofu and so on, and I thought you might be able to use them."

Li Xiangqian was stunned. Although he didn't want to accept it, he felt that it would be unkind to refuse directly. He stood at the door, not knowing how to respond, so he had to force a smile and said, "Thank you, Aunt Qin. But I just bought some vegetables today, enough for you to eat. You can keep them for yourself."

Li Xiangqian stood at the door, watching Qin Huairu's back disappear at the end of the yard, feeling indescribable emotions in his heart. Although her actions were out of kindness, he always felt that something was wrong. He never interacted too much with others, especially with a woman like her who had a complicated background, so he should try to stay away from her.