The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"Little Shu, so... you're quite proactive?"

"No, I'm used to it."

Ye Shu hurriedly tried to explain, but in her panic, she said the wrong thing.

"Habit?"

These two words came out of Zhi Qiu's mouth in a soft tone with an upward slant at the end.

At the same time, Ye Shu felt Zhi Qiu's fingers suddenly tighten, the force increasing until his hand was almost bleeding.

Zhi Qiu's smile remained unchanged, even becoming gentler, but the dangerous glint in her slightly open eyes became even clearer.

She leaned closer, her breath sweet as orchids, and pressed on in a soft yet increasingly insistent tone, audible only to the two of them:

"How come... you've gotten used to it? Whose hand are you holding... you've gotten used to holding? Hmm? Little Shu, tell me?"

She gently shook their clasped hands, as if reminding him that the answer and the "hostage" were both in her hands.

"It's Xiao Nuan!"

Ye Shu's voice trembled:

"This morning...at the mall, Xiaonuan said she was hungry, had low blood sugar, and felt weak, so she asked me to hold her hand...otherwise she was afraid she would fall! So...I held her hand the whole way. Really! That's all!"

"Oh... I see."

Zhi Qiu loosened her grip slightly, but showed no intention of letting go of Ye Shu's hand. Instead, she gently rubbed the area between Ye Shu's thumb and forefinger, which had turned slightly red from being pinched.

"Low blood sugar...that definitely needs to be done with caution."

She echoed Ye Shu's words, but gave him a meaningful glance:

"But, little Shu, I don't have low blood sugar right now."

As she spoke, she gently pulled Ye Shu's hand into her own, forming a perfect interlocking gesture, then looked up and gave him a smile brighter and warmer than the autumn sun:

"But habit is a good thing. Since we've gotten used to holding hands, let's keep doing it. This time, hold my hand."

She took a small step forward, lowering her voice even further, yet every word pierced Ye Shu's ears clearly:

"And you're not allowed to let go until we get home, remember? Otherwise, your big sister will get angry."

Ye Shu looked at their hands, tightly clasped together and unable to break free easily, then at Zhi Qiu's smiling face, which seemed to be filled with gentle instructions, and then felt the lingering pain from the interrogation on the back of her hand and the slight itch from the caress...

It’s over.

The cost of this "habit" seems to be greater than imagined.

Moreover, it looks like... I've gotten on a pirate ship, and I can't get off.

The sun was still shining brightly, and the two holding hands cast long shadows on the quiet road.

This time, however, the power to hold hands, the reasons for holding hands, and the complex and indescribable heartbeat transmitted through the palm of the hand are all different.

They returned to the large shopping mall they had hastily fled in the morning. The mall was slightly more crowded in the afternoon than in the morning, and the noise enveloped them, but the subtle aura between them, created by holding hands, seemed to separate them from a small patch of tranquility.

Walking through the slightly noisy corridor, Zhi Qiu turned her head to look at Ye Shu's profile and asked softly:

"Little Shu, what brings you here...? Is there something you want to buy?"

She assumed that Ye Shu was in a hurry to come out because, besides looking for a hotel, she might really have some urgent daily necessities to buy.

"It's not about 'buying something,' it's about buying what I promised you. Before I came back, didn't I promise to bring you some gifts? I was really struggling with what to buy, but now it's all settled."

He shook their clasped hands:

"Now that you're here in person, that's perfect. You can help me choose. You definitely know better than I what you like and what they might like."

Zhi Qiu was slightly taken aback. Her eyes, which were always filled with gentle smiles, were now even more smiling, like ripples spreading across spring water, sparkling and clearly reflecting Ye Shu's serious face.

She didn't expect... that he actually remembered.

She remembered the casual promise she made when she left, and that she would bring them gifts. This feeling of being remembered and taken seriously touched her more than any specific gift.

"Little Shu's thoughtfulness is enough... I don't need any special gifts."

She was speaking from the heart. With him by her side, the way he held her hand at that moment was the best gift in itself.

"It's alright."

Ye Shu interrupted her, his brows furrowing slightly, appearing unusually serious:

"You've always taken good care of me. To be honest, I'm already very grateful for the 800 yuan room fee, not to mention I don't have to buy groceries. This is no different from what you said about providing food and lodging. It's only right that I bring you some small gifts since I've come all this way, otherwise I'd feel bad."

His words were simple, even a little clumsy, merely stating his understanding of "should" and "to give back." But this simple sense of responsibility was like a pebble thrown into Zhi Qiu's heart lake, creating ripples that lingered for a long time.

Zhi Qiu's words actually had a second part, which was an invitation tinged with coquetry and a tentative probe:

"...If you really want to give your sister a gift, how about...you hold her hand every day and take her for a walk, okay?"

This is more like an emotional demand, a desire for more alone time and intimate companionship.

But looking at Ye Shuxian's serious expression that said "I must complete the task," Zhi Qiu suddenly felt that saying those words with romantic intentions might ruin the unique and touching atmosphere created by his clumsy earnestness.

Forget it.

She sighed softly to herself. Let him "repay" in his own way. The promise to hold hands had already been made, hadn't it?

So, Zhi Qiu swallowed the second half of her rosy fantasy, and instead gave a brighter, more indulgent smile:

"Alright, since little Shu insists so much... then I won't stand on ceremony. Let's go take a look."

The two then strolled hand in hand through the mall.

Zhi Qiu didn't choose anything expensive or fancy. Her gaze lingered on some exquisite and interesting little items, comfortable home furnishings, or local specialty snacks she had never seen before.

Ye Shu completely trusted her judgment, only offering straightforward advice like "Isn't this too childish?" or "Isn't that a bit tacky?" when needed, before obediently paying the bill.

His attention seemed to be focused more on making sure Zhi Qiu was happy with her choices, and... feeling the warm touch of their hands clasped together.

In a bustling shopping mall, walking hand in hand, occasionally whispering to each other, creates a strange and comforting sense of belonging.

They spent quite a while browsing, not only picking out small gifts for everyone in the "family," but Zhi Qiu even picked out two souvenirs for Ye Shu's grandmother and aunt as well. Ye Shu initially said she didn't need them, but Zhi Qiu said very seriously:

"Xiao Nuan doesn't know much about this, but you can't come empty-handed on your first visit."

When I finally walked out of the mall carrying a few not-too-heavy but heartfelt shopping bags, the setting sun had already painted the sky with a faint orange-red hue.

"Okay, the gifts are all bought."

Ye Shu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had accomplished something significant, and the sense of indebtedness in his heart lessened considerably. He weighed the bag in his hand and looked at Zhi Qiu:

"Next, we need to find you a place to stay for the night."

"Um."

Zhi Qiu nodded, still holding his hand. The setting sun cast a warm glow on her delicate profile. Looking at the street ahead, she whispered:

"Then... let's go."

Their shadows were stretched long in the setting sun, the shopping bags in their hands swayed gently, and their clasped hands never parted.