Chapter 274 Life and Dreams

On an early autumn weekend, Li Xiangqian returned to his courtyard as usual. He planned to use this weekend to relax. The jujubes in the courtyard were ripe, and he planned to pick some to give to his neighbors. Li Xiangqian took a bamboo basket and walked under the tree with great interest. Just as he was about to start picking jujubes, he suddenly heard a gentle knock on the door outside the courtyard.

Li Xiangqian walked to the door, opened it, and found a young woman standing outside wearing a simple cheongsam. She had fair skin, clear eyes, and a ladylike temperament between her eyebrows. When the woman saw Li Xiangqian open the door, she smiled and asked softly, "Excuse me, is this Mr. Li's home?"

Li Xiangqian nodded, feeling a little curious, and asked, "Yes, may I ask who you are?"

The woman introduced herself politely: "My name is Lou Xiao'e, and I'm a new neighbor who moved into the next street. I came here today to visit you and see if I can borrow your phone."

Li Xiangqian smiled and invited her in, pointed to the telephone in the living room, and said, "Please feel free to use it."

Lou Xiao'e walked into the courtyard and was attracted by the scenery in the courtyard. She looked around and sighed softly: "This courtyard is really beautiful, full of the charm of old Beijing."

Li Xiangqian nodded and said, "Yes, this is what my grandparents left behind. Although it's old, I like it very much. You just moved in not long ago, are you used to it?"

Lou Xiao'e smiled and replied, "It's OK, I'm just a little unfamiliar with the environment. I wanted to call home today, but my phone ran out of battery, so I came here to borrow it."

Li Xiangqian was moved, thinking that the girl was very polite and kind. He continued to ask, "Do you need help? I am familiar with this area and can provide you with some help."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Thank you, but I don't need it for now. However, I would like to learn more about the environment around here."

So, Li Xiangqian enthusiastically took Lou Xiao'e for a walk around the courtyard and introduced some local customs and practices. Lou Xiao'e listened with great interest and thanked Li Xiangqian for his introduction. The two gradually became familiar with each other.

As time went by, the relationship between Li Xiangqian and Lou Xiao'e became better and better. Whenever he was free, Li Xiangqian would take Lou Xiao'e to visit every corner of the courtyard and tell her the history and stories of the courtyard. Lou Xiao'e would also often bring some homemade snacks to share with Li Xiangqian, and the interaction between the two gradually became frequent and natural.

On a sunny afternoon, Li Xiangqian and Lou Xiao'e were basking in the autumn sun in the yard, drinking tea and chatting. Lou Xiao'e suddenly suggested: "Xiangqian, this yard is so beautiful, why don't we take care of it better together?"

Li Xiangqian readily agreed, and the two began to plan how to transform the yard. They planted flowers and grass together, trimmed branches, and even built a small pavilion in the corner of the yard. As the yard changed, the relationship between the two gradually deepened unconsciously.

One morning after the rain, Li Xiangqian opened the gate and found Lou Xiao'e standing in the yard, smiling at him. She held a handful of freshly picked dates and handed them to Li Xiangqian: "Xiangqian, these are the fruits of the date tree we planted together, try them."

Li Xiangqian took the dates and felt a warm feeling in his heart, a happiness he had never felt before. He looked at Lou Xiao'e and said softly, "Xiao'e, thank you."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and shook her head, saying, "I should be the one to thank you. Your company during this period of time makes me feel as warm as home here."

Li Xiangqian's heart moved, and he looked at Lou Xiao'e's clear eyes, as if he understood something. He didn't say anything else, but silently put the date into his mouth, and the sweet taste spread in his mouth.

One morning, Li Xiangqian decided to buy some flowers to visit Lou Xiaoe. He was nervous and excited, thinking about what flowers to choose. He walked into a nearby flower shop, which had a wide variety of flowers. The colorful flowers dazzled him. Seeing that he was hesitant, the flower shop owner came up and asked, "Young man, are you buying flowers for someone today?"

Li nodded forward, smiled and said, "Yes, I want to give it to someone special."

The boss smiled knowingly, looked him over carefully, and said, "Then I recommend you choose roses and lilies. Roses represent love, and lilies symbolize purity and beauty."

Li Xiangqian thought about it and felt that what the boss said made sense, so he picked a bouquet of roses and lilies, carefully wrapped it, and walked towards Lou Xiao'e's house with great expectation. Along the way, he was filled with various thoughts: Will Xiao'e like this bouquet of flowers? Will she misunderstand what I mean? These doubts kept churning in his mind, but he still walked firmly.

Arriving at Lou Xiao'e's door, Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to knock on the door. After a moment, the door opened and Lou Xiao'e appeared at the door. When she saw the bouquet in Li Xiangqian's hand, she showed an expression of surprise and joy on her face.

"Xiao E, this is for you. I hope you like it." Li Xiangqian said with a smile and handed over the bouquet.

Lou Xiao'e took the bouquet, her face flushed slightly, and she said softly: "Thank you, Xiang Qian. These flowers are so beautiful, I like them very much."

Li Xiangqian finally felt relieved. Seeing Lou Xiaoe's smile, he felt that everything was worth it. While chatting, the two walked into Lou Xiaoe's home. The house was warm and elegant, full of Xiaoe's personal style.

"You are so beautiful here, Xiao'e," Li Xiangqian exclaimed.

Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Thank you. Actually, I also like your courtyard house. Its simple and ancient charm attracts me."

The two sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting about their lives and dreams. Li Xiangqian found that Lou Xiao'e was not only gentle and charming in appearance, but also full of passion for life and vision for the future. She talked about her favorite books, movies, and some interesting things during her travels. Li Xiangqian was fascinated by her and felt that he was getting closer and closer to her soul.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was getting dark. Li Xiangqian looked at the clock on the wall and said, "It's getting late, I should go back. I'm really happy today, thank you, Lou Xiao'e."

Lou Xiao'e smiled and walked him to the door, saying, "I'm very happy too, Xiang Qian. Thank you for the flowers. I'll invite you to my house some other day."

Li Xiangqian nodded and said goodbye to Lou Xiao'e, his heart full of sweet memories. On his way home, Lou Xiao'e's smile kept appearing in his mind, and he knew that he had fallen deeply in love with this gentle girl.