Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 324 The Teacher's Wife's Heartfelt Words

Liu Qingqing added softly, "Auntie is doing this for your own good. Why should I interfere in your love life?"

Xu Yunxi persisted, saying, "Aunt Qingqing is not a third wheel!"

In my heart and Zhiyuan's heart, you are the closest person to us.

Just think of it as keeping me company, okay?

As she spoke, she gave Wu Zhiyuan a pleading look.

Wu Zhiyuan then suggested, "Teacher Liu, let's go together. It's the Lunar New Year, a rare day off. Let's go out for a walk and relax."

Xu Yunxi also tried to persuade her, "Aunt Qingqing, you're an elder, how can you be a third wheel?"

Upon hearing Xu Yunxi's words, Liu Qingqing's pretty face flushed red.

"Fine, fine, I can't argue with you. Let's go then, but it's settled then, I'm not going to follow you the whole way, I'll explore on my own."

"How can that be!" Xu Yunxi quickly said, "Of course we have to go shopping together!"

"You're all alone, what kind of talk is that? People who don't know better might think we're having a fight."

Liu Qingqing was both amused and exasperated by her absurd reasoning, and reached out to tap her forehead: "You talk too much!"

The three of them took a taxi to the City God Temple.

As soon as you get off the bus, you are greeted by a strong festive atmosphere and a bustling crowd.

The square in front of the temple was already packed with people, with all kinds of stalls lined up along both sides of the stone-paved road, and bright red lanterns hanging from the ancient eaves and brackets, illuminating the whole street with a festive atmosphere.

Xu Yunxi became excited as soon as she got out of the car, grabbing Liu Qingqing's hand and pushing her into the crowd: "Aunt Qingqing, Brother Zhiyuan, hurry up! There are people making dough figurines over there!"

A crowd had gathered in front of the dough figurine stall. The master craftsman's skillful hands moved the colorful dough balls with practiced ease.

Before long, a lifelike golden horse stood on the shelf, drawing cheers.

"Master, can you sculpt me?" Xu Yunxi approached the old master.

The master craftsman looked up and examined Xu Yunxi for a moment, then nodded with a smile, and began to skillfully knead and shape the colorful dough in his hands.

Before long, a lifelike clay figurine of a girl with a ponytail and smiling eyes stood on my fingertip.

"Wow! It looks just like it! Master, your skills are amazing!" Xu Yunxi exclaimed, unable to put it down.

She leaned closer to the master craftsman and pointed at Wu Zhiyuan: "Master, could you sculpt another one of him?"

Wu Zhiyuan watched Wu Zhiyuan while kneading dough figurines.

Before long, a "Wu Zhiyuan" wearing a jacket and standing upright was born. Although he was not as angular as the real person, he was quite similar in appearance.

Xu Yunxi handed over the dough figurine she was holding and asked the master craftsman, "Master, could you please put these two dough figurines together?"

The master craftsman nodded, took the two dough figurines, and carefully adjusted their poses using bamboo skewers and a special adhesive.

"Xu Yunxi" turned to the side and tilted her head back, raising both arms, while "Wu Zhiyuan" leaned slightly forward, making a hugging gesture with his arms.

When the master craftsman handed the two dough figurines embracing each other to Xu Yunxi, she carefully took them, holding them in her hands as if they were rare treasures, afraid of breaking them.

Xu Yunxi said shyly, "Brother Zhiyuan, look! Doesn't it look like us? Master's cooking is amazing!"

Wu Zhiyuan's gaze fell on the two dough figurines nestled together in an intimate pose, and he was deeply moved.

What merits or abilities does he possess to win Xu Yunxi's heart?

"You sculpted it very well, Yunxi put a lot of thought into it."

Liu Qingqing took in the whole scene, and a complex emotion welled up inside her.

I feel gratified that Xu Yunxi has met someone she can be so devoted to;

I admire the courage of young people to love and hate so intensely;

There's also a faint sense of melancholy for those youthful days that can never be returned to.

There were so many people at the City God Temple that it was no exaggeration to say they were shoulder to shoulder.

Wu Zhiyuan escorted Xu Yunxi and Liu Qingqing through the crowd.

Xu Yunxi was like a cheerful little bird, pulling Liu Qingqing to look at this one moment and Wu Zhiyuan to look at that the next.

"Aunt Qingqing, there's a sugar figurine maker over there! Let's go take a look!"

Xu Yunxi's voice was drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.

She let go of Liu Qingqing's hand and squeezed into a stall surrounded by children.

Wu Zhiyuan and Liu Qingqing followed behind, but were separated by the crowd.

By the time Wu Zhiyuan pushed through the crowd to reach the sugar figurine stall, Xu Yunxi was nowhere to be seen.

"Yunxi! Yunxi!" Wu Zhiyuan called out several times, but with so many voices around, he couldn't see Xu Yunxi at all.

Liu Qingqing frowned slightly: "They were just here a moment ago, how come they disappeared in the blink of an eye?"

The two searched near the sugar figurine stall but couldn't find Xu Yunxi.

Xu Yunxi is an adult and has a cell phone, so the two of them weren't worried.

Wu Zhiyuan sent a message.

Xu Yunxi did not reply.

Liu Qingqing tried her phone but couldn't get through: "Zhiyuan, shall we split up and search?"

"Teacher Liu, we can't separate, otherwise it will be more troublesome to meet up."

"That's true." Liu Qingqing nodded.

People were packed together, shoulder to shoulder.

Liu Qingqing was jostled by the people next to her and stumbled. Wu Zhiyuan instinctively reached out and supported her arm.

The two people either walk one in front of the other or side by side, and physical contact is inevitable.

"Zhiyuan, let's not go anymore. Send Yunxi a message saying we'll wait for her at this stone arch bridge. She'll come over after she receives the message."

"Alright, we'll wait for Yunxi on this ancient bridge."

The two stopped by the bridge.

"Zhiyuan, Youwei and I both know what's on Yunxi's mind. Yunxi doesn't treat me like an outsider either; she tells me everything she's thinking."

Youwei once said that as long as Yunxi likes him and he is a reliable person, he doesn't care about social status.

He himself came from a rural background and knew that a person's character was more important than anything else.

Wu Zhiyuan listened quietly.

Liu Qingqing continued, "We've all seen Yunxi's feelings for you; they're pure, passionate, and unreserved. It's not easy for a girl to be like that."

Although Yunxi is not my biological daughter, she respects me very much, and I love her very much. She is my stepmother, as well as my best friend and friend.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few words from my heart to you today:

Don't betray a pure heart. If you truly feel that Yunxi is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, then please cherish her and treat her well.

Her world may be simpler and more persistent than you imagine.

However, Zhiyuan, relationships are a matter between two people; you can't force them.

If you have other considerations in mind, can't let go of the past, or just feel it's not right or you don't like it that much.

Then please, be honest. Don't force yourself to give her false hope just because of our attitude or because you think Yunxi is too good to refuse her. That would be the greatest harm you could do to her.

I'm not saying this to put pressure on you, but simply to hope that, whatever the outcome, you two won't have any regrets or damage your relationship. After all, you are both very good people.