19 : Group photo

 After the girl ran away laughing, Song Shi finally realized what was happening. He looked at Chen Zhoumu standing to the side, who was already wearing the bracelet.

He reached out, "She misunderstood. I'll go return it to her."

Chen Zhoumu, in a better mood, put his arm around his shoulder, "How can you do that? It's someone's kind gesture. Besides, what will the little girl think if you return something you've given her?"

"Have you no shame?"

"It's okay, I'm thick-skinned."

Just then, Chen Zhoumu's phone rang. He took it out of his pocket. It was Zhang Jingxiao on the other end: [Let's take a group photo! Where did you and Song Shi go?]

[Coming right back.]

Song Shi pursed his lips and finally put on the similar bracelet. When the two returned, they had just finished taking the last set of photos.

"Come on, come on!" He Xi urged from the other end.

Because the two of them hadn't taken many photos, they were fortunate enough to stand in the very center. Chen Zhoumu was half a head taller than him, and the photographer was directing the poses.

"Hey handsome guy in the middle, smile. If you don't want to smile, any other expression will do."

Song Shi could only manage a stiff smile for a moment. He didn't want to spoil their fun. Suddenly, a weight pressed down on his shoulder—Chen Zhoumu was leaning on him.

His right cheek was poked, and Song Shi froze for a second before breaking into a smile.

"Click—"

Zhang Jingxiao was satisfied with the photo on the camera, except that the two people hadn't taken a single picture.

Finally, amidst the cheers of the group, Song Shi took another photo. This time, only two people were in the picture, their two striking faces frozen in time.

The two were extremely close. Song Shi stood with his arms crossed, still expressionless, staring at the camera, while the person next to him had his arm around his shoulder, leaning close and laughing smugly.

After all the photos were taken, Zhang Jingxiao added the photographer's contact information; the photos would be sent to them in a week.

The group returned to the shop, changed their clothes, and it was almost afternoon. They decided to have lunch and then head back to the hotel, all quite tired after a long day.

After returning to the hotel, Song Shi planned to take a shower first. Although the weather wasn't very sunny today, he still sweated from walking around. As he entered the bathroom,

Chen Zhoumu, who was sitting on the sofa pretending to look at his phone, finally looked up. Thankfully, the curtain hadn't been drawn by the cleaning staff, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

When Chen Zhoumu came out of the bathroom, drying his hair, the doorbell rang. He went to open the door.

A group of people were standing outside—it was He Xi and his group.

Seeing the door open, Tang Ze, who was standing behind, stepped forward with a bag: "Since tonight is the last night, based on everyone's decision, we bought some wine for a get-together."

Chen Zhoumu made way for them, and the group entered.

After everyone was inside, he closed the door and continued drying his hair. He Xi placed the bag on the table, and the others sat on the floor.

Song Shi, sitting on the sofa, looked up at the people pouring in, then at the people behind Tang Ze, but said nothing.

Tang Ze sat down next to him as soon as he entered. It had been almost a week since they'd last seen each other, mainly because he'd been bothered by that person and hadn't had time.

Even this trip hadn't provided an opportunity to meet, so he'd come to hang out with Song Shi and the others.

Unexpectedly, they ran into He Xi and his group at the door, but thankfully, both sides were on the same page.

Shen Yihan, leaning against the wall, watched as Tang Ze released her hand and sat down on the sofa. She didn't say a word, just watched his retreating figure, tilting her head slightly to the side, her meaning crystal clear.

Tang Ze secretly clasped his hands together at his sides, his eyes pleading and pitiful.

Shen Yihan narrowed her long, narrow eyes. Tang Ze didn't have the aggressive look of Song Shi and Chen Zhoumu; his features were softer and more pleasing to the eye.

His current expression, coupled with his slightly wavy brown hair, gave him an air of vulnerability.

Chen Zhoumu, standing to the side, dried his hair halfway and picked up the hairdryer from the bathroom, walking behind Song Shi.

"Dry your hair."

"No need."

"It'll give me a headache later."

Song Shi glanced at the other person, then put his phone aside and leaned back on the sofa. The person behind him plugged in the hairdryer, and the sound of the hairdryer filled the air.

Everyone sitting on the floor stopped setting out drinks and alcohol, just watching the two of them dry their hair. Only He Xi, who had seen far bigger scenes, didn't stop.

Then, looking at the stunned group of people with an indifferent expression, he smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. They're always like this, don't mind it."

"Are they... always like this?" Tang Ze looked away, silently returning to Shen Yihan's side, and then looked at He Xi.

"Normal brotherhood, perfectly normal!" He Xi waved his hand, signaling the others to come back to their senses and continue setting out the items from the bag.

Shen Yihan stood to the side, watching their actions, and smiled inexplicably. She could tell that Tang Ze's good friend liked the person drying his hair, but neither of them would admit it.

Or perhaps they just wouldn't believe they liked boys?

She stopped looking in that direction and looked down at the people standing beside her. Those were things they had to resolve themselves.

Whether they were together or apart, whether they admitted it or continued to deceive, none of that mattered to her now.

She only cared about the person standing beside her.

After Chen Zhoumu dried the other person's hair, He Xi and the others were almost done.

Everyone sat on the floor together; thankfully, the blankets kept it warm. Song Shi sat down next to Chen Zhoumu. Because Zhang Jingxiao and the others were also there, they hadn't bought much alcohol.

"Just let me drink, it's the last day. I don't know if we'll have another chance to get together like this. This time, it's just that No. 1 Middle School suddenly had a change of heart," Zhang Jingxiao said, looking at the drink in her hand.

"Only one drink, Tan Zi too. Girls should drink less," Chen Zhoumu said, moving the alcohol on the table a little further away.

Fortunately, they hadn't bought too much alcohol. Everyone chatted amongst themselves, and perhaps because everyone was a little tipsy, He Xi's eyes were bulging. He looked at the person sitting next to him: "Time flies. We'll be seniors in high school next year. By the way, does everyone have any plans for the future?"

"Let me go first. I'm going to S University to find my sweetheart."

Zhang Jingxiao had also had a few drinks and was slightly tipsy. She leaned lazily against Tan Qi next to her and was amused by He Xi's words: "Your sweetheart? Your online romance isn't over yet?"

"Of course! My sweetheart is the best baby in the world. She said she'll love me forever."

"Hmm, sounds so sweet, but who knows when they meet in person and find out the other person is also a boy?" Tang Ze teased.

"Bullshit, my sweetheart's voice is so sweet, she sounds like a cute girl. You guys just don't have boyfriends, you're just sour grapes."

Tang Ze retorted without thinking: "Who said I don't have a boyfriend..." The word "boyfriend" stopped in his mouth, but his mind suddenly cleared.

He quickly shut his mouth, his palm tickled, and he turned to look.

There sat Shen Yihan, propping her head up with her hand and smiling at him.

She usually seemed cold, her face expressionless, always wearing a sour face, and with her height almost a head taller than him, she

looked extremely unapproachable. But her face was so striking, no matter where it was, it was striking. Now, her thin, single eyelids were slightly upturned,

like a century-old glacier breaking through, carrying sunlight and a spring breeze, slowly brushing against Tang Ze's heart.

"Why did you stop talking?" Her voice was low and deep, tinged with a hint of happiness.

He Xi and Zhang Jingxiao were already chatting, no one paying attention to what was happening here, and no one had heard the abruptly stopped conversation.

Tang Ze tried to pull his hand back, but found he couldn't budge it. He gave up, not even wanting to reply, and just watched the others chat, his ears red.

"If you ask me, why would you go to the South? Putting aside the weather, those huge bugs there would scare you to death."

"I'm not afraid at all. Who'd be scared of those things?"

"That's not necessarily true. I heard the cockroaches there can fly, and the spiders are bigger than your hand."

The argument went nowhere; none of them were from the South and didn't know or have seen such things. They then turned their attention to the only two Southerners present.

Song Shi leaned against the bedside, talking to the person smiling and leaning in beside him, occasionally replying with a word or two, but not glancing at them at all.

They could only look at Tang Ze.

"Yeah, you'll be scared to death. The mice in our Yangcheng are bigger than kittens," he said casually, waving his hand.

Zhang Jingxiao laughed uncontrollably beside him.

"I'd charge for love, who cares if cockroaches can fly or mice are big?" He Xi said, pursing his lips and finishing his drink.

"It's your turn to speak. Xiaojie, what about you?"

"Me? I don't have any plans. I'll just go wherever my dad tells me to go."

Tan Qi, standing behind her, lowered her eyes and looked at the person sprawled in her arms. "Not in China?"

"I probably won't be here after graduation." Zhang Jingxiao answered casually.

"What about after you start working?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe I won't come back. I'll settle down there. Oh, thinking so far ahead. You should cherish me while I'm still here."

"Tan, you academic genius, give me more practice papers to copy, or do more homework for me."

"You wish." He Xi listened to their conversation speechlessly.

"Okay." Tan Qi answered softly from behind. Zhang Jingxiao could feel the vibration of her chest as she spoke.

He Xi was shocked. "No way, Qizi, have you been possessed?"

"I said, it's already around four o'clock. How about we go see the sunrise?" Liao Ming suggested from the side.

"Sure, it's good to go for a walk and get some fresh air." Zhang Jingxiao struggled to get up, and Tan Qi helped her.

"I agree too." Taking advantage of getting up, Tang Ze quickly pulled his hand away.

The group of slightly tipsy teenagers clapped and left the hotel to watch the sunrise from the mountaintop.

Song Shi and Chen Zhoumu walked at the back.

"So, where are you going in the future? Are you going back to the South?"

"I'm considering it."

"Can you stay here? Or do you want to?"

Song Shi looked at him: "Why ask so many questions?"

"I don't know." But he just wanted an answer. Chen Zhoumu followed.

← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →