Since people had already been discovered, they could no longer hide.
Xiang Rikui peeked her head out from the bushes, scratched her head, and smiled apologetically.
She was a lively-looking girl with a round face, short hair that reached her ears, and eyes that sparkled like the eyes of a deer.
“Huo Xingchao, I just came out for a walk, I didn’t expect to bump into you like this.”
…
Next to them, Jiang Wei took a gulp of vitamin water and choked on it.
“Girl, is it really necessary to tell such lies with your eyes wide open?”
“And we’re all classmates. He’s a grown living person sitting right here. Don’t you think you should at least greet him as well?”
Huo Xingchao curved his lips, showing no emotion on his face, and spoke in a calm tone, “But it’s quite late now. You should go back to the campsite early.”
The young girl, seeing his concern, nodded excitedly, her cheeks blushing with girlish charm. She spoke with great enthusiasm, “Don’t worry about me, I’ll go back right away. Besides, I’ve checked this path just now; it’s very safe.”
But as soon as she spoke, and as she extended her foot, she forcefully hit a large rock in front of her.
“Ouch!”
Her whole body tilted, accompanied by a scream, and her foot twisted and slammed onto the ground.
It vividly illustrated the saying, ‘Joy turns to sorrow.’
“Xiao Kui, are you okay?”
Han Yicheng, who was standing next to her, anxiously furrowed his brow, squatting down, ready to check her ankle.
“Wai-wait a moment.”
In no time, a pitiful cry came from the young girl, “Don’t touch there, it hurts so much…”
Huo Xingchao threw a piece of firewood into the fire pit. Seeing this dramatic scene, he raised an eyebrow and asked,
“Do you need help?”
Although he said so, he sat there stably, with a lazy tone and a relaxed posture, showing no intention of getting up.
Xiang Rikui’s eyes lit up, about to nod.
But Han Yicheng, glancing at Huo Xingchao before she could speak, directly refused with a stern face, “No need.”
His tone was indifferent. The look Huo Xingchao gave him just now, with scrutiny and a hint of mockery, made him feel very uncomfortable.
…
From start to finish, he never realized that the faceless person was his girlfriend.
Huo Xingchao’s clothes were still on top of Fang Xiazi’s head. Through the gap in the clothes, she could see on the other side of the bushes, a boy squatting down, carefully lifting the girl.
The mountain wind suddenly blew, bringing his cool, helpless voice.
“Be careful next time. Why are you always so careless?”
The girl’s tone was impatient, “I know, I know, you don’t have to keep saying it.”
“And I don’t want to say it to you either, Xiang Rikui. If I’m not around next time, who will come to save you…”
…
Their voices gradually faded away. Fang Xiazi tightly held the corner of the clothes on her head, feeling the pain of the zipper against her palm, but seeming not to notice.
Girls, in general, naturally have a sensitive sense of these emotional matters.
Especially when it comes to someone they like.
When Han Yicheng confessed to her before, her first reaction was not surprise or excitement, but a faint sense of doubt and astonishment.
She had a typical scientific mind.
From childhood to adulthood, she was not good at observing other people’s thoughts, behaviors, and actions. But thirteen years of neighbors, ten years of schoolmates, were enough to understand someone you liked.
When he looked at her, his gaze was indifferent. When he said he liked her, his demeanor was casual, and when expressing the desire to be together, he lowered his eyes, and his tone was calm, as if announcing something.
It didn’t seem like a confession but more like completing a necessary task.
But at that time, after realizing it, her heart was full of pure joy and girlish excitement, and she subconsciously ignored the issue.
She thought that Han Yicheng was just naturally reserved, introverted, and not good at expressing himself.
Maybe he wasn’t forcing himself at all; he was just shy.
So, she smiled and agreed.
She remembered, from beginning to end, the only emotional words he said to her were,
“Fang Xiazi, although we are still young, since we are together, I hope we can be loyal to each other, avoid relationships with the opposite sex beyond friendship, and not do anything that could lead to misunderstandings, okay?”
Opposite sex?
Misunderstandings?
She hesitated for a moment, then agreed readily.
After going home, she thought for a long time. Maybe it was because she had frequent contact with many opposite-sex students in the student department that made him jealous.
Since then, she spoke fewer words to her colleagues in the department, maintaining her image as a talkative little princess.
But now, Fang Xiazi finally understood the meaning behind his words.
Never.
She had never seen a Han Yicheng, who was so fond of talking.
In front of her, he was like a smartphone AI, only responding passively to her questions.
She had never heard him speak so gently, not even when he forgot her birthday and apologized. His tone was as casual as telling the aunt selling pancakes at the entrance to add an extra sausage.
Even every evening after school, she waited for him at the corner near the school, but if she happened to be a little late for some reason, he wouldn’t give her an extra minute.
She actually endured a lot of grievances, but she kept enduring them.
Until tonight, hearing him speak so tenderly and caring to another girl, her negative emotions suddenly became uncontrollable.
Like a tidal wave, it hit her, covering her entire being, bringing a suffocating sense of panic.
And after the tide receded, it left only a damp, cold self.
It took a long, long time, so long that it seemed like someone wanted to come over and take her place. For some reason, when she finally moved her feet to leave, Fang Xiazi heard a faint and helpless voice from the boy beside her, sounding low in her ears,
“Senior sister, there’s no more paper.”
…
She couldn’t help shedding her first tear just now.
Through the gaps in her clothes, she saw the person beside her handing over a tissue.
Then another one.
A third one.
Many, many tissues.
…
The boy opened his empty hands, his tone gentle and a little innocent.
“Senior sister, there’s no more paper.”
So, please don’t cry.
Fang Xiazi was stunned.
Only then did she realize that there were two boys sitting by the campfire, guarding it. Now there was only one.
How long had she cried, and he silently handed her tissues, accompanying her?
…Well.
It’s a bit embarrassing.
So, she bit her lip, held back her choked voice, and, with an effort to maintain the demeanor of a proud little princess, lifted her head.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not that sad; I just cried casually.”
The youth tossed a piece of wood into the bonfire, lounging with a lazy posture and sighing softly.
“But, senior sister, you’re crying too casually. It’s almost time for curfew. Don’t you plan to leave a few minutes for daylight?”
…?
“What are you talking about?”
The little princess frowned, quite displeased. “Although I don’t like Han Yicheng that much, he insisted on confessing to me before I reluctantly agreed. I don’t really care about his matters, but…”
She spoke for a long time, finally sniffing, her head, wrapped in an oversized sports jacket, drooping from a circle to a despondent oval. Her voice was gentle.
“But I am still a bit… you know, about that. Can you not make jokes about it?”
…
A quiet moment passed.
Only the sound of flames consuming wood remained in the ears, crackling and popping, bright little sparks seeming to leap into her heart, a bit scorching.
Then the youth chuckled lightly.
Through the clothes, Fang Xiazi couldn’t see his expression.
Only his sunny and charming voice rang clearly above her head, like the sunlight at noon on the summer solstice, carrying a warmth even more scorching than the flames.
“Senior sister, do you know, last summer vacation when I was vacationing in Hawaii, I met Leonardo. When he was chatting with me, he mentioned his method of managing time.”
…
…
“He! Said! What?!!!”
“He said, people should ideally allocate their time well.”
The boy casually picked up a twig, hooked his lips, and drew circles on the ground, a big circle with countless small circles inside.
In the smallest circle, he drew a tiny heart.
“For example, for me, studying is 20%, basketball is 30%, gaming is 20%, family is 10%, friends are 10%, and love is 10%. Within the 10% of love, 1% is for sadness and 9% for happiness.”
“So, subtracting the seven hours of sleep, assuming I encounter someone who’s fickle, hypocritical, two-timing, and shamelessly unrepentant…”
He paused, his tone carrying a faint smile.
“I would only cry for 10.2 minutes.”
“Senior sister, you’re so busy, pick a more auspicious number, leave about 4.44 seconds for him, and it should be just about right.”
…
Fang Xiazi expressionlessly opened her own clothes, gaze fixed on the handsome youth in front of her, eyes ominous.
“Did Leonardo really say such things to you?”
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