The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

The entire journey was speechless.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the mountain road was muddy and slippery. Jiang Shubai's sneakers were no longer recognizable as their original color, and his trouser legs were splattered with mud.

But he walked steadily, his breathing rapid, yet his steps were perfectly steady, as if he were afraid of swaying her.

His hands remained firmly supporting her knees, his fingers slightly curled, never touching her more than an inch.

This realization gave Shen Zhixian a strange feeling that she couldn't quite explain.

She lowered her eyes, looking at his rain-soaked hair, hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and moved the coat draped over her shoulders forward, gently covering his head.

Jiang Shubai paused for a moment.

He curled his lips into a smile, and his steps became lighter than before.

The rain continued to pour down, and the mountain wind, carrying a chill, swept in from all directions, but in this small patch of space sheltered by their coats, there were only the two of them.

The sounds of breathing, heartbeats, and the muffled thud of rain hitting fabric blended together, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.

Once, twice.

I don't know whose heart got thrown off balance first.

It took almost twenty minutes to walk down the mountain.

When the outline of the bus finally appeared in his field of vision through the rain, Jiang Shubai slowed down, a slight sense of regret rising in his heart.

This road is so short. I wish I could walk it with Zhizhi forever.

"We're here, watch out for the steps."

Jiangsu Bai carefully put her down, supporting her arm with one hand, afraid that she might lose her balance on one leg.

When the people on the bus saw that Shen Zhixian had sprained her ankle, they all gathered around to check on her.

Jiang Shubai stepped in front of her to protect her, saying, "Make way, don't crowd around so much, let's go up first."

Jiang Shubai sat next to Shen Zhixian the whole way, turning his head to look at her every five minutes, his worry evident in his eyes.

When he arrived at the school, the rain had stopped. He immediately squatted down and said, "Shen, come on up, let's go to the school clinic."

"No need, I can manage myself—"

"Student Shen."

Jiang Shubai looked up, his eyes incredibly sincere. "Your foot is swollen like a bun. You're going to walk by yourself? Until next year?"

Shen Zhixian looked down at her ankle, which was indeed frighteningly swollen.

"Come on up~ Today I want to be a Lei Feng and be happy to help others."

The doctor on duty at the school hospital glanced at Shen Zhixian's ankle, then at Jiang Shubai, who was soaking wet, and gave a meaningful "Oh~".

"Young man, go change into some dry clothes first. Otherwise, she might sprain her ankle and you might catch a cold. I can't handle this."

Jiang Shubai replied with "Okay, okay," then turned and ran out of the school hospital, heading straight for the convenience store at the school gate.

I grabbed a bunch of things: hot soy milk, hot porridge, oden, steamed buns, sandwiches, hand warmers, cold medicine, along with several packets of cookies and chocolates, and carried them all in my arms.

The cashier glanced at him and said, "Young man, are you in the wholesale business?"

Jiang Shubai didn't have time for banter; he stuffed the things into his clothes and ran back.

When he pushed open the door of the school hospital, panting, Shen Zhixian's ankle had already been treated, wrapped in a white bandage, and she was sitting on the edge of the bed listening to the doctor's instructions.

"...Don't walk around for the next couple of days, minimize activity, apply ice packs as needed, and come back if you feel any discomfort."

Shen Zhixian nodded seriously, and when she looked up, she met Jiang Shubai's bright eyes.

"Why haven't you changed your clothes yet?" Shen Zhixian frowned, her gaze falling on the pile of things in his arms.

Jiang Shubai chuckled, dumped all the spoils he had gathered on the bedside table, then poured himself a cup of hot water and handed it over.

"Drink some hot water first, and take the cold medicine as a precaution."

Then she took out more things and laid them out one by one. "This is steamed buns, this is porridge, and this is soy milk. You can have whichever you want. And this is a hand warmer. You can stick it on your clothes to keep warm."

That's enough.

Shen Zhixian interrupted him, her tone sounding disdainful, but the softness in her voice went unnoticed even by herself.

Jiang Shubai immediately shut up and stood obediently to the side, looking at her expectantly, just like a golden retriever that ran back with a frisbee in its mouth, its whole body saying "Praise me, praise me".

If he had a tail, it would be wagging so hard it'd almost break off right now.

Helpless, Shen Zhixian reached out and took the cup of hot water.

Jiang Shubai set off ten thousand fireworks in his heart.

He forced himself not to laugh out loud, but the corners of his mouth were already turned up to an unbelievable height.

Shen Zhixian took a sip of water, then picked up the soy milk and sipped it slowly. The warm liquid slid down her throat, gradually dispelling the chill brought by the mountain wind.

Jiang Shubai stood to the side watching, feeling incredibly happy, his mind already replaying "Today is a Good Day" on repeat.

After Shen Zhixian had finished eating, he scratched his head, mentally cheered himself up three times, and was about to ask for contact information.

Shen Zhixian opened her phone first, facing him, "Let me add you on WeChat, I'll transfer these fees to you."

Jiang Shubai was stunned.

He stared at the QR code, his brain blanking for a full three seconds.

Wait! What did Zhizhi say? Add me on WeChat? She offered to add me on WeChat?

She could have simply asked him to scan her payment code and that would have been the end of it, but she chose to add him on WeChat!

What does this mean? What does this signify?

Does this mean she has at least a tiny bit of affection for him?

Jiang Shubai's mind was like a barrage of fireworks, one after another, crackling and popping, leaving him completely dizzy.

His fingers trembled as he pulled out his phone, unlocking it three times before finally opening WeChat and scanning the QR code.

Friend added successfully.

The interface prominently displays the three characters "Shen Zhixian," and the profile picture is a starry sky.

Jiang Shubai stared at those three words and felt that even if he were struck by lightning at this moment, it would be worth it.

The progress bar for winning back his wife jumped from 5% to 30%, no, 50%!

He was so happy he felt like he was floating on air, his mouth stretched from ear to ear, and he kept looking at his phone over and over, just like a child who had just received a new toy.

When Shen Zhixian caught sight of his silly grin, she couldn't help but smile slightly, a very light and subtle curve, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, the ripples disappearing before they even spread.

She lowered her head, put the soy milk cup back on the table, and thought to herself.

This fool doesn't seem to have any bad intentions.

You could consider giving him a chance.

Not much, just a little bit.

If he can really hold on... then trying to have a relationship during these college years doesn't seem so bad.