Brother! This is the adoption certificate. I don't want your sister-in-law!

On Saturday, Su Xiao made an appointment with Xu Niannian.

The "Young Students" Square next to the Xiangjiang River.

He arrived at 9:40, which was supposed to be 10 o'clock.

It wasn't that he was proactive; Su Wanning kicked him out of the door early in the morning.

"Don't just lie around at home like a corpse this weekend, it's an eyesore."

"Wow, I almost forgot! Thanks, little sister, I'll bring you something delicious when I get back."

Su Wan Ning originally only wanted to tease Su Xiao early in the morning, but she didn't expect that he would actually get dressed and go out.

Watching him hurriedly get dressed, brush his teeth and wash his face, and then rush out the door.

After the door closed, Su Wan Ning stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do for a long time.

How come... he's really gone...?

Breakfast was still cooking in the kitchen, but he had already left.

Then she took out her phone and opened her QQ chat with Su Xiao.

But in the end, nothing was sent.

……

There weren't many people in the square in the morning, and the wind carried the damp moisture from the Xiangjiang River.

Xu Niannian stood under the red wall, with the words "Just Like Young Students" above her head.

But these words, so full of youthful vigor, seem out of place when paired with Xu Niannian.

Xu Niannian lowered her head, gripped the straps of her schoolbag with both hands, and stood with her toes together.

She was still wearing the same faded floral shirt and the same old cloth shoes, but her hair was neatly combed and tied with the same knotted black hair tie.

She stood there, like a small cabbage transplanted from a field ridge to a pedestrian street, completely out of place with everything around her.

Su Xiao watched her from afar for a while, then strode over and casually patted her on the shoulder.

Xu Niannian staggered forward a little when he slapped her. When she turned around and saw it was him, the tense expression on her face relaxed a little.

"Good morning..."

"Come on, I'll take you to spend some money today."

Su Xiao said frankly that he originally wanted to reach out and hug her, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

Watching his outstretched hand, which paused in mid-air before retracting, I saw it.

Xu Niannian looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

As Su Xiao walked, she excitedly calculated the accounts with her, counting on her fingers with undisguised smugness in her tone.

"I have some good news to share with you. I made over three thousand yuan selling mobile phones. Isn't that amazing? I'll take you out for a nice meal today."

He talked for a long time, but found that no one responded.

Looking down, I saw Xu Niannian with her head down, lips pursed, and an odd expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Su Xiao stopped. "Are you unhappy?"

Xu Niannian looked up, her eyes a little red.

She looked into his eyes, her voice soft but earnest.

"Su Xiao, are you tired?"

Su Xiao was stunned for a moment.

"What?"

"You have to go to school and sell cell phones at the same time." Her lips trembled slightly. "Aren't you tired?"

Su Xiao opened her mouth, as if to say something.

He thought this was nothing; in his past life, he had worked overtime for three days and three nights straight without ever complaining of being tired.

But Xu Niannian didn't give him a chance to interrupt.

She lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer, as if talking to herself.

"I don't care how much money you make, I'm just... I'm just worried that you're working too hard."

People came and went in the square. Children ran past them holding balloons, and couples lined up hand in hand in front of the milk tea shop.

Su Xiao stood there, looking at the girl in front of her with her head down and her eyes red.

She was dressed in tattered clothes and stood in the middle of the pedestrian street, looking as rustic as a newly pulled cabbage.

But what she said was more beautiful than any pretty words.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of sourness, then reached out and pinched her cheek.

"Not tired at all. Come on, I'll treat you to KFC. You can't say no."

KFC is at the other end of the pedestrian street, and on the second floor, there's a picture of a white-bearded old man on the floor-to-ceiling window.

In 2005, KFC was still a rarity in Jingzhou; eating one was something you could brag about to your classmates for a week.

Xu Niannian stood at the door, looking up at the sign, her big eyes filled with confusion.

Su Xiao turned to look at her: "Never eaten before?"

Xu Niannian shook her head, her voice soft: "I've seen it."

Su Xiao pushed open the glass door, and a blast of cold air hit her face.

He ordered a family bucket.

Xu Niannian looked at the pile of things.

Chicken wings, chicken legs, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes filled a tray, and I stood there helplessly to the side.

Su Xiao handed her a chicken wing: "Use your hands and eat it."

Xu Niannian took it and carefully took a bite.

Her eyes lit up when she took her first bite.

"So delicious..."

Then she started nibbling, her cheeks bulging, a small piece of breadcrumb stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Su Xiao leaned back in her chair, looking into her bright, sparkling eyes, and suddenly felt very content.

My heart felt warm, like drinking a sip of hot soup on a cold winter's day.

After finishing their meal, Su Xiao pulled Xu Niannian into a women's clothing store.

He scanned the shelves, picked up a light pink sweatshirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, shoved them into her hands, and pointed towards the fitting room.

"Give it a try."

Xu Niannian hesitated for a long time, holding the clothes, looking at the price tag and then at Su Xiao, her eyes filled with pleading.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: "This is too expensive, let's choose another one."

"You're dressed so ugly, how am I supposed to go out with you in the future? You're making me look bad, okay?"

But in the end, he was glared at by Su Xiao and obediently went into the fitting room.

After a while, the curtain was lifted and Xu Niannian came out.

The light pink sweatshirt made her skin look radiant, and the dark blue jeans were perfectly tailored, making her look like a completely different person.

Su Xiao leaned against the shelf, glanced at it, and paused for two seconds.

"This is the one."

The saleswoman, a round-faced woman, walked over with a smile and said in a knowing tone, "Young lady, this outfit comes in a couple's version."

Xu Niannian's face turned red instantly.

She lowered her head and rubbed the cuffs of her new sweatshirt, not daring to look at anyone.

Seeing her like this, Su Xiao suddenly had a mischievous idea.

Su Xiao waved her hand: "We're not a couple yet. I like her, but she doesn't like me."

Upon hearing this, not only the shop assistant was stunned, but even Xu Niannian was taken aback.

The two walked out of the store, with Su Xiao carrying a bag of old clothes in front.

After walking a few steps, Xu Niannian suddenly stopped.

"Wait a minute, wait for me."

She turned and ran back, but after a couple of steps she looked back at him again, as if afraid he would leave, and then continued running.

Su Xiao stood there watching her push open the glass door and see her haggling with the salesperson through the window.

She gestured something, the salesperson shook her head, and she gestured again.

Then she bent down to thank the salesperson, and then eagerly took out a plastic bag.

It wasn't a wallet, just an ordinary transparent plastic bag filled with red and green banknotes, some ten yuan, some five yuan, and some one yuan.

She counted the money for the sales clerk one bill at a time, very slowly and carefully, pressing each bill flat with her palm.

The sales clerk took a piece of clothing from the shelf, folded it, and put it in a bag.

Xu Niannian ran out carrying the bag and handed it to him.

Su Xiao opened the bag; inside was the matching men's outfit.

The light pink hoodie was the exact same color as the one he had picked out for her.

He was stunned.

Xu Niannian stood in front of him, head down, fingers twisted together, her voice trembling violently.

"I... I've saved up some money..."

She took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "I want to give it to you."

Su Xiao didn't say anything.

He tucked his hoodie under his arm, reached out, and hugged her tightly.

Xu Niannian froze as if she had been struck on an acupoint, her back straight, her hands hanging limply at her sides, and she stopped breathing.

After several seconds, she slowly raised her fingers and grabbed the back of his shirt.

They gripped it very gently, as if afraid of damaging it.

"I……"

Her voice came from his chest, muffled and small.

"What do you want to say?" Su Xiao's voice came from above.

"I..." Xu Niannian bit her lip, but still couldn't say anything.

Su Xiao released her and lowered her head.

Xu Niannian's face was already flushed red, hidden deep in her thick bangs.

"Look at you, so silly. I'm just unlucky to be liked by you."

Su Xiao couldn't help but laugh, then reached out and pinched her face, only to find it was terribly hot.

He cleared his throat and said in as normal a voice as possible, "Let's go, I'll take you home."

……

It took quite a while to walk from the square to the alley where Xu Niannian lives.

Neither of them spoke much, but the atmosphere was different from when they arrived.

Her steps were lighter than when she came, and she stopped and turned around at the alley entrance.

Su Xiao handed over the bag, "I'll leave you here. Go back now."

Xu Niannian took the bag, hugged it to her chest, and nodded.

Su Xiao watched her walk into the alley, her footsteps making soft sounds on the bluestone pavement.

Halfway there, she glanced back at him and saw that he was still standing there. She quickly turned back and quickened her pace.

"Hello!"

Su Xiaochong called out to her retreating figure, "Even though I don't have school tomorrow, I still wanted to say see you tomorrow!"

Xu Niannian didn't turn around, but her voice drifted out from the alley, softly, like a petal falling on the water.

"See you tomorrow."