I was born and listened to my neighbor's older sister talk about her family of origin.

After a chaotic scene, Jiang Ye still couldn't retrieve the two people's phones.

Because class has started.

At least, these two audacious individuals no longer dared to secretly discuss Jiang Ye at such close range.

Because they discovered that Jiang Ye had exceptionally good hearing.

As for where people will talk badly about him behind his back, Jiang Ye has no say in that.

Lin Xinghe thought to herself with smug satisfaction.

After this incident, she seemed to have relaxed a bit, and the feeling of panic that had been nagging at her had inexplicably dissipated.

Throughout the day, I talked to Ji Xiaoxiao much more frequently.

After school, Jiang Ye watched the twin sisters leave home and waited for Ji Xiaoxiao to come home with him, as usual.

After greeting He Xiangnan and Ning Xue, the two of them headed to the bicycle shed together.

Watching them walk away, someone couldn't help but sigh, "Childhood sweethearts are so wonderful! A boy and a girl working together makes school so much easier. Why didn't I have a childhood sweetheart to grow up with?"

The boy next to him patted his shoulder, leaned close to his ear, and breathed softly.

"You have me, brother~~"

"Holy crap! Get out of here!"

-

In the bicycle storage area.

Ji Xiaoxiao skillfully lifted her leg and straddled the back of Jiang Ye's bicycle, casually grabbing the hem of his school uniform and giving it a gentle shake.

Jiang Ye didn't turn around. With a push of his long legs, the bicycle glided steadily away.

The car passed through the bustling school gate and merged into the evening traffic.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people onto the asphalt road, swaying back and forth with the rolling of the wheels.

Speechless all the way.

Jiang Ye inexplicably felt that things were unusually quiet today.

Ji Xiaoxiao, sitting in the back seat, curled her fingers around his clothes, feeling like she was being scratched by a cat.

There's a question she's been holding back all afternoon.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

They went back and forth several times, like a tug-of-war.

"Eno."

She finally couldn't hold back.

"Um?"

Jiang Ye's voice came from ahead, but it was scattered by the wind.

"Are you...?"

Ji Xiaoxiao bit her lip, her cheeks inexplicably burning. Asking a boy about this kind of thing always felt strange.

Jiang Ye slowed down the car, and the car glided more smoothly.

"What is it?"

His tone carried a hint of pure curiosity. It was rare to see Ji Xiaoxiao so awkward. Why couldn't this girl be straightforward in everything she did?

"cough."

Ji Xiaoxiao cleared her throat, steeled her resolve, closed her eyes, and went all in.

"Do you like Lin Youxun?"

The voice just fell.

"Sizzle—!"

A sharp screech of brakes shattered the evening's tranquility.

Due to inertia, Ji Xiaoxiao was thrown forward, her forehead slamming into Jiang Ye's back.

"Aww!"

She covered her forehead and let out an exaggerated "Aww!"

"What are you doing?! Murder?!"

Jiang Ye ignored her accusations, supported himself on one foot, and turned around.

The light from the streetlamp fell on his face, half bright and half dark.

His face didn't show any particular expression, so it was impossible to tell whether he was angry or something else. However, there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes, mixed with a touch of amusedness that was hard to define.

"Want to know?"

he asks.

Ji Xiaoxiao looked at Jiang Ye.

With great vigilance, I saw a familiar, cunning, and malicious glint in those eyes.

This guy always has this expression on his face when he's thinking of messing with her.

Driven by some unknown survival instinct, she immediately shook her head.

But after pausing for two seconds, he couldn't help but nod.

His cheeks were puffed out, like a cat that had been unwillingly plucking its fur, but his eyes were full of curiosity.

Jiang Ye felt a pang of tenderness in his heart when he saw her like this.

His childhood sweetheart is just so adorable.

He couldn't resist and covered her head with his large hand, ruffling it haphazardly and making her fluffy short hair even more messy.

Ji Xiaoxiao immediately yelled and shook off his hand with her head.

"Don't try to distract me with your hands or feet, answer my question!"

Seeing her anxious expression, Jiang Ye withdrew his hand, leisurely stroked his chin, and dragged out his words, pretending to hesitate.

"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll reluctantly answer you."

"Me..."

Ji Xiaoxiao lowered her hand from her forehead and stretched her neck a little.

"It's because I like it..."

Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes widened suddenly, and her heart skipped a beat, as if something had fallen and left her feeling empty.

Then, she saw a mischievous smile spread across Jiang Ye's eyes, which appeared exceptionally deep under the streetlights.

"Still don't like it?"

"..."

one second.

two seconds.

"Jiang Ye! You bastard! I'll bite you to death!"

Ji Xiaoxiao was completely enraged. She lunged forward, baring her teeth and showing her two little tiger teeth, ready to give him a good bite.

Jiang Ye had anticipated this. The moment she lunged at him, he pushed off with his foot, and the bicycle shot off with a "whoosh".

The sudden acceleration caused Ji Xiaoxiao to fall backward uncontrollably, the curse words stuck in her throat, and she could only instinctively cling tightly to the only support in front of her.

His waist.

"Hold on tight."

Jiang Ye's voice came from the front, carrying an uncontrollable smile of triumph.

"Instead of wasting your time worrying about me, you should be more concerned about your precarious grades."

He said lazily, "If you get the lowest score on this month's exam, see how Uncle Ji deals with you."

"you--!"

Just as Ji Xiaoxiao was about to retort, she heard Jiang Ye change the subject.

"Speaking of which, what should we have for dinner? Actually, I was thinking of having a super-sized jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe).

Jiang Ye successfully diverted Ji Xiaoxiao's attention by mentioning food.

Her eyes lit up.

After all, Chen Mei rarely allowed her to eat at roadside stalls.

Only when he was with Jiang Ye could he secretly eat some to satisfy his cravings.

"Let's go to that shop on the left up ahead. The auntie there makes really good food. I want two extra eggs! And double the amount of pork tenderloin!"

"OK."

Jiang Ye should be decisive.

"Let's go!"

The bicycle sped up and whizzed past.

Ji Xiaoxiao was enjoying her piping hot jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) in the back seat. The freshly made crepe was crispy and chewy, covered in sauce, and the pork tenderloin and crispy crepe inside made a crunching sound.

She ate without any decorum, her mouth smeared with a ring of dark sweet sauce that looked like a comical little mustache.

Walking through the familiar streets lined with plane trees, the warm orange glow of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light.

The air is filled with the lazy scent of late summer.

Jiang Ye turned a corner with practiced ease.

Almost home.

As usual, Jiang Ye would drop her off at the street corner ahead, since the two lived in completely opposite neighborhoods.

But the moment the handlebars of the bicycle turned the corner, his wrist suddenly stiffened, the speed of the bicycle suddenly slowed down, and his expression froze.

He saw a person.

The girl in front of me, who looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, was wearing a white dress and had long, flowing black hair. She was standing quietly under the sycamore tree, seemingly waiting for someone.

Her face was aloof and distant, yet so beautiful that it was impossible to look away. The warm light of the setting sun shone on her profile, making her appear to glow.

Every passerby turned to look at her.

But she never looked to the side, her dark eyes filled with a cold indifference that kept people at a distance.

Unlike Lin Xinghe.

If Lin Xinghe's indifference is an awkwardness, a protective shield that reveals her inner desires and fears.

Then the girl's indifference was absolute, crystal-clear coldness.

She stood there, a world unto herself, and everything outside of that world was merely a backdrop to her, unworthy of her attention.

Until, as if sensing something, she turned her head.

The warm summer breeze ruffled her long hair, and her icy eyes suddenly met Jiang Ye's gaze.

In an instant, the icy coldness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a captivating light, and even his voice softened.

"You're back?"

Ji Xiaoxiao was stunned, and then the confusion on her face was replaced by great joy.

"Sister Little Fish?!"