My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

Wang Yuting patted the sofa, gesturing for Lin Jiu to come and sit down.

Lin Jiu wobbled over, plopped down on the seat, and then bounced up like a spring.

"Wow!"

Lin Jiu made a sound unconsciously, clutching his buttocks, his pretty face flushed red.

He had forgotten to gather his skirt up, and ended up sitting directly on the sofa; the touch of it was somewhat frightening.

Wang Yuting glanced at it and patted Lin Jiu on the shoulder with the air of someone who'd been there before, "This is common for girls, you'll get used to it. You just haven't tried riding a bicycle in a short skirt yet."

"Under what circumstances would a grown man like me ride a bicycle in a short skirt..." Lin Jiu put her hands behind her buttocks and gathered the skirt up as she sat on the sofa, finally feeling at ease.

If I had to give a metaphor for what I just felt, it would be like a pair of hairy hands suddenly touching my butt.

"...I'm so tired."

Lin Jiu was like a hamster in summer, slumping onto the sofa without realizing it, making one's face look flat.

At first, Lin Jiu didn't realize anything was wrong. It was only later that she realized she had been controlled by Wang Yuting's mother the whole time.

That person had such a powerful aura. Even her seemingly childish and rude actions were actually a means of maintaining control, making people unable to keep up with her pace and thus unconsciously allowing herself to be manipulated. No wonder Yuting was like a child in front of her, completely being played around and having no ability to resist.

"She really values ​​you, Yuting."

"Really? I didn't know that..."

"lie."

Lin Jiu ruthlessly exposed her.

Wang Yuting puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and retorted, "I didn't!"

She was a girl too, and even though she was usually carefree and easygoing with Lin Jiu, she actually had a soft spot deep down. She had always tried her best to keep up with them, but even if she ran until her feet bled, she still couldn't catch up. She didn't know if her family had any expectations of her, and she didn't dare to think about it seriously... However, today she heard her mother's answer.

"You are my daughter."

A simple word of affirmation brought Wang Yuting comfort.

No matter how far you go in the future, no matter how great you become, or whether you're just an ordinary girl working as a junior manager in a shopping mall, it doesn't matter. Parents naturally hope their children will have a better future, but they won't sever ties with them because their children are mediocre.

Wang Yuting doesn't yet have the courage to overcome the difficulties in her heart, but she will remember the shoulder Lin Jiu lent her when she was at a loss, telling her to speak her mind and encouraging her to take the first step bravely.

Even if a chasm still lingers in your heart, it doesn't matter. Spring comes and autumn goes, flowers bloom and fade. Clouds roll and unroll, tides rise and fall. One day, this chasm will be covered by spring snow, turning into river water, washing away all feelings of inferiority.

"so good."

Lin Jiu let out a sound of envy.

He looked at Wang Yuting with tenderness in his eyes.

Wang Yuting blushed slightly, but stubbornly asked, "What's so good about it?"

"...Isn't it a good thing that someone is willing to acknowledge me?" Lin Jiu murmured to herself.

"It's so noisy, and they still interfere with everything. They come over without saying hello, and they leave the same way. They don't even think about other people's feelings," Wang Yuting said stubbornly, but her expression betrayed her.

Lin Jiu's lips curled up slightly as he leaned his head back against the sofa, as if trying to bury himself in it, seeking a slightly warm embrace.

"Even so, that's still great..."

Lin Jiu's lips trembled slightly, emitting a barely audible sound.

It was as if it had been submerged by the tide, leaving only a wisp of bubble before disappearing.

Lin Jiu had not seen her mother for eight years.

He had always thought his memory bookshelf was perfectly perfect, allowing him to retrieve any memory he wanted by simply pulling out the corresponding book, and even turn back time for him—almost an ideal state. But he was still too naive. Even if he threw the book of memories about his parents into a shredder, the shredded paper would remain in his mind.

He wanted to forget completely, but he couldn't.

Lin Jiu slowly lowered her eyes, like a person carrying a heavy burden who had collapsed to the ground, unable to bear the weight any longer.

Wang Yuting looked at him. At this moment, Lin Jiu was like a bubble, more fragile and powerless than ever before, as if he would break at the slightest touch.

But Wang Yuting still reached out her hand.

So what if it's broken?

She would hold him tightly, not letting him disappear.

Wang Yuting grasped Lin Jiu's hand and asked, "Would you be willing to come back to my hometown with me during the Spring Festival?"

Lin Jiu looked at her with some surprise.

Because she had previously said she didn't want to see those embarrassing moments from her past.

“If it’s you, there’s no place I can’t show you,” Wang Yuting said casually.

Let alone the embarrassing history hanging on the wall, even the place where bank cards and passbooks are kept, or the cabinet in the room that hides cartoons, and... In short, Wang Yuting believed that there was nothing she needed to hide from Lin Jiu.

"Okay, let's go back together."

Lin Jiu smiled and returned to her usual self, as if nothing had happened.

If Wang Yuting hadn't been holding Lin Jiu's hand and feeling his trembling hand, she might have been fooled.

Wang Yuting knew, she knew. Every time Lin Jiu brought up the topic of her parents, she would reveal her coldest and hardest side, protecting herself like a hedgehog, carefully hiding her most vulnerable parts.

Wang Yuting also knew very well that no one could replace her biological parents.

but……

"Next time you see my mom, don't call her 'Auntie,' just call her 'Mom.'"

Wang Yuting held Lin Jiu's hand tightly and said with a smile, "Anyway, it's only a matter of time. My dad will definitely like you, so don't worry. Although my dad always said he didn't want me to get married, he was actually afraid that I would be all alone in the future."

One person cannot survive alone.

Wang Yuting had been living alone in this city for a year, and she definitely wouldn't have been able to make it if she hadn't met Lin Jiu.

She didn't know what kind of life Lin Jiu had lived, nor how much suffering he had endured.

But that's all in the past.

If Lin Jiu's parents do not acknowledge his existence.

Then Wang Yuting would prove his existence with ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times more love.

"……Um."

Lin Jiu nodded.

His hands stopped trembling.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

That was a reassuring smile.

Wang Yuting also laughed, leaning her upper body to the side and resting her shoulder on Lin Jiu's shoulder.

"Jiu, answer me honestly for one question."

"what's up?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiu looked directly into the other person's eyes to show his seriousness.

"Are you afraid I'll twist my ankle, that's why you don't want to go to the concert?"

Wang Yuting's eyes held a hint of anger.

She was angry at herself for being useless and dragging Lin Jiu down again.

Yesterday was the same. Lin Jiu didn't care about other people's opinions and let her put her hands on his head, leading her home like a brave and loyal guide dog. In the evening, he went to the supermarket alone and bought so many things, carrying two big bags, walking unsteadily, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Now, because Lin Jiu is worried about her, he can even temporarily put aside his own hobbies.

Wang Yuting might seem rather slow-witted towards others, but she's different with Lin Jiu.

She had been secretly observing him for a year, and now, as soon as Lin Jiu slightly raised his hand, Wang Yuting could tell whether he had a backache or a sore neck.

Lin Jiu smiled, shook his head, and replied, "Not entirely."

"That's a big part of the reason, isn't it?" Wang Yuting lowered her head in disappointment.

Lin Jiu thought for a moment and added, "Well, not entirely."

"So I'm irrelevant then!"

Wang Yuting suddenly felt no guilt, but rather a sense of loss.

She propped herself up on the sofa with both hands, looking at Lin Jiu with the eyes of an abandoned cat.

"I'd rather stay home with you than go to a crowded and noisy concert." Lin Jiu raised his hand and rubbed Wang Yuting's face, just like he was rubbing a cat's head. His technique was so skillful that it was clear he had given the "robber cat" near the school a lot of trouble.

"Your mother came to our house today, but I didn't even have a chance to sit down and have a proper chat with you." Lin Jiu didn't even notice the hint of loneliness in his voice, as if the joy belonged to others and he had nothing.

Wang Yuting then realized that the lonely expression on Lin Jiu's face that she had seen earlier was not an illusion.

She made up her mind, leaned most of her body on Lin Jiu, and looked at him intently.

"what happened?"

Lin Jiu sensed that Wang Yuting's gaze had changed; something was slowly burning within her.

"If a man and a woman are alone at home and don't go out, the only thing they can do is that, right?" Wang Yuting said seriously.

"Which one... do you mean?"

As Lin Jiu felt the girl's soft body, he was unknowingly forced into a corner of the sofa, looking up at Wang Yuting.

"Stop playing dumb. What else could it be but a matter between men and women?" Wang Yuting stared at Lin Jiu with passionate eyes, as if she wanted to remember his good looks.

"I...I...I'm still a student."

"But you're an adult now, aren't you?"

"That's true..."

Lin Jiu shrugged and turned her head slightly, unsure how to look directly at Wang Yuting, who was displaying such a wicked smile.

"Come and do naughty things with big sister."

Wang Yuting brushed Lin Jiu's hair aside and said meaningfully, "You've been a good kid for so long, how about being a bad kid once in a while? If you keep holding back, you'll eventually break down. Even just one day is fine, let's try to relax a bit first?"

Wang Yuting leaned closer and whispered in Lin Jiu's ear, "Don't worry, I'll stay with you."

The devilish whispers echoed in Lin Jiu's ears.