Zongman: The post-2D era

The clerk smiled and asked if he was still buying it for his girlfriend. He almost blurted out, "Two more."

After saying this, I suddenly realized that Xiao Sane had already embarked on a journey, and the sweetness that belonged to her could only lie alone in the packaging box.

Just as he was hesitating whether to ask about returns or exchanges, the sound of crisp wind chimes was accompanied by the door opening.

Yukinoshita Yukino walked into the store wearing a simple white shirt and with a somewhat anxious look in her eyes.

She glanced across the store, finally settling on Feng Feng, a gentle smile on her lips: "Excuse me, are you free now? Can I share your cake?"

The voice was gentle, but like a spring breeze, it made the awkwardness of the moment disappear quietly.

The afterglow of the autumn sun shone on the stone road outside the cake shop, stretching the two people's shadows long and overlapping.

Xueno gently pulled Fengfeng's hand. Her hands were warm and powerful, as if they could dispel the haze in his heart.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and with an irresistible smile on her lips, she whispered, "Let's go on a date."

Feng Feng was stunned for a moment, then a warm feeling surged in his heart. He looked at Xue Noi, his eyes full of tenderness and gratitude.

Without saying a word, he just nodded slightly and let her lead him through the bustling crowd to a quiet alley.

On both sides of the alley, old locust trees drooped their branches, casting mottled light and shadows among the green leaves, adding a bit of romance and mystery to the date.

They walked side by side, hand in hand, and every step was in the rhythm of happiness, as if the whole world had stopped.

Feng Feng and Xue No went to see the movie Umbrella Girls together and discussed the plot of the movie.

The movie was over and night had quietly fallen. Street lights lit up one after another, stretching the shadows of the two people.

Feng Feng and Xue Nai walked out of the cinema and were both attracted by a huge colorful plastic umbrella on the roadside.

There were several plastic chairs under the umbrella, as if it was a secret base prepared for lovers. They smiled at each other, walked towards the umbrella in tacit understanding, and sat down.

Yukino took out the carefully packaged box of strawberry cream cake from her bag, gently opened it, and a sweet fragrance instantly filled the air.

The autumn light shines through the sparse clouds and falls on the cake, making the bright red strawberries and white cream even more tempting.

They gently scooped up a spoonful with a small spoon and handed it to each other's mouths, their eyes filled with warmth and sweetness.

The two tried their best to act like a normal couple and repair their damaged relationship. They planned to go to the game center to take a photo with some dolls.

In the game center, colorful lights interweave into a dreamy ocean, with laughter and joy rising one after another.

Feng Feng and Xue Nai stood side by side in front of the photo booth, their faces filled with childlike excitement and shyness.

They carefully selected the background board and finally chose a pattern full of stars and rainbows, as if foreshadowing the infinite possibilities of their relationship.

As the countdown continued from “three, two, one”, the two people in front of the camera quickly struck the most natural poses, sometimes winking playfully, sometimes looking at each other affectionately. Each photo captured their most sincere emotions.

After completing the photo shoot, they couldn't wait to take out the printed portraits, smiled at each other, their eyes sparkling with appreciation for this little happiness.

Yukino's eyes inadvertently swept across a cake shop on the corner of the street, where a variety of exquisite pastries were displayed in the window.

One of the Charlotte cakes is particularly eye-catching, with layers of cream and finger biscuits interspersed with bright fruits, exuding an attractive luster.

Her eyes gently sank, and she whispered, "Look at that cake shop. It reminds me of Xiao Zone. I guess she must be immersed in her own world now, and perhaps she has long forgotten the dream of Charlotte."

When Feng Feng heard this, he followed her gaze and felt a ripple in his heart.

He imagined Osane's daily life at Liberty College, perhaps strolling hand in hand with her boyfriend on the campus's boulevard, the two of them sometimes lowering their heads to whisper, sometimes looking at each other and smiling, their faces filled with happiness.

They might walk into a cozy detective-themed cafe together, with clues to the case and a few pieces of unfinished cake scattered on the table. The two of them work side by side, enjoying the fun of solving puzzles. That sweetness and tacit understanding is their unique form of happiness.

Feng Feng's gaze gently passed through the bustling streets, as if crossing the boundaries of time and space, and returning to the afternoon he spent with Xiao Sane.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell onto her focused face. Golden spots of light danced on the tip of her nose. She nibbled on the edge of the strawberry cream cake with the corners of her mouth slightly raised. That pure joy was like a newly blooming flower, warming one's heart.

He nodded slightly, a relieved smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and said to Yukino: "Yes, maybe the relationship between Xiao Sane and us is really just a bad fate in life."

"Her smile and her dream should belong to the one who can chase the free sky with her. When fate begins, we have woven beautiful memories together; when fate ends, we should each be well and fly freely."

Feng Feng and Xue Nai were immersed in each other's world, standing side by side on the platform of the train station, surrounded by travelers in a hurry.

The afterglow of the autumn sun stretched their shadows long and intertwined them, making them look particularly warm.

At this moment, a clear bell and the roar of a slowly approaching train broke the silence.

The car door slowly opened, and a fresh air mixed with the unique scent of railway tracks blew in.

At this critical moment, a familiar figure appeared at the door of the car. It was Xiao Sanei.

She held the notebook, and her eyes met Feng Feng and Xue Nai in an instant. The three of them were stunned, and time seemed to freeze at this moment.

There was a flash of surprise in Xiaosane's eyes, followed by a complex emotion. The corners of his mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.

Her appearance was like a sudden storm, causing ripples in the originally calm scene.

An indescribable complex emotion surged in Feng Feng's heart. He gently held Xue Noi's hand, giving her silent comfort and strength.

Osano stood by the car door, his notebook pressed against his chest, his eyes lingering between Feng Feng and Yukino, his former innocence and his current maturity intertwined into an intricate web.

The wind blew gently, blowing the hair on her forehead, and seemed to blow away the delicate balance between them.

Chapter 804: The Dreamlike Life of the Common People

September 18, Sunday

At the crossroads under the morning sun, Osano's shadow was elongated and cast on the ground, intertwined with Fengfeng and Xueno's shadows, but each was independent, as if telling of an insurmountable distance.

Her eyes showed both the joy of reunion and the loss and reluctance that were difficult to conceal.

"We agreed at the station that Feng Feng would travel with me today and answer my questions."

There was a subtle tension in the air, and everything around became unusually clear; even the laughter of children in the distance seemed particularly harsh, reminding us that this sudden reunion was not accidental.

"One summer day while eating Charlotte's cake, I had a dream, a dream that I was going through school life with you guys."

Osano pursed his lips and observed the two people in front of him carefully: "I have been looking for three months, and with only a notebook as a clue, I finally found you."

"You really exist. My persistence and pursuit are meaningful. It's great."

"Sorry." Yukinoshita Yukino said softly, nodded to Feng Feng, picked up her handbag and walked towards the path on the left.

Feng Feng stood there awkwardly, the sunlight filtering through the sparse clouds, scattering mottled light on his slightly bewildered face, adding a touch of tenderness and apology to him.

"Yukino, I want to eat the potato stew you made for dinner."

He scratched his head gently, and there seemed to be some confusion and helplessness hidden in his hair. Then he took a deep breath and turned his eyes gently to Xiao Sane.

"Sano, Yukino did have some urgent matters to attend to today, and she didn't mean to avoid your reunion."

His words were gentle, with a barely perceptible warmth, trying to soothe the sudden embarrassment and loss.

There seemed to be an invisible tacit understanding flowing slowly between the two of them, and the world around them seemed to stand still, leaving only the sound of their breathing and the occasional sound of wind chimes in the distance, crisp and long.

Xiao Sane hummed, his eyes sparkling as he asked, "Have the new cakes from Fengfeng and Chunqiuji stores come out? Are they delicious?"

She pulled Feng Feng towards the path on the right as she did in the past, as if they had never left.

Osano hummed softly from time to time on the way, and the light in her eyes instantly brightened the surrounding scenery, as if even the sun was brighter because of her smile.

She stretched out her hand without hesitation and naturally held Feng Feng's arm. The familiarity and intimacy instantly crossed the gap of time.

The two ran side by side towards the leaf-covered path on the right. The rustling sound of the dead leaves under their feet mixed with their laughter to form a cheerful autumn prelude.

Xiao Sane's ponytail bounced gently with her steps, and her hair seemed to be filled with curiosity and anticipation about the unknown.

She looked back at Feng Feng from time to time, her eyes sparkling with childlike innocence and excitement, as if the whole world came alive because of this simple run.

The old trees on the roadside cast mottled light and shadows, adding a touch of fantasy to this sudden journey.

The air is filled with the faint scent of osmanthus, intertwined with the sweet aroma wafting from the bakery in the distance, making people involuntarily think of those summer dreams about Charlotte cakes and the sweet taste of the new spring and autumn collection cakes that will be unveiled soon.

The sunlight sprinkled dappled on the narrow alleys, with various cake shops on both sides. The air was filled with rich sweet fragrance, attracting bees to linger in front of the shops.

Xiao Zuo Nei held Feng Feng's hand and skipped through these sweet little worlds, with a gleam in her eyes as if she had discovered a treasure.

In front of a cake shop decorated like a fairy tale house, Xiao Sane stopped and stared at a rainbow-colored cake displayed in the window. It was covered with crystal clear jam, just like a rainbow after the rain.

She excitedly pulled Feng Feng into the store and began to describe her fantasy about the cake desperately: "Look, Feng Feng, it's just like the summer we once dreamed of, colorful and full of infinite possibilities!"

In a cake shop with retro decoration and European style, Xiao Sane's eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new world, and he walked straight to a classic cake decorated with exquisite sugar roses.

She turned to Feng Feng and smiled, "Look, this cake looks like it came out of a fairy tale. Each rose looks like a carefully crafted work of art."

As she spoke, she ignored the clerk's warning look and gently touched the fragile sugar art, accidentally causing a petal to fall off. Suddenly, both of them showed a bit of embarrassment on their faces.

Seeing this, the clerk frowned slightly and was about to open his mouth to blame him. Feng Feng quickly stepped forward and said in his gentle and slightly apologetic voice:

"I'm so sorry, she really loves these cakes and almost appreciates them as works of art. Please, can we taste this cake? Maybe we can better understand its beauty."

Feng Feng, like in the past, accompanied Xiao Zuo Nei to visit cake shops and taste cakes. Sometimes their comments would offend the shop owners and they would be chased out of the shop.

The setting sun poured down on the two of them like molten gold, stretching their shadows long, interweaving together, and then gradually separating, just like the moment of farewell.

Osane stood at the intersection, looking at the dimly lit train station not far away, his eyes flickering with reluctance and determination.

She gently tugged at Feng Feng's sleeve, her voice trembling slightly: "Feng Feng, can you walk with me to the station? Just this once."

When Feng Feng heard this, a warm feeling surged in his heart. He nodded without saying a word, and just followed Xiao Sane silently.

On both sides of the street, the lights of shops lit up one by one, adding a touch of warmth to this autumn evening.

They walked slowly along the sidewalk, and every step seemed to be stepping on the vein of time, with memories and reality interweaving into moving pictures.

On the platform, the autumn breeze blew gently, bringing a bit of coolness, but also being particularly fresh.

The afterglow of the setting sun stretched the two people's shadows into long ones, projecting them onto the mottled railway tracks, as if even time had slowed down.

Feng Feng turned around gently and faced Xiao Sane who was about to embark on his journey home, his eyes full of tenderness and reluctance.

He spoke softly, his voice low and sincere: "Xiao Zuo Nei, when you go back, remember to live a good life, and make every day as sweet and colorful as these cakes."

“Although utopia is beautiful, reality also has its own unique warmth and colors. Also, why not try to interact more with Xiaojiu? He is a good kid and will bring you different kinds of happiness.”

"Utopia is just a beautiful dream. Forget about this place and forget about me!"

Xiao Sane shook his head gently, his eyes gentle and firm, as if he had traveled through the corridor of time and looked directly at the softest place in Fengfeng's heart.

"Feng Feng, do you know? What I have been pursuing is not only the colorful dream of that summer, but also the feeling of spending it with you, which warms my heart whenever I think of it."

The last rays of the setting sun sprinkled on the tips of her hair. The golden light intertwined with the tears flashing in her eyes, which was so beautiful that it made people intoxicated.

She spoke slowly, her voice was as thin as a thread, but it was clearly heard by Feng Feng:

"Now, standing here, watching the sunset with you, listening to the whistle in the distance, I understand that the dream is real, because it brings our hearts closer. This memory is sweeter than any cake and more gorgeous than any rainbow."