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Lu Yunshu invited Jin Hanshuang out.
After being busy for so many days, she finally had the opportunity to see her beloved again.
Once again, she drove to pick Jin Hanshuang up.
Jin Hanshuang sat in the passenger seat. “Where does Yunshu want to eat?”
Last time, she had promised Lu Yunshu that she would accompany her to dinner. Today, she would keep her promise.
When Lu Yunshu heard Jin Hanshuang call her ‘Yunshu,’ a smile spread across her face, filling her eyes with stars.
“Anywhere is fine. I’ll go wherever Hanshuang wants.”
“What about noodles? I know a place that’s good.”
“Sure.”
“Huh? You don’t have any opinions?”
“I do,” Lu Yunshu said. “I want to go to a place you think is good.”
It was a very pleasant statement to make.
It showed great respect.
Lu Yunshu originally intended for her words to carry an ambiguous undertone, but when they reached Jin Hanshuang’s ears, they took on another meaning entirely.
Jin Hanshuang smiled and asked, “To take the person you like?”
Lu Yunshu chuckled. “Mm, yes.”
Jin Hanshuang understood exactly what Lu Yunshu was thinking.
She entered the address into the navigation system. “Let’s go.”
Their Little Classmate Lu must be working hard for the person she liked.
The noodle shop was snuggled into a small alley. A popular destination for locals, more than half of the seats were already taken by the time Lu Yunshu and Jin Hanshuang arrived. They eventually found an empty spot to sit in, and Jin Hanshuang said she would handle the order.
The owner recognized Jin Hanshuang and greeted her with a smile. “You’ve come to eat?”
Jin Hanshuang returned the smile. “Yes, I missed your noodles. Two orders of my usual. No cilantro in my guest’s.”
The owner scribbled her instructions on paper. “Alright, it’ll be out shortly.”
Jin Hanshuang nodded.
Lu Yunshu quietly listened to them talk. Once the owner left, she finally asked, “You’ve been here before?”
Jin Hanshuang poured herself a glass of water. “I’ve brought some friends too.”
Lu Yunshu couldn’t help but ask, “Girlfriends?”
Jin Hanshuang glanced at Lu Yunshu. She smiled slightly and handed the younger woman the glass of water. “Both.”
So it was both.
Lu Yunshu took the glass of water. “Thank you.”
Then she asked, “Is it possible we might run into one of your exes here?”
Jin Hanshuang set down the water jug. She thought about it, then laughed. “Maybe.”
But, of course, they didn’t.
They finished their meal without a hitch.
After paying, Lu Yunshu and Jin Hanshuang walked along the brightly lit alley toward the exit.
There were other small shops in the alley offering trinkets and goods. It was a peaceful place full of everyday life. People came and went—students, young couples, and strangers like them who were taking a walk.
The night breeze rustled the treetops. The orange yellow streetlights quietly illuminated the road ahead. Lu Yunshu said, “It’s like that alley during my third year of high school.”
Jin Hanshuang agreed, “I can see the resemblance.”
The night breeze and the lively atmosphere—it was all very similar.
They passed a small store with a large freezer at the door. Jin Hanshuang went back and bought two popsicles. Lu Yunshu ate as she walked, enjoying the refreshing aftertaste.
Holding her fruity popsicle, Lu Yunshu said, “You still love ice cream.”
Jin Hanshuang replied, “Yes.”
She unwrapped her own popsicle. “You still remember?”
Lu Yunshu nodded. “I remember. You treated me once.”
Back in high school, there was a large tree in the middle of the neighborhood she lived in, right under her building. It was surrounded by a circle of stone benches, and Lu Yunshu often sat there alone, watching the stars.
Because of this, she often saw Jin Hanshuang returning home, sometimes looking dazzling with a luxury bag on her shoulders, other times in casual home clothes with a shopping bag in hand. Lu Yunshu soon learned that the bag was full of popsicles.
There was a store in their alley that sold popsicles in bulk, and the residents loved buying their popsicles there. Jin Hanshuang loved it too. She not only enjoyed going there herself, but she was also generous. Whenever she saw Lu Yunshu, she would shove a new popsicle stick into her hand.
The first time Lu Yunshu was given a popsicle: “?”
Jin Hanshuang, who was about to stick a popsicle in her own mouth, only vaguely said, “It’s good, eat it.”
Then she turned and left.
“No, wait…” But by the time Lu Yunshu realized what was happening, Jin Hanshuang had already gone upstairs.
“…”
If she followed Jin Hanshuang, she would have to knock on Shen Wenxin’s door. If she knocked on Shen Wenxin’s door, she would have to see Shen Wenxin. And if Shen Wenxin found out that Jin Hanshuang had given her a popsicle…well, she would never live it down.
So forget it. Better just to eat the popsicle herself. On that hot summer night, the popsicle’s icy and sweet flavor lifted her spirits.
The next time she ran into Jin Hanshuang, Jin Hanshuang handed her another popsicle. This time, Lu Yunshu quickly reacted, grabbing Jin Hanshuang’s arm and putting the popsicle back in the bag. “I don’t want it.”
They stared at each other. Somewhere, somehow, the communication was off, and Jin Hanshuang misunderstood. She opened her bag to let Lu Yunshu pick one herself.
Lu Yunshu: “…”
She shook her head. “I mean I don’t need one, thank you.”
At first, Jin Hanshuang said nothing. Then Lu Yunshu heard a soft, almost tender voice above her head. It was Jin Hanshuang, sighing helplessly, “Why do you all have so many worries at such a young age?”
Before Lu Yunshu knew it, there was a lollipop in her hand.
Lu Yunshu: “?”
“When you’re feeling down, have something sweet. It’ll cheer you up.” Jin Hanshuang unwrapped a lollipop for herself and popped it into her mouth, as if to prove that it was safe to eat, not poisonous. “I bought it on the way. Later.”
Then she left again, without giving Lu Yunshu the chance to refuse.
Lu Yunshu stood rooted to the ground, lollipop in her hand. She spread her fingers. The lollipop was orange flavored, with a fresh date printed on the wrapper.
She didn’t know what to think for a moment. Should she feel stunned by Jin Hanshuang’s effortless familiarity, or should she wonder what Jin Hanshuang meant by ‘you all?’ in her comment? Who else had a lot of worries at such a young age? Shen Wenxin?
Never mind, she didn’t care about Shen Wenxin.
This orange-flavored lollipop was so sweet.
In the present, Lu Yunshu stopped reminiscing and quietly ate the fruit-flavored popsicle that Jin Hanshuang bought for her.
After all these years, Jin Hanshuang had treated her to popsicles again. Jin Hanshuang probably didn’t even remember what happened all those years ago, much less the time she casually gave Lu Yunshu an orange-flavored lollipop. As for the reason why Lu Yunshu remembered it, it was mostly because Jin Hanshuang’s straightforward approach left such a deep impression on her at that age…
As Lu Yunshu predicted, Jin Hanshuang really couldn’t recall those events. It was too many years ago. “Since I don’t remember, I’ll treat you again now.”
Lu Yunshu smiled softly. “Okay. Thank you, Teacher Jin.”
Jin Hanshuang returned the smile. “You’re welcome, Classmate Lu.”
Then she asked, “Have you made any progress with your crush?”
Lu Yunshu immediately remembered the way Jin Hanshuang had called her ‘Yunshu’ earlier that day. It was so natural, so intimate, that it made her very happy. Her eyes curved. “Not bad.”
At the sight of Lu Yunshu’s gentle and content smile, Jin Hanshuang thought of the sweet girl who had linked arms with Lu Yunshu that day in the lobby of the Sifang Pavilion. Being able to link arms so casually with each other…the progress wasn’t bad at all. Just look at how happy this kid was.
“That’s good.” Jin Hanshuang beamed with satisfaction.
