"Son, come eat. You can read your book later," Xu Shuxia called out.
Mufeng Su: "Mom, I'm going out for a walk with a classmate after I finish eating. I'll try to get back as early as possible, so don't worry."
"You child, you finally know to go out and play with a classmate during the break. Every day you're just reading. You need to relax once in a while and see the world outside."
"By the way, is it a male classmate or a female classmate?"
"A girl."
Mufeng Su didn't try to hide it.
Xu Shuxia was overjoyed: "Do you have enough money on you? Here, take this hundred first. When you go out with a girl, you shouldn't be too stingy in some places."
"Mom, I don't need it."
Xu Shuxia shoved the money into his hand, urging him to leave early and not keep the girl waiting.
Mufeng Su shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice in a hurry and rushed out the door.
Su Muzhou: "At this hour, where is he off to?"
"Your son has finally figured things out."
"Huh?"
"He went out to play with a female classmate."
"Then did you give him any money? He usually doesn't ask for allowance. How can he go out with a female classmate without any cash on him?"
Xu Shuxia brought him a bowl of freshly prepared chicken soup from the kitchen. "I already gave him some. Eat your food first; our son is grown up now, so we don't need to worry."
Mufeng Su had deliberately put on a clean shirt paired with jeans, and even wet his hands to style his hair a bit.
Fearing he would be late, Mufeng Su ran all the way to the meeting place. It was only 6:30, half an hour before the agreed time.
"Mufeng Su!"
He turned around, and a wave of fragrance washed over him, followed immediately by Luoyi Zhao coming into view. She wore a long dress that accentuated her tall figure, and her exquisite facial features paired with the long dress displayed her beauty to the fullest.
Usually wearing her long hair in a high ponytail at school, she now left it falling naturally over her shoulders, a gentle smile hanging on the corners of her lips, making her look exceptionally soft and moving.
"Mufeng Su, why are you only just getting here?"
"It's still early. I arrived half an hour early, you know."
"Is that so? Well, maybe we both just came early. I've been here for quite a while and didn't see you, so I thought you weren't coming."
"How could that be? I always keep the promises I make to you."
Mufeng Su swore with utmost sincerity.
Luoyi Zhao pretended to be angry and gave his hand a light slap.
"Well, from now on, you are not allowed to make me wait for you again."
"Then whenever we go out from now on, I'll be the one waiting for you, okay?"
Hearing him say that, Luoyi Zhao couldn't help blushing.
*As if,* she thought. *Who agreed to go out with you in the future?*
Actually, hearing him say that brought a heavy dose of sweetness to her heart.
"You said it yourself. Every time from now on, you'll wait for me, and you're not allowed to make me wait again." She shook her small fist at Mufeng Su in warning.
A girl's emotions come and go quickly, and besides, Luoyi Zhao wasn't actually angry at him in the first place—she was just putting on an act to scare him a little.
Dusk had arrived. The sun had not yet completely set, dyeing the sky red.
The park was filled with strolling couples walking side by side, hand in hand.
"Wow, it's so lively today! I haven't been out to play in so long."
Like a canary just escaped from its cage, Luoyi Zhao flitted around Mufeng Su, chattering endlessly.
Mufeng Su simply smiled with deep affection, responding to every single word she said.
"Luoyi, do you want to eat that?"
In the direction Mufeng Su was pointing, an old man was making spun sugar in all sorts of shapes.
"Ah, I want some!"
"I'll go buy you some. Don't run around, okay? Wait right here for me."
He had noticed earlier that Luoyi Zhao had stolen several glances over there; she clearly wanted some, but was too shy to ask.
Mufeng Su usually spoke very little and didn't have many friends, and his top-student persona made him seem rather aloof, but his heart wasn't like that at all.
Luoyi Zhao suddenly felt that the tone Mufeng Su had just used sounded like he was talking to a little child.
Still, she obediently nodded, indicating that she would stay right where she was and wait for him.
Before long, Mufeng Su came back holding a giant piece of cotton candy, his earlobes flushed completely red.
Luoyi Zhao realized it was actually shaped like a heart, and she took it with a blushing face.
Mufeng Su had simply asked the old man to make a larger one. The old man had just taken one look at them, used sugar that could make pink hearts, and crafted a unique one just for him.
The two of them walked side by side through the bustling crowd as the sky gradually grew dark.
Luoyi Zhao nibbled on the candy in small bites while Mufeng Su stole occasional glances at the cute person beside him, a smile curving the corners of his lips.
"Luoyi, you got some on your nose."After finishing speaking, Mufeng Su reached out, gently wiped a speck off the tip of Luoyi Zhao's nose with his finger, and then brought the finger to his lips.
"So sweet," he murmured.
Coming to her senses, Luoyi Zhao instantly flushed and looked at him in disbelief.
Seeing her shy expression, Mufeng Su smiled and said, "Alright, it's off now. It still looks really pretty."
"Mm-hmm."
Luoyi Zhao felt extremely happy inside to be complimented on her looks by him, especially today.
"Do you want to try one? It's very sweet; you'll probably like it."
From seeing Mufeng Su eat candied haws last time, she knew he was very fond of sweet things.
Without being coy, Luoyi Zhao held it out toward his mouth. Just as Mufeng Su opened his mouth to eat, Luoyi Zhao suddenly pulled it back, making him bite the air.
"Pfft—"
"Desk mate, you're so much fun."
"Oh, so you dare to tease me. Just you wait."
Pretending to be angry, Mufeng Su reached out as if to snatch it from her.
By the lakeside, a scene like this unfolded:
A girl in a long white dress giggled as she ran ahead, while a youthful boy chased joyfully after her footsteps.
This scene caused everyone present to reminisce about their own innocent past loves.
……
"How about we find a place to rest for a bit and sit down?"
Luoyi Zhao nodded, signaling toward a bench right ahead where they could rest for a while.
Luoyi Zhao picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth. Mufeng Su turned his head to look at her.
The girl's breathtakingly beautiful and bashful face was right before him, and he couldn't help but be intoxicated by it.
"Sweeter than candied haws."
Before long, Luoyi Zhao became captivated by the night sky.
Supporting herself with both hands on the bench, she swung her legs back and forth and looked up at the night sky.
"Do you think the moon is pretty tonight?"
"The moon seems especially round tonight, and the night sky is so beautiful too."
Hearing this, Mufeng Su raised his head to look at the night sky.
"The moonlight is truly beautiful tonight," Mufeng Su said, looking at Luoyi Zhao.
At this moment, her little face was flushed, and a little deer was bounding wildly inside her chest.
"Luoyi, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for being my desk mate."
Luoyi Zhao knew that every day after coming home from school, Mufeng Su would lock himself in his room and read until bedtime, doing so day after day under a heavy amount of pressure, which was why she had taken the initiative to ask him out to the park.Even though he had only known Luoyi Zhao for a short time, she was such a wonderful girl that it was hard to find a single flaw in her.
And for some reason, he found himself looking forward immensely to the time spent with her.
Pouting slightly, Luoyi Zhao said with a touch of dissatisfaction, "Well, you'd better know it. I noticed your state at school these past couple of days seemed a bit off—did something happen? You can talk to me about it, you know. I'm your deskmate."
"It's nothing. I'm already feeling much better."
Seeing that Mufeng Su was unwilling to talk about it, Luoyi Zhao did not press any further.
"Mufeng Su, did girls used to write love letters and confess their feelings to you?" Luoyi Zhao asked, resting her chin in her hands and looking at him with curiosity.
Mufeng Su nodded.
"Someone did write me a love letter, I think, but Chen Haoyu snatched it away before I even got to read it."
"After reading it, he even said the girl's writing was too poor for her to be the girlfriend of the top student in our grade."
Luoyi Zhao burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
"Why would Chen Haoyu snatch your love letter? I never would have taken him for that kind of person. Isn't he the class monitor? He seems pretty normal."
"Don't let his well-behaved act in class fool you. You'll find out what he's really like later on."
"I didn't have many friends growing up, and Chen Haoyu is my best friend—like a brother to me. That's why I know him so well."
Hearing Mufeng Su say this, Luoyi Zhao suddenly looked a bit displeased.
"He's your best friend, but what about me? Am n't I your good friend too?"
Luoyi Zhao pouted in annoyance.
Mufeng Su didn't know how to respond.
"Are we good friends? I just feel like it's somehow different from the kind of relationship I have with Chen Haoyu," Mufeng Su said.
Hearing this, a ripple of emotion stirred in Luoyi Zhao's heart.
"How is it different? I'm your good friend too. Look, I bring you breakfast, help you with your notes, and..."
Mufeng Su nodded and continued, "I just feel like we're not quite that kind of good friend. But as for what kind of relationship it actually is, I can't quite put my finger on it right now."
Hearing that, Luoyi Zhao lowered her gaze and fell into deep thought.
Even she couldn't put a name to it right now.