"Shi... Brother Songyi, what are you doing here?" Zhao Yu blinked, surprised that Ning Songyi had actually come.
"Why not 'Brother Shi' anymore?"
"We’re not back home anymore. I can’t use such a childish nickname and ruin your image, can I? I’m looking out for you."
"Then thank you, our Yuyu."
For some reason, the phrase "our Yuyu" made Zhao Yu feel a little bashful.
"You still haven't said why you suddenly showed up here."
Ning Songyi looked into the distance. His voice was calm, yet it somehow exuded a wave of underlying irritation.
"I’m here to watch the pig."
The pig?
Zhao Yu followed his gaze and saw Ye Heng, who was busy teasing Ning Songyun, causing her to stomp her feet in frustration, all while carefully shielding her with an umbrella to keep her from getting wet in the rain.
"Ohhhhh, I see." Zhao Yu’s expression was full of mockery. "What is this? A concerned big brother?"
"Ye Heng is heading to Heisheng tomorrow. Who knows when he’ll be back, or when he’ll see Songyun again. I suppose he just wanted to see her one more time before leaving."
Zhao Yu nodded. "No wonder you were worried enough to follow him, yet you didn't go over to disturb them... Wait a minute."
Zhao Yu turned to Ning Songyi and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Songyun tell you that we’re going on a tour to various cities in Heisheng in half a month?"
"She did." Seeing that Zhao Yu was about to say something more, Ning Songyi quickly interrupted to finish his thought: "But why would I want to tell *him* that?"
Growing up, although Ning Songyi would tease her from time to time, he had always maintained the image of a steady, reliable older brother. Seeing him act so obviously and childishly was a first for Zhao Yu.
"It seems you’re quite satisfied with Ye Heng being your future brother-in-law."
As she spoke, she noticed that one side of Ning Songyi’s shoulder was soaked by the rain. She looked up and saw that the umbrella was tilted clearly toward her.
"Go find cover from the rain!" Zhao Yu tugged Ning Songyi toward the eaves of the building.
"Dry yourself off."
Ning Songyi took the handkerchief Zhao Yu offered and carefully wiped the soaked area on his shoulder.
"Ye Heng practically grew up in my house."
Ning Songyi didn't look at Zhao Yu, his thoughts drifting as he spoke.
"When I first came back, I was quite jealous of him. I always felt that I was the one who didn't fit into that family."
Watching his unfocused gaze, Zhao Yu felt a sudden pang in her heart, as if she had been pricked by something.
Ning Songyi seemed to sense it, too. He turned his head, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips with a look of grievance, though he clearly didn't want to say more.
"I wrote letters to someone to vent, but I never got a reply."
Although it wasn't really Zhao Yu's fault, she felt a twinge of guilt and looked away.
Seeing her act like an ostrich, Ning Songyi let out a soft chuckle and reached out to pat her head.
"Later on, Ye Heng took the initiative to find me and cleared everything up. Then he came over, acting all smug, telling me that even if we weren't a family then, we would be in the future."
This time, Ning Songyi said the last few words through gritted teeth.
Standing by, Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Ning Songyi shot her a look of threat that carried very little weight.
"Nothing."
Zhao Yu tried hard to suppress the laughter in her voice. "It’s just that I feel like the 'you' I’m familiar with is back. Before this, you were so different from the person I know, it was like night and day."
"I have to act like that to keep that girl in check."
"But if you go back and forth—sometimes quiet and cold, other times talkative and sharp-tongued, always picking on people—aren't you afraid of having a split personality?"
"Oh, look at you, knowing about split personalities."
Ning Songyi was amused to the point of anger. He reached out and flicked Zhao Yu on the forehead. "Do you think I act like this with just anyone?"
"Wh—what is that supposed to mean?"
The remark made Zhao Yu blush beet-red. She covered her forehead and turned away, not daring to look at him.
This was the scene that greeted Ning Songyun when she returned.
"Yuyu, did my brother... upset you?" Ning Songyun stood next to Zhao Yu and asked cautiously.
"No! Let's go back."
Zhao Yu tucked her hair behind her ears to hide her flushed face, then grabbed Ning Songyun and started walking back.
"What's wrong? Upset your little childhood sweetheart?" Ye Heng strolled over with an umbrella.
"Think I'm like you?" Ning Songyi countered.
"Hey, you!" Ye Heng raised his foot as if to kick Ning Songyi, but the latter dodged easily and strode away.
"Yuyu, what exactly is wrong with you?"
Once they returned to the dormitory, Ning Songyun finally noticed the redness on Zhao Yu’s face. "Did you catch a cold from the rain?"
"Oh? Right, I think I might have caught a bit of a cold."
Zhao Yu had been wondering how to explain it, so when Ning Songyun asked, she simply took the opportunity to go along with it.
"I have some cold medicine here. Let me look for it."
Ning Songyun rummaged through her things for a long time but couldn't find it. Zhao Yu felt her face cooling down and quickly stopped her.
"I’ll be fine with some hot water."
"Alright then. If you feel unwell, make sure to say something. The infirmary is always open."
Outside the window, the rain grew heavier. Zhao Yu and Ning Songyun were lying on their respective beds resting when Ning Songyun suddenly spoke up: "Yuyu, what does it feel like when you like someone, like when you liked Lu Jing?"
"I don't really remember."
Zhao Yu tried hard to recall, but that feeling of liking Lu Jing felt like it had happened so long ago that she honestly couldn't remember it clearly anymore.
"Then what do you think it *should* feel like to like someone?"
"It should probably be wanting to share your life with them, to share your burdens, and to share your happiness and joy."
Zhao Yu propped her head up with both hands and looked at Ning Songyun. "You’re asking because of Ye Heng, aren't you?"
Ning Songyun nodded silently. "He said he was leaving today, and for some reason, I feel so stifled inside."
"If your brother knew, he’d probably be so angry he’d grind his back teeth to dust."
"My brother?" Ning Songyun scrambled up from her bed.
"Yeah, he spent the whole day today acting like a hardworking old farmer, just staring at that pig, Ye Heng."
"Hard to imagine." Ning Songyun leaned against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. "I always thought he didn't care about us at all."
"Why?" Zhao Yu asked, puzzled.
"Because my brother is rarely close to us."
When it came to Ning Songyi, Ning Songyun had plenty to say.
From the time Ning Songyi first returned home, to his subsequent arguments with the family, his fights with the other kids in the courtyard, and now, his current demeanor of not wanting to bother with anyone.
Zhao Yu listened in silence, piecing together the changes in him over the years in her mind, connecting everything to what Ning Songyi had said under the eaves earlier.
Ning Songyun grew tired and got up to get some water. Seeing Zhao Yu like this, her eyes darted, and she approached her with a mischievous smile, holding her water cup.
"Yuyu, why are you listening so intently to stories about my brother?"