The next day.
"It's eight o'clock sharp, BJ time. The annual Qixi Festival has come around again, and today—"
Clack!
Before the broadcast had finished, Ding Yebai switched off the radio.
He lazily leaned against the back of his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. "What does it have to do with me...?"
After spacing out for a while, he began taking out his practice papers and working through the problems.
After finishing math, he worked on the comprehensive science paper. After finishing science, he worked on math again. He repeated the cycle without stopping.
While casually flipping through the papers, he pulled out last week's English evening-study exam paper.
He had scored 100 points. Thinking back, he supposed he had been happy for a little while.
After that, he hadn't cared much anymore.
Holding the paper and looking at the bright red score, Ding Yebai wondered what Yang Zhi's reaction would be if she saw it.
She would definitely smile happily.
Would she also say he was amazing?
Could it be that...
Impossible!!!
Ding Yebai abruptly slapped himself on the head. Repeating the wise do not fall in love silently, he put the English paper back where it had been.
He continued burying his head in his practice papers, and before he knew it, evening had arrived.
Ding Yuerong had little to do at the company that day, so she returned home early with her bag on her back.
When she went upstairs and saw her younger brother working on his papers, she immediately walked over, pressed down on his shoulder, and said, "You little brat, did you forget that the school notified everyone that even day students have to attend evening study tonight?"
Ding Yebai barely reacted. The tip of his pen continued going "swish, swish, swish."
"Did you?"
"I'll be there soon."
"What do you mean, soon?! Hurry up, get your bag on, and get your ass to school!!!"
With that, she shoved him and his bag out of the house together.
Ding Yebai glanced at the clock and sighed helplessly.
He knew the homeroom teacher would be late today, so he hadn't gone to the classroom early.
But his big sister...
There was nothing he could do. He straddled his bicycle and rode toward the school.
Unlike usual, the main road he had to take had become the site of the Qixi Lantern Festival.
Bright lanterns of all kinds lined both sides of the street. Of course, there were also all sorts of grilled snacks.
Jinghuai had this custom: a beautiful lantern festival was held during both Qixi and the Lantern Festival.
With people coming and going, Ding Yebai got off his bicycle and pushed it along.
The lanterns were so beautiful that he couldn't help looking to the left and then to the right.
Then he smelled some delicious grilled flatbread and couldn't resist spending money on two, eating them as he walked.
"Hm?"
He had barely taken a few bites when he looked up and happened to see Yang Zhi holding Qiqi outside the snack shop ahead.
Ding Yebai froze.
Yang Zhi was holding Qiqi with one arm and a sugar figure in the other. "Here. The sugar figure you've been looking forward to."
Qiqi said, "Thank you, Sister Yang Zhi."
The child happily shook her head, glanced around, and then... saw Ding Yebai.
"Eh, Brother Xiao Bai?!!!"
"..."
"Hm? Ding Yebai? What are you doing here?"
He was even holding a flatbread.
The three of them looked at one another, and the atmosphere grew faintly awkward.
Ding Yebai pushed his bicycle over and stopped in front of Yang Zhi. "Are you walking around this Qixi lantern festival by yourself?"
"No?"
"Ah?" Ding Yebai's heart gave a sudden jolt.
He panicked a little.
But Yang Zhi immediately pinched Qiqi's cheek and said, "I'm with her."
"Oh... oh... Ah! So it's her." Ding Yebai let out a breath.
"Brother Xiao Bai doesn't count me as a person!"
"I didn't."
"Waaah, waaah!"
Qiqi pretended to cry, and Yang Zhi immediately patted her head to comfort her.
Ding Yebai frowned slightly, feeling somewhat helpless. He tightened his grip on the handlebars and said, "I'm going to school now. Well, goodbye, Sister Yang Zhi."
"Aren't you exempt from evening study?"
"There's something going on at school today. Day students have to go too."
"Oh..."
"Then I'm leaving."
"Sister Yang Zhi..." Qiqi suddenly pointed at the sugar figure shopkeeper, then pointed at Ding Yebai.
Yang Zhi immediately understood and called out to Ding Yebai.
"Hey, wait a moment."
"What?"
"It'll be ready soon."
Yang Zhi's eyes curved as she smiled faintly. Under the lantern light, she looked especially captivating.
Ding Yebai watched her. He watched and watched, until he froze just like that.
Why does she still smile so much...
A moment later.
Yang Zhi took a sugar figure from the shopkeeper and handed it to Ding Yebai.
Ding Yebai accepted it and looked up at her in confusion. "This..."
Holding Qiqi, Yang Zhi tilted her head and smiled exceptionally gently. "It's for you."
Ding Yebai asked, "Why...?"
He still asked instinctively.
Yang Zhi said, "Qiqi invited you to eat it."
Qiqi said, "Hee-hee."
Ding Yebai's pupils gradually widened, and a faint, tender light burst from them. He lowered his gaze and stared intently at the sugar figure in his hand.
"It looks delicious." His voice was soft.
Yang Zhi turned to look at him. Seeing his focused expression and the sharply defined profile beneath the lantern light,
she watched and watched, forgetting the passage of time.
A few seconds later, Ding Yebai came back to himself and was about to turn away when he happened to meet Yang Zhi's gaze.
Their eyes collided just like that.
Yang Zhi paused, then hurriedly blinked a few times and returned to her usual calm expression.
As for Ding Yebai, he turned his face away with a whoosh and said, "W-what?"
Yang Zhi pursed her lips, as gentle as ever, and pointed at his left cheek. "There's something on your face—"
"Click."
Before she could finish, Ding Yebai slapped his left cheek as though he were swatting a mosquito.
"There's a mosquito, right? I told you there have been a lot of mosquitoes lately."
He was only using the gesture to hide the flush on his face.
Yang Zhi said, "No, there's a black smudge."
With that, she took a sheet of paper from her bag and handed it over. "Wipe it off."
Her voice was unbelievably gentle. As Ding Yebai listened and looked at her delicate features, he only felt his face grow even hotter.
Just as he took the paper, the sugar figure shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and sighed, "Ah... youth is wonderful."
The words exploded in Ding Yebai's heart like a land mine. He turned around, unusually flustered and embarrassed. "It's not like that. She's just the older si... sister who tutors me."
The sugar figure shopkeeper froze, looking at him, then at Yang Zhi. "Oh ho ho~"
Save me!
Why does this shopkeeper's gaze look even more suspicious now?!
"Tsk..."
After roughly wiping the black smudge from his face with the tissue, Ding Yebai swung onto his bicycle and said, "Well, I'm going to be late. Sister Yang Zhi, I'll be going first. Goodbye."
With that, he rode away toward the front.
Everything about it seemed like he was throwing a tantrum.
Holding Qiqi, Yang Zhi turned around at the same time as the other two, and the two of them looked at each other, both somewhat confused.
The sugar figure shopkeeper said, "Ah, young lady, do you still want a sugar figure?"
Yang Zhi said, "Hm?"
The sugar figure shopkeeper said, "Didn't you give yours to that high school student?"
Yang Zhi said, "Oh... right. Then, sorry for the trouble, Boss. Please make me another one."
The sugar figure shopkeeper said, "Sure thing!!!!!"
Thanks to Hao Da De Gui Gui for the 600 Origin Point Coins, kk-Xiaowei for 200 Origin Point Coins, Xiang Jian Mo Lu for 1,500 Origin Point Coins, and Jin Liang Wei Qian De De for the 100 Origin Point Coins tip.
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