I Want to Blow Up Balloons

Fang Bai walked to the shade of a roadside tree to wait, his eyes fixed on the first-floor entrance of the dormitory as he paced back and forth near the trunk.

After about three minutes, he suddenly spotted a wide skirt swaying out from the stairwell. A flash of joy hit him, and he was about to step forward to greet her, but disappointment quickly washed over him, the corners of his mouth drooping slightly.

It wasn't Qin Shuyu.

The same wide skirt, but a different figure.

Just two minutes later, hurried, restless footsteps echoed from the stairs, growing closer until they reached Fang Bai's ears. At the same time, a fluttering pink butterfly-patterned half-wide skirt came into his view.

Fang Bai smiled—a big, happy smile.

The moment she saw Fang Bai, she froze for a second, then smiled too, her eyes curving into two bright crescent moons. Her lips lifted gently, revealing a row of white teeth that shimmered like pearls.

Her fair hands lifted the hem of her skirt as she lightly ran toward Fang Bai. A nearby girl glanced back curiously, spotting a young man not far from the dorm entrance walking toward their building with a smile.

Soon, their eyes met. Fang Bai grasped her hands and smiled at her pretty face.

Qin Shuyu shyly lowered her head, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Shuyu, hang on."

Fang Bai saw the Chubby Girl behind her, clutching her stomach and panting as she trudged toward them. He stepped forward a few paces, handed her five yuan, and said thanks.

"Classmate... you're... too kind, thanks. I didn't expect Qin Shuyu to really be your girlfriend." The Chubby Girl propped one hand against a nearby tree and the other on her stomach, catching her breath as she thanked him.

Qin Shuyu had been a bit dazed when she first heard Fang Bai's name. Her classmate had said it was her boyfriend, and after taking the business card, she'd just said "thanks" and rushed straight down. Now she added another "thanks" to the Chubby Girl.

"I won't bother you two. I don't want to be a third wheel lighting up both ends.

Oh, right, handsome, could I get one of those business cards? I think they're pretty romantic." The Chubby Girl had started to leave but turned back to ask Fang Bai for a card.

"Of course, sure."

Fang Bai pulled a card from a small pocket in his backpack and handed it to her.

Ten minutes later, At the New Gymnasium, the lakeside lawn was covered in golden fallen leaves, glinting under the sunlight.

The lake shimmered, reflecting the blue sky and the vibrant colors of the trees.

Fang Bai and Qin Shuyu sat shoulder to shoulder on a bench, feeling the autumn breeze brush past them, bringing a hint of coolness that felt fresh and pleasant.

Qin Shuyu didn't ask many questions. She just kept smiling, occasionally nodding with an "mm-hmm."

Fang Bai knew Qin Shuyu's personality well. He told her about his business ventures, including helping his father-in-law find orders, and even his monthly exam results, but he skipped the awkward part about calling each other brothers.

"Shuyu, don't tell your dad about what happened between him and me. Just pretend you don't know. I'm afraid he'll chase me with a hammer. When the time's right, I'll talk to him myself."

"Mm, whatever you say. How are your fingers recovering now?"

Qin Shuyu was happy and amazed by what Fang Bai had done. She wouldn't blame him or care about his grades. After all, if Fang Bai couldn't make money, she could work and support the family.

"Recovering pretty fast, which surprised me a bit." Fang Bai showed her, flexing three fingers.

The Golden Finger had helped him recover 20%, and with another month passed, his condition was even better than two years after the injury in his past life.

Still, this kind of injury needed an extremely long time to heal.

Fang Bai opened his backpack, took out the new BP Pager he'd bought, and handed it to Qin Shuyu, telling her his number.

"I'll give you some money to deposit in the bank later. From now on, don't skimp on spending. Call me whenever you want. I'm making money fast now, and your dad's business is doing great too. When you graduate, you'll be in charge of the finances, hehe."

"Okay, don't work too hard."

Qin Shuyu gladly accepted Fang Bai's gift and money. In her eyes, they were family. If Fang Bai gave her money, she was the household's financial manager.

They sat for a long time, talking a lot. Qin Shuyu liked to tilt her head up and look at Fang Bai's face, listening to him speak, chiming in with a word or two.

About an hour later, they left the lakeside. Fang Bai told Qin Shuyu to go back to the dorm and grab her bankbook and bag.

A dozen minutes later, Fang Bai held Qin Shuyu's hand as they left campus, hailing a taxi to The Bund for shopping and street food.

The Bund was a bustling place in Shen City, rich with historical atmosphere. Since it was the weekend, there were plenty of people.

Qin Shuyu had been in college for two months but had never been to The Bund. When she spotted tasty food, she'd cling to Fang Bai's arm and say she wanted this or that.

"Fang Bai, I want a jianbing guozi."

"Okay, buying it."

"Fang Bai, I want that delicious QQ Nai Nai Pearl Milk Tea."

"What tea?"

"Fang Bai, I want cotton candy."

"That's a bit unclean, though."

"It looks nice. I want to eat it."

"Alright, I'll get it for you." Fang Bai bought her a stick.

Qin Shuyu took it happily, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation.

She gently bit into the outer layer, placed it in her mouth, and savored it slowly. The soft, cottony sugar melted on her tongue, releasing a sweet fragrance.

Her expression gradually shifted from curiosity to satisfaction. She licked her lips, closed her eyes slightly, and a hint of relaxation and pleasure showed in her gaze.

To be honest, Fang Bai had never eaten cotton candy before. Watching her enjoy it so much, he couldn't help but ask, "Dummy, is it really that good?"

"Mmm, it's delicious. I want another stick."

"No can do. There's still plenty of food ahead—aren't you going to eat that?"

"Alright, I'll let it off the hook for now, hehe."

They came to a barbecue stall that specialized in grilled live scorpions. Fang Bai saw her lean in close to the stall, her eyes full of curiosity, and she even licked her lips.

"Fang Bai, what's this? It looks so fun. Fun things must taste good, right?"

Fang Bai quickly pulled her away. "You can't eat that." The vendor behind them coaxed, "Miss, give it a try—it's delicious."

Half an hour later, full and satisfied, the two of them wandered into Yu Garden without realizing it. They went in for a stroll since no ticket was required at that hour.

When they came out of Yu Garden, they passed by a shop. Qin Shuyu stood outside, curiously eyeing the blue plastic-packaged items displayed in the glass case with price tags. "Fang Bai, these balloons are so expensive here. I want to blow up a balloon and play."

Fang Bai was getting a bit tired from walking, but Qin Shuyu wasn't. He lagged behind, only to see her standing in front of a shop she really shouldn't be looking at, waving him over. Once he saw what was for sale, he quickly pulled her away. Passersby cast them surprised and envious glances.

Even the shop owner couldn't help but laugh, giving Fang Bai a thumbs-up. "Kid, impressive."

After being pulled away, Qin Shuyu walked a dozen meters or so, still looking curious, tugging at Fang Bai's sleeve. "Fang Bai, what was that? Why didn't you buy it?"

"Didn't you notice those curious looks around us?" Fang Bai couldn't help but laugh. Qin Shuyu really had never seen such things—she truly didn't understand.

"I wasn't paying attention. I just wanted to blow up a balloon."

Seeing her curious gaze, Fang Bai had to lean in close to her ear and explain roughly. Qin Shuyu's cheeks instantly flushed red. She covered her face with both hands, crouched down, and didn't dare meet Fang Bai's eyes.

Fang Bai held back his laughter, gently patted her shoulder, and gave a light cough. Qin Shuyu whispered, "Fang Bai, don't you dare say it!"

"What did I just say? I think I mentioned heading over to the Bund Sightseeing Promenade."

"Mm, mm, Fang Bai, let's go quickly." Qin Shuyu stood up, grabbed Fang Bai's hand, and hurried him along, though her face was still bright red.

After walking five hundred meters for a few minutes, Qin Shuyu's face had returned to normal.

Fang Bai stood by the riverbank railing, resting his hands on it, quietly gazing at the opposite shore.

Qin Shuyu watched him stare for a long time and couldn't help asking curiously, "Fang Bai, what's so interesting about the other side of the river? It's just a stretch of desolation."