The two of them boarded the bus. It seemed to be rush hour, and the bus was packed with people.
Jiang Wanrou looked helpless. She gripped the handrail tightly, not knowing what to do. Surrounded on all sides, she lowered her head nervously.
Fang Yan stood behind her, shielding her from those who deliberately tried to squeeze closer.
After what felt like a struggle, they finally reached their stop and got off the bus. Fang Yan let out a long breath and looked at Jiang Wanrou, who had returned to her usual cool expression.
“So? After experiencing a packed bus like that, you probably never want to take one again, right?”
Jiang Wanrou shook her head slightly. She gazed at the small decorative fountain in front of Wanxiang Mall, watching the water surge upward and scatter with the wind. After thinking for a moment, she replied, “It was fun.”
“Fun?” Fang Yan could not understand her way of thinking.
Jiang Wanrou closed her eyes and let the breeze brush against her cheeks. It was just a crowded bus ride, yet it was far more interesting than the dull and uneventful life she had lived for over a decade.
“If you think it’s fun, then next time we have a class gathering, don’t call your driver. Let’s squeeze onto the bus together,” Fang Yan said with a grin, resting his hands behind his head.
Jiang Wanrou paused. She understood the hidden meaning in his words.
Was he asking her out?
“But my mom…” she began, her gaze drifting into the distance.
Fang Yan interrupted her. “Your mom is probably a top graduate, right?”
“Yes, my mom graduated from Sun Yat-sen University.”
“Exactly,” Fang Yan said casually. “Since she’s a graduate from a top university, she must be reasonable. How could she target someone for no reason? Relax. Don’t carry such a heavy burden.”
He continued lightly, “If my dad really gets fired, he’ll probably be the first to laugh. He’s always hoped to get laid off so he can receive a large compensation package. Then he’ll proudly announce his retirement. Hahaha…”
His tone was relaxed, as if he were discussing something completely ordinary. He truly felt no psychological burden. He understood his father’s situation better than anyone.
His dad had always missed working on the farm back home but could not bear to leave the city, mainly because Fang Yan was still here. Now that Fang Yan was already in college and no longer in Yangcheng, his parents would likely have little to do every day except envy the neighbors holding their grandchildren. They might as well return to the countryside and do the farming they had longed for.
Seeing Fang Yan’s expression, Jiang Wanrou’s heavy mood suddenly lifted. The worry between her brows gradually faded.
“No need to thank me. If we find something delicious later, just treat me,” Fang Yan said with a smile.
“Okay.” Jiang Wanrou smiled as well.
She usually maintained a cold, expressionless face. When she suddenly smiled like this, Fang Yan froze for a moment.
Noticing his gaze, Jiang Wanrou brushed back the strands of hair blown loose by the wind and said softly, “Let’s go inside. It’s hot outside.”
“Alright.” Fang Yan nodded. As they walked forward, he suddenly turned back to look at her. “Actually, you look pretty good when you smile. You should smile more.”
“From middle school to high school, six years in total, I don’t think I ever saw you smile.”
“Well, that’s not entirely true. When I confessed to you back then and everyone started teasing me, making me lose all face, did you smile then?”
“I forgot,” Jiang Wanrou replied calmly, her expression returning to its usual coolness.
“You forgot the scene too?”
“Forgot.”
“Oh. Alright.”
Fang Yan had wanted to explain that his confession back then was mostly because his mom kept nagging him, but since she had already “forgotten,” bringing it up again felt awkward.
“However, what you all said back then was quite interesting,” Jiang Wanrou added softly.
That meant she had actually remembered his confession all along.
Fang Yan immediately flushed and hurried to explain, “No, Jiang Wanrou, listen. When I confessed to you, I originally planned to do it when we were alone. I waited until evening when the classroom had only the two of us. Then those idiots Gao Shijie and Wang Ziyu popped out of nowhere!”
“Damn it!”
“They even recorded a video and posted it in the class group!”
“I still get mad just thinking about it!”
Listening to his complaints, Jiang Wanrou could not help but laugh again.
Fang Yan was still busy ranting about the past and did not notice the subtle details. Sometimes, if you fail to notice something, you simply miss it. Life is made of small moments. Everything can become poetry if you cherish the present.
…
Under Fang Yan’s lead, he skillfully brought Jiang Wanrou to a snack shop that was cheap, tasty, and well-known to him. On weekends, he often dragged Wang Ziyu there. He knew exactly which places were good and which were not.
After finding a place to sit, Jiang Wanrou’s brows suddenly furrowed slightly. It was lunchtime, and her mom was calling her.
She had already sent a message saying she would not be home for lunch and was out with classmates. Why was her mother still calling persistently?
She hesitated over whether to answer.
Fang Yan, who was eating heartily, noticed the caller ID on her phone read “Mom.” He smiled. “You should answer it. She’s called several times. She probably has something urgent.”
“No.” Jiang Wanrou put down her phone. She did not know how to explain who she was having lunch with. If she directly said she was eating with Fang Yan, she could not imagine what might happen.
“It’s fine. Just say you’re eating with a few classmates,” Fang Yan said, almost like he was teaching her to lie.
Jiang Wanrou blinked her bright eyes. She had never lied in her life. Lying to her mom once seemed strangely interesting.
She answered the call. “Hello~”
“Wanwan, where did you go at noon? Mom is waiting at home for you to come back for lunch.”
“I’m eating with classmates.”
“Classmates? How many? Is it the one you sent home last night?”
“N-No, there are several of us. Ruru is here too.”
“Ruru is there as well? Then come back early.”
After hanging up, Jiang Wanrou felt surprised. She had not expected it to go so smoothly.
It helped that she had always been obedient and had never lied to her mother before. If it were Fang Yan lying to his own mom, she would not believe a single word.
After slurping a few mouthfuls of noodles, Fang Yan took out his phone and typed rapidly. After finishing, he put it down and said, “Contact Chen Ruru and ask that shorty to come over.”
“Why?” Jiang Wanrou did not understand.
“Based on what you told me about your mom, do you really think she believed you that easily?”
Jiang Wanrou nodded slightly and took out her phone to contact Chen Ruru.