The day was very hot. Skin pressed together. From the man came a faint smell of cologne and a trace of dryness. Su Hao’s hat fell off her head, long hair spilled down. In the sunlight, her skin was jade-like. She lifted her head, eyes briefly colliding with Zhou Yang’s, then pushed him away, barely keeping her balance.
Su Xi, seeing this, froze for a second, then hurried forward, grabbing Su Hao. Su Hao adjusted her clothes, said, “Thank you.”
Zhou Yang withdrew his hand, bent down to pick up the hat on the ground, curled his lips in a smile: “You’re welcome.”
Saying this, he casually placed the hat back on her head. His narrow eyes inadvertently swept past her slim waist, then he picked up two baskets of strawberries, glanced, and said, “Mom, your speed is good, you picked with four hands, right?”
“Peh, how can you speak like that?” Su Xi linked arms with Su Hao, following behind. Su Hao glanced at the strawberry baskets out of the corner of her eye. Sure enough, Su Xi had picked a lot, the basket full.
Compared to hers, hers was pitifully little. Su Hao felt a bit embarrassed, just about to say something, when a woman’s voice came from nearby.
“Su Xi! You’re stealing my strawberries again!!!”
Turning to look, a woman wearing a cheongsam had just gotten out of the car, leaning on the door, stomping toward them. Su Xi cried out “Ah,” quickly quickened her steps, pushing Zhou Yang’s back: “Go, hurry, she noticed…”
Zhou Yang snorted, slightly sped up. Su Xi saw him walking too slowly, and insisted on pulling Su Hao through. Because there were strawberry fields on both sides, only a slope in the middle, Su Hao had no choice but to follow Su Xi. She tried to stay far from Zhou Yang. In the rush, the back of her hand brushed the man’s large hand.
She pulled back, subconsciously rubbed her hand on her clothes as if to clean it, then linked arms with Su Xi again.
Zhou Yang saw it.
Raised an eyebrow.
Ahead, two cars were parked. One was driven by Su Xi. She opened the car door, and Su Hao got in. Su Xi turned to the driver’s seat. In the distance, Aunt Li was stomping, and Su Xi quickly started the car, reversed, and drove off. Outside the window, the tall man had just reached the car, placed the two baskets of strawberries in the back seat, then turned to the driver’s seat. He didn’t rush to go, looked at his phone a few times, then opened the car door and got in.
After a while, the car followed the BMW in front and arrived at the Zhou family’s main house.
The temperature in the car was completely different from outside. After a bit of air conditioning, Su Xi led Su Hao out, entered the house. The house was cool. Su Xi pulled Su Hao to sit on the sofa, placed the hat down lazily. Su Hao poured her a cup of tea.
Su Hao had previously heard her mother Cheng Ling talk about Su Xi. Su Xi had always been lively. During university, the interactions between her mother and Su Xi were complementary, active and quiet, and they became best friends. Despite very different family backgrounds, they maintained contact.
Over the years, her mother’s last remaining friend was Su Xi.
“Su Hao, you’re just as comfortable as your mom.” Su Xi took the cup, sipped tea. Su Hao’s actions reminded her of Cheng Ling.
Su Hao smiled, poured herself a cup of tea. Just as she lifted it to her lips, Zhou Yang entered with two baskets of strawberries. Somewhat hot, he tugged at his shirt collar, placed the baskets on the cabinet, then picked up a cigarette, holding it slanted between his teeth, glanced at the two on the sofa, and said, “I’ll go to study.”
“Go ahead.” Su Xi waved.
Su Hao drank her tea quietly.
Zhou Yang’s figure disappeared at the staircase.
Su Xi asked Su Hao, “What do you think we should do with the strawberries?”
Su Hao looked at the two beautiful baskets, hesitated, and said, “Strawberry cake?”
“Think of another.”
Su Hao thought for a moment, then came up with a new idea: “Strawberry muffins?”
“How do you make this?” Su Xi became interested.
Su Hao checked the time, stood up: “I’ll make it. Auntie, you watch.”
“Okay.”
Su Xi got up, went to get the strawberry baskets. Today the housekeeper was off, no one else was at home. Su Hao entered the kitchen, checking the ingredients one by one. Su Xi had prepared them all. Su Hao tied on an apron, stood at the counter, cracked an egg, using only half the egg white.
She had cooked for a long time, was familiar with various pastries, and worked quickly. Su Xi stood next to her, hands on her waist, eyes unblinking. Su Hao knew that besides lemon chicken feet, Su Xi liked strawberries, so she had prepared some strawberry milkshakes too. While cooking, she explained the steps. They chatted while working.
Footsteps came from the stairs. The tall man rubbed his brow, walked into the living room, bent down to pour a cup of tea, then rolled up his sleeves, fingers fiddled with the triangular succulents on the cabinet. The tea aroma drifted. Zhou Yang glanced casually, saw the shadow moving in the kitchen, looked a few more times, then drank the tea in one sip.
Just as he put down the cup, Su Xi’s voice came from inside: “Hey, hey, hey, Zhou Yang, come in, put these back.”
He turned his head, saw Su Xi frantically throwing cake paper and other items from the cabinet. Zhou Yang clicked his tongue, went over, and entered the kitchen.
One brush short, Su Xi rarely used the kitchen, searched frantically. Once she opened the top cabinet, items tumbled down. Zhou Yang came in, raised his arm with rolled-up sleeves to support the cabinet door.
Su Xi tiptoed, quickly shoved the items back inside, stacked them, muttering: “This is way too messy.”
Su Hao, hands full of flour, couldn’t help, held up her hands, stared blankly, even got cake paper stuck on her face. Zhou Yang saw this, mocked: “You guys are too clumsy.”
He brushed the cake paper off Su Hao’s face, a little flour on the corner of her eyes. She blinked, eyes glistening, glanced at him, then turned back to continue working with the flour.
Zhou Yang: “……”
Author’s Note: A little cutie is going back to school, so I updated early. There will be some Zhou Yang suffering. I also can’t let Zhou Yang immediately fall for Su Hao; it has to be arranged slowly. When he falls in love, Su Hao will be cold. Imagine that scene… [showing gradually twisted smile]