Part Three: Strawberry Ice Cream
“Some promises never needed to be spoken.
They were remembered by the heart.”
“…Miss.”
The shop assistant smiled warmly.
“The fitting room is this way.”
Yu Mingyue nodded politely.
“Thank you.”
She gathered the dresses in her arms and disappeared behind the curtain.
…
Outside the fitting room…
Gu Mengmeng crossed her arms proudly.
“I have excellent taste.”
Xie Chengyi looked at the mountain of clothes.
“…You’ve chosen nearly twenty outfits.”
“Twenty-one.”
“…”
“…You counted?”
“Of course.”
“They’re all for Xiao Yue’er.”
Lu Yanxi calmly picked up another shopping basket.
Without anyone noticing…
It was already half full.
Gu Mingzhe looked at the price tags.
“…Mengmeng.”
“What?”
“…She doesn’t need this many.”
Gu Mengmeng looked offended.
“Brother.”
“She lost eight years.”
“I’m buying back those eight years.”
The three men fell silent.
No one argued again.
Because…
There was no price for lost time.
…
A few minutes later…
The fitting room curtain slowly opened.
Yu Mingyue stepped outside.
The light-blue dress fit her perfectly.
The soft fabric gently swayed around her knees.
Her long black hair rested naturally over her shoulders.
She looked…
Like spring itself.
The entire boutique became quiet.
Even the other customers couldn’t help glancing in her direction.
Yu Mingyue lowered her head nervously.
“…Does it look strange?”
Gu Mengmeng covered her mouth dramatically.
“Strange?”
“You look beautiful!”
She immediately ran over and turned Yu Mingyue to the left.
Then right.
Then left again.
“Perfect!”
Yu Mingyue looked toward the three men.
“…Really?”
For a moment…
None of them answered.
Not because they disliked it.
Because…
The little girl they remembered had quietly disappeared.
Standing before them now…
Was a young woman.
Lu Yanxi was the first to recover.
“…Buy it.”
Gu Mingzhe nodded.
“…And the white one.”
Xie Chengyi added quietly,
“…The pale pink one too.”
Gu Mengmeng laughed triumphantly.
“See?”
“I told you!”
Yu Mingyue blinked.
“…I only tried one dress.”
Gu Mengmeng smiled mysteriously.
“We’re buying the dresses.”
“The three of them are paying.”
The three men answered almost together.
“…Mm.”
Yu Mingyue laughed helplessly.
“…You spoil me too much.”
Lu Yanxi looked at her calmly.
“…We know.”
…
Another hour passed.
By the time they left the boutique…
The three men were carrying more than a dozen shopping bags.
Yu Mingyue looked at them.
Then suddenly covered her mouth.
Gu Mengmeng looked curious.
“What?”
Yu Mingyue shook her head.
“…Nothing.”
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
Gu Mengmeng narrowed her eyes.
“You’re definitely thinking something.”
Yu Mingyue couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“…You three…”
“…Look like delivery workers.”
Silence.
Then—
Gu Mengmeng burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
“Oh my God!”
“Brother!”
“You really do!”
Xie Chengyi looked at the shopping bags in both hands.
Then at Lu Yanxi.
“…She’s right.”
Gu Mingzhe sighed.
“…Years of medical training…”
“…Reduced to this.”
Even Lu Yanxi looked down at the mountain of bags.
After a long pause…
He quietly admitted,
“…A little.”
Yu Mingyue laughed so hard that tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
“I’ll help carry some.”
The three men answered together.
“No.”
She pouted.
“I can.”
“No.”
“I’m healthy.”
“No.”
“…”
“…You’re impossible.”
Gu Mengmeng patted Yu Mingyue’s shoulder sympathetically.
“Give up.”
“They’ve entered Overprotective Mode.”
“There’s no cure.”
Gu Mingzhe calmly replied,
“As a doctor…”
“I disagree.”
…
As they walked through the shopping mall…
Yu Mingyue suddenly stopped.
Her eyes fixed on something ahead.
A small ice cream shop.
The familiar strawberry sign gently swayed above the counter.
She stood quietly.
Not saying a word.
Lu Yanxi noticed first.
“…Want one?”
Yu Mingyue turned toward him.
Her eyes were bright.
“…Can I?”
The question made everyone pause.
Not because of the ice cream.
Because of the habit hidden inside those two words.
Can I?
For eighteen years…
Every little wish had needed permission.
Gu Mingzhe smiled gently this time.
“…One.”
Yu Mingyue’s smile immediately bloomed.
“Okay!”
Before she could take a step—
Lu Yanxi had already walked toward the shop.
He didn’t ask what flavor she wanted.
He didn’t need to.
A minute later…
He returned.
Holding a strawberry ice cream.
Exactly the same as eight years ago.
Yu Mingyue looked at it.
Then looked at him.
“…You remembered.”
Lu Yanxi simply placed it in her hand.
“…Of course.”
She smiled.
Not brightly.
Not playfully.
Just…
Warmly.
She took a small bite.
The familiar sweet-and-sour taste spread across her tongue.
Her eyes slowly curved into crescents.
“…It’s delicious.”
Standing a few steps away…
Gu Mingzhe suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“…Yanxi.”
“…Hm?”
“…Last time.”
“…Did you buy her strawberry ice cream then too?”
Lu Yanxi remained completely expressionless.
“…I don’t remember.”
Xie Chengyi looked at him calmly.
“…You do.”
“…”
“…I paid.”
Yu Mingyue blinked.
“…What?”
Gu Mengmeng gasped dramatically.
“I knew it!”
“You secretly bought Xiao Yue’er ice cream!”
Gu Mingzhe slowly folded his arms.
“So…”
“It wasn’t a dream.”
Lu Yanxi remained silent.
For nearly ten seconds.
Finally…
He sighed.
“…She wanted it.”
Yu Mingyue looked at him.
Then suddenly laughed.
“…Thank you.”
Not for today.
For eight years ago.
Lu Yanxi understood.
He nodded once.
“…Mm.”
None of them noticed…
Across the corridor…
A young woman quietly lowered her phone after taking a picture.
She zoomed in.
The girl’s face filled the screen.
Her breathing became uneven.
“…”
“…It really looks like…”
She hesitated.
Then opened a private group chat.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard.
Slowly…
She typed.
“Does anyone else think this girl looks exactly like Miss Yu?”
She pressed send.
The first ripple…
Had begun.