With only a few days left in China, Yasushi and Jingliu were determined to make the most of their remaining time. They spent their days exploring different places, hoping to soak in as much as they could before dedicating their last day to resting and recharging for the upcoming school year.
Today, they found themselves by a nearby river, accompanied by Yinhaie. The three of them decided to enjoy the day by the water, diving into the cool river before floating gently in the peaceful current, eyes fixed on the summer sky above. Despite the clouds, the sky remained bright, the soft blue of the season still visible through the overcast.
Yasushi drifted beside Jingliu, their hands intertwined in quiet companionship. They didn't feel the need for words, simply enjoying the calm moment together. Nearby, Yinhaie busied herself with the grill they had brought along, dressed in a sundress and sandals, preparing food while they relaxed.
"That one looks like a pair of boobs," Yasushi remarked, pointing out a cloud that bore a strong resemblance to a woman's chest.
Jingliu rolled her eyes at Yasushi, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. As she pushed herself up from the water, she lunged at him, sending them both crashing back into the river. They wrestled briefly in the water, splashing and laughing before finally emerging, breathless and grinning. Their shared laughter pulled them closer, and in a moment of easy affection, they exchanged a quick kiss.
This was the kind of summer break Yasushi had hoped for — peaceful and free from complications. Although he had only found it near the end of the break, he was content. Despite the calm, his mind buzzed with thoughts about the upcoming third and final year of high school, the challenges of college, and what lay beyond.
After a short pause, Yasushi broke the silence. "Hey, do you know about the maid situation?"
"Maid situation?" Jingliu asked, her expression puzzled. "What are you talking about?" she asked, clearly unsure.
Yasushi hesitated for a moment, weighing whether to share the details with her. Ultimately, he decided to be open, believing honesty was essential in their relationship. He recounted the entire story, including the conversation he had with Yunxue and Yinhaie on the day of the dance at the farm in Yuwu.
Jingliu's eyes widened with genuine surprise as she fixed her gaze on Yasushi. "No, I didn't know about that," she admitted, shaking her head slowly. "But... considering those three, huh? I'm not too concerned about it, so it's really up to you. I can get along with anyone, but having Yinhaie close by would be reassuring... she feels like an older sister to me, after all."
Yasushi nodded thoughtfully. "I still have some time to make my decision, but I think I have a good idea of who I want to choose. I'll wait until the end of our trip to let them know."
Jingliu agreed with his plan and returned to lounging in the water, occasionally chatting about trivial matters and savoring the refreshing coolness. As the hours slipped by, Yinhaie eventually called them over for lunch.
They climbed out of the river and made their way to Yinhaie, where they gathered around to enjoy their meal together. After a while, Jingliu brought up the subject once more, and a brief silence fell over the group.
"It really depends on what Yasushi wants," Yinhaie said after a moment, "but of course, your opinion matters too, Lady Jingliu."
"I already have an idea about it, so don't worry," Yasushi said, reassuringly. "I've considered what Yunxue mentioned back in Yuwu. Anyway, let's avoid heavy subjects today; it might just spoil the mood. Speaking of which, this food is delicious — what exactly are we eating?" He asked, redirecting the conversation.
Yinhaie responded with a bright smile, "Yang Rou Chuan, Ji Chuan, and Niu Rou Chuan — lamb, chicken, and beef skewers. You've tried some of these while exploring the town over the past few days, but these have our special touch."
"Ah, yeah, those," Yasushi said with a nod, savoring another bite. "They were quite good." As they continued their meal, a few stray dogs emerged from the bushes nearby, their curious noses twitching as they wandered closer.
With plenty of meat still left, Yinhaie tossed some to the dogs, who eagerly accepted the unexpected treat. Yasushi watched the scene unfold, then remarked, "I haven't noticed many stray animals in Mengyinhu, now that I think about it."
As Jingliu fed another dog, she remarked, "In Mengyinhu, dogs, and animals in general, are treated almost like family pets. Even if a family can't take them in permanently or adopt them, they make sure to feed them and provide shelter from rain or sun whenever possible, just around their home if there's any shade."
"My family... tried to take in some once, but it quickly became overwhelming. Now, we just feed them along with the rest of the town. It was mostly my mother's doing. If we hadn't put a stop to it, she would have adopted every stray in sight and turned our home into a sanctuary for them," Jingliu explained, a small smile tugging at her lips as she remembered.
Yasushi nodded thoughtfully, letting out a contemplative "Hmm" as he listened. He suspected that these events likely unfolded after the death of Jingliu's grandparents, as he couldn't imagine them engaging in such charitable acts without some personal gain. Although he kept these thoughts to himself, aware that speaking them aloud might reveal more than he intended.
"I haven't seen any shelters around here yet. Are there any in the town?" Yasushi asked while continuing to eat.
Both Jingliu and Yinhaie nodded. Yinhaie replied, "Yes, there is one, but it's rather small and can only accommodate a limited number of animals at a time. However, they do their best by providing food and water to the animals in our town."
With that, their conversation tapered off as they turned their attention back to their meal and the strays that gathered around them. Over the course of the next half hour, they continued enjoying their lunch while feeding the wandering dogs. As the food supply dwindled, the strays gradually moved away. Once they finished their meal and the dogs had left, they decided to return to the river as the temperature began to rise once more. They spent another hour by the water before packing up, ready to head home and plan their activities for the remainder of the day.
+-+
Night had fallen, and Yasushi and Jingliu were nestled in their shared bedroom, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of their phones as they FaceTimed with Furuya, Xinyi, and Catherine.
"Ugh… why did I wait so long to do this?" Furuya groaned through the phone, frustration evident in his voice.
"Jingliu and I only have about a quarter of it left," Yasushi replied while flipping through his notes. "We tackled some of it throughout the summer. We can probably wrap it up tonight if we focus."
"It's summer! We're not supposed to have homework! What kind of nonsense is this!?" Furuya exclaimed, his tone laced with exasperation, though he continued to work on his assignments, grumbling all the while.
As they had mentioned, they were all slogging through their summer homework. Most students weren't exactly thrilled about it, with a good number of them viewing it as a burden rather than a necessity. Yet, regardless of their feelings, they knew it had to be completed if they wanted to avoid any unpleasant repercussions when the school year resumed.
"It's your fault for leaving it until the last week," Xinyi chimed in, her voice carrying a hint of teasing through the phone, though it was clear she wasn't entirely unsympathetic to Furuya's plight.
"Shut up, you're only halfway through yours!" Furuya retorted sharply, which made Xinyi laugh.
Catherine, standing behind Furuya, gave his head a gentle but firm nudge and then offered some practical advice. "Complaining won't help you get this done any faster. Focus on your work for the night and try to make as much progress as you can."
"Ugh… yes, mom," Furuya replied with a resigned sigh, earning another light smack that made him roll his eyes and apologize once again.
The group continued to chat and work on their assignments, their conversation occasionally interrupted by frustrated groans. The flow of their work was disrupted when a knock came at Xinyi's door. She stepped out of the room for a few minutes, leaving the others curious about her sudden exit. When she returned, her face was tense, and she resumed her work with a worried expression.
"Is something wrong, Xinyi?" Jingliu asked, noticing her friend's troubled look.
Xinyi looked up and sighed. "I just received an update about Guo Tianyu. He's stable now and has recently regained consciousness. He's still in the hospital where they took him, and his maid is also recovering well. Thankfully, it seems that nothing too serious happened to either of them."
"He's not dead, that's a relief. But what's the next step? Is he pressing charges? Are his family involved, or is it all on him?" Furuya asked, clearly interested in the details of the situation.
Xinyi, appearing more relaxed now, shook her head. "After a thorough investigation and reviewing the recordings we provided, the police determined that the incident was caused by Guo Tianyu himself. His parents agreed with this conclusion and decided against taking any legal action against us. However, they have become much stricter with him as a result."
She continued, "It looks like he's about to face a much harsher reality. So, there's that to look forward to, I suppose? As for the maid, she'll likely be given several months of paid leave, and a new maid will be assigned to him. They won't be as lenient with him anymore, so our part in this matter is essentially over."
Upon hearing this, Yasushi felt a deep sense of relief. He was eager to avoid any further entanglement in legal matters, especially since the situation involving Zihan and her group was still unresolved, and he hadn't received many updates about it. He hoped that he would be briefed on any developments before they returned to Japan in about a week.
"Well, if our role in this matter is over, then there's no point in worrying about it further. We should focus on moving forward and leave this behind us," Yasushi suggested, attempting to bring some practical perspective to the situation.
"Man, this has been quite the experience. You mentioned your involvement with Zihan and her group, and I was curious about what that would be like, but I didn't expect to get caught up in something like this so quickly. Maybe I should hang out with you more often, Yasushi," Furuya said, laughing to himself as he spoke.
Yasushi raised an eyebrow at Furuya's comment. He was aware that they used to spend a lot of time together, though their hangouts had become less frequent lately, as everyone had grown closer to their girlfriends and as their high school years were drawing to a close. Yasushi chose not to dwell on it, simply shaking his head and laughing.
For the remainder of the evening, their group of friends continued their FaceTime session, discussing a variety of topics. Much of their conversation revolved around Guo Tianyu — what might happen to him next and what his future could look like. They also speculated on whether their paths might cross with his again at some point.