"Hmm?"
Lu Chuan was caught off guard by Liu Ruyan's sudden change of topic. Before he could react, she had already dragged him towards the convenience store.
Liu Ruyan picked up her favorite strawberry-flavored ice cream and Lu Chuan's preferred vanilla flavor, paid for them, and then skipped happily to the swing in the small garden downstairs.
In the early evening, it was time for kids to come down and play. A little boy, about four or five years old, arrived too late to get on the swing and stood beside it, looking longingly.
Lu Chuan watched from the side, feeling embarrassed for Liu Ruyan. He nudged her and whispered, "Liu Ruyan, come down quickly. Is it really appropriate to be hogging the swing from a little kid?"
"What's inappropriate about it? Everything is about first come, first served," Liu Ruyan replied shamelessly, looking up at Lu Chuan. Then she turned to the little boy and said, "Besides, don't you always say that a gentleman should be nice to girls? Little Lele, isn't that right?"
The little boy immediately puffed out his chest and said in a childish voice, "Yes, I am a gentleman. Sister Ruyan, since you're a girl, you can play first."
Liu Ruyan was pleased and smiled, "Then how about this: you push the swing for me for one minute, and I'll let you have a turn. Deal?"
"Okay, it's a deal." With that, the little boy went to the back and started pushing Liu Ruyan on the swing.
At this moment, Lu Chuan really wanted to find a hole to hide in. If the boy's parents saw this, they would definitely think they were bullying the child.
"Lele, is it? Step back a bit. Let me help you push, okay?"
Although Lu Chuan was usually aloof, he was quite kind-hearted when it came to children.
To his surprise, the little boy immediately rejected his offer.
"No, I can push it myself. I don't need your help."
Wow, this kid is quite the individual.
So, Lu Chuan leaned against the nearby horizontal bar, munching on his ice cream, while watching the little boy push the swing.
"Alright, Lele, it's your turn now." After a minute, Liu Ruyan finally got off the swing, patted her bottom, and walked away.
"Liu Ruyan, you really are something. You even bully little kids. You seem to know everyone."
Maybe thinking of the years he spent under Liu Ruyan's torment, Lu Chuan couldn't help but feel sorry for Lele.
Liu Ruyan didn't respond to him but instead smiled and asked, "Lu Chuan, do you remember that time when we were little, and you finished your ice cream and came to steal mine, making me cry? You were afraid of getting scolded by your parents, so you helped me push the swing, just like Lele."
"Of course I remember. I pushed for a long time, and you were never satisfied. I kept pushing and pushing, and the next day, my arms were so sore I couldn't lift them."
"Hahaha," both of them laughed as they recalled the memory.
"It was really nice back then, not having to worry about anything."
Liu Ruyan suddenly felt a pang of sadness, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why. Maybe it was because she was growing up.
With only a year left before the college entrance exam, she was feeling pressure and confusion about the future. She used to take it for granted that her life would continue as it always had—living with her parents and playing with Lu Chuan.
She had always assumed that she and Lu Chuan were each other's most important friends, but recently she realized just how vast the world is.
"If possible, you could stay young forever. I will always stand behind you, as long as you're happy every day."
Lu Chuan spoke softly, his voice perfectly covered by the laughter of a group of children running by.
"What did you just say?" Liu Ruyan looked up, her deep brown eyes sparkling in the sunset's afterglow.
"Cough, I said, being sentimental isn't really your style. Your brain must be frozen from the ice cream," Lu Chuan said, moving forward with his long legs. "Let's go home."
In Bin City, July brings a lot of rain. The sudden downpour last night brought a bit of coolness to the oppressive heat of the past few days. Now that the rain had cleared, the little birds chirped happily.
"Ruyan, didn't you say you were going to study at a classmate's house? What time is it? Still not up?"
Shen Bing walked into Liu Ruyan's room and pulled open the curtains. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on Liu Ruyan's pink pillow.
"What time is it, Mom?" Liu Ruyan mumbled, burrowing deeper into her blanket, and then pulled it over her head, falling back asleep.
Shen Bing pulled Liu Ruyan out of the blanket. "It's 8:30. Get up and get ready."
As Liu Ruyan walked through the living room with messy hair, she caught sight of a big figure sitting at the dining table. She focused and saw it was Lu Chuan.
"Lu Chuan?"
"Good morning, lazy pig."
Lu Chuan swallowed a bite of his sandwich, tilted his head, and greeted her, "I've been waiting for you for thirteen minutes and four seconds."
"Ugh, just eat your breakfast," Liu Ruyan said, rolling her eyes.
"Take these with you and share with your friends later," Shen Bing said, handing two boxes filled with various cut fruits to Liu Ruyan's backpack. She also scolded her daughter, "Liu Ruyan, hurry up and wash up. Look at you, so untidy. Whoever marries you in the future will be unlucky."
"Cough cough." Lu Chuan nearly choked on his milk upon hearing this.
Liu Ruyan turned and went into the bathroom. The next moment, she was startled by her reflection in the mirror. Her hair looked as if it had been struck by lightning last night, and there were traces of drool at the corner of her mouth.
The bathroom was filled with the sounds of hurried activity. Ten minutes later, a refreshed Liu Ruyan emerged, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, wearing a white T-shirt tucked into a denim skirt, looking youthful and vibrant.
"Mom, we're leaving." She grabbed a sandwich from the table and pulled Lu Chuan out the door.
"Be careful on the road. Come back early…" Shen Bing's reminders faded away as the door closed behind them.
Lu Chuan stood at the bus stop, opening the chat with Ye Ziming to confirm the address: Ming Shi Garden. The 13 bus had a stop there.
Checking the time, Lu Chuan realized it was 8:45. Thanks to Liu Ruyan, they were going to be late.
On Saturday morning, there weren't many people on the bus. Lu Chuan and Liu Ruyan found seats in the back. Since the 13 bus was an older model, it didn't have air conditioning, so they had to open the windows.
As the bus started, the not-so-cool wind blew in, ruffling Liu Ruyan's bangs. She squinted her eyes and enjoyed the breeze. "This feels so nice."
In Lu Chuan's eyes, Liu Ruyan was always someone who was easily satisfied and happy. She was like a ray of sunshine, bright and warm. Lu Chuan was willing to be her sunflower, basking in her glow, letting his usually cold self warm up.
Liu Ruyan's reflection last night made Lu Chuan realize that even though she had grown up, she also had her little troubles. She wasn't always carefree.
But he hoped, and would do his best, to keep Liu Ruyan as happy as she had always been since childhood.