Xiao Rongyu could sense a subtle, almost imperceptible change in Chen Hansheng's attitude toward her. While he had never been overly deferential like Gao Jialiang, he had always treated her with gentlemanly respect. Now, however, it seemed as if he barely regarded her at all.
"Is it that after turning him down that night, we can't even be friends anymore?" Xiao Rongyu silently wondered, feeling a touch of irritation. There were other boys who had been rejected by her over a dozen times, but their attitudes never shifted.
Xiao Rongyu turned her head and glanced over. Chen Hansheng was fast asleep, undisturbed by who sat next to him—be it Wang Zibo or herself. The gentle swaying of the bus soon made her drowsy as well. After her chin bobbed up and down a few times, her head tilted, and she fell asleep.
In a hazy state, Chen Hansheng heard the bus attendant shouting, "The bus has arrived at the Hongze Service Station! Please take your valuables with you if you need to use the restroom. We will depart again in 10 minutes."
The journey from Gangcheng to Jianye was long, and in 2002, buses rarely had onboard toilets. Drivers typically stopped at service stations for passengers to rest and refresh.
"I'm going to get off and take a leak," Chen Hansheng muttered as he stood up. But he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder; Xiao Rongyu had nestled comfortably against him, fast asleep.
Xiao Rongyu was undeniably beautiful, even while sleeping. Her face had a healthy flush, and her lips were soft and glossy.
"Hey, do you need to use the restroom?" Chen Hansheng said after admiring her for a moment. He nudged her awake, showing no hint of tenderness.
Xiao Rongyu rubbed her eyes, and as she realized she had been woken up, she looked slightly annoyed.
"I don't need to go."
"Then move over, I need to get off for a smoke," Chen Hansheng said bluntly.
"Hey, Chen Hansheng! You're not allowed to smoke!" Xiao Rongyu shouted after him, but Chen Hansheng pretended not to hear.
When he got off, Wang Zibo was already waiting for him outside. As soon as they met, Wang Zibo said, "You jerk, how was it sitting next to Xiao Rongyu?"
"Why do you even ask? It was great. I leaned on her, she leaned on me, and we had a nice nap," Chen Hansheng shamelessly bragged.
Wang Zibo's face showed a trace of envy. They exchanged banter for a while, and before boarding the bus again, Wang Zibo asked curiously, "I thought you were going to smoke?"
"I decided not to today, just in case I get kissed by Xiao Rongyu later and she doesn't like the smell," Chen Hansheng joked.
"You're full of it," Wang Zibo said, not believing a word.
Back on the bus, Chen Hansheng noticed Xiao Rongyu sipping yogurt while talking on the phone. Judging by her tone, it was likely her dad on the other end. At one point, she glanced at Chen Hansheng, as if her father was concerned about him being too close to his daughter.
After the call, Chen Hansheng motioned for Xiao Rongyu to hand over her phone. She ignored him, still upset about his insistence on getting off to smoke earlier.
"I didn't smoke. You can check if you don't believe me," Chen Hansheng said, leaning close. This was clearly an attempt to flirt. Xiao Rongyu ducked her head to avoid him, but he didn't relent, and they ended up playfully tussling in their seats.
Hearing the commotion, Wang Zibo turned to look back. Thinking about his own seat in the front, suffering under the blazing sun, he felt inexplicably bitter and muttered, "Damn lovebirds."
"Stop, stop, stop! If you keep at it, I'll get mad!" Xiao Rongyu finally said, struggling to avoid Chen Hansheng's teasing, her face nearly touched several times. Their behavior was so intimate that she reluctantly pulled out her phone and handed it to him. "I thought you were going to buy a phone yourself."
Xiao Rongyu's phone was a Nokia 7650, which had been released in April and cost over 6,000 yuan. Chen Hansheng's family could afford one, but he hadn't asked for it, and his parents, Chen Zhaojun and Liang Meijuan, were happy to save the money.
As Chen Hansheng examined the phone, he explained, "I decided not to ask for a phone or a laptop. I want to earn money to buy them myself in college."
"Earn money?" Xiao Rongyu asked, stunned. She tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing a delicate, translucent earlobe. "How are you going to do that?"
"Easy, I'll just find a pretty and rich girlfriend. I've had stomach issues since childhood, and the doctor advised me to 'eat soft rice,'" Chen Hansheng said with mock seriousness.
"Ugh," Xiao Rongyu responded with a look of disdain.
With something to entertain him, Chen Hansheng spent the rest of the ride fiddling with the Nokia 7650, shamelessly mooching snacks from Xiao Rongyu, claiming he was "lightening her load." Xiao Rongyu, though not stingy, only gave him side-eye glances without saying much.
The Nokia 7650 was the first color-screen phone from the brand, as well as the first flip phone and the first to use the Symbian operating system. In 2002, it had virtually no rivals in the market and was regarded as Nokia's first "flagship" product.
However, from Chen Hansheng's perspective, comparing it to smartphones 17 years later, the Nokia 7650 was still quite limited. He examined every part of the phone meticulously, not missing a single detail.
Xiao Rongyu watched him curiously. "You look like you're planning to take the phone apart."
"If I had a screwdriver, I'd definitely give it a shot," Chen Hansheng said with a nod.
"You're nuts," Xiao Rongyu said, quickly snatching her phone back.
At that moment, the bus passed over the Yangtze River Bridge, prompting many passengers to stand up and look out the window. The majestic bridge, completed in 1960, had become one of Jianye's most iconic sights, complete with armed guards patrolling it. Cheers broke out inside the bus as they admired the vast, white expanse of the river below, dotted with massive ferries at the docks.
"Why aren't you surprised?" Xiao Rongyu asked, noticing that Chen Hansheng was calmly observing the view.
She was also looking out at the water, so she didn't notice how close she was to him. Her breath lightly touched his ear, tickling him pleasantly.
"This is my chance!" Chen Hansheng suddenly turned his head quickly and said, "Aren't you not surprised, either?"
But Xiao Rongyu reacted faster. Just as he moved, she leaned back, looking at him warily.
Chen Hansheng felt a pang of regret at missing the opportunity. Xiao Rongyu scrutinized him and said, "I've been to Jianye before. Not just the Yangtze River Bridge, but also the Presidential Palace, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and Confucius Temple."
Xiao Rongyu couldn't tell if Chen Hansheng's move had been intentional, so she decided to let it go.
Once they crossed the Yangtze River Bridge, they arrived at the Jianye Bus Terminal. Xiao Rongyu then noticed how little luggage Chen Hansheng had brought. He had only a backpack, and he pulled out a pair of sunglasses to shield himself from the intense sunlight. He looked so nonchalant that it seemed as if he was just visiting for fun.
"Why didn't you bring any bedding?" Xiao Rongyu asked, looking at her own piles of luggage.
"The school provides it all. It's written in the enrollment guidelines," Chen Hansheng answered.
"What about clothes? Jianye's autumn starts in October," she asked.
"I'll have my mom send them over when the time comes."
"Oh," Xiao Rongyu replied, nodding. She hadn't realized such an approach was possible.
Chen Hansheng's unconventional ideas didn't stop there. Xiao Rongyu thought they would head to their schools together since they were close to each other, but Chen Hansheng shook his head. "You can take a taxi to the train station, then take Bus 137. It's the fifth stop before your school."
Xiao Rongyu blinked in surprise. "What about you?"
"Zibo and I are going to check out Changshou Lake Park nearby."
Chen Hansheng didn't seem to be joking, as he only had his backpack and looked ready to leave at any moment.
Xiao Rongyu started to panic. As a girl with many pieces of luggage, dealing with the heat and the complicated route by herself seemed unbearable.
"Chen Hansheng!" she shouted suddenly, her voice trembling with frustration. "You jerk, you promised my dad you'd take care of me!"
...