The person remained still.
She offered the tissue again, seizing the chance to glance at his face: He had grown up, gotten thinner. The once small, chubby, round face like a little dumpling had transformed into a face with sharp angles and hard lines, yet his eyes still held a faint remnant of the past. If not for the mole at the corner of his eye, she wouldn't even dare to confirm it was him.
However, his gaze never lingered on her face as hers did. He didn't acknowledge the hand she extended, merely tossing her muddy shoe in front of her before sitting down on his own.
She withdrew her hand, crestfallen, looking down at her bare, dirty foot on the ground and the muddy shoe lying beside it, feeling a bit more annoyed. Their reunion was so "distinctive"; who could be happy about that? Besides, he might not even recognize her anymore...
Yeah! It's entirely possible he didn't recognize who she was!
For a moment, she eagerly sat down again, even pulling her chair closer, right next to him.
He was already busy with his computer, and the mud stains on his face, she didn't even know when they disappeared. The clicking of the keyboard tapped in her heart like boiling water, bubbling with pink bubbles.
She thought for a moment, rummaging through her bag until she found a dry, unsoaked candy. She held it in her palm, cleared her throat softly, "Xu... Xiao Xu?"
The man's body stiffened, his hands stopped typing momentarily, but only for an instant, and soon enough he was typing again, not even lifting his head.
"Xiao Xu! Xu Gui! Isn't that right?" She raised her voice, smiling brightly, and placed the candy on his desk.
However, throughout, he kept his gaze fixed on the keyboard, his fingertips busy.
She was sure then, that he was indeed Xu Gui! Otherwise, he would have directly denied it rather than staying silent. He probably just didn't recognize her now that she'd grown up!
She happily pushed the candy toward him, "Here, have some candy! Xiao Xu! I'm Tu Hengsha! Uh, Sister Tu!" Later, she learned that the name written on her medical card was "Sister Tu."
He finally reacted, his expression detached, a slight furrow in his brow, "Sorry, I never eat candy, nor do I know any Sister Tu."
"Then... are you Xu Gui?" Her joy turned into timidity.
He fell silent again.
So, that's how it was? "But..." But Xu Gui clearly loved eating candy.
"Enough with the buts, I'm really busy, and..." He finally pulled his gaze away from the computer screen, landing it on her, even taking a moment to glance up and down at her, frowning, "Your clothes, shoes, if you don't change, then keep your distance."
So, was he disgusted by her smell? She instinctively moved her dirty feet to the side and bent down to sniff her clothes. There was no smell at all...
Her pink bubbles of joy burst one by one, leaving her somewhat sad. Twenty years ago, he gave her a lollipop, she thought about it longingly for twenty years, and today, twenty years later, he not only forgot her but also showed such disdain for her...
She lowered her head and silently went outside.
Clean water had become a luxury, barely enough to drink. Since it was raining, she washed her muddy feet with rainwater. Just as she turned around, a set of men's clothes was thrown at her, accompanied by his blunt words, "Change into these!"
The clothes carried a strange scent, an indescribable detergent fragrance mixed with a faint hint of his aura. She felt her face inexplicably flush as she wore them. Quickly, she found a good reason for him: It had been twenty years, after all, and it was perfectly normal for him to forget her. So what if he forgot her? Couldn't they just get to know each other again?