“The bond they have growing up together is different.”
Zhong Chufeng felt beyond depressed to hear those words. Does that mean that no matter how hard I try, I can never amount to the place Yishu has in Tang Yuanyuan’s heart?
Meng Kefei watched his reaction from the back and pursed her lips as she lowered her head.
Little Sprout was still naïve and oblivious to everything. “Let’s go, Chufeng. Yishu left already.”
Zhong Chufeng pulled his focus back and glanced at Little Sprout. He chuckled, “Good thing I still have Little Sprout and Kefei.”
When he started to drive, he looked at Han Zixi in the passenger seat and said, “Zixi, this is Yuanyuan’s classmate, Meng Kefei. This is her first time going on a trip with us, but she might join us more often in the future. You should get to know her.”
“Kefei, this is Yishu’s uncle’s son, Han Zixi. He has an older twin brother called Han Yangchen.”
“Twins?” Meng Kefei was surprised.
“Hello,” Han Zixi turned back to greet her. His handsome eyes and clear gaze gave off a good impression.
Meng Kefei also greeted him back.
“These brothers, although they’re twins, have completely different personalities. One used to be a crybaby while the other was very quiet. He’s the sort that won’t even spare you another sentence.”
That contrast was fascinating to Meng Kefei. “Is the difference that big?”
“Chufeng.” Han Zixi’s ears turned red when Zhong Chufeng talked about the twin brothers in front of a girl he just met. “Don’t say anymore.”
“Aww, is our Zixi blushing? Is it because there’s a girl here? Don’t be embarrassed. I’m just letting her know the distinguishing traits between the both of you. Why are you getting so nervous? Are you trying to admit that you were the crybaby?”
Little Sprout laughed without giving him face.
Meng Kefei could not hold back her laughter either.
“That was when I was a baby, Chufeng. That has nothing to do with me now. I stopped crying after I grew older.”
As a boy, Han Zixi found that being a crybaby was the most humiliating thing to him. He did not want to bring it up anymore, but someone always used it to joke around.
He did not know what else to do anymore.
“Alright Zixi, I was just joking. Plus, what’s wrong with a boy crying? Doesn’t matter whether you’re bleeding or crying, as long as you maintain an upright character. What’s the big deal about bleeding or crying anyway?”
“Yeah.” Meng Kefei nodded in agreement. “Everyone cries as children. My mom also told me that I was a crybaby when I was younger. I used to even argue with her about it, but after growing up, I realized that it’s not a big deal. We were just young and innocent.”
After hearing that, Zhong Chufeng could not help but take a closer look at Meng Kefei through the rear-view mirror. He realized that when she talked about these things, the look in her eyes became focused and serious.
“Kefei, you’re the same age as Yuanyuan, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’m older than her by a few months.”
“Just by a few months, but you’re so much more mature than her. It feels like Yuanyuan has never actually grown up. She used to love food, and she still loves food now. She doesn’t look like a girl in high school at all.”
He shook his head in dismay.
“That’s nice too. She doesn’t have to worry about anything.”
“That’s true. She’s like a princess without a care in the world. I just hope she always stays this happy.”
Meng Kefei took a second look at Zhong Chufeng like she noticed something but was not too sure what it was.
About two hours later, they arrived at their destination.
It was a place called Brokeback Mountain and they had to buy entry tickets to go in. At the peak of the mountain, there was a hot spring and a villa. If they got tired during their hike, they could stop to rest halfway at a small homestay that was specifically built there.
Once they all gathered, they brought out some food and water from the trunk of the car. Tang Yuanyuan carried her own small bag that was so heavy that she was grimacing.
She suddenly heard a sigh from on top of her head and felt her shoulders grow lighter. Looking up, Yuchi Yishu had taken her bag for her.
“How much food and drinks did you pack in here?”
Her cheeks were flushed bright red. “Not that much. I’ll share it with you later, Yishu.”
Yuchi Yishu helped Tang Yuanyuan carry her bag, while Meng Kefei helped Little Sprout carry hers, and Zhong Chufeng helped carry Meng Kefei’s bag.
To the side stood a tall and thin guy with no expression on his face, and who looked exactly like Han Zixi.
He was the quiet twin brother that Zhong Chufeng mentioned—Han Yangchen.
Their personalities and temperament were from their father and mother. Han Yangchen resembled Han Qing in that he did not like to talk too much and always remained cool.
While Han Zixi had a similar personality to Yan; he got embarrassed easily and his ears often turned red.
“Let’s do what we always have done. We’ll hike to the middle of the mountain first, then rest for half an hour before moving on.”
“Okay.”
Everyone was familiar with the path except for Meng Kefei, as it was her first time there. She was a bit nervous, but fortunately, Zhong Chufeng looked out for her.
“Kefei, since Yuanyuan has gone off with Yishu, you can follow me. Don’t wander off and don’t lag behind the group. There aren’t that many wild animals here, but it still gets quite scary at night.”
She stuck closer to him.
“Are you and Yuanyuan really good friends?”
“Yes; we’ve known each other for years.”
“Does she usually get love letters from the boys at school?”
After asking, he chuckled, “Probably not, huh? She’s so chubby. Who would like her?”
Meng Kefei frowned in disapproval of his comment. “Chufeng, you shouldn’t talk about her like that. She will be very sad if she hears it.”
“Why are you so protective of her? I’m just quietly saying it here. Also, you haven’t told me whether she gets love letters from boys yet.”
Meng Kefei shook her head. “I’m not too sure about that.”
“Tsk. Kefei, don’t you think you’re being too ungrateful when I’m carrying your bag for you? You’re not willing to even answer such a simple question.”
“Chufeng, that’s Yuanyuan’s privacy. If you want to know, then I think you should just ask her yourself.”
“Tsk. Have you seen that?”
He pointed to a tall and short figure in front of them. “That one next to her is very protective. He shoots death glares at me if I take as much as a second look at her. If I ask her anything, I’ll probably get buried alive. Kefei, how can I ask her when he’s so scary?”
Meng Kefei followed his line of vision to see the two people walking together—Tang Yuanyuan’s chubby body tilted to one side after every few steps she took and Yuchi Yishu had to put his arm out each time to support her. Eventually, he heaved a sigh. “Walk properly. What if you fall?”
“Aren’t you here? I won’t fall if you’re here.” Tang Yuanyuan wanted to walk properly. However, she was a bit chubby, so her body tilted more to one side whenever she got tired from walking.
