Yuchi Yishu dragged out the ‘okay’ at the end as he asked her, which made her blush. Tang Yuanyuan was a young girl who had just entered adulthood and was still immature. How could she resist it when he talked to her like that?
She pulled her hand back bashfully and looked somewhere else without answering him.
He paused when he realized what he had done. In an attempt to cover up the weird atmosphere, he started to drive off.
“Where do you want to go today?”
It was a habitual question. Since they were little, regardless of whether they went out to eat or play, he would always ask her for her preferences and thoughts first. At the same time, she always had an idea and was always able to give him a location or food that she wanted to eat unless her mind was a mess and she could not keep up.
Just like how she was right now. After he touched her hand and asked her that question, she was unable to handle it anymore. Her heart was beating rapidly and her mind was a mess.
There were no thoughts in her head, so she simply replied, “I’m fine with anything.”
He took one look at her and did not ask anymore. After all, she did hug his waist and cry very hard earlier. He even hurried as he went to bring his car over for he worried that she would feel miserable again if she was left alone for too long.
On his way back, however, he saw that she was trying to hold back tears.
The sight was indeed heartbreaking.
Still, he did not want to expose her so he waited in his car for a while with the engine turned off. Only when he saw that she had her emotions under control did he drive his car up to her.
That was why he did not pester her any further. He even started up conversations with her during the drive so it would not get too quiet and give her room to overthink.
“Are you not going to ask about the gift I’m giving you today?”
She snapped back into reality. “Gift? Oh, I almost forgot. It’s also my birthday today apart from the coming-of-age ceremony. Does that mean you had to prepare two gifts, Yishu?”
Over the years, he had never forgotten a birthday gift. He definitely had one this year as well.
“Two gifts?” His smile looked strained. “Why are you being so greedy, little brat? Aren’t your birthday and the ceremony on the same day?”
“So what if they are? Although they’re on the same day, I have a birthday every year whereas only one coming-of-age ceremony in my whole life! Did you not prepare two gifts for me, Yishu?”
He neither admitted nor denied it, and just teased, “I thought since the two events were put together, one gift would suffice. There was only one gift left anyway.”
She pouted. “You’re so petty, Yishu!”
He let out a deep and hearty laugh.
Hmph. She went on, “Okay, I’m just messing with you. You’re right. My birthday and the ceremony are on the same day and everyone only sent one gift. I’ll just treat all of them as birthday presents.” After that, she seemed to have thought of something. “Oh, that’s right. Why didn’t Chufeng come today?”
She thought it was strange and a bit of a shame since she and Chufeng got along quite well. When she invited him last time, he even promised that he would attend.
At the mention of his name, the light in Yuchi Yishu’s eyes slowly faded. “He had other things to do, but he wanted me to pass on his gift to you.”
“Other things? What was he so busy with that he couldn’t even attend my coming-of-age ceremony? It was once in a lifetime. Such a bummer.”
It was truly a shame, but that was their fate.
“Luckily I have you by my side, Yishu.”
She was still sad as she said that, but she was glad that Yuchi Yishu was there.
He hesitated before teasing, “Why does it feel like I’m not worth much by the way you said that? Luckily?”
“That’s not what I meant, Yishu.”
Throughout the drive, the both of them talked about everything under the sun. Yuchi Yishu said one sentence to which Tang Yuanyuan had several to say in response. They went back and forth like that.
But every time she finished talking, the silence did not last very long as he would bring up a new topic.
For the latter part of the journey, it was quiet for a while until they reached the amusement park.
Tang Yuanyuan was rather taken aback to see the amusement park because it was the same one they came to last time. She still had bad memories of this place.
That day, she went on the Ferris wheel without much thought. From the top, she saw Yuchi Yishu standing next to another girl and realized that they looked good together.
She snuck away after that but Yuchi Yishu did not even notice.
At the thought of that, Tang Yuanyuan found it hard to force a smile.
“Let’s go inside and play.”
Meanwhile, Yuchi Yishu did not talk about what happened last time. He just unbuckled his seatbelt as he spoke.
They were already there, so she did not have a reason to decline. Furthermore, she was the one who told him that she was fine with any place. She silently unbuckled her seatbelt and followed him down the car.
“Hold on.”
Before they went inside, he opened the trunk and said to her, “Come over and accept your coming-of-age gifts first.”
At the mention of the word ‘gifts’, an expectant look appeared on her face. She darted over and was astonished to find several gift boxes inside. “Why are there so many?”
“The other two are from my roommates. The ones you met last time.”
She remembered. They were the two roommates she met when she went to his school the last time. “They still remember me?”
They had only met once a long time ago. She did not think that they would send her coming-of-age gifts and this made her feel rather embarrassed.
“How should I thank them?” she asked as she bit on her lower lip gently.
“Thank them? They only sent gifts because they’re coveting your beauty. Don’t mind them.”
She looked up at him and her expression was hard to read for a moment. Was that so?
Coveting my beauty?
He looked nonchalant. “Open your presents. Which one do you want to open first?”
She thought over it then said, “I’ll open Chufeng’s gift first.”
Since he was not there, she decided to open his gift first.
Yuchi Yishu paused and narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She nodded without noticing the change in his expression. “Yishu, which one of these is from Chufeng? Which one is yours?”
“The blue one is his. The purple one is mine.”
“Oh.”
He saw her gaze sweep past the purple gift box and onto the blue one excitedly.
After that, he stayed still for a long time until she turned around to look at him. “Yishu?”
He started moving his hands. Initially, she was waiting, with high expectations, for him to open Chufeng’s gift for her. But his hand went over to the purple box instead and tore it open.
She was baffled.
