The two of them walked toward the bus stop.
As they passed a milk tea shop, Li Yang suddenly stopped.
“Want to get a cup of milk tea before heading back?” he asked.
An Ling glanced at the store.
It was a classic chain milk tea shop with a few tables and chairs outside.
Several young people were sitting there chatting.
“Sure.” She nodded.
The two walked inside, ordered two cups of milk tea, and found seats in a quiet corner.
There weren’t many customers inside.
The cool air from the air conditioner created a stark contrast with the noisy street outside.
An Ling placed her bag by her feet and slowly sipped her milk tea.
Li Yang sat across from her, also drinking.
He held his phone as if looking at it, but his gaze kept drifting toward her.
“What’s wrong?” An Ling noticed his stare.
“Nothing.” Li Yang looked away.
“Just thinking that you seem really happy today.”
An Ling paused.
It was true.
During that afternoon, she had actually forgotten about all her worries.
Ever since they started their little silent competition at the claw machines, she hadn’t felt as burdened.
And the surprise with the figurines at the end had made her so happy that she forgot her troubles for a while.
“Is it bad to be happy?”
An Ling asked.
“Of course not.” Li Yang scratched his head, unsure how to phrase it.
“It’s just… you’re usually so quiet and down.”
“Who… who’s down?”
An Ling muttered in protest.
After speaking, An Ling lowered her head and continued drinking her milk tea without saying another word.
Li Yang didn’t mind.
He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window at the street, lost in thought.
The two sat quietly like that for a while, each sipping their milk tea and lost in their own thoughts.
When An Ling had almost finished her drink, Li Yang suddenly spoke.
“An Ling.”
“Hm?”
“How… how was it living in H City?”
An Ling’s movements froze for a moment.
She looked up at Li Yang.
He was still gazing out the window, as if he had asked casually.
“It was okay,” she said.
“Just… average.”
“What does ‘okay’ mean?” Li Yang pressed.
“Good or not good?”
An Ling stayed silent for a while.
Good or not good?
Her life in H City hadn’t actually been bad.
New school, new classmates, new environment.
Even though her parents were busy, they still spent time with her on weekends.
But…
“It’s just okay,” she finally replied.
“Nothing particularly good, nothing particularly bad either.”
Li Yang turned to look at her, as if he wanted to ask more, but in the end he just said, “Finished your milk tea?”
“Yeah, it’s finished.”
An Ling answered.
“Let’s go then.” Li Yang stood up.
“We should head back.
Grandma will start worrying if we’re too late.”
An Ling nodded, stood up, and picked up her bag.
The two left the milk tea shop and continued toward the bus stop.
***
There weren’t many people on the bus.
They found seats in the back row again.
An Ling sat by the window as usual, placing her bag at her feet while watching the scenery outside.
As the bus started moving, the view outside slowly slid backward.
Li Yang, sitting beside her, had fallen asleep at some point.
His head rested against the seatback, breathing steady and even.
An Ling turned to look at him.
He’s sleeping so soundly.
She lowered her eyes.
Her tail unconsciously swished.
She considered herself a terrible person.
Why did she run away for three years?
Because she didn’t want to lose Li Yang as a friend, didn’t have the heart to cut ties completely, and didn’t want to die.
So she left, telling herself it was the only solution.
In reality, she had just run away like a coward, fleeing to a world without Li Yang.
And because of the changes to her body, she became afraid of discrimination there and ran back again.
She was nothing but a coward.
All she knew how to do was escape.
Even though she knew it wasn’t solving anything, she still chose to run.
The bus drove through familiar streets and unfamiliar neighborhoods.
The scenery outside kept changing as the afterglow of the setting sun gradually spread across the sky.
When they arrived at their stop, An Ling gently nudged Li Yang.
“We’re here.”
Li Yang groggily opened his eyes.
“Huh? We’re here already?”
“Mm.”
They stood up, grabbed their bags, and got off the bus.
Walking side by side, they passed through the familiar small alley.
“Did you have fun today?” Li Yang asked.
“Mm.” An Ling nodded.
“It was good.”
“That’s good.” Li Yang smiled.
“As long as you weren’t bored.”
When they reached her front door, An Ling stopped.
“I’m going in.”
“Okay. Take your time,” Li Yang nodded.
“Mm, bye.”
An Ling opened the door, walked inside, and slowly closed it behind her.
The moment the door shut, she leaned against it and let out a long breath.
The house was very quiet.
An Ling stood there for a moment before turning on the living room light and placing her bag on the coffee table.
She took out the Hatsune Miku figurine from her canvas bag and examined it carefully under the light.
For the price, the craftsmanship was already quite good.
She never expected to win it through such a bizarre method in the end.
An Ling placed the Hatsune Miku on her bedside table, then went to the bathroom to take a shower.
After changing into her pajamas, she climbed into bed.
Today had actually been really fun.
Even though she had spent the whole day with Li Yang again, even though she had come into contact with so many things…
“Sigh~”
An Ling rolled over and buried her face in her tail.
Forget it. Stop thinking about it.
She got up from the bed, took out her homework, and continued working on the parts she hadn’t finished yet.
She didn’t want to forget about it later.
Just as she sat down at her desk and had been working for a short while, a familiar sound came from outside the window.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
An Ling’s ears twitched.
That guy is at it again.
She pulled open the curtains.
Sure enough, the big idiot opposite her was standing by his window holding the clothes-drying pole.
The moment he saw her, he broke into a wide grin and waved at her.
An Ling took a deep breath and pushed open her window.
“Yo! Long time no see,” Li Yang said.
“We literally just got back together this afternoon.”
“Oh? Did we?” Li Yang pretended to think hard.
An Ling was left speechless by his silly antics.
Her tail flicked.
She couldn’t be bothered to retort.
“Where did you put your Hatsune Miku?” Li Yang asked, stretching his neck to peek into her room.
But the curtains blocked most of the view.
“On the bedside table,” An Ling replied.
“What about yours?”
“On the bookshelf,” Li Yang said.
“There are too many random things on my bedside table.
It’s hard to find space.”
“Then clean it up.”
An Ling looked at him.
This guy had been like this since they were kids—his bedside table was always cluttered with stuff.
“What’s with that look?” Li Yang noticed her gaze.
“A look of disdain.”
“Oh! You must be thinking about my room!” Li Yang protested.
“I’ve gotten better at tidying up now.
It’s just that there are too many cables and power banks on the bedside table.”
“Oh, that’s a huge improvement,” An Ling said in a flat tone.
“Why does your tone sound like you’re mocking me?”
“No, I’m being sincere.”
An Ling blinked innocently.