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On Saturday, the morning breeze gently blew, causing the curtains in Shu Ran's room to sway. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting intermittent rays on the desk. The person in bed turned over and, after a few seconds, lazily sat up, remaining still for a few minutes in a daze.
Once the morning grogginess faded completely, Shu Ran stretched and climbed out of bed.
Just as she finished tidying up the blankets, there was a knock at the door, and her mother’s voice came from outside: “Shu Ran, breakfast is ready.”
“Okay, I’ll be down in a moment.” After hearing her response, the person outside went downstairs.
Shu Ran slipped on her slippers and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains. Sunlight instantly flooded the entire room, dazzling her. Shu Ran smiled lightly as she looked at the sunlit room, feeling warm and cozy.
After washing up, Shu Ran headed downstairs.
Meanwhile, her phone lay quietly on the table from two o'clock last night until ten this morning.
...
Shu Ran's father passed away in an accident a few years ago. Her mother is a university professor who has been silently supporting the family alone for these past years.
Her older brother and sister-in-law have been married for six years and have a lovely little boy named Yuyu. Her brother and sister-in-law run a bubble tea shop near the school, which is doing fairly well. Whenever Shu Ran has time off, she helps out at the shop.
As Shu Ran came downstairs, her nephew Yuyu was riding a tricycle in the living room. Upon seeing Shu Ran, he sweetly called out, “Auntie,” then jumped off his bike and ran over to her for a hug.
Shu Ran smiled and opened her arms to pick him up, pinching his little face as she asked, “Tell Auntie, have you had breakfast?”
Yuyu raised his chubby little hands and showed ten fingers, saying, “I ate this many bowls!”
Shu Ran pretended to widen her eyes in surprise. “Wow! Our Yuyu is so amazing; he ate this many bowls! Come here, let Auntie feel your little belly and see if it’s as round as a big watermelon.” As she said this, she pretended to poke his belly but actually tickled him instead, making Yuyu giggle uncontrollably.
Nearby, Mom Shu watched them play around with a smile and shook her head. “Alright, alright, enough fun. Shu Ran, hurry up and eat. After breakfast, take him to your brother's shop. I have a meeting today and will probably be back late; you two can handle dinner.”
Shu Ran nodded.
After finishing breakfast, Shu Ran went upstairs to change her clothes.
She wore a simple white t-shirt paired with cropped jeans and tied her hair in a ponytail, feeling like she was back in her student days.
Just as she was about to head downstairs, she remembered her phone was still on the table, so she turned back to grab it. As soon as she unlocked the screen, a wave of unread messages appeared; she realized she had joined a WeChat group at some point. Her thoughts drifted back to last night, when it seemed like it had been mentioned. The people in the group were chatting, and Shu Ran glanced through the messages, which were mostly casual conversations.
...
The subway around ten in the morning was not crowded. Shu Ran held Yuyu's hand and found a seat. A few students were discussing where to hang out. Their cheerful voices could be heard from afar, full of youthful energy.
Shu Ran couldn't help but wonder what her student days had been like.
Perhaps it was waking up at six every morning, sipping milk while reviewing her lessons on a crowded bus.
Perhaps it was paying close attention in class and taking notes, never running around after lessons.
Perhaps it was going for milk tea with Zhou Jiajia after school, heading home together while listening to her talk about who confessed to whom at school, who was dating whom, and finally hearing about the boy she liked and what he was like.
Life back then seemed so dull, yet Shu Ran suddenly felt nostalgic.
When the subway arrived at the station, those students got off, and Shu Ran took Yuyu's hand again.
As they exited the subway station, they walked just a few steps before spotting Dazhangwan Milk Tea Shop. Shu Ran's sister-in-law Yu Xinyou was at the counter taking orders. When she looked up and saw them, she smiled and waved.
Yuyu saw her mother and let go of Shu Ran's hand, running over. Shu Ran followed behind, quickening her pace.
As soon as she walked into the store, the two young men inside greeted her, and Shu Ran smiled in response. The store was a bit lively today; Shu Ran's brother, Shu Yi, was busy in the kitchen. Upon seeing her, he said, "You're here."
Shu Ran stood by the sink and replied, "Yeah."
"You came home so late last night and didn't sleep in a bit today," Shu Yi remarked.
"It's fine. I'll just go to bed early tonight," Shu Ran said as she squeezed some hand soap and carefully washed her hands. "By the way, brother, I have plans to watch a movie with friends this afternoon. I don't know when I'll be back. Mom has something to do and won't be home for dinner, so you guys can decide what you want to eat."
"Okay," Shu Yi said, feeling somewhat relieved. Ever since that incident a few years ago, Shu Ran had been unable to move on, isolating herself in her own world for a long time. She had become even more introverted than before.
Shu Yi had always felt sorry for his sister; no matter what happened, she kept everything bottled up inside and refused to let others down, pushing herself forward step by step.
Fortunately, it seemed that over the past two years, she had started to come to terms with things and was slowly emerging from her shell.
After washing her hands, Shu Ran went out to help, taking over Yu Xinyou's position so that she could spend some time with Yuyu.
A young boy who was about to place an order noticed the beautiful older sister who had replaced Yu Xinyou and turned a bit red, stuttering as he spoke. However, Shu Ran smiled warmly and confidently introduced him to the different types of milk tea.
Time passed by minute by minute.
...
At the top floor of Qin Building.
Early in the morning, Qin Xian received a report detailing how his subordinates had betrayed him, with each instance listed clearly.
Qin Xian was furious and erupted in anger.
Even the secretary who brought in the documents dared not say a word; the pressure emanating from him was so intense that it felt like he was about to explode at any moment.
Qin Xian seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes dark as he suddenly focused on a picture frame on the table. Inside the frame was a photo of a girl, her smile radiant. He had seen this photo countless times, yet he had never witnessed her smile like that in front of him.
He suddenly recalled how fragile she looked, yet when he held her, she felt soft and warm. There was also her unique, alluring scent that lingered in his memory.
Thinking of her made him feel an unbearable heat, and he muttered a curse under his breath.
He felt like he was going insane.
...
At two in the afternoon, the summer heat reached its peak, and everyone avoided facing the sun directly. The shop finally enjoyed a moment of quiet as a few people gathered around a table, just finishing their lunch.
Shu Ran hurriedly packed her bag when Shu Yi asked, "Aren't you going to finish your lunch before leaving?"
Shu Ran shook her head and replied, "I don't have time. I ate at ten this morning, so I'm not hungry now. You all enjoy."
Yu Xinyou emerged from the kitchen with two cups of frozen lemonade and handed one to her, saying, "Drink this on your way; it's hot outside. Be careful not to get heatstroke."
"Thank you, sister-in-law. I'm off now," Shu Ran waved goodbye to them.
A gray Toyota came to a steady stop at the corner. The person inside saw Shu Ran and honked the horn. She noticed and walked over.
The person in the car opened the door and stepped out. Dressed in light blue sportswear, it looked like they had just returned from a run, radiating their usual sunshine.
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