He pushed the menu toward her. “Is there anything else you want?”

Xu Zhilu noticed that most of the dishes Shen Siyan had ordered were her favorites, so she couldn’t complain.

He had ordered all the items she usually enjoyed.

“No, this is fine.”

Shen Siyan nodded and handed the menu back to the waiter.

After the waiter left, he poured two glasses of water.

As Xu Zhilu struggled with the yogurt bottle cap, Shen Siyan reached out and took it from her. “Let me help.”

“You don’t need to,” Xu Zhilu replied, not handing it over. “It’s not like I can’t open it.”

Just then, the cap came off.

She took a sip and asked calmly, “What were you going to say earlier?”

Shen Siyan glanced at the other table, clearly annoyed. “How can you chat with others while eating?”

Xu Zhilu retorted, “You can chat while playing sports, so why can’t I chat while eating?”

Shen Siyan laughed in frustration. “I’m an acquaintance.”

“Oh,” Xu Zhilu replied coldly, “so am I.”

Shen Siyan asked, “Who is he?”

Xu Zhilu followed his gaze and said, “Peng Jin. Don’t you know him?”

Shen Siyan curled his lips in a sour expression. “Who cares?”

Xu Zhilu found his reaction baffling.

“Did your boss scold you for buying yogurt?” she asked.

“?”

She muttered, “Your mood swings are even weirder than a girl’s.”

Shen Siyan was silent for a moment. “Alright, I’m moody.”

Xu Zhilu looked at him. “And you still don’t admit it.”

The two argued as if no one else was around, resembling a warm, everyday routine. Despite being generally kind, Xu Zhilu couldn’t help but banter with Shen Siyan.

They only stopped when the grilled fish arrived.

The food smelled so good that Xu Zhilu was eager to enjoy it rather than argue with Shen Siyan. She preferred to focus on the delicious meal.

–

When they finished eating, Peng Jin and his friends had already left.

Xu Zhilu didn’t mind, but Shen Siyan glanced at the empty seats and said, “Oh, your acquaintance is gone.”

Xu Zhilu rolled her eyes.

“I’m not blind,” Shen Siyan added.

“Let’s go home,” he said.

Xu Zhilu nodded and followed him out.

They took a taxi home. It was dark outside, and the breeze from the half-open window felt particularly pleasant.

Xu Zhilu, full and content, wanted to savor the moment in quiet. The sounds of the car horns and the wind made the world feel both tranquil and lively, without making her feel out of sync with it.

Shen Siyan held up the window, occasionally glancing at her and then at his phone.

The ride was mostly silent.

“We’ve arrived,” Shen Siyan said.

“What time are you going tomorrow?” Xu Zhilu asked.

She was surprised when he responded, “You want to go?”

Shen Siyan sneered and looked at her. “What do you think?”

Xu Zhilu pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll go with my classmates and teachers from school.”

Shen Siyan asked, “What time does school start?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“Got it. Go to bed early.”

Xu Zhilu studied him for a moment but said nothing further.

After they entered the house, Xu’s mother was still in the living room.

Upon seeing Xu Zhilu, her face changed. Just as she was about to scold her, Xu’s father came downstairs.

“Why are you so late?”

Xu Zhilu explained, “I was preparing for an English speech tomorrow, so I stayed at school a bit longer.”

Father Xu nodded. “Go to bed early.”

“Okay, I’ll go to my room now.”

As Xu Zhilu went upstairs, Xu’s mother muttered, “Look at her, coming home so late. A girl should be more careful.”

Father Xu frowned and said, “She said she stayed at school for a speech.”

Mother Xu snorted. “Who knows if that’s true?”

Father Xu was silent for a moment before calmly saying, “She came back with Si Yan. There’s nothing to worry about.”

This only made Xu’s mother more upset.

–

Xu Zhilu was unaware of the conversation between her parents and didn’t concern herself with it.

After returning to her room, she took a shower and went to bed early to prepare for her speech the next day.

The next morning, Xu Zhilu arrived at the school gate promptly at seven.

Seeing Shen Siyan, she was no longer surprised.

“Are you taking the school bus?”

Shen Siyan replied, “Yes.”

He added, “My mother prefers to use the driver.”

Xu Zhilu didn’t ask any more questions. “Let’s go.”

They rode their bikes to school. 

The meeting time was eight o’clock, but they arrived at seven-thirty. 

Shen Siyan suggested, “How about having breakfast?”

“Sure.”

After breakfast, several other students who were also going to give speeches arrived one after another.

There was only one English teacher leading the group, and he was from Xu Zhilu’s class.

Upon seeing Shen Siyan, the English teacher asked with a smile, “Shen Siyan, what are you doing here?”

Shen Siyan answered seriously, “Teacher, I’m here to study.”

The English teacher smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll take you to study.”

The group boarded the bus. Although the speech venue was in their city, it was quite far away.

Xu Zhilu stayed in her seat, continuing to recite her speech.

Even though she had memorized all the content, she still felt uneasy and somewhat inexplicably nervous.

After reading for a while, Shen Siyan glanced at her and asked, “Don’t you want to take a break?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head.

Shen Siyan said, “You’ll give a better speech if you’re well-rested. Aren’t you supposed to give your speeches in order?”

Xu Zhilu considered this and realized he had a point.

“Then I’ll take a nap,” she decided.

“Okay.”

Xu Zhilu leaned against the glass window and closed her eyes.

However, it wasn’t very comfortable.

She frowned, and a familiar voice came from the side, “Xu Zhilu.”

Without opening her eyes, she responded, “What?”

Shen Siyan paused before saying, “I find my shoulder quite comfortable. Would you like to lean on it?”

“…”