Chapter 45 "Lift your head up a little, then..."

"Lift your head up a little, a little more, yes, then raise your hands to press down on your hat, right hand, right hand..."

Orange-red bouquets cascaded down in front of the gray-white wall. Tourists thronged the area. Under Ouyang Qian's guidance, Fang Minzhou struck a pose: leaning against the flower wall, her right hand pressing down on the brim of her knitted straw hat. Her face was hot, half from the sun and half from embarrassment.

"Okay, smile and close your eyes."

Fang Minzhou did as instructed. Sunlight, filtering through the flowers and straw hat, danced before her eyes. Before Ouyang Qian could say "Okay," she first heard her complain, "Wang Kan, you're blocking the camera."

Fang Minzhou's eyelids trembled slightly.

A few seconds later, she finally heard Ouyang Qian say it was okay, and then she opened her eyes. A patch of red and black colors receded into the distance, and as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw Wang Kan tilting her head to glance at Ouyang Qian's phone screen.

Fang Minzhou: "..."

He opened his mouth, unsure whether to feel ashamed or angry.

Ouyang Qian waved to Wang Kan, "Come on over, come on over, let me take a picture of you."

Wang Kan made a fist and covered his mouth to clear his throat, then swaggered over to Fang Minzhou's side with a slightly awkward air.

Fang Minzhou instinctively tried to dodge, but she braced herself and stood still, looking down at the tips of her shoes and the scattered fallen flowers on the ground. Only when another pair of white sneakers appeared in her line of sight did she raise her head and pretend to be calm as she looked at Ouyang Qian's camera.

It wasn't the first time they'd taken a group photo, but elementary school student Xu Ran just grabbed her phone and snapped a picture without saying anything like, "Get closer, why are you standing so far away?"

Fang Minzhou didn't move an inch, not even glancing at him, but she felt Wang Kan take a step towards her, then another small step, until their sleeves were almost touching in the warm summer breeze.

Ouyang Qian was still not satisfied, demanding to hold hands or touch cheeks, "Are you two even dating?"

Fang Minzhou's head suddenly exploded, and she didn't want to film anymore, but Wang Kan suddenly put his arm around her shoulder.

Fang Minzhou looked at Wang Kan in surprise. Wang Kan suppressed a laugh and looked down to meet her gaze. After a second or two, he licked his lips, said nothing, and turned his face away, revealing his bright red earlobes.

Fang Minzhou's heart raced, and she felt dizzy as she turned her head back to face the camera. Although she had turned her head, her attention was still entirely on the hand that Wang Kan had wrapped around her.

She recalled the secret hug they shared in the woods last winter, but back then they were both bundled up, unlike now, when summer clothes were thin. She could almost feel the muscles and warmth of Wang Kan's arms, and... the strength with which he held her. At first, he gripped her tightly, but after a while, perhaps realizing it, he relaxed a little.

Time flies. How did I suddenly find myself standing openly in the June sunshine?

However, it's not entirely true that it's aboveboard and aboveboard.

This was the third day of their graduation trip, but now everyone was scattered, and only the three of them were nearby, which allowed Ouyang Qian to tease them without restraint. Even without classmates, passersby were still casting their gazes, and given the already hot weather, Fang Minzhou felt like she was about to get heatstroke.

The graduation trip was mainly organized by Yin Mengran. Originally, it was planned to be a trip with a few close female friends, but the group gradually expanded, and Wang Kan joined at some point. However, Fang Minzhou wanted to go out and have fun anyway, and it was impossible for her to go alone with Wang Kan, so this arrangement was fine.

She had acted first and informed her parents later, worried that they might feel unsafe or want to wait for the results. To her surprise, they readily agreed. When asked who would be going, Fang Minzhou named Ouyang Qian and Yin Mengran, "...about a dozen classmates."

"Are there any boys?" the mother asked.

Fang Minzhou was startled, “...Yes.”

The mother, on the contrary, thought it was good to have a boy with you, so that you could look out for each other. "You two need to be careful, book a good hotel, and be careful about hygiene when eating out."

Fang Minzhou didn't dare look at her father and nodded repeatedly in response.

Finally, a four-day, three-night trip was finalized, with the destination being a coastal city further south.

We departed by high-speed train on the first morning, and after checking in that afternoon, we braved the scorching sun to explore. From the pedestrian street near the hotel, we walked all the way to the university town. On the beach where we watched the sunset, we saw upperclassmen taking graduation photos in their gowns. That scene felt unfamiliar, distant, yet somehow alluring to us soon-to-be university students. That evening, while eating seafood at the night market, we overheard a farewell dinner at the next table. Everyone listened intently, their conversation flowing like a whispered secret, as if the heavens had given them a glimpse into their future four years from now, even though they didn't understand much of what they were saying.

The next day, we headed to the pier early to go on a day trip to a nearby island.

But actually... she and Wang Kan haven't yet broken through the barrier between them.

They took the college entrance exam in different exam halls. The teacher appreciation banquet was the first time they met after the exam, so they naturally kept a distance from each other. The karaoke room was noisy and chaotic, and even after her father came to pick her up, she and Wang Kan didn't get to exchange more than a few words.

Although they chatted on QQ every day, the content was similar to before, which made Fang Minzhou a little confused. How should she talk about being in a relationship? She was already feeling guilty about their relationship. After hiding it for so long, she didn't know how to bring it out into the open when it was time to go public.

Is it time to say something like "We can date now," like a stamp? Even if it's going to be said, it should be said in person, to be more formal. And she had a feeling that Wang Kan thought the same way.

It's a strange sense of ritual, but we've already gone through two years like this, so what's a couple more days?

Today was a free day. Some went to explore shops, while others went to the botanical garden. Fang Minzhou and a few classmates, including Ouyang Qian, chose to visit the residential community near the fishing port in the afternoon. They split up in twos and threes, and Wang Kan somehow ended up with them.

After the photo was finally taken, she immediately distanced herself from Wang Kan, who then slowly withdrew his hand and innocently shrugged at her. Fang Minzhou was both annoyed and amused, and quickly walked towards Ouyang Qian.

"The exams are all over, so why..." As soon as Ouyang Qian opened her mouth, Fang Minzhou wanted to pinch her mouth shut.

“Um,” Wang Kan, who had followed, said with a shifty look in her eyes, “remember to send me the photos.”

Ouyang Qian smiled at Wang Kan and Fang Minzhou, saying, "I'll send it to you when we get back."

She considered giving the two of them some alone time, but before she could find a chance to slip away, Wang Kan created trouble for herself by asking, "Want some shaved ice? I'll go buy some."

After saying that, he ran towards a small shop with a long queue not far away.

Ouyang Qian looked at Fang Minzhou, but Fang Minzhou ignored Ouyang Qian's teasing expression, took out her phone, and changed the subject, "I haven't taken a picture for you yet."

Ouyang Qian thought it was kind of cute that the two of them were so famous.

After Fang Minzhou finished taking photos of Ouyang Qian, it was almost time for Wang Kan's group to get to the front of the line. She and Ouyang Qian walked over, and Wang Kan confirmed with her, "Blueberry flavor?"

Fang Minzhou nodded.

Ouyang Qian pouted and called out to the shop owner, "I want mango flavor!"

"Okay, little girl!" the old woman replied warmly.

Fang Minzhou then realized that Ouyang Qian had made fun of her again, and her face turned even redder. She pressed the brim of her hat down even further.

Wang Kan took the shaved ice from the old woman and handed it to her. Fang Minzhou seemed to notice for the first time the obvious blue veins on the back of his hand and forearm, like the veins of a plant breaking through the soil, disappearing into the firm muscles of his upper arm.

The shaved ice was so cold it was burning hot, and the fingertips of the other person you accidentally touched were even hotter.

The three of them continued wandering aimlessly along the paths of this cultural community, eventually encountering other people along the way.

Some of the boys winked and made noises, and Wang Kan glanced at Fang Minzhou, who was drinking shaved ice in silence, and walked over to signal them to shut up. So the boys chased after her, playing around and making a ruckus, looking back every few steps, while the girls walked slowly.

"Is it good?" Yin Mengran asked Fang Minzhou, looking at the shaved ice in his hand.

Fang Minzhou: "Mm."

However, Yin Mengran was clearly just using shaved ice as a starting point, "I haven't asked you about it before..."

Fang Minzhou guessed what she was going to ask.

“So you and…” she gestured to Wang Kan.

Fang Minzhou was a little embarrassed. It sounded like some kind of historical appraisal, but… she nodded.

Yin Mengran suddenly looked up and sighed heavily. Fang Minzhou was taken aback, then burst out laughing. Yin Mengran laughed along with her, saying with a sigh, "I knew it."

Fang Minzhou was surprised again.

“I’m very smart, okay? I’ve never seen Wang Kan ask any other girls questions,” Yin Mengran said. “You guys kept it a secret so well. Actually, everyone guessed it, but it just didn’t seem very likely.”

Fang Minzhou pursed her lips, offering no explanation.

Yin Mengran nudged her shoulder. "Do you know when I started to have doubts?"

Fang Minzhou looked at her.

Yin Mengran paused for a moment, and seeing that Fang Minzhou was not in a hurry at all, she lost. "It was during the second year of high school sports meet when we went to the small commodity wholesale market together."

Fang Minzhou thought for a moment. Back then, she and Wang Kan hadn't had anything going on at all, right? "Why?"

"It's obvious, he's treating you to egg waffles."

"He often treats people to meals."

“No way, I’ve never been invited,” Yin Mengran said. “Besides, if he really wanted to invite someone, why did he only buy two?”

Fang Minzhou was both amused and exasperated. Yin Mengran's words reminded her of that day, and she even felt a little nostalgic. However, it seemed that they had argued again at the end of that day.

Yin Mengran suddenly asked again, "...We're friends, right?"

Fang Minzhou asked in surprise, "Yes."

Yin Mengran looked embarrassed, then made up her mind: "There's something I need to tell you, because I feel... that way I can continue to be your friend in the future."

Fang Minzhou felt a sense of doubt; she couldn't imagine what could be going on.

"But you can't be angry with me after I tell you, okay?"

Fang Minzhou chuckled and agreed.

Just as she was talking non-stop, Yin Mengran suddenly shut her mouth: Oh no, how did it turn into T saying bad things about Wang Kan in front of Fang Minzhou?

"Pfft." Fang Minzhou laughed.

Actually... she wasn't unaware of it, but what were her feelings at the time? She couldn't quite remember.

Yin Mengran breathed a sigh of relief, hooked her arm around Fang Minzhou's, and said in a coquettish tone, "Isn't it annoying? We're clearly the ones who sit next to each other..."

Fang Minzhou echoed.

"I remember your relationship was really bad from the start, so when did you start liking him? What do you like about him? You only care about his looks? Really?"

Fang Minzhou was amused by Yin Mengran, "I don't know, I haven't thought about it."

I really never thought of that.

However, she seemed to have asked Wang Kan this question before, but he didn't answer her, and she didn't really care about his answer.

To like someone is to like everything about them, at least everything you know about them right now. Fang Minzhou wondered if her way of thinking was a bit too one-dimensional.

It's like a math problem: you either know it or you don't. For a problem you only partially understand, you might be able to write out some steps and get a few points even if you rack your brains. Similarly, you might be able to find something interesting about someone you're not interested in by carefully examining them. But the former won't get full marks, and the latter doesn't mean you truly like them.

"Hey, wanna go eat?"

She and Yin Mengran were too far behind, and the students in front of them turned around and called out to them.

They were walking uphill, with distant mountains and nearby trees, and colorful houses on both sides looking dreamlike in the sunset.

"Eat!" Yin Mengran shouted back, then asked Fang Minzhou curiously, "Have you decided how to fill out your college applications?"

"Let's wait until the college entrance exam results come out before we see."

“That’s true,” Yin Mengran said, “but you’ll definitely be fine.”

Fang Minzhou smiled slightly, "Thank you, you too."

They remained silent about how they did on the college entrance exam, but during their trip they made a special trip to a local temple and offered incense and prayers in a very respectful manner.

Climbing the hill was tiring, but everyone kept laughing and joking. Anyone who was panting heavily would be laughed at. Fortunately, no matter how tiring or long the road was, it eventually came to an end. The group finally reached the top of the hill, and the view was breathtaking. The sun was almost within reach.