Window words bloom

Their eyes met briefly, and Lu Yu lifted his eyelids, coldly uttering a few words: "Qin Xiao, what are you doing?"

A meaningful smile played on Qin Xiao's lips: "Lu Yu, I don't need to report to you what I do, do I?"

The two were on the verge of exchanging barbs, and passersby began to cast strange glances at them.

Qiao Yu wondered whether she should try to persuade him.

Unable to find a way to speak, he simply turned his gaze to the two people next to Qin Xiao.

The two men understood immediately and pulled Qin Xiao back a step, saying, "Never mind, we're all classmates..."

Qin Xiao snorted coldly; he and Lu Yu had never gotten along.

Both were popular with girls, one was first in the grade, the other last...

I get annoyed just looking at his serious face all the time.

But it seems he discovered something, and the fact that he stood up for a girl only fueled Qin Xiao's competitive spirit.

His gaze shifted, and he grinned, "Qiao Yu, are you coming or not...?"

Qiao Yu was stunned by his sudden words and was about to say that they should go their separate ways.

Lu Yu stepped forward and stood in front of her.

Qiao Yu: "..."

The boy was about 1.8 meters tall, almost a head taller than her, and her gaze just landed on his shoulder.

This was the first time someone had stood in front of her like this, protecting her.

Qiao Yu was momentarily stunned. When she came to her senses again, Lu Yu was standing to the side, his eyes fixed on her.

As if burned by something, Qiao Yu quickly took a step back, and the tips of her ears also quietly turned light red.

Are you going to go with him?

His voice was soft and low, carrying a sense of restraint, yet also a touch of gentleness.

Seeing this, Qin Xiao became even more enthusiastic: "Qiao Yu, let's go..."

Qiao Yu didn't know what was wrong with her. She took a step behind Lu Yu, turned her head to Qin Xiao, and said, "I'm not leaving..."

Qin Xiao gritted his teeth and left, feeling utterly disappointed.

After Lu Yu saw the person walk away, he put down the bicycle stand and turned around.

The girl looked up, her eyes reflecting the lingering glow of the setting sun, and a natural smile curved her lips. "Thank you, Lu..."

This was their first conversation.

Her voice is very pleasant, clear and pure.

.

It's almost the end of September.

Just after school ended and Lu Yu left, Yang Yu leaned close to Qiao Yu and asked, "Qiao Qiao, what are you planning to do during the National Day holiday?"

Qiao Yu thought for a moment: "Read books and do practice problems."

"Hey, no way! Let's go out for a walk, see a movie...it's good to balance work and rest..."

"Hmm, shall we meet again?"

"Alright, top student, remember to answer my call..."

"good......"

On October 1st, Qin Xiao and his classmates went on a three-day trip.

Wang Yingxuan also wanted to take Qiao Yu out for a few days, but was refused, saying that she had to go to the library to study.

Wang Yingxuan couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to go and have some alone time with Qin Zhi.

Qiao Yu was home alone, enjoying freedom and peace.

So I searched for nearby libraries and decided to go there to read and study.

library.

The afternoon sun streamed through the library's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long stripes of light on the wooden bookshelves. The air was filled with the distinctive scent of ink from old books, mixed with the cool breeze from the air conditioner, making everyone feel refreshed.

In the aisles between the bookshelves, people occasionally walk by quietly, making a soft sound. At the desk by the window, someone is writing notes with their head down, the paper making a rustling sound. Everything is quiet and harmonious.

Qiao Yu took a few books, walked to the corner desk by the window and sat down. On one side, she could see the old alley and all sorts of people passing by downstairs.

On the other side of the corner is an artificial lake. The lake is still and undisturbed, with only the occasional swan gliding by, creating ripples.

Quiet times always pass quickly. After finishing two literature books, Qiao Yu glanced at the time and saw that it was 5 p.m.

She got up to return the book, and when she returned, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the other side of the corner.

The boy had his back to us, wearing a pure white T-shirt, and was looking down as he flipped through something. The last rays of the setting sun slanted through and shone on his side.

There were seven or eight empty seats between the two people, separated by a corner.

Qiao Yu, who was not paying attention to where she was going, slipped on the step and stumbled, bumping into the edge of the table with a soft "thud".

Several disapproving glances immediately fell upon her from the side. Qiao Yu blushed, lowered her head, and pulled out a chair to sit down.

Lu Yu, who was around the corner, turned around slowly upon hearing the sound.

The girl buried her head and began to do her homework, seemingly shy, her cheeks and earlobes flushed.

She even raised her hand to gently rub her reddened earlobes, the color getting darker the more she rubbed.

After Lu Yu turned back, Qiao Yu turned her head away hesitantly. He was still there. She hadn't expected Lu Yu to come here.

The sun was slowly setting in the west, and the people in the library were gradually leaving.

The streetlights on the sidewalk outside the window suddenly became bright.

When Qiao Yu checked the time, it was already past 7 p.m. She subconsciously looked to the other side of the corner, where Lu Yu had just stood up, hung his backpack on his shoulder, and pushed his chair forward with one hand.

As he turned away, Qiao Yu looked away and began packing her things.

By the time she finished getting ready and stood up, Lu Yu had already disappeared.

Stepping out of the library, the sky was already a deep, inky black. Qiao Yu stood on the uneven pavement of the sidewalk, the orange lights overhead casting their glow on her.

She took out her phone and searched for nearby snacks.

"Zhang's Snacks, a ten-year-old establishment."

Using the navigation, Qiao Yu found it was in a nearby alley and started walking towards it.

The zebra crossing gleamed pale under the streetlights, and a small green figure lit up on the other side, with a few scattered figures moving back and forth.

Zhang's Snacks

The restaurant was filled with the aroma of food, and the tables and chairs were arranged neatly.

There weren't many people in the shop at the time; only four or five people were sitting at each of the five or six small square tables.

Qiao Yu encountered Lu Yu again.

He sat in the innermost seat against the wall, his schoolbag on a chair beside him, eating rice with his head down, while a dish of vegetables and soup steamed in front of him.

"Miss, see what you'd like to eat. Feel free to sit anywhere."

The proprietress's warm greeting drew her attention back.

Qiao Yu chose a seat near the door, glanced at the menu, and ordered a bowl of wontons.

"The wontons will take a little while to arrive; I made them fresh."

"good......"

Steam rose from the kitchen. Two people finished eating and left one after the other, and the not-so-spacious room became quieter again.

Before long, the proprietress came over with a big, steaming bowl, all smiles. "The wontons are here. They're a little hot, so eat slowly."

They even thoughtfully gave her a small empty bowl, chopsticks, and a soup spoon.

Qiao Yu: "Thank you..."

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Try it and come back often if you like it."

Qiao Yu smiled gently.

The freshly cooked wontons were indeed very hot, no wonder the proprietress gave her a small bowl. Qiao Yu picked out a few wontons and scooped out a few spoonfuls of soup.

He puffed out his cheeks, blew on it, and then put it in his mouth.

With a slight smile, I thought, "Mmm, delicious, second only to Grandma's wontons."

Qiao Yu had just finished eating what was in her small bowl and was about to pick up more when her chopsticks paused almost imperceptibly for a second.

Lu Yu strode out the door past her with his long legs.

Qiao Yu didn't think much of it and continued eating calmly. The owner's wontons were too big, and she was very hungry tonight, so she only managed to eat two-thirds of them.

The proprietress warmly asked her if it suited her taste and if she was full.

"It's delicious, but the portion is a bit too big..."

"It's alright, it's alright. I'll make you a small bowl next time."

After saying goodbye to the proprietress, Qiao Yu stepped out of the snack shop with her schoolbag on her back.

Only a few dim lights remained in the alley, and one could vaguely hear several elderly people sitting on small stools not far away, fanning themselves and chatting.

Wang Yingxuan called at that moment: "Xiaoyu, have you had dinner? Are you home yet?"

"Just finished eating, about to go back."

"It's already dark, why don't you take a taxi home?"

“It’s not far from home, I can ride a shared bike back.”

"Be careful and send your mom a message when you get home."

As Qiao Yu stepped out of the alley, a row of yellow shared bicycles was parked on the roadside. She found one, scanned the code, and with a "click," just as she reached out to hold it, a familiar mountain bike front wheel suddenly appeared beside her.

Qiao Yu glanced sideways and saw Lu Yu sitting on the bicycle, his hands firmly on the ground, his long legs dangling down for support.

Under the dim streetlights, his dark eyes were fixed on her.

Qiao Yu blinked: "You..."

"Do you not know me?"

"ah?"

"...Let's ride bikes together."

"I'm going home."

"...I want to go home too."

As dusk fell, the two rode their bicycles side by side, the occasional soft ringing of nearby bicycle bells mingling with the sound of the wind.

As they crossed the intersection, Lu Yu subconsciously slowed down and turned his head to see if Qiao Yu was keeping up. Their shadows overlapped on the ground and then slowly separated as the wheels turned.

A gentle breeze, still carrying the warmth of the night, blew past, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples. At a red light intersection in front of the residential complex, she could see the warm yellow LED strip on the gate.

Qiao Yu couldn't help but ask, "I'm almost there, so you...?"

Lu Yu looked ahead and said calmly, "On the way."

"......"

When the green light came on, Qiao Yu gently shook the handlebars, stepped on the pedals, and rode away.

She didn't notice that Lu Yu behind her had stopped in place.

When Qiao Yu rode across the road, she realized that someone was missing behind her, so she parked her bicycle at the parking area outside the community gate.

The green light came on again in the distance, and on the bike path, that tall figure swayed and slowly rode onto the zebra crossing...

The next day, unable to resist Yang Yu's invitation, the two went shopping and watched a movie.

Yang Yu talked about balancing work and rest, but for Qiao Yu, once was enough. There were too many people shopping and the movie theater was too noisy.

For the next few days, Qiao Yu went to the library on time every afternoon. Sometimes she arrived earlier, and sometimes Lu Yu arrived earlier.

The two remained silent, each sitting in their usual spot, engrossed in their books.

As dusk fell, they went to Zhang's restaurant one after the other. Lu Yu always ate faster than her, so he would wait for her on his bicycle.

Let's leisurely ride our bikes back together.

October 5th.

The library was busier today; when Qiao Yu arrived, there were already quite a few people sitting by the window.

Lu Yu didn't sit in his usual spot, but moved closer to the corner.

There were only two empty seats left on Qiao Yu's side, near the corner.

She gripped the strap of her backpack and started walking.

As if hearing a sound, Lu Yu turned around with a calm expression, wanting to say something, but upon seeing that it was her, he closed his lips, only nodded politely to her, and turned back.

Qiao Yu: "..."

Qiao Yu finally pulled out a chair and sat down, leaving one seat empty in the middle.

The sound of turning pages came from behind me, and occasionally I could hear the "swish swish" of a pen scratching on paper.

As the sun gradually turned into a golden sunset, the crowds in the library thinned out once more.

A soft voice came from behind: "Let's go eat."

The lingering notes, tinged with the languor of evening, gently brushed past my ears.

Qiao Yu paused for a moment and turned around. Lu Yu was already packing up his stationery. He smiled slightly and said, "Let's go."

"oh......"

The two entered Zhang's Snack Shop one after the other.

The proprietress looked up, first surprised, then slowly smiled: "Are you classmates?"

Lu Yu nodded.

"Oh, that's great! You all seem to be good students. Find a seat and see what you'd like to eat?"

Lu Yu turned around and pointed with his chin to the spot where Qiao Yu often sat. There were already two people sitting there, so Qiao Yu naturally felt embarrassed to sit down there as well.

She walked past Lu Yu and sat down in a spot against the wall inside. Lu Yu put down his backpack and sat opposite her.

Qiao Yu glanced at the menu and was about to order when Lu Yu interrupted her: "Aren't you tired of eating wontons every day?"

Qiao Yu looked up, feeling a little embarrassed, opened her mouth but then swallowed it back.

Lu Yu smiled and said, "Let's have stir-fried rice. Order whatever you want."

"I...can't finish it..."

Qiao Yu always saw Lu Yu eating a dish, a soup, and two bowls of rice with great relish, and she wanted to order the same thing, but she couldn't finish it all, so she could only order noodles or wontons instead.

Lu Yu: "I'm here."

Those five simple words sent a shiver down Qiao Yu's spine.