extra

Today, the weather is sunny.

Wen Sheng, dressed in her graduation gown, stood in the square outside the school auditorium, holding her newly received diploma. The red cover gleamed in the sunlight, emblazoned with the school emblem in gold.

"Xu Jianing, stand over there and take a picture for me."

"Hey, lower it a little! The angle you're holding it at isn't good."

Wen Sheng directed him to stand in front of the school motto stone and strike a pose, the ever-present peace sign.

"Smile, cheese." Xu Jianing raised his camera and pressed the shutter.

"Next, at the library entrance!" Wen Sheng rubbed her stiff smile and pulled him along.

"Are you going to film the whole school?" Xu Jianing asked with a smile as she followed her.

"Of course! It's been four years, we should commemorate it properly. Besides, it would be such a waste of my camera if I only took a few pictures!"

As Wen Sheng spoke, she ran to the steps in front of the library and turned back to wave at him.

The sun was shining brightly, and her smile was radiant.

Xu Jianing raised his camera, aiming the lens at her smiling face. The shutter clicked, and as he looked at the image in the viewfinder, then looked up at her in reality, he suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

The person who always sat on a small chair at the library entrance memorizing vocabulary is really about to graduate.

Before, I carried an English vocabulary book; now, I carry a graduation certificate.

Wen Sheng ran down to grab the camera, her graduation gown fluttering in the wind.

"Let me see if you took a good picture!" She looked up and reached out to grab the camera, but Xu Jianing held it up even higher.

"I always feel like something's missing, don't you think?" He looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"What's missing?" Wen Sheng was still tiptoeing to grab it, not noticing the implication in his words.

Xu Jianing smiled at her, then suddenly turned to a classmate passing by and called out, "Excuse me, could you please take a group photo for us?"

"Of course!" the girl said with a smile as she took the camera.

"Ready? Three, two, one."

Just a second before the shutter was pressed, Xu Jianing suddenly turned her head and her lips landed on Wen Sheng's cheek.

In the photo, one person is slightly bent over with a smile on their lips; the other person's eyes are wide open, and they are completely stunned.

"Got it! This one's really nice!" The girl smiled and handed the camera back to them. "Wishing you happiness!"

"Th...thank you," Wen Sheng stammered, her face burning.

After the girl had walked away, Wen Sheng finally realized what was happening and shoved Xu Jianing hard: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand! My expression in this photo is one of utter astonishment."

"Then let me tell you in advance, I plan to take a photo like this at each location, what do you think?" Xu Jianing smiled slyly.

Wen Sheng thought for a moment, and was somewhat tempted by his words, "Then where shall we go next?"

"Go to the school gate."

"The main gate? Is there anything special about it?" she asked, puzzled.

"Of course." Xu Jianing held her hand and said with a smile, "I picked you up there. What you don't know is that I was so nervous on your birthday, afraid that you would go to another school."

The two held hands and prepared to walk towards the school gate.

"Wait, I'll go get the bike," he suddenly said.

Wen Sheng asked in surprise, "You still have that old bicycle? Didn't I tell you to sell it?"

“Why would I sell it? It’s a record of all the little things we’ve shared at this school. I wish it could be shrunk down so I could keep it,” he said.

"Go quickly, go quickly," Wen Sheng urged.

Not long after, Xu Jianing pushed over the somewhat faded old bicycle. The stickers they had put up together during their freshman year were still on the bike, though they had yellowed a bit, they were still clearly visible.

"Get in the car, this is the last time I'll take you on a tour of the campus."

Wen Sheng sat in the back seat, her hands naturally wrapping around his waist. After a few seconds, she began to explore restlessly and move around.

Xu Jianing glanced down; she was already used to it.

All morning, he carried her on that old bicycle, from one end of the campus to the other.

They went to the school gate, the place where he had picked her up. This time, he kissed her forehead.

They went to the cafeteria, the place where she had lunch on her first day at school. This time, he kissed the tip of her nose.

They went to the playground, the place where he had discovered her secretly exercising in preparation for the school sports meet. This time, the kiss landed on her cheek.

They went to the foreign language institute library, her favorite place. This time, he kissed the corner of her mouth.

At first, Wen Sheng pretended to find him childish, saying, "We've been dating for so long, why are you still so lovey-dovey?" But every time before she pressed the shutter, he would suddenly move closer and leave a kiss.

They arrived at their last destination, the school's artificial lake, their secret dating spot.

Wen Sheng suddenly said, "I'll do it this time."

"Hmm?" Xu Jianing looked at her in confusion.

Wen Sheng set up the camera, set the timer, then ran back and sat down next to him, silently counting down the days.

At the last second, she grabbed his collar and kissed him.

"Snap—"

The shutter clicked, freezing that moment in time.

Xu Jianing was stunned for a moment, then smiled, put his arm around her waist, and deepened the kiss.

Their shadows overlapped, and it took a long time for them to separate.

Wen Sheng's breathing was slightly disordered, her eyelashes were still trembling, and her eyes darted away when she saw the color on the other person's lips.

"I'm hungry," she whispered.

Xu Jianing chuckled softly, wiped the lipstick off her lips with her fingertip, and pulled her up from the ground: "Okay, let's go have a graduation feast."

"Let's go with the first canteen," Wen Sheng said seriously after thinking for a moment.

"Still want to eat that restaurant's braised pork?"

"Okay, I'd like to add a serving of scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

"good."

As soon as Wen Sheng sat on the back of the bicycle, her pager suddenly vibrated. She took it out and her smile instantly froze.

A string of numbers scrolled across the screen, followed by a few words:

"My brother is in trouble. Qingmiao left."

The bright sunlight, which was just moments ago, was instantly blocked by thick clouds, turning the sunny day into a cloudy one.

Xu Jianing noticed her unusual behavior and turned around to ask, "What's wrong?"

"Qingmiao sent a message saying that Brother Changshui was in trouble."

Xu Jianing's smile gradually faded, and her expression became serious.

"Something happened?" he repeated, pulling on the brakes. "Did she give me specifics?"

"No, I'll just say these few words."

The two looked at each other, and neither of them spoke again.

Xu Jianing was the first to come to her senses. After parking the car, she said to Wen Sheng, "Let's go find a phone booth and make a call to ask."