Gift

Today happens to be the weekend, and the afternoon sun lazily shines on the streets, giving everything a soft glow.

Gu Hanzhi was curled up on the sofa, flipping through an old magazine, when her phone suddenly vibrated in the quiet room, shattering her tranquility. She picked up the phone and saw a message from Jiang Wanning: "Usual place, come quickly."

Meanwhile, Shen Zhihe was taking a nap by the window of a coffee shop, his coffee already half cold. The moment the screen lit up, the same text made him frown slightly, his eyes becoming deep and complex.

They both knew the old place Jiang Wanning was referring to—the abandoned warehouse where they had celebrated Gu Hanzhi's birthday the previous year. Once, it was filled with laughter and joy, flickering candlelight, piled high with gifts, and carefree banter, each scene like an imprint etched deep in their memory. Now, upon seeing this familiar place again, those images kept flashing through their minds, yet they seemed to be shrouded in a hazy veil, blurring their clarity.

Gu Hanzhi sighed softly, put down the magazine, and stood up to change. Her movements were unhurried, but her thoughts had already drifted to the warehouse. She wondered why Jiang Wanning had suddenly summoned them there. Was it something important she wanted to discuss, or was she simply looking forward to reminiscing about the good old days? She was filled with doubts, yet also secretly looking forward to reuniting with her old friend.

Shen Zhihe put down his coffee cup and tapped his fingers on the table, as if lost in thought. After a moment, he pulled out his wallet, paid the bill, and walked out of the coffee shop, heading towards the abandoned warehouse. Pedestrians came and went, but his steps seemed remarkably firm, as if the abandoned warehouse held an invisible pull, drawing him involuntarily towards it.

The clamor of the street gradually faded. As Gu Hanzhi and Shen Zhihe stood in front of the abandoned warehouse, sunlight shone slantingly on the mottled walls, adding a touch of mystery to the slightly dilapidated building. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. Then, they reached out and pushed open the long-sealed door...

Mottled wall paint rustled against the rusted iron frame, and the stagnant air in the warehouse was filled with a stale smell. The single wooden table, missing a leg, propped up a faded plastic stool askew. Cobwebs wove a translucent curtain in the corners, and untouched dust slowly drifted in the beam of light.

As two figures crossed the rusted threshold, movement in the corner caught their attention. Jiang Wanning leaned against a moldy cargo box, the folds of her dark blue plaid shirt and jacket shrouded in the dust of travel, her black leggings speckled with mud. Her khaki cowboy hat was pulled low, but beneath the shadow of its brim, her eyes gleamed with cunning. Her casually rolled-up sleeves revealed a faded map tattoo on her wrist. She embodied a strange blend of mystery and laziness.

Her bony fingers clutched two bulging canvas bags, the fabric revealing faint angular corners, revealing the secrets hidden within. Hearing footsteps, she turned abruptly, a dimpled smile playing on her lips: "You're here!"

She tossed her canvas bag onto the table, sending up a cloud of choking dust. She walked up to them and asked, somewhat teasingly, "Tell me—did you do anything shameful in Paris?"

The two froze in place, not expecting Jiang Wanning to be so direct. Shen Zhihe was the first to tighten his jaw, his Adam's apple moving slightly: "What's it to you whether I did something else or not?" When he lowered his eyes, his hair just happened to cover the unnatural fluctuations in his eyes.

Jiang Wanning raised the corners of her lips in a mischievous smile: "You two stick together all day long, have you never tasted the sweetness of love?" The afternoon sun slanted across the butterfly earrings behind her ears, casting tiny spots of light between the two of them.

Gu Hanzhi's ears were red as blood, and even her voice was trembling: "Jiang Wanning! Do you want to listen to what you are saying? We are in the third year of high school now, and we are going to take the college entrance examination!"

Jiang Wanning turned and walked towards the table with two bags on it. She turned her head and smiled at them, saying, "I'm not teasing you guys anymore. I bought a gift for each of you~"

Shen Zhihe and Gu Hanzhi looked at each other, but still followed him to the old table.

She suddenly grabbed Shen Zhihe's hand and shook it lightly with her fingertips: "I'll give it to you first..." Then she turned to Gu Hanzhi and said, "Hanzhi, you are not allowed to peek~"

Gu Hanzhi obediently turned around, but her ears blushed slightly, and her fingertips unconsciously twisted the fabric of her sleeves - she didn't know what this girl had prepared for Shen Zhihe? She also didn't know what her own gift was.

Suddenly, a hurried and angry voice suddenly sounded: "Jiang Wanning! I'm not that bad yet!" Gu Hanzhi turned around and saw Jiang Wanning explaining to Shen Zhihe, while Shen Zhihe had a gloomy face and was full of anger.

Gu Hanzhi walked over to Shen Zhihe and asked with a puzzled look on her face, "What gift did Wan Ning prepare for you that would make you so angry?" Shen Zhihe quickly put the gift away and said awkwardly, "It's nothing, just a pile of exercise books."

"But aren't you usually very interested in exercise books?" Gu Hanzhi's brows furrowed even tighter, his eyes full of confusion. "Why are you so angry this time? When I gave you the exercise book before, you seemed quite happy."

Shen Zhihe coughed lightly and looked away, "That's because... those exercise books were done by Jiang Wanning and Lu Chenzhou. They both have never had good grades, and they actually asked me to re-mark them. Of course, I'm reluctant!"

In reality, it wasn't a completed workbook at all, but a box of Jiuwei Dihuang Pills and a jar overflowing with goji berries. "Jiang Wanning!" He gritted his teeth and looked up, his voice shrouded in ice.

Jiang Wanning smiled sweetly and pushed Shen Zhihe aside, tapping his shoulder with her fingertips playfully: "Okay, okay, now it's Hanzhi's turn to get the gift, and Mr. Shen, please don't peek!" She blinked her bright big eyes, with a sly smile on the corner of her mouth, looking like a little fox who had successfully stolen some fish.

Shen Zhihe snorted lightly, his face full of disgust: "I don't want to peek at anything." But despite saying that, his eyes couldn't help but glance towards Gu Hanzhi casually, and a blush quietly appeared on the tip of his ears. He looked like a proud cat who said one thing and meant another.

Gu Hanzhi pursed her lips and reached for the bag Jiang Wanning handed her. She slowly reached into the bag and pulled out the gift. The package was delicate pink, tied with a pretty bow, but the moment she opened it, her cheeks flushed. Inside was a black lace nightgown, its sexy lace pattern faintly visible, and the size perfectly fitted her figure.

Gu Hanzhi's eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes filled with panic and shyness. She feigned composure as she glanced at the bag and discovered another gift inside. Taking a deep breath, she unwrapped it, only to discover a pumpkin.

In an instant, she suddenly realized and glared at Jiang Wanning, her cheeks flushed and her eyes full of anger: "Tell me clearly where I am small!" She looked embarrassed and annoyed, like a kitten whose tail was stepped on.

"Small?" Shen Zhihe turned his head suddenly, frowned slightly, and a layer of doubt appeared in his eyes, "What do you mean by small?" As soon as the words fell, he saw Gu Hanzhi hide the object in his hand behind his back with a swift movement, his fingertips still hooking the corner of the wrapping paper in a panic.

She broke the stagnant air with two dry laughs, and a suspicious blush appeared on her cheeks: "It's that...shoes! Yes, shoes. Wan Ning is too ridiculous. She actually gave me a pair of ancient three-inch golden lotus style. How can I wear them!" After saying that, she measured the small shoes with her hands.

The strawberry hair tie on Jiang Wanning's ponytail trembled slightly as she moved, and she said sweetly, "Do you like this gift very much?"

"Like shit!" Gu Hanzhi and Shen Zhihe said almost in unison, the cicadas chirping outside suddenly becoming shrill. Jiang Wanning, however, smiled, her fangs bared, the cherry blossom pattern on her nails gleaming.

"After the college entrance examination, I will give you a big gift." She blinked. Gu Hanzhi and Shen Zhihe looked at each other, not knowing what the so-called big gift was.

As the setting sun dyed the sky orange, the three of them returned home one after another. Late in the evening, in the stillness of the night, Shen Zhihe curled up on the sofa, clutching the box of Liuwei Dihuang Wan pills in his hand, examining them over and over again, muttering to himself, "Twice a day, one pill at a time?" He shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I didn't expect Jiang Wanning to give me this surprise, but...it's quite practical." He tilted his head back and swallowed a pill.

Meanwhile, Gu Hanzhi put on her pajamas and stood before the bedroom mirror, her fingertips gently running across the soft fabric. The pajamas were bold, with a low neckline that revealed a large expanse of fair skin, shimmering like pearls in the moonlight. She spun around in front of the mirror and muttered, "The style is nice, but it's too revealing. I wonder what Wan Ning was thinking."

In the stillness of the night, Jiang Wanning lay in bed, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. She gazed at the ceiling and whispered softly, "After the college entrance exam, there will be an even bigger surprise waiting for you. It's sure to be something you'll never forget." The moonlight from the window gently fell on her face, sealing this secret forever on this summer night.