Thor rode his motorcycle, with Fang Yu sitting on the back, the wind blowing her hair against her cheeks.

At noon in late May, the sun hung overhead like a giant fireball, baking the air until it was scorching hot, and the sycamore leaves along the roadside were wilted by the heat.

Fang Yu gently tugged at Thor's clothes, "I really wish we could keep going like this forever." Thor's voice was carried slightly by the wind.

"The sun is so strong, I'm going to get sunburned to the point of turning into a black person." Fang Yu hid behind him.

Thor chuckled softly, turned his head to look at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "How about I ask you out tonight when it's a bit cooler?"

"Look ahead, be careful."

"Okay!"

The motorcycle continued forward, the roar of the engine mingling with the chirping of cicadas.

The sun was still blazing, but something warmer than the midday sun was quietly spreading between the two of them.

"I've arrived, thank you!" Fang Yu got out of the car.

"Why are you thanking me? Hurry up and go inside, don't let the sun tan our baby fish."

Fang Yu glanced at Thor a few times with her head down. Thor tilted his head and asked, "What, you can't bear to part with me?"

Fang Yu turned and ran into the kindergarten. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the kindergarten classroom, casting dazzling spots of light on the floor.

Fang Yu walked quickly to the cabinet in the corner, opened the door, took out the throat lozenges that Thor had given her, poured one out and put it in her mouth. The coolness instantly spread in her mouth.

As the music for waking up from a nap started playing, Fang Yu put the bag back in the cabinet.

The children, rubbing their sleepy eyes, gathered around chattering, "Teacher Fang, I want my hair braided!"

Snack time, class, rehearsal, then the afternoon work begins.

"Zhuangzhuang, you have to look ahead when you're dancing, or you'll bump into other kids, okay?" Zhuangzhuang stuck out his tongue and nodded vigorously.

"Xiao Bei, raise your hand a little higher."

"Okay, let's do it one more time."

…………

My throat won't be better until the performance ends.

Not long after having dinner at the store that evening, my pager started beeping. The screen displayed "Fish Baby" and a string of unfamiliar numbers.

Fang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly grabbed her bag and went to the public phone booth. "Mom, I'm going to make a phone call back."

Fang Yu strode out of the store and turned to the public phone booth on the street corner. She took a deep breath and dialed the number.

"Hey, baby fish," came Thor's voice from the other end of the phone, tinged with barely suppressed laughter.

"Is there something you need?" Fang Yu's voice sounded a little nervous.

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to let you know this is my phone number, I bought a new phone." Thor's tone was full of joy. "From now on, if there are any problems with the water or electricity at your house at night, you can find me anytime, even in the middle of the night."

"Don't jinx it. My plumbing and electrical systems are perfectly fine and won't break down in the future."

"Oh, right, right, it won't break." Thor quickly corrected himself, "I meant it'll be easier for you to contact me if you need anything, so remember my number."

"Um!"

"Baby fish, I want to see you."

Fang Yu fell silent.

"Where are you now? I'm coming right away."

"No, no, I just told my mom I was going out to make a phone call, and I'm going back soon."

"I asked you to come out at noon, but I was worried about you getting sunburned."

"I'll contact you after Children's Day."

"Okay, there are still several days until Children's Day. What am I going to do if I miss you?"

Fang Yu held the microphone, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

"Okay. You've been tired lately too."

When Fang Yu returned to the shop, she seemed to miss Thor a little. She helped the old man push his cart, tied the ropes around the stall tightly, and smiled as if to explain that she "didn't mean to show off."

The next evening after dinner, Fang Yu's pager rang again. Fang Yu saw the familiar number and said, "Mom, I'm going out for a bit."

"Why have you been so busy these past few days?"

"Yeah, the Children's Day performance is coming up soon, there's a lot to do."

"Okay, go ahead."

As soon as Fang Yu turned the corner, she saw Thor leaning against the glass of the phone booth.

He was wearing a faded blue t-shirt, his hands in his jeans pockets, his head held high, his gaze fixed on the direction she had come from.

The moment their eyes met, Fang Yu unconsciously paused in her steps.

The streetlight shone on Thor's face. There was no surprise in his eyes, but rather as if he had expected it. With a faint smile, he steadily met her gaze.

"How did you know I was calling here?" Fang Yu composed herself and continued walking forward. When she reached him, her heart beat a beat faster than before.

Thor straightened up, his smile widening. "You were at the internet cafe next door earlier, so I figured you should be nearby this early. There are only a few phone booths around here. I called the number you called me last night, and that's how I found it."

The evening breeze at the end of May carried the lingering warmth of the day. "My mom is right next to me," Fang Yu whispered.

"Oh, so you want me to go see your mother?" Thor asked seriously.

"No, I told my mom I came to talk about the kindergarten."

Thor grinned slyly, mimicking a child's voice, and drawled, "Teacher Fang is lying~"

Fang Yu lowered her head, and Thor bent down and leaned close to her, "Baby Fish!"

Fang Yu lowered her head even further. "Are you good at pursuing girls?"

"You've fallen for me?"

Fang Yu blushed, clutching her skirt, and said softly, "No."

Thor stood up straight. "Am I that good at chasing girls? Then why haven't I won you over yet?"

"You're so cheeky. Aren't you going to the internet cafe anymore?"

"I don't go there often, just occasionally to play games."

Will he chat with other girls? Does he have many female friends? Fang Yu glanced at Thor and suddenly realized she was overthinking things. They weren't even officially dating yet, so why was she thinking so much? Did she care about him? Fang Yu fell silent.

"Hey, baby fish, what are you thinking about?" Thor waved his hand in front of her.

Fang Yu smiled, "It's nothing. I'm going back now. My mom will be looking for me if I stay too long."

"Well, kids with mothers are so lucky!"

Fang Yu was taken aback and turned to look at Thor.

“I’ll take you there,” Thor said.

"Oh, no need, no need, it's right next to me."

It's Friday, and the colorful balloons on both sides of the kindergarten stage are swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Fang Yu and her parents applied glittery eyeshadow to the children's makeup for their evening performance in the classroom.

The teachers also had a performance. Several teachers helped each other with makeup and hairstyling. Fang Yu looked at herself in the mirror, wearing a sequined dance costume and heavy makeup, and suddenly felt a little unfamiliar, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

The first performance was a dance by the teachers, who danced a lively and cheerful dance.

Fang Yu could clearly see the encouraging looks from the parents below the stage. When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted. She seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure in the crowd, but she didn't have time to think about it.