Chapter 39 The science museum was packed with people during summer vacation…
The science museum was packed with people during the summer vacation, mostly parents with their children, with a few middle school students mixed in.
The venue was air-conditioned and noisy. Wang Kan followed behind Fang Minzhou and Xu Ran, a little impatient. But whenever Fang Minzhou turned around to look at him, he would immediately put on a bright smile without any flaws.
When Fang Minzhou turned around, his face couldn't help but droop.
Who would actually go on a date at a science museum?
Movie theaters, amusement parks, zoos, and botanical gardens were all out of the question, so we had to choose between museums and science and technology museums.
Fang Minzhou was clearly doing it on purpose, but meeting was better than not meeting at all. He was caught off guard when his cousin found out he was going to the science museum. Although she found it strange, she handed Xu Ran over to him, saying, "Perfect timing, she hasn't finished her summer diary yet, you can take her around."
Wang Kan and Xu Ran stared at each other, well... they didn't want to bring it, but they also felt it might come in handy, like a somewhat useless item in a game.
In the end, she still brought it along, otherwise her cousin would become suspicious. However, Fang Minzhou didn't mind at all when she found out. She seemed even happier that Xu Ran could come, which made Wang Kan unhappy. But he was insignificant and had no right to complain.
They agreed to meet at 2 PM on Wednesday afternoon on the first floor of the Science and Technology Museum. Wang Kan and Xu Ran arrived a few minutes early and stood quietly waiting by the lobby.
When Wang Kan received Fang Minzhou's message that she had arrived, he looked up. The glass door opened automatically, and he spotted her in the bustling crowd.
She didn't tie her hair up today; the ends of her shoulder-length hair curled slightly inwards. She wore a white dress with blue trim that he hadn't seen before, with a slightly preppy style.
When I got to him, he had a tense expression on his face again. Although his cheeks were slightly red and there were tiny beads of sweat on the tip of his nose, it was hard to tell if it was from being in the sun.
Their eyes met in mid-air at close range. Wang Kan's composure from before had shattered. He felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and he tried to suppress his laughter, but couldn't. His heart was pounding. Fang Minzhou glared at him, annoyed and embarrassed.
"Aren't you...hot?" Wang Kan pointed to her hair, trying to make conversation. He realized he'd made a fool of himself by asking that first question.
“…It’s alright,” Fang Minzhou said, not really wanting to talk to him.
Wang Kan touched his neck.
Fang Minzhou bent down and extended his hand to Xu Ran. Xu Ran understood and placed her small hand in Fang Minzhou's hand. The two shook hands in a serious manner.
Wang Kan looked on with envy, and also wanted to place her hand on top of Fang Minzhou's. It was a meeting of the century, after all. But she had the desire but not the courage, so she secretly clenched her fist at her side and secretly stared at Fang Minzhou's fingers. Following her arm upwards, there was long hair that hung down like willow branches in midsummer, and then her profile behind her hair. Her delicate nose was like a mountain, and the corners of her mouth that curved upwards were like a lake.
It was only then that Wang Kan realized that where they went on a date really didn't matter.
"Wow!" Xu Ran suddenly exclaimed in surprise, as a piece of candy had appeared out of nowhere in her hand. "Thank you, sister."
"You're welcome."
"Sister, you can do magic!"
"Hmm." Fang Minzhou looked at Wang Kan with a hint of smugness.
Wang Kan had been lost in thought and hadn't noticed Fang Minzhou's technique, but that wasn't the point anymore. The glance she gave him later was so adorable that he was caught off guard. When he came to his senses, his face burned, probably a ridiculously red, making Fang Minzhou stare for a few seconds in surprise. Then, quite awkwardly, she took Xu Ran's hand and led her into the exhibition hall. Thus, Wang Kan, quite pathetically, became a completely unnoticed follower.
Tired from shopping, the three went to a restaurant to buy food. Fang Minzhou and Xu Ran each ordered an ice cream, and then waited for Wang Kan and his sandwich.
While chatting, Wang Kan noticed a strange look on Fang Minzhou's face. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, she gestured behind him and hurriedly walked away with Xu Ran, finding a spot hidden by greenery to sit down.
Wang Kan turned around and saw Lin Sinian.
"What a coincidence." Lin Sinian seemed quite surprised.
Wang Kan was also surprised.
There was an event at the science museum, and Lin Sinian was there as a volunteer, mainly responsible for the screening room. Wang Kan and Fang Minzhou didn't take Xu Ran to see the sci-fi short film, so they didn't run into her earlier.
Volunteers receive a meal allowance, and Lin Ssu-nien wanted to treat Wang Kan, but Wang Kan declined, saying he had already paid. Lin Ssu-nien then took out two vouchers from his vest pocket and handed them to Wang Kan, saying, "You can use them next time."
Wang Kan didn't want it, but she took it anyway, saying, "Thanks, class monitor."
"You're welcome. When did you arrive?" Lin Sinian asked.
Wang Kan really didn't want to exchange pleasantries with him; what was there to talk about? "Just now..."
"one person?"
Wang Kan wanted to say no, but thinking of the image of Fang Minzhou and Xu Ran "fleeing in panic," and knowing that Fang Minzhou was probably worried he would say something inappropriate, he gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "Hmm."
Isn't he just a person now?
Lin Sinian seemed a little puzzled, but didn't ask any further questions. He had come with another volunteer to buy drinks. After a few words, Wang Kan's sandwich was finally ready. He greeted them and left, finding an empty seat to sit down.
After a while, Fang Minzhou and Xu Ran sat down opposite him. Wang Kan looked at the ordering counter and saw that Lin Sinian had indeed walked away.
"...Do you really need to be so nervous?" Wang Kan asked Fang Minzhou jokingly, turning around.
Fang Minzhou felt that Wang Kan's words were sarcastic and pointed. "It's alright, otherwise it would be very awkward."
What's so embarrassing? What's there to be ashamed of?
"Who was that older brother just now?" Xu Ran asked from the side.
“Our class monitor,” Fang Minzhou answered Xu Ran, then asked Wang Kan, “Is the class monitor doing volunteer work?”
Wang Kan looked at her, "How did you know?"
“I saw that he was wearing a red vest.”
Wang Kan lowered her head, took a big bite of her sandwich, and mumbled an "Mmm".
Fang Minzhou noticed that Wang Kan was a little unhappy, but she felt that it was Wang Kan's problem. If Lin Sinian saw her and Wang Kan with a child, how would they explain it? She wasn't even a relative of his.
She even thought she reacted quite quickly.
Saying too much would only lead to more mistakes, and it was his birthday anyway. Fang Minzhou stared at the green plants next to her as she ate ice cream, and stopped talking.
Xu Ran looked the two of them over, and after a while, she broke the silence, "Uncle, I want to eat a sandwich too."
Wang Kan looked at her, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Should I give you some, or should I buy you a new one?"
"Just give me a little bit," Xu Ran gestured.
Wang Kan tore off a piece from the untouched side and handed it to Xu Ran. Then, he glanced at Fang Minzhou and took out the coupon Lin Sinian had just given him from his shirt pocket. "Do you want to order anything else? The class monitor just gave me two coupons."
Fang Min looked back. She had finished her ice cream, took a tissue to wipe her mouth, and shook her head. "...Does it have an expiration date?"
"have no idea."
Fang Minzhou picked it up and looked at it. "There's still a year left. Use it next time you bring Ranran here."
"OK."
Wang Kan finished the rest of the sandwich and swallowed all her churning emotions.
He understood Fang Minzhou's meaning. If it were anyone else, he would have cooperated much better, but with Lin Sinian, he was very concerned and wanted to know if Fang Minzhou didn't want people she knew to see them together, or if she didn't want Lin Sinian to see them together.
The two are completely different.
Even though Fang Minzhou had explained once or twice, and even though she and Lin Sinian were just ordinary classmates, Wang Kan still felt that Lin Sinian was a big threat. He was unwilling to admit that he was jealous. What was he jealous of? He wasn't bad at all! He was about to take the college entrance exam, and instead of studying hard, he was doing volunteer work. What was he doing?
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The starry sky pavilion on the top floor was unlike the other exhibition halls; it resembled a circular maze, with large circles containing smaller ones, mimicking the movement of the solar system. Wang Kan noticed Fang Minzhou's fascination and couldn't resist leaning closer to her, offering his insights into the pavilion's ingenious design. This was partly to ease the subtle awkwardness between them, and partly to show off his knowledge, albeit from magazines—it was an award-winning design.
Fang Minzhou listened to him with a half-smile.
Light and shadow danced across her face.
Xu Ran ran away somewhere, then ran back and asked Wang Kan's phone to take pictures.
Wang Kan reluctantly lent it to her, but after she took a bunch of pictures, she asked if she wanted to take a group photo of them. Wang Kan's still somewhat depressed mood instantly brightened up a lot.
It was worth it. Bringing Xu Ran out was worth it. All those times I treated her to KFC and McDonald's are finally going to pay off.
He's fine with it, of course, it's just a matter of...
Fang Minzhou straightened his back a little when Wang Kan looked at him with such eager eyes, but his expression remained unchanged: "...Okay."
It's just taking a picture; it's not like we've never taken one before.
Get closer, stand side by side, look at the camera, and smile.
Xu Ran returned the phone to Wang Kan. Fang Minzhou realized her smile had been a bit stiff and instinctively wanted to lean closer to see the finished product. Wang Kan was also about to look for Fang Minzhou, and the distance they had been maintaining inadvertently crossed the line, their noses almost touching.
Fang Minzhou held her breath.
The three-dimensional starry sky on the ceiling rotates tirelessly, a moment that is eternity.
They looked at each other silently, then pretended to be calm and natural as they looked back at their phone screens. A minute earlier, they were frozen in time: under the twinkling stars, Wang Kan looked aloof, one hand in his pocket, the other making a peace sign on Fang Minzhou's head.
Fang Minzhou: "..."
She must be angry, right? Just as she was about to leave, Wang Kan exclaimed "Hey!" and subconsciously reached out to grab her. He touched her hand, immediately pulled it back, and said with a forced smile, "...There are other photos, right?"
Fang Minzhou cautiously moved closer again.
They weren't as close anymore, but they were still close, unlike when they sat at the same desk at school, where there was at least some distance between them. Wang Kan could clearly feel Fang Minzhou's breath and warmth, and he felt a little dizzy.
Xu Ran took many photos, all of which showed Fang Minzhou with the same expression and pose, making Wang Kan next to her look like a tiny figure. The entire crime was played in reverse, and Fang Minzhou was speechless when she saw it. Wang Kan, on the other hand, found it very interesting and managed to hold back her laughter.
Swipe left again to see photos taken by Xu Ran, which I also looked at one by one. Suddenly, a profile picture of Fang Minzhou popped up.
Wang Kan: "..."
Fang Minzhou: "..."
She slowly looked at Wang Kan, who was staring straight at the screen, scrolling through the photos rapidly until she reached a solo photo of Xu Ran. She then put her phone away and casually prepared to look for Xu Ran, who had disappeared again. "Wait a minute... I'll send you the photos Ranran took of you too."
“…Hey.” Fang Minzhou called out to him.
Wang Kan thought Fang Minzhou was going to settle scores with him, so he hesitated before responding, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to get away with it. But then he saw her take something out of her canvas bag, hold it in her hand, and extend her fist as if to bump fists with him, saying a single word: "Hand."
"Huh? Oh."
Wang Kan blankly extended his fist and gently touched it with hers.
Fang Minzhou: "..."
Wang Kan quickly smiled and spread his palms up.
He thought Fang Minzhou was going to give him candy too, but when her fingers unfolded like flowers, what landed in his palm wasn't the weight of a candy, but a fluffy, light... orange crocheted pendant that looked... like a lion.
He was a Leo, and at this moment, Wang Kan's mind was working very fast.
"Happy birthday," Fang Minzhou said softly. When she was rehearsing, she wanted to be natural and generous, but now she didn't know what expression she should have.
It's so embarrassing.
“…Thank you.” Wang Kan swallowed, her face flushing again.
He gently stroked the little lion in his hand. The yarn was soft and the stitches were sparse. To be honest, the quality didn't look very good, but it didn't matter... A guess suddenly flashed through his mind, "...Could you have knitted this yourself?"
Fang Minzhou's expression was awkward, but her silence spoke volumes.
Does it mean... the default?
With a series of crackling sounds, Wang Kan felt as if her heart had experienced a cosmic explosion.
Fang Minzhou then pulled another small box from the canvas bag. "You suddenly told me it's your birthday... I didn't know what gift to give you. Um," she pointed to the doll in Wang Kan's hand, looking embarrassed, "it's poorly made. It's okay if you don't want it, but I don't know if this is what you wanted..."
I only heard him discussing models with the boy, so I guess this is how I repay him for the two gifts he gave me before?
Anyway, he didn't want that English reference book in the end.
"...I like them very much, thank you." After a long while, Wang Kan finally spoke, "I like them both very much."
Fang Minzhou could only be thankful that the lighting was dim enough.
Actually, this wasn't a suitable place to give a gift, even though they were in a corner of the exhibition hall. But she just took it out on a whim; otherwise, she didn't know how long she would have had to wait. To make matters worse, Wang Kan didn't bring a bag, so the model temporarily went back into Fang Minzhou's canvas bag, while the little lion was held in his hand. "I didn't even know you could knit," he said.
If it weren't for his expression, Fang Minzhou would have thought his words were sarcastic. What kind of person could weave? "...I can't. I asked Yuan Yue to teach me."
This was the first time Fang Minzhou had prepared a birthday gift for a boy, and it was for Wang Kan... She wanted to express her feelings, but she didn't want to seem too serious. She felt conflicted and struggled with the decision, so she decided to make a small gift for him by hand.
She just wasn't very talented. Even though Yuan Yue taught her step by step, she was still flustered and clumsy. What should have been a simple knitting project took her several days to complete, and the finished product was a complete mess. But... she still shamelessly sent it out.
"That's still impressive."
"...There wasn't enough time," Fang Minzhou still tried to justify herself, "otherwise we could have made it look better."
Wang Kan said "Oh," and then added, "If I had told you earlier, you wouldn't have knitted me a scarf, would you?"
...You wish!
"You're wearing a scarf in the middle of summer?"
"If you knit it, I'll wear it."
"And then you develop a neck full of heat rash?"
"Yeah, I wear it every day."
Fang Minzhou was amused by him, then scoffed at him, "Boring."
Wang Kan smiled foolishly even after being scolded, put the little lion into his pocket, and looked at Fang Minzhou again, hesitant to speak. Fang Minzhou didn't know what else to say.
In the sudden silence, Wang Kan's breathing became lighter. The pent-up emotions, like a towering wall of waves, seemed about to engulf her, but instead gently and softly embraced the rocks and the beach.
"...Thank you, Fang Minzhou, I really like it." Wang Kan thanked her again solemnly.
Celestial bodies continue to rotate along their predetermined orbits, which have lasted for billions of years, and happiness arrives in the smallest unit of time.
Fang Min's heart pounded, but she calmly replied, "You're welcome."
Go find Xu Ran and you'll find her setting up the astronomical telescope. Just then, Wang Kan's phone rang. When he came back, Fang Minzhou asked him if something was wrong. Wang Kan shook his head: "It's my mom. She wants me to go out for something nice tonight."
"...Aren't your parents home?"
“They’re in the south of the city.” Wang Kan noticed Fang Minzhou’s confusion and winked at her. “Am I really that pitiful?”
Fang Minzhou wanted to say yes, but then felt that the logic didn't make sense. She couldn't understand why parents who would specially bring meals to school on ordinary days would be absent on their child's birthday.
"It's okay, because my family celebrates birthdays according to the lunar calendar," Wang Kan said with a smile.
Fang Minzhou: "..."
"But I should have someone to celebrate my birthday with according to the Gregorian calendar."
Fang Minzhou: "..."
Since it was his birthday, Fang Minzhou asked, "So what are you having for dinner?"
"Whatever," he gestured with his chin toward Xu Ran, "Take her out to eat something nice."
Seeing that Fang Minzhou remained silent and seemed lost in thought, Wang Kan couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of anticipation. He didn't say anything, but Fang Minzhou understood his look. After a while, she said, "...I'm going out to make a phone call."
Wang Kan cheered inwardly.
Fang Minzhou returned quickly, and seeing Wang Kan's expectant eyes, he couldn't help but warn himself not to do it again, but next time... wouldn't be until a year later. Where would they be a year from now?
Wang Kan was waiting for her to speak when Fang Minzhou surrendered, "...I'll eat with you."
"Hmm!" He grinned, revealing a smile that Fang Minzhou found rather silly.
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