Childhood Sweethearts Strikes Back (Part 1)
He Yinxin sat on the high-speed train, glancing sideways at Jiang Yichun sitting next to him.
Jiang Yichun was looking down at his phone, reading a novel.
His eyes caught a few words, and his ears turned bright red.
Jiang Yichun seemed to notice his gaze, turned his head and smiled at him: "What's wrong, Lao He?"
"Xiaochun, how could you watch this kind of thing on the high-speed train? It's too... shameful."
He Yinxin's face turned bright red, and she tugged at the hem of her clothes.
Jiang Yichun squinted, leaned her head on his shoulder, turned off her phone, and whispered in his ear, "Silly dog, then you're not allowed to kiss me anymore."
"And all I've been looking at are things above the neck, haven't I?"
Her hot breath sprayed on He Yinxin's ear, making his earlobes turn bright red.
He Yinxin was panting heavily, the words on her phone screen kept swirling in her mind.
Red marks, bite marks, kisses, caresses...
He raised one hand and wrapped it around the end of her hair, while his other hands went around her back, pulling her into his arms.
"Really, we can't kiss anymore?" He turned to the side, mimicking her gesture, and whispered in her ear.
"What are you doing out there!"
The heat made Jiang Yichun feel numb all over. She subconsciously snuggled into his arms, but her hands unconsciously pressed against his chest, tearing his T-shirt into wrinkles.
She felt the heat and elasticity in her palm, yet it remained stuck to his chest.
He Yinxin pushed up his glasses, suppressed the smile that was spreading across his face, and pretended to be profound: "I was just imitating my girlfriend's behavior."
"So, baby, what were you looking at just now?"
Jiang Yichun's face was still flushed, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up: "You want to see too?"
He Yinxin blinked: "Understanding your girlfriend's preferences is one of the duties of a prospective boyfriend."
"Even if it wasn't written in the contract, as a prospective boyfriend, he should still fulfill his obligations."
"Tch, so glib." Jiang Yichun glanced at him, his eyes darting around before he opened his phone.
Looking at He Yinxin's serious expression, she felt a surge of malice and, with a smile, showed him the screen.
"Look, I'm looking at this."
"I'm actually the school bully's childhood sweetheart's white moonlight."
"..."
"This story is about how the childhood sweetheart defeats the newcomer and finally gets together with the female lead!"
"..."
"The second male lead in the story is similar to you. He usually speaks in a very refined manner, but his advantage is that he is as gentle as you."
He Yinxin's lips unconsciously curled up into a smile.
"But in the end, he didn't end up with the female lead."
He Yinxin's face fell, and she gave a soft snort.
"Hey, Lao He, are you angry?"
Jiang Yichun looked up at him with a smile, then reached down from his chest, grabbed his arm, and leaned against his shoulder.
He Yinxin's lips twitched, and she uttered two words: "No."
His hand reached down and snatched the phone from her hand.
Jiang Yichun didn't try to take it from him, but just looked up to see his reaction.
He Yinxin's usually expressionless face gradually flushed red as he kept adjusting his glasses.
"You like this type? The kind who'll grab your waist and force a kiss? The kind who'll blow smoke in your face?"
He Yinxin's eyes widened as she showed her the phone: "No wonder you made me kiss you that day..."
Jiang Yichun snatched the phone back and raised an eyebrow at him.
"You stupid robot dog, if I liked this type, why would I be your girlfriend?"
"Besides, it's not like you haven't forcibly kissed me before."
He Yinxin was completely speechless, stammering for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out, "Then why are you reading this novel? He... he's not your ideal type."
Jiang Yichun chuckled, "Guess! The male lead always has some extraordinary qualities, right? Robot Dog, just use your clever brain and you'll figure it out."
He Yinxin was stunned. His mind raced as he recalled the clip he had just seen.
His ears turned even redder.
"Jiang Yichun! Can't you put something clean in your head?" he shouted in a low, muffled voice.
Jiang Yichun chuckled and drew circles in his palm: "Does the robot dog need to explain the belt from that night?"
"..."
He Yinxin sighed deeply; his bickering with her always ended with his helpless sigh.
"Alright, robot dog, let me use your shoulder. I'm going to sleep. By the time I wake up, we'll be in Qinglin County." Jiang Yichun leaned against his shoulder, her hair brushing against his bare skin.
He Yinxin felt a ticklish sensation, and his hand remained around her shoulder.
While saying he was going to sleep, Jiang Yichun closed his eyes but kept talking: "By the way, Lao He, have you ever been in a relationship before? Or, have you ever liked a girl?"
“No, I’d be beaten to death by those two if I dared to do that,” He Yinxin replied decisively.
Jiang Yichun opened her eyes and met his gaze. She reached out and took his wrist once more.
He Yinxin looked down at her, a slight smile playing on her lips: "I'm fine. With you by my side, they mean nothing to me."
Just like you said, I've gotten rid of them.
Jiang Yichun bit her lower lip, nodded, snuggled into his arms, and found a soft spot to lean against.
She kept talking: "So, Lao He... are you afraid to fall for middle school girls, or is it because you've never been attracted to them in the first place?"
He Yinxin's fingertips began to twirl her hair again, and he chuckled, "Guess, your girlfriend?"
Jiang Yichun pinched the back of his hand: "I'm not guessing. You're imitating me again, you stinky robot dog."
He Yinxin took her restless hand in return and looked down to meet her gaze: "Before I met you, I didn't know what it meant to be moved."
His words were like a pebble thrown into the lake of her heart, and Jiang Yichun's face flushed red instantly. She gripped his hand tightly.
"You stupid robot dog, saying such cheesy things again."
"It's not cheesy, I really think so." He Yixin chuckled, continuing to twirl the end of her hair with her other hand. "And Xiaochun, has Xiaochun ever been in a relationship before?"
Jiang Yichun patted his chest lightly: "You've already seen it, why are you asking? You know perfectly well. It's that idiot who confessed to me in the cafeteria."
"But I don't like him. He's too arrogant and annoying."
He Yinxin chuckled softly, rubbing the spot where she had just been patted: "Ah, I know. Did Xiaochun ever have a crush on any classmates in middle school?"
"Or...don't you also have someone like a childhood sweetheart?"
Jiang Yichun closed her eyes, released his hand, and leaned against his shoulder again: "Guess, you silly goose."
"I would definitely be attracted to a handsome guy, but I wouldn't be foolish enough to go up and start a relationship with him."
"A handsome guy would never pretend to be a girl and approach me like some conman would."
He Yinxin said nothing, but reached out and pulled her into his arms: "Okay, I'm a liar."
"But I managed to trick you into my hands."
"Go to sleep, Xiaochun. You just told me you were going to sleep, but we've been talking until now."
Jiang Yichun didn't say anything more, leaned on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.
He Yinxin pulled her into his arms and turned to look at the changing scenery outside the high-speed train.
In the height of summer, the paddy fields of Jiangnan are a vibrant green, with several egrets strolling leisurely across them. A few houses are nestled among the fields, and cars speed by beside them along the road, sending a few leaves fluttering in the breeze.
He looked up at the boundless sky, where the sun shone brightly, the sky was cloudless, and the azure blue was reflected on the ponds in the fields.
He was like a flock of birds flying across the sky, arriving in the vast world to be with his beloved.
He Yinxin lowered his head and looked at the girl in his arms. Jiang Yichun's breathing was steady, and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the soft fabric of his T-shirt.
The girl who was all he could think about came to keep him company every day for the days after his grandfather passed away, and dragged him to the night market on Tianxing Road.
She was no longer as afraid of his approach as she used to be; the kisses, hugs, and even more intimate gestures of the past few days were all initiated by her.
She seemed to completely believe in herself, this former big liar.
The two would sit hand in hand in front of Grandma Tianfang's barbecue stall, taking turns eating the barbecue.
"Xiaochun, the outstanding senior you used to respect seems a bit different now. Is he your boyfriend now?"
"It's great to be young, our relationship is so good."
Grandma Tianfang would always casually make a few jokes.
"Yes, that's right, I'm with him now."
Jiang Yichun would blush and admit it, and I would nod and agree with a smile.
After dinner, the two would always find a secluded spot, hug each other, quickly exchange a kiss, say goodnight, and then hold hands as they returned to school.
Occasionally, Jiang Yichun would still act out of his stubbornness, and sometimes he still couldn't escape the framework of "human-machine interaction".
The two of them would bicker back and forth, and she would pounce on them like a cat, pinching their muscles, but no matter what, it would always end in kisses and hugs.
Although the passing and farewell of her loved ones almost robbed He Yinxin of her soul, she always managed to find some meaning in continuing to live and could always taste the breath of happiness emanating from her.
Even though they were both imperfect, they still loved each other.
Perhaps... this is what is meant by "belonging"?
He had no home, but he still belonged to someone; he belonged to her.
He Yinxin's thoughts drifted away, immersed in philosophical and self-reflection. Those fragmented thoughts eventually flowed back and converged on the girl in his arms.
A surge of intense emotion welled up in He Yinxin's eyes. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she whimpered a few times before falling back asleep.
He Yinxin's smile widened as he looked up at his surroundings.
A young couple nestled together, cradling their newborn child; several students, wearing headphones and engrossed in watching dramas on their tablets; a middle-aged man with a large belly scrolled through Douyin (TikTok); and an over-the-top auntie was video chatting with her family…
Everyone on the bus was doing their own thing and naturally didn't care about what the two of them had just done.
He Yinxin let out a long breath, hugged Jiang Yichun even tighter, and fell into a light sleep with her head close to hers.
"Beep beep beep!" Jiang Yichun's cell phone ringtone woke the two of them from their dreams.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and pulled her phone out of her pocket: "Hello, grandma? What's wrong?"
"Oh, I see. I understand, after all, Mom works so hard."
"Have Brother Yang pick me up? Hmm, sure, we're neighbors anyway."
Jiang Yichun's casual remark completely dispelled He Yinxin's sleepiness. As soon as she hung up the phone, the boy next to her gently took her hand.
"Xiaochun, who is Brother Yang?"
Jiang Yichun turned her head and met his pitiful eyes.
She gave a wicked smile: "My neighbor, we were classmates in elementary and middle school."
"He was a school bully in junior high."
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