Potatoes
Jiang Yichun was the first to laugh out loud; she covered her stomach and chuckled quietly.
Next up were Yang Ge and Yu Jie, who also laughed uproariously at He Yinxin's serious expression. Little Tuantuan didn't know what the adults were laughing about, but she giggled along with their laughter.
He Yinxin's cheeks flushed red. She pushed up her glasses and forced a voice, "Did I say something wrong? Why..."
Jiang Yichun touched his cheek and smiled slightly: "We were just chatting about everyday things when you suddenly launched into a long theoretical discussion. Of course, it's quite amusing."
"Who would suddenly interrupt a conversation about everyday family matters with such thoughts? That's so strange."
He Yinxin lowered his eyes, his glasses obscuring his expression, and began to pry Jiang Yichun's fingers apart one by one.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Yichun took his hand, leaned closer to him, and said gently, "But you're not wrong, happiness doesn't have a standard definition."
“Chun’s boyfriend, you’re quite interesting! You seem like someone who’s been to school.” Yu Jie turned around, holding Xiao Tuantuan.
Yang Ge, with one hand on the steering wheel, drove the car up the mountain road: "Yes, it's so good to have studied. You can go to big cities to make your way in the world and have a good reputation."
"Unlike me, I run back and forth between the city and the countryside every day, I'm exhausted."
The group quickly eased the tense atmosphere by exchanging a few words.
When childhood friends meet, the conversation inevitably veers off-topic, and the group chats from their childhood to their youth.
Considering that He Yinxin was from out of town, the group spoke in standard or slightly accented Mandarin.
He Yinxin could occasionally say a few words, but most of the time she just listened to Jiang Yichun and Yang Ge bickering, since she hadn't been a part of her middle school years.
If Xiaochun had stayed in Qinglin County and married someone with a similar background to Yang Ge, and if I hadn't met Xiaochun that day, I would have married the daughter of that factory director Chen...
He wouldn't have nestled in her soft, fragrant embrace like that.
But if I had met Xiaochun sooner, would I have been able to lean against her like this without resorting to deception?
The light in his eyes gradually faded, and he leaned his head back against Jiang Yichun's.
He raised his eyes to look at Jiang Yichun, and gently tugged at the hem of her clothes.
Jiang Yichun understood immediately, took his hand, and looked up at the ever-changing scenery outside the window.
It was the height of summer, and lush greenery stretched outside the window. The bright sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating He Yinxin's fair face and highlighting his distinct features.
Jiang Yichun gently rubbed his earlobe and whispered, "Old He, after I graduate, I'll drive you to the mountains for a drive."
He Yinxin nodded: "Should we write that in the contract?"
Jiang Yichun glared at him: "This is a temporary agreement! It doesn't need to be included in the contract!"
"Stupid dog!"
She pronounced those two words particularly loudly, attracting the attention of several people sitting in the front row.
Yang Ge glanced at the rearview mirror, a smirk playing on his lips: "Chun, you and your boyfriend... you're not in that kind of relationship, are you?"
"What kind of relationship is this? Yang Ge, don't talk nonsense! We're just boyfriend and girlfriend, purer than your liquor!" Jiang Yichun shouted.
"I know, I know, it's just the unspoken understanding between couples." Yang Ge laughed and continued driving.
After traversing the mountains, the van finally stopped in a small village.
Jiang Yichun and He Yinxin said goodbye to Yang Ge's family and headed towards Grandma's house with their suitcases.
For some reason, He Yinxin gradually fell silent after getting into the van, but he tightened his grip on Jiang Yichun's hand.
Jiang Yichun's hand hurt from his grip, so she turned around and broke free, glaring at him: "He Yinxin, what are you doing? Ever since I got into Yang Ge's car, you've been acting like you're worried I'll run away!"
He Yinxin lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, said nothing, and silently followed behind her, dragging two suitcases in her hands.
"Are you jealous?" Halfway there, Jiang Yichun strode up to him, stood on tiptoe, and reached out to brush the bangs off his forehead.
He Yinxin looked down at her and took a step forward.
His image magnified infinitely before her eyes, and then she felt a warm touch on her lips.
Jiang Yichun froze, his lips turning into fallen leaves as they touched hers, creating ripples between her lips and teeth.
"I've broken the contract again, I'm sorry." He looked up blankly, moving one hand from the suitcase to her waist. "But Xiaochun, stop playing with me."
"Baby, I am indeed a little unhappy."
"I... want you to talk to me more."
Jiang Yichun touched his lips, took a few steps back, and stammered, "I'm talking to you right now. Besides, you only met me after I went to university, so it's normal that you don't have much in common with Yang Ge and the others, right?"
"That's normal."
He Yinxin's eyes darkened further. He went even further, letting go of the suitcase in his hand and pulling Jiang Yichun into his arms, his whole body pressed tightly against hers.
"But I feel like I missed out on so many precious moments of your life. I have so little in your memories. I think..."
"What are you thinking about? Time can't be turned back." Jiang Yichun looked at him with a smile.
"It can't be reversed, so I still want to kiss you."
He looked up again and tentatively moved closer to her lips.
Jiang Yichun looked at his hazy, wet eyes, slightly raised the corners of her mouth, and reached out to hug his waist: "So you want to kiss me again? Then you'll break your promise again."
"You stinky robot dog, you keep breaking the contract, I'm going to teach you a lesson tonight!"
She was sharp-tongued, but her actions betrayed her words; she stood on tiptoe and closed her eyes.
Just before their lips touched, He Yinxin suddenly stopped and chuckled, "So, Xiaochun, can you tell me how you're going to discipline me tonight?"
Jiang Yichun opened her eyes, her cheeks flushed red from the summer sun.
She reached out and grabbed the thin fabric of his T-shirt.
"It's not like we haven't done it before, you stupid robot dog, you're just asking a question you already know the answer to."
"Last time you made me so jealous... it was so sour."
She rubbed her waist and punched him lightly.
"Xiaochun, you... is this something you can just say directly?" He Yinxin's pupils shrank.
"It wasn't even the end, it was just a little bit. That person is so stupid, they had such a good tool, but they couldn't even find it..."
"Jiang Yichun, it's clearly you who's afraid of pain..."
Before Jiang Yichun could finish speaking, He Yinxin's eyes gradually darkened. He pulled her close and kissed her lips in an instant.
The moment their lips touched, they heard footsteps beside them.
"Woof!"
Suddenly, a small yellow dog appeared out of nowhere and bit He Yinxin's trouser leg.
His fingers, which were holding Jiang Yichun, trembled. His lips left hers, and he turned around to shield her behind him.
He looked down at his trouser leg and saw a small, yellow-haired mongrel dog with its tail wagging from side to side like a propeller.
Why is it blond hair again?
The little yellow dog was pulling itself away from Jiang Yichun by its crotch, its short legs leaving two shallow dents in the sand and gravel.
An unnamed anger flared up, but He Yinxin stood still, one hand still on Jiang Yichun's waist: "Xiaochun, how did a dog come here?"
"You've ruined our plans."
"Potatoes! Potatoes!"
Ignoring the hand on his waist, Jiang Yichun ran to the little yellow dog, squatted down, and stroked its head.
The little yellow dog wagged its tail even more enthusiastically, stuck out its tongue and licked Jiang Yichun's palm repeatedly, making gurgling whimpering sounds.
Looking at the intimate scene between the man and the dog, He Yinxin felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside her.
His brain completely stopped working, with only one code phrase looping in his mind.
He blurted out, "...Am I a sweet potato?"
Jiang Yichun looked up at her boyfriend, who was standing there in a daze, still pulling two suitcases, and burst out laughing: "Okay, okay, He Digua, are you going to become sworn brothers with Potato Potato?"
He Yinxin stood there dumbfounded, and chuckled dryly a few times: "Xiaochun, do you think I'm that much like a dog?"
Jiang Yichun chuckled, hugged Little Potato tightly, walked to his side, and snuggled up to him: "Hmm? Look, don't you two look alike? I think you two are exactly the same."
He Yinxin's eyes met the little potato's fluffy head. The little mongrel was panting, its big, dark eyes staring back at him.
He immediately thought of Jiang Yichun's WeChat profile picture.
"Xiaochun, is this the dog in your WeChat profile picture?" He raised his hand and gently stroked the dog's head. Those inexplicable feelings instantly dissipated when he met the dog's clear eyes.
Jiang Yichun chuckled and shook his head: "No, this is Potato's son, Potato II. I usually call him Potato Potato."
"So when you called me 'potato' in the cafeteria, you were actually thinking of it..."
"Its mother, Potato, is a girl, and Potato Potato is a boy."
“You…” He Yinxin’s hand, which was touching the potato, froze in mid-air. His gaze, through his glasses, was resentful and deep.
Jiang Yichun blinked, looking completely innocent. He put Potato II down with one hand and took Potato II's hand with the other, saying, "Okay, okay, what I mean is, you're just as silly as Potato II and Potato!"
"Especially...cute?"
She frowned slightly and managed to say, "Besides, I like you all very much."
Jiang Yichun's short sentence stirred up waves in He Yinxin's heart. As if bewitched, he took her hand and followed her and Potato II happily towards the small house in the mountains.
He followed behind her and asked softly, "So, Xiaochun, between me and Potato's family, who is your favorite?"
Jiang Yichun stopped and turned around, leaning close to his ear: "Of course it's you, you silly robot dog."
The resentment in He Yinxin's eyes vanished. He took off his glasses, lowered his head, and moved closer to Jiang Yichun again.
Jiang Yichun's heart pounded, and she subconsciously used her peripheral vision to look for Potato II.
Potato II wagged its tail and circled around the two of them, occasionally barking.
She turned her gaze back and hugged He Yinxin's waist.
Just as their lips were about to touch, the door creaked open.
"Daughter's back? Dinner's ready! Come quick..."
The old woman's familiar, strong voice rang in their ears.
Accompanying this was the sound of Potato himself barking.
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