Springtime after the dust settles
As the courthouse doors opened, the warm midday sun streamed in, bathing Xu Yanchi, Xiao Fuzhou, and Wang Zhitao in its light. Xu Yanchi raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, but the smile on her lips was impossible to hide—this was the most relaxed moment she had had in a long time, as if a weight had finally been lifted from her heart, and even her steps became lighter.
“They were truly hateful, but thankfully we won, and we’ve gotten justice.” Xu Yanchi turned to look at the two beside him, his voice filled with relieved joy. “It feels like…we’re finally free!” Upon hearing this, Xiao Fuzhou’s black trench coat fluttered slightly in the wind. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he nodded in agreement, “The outcome is good.” Wang Zhitao smiled as well, a few specks of dust clinging to the collar of his light gray casual wear, but it didn’t diminish his ease at all: “We don’t have to worry about them causing trouble anymore.”
Song Shi walked behind, watching the backs of the three young people, and quickly caught up. She grasped Xiao Fuzhou and Wang Zhitao's hands again, her voice full of gratitude: "Thank you so much! If you hadn't stood up for Yan Chi, those scumbags might still be at large, and they wouldn't have been sentenced so quickly!" Her hands tightened slightly with emotion, and the gratitude in her eyes was exceptionally genuine.
Xiao Fuzhou gently withdrew her hand, maintaining a polite distance, and said calmly, "Auntie, please don't be so polite. It's what I should do. When a classmate is bullied, we can't just stand by and do nothing. Helping someone is what we should do." Wang Zhitao nodded in agreement and added with a smile, "Yes, Auntie, we didn't do anything special. Anyone else would have helped."
Song Shi was not about to let it go, and warmly invited, "I haven't done anything wrong, but I must thank you properly! Why don't you come to my house for dinner today? I'll buy some groceries and cook a few of my specialties, and we can have a good time." As she spoke, she waved to Lawyer Zhou, who was not far away, and raised her voice a little, "Lawyer Zhou, please come too! Thanks to your professionalism, you helped Yan Chi win the case!"
Attorney Zhou smiled and waved his hand to decline, and Xiao Fuzhou shook his head again: "Auntie, there's really no need to trouble yourself. We have things to take care of. Let's have dinner next time." Seeing this, Wang Zhitao also chimed in: "Yes, we have plans for this afternoon. We're really sorry."
Song Shi wanted to persuade her again, but Xu Yanchi quickly tugged at her arm and whispered, "Mom, you should go back first. I still have something to say to Xiao Fuzhou and Wang Zhitao." Song Shi was taken aback for a moment, then a gossipy glint flashed in her eyes. She leaned close to Xu Yanchi's ear and whispered teasingly, "Oh? There's something you can't say in front of Mom? Okay, Mom understands. Mom's leaving now." As she spoke, she winked at Xiao Fuzhou and Wang Zhitao before turning and leaving with a smile.
As they chatted, Wang Zhitao touched his throat and said with a smile, "It's still quite hot today. I'm going to the nearby supermarket to buy a few bottles of water. You guys wait here for me." Without waiting for their response, he turned and walked quickly toward the supermarket not far away.
Only Xu Yanchi and Xiao Fuzhou remained, and the air instantly fell silent. A slight awkwardness welled up in Xu Yanchi's heart, yet she secretly savored this moment of solitude—at 167cm tall, she appeared exceptionally petite next to the 188cm Xiao Fuzhou, who looked even more imposing and commanding in the sunlight, his black trench coat seemingly bathed in a warm glow. She couldn't help but steal glances at him, but after only a few seconds, she met Xiao Fuzhou's gaze. His eyes remained cold, but Xu Yanchi felt as if she'd been burned, hastily turning her head away, a blush uncontrollably spreading across her eyes.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Fuzhou chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible teasing: "Why do you blush so easily?"
Xu Yanchi clutched the hem of her clothes, her fingers twisting gently. After a long while, she finally managed to whisper an explanation: "No, no, it's just that the weather is too hot." As soon as she said it, she felt her voice was weak, and even the surrounding air seemed to heat up a bit.
Xiao Fuzhou didn't expose her excuse. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he was about to say something more when Xu Yanchi suddenly remembered the way her mother had been winking at her earlier. Her heart was in turmoil, and she blurted out, "You...you shouldn't look at me like that."
Xiao Fuzhou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly: "What did I think of you?"
Xu Yanchi was speechless when asked the question. Her cheeks burned even hotter, and she gripped the hem of her clothes even tighter. After a long while, she managed to stammer out, "I...I just feel a little uncomfortable."
“I know.” Xiao Fuzhou interrupted her panic, his smile deepening, his tone softer than before. “I scared you.” He took two steps forward, standing beside her, blocking some of the glaring sunlight. The girl before him had a neat high ponytail, stray hairs clinging to her flushed cheeks, and even her speech was slightly hesitant, making her particularly striking. Xu Yanchi finally calmed down a bit, but still didn't dare to look up, only staring blankly at the patterns on the hem of his trench coat.
The scent of ylang-ylang at Xiao Fuzhou's nose suddenly intensified—the wind whipped her hair across his wrist, the soft movement making his Adam's apple bob. He instinctively raised his hand to his lips, his fingertips tingling with heat. He wasn't unfamiliar with moments of infatuation, but never had he felt this way, his breath quickening. He wanted to look away, but his gaze was glued to her flushed earlobes. The vague feelings he occasionally had for her at night suddenly became clear, yet so chaotic he couldn't grasp them. He coughed lightly before speaking, "There's a little apple pie shop next door, want to go check it out?"
Xu Yanchi finally looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion: "Do you want to eat?"
Xiao Fuzhou paused, then gave a helpless smile, softening his voice even more: "I'm fine with anything." He said clearly, word by word, "An apple doesn't smell as good as you, and it doesn't blush as much as your face."
Xu Yanchi blushed and quickly lowered her head. A gentle breeze swept by again, her hair swaying and brushing against her fingertips, carrying the fragrance even closer. She seemed to sense his unwavering gaze, and when she looked up, their eyes met. Her cheeks instantly burned even hotter, and a quiet panic rose in her heart—Wang Zhitao should be back soon, right? Thinking this, she slowly raised her head, avoiding Xiao Fuzhou's gaze, her fingertips lightly playing with the wildflowers by the roadside. The wind softened the distant cicada chirping, filling the space between them, and even the faint footsteps coming from the direction of the supermarket seemed gently enveloped by the momentary silence.
Xu Yanchi's heart was still pounding. Before she could think of a response, Wang Zhitao's voice came from afar: "Yanchi, Xiao Fuzhou! Over here!"
The two turned around at the same time and saw Wang Zhitao walking briskly towards them carrying three bottles of ice water. There was a little sweat on his forehead. He smiled and shook the bottles in his hand: "There are quite a lot of people in the supermarket. I waited in line for a while." He handed the water to them one by one, not noticing the subtle atmosphere between the two. He casually asked: "What were you talking about? I saw you two standing here without moving."
Xu Yanchi hurriedly took the water, her fingertips touching the cool bottle, which slightly calmed the heat in her heart. She mumbled, "N-nothing, I was just talking about the weather." Xiao Fuzhou unscrewed the cap and took a sip. His gaze swept over Xu Yanchi's reddened ears, and he said lightly, "I just mentioned there's an apple pie shop nearby and asked if she wanted to go."
Wang Zhitao's eyes lit up: "Apple pie? I know that place! My mom bought it last time, and it tasted really good! Why don't we go try it now? We don't have anything else to do this afternoon anyway." Xu Yanchi was still hesitating when Xiao Fuzhou took the lead: "Let's go, it's on the way."
As the three walked towards the shop, Wang Zhitao chattered away about funny things at school, while Xu Yanchi followed behind, occasionally responding, but his eyes kept glancing at Xiao Fuzhou beside him. Xiao Fuzhou walked steadily, his black trench coat swaying gently with each step, sunlight falling on his profile and outlining his defined jawline. Xu Yanchi suddenly remembered the tone of his voice when he said, "Apples don't smell as good as you," and his cheeks flushed again. He quickly looked down at the tips of his shoes.
My heart melted at that moment, like honey, both sour and sweet.
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