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The June sun was scorching hot, and the cicadas in the sycamore trees outside the exam hall chirped at the top of their lungs. Gu Tinglan followed the crowd out of the exam center, his expression as calm as ever, as if the exam he had just concluded wasn't a fateful one, but just an ordinary pop quiz.
His eyes swept across the bustling crowd of anxious parents, and with almost no effort, they stopped on the figure hiding in the shade of a tree, standing on tiptoe, holding a strawberry cone that was about to melt in his hand.
When Xixi saw him, her eyes lit up instantly. She waved her hands vigorously, with a smile brighter than the sun on her face, completely ignoring the pink cream melting and dripping from the ice cream cone.
He quickly walked through the crowd and came to her. Before he could say anything, she handed him the ice cream cone like a treasure. "Try it! I waited in line for a long time to buy it! Congratulations on passing the exam!"
Gu Tinglan looked at the tiny beads of sweat on the tip of her nose and the rather horribly shaped ice cream cone, and the softest part of his heart was gently touched. He lowered his head, took a small bite of the melting ice cream from her hand, and the cool, sweet taste melted on his tongue.
"How is it?" she asked anxiously.
"Yeah, very sweet." He looked at her with a gentle gaze. It was unclear whether he was talking about the ice cream or his current mood.
Summer vacation was long and pleasant. Since becoming a human, Xixi has officially begun to integrate into human life. The first step is to learn!
Gu Tinglan began to systematically teach Xixi, starting from the most basic pinyin and Chinese characters, to simple math, and even some junior high school physics and chemistry knowledge.
The following scene often occurred in the study: Xixi frowned, chewing the tip of her pen as she worked on her homework, while Gu Tinglan sat beside her, patiently explaining things and occasionally getting amused and annoyed by her wildly incorrect answers. Sometimes, when Xixi got tired of studying, she would act like a spoiled brat and lie on his back, making trouble and whining for a break.
"Teacher Gu, this character is so difficult to write..."
"Gu Tinglan, why does boiling water produce bubbles?"
"Let's take a break, okay? Just ten minutes! I promise!"
Gu Tinglan was often helpless against her little tricks and could only put down his books and watch boring variety shows with her, or be dragged to the kitchen by her to research new flavors of ice cream.
The days flow slowly in such trivial and sweet teaching and learning.
One day in August, a heavy envelope bearing the emblem of a renowned university was delivered to the mailbox. Gu Tinglan opened it and found the expected acceptance letter inside.
Xixi was even more excited than him. She snatched the notice and read it over and over again, touching the raised school emblem and the gold-plated font on it, her eyes shining, "Gu Tinglan! You are so awesome! You really passed the exam!" She held the notice in her arms, as if it was her own glory, and excitedly turned around in the living room several times.
Then, she suddenly stopped, ran to him, raised her head, and said with an expression more serious than ever before, "When you go to college, will you... meet smarter and prettier girls?"
Gu Tinglan was slightly startled, then burst out laughing. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was low and firm, "No."
"Why?"
"Because..." He paused, holding her tighter, feeling the warmth in his arms and the vibrations in their chests. "My place is very small." He took her hand and pressed it against his left chest. "It can only hold you."
"And I'll take you with me, as an observer."
"Really?"
Gu Tinglan nodded.
Xixi calmed down in his arms, her cheek against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat. The slight uneasiness in her heart was instantly ironed out and warmed. She secretly curled the corners of her mouth.
The lingering summer light streamed through the window, elongating the embraced figures. Along with the acceptance letter, a symbol of a new beginning, they blended into a warm golden glow. College life was about to begin, and their story was still very long.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is already late autumn. The sycamore leaves outside the window are dyed a brilliant golden color, and occasionally a few flutter down, like fluttering butterflies in the afternoon sun.
The villa is filled with a tranquil and warm atmosphere, which seems like a completely different world from the bustling city outside the window.
Xixi sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, a thick photo album spread out before her, with a few freshly developed photos scattered around. She picked up one and examined it carefully against the sunlight. In the photo, Gu Tinglan was wearing her apron with a little fox print, frying eggs in the kitchen with great concentration. His profile was soft, and the morning light cast a light golden glow on him.
"This one looks good!" She nodded with satisfaction, picked up the cartoon stickers at hand, and carefully stuck a small red heart in the corner of the photo.
Then, she continued to look through the album, which was already filled with photos of all sizes: there were funny selfies she took when the two of them were riding the carousel in the amusement park, there were the helpless yet indulgent expression on Gu Tinglan's face when she forced him to wear a bunny ear headband, there were the embarrassing moments when he tried to bake a cake at home for the first time and ended up with flour all over his face, and there were the heartwarming moments at the beach under the sunset, when he carried her on his back, and their shadows were stretched out very long... Next to each photo, there were crooked notes written by Xixi in colored pencil, or various cute stickers.
This has been her greatest pleasure recently - to record every moment they spend together in this down-to-earth way.
From the kitchen came the sound of gurgling food and a rich aroma. Gu Tinglan was making the tomato and beef brisket soup that Xixi had recently become particularly obsessed with.
He was dressed in loose-fitting home clothes, his figure erect, yet his movements unhurried, conveying a sense of homely ease. Occasionally, when he turned back and saw the figure on the carpet, concentrating on his "creation," a gentle smile would unconsciously spread across his eyes.
"Gu Tinglan, Gu Tinglan! Come and look!" Xixi suddenly held up the photo album and waved at him excitedly, "I found the ticket stub from our first movie! I posted it here! Look, I even drew two little people!"
Gu Tinglan wiped his hands, walked over, sat down beside her, and took the album. The faded ticket stub was carefully pasted in the center of the page, next to it was her crayon drawing of two grinning figures holding hands. Although the brushstrokes were childish, they were full of lively energy.
"Yeah, I found it," he murmured, his arm naturally slinging around her shoulders, pulling her closer. His chin rested gently against the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of her shampoo, the same scent he'd used. This everyday, shared scent brought him immense peace and contentment.
"Am I awesome?" Xixi shook her head proudly, like a little animal just begging for praise.
"Amazing." Gu Tinglan praised readily, pointing his finger at the two clowns, "You draw better than me."
Xixi immediately giggled, turned around, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him loudly on the cheek, leaving a light mark with the sweet smell of strawberry lip balm. "Reward for you!"
Gu Tinglan's eyes darkened, but he didn't move any further. He simply tightened his arms, letting her lean more comfortably against him while they flipped through the photos. The sunlight filtered through the window, casting the figures of the two embracing on the wooden floor, intertwining their bodies in a warm and lingering warmth.
The aroma of the soup became stronger and stronger.
"It seems to be getting better soon." Gu Tinglan said.
"Hold me a little longer..." Xixi nuzzled into his arms, craving his comforting warmth and scent. She particularly enjoyed the intimacy of skin against skin, and could clearly feel the beating of his strong heart beneath his chest—a beat that was completely synchronized with the rhythm in her own chest.
Gu Tinglan indulged her, his fingers combing through her soft, smooth black hair intermittently. The thrilling past, the heavy responsibilities and burdens, seemed to be quietly smoothed out in this ordinary and warm daily life, settling into a deep mark in the background of life.
Now, he is no longer the heir of the Gu family who bears sins and responsibilities, but just Gu Tinglan, Xixi's Gu Tinglan.
After a while, Xixi seemed to remember something. She suddenly raised her head and looked at him with bright eyes. "Oh right! Let's go to that new dessert shop tomorrow? I heard their mango mille-feuille is super delicious!"
"Okay." Gu Tinglan nodded without hesitation.
"Also, how about we go to that farm in the suburbs this weekend? We can pick strawberries ourselves!"
"good."
"And..."
She chattered about her upcoming plans, her eyes sparkling with infinite anticipation and excitement for the future. Gu Tinglan just listened quietly, occasionally saying "OK", his eyes always gently fixed on her cheerful little face.
This was the ordinary happiness he had never dared to hope for. A home, her, three meals a day and four seasons filled with the flavor of life, and the next day to look forward to.
Finally, the gurgling sound became rapid.
"The soup is ready. If you don't turn off the heat, your beef brisket will turn into beef jerky." Gu Tinglan patted her back gently.
Only then did Xixi reluctantly climb up from his arms and follow him into the kitchen.
Dinner was served. It was a simple meal of three dishes and a soup, but it was full of color, aroma and flavor. Xixi ate with great relish, her cheeks bulging as she mumbled praise, "Gu Tinglan, your cooking is getting better and better! I think I can't live without you anymore!"
Gu Tinglan picked up the largest piece of beef brisket and placed it in her bowl. With a glint in his eyes, he teased, "Do you still want to leave?"
"Of course not!" Xixi said firmly, holding up her pinky finger. "Pink pinky! Liars are like dogs!"
Gu Tinglan looked at her childish actions and laughed, but still solemnly stretched out his little finger and hooked it with hers.
"Hook."
Outside the window, the lights began to come on, the city's neon lights gradually illuminating like scattered stars. Inside, the lights were warm, and the two of them sat across from each other, dining, occasionally whispering to each other. The gentle clink of dishes and chopsticks and Xixi's contented sighs formed a most ordinary yet most moving picture.
The past is gone, the future is unknown. But at this moment, holding each other's hands tightly, sharing the beating of one heart, is the best ending after the dust has settled.
——End of the full text——
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