entanglements and choices
On October 31, 2010, the glass doors of the maternity and baby store swung open, and the hanging wind chimes chimed with a clear, melodious sound. Xiaofeng was squatting in the toy section, sorting her building blocks. "Welcome," she blurted out, as if programmed. Then, a familiar male voice pierced the air, and the yellow duckling toy in Xiaofeng's hands suddenly felt deformed by the pressure of the rubber—the sharp, squeaking sound like her heart skipping a beat. Her heart tightened, her nose ached, and without even turning back, she headed straight for the office in the lounge area.
Jiang Wenqing slowly followed, and when they reached the corridor in front of the office door, Xiaofeng stopped abruptly, her nails digging deep into her palms, tears streaming down her mascara like a black stream. She lowered her head, wiping away the tears. Jiang Wenqing stepped forward and knocked on the office door. "Mr. Ming, can I borrow your office for a moment? Let me and Xiaofeng have a word."
As soon as Ming Hanmin walked out of the office, he saw Xiaofeng wiping tears at the door. He went to the sales floor and signaled everyone with his eyes to work with peace of mind.
Jiang Wenqing came to Xiaofeng again, grabbed her right wrist, and led her into the office. Xiaofeng stood in the office, her feet rooted to the ground.
Jiang Wenqing closed the office door and walked over to Xiaofeng. He slowly and gently hugged Xiaofeng from behind. He leaned over slightly and whispered in her ear, "Xiaofeng, I miss you so much!"
Xiaofeng's body suddenly stiffened in Jiang Wenqing's arms, and she could clearly feel the vibrations coming from his chest on her back. The heat of his breath brushed against her ears, sending a tiny shiver down her exposed neck.
When the woody scent suddenly and aggressively penetrated Xiaofeng's nostrils, her body reacted before her consciousness did—she turned around abruptly and took two steps back. She silently said to herself, "I can't destroy someone else's family..."
Xiao Feng hurriedly opened the office door, ran to the store, and went straight to Uncle Ming with a clear goal, "Uncle Ming, I feel a little unwell, so I'll go back first. I haven't been here recently. I'm sorry..."
After saying this, she bowed deeply.
Ming Hanmin reached out and helped Xiaofeng up, saying with concern, "Don't worry about what's going on in the store. If you have anything, tell Xiaoqi. Do you need me to take you home now?"
Xiaofeng raised her upper body, her tears had blurred her makeup, and her aggrieved look made people feel pity for her. "No need, Uncle Ming, I'll go back by myself. I'm sorry!"
Ming Hanmin patted Xiaofeng on the shoulder and then took her to a taxi. The taxi driver looked through the rearview mirror and saw that the girl in the back seat was frantically wiping her right wrist with a wet wipe until her skin turned red.
When Ming Hanmin turned around and returned to the store, Jiang Wenqing had already left.
On November 7, 2010, as the Sunday morning light streamed through the windows, Xiaofeng, having just finished breakfast, grabbed Zhou Yang's arm and begged him to go for a bike ride. But Zhou Yang had a pile of homework to deal with and couldn't spare the time. Xiaofeng had no choice but to grab her car keys and head out, promising crisply, "I'll be back on time at noon!"
While riding along the non-motorized vehicle lane on the side of the street, a figure suddenly appeared in front of me - a man parked his bicycle on the left side of the lane, motionless, with no intention of starting.
Rao Xiaofeng quickly slammed on the brakes, slowly slowing down. As they neared the target, the other party showed no sign of moving. She braked again and instinctively turned the steering wheel to the right. However, she applied too much force, causing the car to veer sharply to the right, nearly hitting the curb.
Xiaofeng's heart tightened, and she hurriedly turned left a little, but she caught a glimpse of the man close at hand. Fearing a collision, she frantically turned right again. In this frantic tug-of-war, the bicycle completely lost its balance. Just as it was about to fall to the left, a hand firmly grasped her arm.
"I'm sorry." When he spoke, his voice was lower than Xiaofeng had imagined, and there was a hint of tension that flashed in his peripheral vision and then disappeared.
Rao Xiaofeng quickly steadied herself, her cheeks slightly red. "My technique is terrible. I'm so sorry. Did I bump into you?"
She subconsciously raised her head, and the moment her eyes met the other person's, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat - so handsome.
The person before her looked more like a boy, with an upright figure, about 1.8 meters tall. His fair skin shone with a clean glow, making him look sunny and refreshing. His large eyes were particularly eye-catching, and when his long eyelashes fluttered gently, he brought a lively and lively look to him. But for some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity...
The boy's tone remained calm: "No." As he spoke, he reached out and helped Rao Xiaofeng down from the tilted bicycle.
Xiaofeng steadied the handlebars again and looked at his car parked in the middle of the road. He couldn't help but ask, "Why did you park here? Do you need help?"
The boy glanced down at his bike and lowered his voice, "I felt a little uncomfortable halfway through the ride, so I stopped to rest. I really shouldn't have stopped here, blocking the road."
"Where do you feel uncomfortable? Can I help?" Xiaofeng asked with sincere concern in his eyes.
"No, I'm fine. I can go now."
"Then... let's go together?" Xiaofeng blurted out.
The boy was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her: "Let's go together?"
"Oh, I mean I'm going in this direction," Xiaofeng quickly stretched out his hand and pointed at the road ahead, "What about you?"
The boy looked in the direction she pointed and said calmly, "I'm going this way too."
Rao Xiaofeng got back on her bike, her heart still pounding from the little accident. The boy followed her, keeping a decent distance. It wasn't until they exited the narrow, guarded lane and the non-motorized vehicle lane ahead suddenly widened that the boy gently pedaled a few times, speeding up and riding alongside her.
There was no conversation along the way, only the soft sound of wheels rolling over the road. It was not until Rao Xiaofeng reached his home that he turned around to say goodbye to the boy he had just met.
The boy also got out of the car and stood there watching her push the car across the street. Xiaofeng ran to the gate of the courtyard and waved excitedly to a man waiting there. The man smiled and put his arm around her shoulders as he walked in. As he turned around, his eyes accidentally swept over the boy at the intersection and his brows furrowed slightly - he felt that this face looked familiar.
After lunch, the two of them curled up on the sofa and watched the movie "The Fault in Our Stars." Xiaofeng was so absorbed in it that she ignored the occasional ringing of her phone.
Zhou Yang took the phone and handed it to Xiao Feng, "It's ringing."
Xiaofeng took the phone in his right hand, then naturally passed it to his left hand. He then placed it next to his left hand and muttered, "There will still be a ringtone for calls and messages on the blacklist. I don't know how to set it up."
"Let me take a look."
Xiao Feng finally woke up from her dream, her words incoherent, "No, it doesn't affect... What, don't worry about it." Then, she pointed at the TV and changed the subject, "Julie is so brave!"
Xiaofeng's fingertips tapped lightly on the remote control. The image of Julie climbing the sycamore tree on the screen made her eyes light up. "Love doesn't require too much thinking. Just like Julie said, 'Some people are worth reckless courage.'"
Zhou Yang said softly, "If Julie hadn't insisted on climbing that tree and delivering the eggs, Bryce might never have realized his feelings."
His eyes swept over the flashing interception notification on Xiaofeng's phone screen. "Just like some people choose to escape, it's not because they're not brave enough, but because they haven't figured out what they want."
Xiao Feng stared blankly at the TV screen, and suddenly asked in a low voice: "What if Bryce still hasn't figured it out?"
Zhou Yang didn't answer. He just stood up and took out the copy of The Little Prince that Xiaofeng always flipped to the corner from the bookshelf. The bookmark was still on the page where the fox said "tamed". "Look, when the little prince left the rose, why didn't the rose immediately try to keep him?"
His voice overlapped with the lines in the movie, "For some things, you don't persist until you see hope, but you will see hope only if you persist."
After the movie, Zhou Yang went out, saying he would buy dinner and come back. Xiao Feng reluctantly looked through the intercepted messages.
After dinner, the two of them walked side by side to the riverside park. It was always bustling here—children chased kites, couples cuddled and whispered, and elderly people practiced Tai Chi in the evening breeze, the river breeze carrying the gentle aroma of everyday life. They strolled aimlessly along the riverbank, chatting about unfinished homework and the slightly tipsy glass of green plum wine they had at dinner, their words filled with a sense of relaxation and warmth.
Xiaofeng suddenly stopped and leaned against the railing. Not far away, several teenagers were skateboarding. The precise positioning of their feet on the boards, the knee bends to build momentum while finding balance, and the sharp, sideways curves with a sudden push—every movement exuded the youthful exuberance of youth.
"So handsome!" Xiao Feng couldn't help but applaud, and turned around to share this joy with Zhou Yang, but her lips were suddenly gently covered.
The kiss was as light as a feather, fleeting. Zhou Yang's palms were still cupping her face, his fingertips still slightly cool. The next second, another gentle kiss followed. Her nose was filled with his scent—the familiar cinnamon scent, tinged with a hint of sweet vanilla, more reassuring than usual.
"Brother Zhou Yang, we are brother and sister." Xiaofeng's voice trembled slightly, as if she was reminding him, or as if she was convincing herself.
Zhou Yang chuckled and rubbed her burning cheek with his fingertips: "Do you also believe those groundless gossips?"
"Isn't it?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with years of doubt.
"Of course not." His tone suddenly became serious, "We are not related by blood."
"Then...why are Uncle Zhou and Aunt Fan always so nice to me?"
"Silly girl," he flicked her forehead with his finger, "because your father and I have a life-long friendship."
Xiao Feng pursed her lips and shook her head: "I don't quite believe it."
Zhou Yang's eyes darkened, his fingertips slid to her chin, and gently lifted it up: "Xiao Feng, how did you feel when I kissed you just now?"
Those words were like a pebble dropped into Xiaofeng's heart, and her cheeks instantly flushed. She took a deep breath, trying to tamp down the pounding of her heart. Zhou Yang was three years her senior, strikingly handsome, and from a well-connected family. He was the man countless girls at school secretly admired. When they shared the same roof, watching him emerge from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, water dripping down his collarbone, she'd had moments of panic, but the word "brother and sister" always brought her back, and she'd even secretly rebuked herself for those inappropriate thoughts.
But that kiss just now... was sweet, something I had been waiting for in my heart for a long time, with a sense of taboo that I knew I shouldn't but couldn't help but get closer to, and a hint of sourness that was hard to explain.
"Brother Zhou Yang, I..." She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
"Don't rush to answer me." Zhou Yang interrupted her, his voice very soft, "Next week, let's talk about this next week."
Xiaofeng nodded quickly, her heart swirling with doubt—why next week? But she didn't dare ask, letting her curiosity and excitement slowly ferment. A river breeze blew by, carrying the moisture of the water, slowly cooling the heat from her cheeks, but it couldn't dispel the sudden ripples in her heart.
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