Si Yanli rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up his arms a bit. He got on the bicycle, propped it up with one leg, and looked back at Tang Wu. Wuwu, get on.
Tang Wu sat on the back seat, her slender white fingers gently gripping the man's clothes.
The man's clear, gentle voice sounded, Are you sitting tight?
Tang Wu gave a soft Mm.
Si Yanli stepped on the pedals and rode steadily forward.
As they went down a slope, he reminded the woman behind him, Hold on tight.
Tang Wu's lips curved into a smile, her eyes filled with relaxation and joy. Don't worry, I won't fall off.
The downhill speed was quite fast. The night wind blew past, causing the man's shirt to billow.
The crisp, pleasant scent from the man drifted into her nose with the wind, incredibly heart-fluttering.
Tang Wu looked at the man in front of her. He was tall and lean. Even though he was already a renowned translator, he still carried a sense of boyish youthfulness.
His hair was pitch-black, his nape long and graceful, and his skin a cool white.
Refreshing, clean, refined, and handsome.
Tang Wu's hands, which were holding his clothes, slowly wrapped around his lean waist.
This scene had once only appeared in her dreams.
During her student days, she had fantasized countless times about sitting on the back seat of his bicycle.
Unrequited love was truly a bittersweet thing.
Sometimes sorrowful, sometimes joyful—all her emotions revolved solely around that one person.
Although she had secretly loved him for eight years, she was also incredibly lucky.
She was able to marry him, build a relationship with him, and earn his affection.
Tang Wu's smile deepened, but as she smiled, the tears in her eyes fell uncontrollably.
They weren't tears of sorrow, but tears of fulfilling a childhood dream.
Si Yanli felt a bit of dampness on his back. He stopped and looked back at the woman on the back seat.
Seeing her face covered in tears, his brows immediately furrowed. Why are you crying?
Tang Wu sniffled and quickly raised her fingers to wipe the tears from her face. It feels like a dream.
After saying that, she tightly hugged his lean waist again. First, take me to the small supermarket. Let's buy something for the student who lent us the bike.
Si Yanli gave a low Mm.
The two bought a lot of snacks at the supermarket and gave them to the male student.
The male student was so excited he didn't know what to say. Finally, he took out a notebook and asked Si Yanli for his autograph.
Si Yanli wrote a motivational sentence for the student and then signed his name.
The male student was still smiling excitedly as he rode away on his bicycle.
Tang Wu looked at Si Yanli. I'm really proud of you.
He had graduated many years ago, yet he was still a role model for the younger students.
Si Yanli put one hand in his pocket. His phoenix eyes behind his glasses looked at Tang Wu with profound depth. Weren't you going to tell me who your secret crush was?
Tang Wu didn't tell him immediately. Instead, she took his hand and walked to the teaching building.
She pointed to one of the classrooms. The person I had a crush on used to study in that classroom.
Tang Wu's memories suddenly drifted very, very far away.
She clearly remembered that to get just one more look at him, she would run all the way to this teaching building to use the restroom.
Every time she passed by Si Yanli's classroom, she would deliberately slow her pace.
When he was in school, he was already tall and slim, with very fair skin and fine bangs falling over his forehead. He didn't wear glasses back then. His features were exquisite and handsome, just like a prince walking out of a comic book.
During breaks, he would almost always wear earphones—whether listening to music or vocabulary, she didn't know—and read a book in his hand.
He had a gentle and refined temperament and didn't like to roughhouse in the classroom like the other boys.
Every time she passed his classroom and saw him, her heart would beat uncontrollably.
He played basketball twice a week. As long as he was on the court, the bleachers were always packed.
After she figured out his basketball schedule, she would always rush to grab the best seat.
She cheered even louder than his cheerleaders, shouting until her voice went hoarse every time.
Besides watching him play basketball, she also paid attention to his meal times and dietary preferences.
He was a bit of a picky eater. He didn't like pork, and he absolutely wouldn't touch scallions or cilantro. He was also extremely disciplined. In the summer, she had to drink cold beverages almost every other day.
But she rarely saw him drink them. He would always drink water from a thermos, acting like a retired official.
The her of that time was simple and bold.
Perhaps, that was youth.
As bright and fiery as the scorching sun. Although there wasn't a good ending back then, it was a memory she could hardly forget in this lifetime.
If not for those memories, perhaps she wouldn't have returned to the country so quickly, and the matter with her grandmother wouldn't have passed so easily.
It was exactly because it had been so unforgettable that she didn't want to leave any more regrets.
While Tang Wu was lost in her memories, Si Yanli's brows were furrowed so tightly they were almost tied in a knot.
He used to study in that classroom, but he was several grades above her. The object of her secret crush shouldn't be him.
Seeing her eyes slightly moist with a bittersweet yet sweet look, his heart felt like an overturned bottle of five flavors—extremely uncomfortable.
Thinking of him? Even he didn't realize that his usually clear and calm voice sounded rather sour right now.
Tang Wu snapped out of her memories. Hearing the man's question, she nodded. Yes.
Si Yanli couldn't even describe the taste in his heart anymore. No wonder she had cared so much about Lin Qianxue before. It turned out that when you like someone, hearing them bring up their past would unconsciously make you jealous and bothered.
Si Yanli pressed his thin lips tightly together. Since you liked him that much, why didn't you get together later?
Tang Wu thought of the time when she found out about his relationship with Lin Qianxue, and then ran to the sports field, only to see the two of them walking side by side.
She felt the world spinning around her at that moment, as if her entire being had been thrown into an icy cellar that chilled her to the bone.
She clearly heard her own heart shattering into pieces.
When she secretly loved and watched him in the past, even though it was a one-woman show, it was undoubtedly sweet.
But the cruelty of reality struck her like a blow to the head.
The sweetness turned into poison.
After her beautiful fantasies were shattered, all that was left was barrenness and emptiness.
Tang Wu took Si Yanli's long, fair, and slender hand. I'll take you somewhere.
She led him to a small grove and walked up to a large tree near the courtyard wall. She said to him, Squat down and look closely. I carved his name on it.
Si Yanli, ...
What was wrong with her?
Did she think he was so magnanimous that he wouldn't care about anything?
Seeing him standing still, Tang Wu urged, Hurry up and look.
The lighting here was dim, and Si Yanli couldn't see clearly. He turned on his phone's flashlight and looked in the direction she was pointing.
Upon seeing the row of tiny words carved into the tree, his lean and tall body suddenly froze.
