On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Apart from the sound of the wind, there was complete silence all around.

Huang Mao was stunned, and then a huge warm current instantly dispelled all his previous unease and coldness.

He looked at Zhao Yueyue, who was standing with her head down like a little animal that had done something wrong, and listened to her clumsy but extremely sincere apology—"We can still be good friends," "I don't want to lose you as a friend"—wasn't this exactly what he was feeling anxious about?
The heavy stone in his chest seemed to have been gently removed at that moment.

He grinned, and this time, the smile was no longer forced, but genuine, carrying a sense of relief and warmth. Although there was still a trace of lingering disappointment deep in his eyes, there was more peace of mind than anything else.

"Nonsense!" Huang Mao's voice regained some of its usual energy, even carrying a hint of exaggeration. "Do you think I, Huang Mao, am such a petty person? To break off a friendship after a confession fails? That would be too lame!"

With Huang Mao's words, a huge sense of relief instantly enveloped Zhao Yueyue. Her nose tingled, and she almost shed tears again, but this time it was tears of relief. She quickly replied in a low voice, "What you said on the cliff can't be considered a confession. It's just giving me some time to think it over, because I'm still quite confused myself."

“Okay, let’s put this aside for now, and wait until your brain is completely clear… cough, until you’ve thought it through before we talk about anything else! Anyway…” He paused, lowering his voice slightly, but enough for Zhao Yueyue to hear clearly, “I’ve always been your best friend, and you’ve always been my best friend.”

That last sentence was like a reassuring pill.

Zhao Yueyue suddenly raised her head and looked at Huang Mao.

The lines of his profile were particularly clear under the light. He had a familiar, slightly irritating smile on his face, but his eyes were clear and open, without any coercion or resentment, only a sense of certainty and acceptance that "I am right here."

Although she still seemed carefree, her words, "You've always been there for me as my best friend," were like a tiny seed, carrying a strange warmth, quietly landing in her still chaotic but no longer fearful heart.

The "sense of unfamiliarity" that frightened her disappeared, and the familiar "Huang Mao" returned.

The ice of fear and self-blame was broken. Although the road ahead was still blurry and the deep friendship was temporarily redefined, at least the fear of losing the other's friendship disappeared.

They are still themselves, but with an added layer of emotions that need time to process, and a budding sweetness buried deep in their hearts, waiting for the future to sprout.

The sound of the nearby waves seemed to suddenly become gentle, softly washing over the beach, as if washing away the anxiety that was gradually calming down in their hearts.

This summer night, despite an unexpected storm, the ship of friendship did not capsize; instead, it became even stronger after the storm.

As for the course of love, it is temporarily stranded in a tranquil harbor, waiting for its owner to pack its bags and set sail again.

Summer is still long.

Looking at Zhao Yueyue, whose eyes were filled with tears, Huang Mao raised his hand, as he habitually wanted to pat her head, just like he had done countless times before, but he stopped halfway through.

The atmosphere seemed to still have a hint of subtlety.

But after a moment's hesitation, he still reached out and gently placed his hand on Zhao Yueyue's head, his movements a little clumsy.

"Alright, let's hurry up and go, everyone's waiting for dessert."

Feeling Huang Mao's gentle caress, Zhao Yueyue's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights, two young faces were illuminated, one bright and cheerful, the other carefree. Although the direction of their relationship still needed to be sorted out, their steps, walking side by side, had already regained their relaxed rhythm. "Um... what should we buy?" Zhao Yueyue broke the silence first, her voice still slightly nasal, but she had tried her best to regain her normal tone. She pointed to the brightly lit convenience store not far away.

Huang Mao scratched his head, trying to temporarily suppress the warm conversation from their "best friend" moment and switch to normal mode: "Didn't Zhou Hao specifically ask for strawberries? Qu Danwan and the others probably like lots of fruit too, right? Should we buy some more... uh, snacks? Drinks?"

"Mmm!" Zhao Yueyue nodded vigorously, as if she had found her mission objective. "Fruit cake, and... everyone's favorite drinks! Mo-ge likes oolong tea, Yuqing likes juice, and Zhou Hao wants cola..."

The two walked into the convenience store side by side. The bright lights and air conditioning hit them, dispelling the sweltering heat of the summer night and also easing the lingering sense of unease.

They walked towards the refrigerated area in tacit agreement.

"The strawberry one is here!" Huang Mao pointed to a cream cake decorated with fresh strawberries in the glass cabinet.

"Ah, strawberry cake! That solves both strawberries and cake in one go!" Zhao Yueyue leaned over to take a look, her nose almost touching the glass. "It looks good... Should we buy a mango and grape one too? Yuanyuan likes grapes."

"Okay." Huang Mao nodded and reached out to pull the door of the refrigerator.

His hand had just touched the cold doorknob when Zhao Yueyue reached out as well.

Their hands instantly clasped together.

Zhao Yueyue quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been burned, and her cheeks felt hot again.

Huang Mao's movements froze for a moment, then he casually opened the cabinet door, deliberately keeping his voice relaxed: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and choose, everyone's waiting."

He tried his best to imitate his usual "cheeky" tone, and although it was still a bit stiff, the effect was remarkable.

Urged on by him, Zhao Yueyue's shyness was immediately dispelled by the "sense of urgency," and she forgot her earlier embarrassment. Pointing at the cakes, she said, "This one is strawberry, that one is mango, that one is grape! And... let's get one of that fruit platter too?"

"Yes, sir!" Huang Mao deftly brought out the cake and fruit platter, his movements returning to their usual swiftness. "And the drinks."

The two pushed their shopping cart toward the beverage section, and the atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed.

Zhao Yueyue started muttering, "Cola for Zhou Hao... juice for Yuqing, mineral water for Danwan... what will you drink, Huang Mao?"

"Me? I'll have iced tea." Huang Mao replied casually, his eyes sweeping over the shelves. He saw Zhao Yueyue's favorite lemon-flavored potato chips, grabbed two bags, and tossed them into his shopping cart.

Zhao Yueyue saw it and her eyes lit up, but she habitually complained, "Hey! Who told you to take potato chips? This is public money! It's for everyone's late-night snacks!"

"Tsk." Huang Mao raised an eyebrow and regained some of his "bantering" mode. "Of course, what I took is on my tab. It's your treat. Your eyes are all swollen from crying. Have some snacks to replenish your energy."

"Who's crying!" Zhao Yueyue retorted immediately, her almond-shaped eyes widening, and she habitually slapped Huang Mao's arm. "You're the one who's crying! Your whole family is crying!" (End of Chapter)