Is not being able to do as you please also called rebirth?

Chapter 204 Early Spring Outing
The chill of late winter was dispelled by the gradually warming winds of March, and early spring quietly arrived in Beijing with a poised and ready attitude.

The weeping willows along the riverbank have sprouted tender yellow buds, which, when viewed from afar, look like they are shrouded in a hazy, light green mist.

The sunlight is no longer stingy, generously shining on the ancient city walls, the brand-new glass curtain walls of high-rise buildings, and also dancing on the window frames of the rental houses in the Zizhuyuan community.

The heating inside was still strong, but the atmosphere was no longer the close-knit gathering around the fireplace in winter.

Chen Shixuan, wearing a light green sweatshirt, looked like a new seedling breaking through the soil. She was gesturing to the dressing mirror, holding up a thin floral scarf, and humming an off-key melody.

Zhao Ruoyu, dressed in a neat off-white lightweight trench coat and light blue jeans, was bending over to check the laces of her sneakers, muttering a complaint:

"Shixuan, hurry up! If you keep dawdling, the Yuyuantan Park will be packed with people. You won't see any flowers, you'll just see the backs of heads!"

It's the weekend, and Jiang Xun promised to take them to Yuyuantan Park to see the early cherry blossoms.

Although the peak blooming season has not yet arrived, the early-blooming varieties and the trees full of swollen flower buds are enough to attract people who have been cooped up all winter.

"Coming, coming!" Chen Shixuan finally finished tying her scarf and skipped over, naturally taking Jiang Xun's arm. "Honey, look at Ruoyu, all she does is rush me!"

Jiang Xun was also wearing a casual jacket today, which made his figure look even more upright. He smiled and let Chen Shixuan take his arm, while his other hand naturally picked up Zhao Ruoyu's backpack on the sofa: "Let's go, if we dawdle any longer, we'll just be watching heads."

Zhao Ruoyu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips, and said nothing more. She simply took a few quick steps and opened the door before Chen Shixuan could. Outside, the cool, refreshing air of early spring rushed in, completely dispelling the warmth inside.

Just as Zhao Ruoyu had predicted, the entrance to Yuyuantan Park was already teeming with people.

Scan the code to enter the park and walk along the lake. Although most of the cherry blossom trees are still in the state of "only buds and no flowers", their vitality ready to bloom, as well as the few early cherry trees that occasionally bloom, are enough to make people happy.

"Wow! Over there! It's open over there!" Chen Shixuan, with her sharp eyes, pointed to a spot by the lake and immediately pulled Jiang Xun over like a happy little deer.

It was an early cherry tree with its branches outstretched, its pink and white blossoms densely covering the branches, trembling slightly in the still chilly spring breeze, reflecting in the emerald green lake water, its beauty fresh and refined.

Chen Shixuan let go of Jiang Xun, ran to the tree, tilted her head back, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face beaming with pure joy.

She wasn't wearing much makeup today, just a light lip gloss. Against the backdrop of pink and white cherry blossoms, her skin looked radiant and her eyes sparkled, attracting the attention of many tourists.

Completely unconcerned, she turned around, opened her arms wide to Jiang Xun and Zhao Ruoyu who had just walked over, and smiled brightly: "Quick! Take a picture of me!"

Zhao Ruoyu had already taken out her phone and snapped several photos of her, then said, "Brother, why don't you stand over there too? I'll take a picture of you too."

Jiang Xun smiled and shook his head, then walked to Chen Shixuan's side and naturally put his arm around her shoulder.

Chen Shixuan immediately felt like she had found a support, and leaned against him with a relaxed body, smiling even more brightly and sweetly at Zhao Ruoyu's camera.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse flower branches, casting dappled shadows on the two people, creating a scene as warm and cozy as a picture book.

"Alright, alright, it's my turn!" Zhao Ruoyu handed the phone to Chen Shixuan and walked to Jiang Xun's side under the cherry blossom tree. However, unlike Chen Shixuan, she did not lean on Jiang Xun. Instead, she leaned slightly against Jiang Xun's shoulder, raised her chin slightly, looked at the camera, and had a slightly shy expression.

The trench coat accentuated her slender waist and long, straight legs. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, and occasional cherry blossom petals drifted down, brushing against her shoulders.

Chen Shixuan pressed the shutter, capturing the fleeting tenderness in her eyes, touched by the cherry blossoms and sunlight.

"How was it? Not bad, right?" Zhao Ruoyu walked over, took back her phone, and quickly flipped through the photos. When she saw the one of herself and Jiang Xun, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

The three strolled slowly along the lakeside. The lake shimmered, and boats glided by. The forsythia on the shore had already bloomed into a golden hue, and the willow branches brushed the water, their tender green leaves a delightful sight.

The air is filled with the scent of thawing earth, the freshness of moisture, and a faint, unique fragrance that belongs to early spring, a fragrance that is warm despite the slight chill.

There were many tourists, including families, couples, groups of students, and photography enthusiasts with their cameras and lenses.

Jiang Xun had one hand in his jacket pocket, and sometimes Chen Shixuan would hold his other hand, while at other times he would naturally put his arm around Zhao Ruoyu's shoulder, protecting her from the crowded flow of people.

Zhao Ruoyu's body would stiffen slightly at first, but she would quickly relax and even occasionally tilt her head slightly, her hair brushing against his arm unintentionally.

Tired from walking, they sat down on a relatively quiet wooden bench by the lake.

Chen Shixuan ran to buy those brightly colored, exaggeratedly shaped cotton candies from the park, and soon ran back holding two huge pink and blue "clouds," giving one to Jiang Xun and one to Zhao Ruoyu.

"Childish." Zhao Ruoyu glanced at it with disdain, but still took it and carefully took a bite, the sweet sugar strands sticking to the corner of her mouth.

"Isn't it delicious!" Chen Shixuan licked her own penis with a smug look, like a satisfied kitten.

Jiang Xun looked at them, then at the shimmering lake and the misty green of the distant shore, and felt a sense of peace and contentment.

"Look, a kite!" Chen Shixuan suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted. A huge swallow kite was soaring in the azure sky, trailing a long, colorful tail. "Let's go fly a kite too?" Chen Shixuan looked at Jiang Xun with bright eyes.

Zhao Ruoyu immediately objected: "There are so many people, it's too crowded. I'll just sit here for a while, you guys go ahead."

Jiang Xun smiled and said to Chen Shixuan, "The wind isn't strong today, so it might be a little difficult to fly it. Next time, we'll find an open space and take you there specifically."

Chen Shixuan had only mentioned it casually, but upon hearing it, she immediately became happy again, and her attention was quickly drawn to an old man selling sugar paintings next to her.

The breath of early spring flows through the shimmering lake and blooming flowers, in the fluttering skirts of the young girls and the sugar stains on their lips, and even more so in the tranquility of the three sitting side by side, sharing sweet moments.

The wind ripples the surface of a spring pond, gently soothing the hearts of young people.

In the evening, the three tired people went to a small shop for dinner. The shop had a very small storefront with only a faded wooden sign that read "Baodu Feng". However, the tables set up at the entrance were full of people, and the place was bustling with activity and noise.

Chen Shixuan stared brightly at the busy stove in the shop, "I can smell the aroma!"

Zhao Ruoyu looked around at the surroundings with some skepticism and said, "Are you sure this place is good? It looks... a bit greasy."

"Trust me, the true flavors of Beijing are all in these little alley shops," Chen Shixuan replied with a smile.

Soon, several plates of thinly sliced, evenly cut, and tempting-looking tripe and other cuts were served, along with three small bowls of thick, fragrant, secret-recipe sesame sauce.

Poached tripe, poached tripe collar, boiled beef tripe, a few freshly baked sesame seed cakes, and a few bottles of Arctic Ocean soda.

Chen Shixuan urged, "Try it quickly, mix it while it's hot."

She couldn't contain herself any longer. She picked up a piece of snow-white tripe with her chopsticks, dipped it vigorously in the sauce of sesame paste, minced garlic, and chili oil, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Instantly, the crisp, tender, and chewy texture, along with the rich, savory sauce, exploded in her mouth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction and mumbled a praise, "Mmm! So delicious! So crispy!"

Zhao Ruoyu hesitated for a moment, looking at the thick sauce and Chen Shixuan's greasy mouth.

Jiang Xun noticed her hesitation, picked up a piece of very clean tofu skin, dipped it lightly in the sesame sauce in his bowl, and held the thinnest, relatively refreshing part of the sauce to her lips: "Try this, just a little bit."

Looking at his focused gaze and the glistening slice of tofu skin on his chopsticks, Zhao Ruoyu felt a slight flush on her face and gently opened her mouth.

The tripe is crisp yet slightly chewy, the sesame sauce is just the right amount of rich and not greasy, and the aroma of minced garlic and a subtle hint of fermented chive blossom flavor instantly conquers the taste buds.

Her eyes lit up slightly. Without saying a word, she picked up her chopsticks and, imitating Jiang Xun, carefully picked up a piece of pork belly, dipped it in the sauce, and began to taste it.

"How about it? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Chen Shixuan asked with a smile.

Zhao Ruoyu gave a reserved "hmm," which was taken as tacit agreement, but she noticeably sped up the food she was picking up.

The three of them ate with great gusto, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Jiang Xun refilled their sodas, watching Chen Shixuan, like a greedy little squirrel, her cheeks bulging; and watching Zhao Ruoyu, who, though trying to maintain her composure, revealed satisfaction and relaxation in her eyes and brows. The hustle and bustle of the alley, the aroma of food, and the smiles of the girls around them intertwined to create the most comforting melody of life.

After finishing their tripe, they felt warm all over. The three of them strolled slowly along the alley to digest. The sun completely sank below the horizon, and the alley was illuminated by the warm, dim streetlights.

"Jiang Xun, I want to eat candied hawthorn!" Chen Shixuan couldn't resist the urge to stop at a stall selling candied hawthorn on a bicycle.

Inside the glass cabinet, bright red hawthorns, bright yellow pitted crabapples, and glistening purple grapes, all coated in a translucent sugar shell, looked incredibly tempting under the light.

"You just ate tripe and then candied hawthorn, aren't you afraid of getting a toothache?" Zhao Ruoyu complained habitually.

"I want to eat!" Chen Shixuan grabbed Jiang Xun's arm and shook it.

Jiang Xun smiled and took out his money: "Boss, give me three skewers, one of each of hawthorn, crabapple, and grape."

Chen Shixuan immediately chose the biggest and reddest bunch of hawthorns, and couldn't wait to bite into one. The sweet and sour, cool sugar shell cracked in her mouth, making a crisp sound, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Zhao Ruoyu hesitated for a moment, then took the bunch of pitted crabapples coated with a thick layer of sugar. She took a small bite, and the sweet and crisp shell wrapped around the sweet and sour, soft flesh, which was unexpectedly refreshing.

Jiang Xun held the bunch of grapes herself and ate them slowly.

The three walked side by side in the narrow alley, the streetlights casting long, then short, overlapping shadows. The sweetness of candied hawthorns lingered on their tongues, subtly seeping into the spring night air.

The streetlights in the alleyway lit up one after another, casting a warm glow on the bluestone pavement.

(End of this chapter)