The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The weather has indeed turned cooler, and the leaves on the trees, like the hair of most middle-aged men, are dwindling.

A cool breeze swirled a few leaves, skimming the ground as it passed under Ye Shu and Xiao Nuan's clasped hands.

Ye Shu and Xiao Nuan walked hand in hand on the streets in late autumn. Unlike Xiao Nuan's calm and expressionless gaze, Ye Shu's eyes were constantly scanning the streets.

This is the time to showcase one's physical fitness.

Ye Shu noticed that some people had already bundled up in down jackets for winter, while some fashion-conscious young women were still wearing stockings and short skirts, and she wondered if they were really resistant to the cold.

He turned to look at Xiao Nuan beside him. Before leaving home today, Ye Shu checked his phone and said that the temperature would drop today, so he specially asked Xiao Nuan to wear slightly thicker clothes.

Xiao Nuan was wearing a slightly oversized knitted cardigan over a long-sleeved T-shirt, paired with light-colored jeans and white canvas shoes.

The clothes weren't too thick, but Xiao Nuan didn't react much. She just quietly let Ye Shu lead her, looking straight ahead without any expression.

Actually, celebrating Xiao Nuan's birthday was quite a challenge for Ye Shu.

Because Xiaonuan is different from others, her lack of desire and ambition makes her really difficult to deal with.

Based on past experience, Xiaonuan likes to eat nuts, preferably shelled ones. She's not a picky eater, but she has a particular fondness for scrambled eggs with tomatoes. She enjoys watching science documentaries... uh, that seems to be it.

She has no interest in plush toys, pretty clothes, cosmetics, or most forms of entertainment.

Xiao Nuan's liking is actually closer to not disliking or being able to accept it, rather than being emotionally attracted to it.

How should we celebrate her birthday in a way that makes her happy, rather than turning it into a meaningless social event that needs to be analyzed and recorded?

Ye Shuqing cleared her throat, deciding to ask directly. With Xiao Nuan, being straightforward was the most effective approach.

He squeezed Xiao Nuan's slightly cold little hand, then turned to look at her face, which was a little red from the wind, and asked:

"Xiao Nuan, today... um, I mean, is there anything you particularly like? Or something you've always wanted?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Nuan turned her head and stared at Ye Shu for a while, carefully considering the question, before replying with a single word:

"you."

...?

"Control tower, control tower, get ready for takeoff!"

"Tower received, no takeoff permitted! Repeat, no takeoff permitted!"

Ye Shu took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to smile, but she was secretly delighted.

These unintentional words are indeed the most charming.

Ye Shu suppressed the urge to hug him and explained:

"No, no, I meant gifts, physical objects, things... I don't count, I'm not a thing..."

Huh? Did I just insult myself?

Ye Shu coughed and quickly tried to remedy the situation:

"No, I meant... um... never mind..."

He waved his hand, erasing the somewhat chaotic words from the air.

It wasn't that he gave up, but rather that he suddenly realized a problem.

How can you ask someone about a birthday gift they gave you? What's the difference between that and asking the teacher for the answers before an exam?

Not only was it no longer a pleasant surprise, but it also made me seem insincere.

A gift is an experience of the giver's sentiment; it is the result of careful preparation after understanding the recipient's feelings.

If you just ask "What do you want?", the whole thing changes.

With this in mind, Ye Shu stopped worrying about what gift Xiao Nuan wanted, and his thoughts became clear.

Since we have to prepare the gift ourselves, let's try a different approach.

"Alright then, I'll figure out the gift myself. But, Xiao Nuan, is there anywhere you particularly want to go today? Or, we can just wander around anywhere. Today... it's up to you."

Xiao Nuan stared at Ye Shu's face for a long time. A withered yellow leaf was swept by the wind and swirled between the two of them, reminding Ye Shu that there was no time to pause.

After looking at it for a long time, Xiao Nuan nodded:

"have."

"Okay, where do you want to go? I'll go with you."

Ye Shu had already planned to go to places like planetariums, libraries, and science exhibitions.

However, Xiao Nuan raised her hand and pointed in one direction:

"Aquarium".

Sigh, stereotypes, sometimes they are really harmful.

In Ye Shu's mind, Xiao Nuan's preferences were supposed to be more hardcore and logical. He never expected that Xiao Nuan would like to watch fish like a child.

I had underestimated her; even the most rational person retains a childlike innocence within.

Regardless, Xiao Nuan has given an answer, so Ye Shu has no reason not to do so.

"Okay, let's go to the aquarium then."

He took out his phone, ready to hail a taxi and buy a ticket, but a hand covered his screen.

Ye Shu looked up and saw Xiao Nuan looking at him. Something seemed to flash in her usually calm and somewhat empty eyes, like a small fish swimming across the surface of a lake, very fast, and easily missed if you weren't paying attention.

"Let's take the subway."

Taking the subway?

The road to the aquarium is not short; it takes almost an hour by taxi.

The subway was crowded, noisy, and the air was bad. Ye Shu couldn't understand why Xiao Nuan would take the subway and suffer like this.

But looking at Xiao Nuan staring at him without blinking, without making any requests or being willful, it just felt like, "I'm just giving you a suggestion, you decide."

However, Ye Shu could sense that Xiao Nuan's suggestion was exactly what she wanted; taking the subway was also part of one of her wishes.

Ye Shu's question went through her mind once, then she swallowed it back down.

Whatever the reason, since Xiao Nuan rarely takes the initiative to ask for something, he has no reason to refuse.

Ye Shu reached out and took Xiao Nuan's hand that was covering her phone, squeezed it, and used her own palm to warm Xiao Nuan's hand.

"Okay, let's take the subway then."

Too many people? Too crowded? A longer journey?

Does this matter to Ye Shu? Of course not.

Before meeting them, Ye Shu mainly walked around, and when traveling long distances, she couldn't bear to take a taxi, so she mostly took the subway and buses.

During rush hour, I felt like a sardine can on the subway, squeezed against the door, breathing in the sweat and cigarette odors of everyone around me, and listening to the buzzing chatter and children crying...

These were all just ordinary parts of his life.

Later, when he went out with them, he was afraid that they would not be used to the crowds and noise and would feel uncomfortable, so he took the initiative to take a taxi.

Of course, it's also because deep down they don't want them to be squeezed in the middle by crowds; they just don't want that.

However, for Ye Shu, taking the subway has long been muscle memory, almost a passive skill.

So when Xiao Nuan suggested taking the subway, Ye Shu felt nothing but a little surprised that it didn't fit Xiao Nuan's high efficiency.

Let her squeeze in, it's not like we've never done it before. Just be a little protective of her.