Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Bai Li ignored this tactic and continued to close in.

Jiang Ruyue's back slid down the wall a few inches.

She gave up struggling and resignedly closed her eyes.

Her thick, curled eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings, making her exceptionally endearing.

"Well... okay then."

Jiang Ruyue's voice was barely audible, and it carried a hint of grievance.

"Please... be gentle with me."

A second passed.

Two seconds passed.

The expected storm did not materialize.

Jiang Ruyue mustered her courage and opened her eyes a crack.

In my line of sight, Bai Li had already stood up straight.

He was standing with his arms crossed, looking down at me, his chest heaving slightly as he tried to suppress a laugh.

Bai Li extended his right index finger, bending the knuckle.

"Smack."

A crisp sound.

Bai Li flicked Jiang Ruyue's smooth forehead.

"He's got quite a lot on his mind all day long."

Bai Li turned around, picked up the handbag on the swivel chair, and said in a teasing tone:

"You three, just order some takeout on your phones and make do with a meal."

"The break room in this office has a large bed and high-end computers. After you've eaten, you can play some games inside, but don't wander around."

After saying that, Bai Li took out his phone, opened the chat box, typed a line of text, and sent it.

I'll be waiting for you in the basement.

……

underground garage.

Bai Li found the No. 9 electric scooter, which was covered with a thin layer of dust.

He leaned back on the electric scooter seat, idly scrolling through short videos.

A series of crisp footsteps echoed through the empty underground parking garage.

Bai Li raised her head.

Xie Lingmo walked out of the elevator.

She was carrying two motorcycle helmets, one matte black and the other cherry blossom pink.

She changed her pants into a pair of high-waisted straight-leg jeans, which accentuated her long, straight legs, making her look youthful and energetic.

She changed into a loose white pullover sweatshirt, and her short pink hair bounced gently with her steps.

She ran up to Bai Li and handed him the matte black helmet.

Bai Li took it, pinched the straps with both hands, pulled them to both sides, put it on his head, and fastened the buckle with a "click".

I turned my gaze away.

Xie Lingmo was holding the cherry blossom pink helmet, standing next to the No. 9 electric scooter, her beautiful eyebrows almost twisted into a knot.

She fastened the helmet to her head, the two plastic straps shifting back and forth under her fair chin.

It got stuck because it went through the wrong hole.

I tugged at it twice more, but the latch was locked tight and couldn't be inserted into the slot at all.

The girl was so anxious that sweat beaded on her nose, making her look both funny and adorable.

If Xie Tianyun were to witness this scene, the old man would probably vomit three liters of blood on the spot.

Just because...

The eldest daughter of the Xie family is someone who has ridden a Ducati to 180 km/h.

Now, she's actually pretending to be a mentally challenged child who can't take care of himself.

Bai Li couldn't stand it any longer and stretched out his large hand.

"Alright, stop arguing. I'll put it on for you."

Xie Lingmo stopped what she was doing.

She looked up, a blush rising on her beautiful face, and obediently handed over the helmet.

"Okay," she said softly.

Bai Li took half a step forward, closing the distance between them.

He held the edge of the pink helmet with both hands and slowly pressed it down onto Xie Lingmo's head.

Their breaths mingled.

As Bai Li was adjusting the lining, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against Xie Lingmo's earlobe.

It feels wonderful, soft and fluffy, and still warm.

Xie Lingmo felt a tingling sensation and her heart raced.

My legs also felt a little weak.

She screamed internally.

Phew...that's the feeling.

[I experienced it again! That racing heart, that electric shock-like feeling of loss of control.]

"Click".

Bai Li pressed down on the helmet's buckle.

"Alright, all done."

Bai Li patted the pink plastic casing.

Xie Lingmo looked up at Bai Li through her goggles, her watery eyes sparkling with a strange light.

"It seems..."

Xie Lingmo licked her lips, her tone earnest and persistent:

"Our friendship has become even more genuine."

Bai Li was about to get on his electric scooter when he heard this. He turned around and saw Xie Lingmo breathing heavily.

"What's wrong? Something's off."

Xie Lingmo reached out and rubbed her weak calves.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to confirm."

"Isn't it normal to feel weak and powerless when you're close to your best friends?"

Bai Li stood on one foot, looking at the girl's innocent face full of thirst for knowledge.

His conscience didn't ache for even a second.

"Um."

Bai Li put on a stern face and answered in a very professional tone:

"Yes, this is the ultimate expression of deep friendship."

Xie Lingmo breathed a long sigh of relief and accepted the situation with a clear conscience.

Bai Li turned the key to the electric scooter and patted the foam on the back seat:

"Come on up."

"Here we go!"

Xie Lingmo answered crisply.

This was the first time in her life that she had ever sat on the back of someone else's electric scooter.

Xie Lingmo stretched out her two slender arms and naturally wrapped them around Bai Li's waist.

"Let's go! Let's find some food!" The girl's cheerful voice echoed in the underground parking garage.

Bai Li twisted the accelerator with his right hand.

The No. 9 electric car, carrying the most prestigious young lady in Yunshi, drove out of the underground parking garage exit.

As soon as they stepped onto the street, the scene before them confirmed Bai Li's deduction.

During the lunch rush hour, the roads in Yunshi were completely congested.

Bai Li steered the bicycle and turned the wheel.

The small electric scooter veered off the motor vehicle lane and turned into an old street full of local flavor.

This area is the old town of Yuncheng, with densely packed hole-in-the-wall restaurants and general stores lining both sides of the road.

The aroma of fried dough sticks, the scent of star anise and cinnamon wafting from the braised meat shop, and the shouts of vendors hawking fruit from their tricycles.

Golden sunlight pierced through the branches and leaves of the old locust trees lining both sides of the street, casting dappled and dancing light and shadow.

Bai Li drove his electric scooter, weaving nimbly through the crowded people and stalls.

He darted left and right with ease, his movements fluid and graceful.

A gentle breeze blew in, brushing against her cheeks and lifting strands of hair near Xie Lingmo's ear.

"I'm so happy!" she shouted into the wind.

I shared a beat-up car with a friend.

We chatted and laughed as we walked through the streets and alleys to get a meal.

This was a scene she had fantasized about countless times in the dead of night.

Now, this scene has a tangible warmth to it.

Xie Lingmo opened her eyes, looking at the vibrant, lively crowd ahead of her, feeling a solid sense of support.

She silently told herself this.

It seems like today...

[I don't need to take medicine anymore.]