We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Xie Shu didn't speak. She turned her head to look at a bus to their right, wondering if Li Mubai was on it, just like before.

The bus started moving, and the red light for their left turn turned green. It slowly drove past the bus. She quickly glanced around but didn't see him. Maybe he was on the other side.

However, there was no chance. The bus and their route were different. Although they arrived at the same destination by different routes, the bus always had to take some detours to reach its destination.

"Xiao Shu, the boy who dropped you off at your door last time was also your friend." Xu Ting casually mentioned the night Li Mubai came to deliver the documents, her tone gentle.

Xie Shu remained silent, staring blankly out the car window. Xu Ting, seemingly accustomed to her frequent silences, continued speaking to herself:

"Speaking of which, I met that young man once before, and I said his personality was like your dad's when he was in high school."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shucai made a move. She looked out the window and slowly shifted her gaze to her mother, Xu Ting, who was smiling as she looked at the road ahead, a gentle smile on her lips, as she recounted her first impression of Li Mubai.

She has such a good memory; she remembers the only time they met last semester so clearly. Perhaps Xie Shu inherited her memory from her.

"However..." Xu Ting suddenly changed the subject, "My Xiao Shu is not the same as I was back then. If I were you now, I probably wouldn't be attracted to any boy. Instead, I would focus on my studies, prepare to study abroad, and take over my parents' company in the future."

Xu Ting seemed to be joking, with a kind smile on her lips, but Xie Shu felt a chill in the air inside the car. Was the air conditioning on?

After the weather gets hot, the air conditioning in the car is often on, and the windows are closed tightly to prevent any heat from entering or any cool air from escaping. But Xie Shu prefers the natural breeze that carries residual heat.

"I am your child, just like you," Xie Shu said softly.

Xu Ting paused for a moment, glanced at Xie Shu who had his head down, and then quickly resumed her usual kind smile:

"Yes, my Xiao Shu has inherited the best qualities of both her father and mother. She is smart, sensible, and never worries her parents."

She did not directly refute Xie Shu's point of view, but instead responded accordingly.

"However, no child should want to follow in their parents' footsteps without ever changing. I believe that after learning from their parents' experiences, children will one day forge their own unique path in life."

Xu Ting paused, then added, her tone sounding very open-minded, as if she really wanted to give Xie Shu a choice.

Those who don't know Xu Ting might think she's an open-minded mother who respects her child's ideas and supports her child's choices.

But Xie Shu, who knows her well, knows that the key point of this sentence has never been "to forge a different path in life," but rather "to learn from her parents' experience."

Xu Ting brought the conversation back to the topic of studying and studying abroad:

"Xiao Shu, I'm thinking of enrolling you in weekend AP English Language and Writing and AP European History tutoring classes. They're taught by top teachers and will be very helpful for your future studies in the UK. What do you think...?"

"I'm not going." Xie Shu uttered two words calmly, without the slightest hesitation.

"Haha, with Xiaoshu's excellence, I'm sure she can succeed in self-study without going to tutoring classes." Xu Ting wasn't angry; instead, she laughed. "I've already bought the textbooks for you and put them on your desk. When you go to England in a year, it will fulfill the dream that your father and I didn't have to pursue when we couldn't study abroad."

"By the way, Xiao Shu, I folded that jacket that looks like a boy's on the balcony and put it on your bed. You were in such a hurry to go back to school last time that the jacket was left to dry on the balcony for several days."

"..."

Xu Ting didn't seem to care about the small matter of the vest, and was still rambling on about planning her future. Perhaps she thought Xie Shu bought it himself?

Xie Shu fell silent again. She turned her head away and looked out the car window at the trees rushing past. She wondered if Li Mubai could outrun this car.

Forget it, that would be too much to ask of him. I just want him to keep up or at least stay on par with me.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home."

"Have you eaten?" Li's mother came out from the kitchen.

"not yet."

"Then sit down and we'll eat together later."

Li's mother went back to the kitchen, while Li's father sat at the dining table scrolling through Douyin (TikTok).

It was past seven o'clock in the evening, and the afterglow of the sun still lingered on the horizon, but there were not many diners left. Li's mother cooked a fish dish and served it on the table.

"What day is it? Why are you cooking fish?" Li Mubai asked, puzzled.

"I'm cooking fish for you. Everyone says that eating fish can improve intelligence and nourish the brain. You're at a crucial stage of your studies right now, so eat more fish so you can get into a good university in the future."

"Which video did you watch that said it? You can't believe everything you see online. From now on, people selling health supplements will only come to you guys."

Li Mubai complained, "If eating fish could increase intelligence, then everyone in the world wouldn't need to study; they could just eat fish."

"Yes, yes, your dad and I know more than you do now. You know the most."

"I think so," Li Mubai replied without any politeness.

"Hurry up and eat the fish." Li's mother picked up a piece of fish and put it into Li Mubai's bowl.

"By the way, Mom and Dad, I have to go back to school at 1 p.m. tomorrow."

"Why go back so early?" Li's mother asked immediately, a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm going to buy stationery."

"What stationery do you want to buy? Is the money I'm given enough?"

"The stationery needed for art class should only cost around ten yuan," Li Mubai said casually, unaware of seal carving.

"Why go so early? You could have just had your dad take you shopping."

How can that be? He's going to see Xie Shu. Does he have to take Li's father with him?

"Never mind, don't bother. Aren't you busy this afternoon? The shop definitely needs someone. I can go by myself. I'm almost an adult." Li Mubai made an excuse.

"So you're still seventeen." But Li's mother finally relented, adding, "Then you can go by yourself tomorrow, and be careful on the road."

"understood."

I don't know who invented the system of adjusting work hours, but it feels like it could be written into history textbooks for everyone to "admire".

Compared to the students who returned to school with complaints, Li Mubai seemed less somber.

Xie Shu said he would wait for her on Wutong Road. As the name suggests, Wutong Road is lined with two rows of sycamore trees, and by early May the sycamore leaves had fully unfolded.

Sunlight filters through the tall tree canopy, breaking into fragments that fall upon the ground beneath. The dappled light and shadows dance gently on the ground, creating a feeling reminiscent of midsummer. A light breeze stirs the leaves, causing them to rustle softly.

dong dong dong-

His phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out of his pocket and saw that Xie Shu had called him on video.

"Look where I am?"

Xie Shu's painting depicts the back view of a young boy.

Li Mubai turned around, and the boy in the phone screen also turned around.

"The sun is shining brightly today," she said with a soft laugh.