We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

If youth has a color, it is the verdant sycamore leaves and the pale yellow sunlight, which are now crushed by the gods and gently sprinkled on Xie Shu's black and white school uniform.

Xie Shu looks good in casual clothes, but she looks very youthful in her school uniform.

Li Mubai suddenly thought of the well-known story of Nuwa creating humans:

Legend has it that Nuwa felt quite lonely, so she molded clay figures one by one based on her reflection in the water. However, her work efficiency was too low, so she used withered vines to reach into the mud pond and casually sprinkled mud. Wherever the mud fell, it turned into little people.

Perhaps Xie Shu was the one that Nuwa herself carefully sculpted.

He gazed at the meticulously crafted Nuwa figurine before him and slowly approached, hearing her speak:

"What's wrong? Is there something on me?"

"No...no."

His thoughts drifted from the ancient, unfounded myths back to the girl who was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Li Mubai, here's your coat, thank you."

Xie Shu took his coat out of his bag and handed it to him; it was wrapped in a transparent dust bag.

Li Mubai took it; it had a faint fragrance. Perhaps some perverts would take it back and secretly enjoy it, but he wasn't a pervert. He said "You're welcome" and put it in his bag.

"By the way, Xie Shu, where do we buy seal carving tools later?" he asked.

"Come with me, I know there's a stationery store nearby."

"Um."

The air wasn't too hot today, and Xie Shu's ponytail seemed to be shining, making one want to reach out and touch it.

Li Mubai suddenly remembered the shampoo commercials that used to air on TV. The girls on screen had smooth, shiny hair, and he was always curious about what it felt like.

"We've arrived," Xie Shu said softly.

Li Mubai looked up and saw that the stationery store bore the marks of time.

"There's a wholesale book market right next door, but with the rise of online shopping, these physical markets are gradually losing customers."

As Xie Shu spoke, he walked into the stationery store.

The stationery store, which has been around for a while, is also run by an elderly owner. When she heard someone come in, she made no attempt to greet them, not even lifting her eyelids, and continued to stare intently at the old TV series playing on her phone.

Xie Shu seemed very familiar with the place, and led him to the place that sold seal carving tools with ease.

Li Mubai realized he had underestimated the price; a set of tools couldn't be bought for just a dozen yuan, and better seal carving tools could even cost over a hundred.

However, for students, the minimum configuration is sufficient, since the school's seal carving class is just an introductory lesson for students.

"Xie Shu, do you come here often?" Li Mubai asked as he walked out of the stationery store.

"Yes." Xie Shu nodded gently. "I went to elementary school around here and often came here to buy stationery and teaching materials."

"Could we check out the book wholesale market next door?"

He had almost never bought any supplementary teaching materials before. When he was in elementary school, the school only required him to graduate smoothly, and his parents never specifically bought him any practice materials.

Of course, the main reason was that Li Mubai was curious about the places Xie Shu used to frequent.

"Okay." Xie Shu nodded in agreement.

Upon entering the wholesale market, a chill immediately hits you, and the entire market exudes a desolate silence, with only a few students looking to be selecting educational materials.

The market has a circular layout; if you follow one path to the end, you will eventually circle back to the entrance.

Li Mubai curiously looked at each book stall, most of which were strongly related to learning, such as "53", "Complete Explanation of Middle School Textbooks", "Must-Do Problems for High School", and so on.

Xie Shu followed quietly behind him; perhaps such a peaceful life wasn't so bad after all...

"Thank you for your letter?"

A voice suddenly broke the tacit silence, the speaker's tone seemingly uncertain.

Li Mubai and Xie Shu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl walking out from a nearby bookstall. The color and style of her school uniform indicated that she was not a student from No. 6 Middle School.

"I wasn't sure just now, but it really is you," the girl said in surprise.

Xie Shu's former friends?

Li Mubai glanced at Xie Shu and found that she also looked puzzled.

"Who are you?" Xie Shu asked.

"I am... Yu Taotao, do you remember me?" The girl's tone was noticeably unnatural when she said her name.

"Oh." Xie Shu replied in a nonchalant tone, as if he had finally remembered who it was.

Yu Taotao glanced at Li Mubai beside her, then squinted at Xie Shu's school uniform and badge:

"Xie Shu, are you studying at No. 6 Middle School now?"

"Mm." Xie Shu responded indifferently, without any expression. "We're leaving now. Goodbye."

"Okay, okay, goodbye." Yu Taotao nodded quickly.

Xie Shu turned his back, preparing to leave with Li Mubai.

"Wait a minute, Xie Shu." Yu Taotao suddenly called out to her again.

She stopped and turned slightly to the side.

"I'm sorry! We were too naughty in elementary school, please don't take it to heart." Yu Taotao suddenly bowed and apologized.

"..."

The air became quiet for a moment, and nearby shop owners curiously peeked out.

"It's nothing, goodbye." Xie Shu uttered four words indifferently, and then he and Li Mubai left the place completely.

Only after Xie Shu disappeared from sight did Yu Taotao finally let out a heavy sigh of relief...

"Xie Shu, what was that just now?" Li Mubai asked curiously as they left the wholesale market.

"Do you remember when I told you about how my snowman got knocked down when I was in elementary school?"

"I remember, is that her?"

"Yes, she was the ringleader," Xie Shu said unhurriedly, as if the incident hadn't happened to her. "But so many years have passed, I no longer care."

Yes, she doesn't care anymore. Now she only focuses on the future and the people around her. Her hands are a little warm, still in her pockets...

The Snowman. Li Mubai vaguely caught a clue in the story of the Snowman. Just as he was pondering it, his left hand was suddenly gently grasped by something soft and warm.

It seems that ever since they first held hands, Xie Shu has always liked to do this, even when the sun is shining brightly and he is sweating, he is unwilling to let go.

"I want to buy books, let's go together," she said calmly.

"Okay." Li Mubai smiled helplessly.

They wandered through several streets and alleys, gradually becoming familiar with the road before them, until they arrived at the entrance of the bookstore—Yexian Bookstore.

"Impossible! Sis, you didn't know that Li Mubai was sitting on one side with a girl from No. 6 Middle School and on the other side with a girl from No. 1 Middle School. The two sides were very tense, as if they were about to fight at any moment."

"Oh? If that's the case, there must be some dramatic twists and turns in this. I'm guessing it's a love triangle—she loves him, he doesn't love her, he loves another girl, but that other girl doesn't love him, and that other girl actually loves the first girl."

What?! What she, he, she?