We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Xiao Bai, come and eat."

"Oh, here it comes."

Li Mubai put down his pen and carefully put away the letter.

Three dishes and a soup were already laid out on the table.

Li's mother took off her apron and casually ladled a bowl of rice for him: "Xiaobai, when do you guys start school?"

"August 6th."

Today is July 13th, the first day of vacation. Summer vacation is only 24 days long, less than a month.

The school also assigned a lot of homework, and we had to upload a specified amount of homework to DingTalk every day. It felt almost like we weren't on vacation, except we weren't sitting in the classroom anymore, but just in a different place to continue learning.

He took a bite of rice, his mind already racing with plans for how to get through the next twenty-odd days.

They gave out fifteen sets of math test papers alone, a book of English reading comprehension exercises, five Chinese essays, and a compilation of past exam questions for the humanities section...

As if suddenly remembering something, Li's mother smiled and said, "By the way, Xiaobai, your brother is coming back tomorrow. Remember to tidy yourself and your room, so it doesn't become a mess and make a laughing stock."

"oh."

Li Mubai nodded, but he was puzzled. Why did his brother need to make such a big fuss about coming back?

In the past, when Li Muyong came back, his mother would at most remind him, "Your brother will arrive tomorrow," but she never emphasized "Remember to pack" like she did today.

After finishing his meal and helping with the dishes, Li Mubai returned to his room and took out a letter from the drawer.

Ding dong.

The phone on the table suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. Li Mubai picked up the phone and glanced at it; it was a message from the dormitory group chat.

Yang Kun: "Brothers, this is big news!"

Zhao Feng: "What news?"

Yang Kun: "I'll tell you at fifty."

Zhao Feng: "Get lost."

Yang Kun: "Look, it's urgent again. The big news is that a big boss wants to make a donation to our school free of charge!"

Zhao Feng: "What does that have to do with us?"

Yang Kun: "This means our school is about to take off! We'll be expanding our campus just like No. 1 Middle School, haha! Maybe we'll even get to use the new teaching buildings, the new playground, and the new cafeteria."

Zhao Feng: "Let's install air conditioning in every dormitory room first. Besides, good things don't usually go to people like us who are graduating in a year."

Yang Kun: "Damn it."

Donations made without compensation? There are so many kind-hearted people in society. Of course, it could also be former alumni giving back to the school.

Li Mubai remembered that there was a library under construction near the school auditorium. It had been under construction since he entered the school in his first year of high school, and the scaffolding had been erected for almost two years. He wondered if it could be completed before he graduated from high school so that he could go in and experience it.

He didn't participate in the group discussion. Watching Yang Kun and Zhao Feng exchange insults back and forth, Li Mubai silently opened the group settings and turned on Do Not Disturb.

Should we invite Xie Shu to study together during the summer vacation?

He put down his phone and glanced out the window.

The midday sun shone brightly on the wall of the building opposite, the light was dazzling. Although he wasn't standing outside, Li Mubai could feel the heat. Cicadas chirped and squeezed in through the cracks in the window, each chirp more noisy than the last.

Li Bubai: "Are you there? Want to study together tomorrow?"

The message was sent but disappeared without a trace. He waited for nearly ten minutes without receiving a reply, so he had to put down his phone and pick up his pen again.

Li Mubai didn't receive Xie Shu's reply until lunchtime.

Yan Shu: "I'm afraid that won't work."

Li Bubai: "And the day after tomorrow?"

Yan Shu: "I have to go to class the day after tomorrow."

Classes? Li Mubai frowned as he looked at the words. Had Xie Shu's parents enrolled her in a lot of extracurricular classes again?

Li Bubai: "Are there many classes?"

Yan Shu: "Not much, just the two days over the weekend."

What does Xie Shu do from Monday to Friday? Li Mubai wondered.

Yan Shu: "Don't worry, we'll see each other again when school starts in twenty-four days."

Twenty-four days? Li Mubai suddenly looked up and opened his phone's calendar. July 20th, Thursday. Couldn't we meet?

He made preparations first; if Xie Shu couldn't come out, then he would go find her...

Xie Shu put down his phone and looked up at Xu Ting, who was sitting in the tea room leisurely sipping tea and reading. Since June 20th, Xu Ting had stopped going to the company and stayed at home wholeheartedly.

If Xie Shu suggests a place to go, Xu Ting would probably be happy to drive her there.

Their methods have become much gentler, perhaps out of concern that another wrist-cutting suicide attempt might occur, but they will no longer allow her to act recklessly.

Xie Shu took off her watch, looked at the faint mark on her hand, and decided she wouldn't hurt herself anymore. She would wait quietly, waiting for her to come of age, waiting for her to be able to decide her own life.

……

Boom boom boom!

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Xiao Bai, your brother is back. Come out and greet him."

It feels like the welcoming scene of an ancient brothel.

He opened the door, and Li's mother looked him up and down, her gaze sweeping over his hair, collar, and trouser legs as if to check if he looked disheveled.

Seeing this, Li Mubai was even more puzzled. He asked in a low voice, "Mom, what's going on today? Why is it so grand?"

Li's mother chuckled: "You'll find out soon enough."

Following Li's mother into the living room, Li Mubai saw colorful gifts on the coffee table. On the sofa, Li Muyong sat silently, and next to him sat a smiling girl chatting with Li's father.

"Mu Yong, is this your younger brother Li Mu Bai?" The girl stood up and greeted him warmly as soon as she saw Li Mu Bai come out from the corridor.

"Hmm." Li Muyong nodded lightly.

Li's mother gently nudged Li Mubai's back and whispered, "Call me 'elder sister'."

"Hello, sister."

"Hello, hello, my name is Yu Nan, and I'm your brother's girlfriend." The girl extended her hand confidently and introduced herself with a smile.

So that's why Li's mother was so happy; it turns out Li Muyong brought his girlfriend home to meet his parents.

"Xiao Nan, you rest here for a bit, I'll go make lunch." Li's mother winked at Li's father.

"Auntie, let me help you." Yu Nan quickly stood up and rolled up her sleeves.

"No need, no need. You are a guest, just sit here. There's no reason for a guest to do anything," Li's mother said with a smile.

"It's alright, Auntie. I often cook for my mom at home, so please don't stand on ceremony with me."

Yu Nan and Li's mother pushed each other as they entered the kitchen, leaving only Li's father, Li Mubai, and Li Muyong in the living room.

The air was somewhat silent. Li Mubai felt a little awkward. He hadn't brought his phone and sat there blankly, not knowing what to do.

A voice suddenly broke the eerie atmosphere: "Li Mubai, you're taking the college entrance exam next year, right?"

Li Mubai turned to look at Li Muyong, who had spoken up. His brother finally put down his phone, his gaze sweeping over indifferently, as if asking about something unimportant.

"Yes." He nodded, then didn't know what else to say.

The living room fell silent again. Li's father and Li Muyong were each playing on their phones, while Li Mubai stared blankly at the fruit plate on the coffee table.

"Xiaobai, go to the supermarket and buy me a bottle of soy sauce, and also a grass carp."

Li's mother's voice came from the kitchen, as if she had received a pardon. Li Mubai hurriedly stood up and prepared to go to his room to get his phone.

"Wait a minute, Xiaobai, take this hundred." Li's mother came out of the kitchen and handed him a red bill.

Bang!

Li Mubai opened the door and stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air and feeling a sense of relief.