Chapter 9

After chatting for more than half an hour, the dishes finally started to arrive. They were all dishes the two girls liked, and they toasted with cola.

Yang Jingxing said, "Wishing you to become more beautiful as you grow up, and to study well and make progress every day."

The two girls frowned. Xia Xue touched her arm and laughed, "I got goosebumps."

Liu Miao was also dissatisfied, "It's inevitable, you don't need to say that."

Yang Jingxing laughed awkwardly, "Then wish me something more imaginative."

Liu Miao immediately said, "Wishing you to grow more handsome."

Xia Xue giggled, "Get into the Film Academy."

Liu Miao exaggerated, "It's the Music Academy now!"

Yang Jingxing couldn't resist and served soup to the two girls, scolding, "Drink more, sweeten your mouths a bit!"

The two girls smiled proudly.

Not long after, Yang Jingxing received a call from his mother. Xiao Shuxia knew who her son was with, but urged him to come home early: "Eating at this time? Where are you eating? Don't lie to me, I have eyes everywhere!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Say that to Dad."

"Ah!" Xiao Shuxia laughed, "The older you get, the more outrageous! Your dad is more honest than you! I'll teach you a lesson when you come back. How much did Grandma give you?"

...

After the meal, it was almost nine o'clock. Yang Jingxing carried Xia Xue out of the restaurant and found that a cool breeze was blowing over the reservoir. However, there were very few taxis running up here at this time.

Looking at the crescent moon in the night sky, Liu Miao didn't consider Yang Jingxing at all and said, "Let's walk down slowly."

Xia Xue was very troubled, "Call your dad to pick us up..."

Yang Jingxing squatted down again, "I haven't run for many days, let's exercise a bit."

Xia Xue refused, "We just ate."

Liu Miao urged Xia Xue, "Hurry up, hurry up, there will be cars at the dam."

Xia Xue was pushed into a corner.

Bathed in the faint starlight and moonlight, Yang Jingxing carried Xia Xue and slowly walked along the road by the reservoir. Liu Miao walked beside them, holding Xia Xue's left hand and swinging it, making Xia Xue have to hold Yang Jingxing's shoulder with one hand. Surrounded by desolate mountains and wild hills, Xia Xue remembered catching fireflies in this area when they were young, but now they were nowhere to be seen.

Liu Miao asked Yang Jingxing, "Did you read Xia Xue's essay?" Last semester, Xia Xue wrote an essay using fireflies as a carrier of childhood memories, which won an award and was published in a magazine.

Yang Jingxing shamelessly said, "Of course I read it, I'm the male lead!"

Xia Xue laughed and trembled on Yang Jingxing's back, "Then Miao Miao is the female lead."

It took more than ten minutes to walk to the dam. Here, the lights were bright, and Yang Jingxing put Xia Xue down at the north end to wait for a car. Liu Miao handed him a tissue to wipe his sweat and compared, "Your hand is three times as thick as mine."

Xia Xue also stretched out her small arm and closed it with Liu Miao's, "About the same."

Yang Jingxing suddenly spread his palm, "Paper! I win!"

Liu Miao followed suit, "Two stones can't beat paper, you can't cover them."

Yang Jingxing held the two girls' small fists with his large palm, "Facts speak louder than words. When I get home, I'll find the game console, and you can watch me play."

The game console was impossible to play again. Liu Miao asked, "Is your motorcycle still there?"

Xia Xue understood, "He definitely won't ride it again." Two years ago during winter break, Yang Jingxing had a minor accident while riding a motorcycle and had to get several stitches on his head.

Liu Miao said, "Why did you go play with Du Ling and them? If you were with us, nothing would have happened."

Yang Jingxing said, "I play men's games with them, and girls' games with you. It's about balance."

Soon, a minibus arrived. There were no passengers at this time, so the three of them rode back to the county town. They got off at the courtyard gate, and Yang Jingxing carried Xia Xue upstairs. They didn't sit down and went home.

Of course, he still had to send Liu Miao. It wasn't far, just a ten-minute walk. Walking slowly, Liu Miao suddenly interrogated, "Tell the truth!"

"What?"

"Say it!"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Alright, I admit, you're getting more beautiful."

Liu Miao laughed angrily, "Do you have a girlfriend or not?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "No. Do girls become more suspicious the prettier they get?"

Liu Miao huffed, "You've changed, you don't make us laugh as much."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "I've matured, I'm not as frivolous."

Liu Miao objected, "Who said you were frivolous! If maturity means no humor, I'd rather you were like before."

Yang Jingxing said, "I matured suddenly, I'm still in the adjustment period. I'll get back to my old self gradually."

Liu Miao was still suspicious, "You seem a bit off. Are you in love with someone?"

Yang Jingxing denied, "Who said that? You guys welcome me too."

Liu Miao giggled, "We're about to be in our senior year, I'm afraid it will affect your studies. You like pretty girls so much..."

Yang Jingxing criticized, "Don't be arrogant!"

Liu Miao laughed hard, stopped under a street lamp, lifted her face, and blinked her eyes, "Look at my eyelashes, have they grown longer?"

Yang Jingxing said, "You're growing, so your eyelashes are growing too."

"Look closely!"

"Then close your eyes."

After a while, Liu Miao's face was flushed, but Yang Jingxing still hadn't said anything.

"Are you looking?" Liu Miao, with her eyes closed, didn't dare to open her mouth too wide.

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm looking from below, I'm only up to your upper lip, wait a bit."

Liu Miao opened her eyes and glared at Yang Jingxing, "You're so annoying!"

"Who made you grow so beautiful!"

Liu Miao's home was in the Tax Bureau compound, which had a flower bed. Liu Miao laid out a tissue and said she wanted to sit for a while, asking Yang Jingxing about his plans for the next day. Yang Jingxing had already agreed to play basketball with Zhang Yang and others in the afternoon.

Liu Miao mocked, "It's Qixi today, don't you know?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "So we're together to cover for each other, being pitiful without girlfriends."

"Then when are you coming to my house?"

"Wait until Xia Xue's foot gets better."

Liu Miao agreed, "It is troublesome. When are you going back to school?"

They chatted for a while, and Liu Miao received a call from home. She was straightforward, "I'm in the courtyard, chatting with Yang Jingxing... I know."

After a while, her parents appeared on the balcony of the fifth floor. They all saw each other, and Liu Miao's father called Yang Jingxing to come up for a while. Yang Jingxing said it was too late, and he had to go home.

Liu Miao sent Yang Jingxing to the gate, looking at his face and smiling, "Your beard will definitely be prickly in the future."

"Stop worrying, go to bed early."

On the 11th, Yang Jingxing visited his grandparents at his uncle's house. His uncle's son was also in junior high school and secretly asked Yang Jingxing if he could help him fight. Yang Jingxing, of course, refused. After lunch, he left to avoid listening to his aunt's envious words about his mother.

At around two in the afternoon, he met up with Zhang Yang and others. Because the sun was too strong, they decided to go swimming first. The embankment of Qing Shui River had been built in the past two years, and the water was quite clean without any treatment. For safety, they swam below the river road, where the water was only one or two meters deep if the dam wasn't open.

Zhang Yang, being kind, called Du Ling to help watch their clothes on the shore. After sitting under an umbrella for more than half an hour, Du Ling became impatient and urged them to leave early. No one paid attention to her, so she took out the boys' phones one by one and called, "Yang Xing, I want to see your messages!"

After an hour of swimming, the only surprise was that Yang Jingxing caught a small fish and two crabs, which he gave to a child, who was delighted to put them in a small bucket.

Du Ling praised, "Yang Xing's muscles are well-trained."

Zhang Yang mocked, "Do you want to touch them?"

Du Ling slapped Zhang Yang's slightly fat belly, almost being thrown into the water. Du Ling could only grab Yang Jingxing and shout for help.

They all went to Yang Jingxing's house to change pants and take a shower. Zhang Yang took the opportunity to scold Du Ling, "Don't mess with other people's things, have some manners!"

Du Ling took off her shoes and jumped onto Yang Jingxing's bed, rolling around. Zhang Yang almost pounced on her.

When Yang Jingxing finally finished showering and returned to the room, Lu Lin mischievously closed the door from the outside, leaving him and Du Ling inside.

Yang Jingxing shouted, "Brothers, I'll never forget your kindness!"

They could hear laughter outside, and Xu Wei laughed the most slyly. Du Ling giggled and kicked the door, making a loud noise, which scared Lu Lin into opening it quickly.

Their luck was really bad. Just as they were about to leave for basketball, Xiao Shuxia came back. She scolded the group, "You went swimming, didn't you? Did you wear life jackets? Zhang Yang, your mom misses you every three days, my son only comes home every few months, and you guys are always hanging around! Lu Lin, your dad is at a meeting, so you're free! Du Ling, a girl, also goes wild with them..."

The group laughed and agreed to come for dinner.

They played basketball at the court in the nearby Audit Bureau compound. Besides Yang Jingxing and the four others, they added a junior high school classmate who was also studying at the same high school. The opponents were a group of teenagers, some of whom they knew.

Playing a full court, Yang Jingxing had a height advantage. However, the usual aggressive center changed his style today, shooting from the perimeter with an incredibly high accuracy, surprising everyone.

There was no need to keep score; Yang Jingxing's team would definitely win by a large margin. As usual, the opponents had to buy cold drinks. The five of them each held an ice cream and triumphantly went home for dinner.

Dinner was very abundant. Du Ling, being considerate, went to the kitchen to help Xiao Shuxia and flattered, "Aunt Xiao, no wonder your hands are so well-maintained." Xiao Shuxia wore gloves when cooking. In fact, she rarely cooked, and during holidays, she usually hired someone to help. Generally, only her son could enjoy her homemade feasts.

After a whole afternoon of activity, they were hungry. At Yang Jingxing's house, Zhang Yang and the others didn't need to be polite, and they wolfed down the large pot of rice and the full table of dishes.

After dinner, they planned to go to the internet cafe to play, and Du Ling let the boys go first because she had to help Xiao Shuxia clean up.

The next two days, Yang Jingxing spent a small part of his time with his parents and most of it hanging out with his friends. In the evenings, he would spend a few hours alone, practicing his guitar, improving every day.

On the afternoon of the 15th, he went to Liu Miao's house to play. Xia Xue could now walk carefully on her own. Liu Miao's family had moved into a new house three years ago, which was over 120 square meters, larger than Xia Xue's, and the decoration was also nice. Liu Miao's room faced south, similar to Xia Xue's, and was decorated in a very girly style. Because the bed was small, there was plenty of space in front of the computer desk, and the three of them could sit without feeling cramped.

They watched a movie first, and Yang Jingxing gave it a high rating, saying the actress's face below the nose looked like Liu Miao. After a careful comparison, they found it was indeed quite similar.

Liu Miao didn't mind looking like a foreigner and used a book to cover Xia Xue's eyes or chin, asking Yang Jingxing to see if he could find a celebrity resemblance. Then it was Yang Jingxing's turn, but after a long time, the two girls couldn't reach a conclusion.

Later, Yang Jingxing was sent to the living room, and Liu Miao changed clothes for him to see, as they were all new to him. She changed about seven or eight outfits, even finding some for spring and autumn.

Yang Jingxing said they all looked good and randomly praised one, "This one is great, really great! Don't wear it to school, it will distract others from studying."

Liu Miao giggled, "Xia Xue also has one, hers is red and white, a couple's outfit."

Xia Xue laughed, "We've worn it together twice."

Yang Jingxing regretted, "I should have stayed at the same high school."

Liu Miao remembered, "We changed our school uniforms, they're pretty good, costing over 400 yuan." She quickly went to change. They were indeed nice: a white long-sleeved shirt with a small bow tie, a dark gray plaid skirt that reached the knees, and a matching jacket that could be worn over the shirt, though it was too hot to wear now.

Yang Jingxing watched Liu Miao twirl, "Wear this tomorrow, you must!"

Liu Miao's expression showed agreement, but her words were hesitant, "Dream on, we're not in the same school."

Xia Xue confessed, "I and Miao Miao even bought matching socks."

Yang Jingxing clasped his hands in prayer, "Tomorrow, please, tomorrow."

The two girls giggled.

Liu Miao's father, Liu Chiwei, came home before five o'clock, patted Yang Jingxing's shoulder, and said, "Sit! I'm two years older than your dad, you should call me Uncle, he didn't tell you." Liu Chiwei, Yang Jingxing's father, and Xia Xue's father were colleagues many years ago. Later, Yang Chengyi went into business, Xia Yizhen stayed in the State Tax Bureau, and Liu Chiwei moved to the Local Tax Bureau.

Yang Jingxing smiled, "You look young."

Liu Chiwei laughed, "Hmph, your mouth has gotten sweet after two years out. Do you still want Liu Miao to steal cigarettes for you?"

"Ah!" Liu Miao complained.

Liu Chiwei educated the younger generation, "Don't smoke. Your dad doesn't smoke, and I can't quit... Xia Xue's foot is better."

Xia Xue nodded.

Liu Chiwei said, "Then you have double good news, your dad is also getting promoted to deputy director."

Xia Xue shook her head, "I don't know."

Liu Chiwei then said to Yang Jingxing, "Your dad made a lot of money from the Huaxin project!"

Yang Jingxing also said, "I don't know."

Liu Chiwei crossed his legs, "At least two million."

Yang Jingxing was delighted, "Then I'll apply for more pocket money."

Liu Chiwei laughed heartily.

After a while, Liu Miao's mother, Wu Heyu, came back with several bags of vegetables. Yang Jingxing obediently helped her. Wu Heyu, however, wasn't pleased, "Liu Miao said you've been back for over a week, and you only came to see me today, and you didn't even come up when you were downstairs!"

Yang Jingxing flattered, "So many vegetables, you must have worked hard."

Wu Heyu said, "Not as lucky as your mom, who has a car. Xia Xue is also staying for dinner here." Xiao Shuxia had a small Fit, bought last year, but rarely drove it.

Yang Jingxing said, "Don't worry, I'll go home later."

Wu Heyu said, "No, I bought so many vegetables."

Liu Chiwei directly ordered, "Eat dinner before you go."

Yang Jingxing said, "We agreed at home, they're waiting for me."

Liu Chiwei disagreed, "I'll call your dad!" Then he dialed the phone, "Ah, Mr. Yang, it's me... Your son is here, he doesn't want to leave for dinner... You're busy, but your son isn't... " They laughed and chatted for a while, and Yang Jingxing had to stay for dinner.

Liu Chiwei said to Yang Jingxing, "When I drink with your dad, we always say we have a two-generation friendship..."

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