The fierce midday wind had subsided into tranquility on this chilly night, not even stirring up the sand and gravel on the street.
However, the bicycle ride itself brought about a gust of wind, causing Xia Zhiqi’s hair to sway backward in the direction of its movement.
Yu Zuojin leaned slightly, gripping the handlebars while carrying Sheng Yuan behind him.
With a hand adorned in a red glove, Sheng Yuan held onto the hem of Yu Zuojin’s clothes.
Unable to see the situation ahead, he was unaware of Yu Zuojin’s current expression and state of mind.
Yu Zuojin coldly stared at Xia Zhiqi, as if scrutinizing a helpless fish without eyes.
There were countless moments when he wanted to kick him off the bike, but he held himself back.
Fortunately, the bicycle was only three months old, brand new and sturdy. Otherwise, it might not have withstood the weight of these three not-so-short teenagers.
Among the three, Yu Zuojin had the strongest physical fitness and overall athleticism.
Next was Xia Zhiqi, and then Sheng Yuan. His physical fitness was not low, but compared to the two delinquents, it was somewhat lacking.
But that didn’t matter.
Because he knew how to pretend.
No matter what he did, he would give others the illusion that he was extraordinary in that aspect.
No one would even question it, because his life was full of self-confidence.
Believing in oneself is the most daring and courageous act in this world.
If physical fitness falls short, then acting is the solution.
The wind, propelled by their speed, brushed past his eyes.
Yu Zuojin kept his gaze forward, occasionally glancing at the red glove holding onto his clothes.
He was somewhat dissatisfied.
At the upcoming intersection, the traffic light had three seconds left on the green countdown, but he showed no signs of slowing down.
Even when it changed to yellow, he deliberately gave an extra kick with his long legs.
Just as they were about to cross the line and violate the traffic rules, he forcefully pressed the brakes, bringing the bike to an abrupt stop. Yu Zuojin planted one long leg on the ground, gracefully stabilizing the bike.
According to the law of conservation of energy, if he was fine, then the other two wouldn’t be.
The inertia caused by the sudden brake made Xia Zhiqi and Sheng Yuan lurch forward.
Sheng Yuan, unable to see the situation ahead, was caught off guard by the sudden stop. Instinctively, his arm wrapped around Yu Zuojin’s waist, his movement quick and abrupt, and he accidentally bumped his forehead against Yu Zuojin’s back.
Seeing the hand encircling his waist, Yu Zuojin’s straight mouth subtly curved upwards.
But Xia Zhiqi didn’t have such good luck.
Due to the instigator’s ill intentions, his body almost fell off the handlebars.
“Fuck, you scared me.”
Xia Zhiqi patted his pounding heart; he almost flew out just now.
That was too stimulating!
With his back lightly bumped, Yu Zuojin turned his head to inquire.
“Does it hurt?”
Xia Zhiqi: “It doesn’t hurt.”
Yu Zuojin: “…”
Who the fuck asked you?
Yu Zuojin’s face darkened.
Sheng Yuan poked his head out from behind him. “Did the light turn red just now?”
Xia Zhiqi: “Ah, Brother Sheng, it suddenly changed.”
He completely forgot about the countdown given by the green light.
Yu Zuojin noticed the loosening grip around his waist.
The hoarse voice rang out: “If you can’t sit steadily, hold onto me.”
“Okay, no problem.”
The response was straightforward and decisive, without any trace of hesitation.
Then Xia Zhiqi twisted his wrist, firmly clasping Yu Zuojin’s arm.
“I’m ready.”
Yu Zuojin: “…”
Sooner or later…
He closed his eyes, suppressing his breath.
Sooner or later, the day would come when he would kick Xia Zhiqi away from Sheng Yuan’s side.
Sheng Yuan, with his arm still around Yu Zuojin’s waist, didn’t let go. The hand adorned in the red glove patted his clothes.
“The light is green.”
Yu Zuojin heard the signal to proceed.
They passed two intersections and arrived at Tianqiao Road, with the brightly lit sugar-coated hawthorn stand just a hundred meters away from the bridge over the river.
Nothing could compare to it.
Yu Zuojin cast a cold glance at Xia Zhiqi.
Only he could match it.
Avoiding the traffic, they parked the bicycle beneath a withered tree on the side of the street. Despite being at the coldest part of the street, Xia Zhiqi and Yu Zuojin, both young and strong, were not affected.
The old man recognized them.
Smiling, he looked at these young men who had rushed here. “What would you like to eat today?”
“Strawberry.”
Yu Zuojin lowered his gaze, looking at the sugar-coated hawthorns displayed in the dustproof box.
After receiving them, he handed them directly to Sheng Yuan. Xia Zhiqi chose the cherry tomatoes, while Yu Zuojin, who didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, also picked a cherry tomato.
Sheng Yuan wanted to pay the bill, but Yu Zuojin stopped him and paid first.
“I’ll treat,” Yu Zuojin said without looking at him. “It’s all the same.”
The strawberry candied haw in Sheng Yuan’s hand was large and red, the golden syrup coating the strawberries making them appear crystal clear. The one on top was the biggest.
Although he had said to take them to eat candied haws, Yu Zuojin paid the bill, so Sheng Yuan moved his candied haws closer.
“You eat the top one,” he said. “That one is the biggest.”
Yu Zuojin watched him without moving. Sheng Yuan’s eyes blinked under the hot white light, and his red glove patted Yu Zuojin’s arm.
“Eat,” Sheng Yuan insisted.
‘That is Sheng Yuan’s favorite strawberry.’ Yu Zoujin thought.
Yu Zuojin replied, “I don’t want it, you eat.”
Xia Zhiqi interjected, “Brother Sheng! If he doesn’t want it, I’ll take it!”
Yu Zuojin: “…”
Just as Xia Zhiqi stepped forward to claim the strawberry and give Sheng Yuan face, the candied haw in Sheng Yuan’s hand was swiftly pulled forward. In an instant, the top strawberry vanished.
Yu Zuojin bit into the rock candy shell of the strawberry, his gaze fixed on Xia Zhiqi, as if he wished to chew him along with it.
“Is it tasty?” Sheng Yuan asked, his nose red from the cold. Yu Zuojin looked down and his expression instantly changed.
“Um,” Yu Zuojin managed to say.
“Brother Sheng, I’ll try it too.”
Xia Zhiqi didn’t have any bad habits, he was just greedy.
Sheng Yuan offered the candied haws to Xia Zhiqi, but Yu Zuojin moved in front of him.
The two exchanged glances.
Xia Zhiqi: “…”
Yu Zoujin stretched out the little tomato in his hand.
“Eat,” he said.
“But I already have a bunch of tomatoes,” Xia Zhiqi replied.
Yu Zuojin didn’t care whether Xia Zhiqi took the uneaten candied haws or not. As long as he didn’t eat Sheng Yuan’s portion, it didn’t matter.
With two bunches of candied haws in hand, Xia Zhiqi didn’t care about Sheng Yuan’s piece. He lowered his head and began indulging in his own treats.
Sheng Yuan was wearing a red glove, a red scarf around his neck, and held a red strawberry in his hand. His fair skin, bright eyes, and white teeth made him a picturesque sight.
The night view of the cross-river bridge was famous in the local area. In the dark night, the illuminated steel forest and the shimmering river created a golden mirror stretching for miles.
Sheng Yuan enjoyed the view while savoring the strawberry candied haws in his mouth.
As he glanced around, he noticed a dark figure near the bridge. Although the distance was far and the light wasn’t too bright, Sheng Yuan could clearly see a white schoolbag behind the person. It appeared to be a student wearing a black down jacket.
The person paced back and forth near the bridge, holding onto the fence, looking anxious. Blue school uniform pants were visible beneath the black down jacket.
It was a student from No. 1 Middle School.
The rush hour for picking up students had passed, and the traffic on the bridge had slowed down. The student stood there for a while, lost in thought, oblivious to the cold wind.
After a couple of minutes, the student seemed to have made up his mind. He climbed over the fence and stood precariously on the edge of the bridge.
Sheng Yuan’s eyes widened. He didn’t care about the candied haws anymore, and both Yu Zuojin and Xia Zhiqi also noticed the situation.
Xia Zhiqi exclaimed, “What the hell is he doing?”
Ji Minglai stood behind a tall red pillar, unnoticed unless one looked closely. He stood by the bridge, gazing at the turbulent river below.
It shone with golden light, but it resembled a monster’s gaping jaws, ready to devour anything that fell into its icy depths.
Tears were streaming down his face.
Sheng Yuan rushed over, and as they approached, the tear-streaked face of the other person became more visible.
Sheng Yuan recognized him. He had participated in the joint knowledge competition— Ji Minglai.
Standing by the bridge, Ji Minglai broke down, crying loudly. The fear of death prevented him from letting go of the pillar.
But amidst his tears, he kept saying, “I want to die! Even if the Heavenly King himself comes, I must die today!”
His childish words seemed like self-encouragement, pushing himself to jump.
The three of them drew closer to Ji Minglai.
Xia Zhiqi became serious, saying, “Brother Sheng, if we approach openly, he might jump when he sees someone trying to save him.”
They couldn’t rule out that possibility.
“Let’s approach discreetly,” Sheng Yuan suggested.
The three of them walked softly, their black plastic bags rustling in the cold wind.
Suddenly, there was a loud smack, as a bag collided with skin!
Xia Zhiqi exclaimed, “I’m blind!”
Ji Minglai turned his head upon hearing the sound.
The three of them looked at him in surprise.
Ji Minglai: “…”
Sheng Yuan: “…”
Yu Zuojin: “…”
Xia Zhiqi: “…”
The three quickly pretended not to notice him and continued walking forward, planning to rescue him when he wasn’t paying attention.
Ji Minglai seemed to sense something. He turned pale with shock and shouted at them, “Don’t come any closer! I’ll jump if you take another step!”
The three of them forced themselves to ignore him.
“Brother Sheng, we need to distract him,” Xia Zhiqi suggested. “Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, I do.”
The three of them stood not far from Ji Minglai, who was clearly on guard. However, they completely disregarded him, and Ji Minglai’s crying continued.
Suddenly—
“Tell me! Who is he?!” Xia Zhiqi shouted, overwhelming Ji Minglai’s cries.
Xia Zhiqi’s face was contorted in pain, his expression full of agony. The side of his face still bore the red mark left by the black plastic bag.
He stepped forward, grabbing Yu Zuojin’s collar. “Didn’t you say we were going to buy finger pancakes? Why were you eating candied haws with him?”
“And he’s eating strawberries!” Xia Zhiqi yelled in disbelief. “Strawberry candied haws are expensive! And you bought them for him?!”
Yu Zuojin’s face turned cold and rigid. He couldn’t comprehend why he felt an unprecedented sense of shame in his heart. He even questioned why he had appeared here, silently cooperating with the other two in their act.
Sheng Yuan pulled Xia Zhiqi’s hand away, gripping his throat. “Don’t touch my husband! If my husband won’t buy strawberries for me, who should he buy them for?”
“Husband?! Is he your husband?!” Xia Zhiqi exclaimed.
“Otherwise!” Sheng Yuan hugged Yu Zuojin’s arm and pleaded, “Husband, say something.”
Yu Zuojin gulped nervously.
The acting was pretty convincing.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Ji Minglai: “Ahhh, I want to die!”
Ji Minglai: “Huh? What are they doing?”