The days passed quietly, in the rhythm of ordinary, peaceful life. In the blink of an eye, time carried them into warm March.
The breath of spring blanketed Yudu City, bringing everything to life. Even the potted plants on the windowsill sprouted tender green shoots again. And during this time, Ji Yu celebrated her very first Spring Festival in this life.
That first year, Mo Yachen came to see her. Yu Yuan came to see her. Qin Xiao also came to see her. Even Mo Xunhan dropped by alone, giving the Ji family quite a fright—they almost thought Ji Yu had already met his parents.
Ever since Tang Li found out Ji Yu had a boyfriend, his heart had been weighed down with melancholy. Later, he found a "reasonable excuse" to show up at the Ji household almost every day to eat, as if he were part of the family. If not for Tang's father dragging him home for New Year's Eve, he might have spent the whole holiday there too.
But then again, having someone who always remembered you—wasn't that also a kind of blessing?
The weather was bright, the air warm with the fragrance of flowers and dew. Ji Yu stood behind Mo Yachen, holding a thick stack of documents. Their location: the front gates of Yuyang University.
"Mo Yachen, what are we even doing here? School doesn't start for a few more days."
The blue-eyed girl's smile was pure, flawless. Sunlight painted her face in warmth.
Mo Yachen, fiddling with a tent and chairs, glanced back at her with a grin. "Didn't I tell you before? The campus is relocating. You should know the new campus is just as packed as the old one."
"Oh."
Ji Yu nodded, set the documents down on a finished chair, and stepped forward to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "With so many students changing dorms, are we in charge of registering all of them? That's a huge task."
"You've been in the student council, but always doing small errands, right?" Mo Yachen took the tissue from her hand. "This time, you finally get some real student council volunteer work."
Ji Yu flailed her hands. "No, no! I'd rather just be a secretary like last semester!"
He tilted his head, furrowed his brows, but then chuckled and turned back to assembling the troublesome table.
"We're not moving their luggage for them. You just need to hand out these guides for the new campus."
"Uh…"
She flipped through the stack and found the cover page—Campus Guide.
"Alright, just desk work then. Not like I've got anything else to do."
"Even if you did, you'd still have to come. We worked this out with every department. You thirsty? Want something to drink?"
"Mm, get me an orange juice with pulp."
He nodded, took his phone from her, and headed toward the nearest vending machine. Ji Yu gazed at his retreating back, and her smile softened into something tender. She still worried about some things regarding Mo Yachen, but right now, this warm, easy everyday life was already enough…
Maybe it wasn't "love" yet, but Ji Yu definitely liked him very much. To her, this kind of contentment was happiness itself.
If there was one flaw, though—it was that Mo Yachen almost never went beyond holding hands or hugging her. Not only was he never the one to initiate, even when Ji Yu did, he would gently sidestep her advances.
Girls in love had desires too, and Ji Yu considered herself someone who understood how boys thought. During a passionate relationship, if a girlfriend took the initiative, what boy could truly stay unmoved?
But Mo Yachen… After that first confession kiss, they hadn't kissed again. Ji Yu had a vague guess why.
She touched the silver prayer beads on her wrist—the gift he'd given her during New Year's. The sunlight in her eyes cooled, just like the three tight loops of beads around her wrist.
With a sigh, she let the spring breeze wash over her. But Mo Yachen, returning with two bottles of juice, caught sight of her staring blankly at a boy dragging his suitcase across the street—so intently she hadn't even noticed him walking back.
A sudden stab of jealousy flared in his chest. And its result—
Smack!
The orange juice tapped against her arm. "Which handsome guy caught your eye, hm? So captivated?"
The citrusy scent lingered on her sleeve. Ji Yu turned, smiling playfully, eyes sparkling. In a coy, singsong voice, she teased, "Gege, are you jealous～～～?"
By early afternoon, students had already begun moving into the new campus dorms. Yuyang had started registration a full week early, to handle the transfer smoothly.
At 2 p.m., Ji Yu dragged herself into the gates of Yuyang University, exhaustion plain on her face. The warm spring breeze only made her drowsier.
"Haaa… huuuh…"
As she yawned twice, a pair of strong arms appeared in front of her, holding several lunchboxes.
"Tang Li～～ my good buddy, how did you know I was hungry?"
"Like I wouldn't know when you get hungry?"
He bent slightly, handing her one of the boxes with a gentle smile brighter than the afternoon sun. "I bought this for you, brought it all the way here. The least you can do is carry one for me, right?"
After hesitating, Ji Yu accepted it. But then she immediately scampered to Mo Yachen's side, pressed the lunchbox into his hands, and looked back at Tang Li with a mischievous grin.
Tang Li's chest ached faintly as he watched her. When Ji Yu smiled like that… his heart stung. Still, he loosened his fist and forced his smile to stay.
"Thanks, but I'm dieting. Just give me a drink. Here, this one's yours. I gave my portion to Mo Yachen—better than wasting it."
…Was this the first time she'd smiled at someone with such tenderness?
At least, in front of Tang Li, it was. Even though she looked exhausted, that smile still pierced him.
Tang Li lowered his head, staring at a fallen leaf at his feet.
"You don't look fat at all. Why would you need to diet?"
"Mo Yachen said I gained weight…"
Ji Yu mumbled, yawning again. The warmth of March and the sweet fragrance in the air made her drowsier. She shuffled forward, carrying Tang Li's lunchbox.
He said nothing. Just followed quietly behind her. Sunlight fell like a blessing, willow fluff danced across the path, flowers whispered in the breeze like a secret chorus.
"I gave my portion to Mo Yachen…"
Tang Li looked at the girl ahead, looking as if she might collapse asleep at any moment.
"When did you learn to say something… so cruel?"
A breeze swept past, carrying the scent of gardenias—
and erasing his whispered words.
What remained was only—heartache.