"A delivery?"
Xue Yang said, "Sorry, you have the wrong number. I haven’t bought anything recently."
"There’s no mistake. You live at... right?" The person on the other end read out an address.
Xue Yang frowned. The address was indeed his rental apartnt. He went to the master bedroom, pushed open the window, and glanced down. Aside from a sparse scattering of people hurrying ho and the occasional car speeding past, he didn’t see anyone who looked like a courier. Besides, it was far too late. Convinced it was a prank, Xue Yang was about to hang up.
Just then, the person on the other end of the line dropped the act, their real voice coming through. It was a young girl’s voice, tinged with laziness and, if you listened closely, a hint of impatience.
"Alright, it’s Si Wen. If you don’t co down, I’m taking this package right back with ."
Si Wen! Isn’t that Lin Xi’s best friend?
A realization struck Xue Yang, and he jolted. "Wait for !" he blurted out.
Without a second of hesitation, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.
A voice was screaming inside him, but he didn’t dare get his hopes up without seeing it for himself.
He was in such a rush that he nearly tripped over his own feet several tis. Heedless, Xue Yang threw the door open, slamd it shut behind him, and dashed outside.
Downstairs, Xue Yang saw Si Wen standing in front of a small pink rcedes, waving at him.
"Xue Yang, over here."
He scanned the area several tis, but she was alone. There was no one else. Disappointnt washed over him. He slowed his pace, the joy draining from his face.
Lin Xi hadn’t co. He’d thought she would co with Si Wen to find him.
Xue Yang stopped about three ters from Si Wen, not taking another step forward.
Si Wen stood with her arms crossed, looking at him. She was wearing so many layers that she completely blocked the rear window of the car.
"Tsk, tsk. Did your expression have to change so obviously? Are you that unhappy to see ?"
The mont he had stepped out the door, she had clearly seen the ecstatic look on his face. But as soon as he realized she was alone, his entire deanor had shifted. His expression had changed in the blink of an eye.
"Si Wen, it’s so late. Do you need sothing?"
"So I can’t co find you just because it’s late?" Si Wen said, deliberately teasing him.
Xue Yang looked at her warily. "No."
"Didn’t I just tell you? I’m here to deliver a package. It’s a thank-you for those college entrance exam mock papers you sent ," Si Wen said, grinding her teeth.
"Don’t ntion it. You don’t need to give a return gift. It’s late, you should go ho."
"Wow. I co all this way to deliver a package late at night, and not only do you not thank , you don’t even want to look at it? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll regret it if you don’t."
"I’m not looking. Just go ho," Xue Yang said, turning to leave.
He suddenly felt exhausted. He just wanted to lie down, pull the covers over his head, and nurse his wounds in solitude.
Just then, a familiar voice ca from inside the car.
"Si Wen, you’re so an!"
Hearing that voice, Xue Yang froze, his body going rigid.
Si Wen pursed her lips and muttered, "Spoilsport!"
She then took a few steps to the side, making room for the car door to open.
"Personal, door-to-door delivery. How’s my service?"
Xue Yang didn’t answer her. He turned back around, his gaze locked on the pink-and-white figure climbing out of the car.
That was her. The person he longed for day and night.
The fla in Xue Yang’s heart, which had been on the verge of extinguishing, suddenly roared back to life, pounding fiercely. His throat felt tight, as if sothing were stuck in it. With great difficulty, he managed to say, "Long ti no see."
"Long ti no see."
Lin Xi stood beside the small pink rcedes, her hands clasped in front of her as she smiled at Xue Yang.
She was even more beautiful than before, radiating a captivating glow that made it impossible to look away.
Xue Yang stared intently at her, not daring to blink, terrified that if he did, the person he had yearned for would disappear.
"You’re finally back."
"I’m on break. I snuck out to see you while my dad wasn’t ho."
"Will your dad punish you if he finds out?"
"I told them I wanted to stay at Si Wen’s place for a few days since it’s the holidays, so they won’t know."
"Does that make guilty of luring you away?"
"No. Because I’ve already ntioned you to my dad."
Xue Yang smiled.
His gaze remained fixed on the girl before him, as if he could never get his fill of looking at her.
He didn’t dare step closer, afraid this might be an illusion that would vanish at his touch. The fear of gaining sothing wonderful only to lose it consud him in that mont.
They just looked at each other, neither speaking another word.
Standing off to the side, Si Wen was freezing, sleepy, and getting sick of being the third wheel. She couldn’t take it anymore. "It’s almost two in the morning. Shouldn’t we go upstairs to talk?"
Xue Yang looked at Lin Xi and said, "Let’s go ho."
"Okay, let’s go ho."
When they reached his apartnt door, Xue Yang fumbled in his pockets, and his face fell.
"What’s wrong?" Lin Xi asked.
"I rushed downstairs in such a hurry that I forgot the keys inside."
Si Wen leaned against the wall, tilting her head at him. "So, you’re planning on leaving us locked out all night?"
She felt like she was about to lose her mind. Lin Xi had dragged her out in the middle of the night and she’d driven all the way over here, only to find they couldn’t even get in the door.
Lin Xi hugged Xue Yang’s arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Xue Yang," she said softly, "let’s get a hotel room!"
"Okay!"
"Wait a second. If you two are getting a room, what about ?"
"You can co with us, too," Lin Xi said with a blink.
"You’re getting a room and bringing along? Seriously? How about you try acting like normal people?"
"Well, you can’t go ho anyway. Let’s go. We don’t mind."
"But I mind!"
"No, you don’t."
...
Settling back into the driver’s seat, Si Wen took a deep breath. "Hold on tight."
Xue Yang and Lin Xi were in the back, Lin Xi’s head resting on Xue Yang’s shoulder as she savored his unique scent.
Ten minutes later, the car still hadn’t started.
"Sorry, I forgot how to start it."
Xue Yang was speechless.
Lin Xi whispered a reminder in his ear, "Xue Yang, she just got her license."
Hearing this, Xue Yang got out of the back, opened the driver’s door, and had Si Wen move to the back. He would drive.
"Xue Yang, how long ago did you get your license?"
"Over the sumr break."
"So you only got yours a little bit before I did?"
"Trust . Even if I didn’t have a license, I’d still be a better driver than you."
Tonight’s events were a wake-up call for Xue Yang. He made a ntal note to buy a car. It would be more convenient for outings in the future. If a situation like this ever happened again, Lin Xi would only have to call, and he could drive over to pick them up. He resolved not to let them drive out on their own again. It was too dangerous.
...
P.S. I wanted to post another Chapter, but writing this reunion scene was a bit of a struggle, sob...
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