Xiao Yu did not hinder Qin Guanglin’s date plan after they had finished eating. He carried his water bucket and went to feed fish again. It was because he did not want to feel so full after having just eaten.
Qin Guanglin texted He Fang to tell her he had just finished eating. After some hesitation, he sent another text. “I’ll go find you.”
He Fang replied very quickly. She told him to go home, wait there and not run about. She was going to leave now.
Go home and wait? Qin Guanglin put down his phone and thought about it. Did He Fang mean that she wanted to go to his house again? But there was nothing fun to do at home. At most, the two of them could be intimate…
At this thought, he looked down a little guiltily. How could he think about such things all the time? How shameless!
He took the bus home while berating himself. He Fang had not arrived yet. The crowd at the bus stop had changed completely, but the number of people did not decrease. They remained cramped under the shelter to hide from the rain.
Qin Guanglin moved slightly further with his umbrella in hand. He watched the buses drive by one by one, guessing which bus she would alight from.
Dresses were not suitable in this weather. He wondered what she would wear. The khaki-colored clothing she had worn that time was quite lovely…
While thinking about random things, He Fang suddenly appeared at the back door of a bus. She was wearing a white casual jacket and a neat pair of jeans. She opened the umbrella in her hands as she alighted.
She seemed not to have seen Qin Guanglin. She only walked calmly and slowly in his direction, without her usual liveliness and vigor. She had the aura of a clear lake, elegant and distant.
If not because he had known her for very long, Qin Guanglin would not think He Fang was a girl who had not graduated. The peaceful aura she unintentionally emitted made her seem more like a completely mature woman. That unique air was something that would appear only after a long time of contemplation.
Perhaps it was the atmosphere of an author… Qin Guanglin refocused his attention and tossed aside his nonsensical thoughts. He went over to welcome He Fang.
“It’s so near, but you still came to fetch me?” He Fang immediately smiled upon seeing him. She became lively again.
“I wanted to meet you at your school at first.” Qin Guanglin walked side by side with her toward his house.
“How nice of you, Student Qin.”
He Fang raised her head and glanced at Qin Guanglin’s umbrella. She then put her umbrella away and squeezed with him.
“Why are you looking at me?” She noticed that Qin Guanglin kept looking down at her. She could not help but take out her cell phone to look at herself. There was nothing on her face.
“Didn’t you keep staring at me before? There’s no reason for it.” Qin Guanglin averted his gaze and casually turned his head to look at the surrounding scenery. He had wanted to hold He Fang’s hand, but he failed. On the other hand, He Fang hugged Qin Guanglin’s arm and hooked her arm on his.
He seemed to have touched something he shouldn’t have. It felt soft even through the fabric, causing his heart to beat wildly.
He Fang did not expect Qin Guanglin to say that. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. “Student Qin, I think you’ve been corrupted.”
Qin Guanglin wanted to say that she was the one who had taught him. But he was afraid that she would ask him to call her Teacher He again. At this thought, he simply shut his mouth and refused to reply.
“Do you know what day it is today?” He Fang asked.
“What?” Qin Guanglin pretended not to know.
“It’s the 20th of May, in other words, 520. The Valentine’s Day of the Internet.” He Fang hugged Qin Guanglin’s arm and leaned against him briefly. “Boyfriends will prepare gifts for their girlfriends today.”
Qin Guanglin’s heart thumped. He was done for since he had forgotten to get a present. “What present do you want? I’ll give it to you.”
“What do you mean, what present I want? You have to give it to me of your own accord.”
“Uh…”
“You didn’t prepare one, right?” He Fang could not hide the smile on her face. “In that case, you must agree to my request then.”
Hearing this, Qin Guanglin was at a loss for words. Asking for a present and all was a pretense. What she wanted was waiting for him here!
He had no choice. It was true that he had not prepared a present… He was just about to agree when he had a sudden flash of inspiration. “I did!”
Qin Guanglin reached into his pocket. He took out the panda hair tie he had bought yesterday and showed it to her. “How about this?”
He would first deal with this request that seemed very much like a trap. He would give her something nice another day…
He Fang took it from him with surprise. “You really prepared one. Why did you buy this?”
“Teacher Qin counted using his fingers… Tsk!” Qin Guanglin mimicked He Fang’s way of speaking and was halfway through his sentence when she pinched his forearm.
“You’ve passed this round.” He Fang curled her lip before her mood took a turn for the better. She held the hair tie and examined it. Then she put it around her wrist.
“You’re not going to use it to tie your hair?”
It confused Qin Guanglin. It was used to tie hair. Why did she put it around her wrist? Could it be that she did not like it?
“Are you telling me to let my hair down and tie it again?”
“Uh. No.” Qin Guanglin realized that the question he had asked was quite dumb. He randomly changed the subject and said, “Your hair is so long. It must be very troublesome to wash?”
He Fang’s hair looked very soft and smooth. It was black and bright with a shine to it. She probably had hair treatments often.
“It is. That’s why I really hate rainy days. I have to protect my hair from getting wet.”
“Move over a bit more then.”
Qin Guanglin moved the umbrella closer to He Fang, so she stood squarely under it. He did not mind one of his shoulders getting wet.
Whether it was a public holiday, each festival had its unique purpose. Spring Festival gave people far away from home a proper reason to go home for a reunion. The Mid-Autumn Festival gave warmth to typical families. Valentine’s Day was for public displays of affection… Pooh, pooh, pooh. It was for new couples to develop their relationship and for intimate partners to progress even further. It also made mundane marriage life a bit sweeter…
Presents and such were all just props, for their values were secondary. The important thing was the thought.
He Fang understood this. She really liked the hair tie that Qin Guanglin gave her. He clearly did not give this to her for the sake of Valentine’s Day. It was something he had wanted to give her from the start. The occasion had merely coincided with Valentine’s Day.
“Good job. Student Qin has improved a lot.” He Fang tiptoed and pecked Qin Guanglin on his cheek.
“We’re outside. Don’t mess around.” Qin Guanglin looked around nervously. He was afraid that people he knew might see them. Then he would become a topic of idle conversation among the neighboring aunties.
That kid from that family was seen kissing a girl on the streets…
They were most fond of doing such things. It was terrifying to even think about it, and he would not dare show his face anywhere.
“So what if we’re outside?” He Fang held his arm and swung it to and fro. “Who can interfere with me kissing my boyfriend?”
“It won’t make a good impact.” Qin Guanglin was flustered from the physical contact. She turned her head awkwardly and looked elsewhere.
“Brother Lin! Is this your wife?” Fatso had hidden in the corner at some point in time. He shouted in a weird tone, “I saw her kiss you just now.”
Qin Guanglin growled, “What do you know? Shut up!”
After speaking, he sneaked another glance at He Fang. She was looking at Fatso with a smile. Qin Guanglin heaved a sigh of relief and warned Fatso, “You saw nothing, got it?”
“Your wife is so pretty!” Fatso exclaimed. He did not hear Qin Guanglin’s warning.
“Don’t spout nonsense,” Qin Guanglin said unpleasantly. Although he had that intention, he had not actualized it. It would be a problem if He Fang took offense.
“What nonsense did he say?” He Fang asked.
“Uh…” Qin Guanglin paused.
She had already turned around to praise Fatso, “This kid has such good taste.”
Fatso looked up proudly. “Of course.”
“Look at your arrogant expression.” Seeing that He Fang did not mind, Qin Guanglin did not harp on it either. He felt a little pleased, even. “Why aren’t you in school?”
“It’s the holidays.” Fatso smiled dumbly.
What stupid school was this? It was not the new year or a festival or the weekend. They had holidays so randomly…
“Have fun during your holidays.” Qin Guanglin feared that he would spout nonsense as usual and pulled He Fang forward.
“Brother Lin, you’re amazing!” Fatso shouted from behind.