The sky was growing darker and darker.
At dismissal, the sunset still hadn’t tilted too far, but the shadows people cast were already long.
The school gate had turned into a noisy sea of people.
An old-fashioned police car was parked by the roadside, its red and blue lights flashing repeatedly like a reef by the shore.
Zhu Ying gripped the strap of her backpack, tilting her body to look back and caught An Jing, who was daydreaming.
Although she knew An Jing couldn’t hear her, she still instinctively said a few words to Yi: “Xiao Jing, you’re so slow!”
The latter blinked blankly and lightly poked the hand Zhu Ying had accidentally placed on her chest—the slight frown on her brow seemed to show she was a bit uncomfortable under the pressure.
So Zhu Ying changed her stance, linking arms with An Jing while waving goodbye to the other classmates who were also leaving the school gate.
“You two lovebirds are way too bold, huh?”
Zhang Qiqi joked as she lightly waved, “I gotta head home first.”
“Bye, Qiqi~”
“Ying Ying, see you tomorrow.”
Wang Xinru, standing on the other side of the school gate, nodded with a faint blush as she greeted Zhu Ying.
Her way home was completely opposite from An Jing’s.
“Bye, Xiao Ru!”
“Tsk, seeing that kid always so close with Zhu Ying makes me so jealous and envious.”
Sun Wei smacked Fang Qiang’s back hard.
“Ah Qiang, why isn’t your mom a pretty soft girl?”
“If you want a soft girl, your height fits better for that role.”
Fang Qiang glanced sideways at him.
“You’re always so jealous and envious—how about you get your personal hygiene in order first?”
“If I clean up, will someone like me then? Pfft, nowadays gold diggers want both money and good looks. Where am I supposed to find that?”
“Then just find someone without those demands.”
Zhou Chao suddenly threw his arm around Sun Wei’s neck from behind, pressing him affectionately into his chest.
“If you can’t get girls, don’t blame the environment!”
“Damn, if I were as handsome as you, I’d have changed girlfriends seventy or eighty times by now!”
“Seventy or eighty? Are you a breeding pig?”
Fang Qiang rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“Hey, Zhou Chao’s not that bad either.”
“What’s the use of being handsome?”
Zhou Chao didn’t hesitate to vigorously rub Sun Wei’s scalp, which was full of dandruff.
“Hahaha, when it’s time to get dumped, it’s still gonna happen! Don’t always compare—there’s always someone handsomer, richer. This kind of thing, there’s no limit.”
“Chao-ge, teach me how to get girls, will you?”
“First, you gotta keep a calm mind. Don’t always think about how long you’ll be together—just treat it as playing around. Don’t take promises seriously. If they want you to promise something, just promise it. Then you just go back on it later.”
“That’s not right, is it?”
“Either way, if you don’t back out, they will. Strike first, understand?”
“No way, Chao-ge. Looks like I’m not cut out to be a player. I’m way too responsible.”
“Nonsense!”
Fang Qiang smacked him on the head hard.
“By the way, there’s a new tenant in my place recently. He looks quite decent, but he actually has no girlfriend. Weird, maybe he likes men?”
“You’re saying if a guy has no girlfriend, he must like men? You…”
Zhou Chao laughed helplessly.
“But that dump you call home, I’m surprised someone would even rent it.”
“I think that’s strange too.”
“What’s he like?”
Fang Qiang occasionally indulged in some gossip.
“Pretty normal. Early to leave, late to return. Probably a regular office worker. Speaks politely, but with a bit of W City accent.”
“W City, huh?”
Zhou Chao frowned as if recalling some painful memory.
“I can’t understand a word of the dialect there. And I heard there’s more than one dialect.”
“Our village folks call that dialect ‘ghost talk’.”
“Come on, people from other cities think our small town dialect sounds like bird language too… it’s the same, no one’s better than the other.”
“Hey, why are you all heading to the Greenhouse Market Street today?”
Zhu Ying turned around and asked, a little puzzled.
“It’s Women’s Day today!”
Sun Wei answered matter-of-factly.
“Uh, such a rare holiday. I’m planning to buy a bouquet for my mom.”
Fang Qiang scratched his head with a shy smile.
“I’ve saved up some money recently, should be enough.”
Zhou Chao smacked his lips.
“If you’re buying flowers for your mom, I suggest you get something practical.”
“Practical?”
“Like potted plants, something that can be kept and grown for a long time. Your mom would definitely like that.”
“Oh, that actually sounds… good. Zhou Chao, you really are a women’s friend.”
“Haha, just speaking from experience!”
“Sun Wei, you’re buying flowers for your mom too?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow~ didn’t expect that.”
At the zebra crossing, Zhu Ying, like a mother with her child, pulled An Jing a bit closer.
“You actually have that filial heart.”
“Hey, don’t take me for a pushover. I’m handsome and kind-hearted, you know?”
“There’s a convex mirror at the corner over there; I suggest you look in it before saying that.”
“Haha—Zhou Chao, are you buying for your mom too?”
“What do you think?”
“Damn, you might not be. Maybe you’re buying for a new girlfriend?”
“Not yet.”
“Weird, it’s been a while this time, almost half a year. No new one? Not right—are you really Zhou Chao? Has someone possessed you?”
“Maybe Zhou Chao’s turned gay.”
Fang Qiang said seriously.
“Nice, Ah Qiang, clean up well tonight and wait for me in my bed!”
“What the hell, you’re serious?”
Walking with An Jing’s close friends wasn’t boring at all, even made the walk to Greenhouse Market Street feel short.
“I know a flower shop. I’m familiar with the owner. Let’s go there—it’s cheaper.”
“Oh, you used to buy there?”
“Haha, no, it’s a new shop, just that the owner and I are pretty close.”
Zhou Chao led the group, turning into the corner of Greenhouse Market Street and found the flower shop a little further inside.
Compared to the others, this shop looked much quieter, but since it was Women’s Day, there were still plenty of customers coming in to buy flowers.
“Ah, customer! I tell you, this one is perfect for sending to mature older sisters! Really! Thirty-year-old women love cute things, not kidding!”
“Boss! How much is this flower?”
“That’s a Blue Enchantress, five yuan per stem~! But not recommended for Women’s Day!”
“Tian Ge!”
Zhou Chao greeted loudly as he pushed aside the plastic strip hanging at the door and stepped inside.
The owner was a young man with a ponytail and a long horse-shaped face.
His eyes were slightly lowered, looking very kind and warm.
His chin was clean-shaven, smooth, and his voice was actually quite low, but he deliberately spoke with a slightly effeminate tone.
“Oh, it’s Zhou Chao! Buying flowers today?”
“Yes, I brought my classmates to buy some.”
Zhou Chao smiled, stepped forward two steps, and whispered close to Tian Ge’s cheek, “Give us a discount?”
“Hmm? Hmm hmm, definitely, definitely. You all take a look and decide which flowers you want first. Then, who are the flowers for?”
“All three of us are buying for our moms. Help us pick something suitable.”
“There are so many.”
The owner started counting on his fingers, “Carnations, tulips, lily of the valley, bellflowers, sunflowers, daisies, peonies, dahlias, peach blossoms, roses, baby’s breath.”
“Too many, too many.”
Fang Qiang was already overwhelmed.
“Pick for yourselves, see what you like, and the boss will help you wrap them up.”
Zhou Chao waved at Fang Qiang.
“Ah Qiang, I suggest you get a potted plant. Pretty and blooms once a year.”
“Oh, that’s nice…”
An Jing tilted her head looking at the flowers, perhaps thinking of buying some for her sister, but since both had already picked two bouquets and she hadn’t brought that much money today, she decisively gave up.
Not sending anything wasn’t a big deal; after all, every year Women’s Day was just like any ordinary day at home, nothing special to celebrate.
“Boss, do you have greeting cards?”
“Yes, we do. After wrapping, I can help you put one in.”
“Can I write it myself?”
“Of course.”
“Great~!”
Zhu Ying let go of An Jing’s hand and quickly walked to the flower stand with a row of lilies.
This shop seemed to have more lily colors than most flower shops, not only the usual white and pink, but also yellow, red, orange, and even a few black lilies.
They weren’t truly black but more of a deep reddish-brown upon closer inspection.
“I want one of every lily color!”
Zhu Ying exclaimed happily.
“If you insist on Blue Enchantress, I recommend you pick only one or nine. Mixed with other flowers, it doesn’t look as good. But you can add some greenery…”
The owner turned around after hearing Zhu Ying shout, laughing helplessly.
“Ah, too many colors look messy!”
“That’s okay. Can you help me match them? Just don’t make it too expensive~”
“Tian Ge, I want a mix of tulips and carnations like this.”
“All right, don’t rush. I’ll wrap it up for you soon~”
“Boss, how much is this potted tulip?”
“That one’s five yuan.”
“Oh, that’s pretty cheap.”
“Ah, I can’t decide. Chao-ge, help me pick?”
“Then just ask Tian Ge to put something together for you.”
“Fine, the budget’s thirty yuan. Help me get the best arrangement!”
Almost half an hour later, everyone’s flowers were wrapped up one by one.
Zhu Ying’s was last—a huge bouquet of multicolored lilies, decorated with some greenery and baby’s breath.
“Wow… such a big bouquet!”
Zhu Ying almost couldn’t hold it all.
She carefully hugged it and approached An Jing, suddenly shoving the flowers into her arms.
Just as An Jing looked confused, not knowing what was happening, a greeting card was handed to her:
『Happy first Women’s Day since becoming a girl!』
“Xiao Jing~ Happy Women’s Day~!”