There weren’t many people on the bus seats.
When the school organized spring and autumn outings in the past, they used buses just like this one.
At times like that, Zhu Niao and Gou Yu would both carry backpacks full of snacks they normally couldn’t bear to buy, then squeeze into the very back row and start laughing and horsing around.
Of course, the food in the bags wasn’t meant for enjoyment; it was prepared to resell to classmates.
They did sell it for more than what it cost outside, but it was far cheaper than what was sold inside the scenic spots.
Sitting in the back row was simply because it was far from the teacher at the front—no matter how much they laughed and messed around back there, it wouldn’t catch the teacher’s attention.
But Zhu Niao didn’t want to sit in the back row this time.
Because the five seats in the last row were all connected, but the second-to-last row had seats in pairs of two.
Only the two of them could fit.
She slid in, smoothed her skirt, and sat by the window.
Then she lightly tugged on Gou Yu’s hand, pulling him to sit beside her.
The sunset was beautiful, slowly sinking, as if unwilling to fade, it scattered a final glow of red clouds.
It happened to fall right above Zhu Niao’s head, like a uniquely colored veil, draping over her and making the scene feel like a wedding on the bus, waiting for Gou Yu to lift the veil and see the affection in her eyes.
Gou Yu, on the other hand, seemed a bit hesitant. He sat upright as if he’d done something wrong, frozen in place.
Strangely, all his previous actions—including all his attempts to stir Zhu Niao’s heart—had been aimed at getting her to open up and set aside every worry so they could be together.
But now that she had truly let go of her worries and opened her heart to him, Gou Yu found himself unable to handle it.
In fact, he even felt he’d been slow to realize it.
Back in the small pavilion of the abandoned school, when Zhu Niao kissed him and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her back, he should have been alerted then.
He should have realized that he couldn’t handle Zhu Niao’s genuine sincerity.
Now, the positions had completely flipped; it was Zhu Niao who was stirring him.
For the first time, Gou Yu felt a sense of powerlessness.
In the past, when he watched artistic works about “a small horse pulling a big cart” and saw women who practically clung to young boys as if they were kidnapping them, he always felt inexplicably angry.
He thought that as a real man, if a woman wasn’t his type, he should just refuse outright.
But now he was starting to empathize with those little boys.
Facing an older sister was exactly like him facing Zhu Niao.
A stunningly beautiful girl was sitting beside him, her delicate, doll-like body housing a soul that knew him best.
She was the person he had filtered through all of his interactions to find, the one who fit him most comfortably.
And they had years of memories, years of bonds.
Most importantly, she knew all his preferences.
She would go along with everything he wanted, laugh and play with him, watch the night sky with him while complaining that the price of iced tea had gone up by fifty cents.
She absolutely loved him, even more than she loved herself.
A girl so submissive, so eager to give him her whole heart, was sitting right next to him.
Gou Yu didn’t turn his head, but he knew that Zhu Niao’s gaze was definitely on him.
That was the hardest part. He fully understood those little boys now.
Of course, he still didn’t understand the little boy with the priest.
The bus started moving, with a slight push against their seats. Gou Yu leaned back.
He couldn’t help but glance sideways, and then his eyes froze.
The big black butterfly bow hair ornament at the back of the girl’s head was gently pressed against the seatback.
Through the window, the evening glow still draped over her like a romantic, burning veil.
And there were colorful neon lights.
Not like the rigid work of students or office workers; for shops, night didn’t come according to a clock but according to the sky.
As the bus moved, the various neon lights—blue, purple, yellow—cut through the glass, flashing across their faces and eyes.
It was as if they added extra color to their pupils.
But in Zhu Niao’s eyes, it seemed the only color added was Gou Yu.
She had been tilting her head, looking at Gou Yu’s face, until his gaze met hers. Then she smiled as if satisfied.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons, hiding those beautiful eyes that held only him.
Zhu Niao’s hand gripped his wrist, not too hard, but she gently squeezed each finger from index to pinky, as if repeatedly confirming Gou Yu’s existence.
Gou Yu didn’t remember how he got home.
Probably because Zhu Niao leaned over and kissed him again on the bus.
Once? Or twice?
He couldn’t recall.
Because there was a gap between them, plus the height difference, when Zhu Niao leaned in, it was a bit clumsy—she couldn’t actually reach him.
But Gou Yu also had to admit he was pathetic; he couldn’t resist the temptation every time.
He scratched his wet hair irritably, then reached for the shampoo beside him—of course, it was Zhu Niao’s.
Taking a shower helped him calm down a little.
He took a deep breath, changed into his pajamas, shook his hair to dry the remaining water droplets.
Then he pushed open the door.
As he did, the door to Zhu Niao’s room not far away also opened, and she stepped out in a white nightgown.
She pulled him over, blow-dryer in hand, and began drying his freshly washed hair.
After finishing, she took his hand and led him toward her room.
But Gou Yu stopped.
“Uh, I think I’ll sleep in my room,” he said, pointing to his door.
“Why?” Zhu Niao asked. “Weren’t we sleeping together before?”
“Before, it was sleeping together as brothers. Now we’re lovers, so I think we should take it slow…” Gou Yu scratched his head.
The truth was that he felt Zhu Niao wasn’t the same as before, and he was afraid that if they were in the same bed, he might really lose control and do something.
Even though their relationship was now set in stone, he wouldn’t touch her until Zhu Niao’s issues were completely resolved.
Otherwise, it would feel like he was tricking a fallen girl into sleeping with him using an empty promise.
“Oh…” Her disappointment was visible.
Gou Yu watched her return to her room and didn’t look back until the end.
He couldn’t help but feel like he’d done something wrong.
Frowning slightly, he turned and walked into his own room.
After tidying up the bed a little, he lay down and turned off the light.
But he didn’t close his eyes.
Too many things had happened; it felt like a roller coaster, as if one wrong move could lose everything.
But luckily, he hadn’t made a single misstep.
He let out a long breath.
The only thing missing was the warmth in his arms.
A warm, soft, fragrant girl.
He sighed again.
For some reason, he couldn’t fall asleep. He tossed and turned for a long time.
He didn’t know how long it had been. He was afraid to check the time, scared that only a few minutes had passed, or that it was already nearly the next day.
Finally, he forced his eyes shut and started counting in his mind.
Click.
A crisp sound echoed in the room, making him jerk his eyes open. He propped himself up slightly and looked toward the door.
The dark room was flooded with light from the crack of the open door.
It was Zhu Niao, with a timid expression, her pillow hugged in her arms.
As if begging for mercy, she had also brought the cat, which perched on her shoulder, mimicking the same look as its owner, staring at Gou Yu.
Gou Yu suddenly realized that all his struggles were useless.
He could never resist Zhu Niao’s attack in this regard.
A bitter smile spread across his face.
He reluctantly moved to the side, making room.
Zhu Niao slipped into the bed with her cat and pillow.
“Don’t even think about moving. I’m telling you now—I won’t touch you until everything is resolved,” Gou Yu said.
But he knew that Zhu Niao hadn’t climbed into bed for that reason. She just wanted to be close to him after letting go of everything.
Being close was normal, but as a teenager, Gou Yu’s mind couldn’t help wandering.
Zhu Niao just faced him. “Are you really that pure?”
Gou Yu didn’t answer.
Under the cover of night, Zhu Niao lifted her head and kissed him again.
“Liar. You brush your teeth morning and night.”
Then she kissed him one more time.
“Good night.”
The moon was bright and the stars were few. The moonlight shone through the window onto Zhu Niao’s face.
Gou Yu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He grabbed the cat beside him and placed it between them.
“Good night.”