Pei Xingyan’s weekend schedule was packed, almost as if the moment he said goodbye to one girl, he was already off to meet the next.
He sat waiting in the familiar pavilion, anticipating Lin Xiaoyu’s arrival with the cold drink she had prepared once again.
Their last encounter had been such a coincidence that perhaps it caused some misunderstandings on her part.
This time, Pei Xingyan wanted to be clear with his words, at least to cut off any improper hopes Lin Xiaoyu might be harboring.
She was a sweet girl, also an innocent one. For a girl like her, it was normal to mistake feelings like being moved, excitement, and the accelerated heartbeat caused by the bridge-crossing effect for love.
Pei Xingyan sat quietly on the stone bench, waiting.
One advantage this time was that Su Shanshan had something to do in the afternoon and needed to attend a class offline for Q&A, so Pei Xingyan didn’t have to worry about her coming over because she couldn’t see him.
Thinking about it, Pei Xingyan felt a bit like a master of time management, and he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous, his face flushing slightly.
Just then, Lin Xiaoyu arrived, jogging into the pavilion, trailing a breeze of fragrance mixed with a faint hint of sweat. It wasn’t unpleasant, just made her natural scent spread further.
Sweat droplets still clung to her face. It was clear she was a girl who disliked the heat and wasn’t used to exercising. Her face was bright red, and her breathing noticeably heavy.
But her first words were an apology to Pei Xingyan, “Sorry, your face is all sunburned and red. Did you have to wait long?”
She took a thermal container from her shoulder bag, its walls covered in condensation—just by looking, you could tell whatever was inside was well below room temperature.
“I made some mung bean soup and froze it all morning…” she said as she fumbled with the container, looking like a devoted little housewife.
“Thanks—” Pei Xingyan instinctively said, but froze the moment Lin Xiaoyu opened the lid.
Not only him, but Lin Xiaoyu herself was stunned.
The container was filled to the brim with mung bean soup, but judging from its current state, it was more accurate to call it mung bean ice—the entire thing was completely frozen into one big ice block.
Pei Xingyan couldn’t help but laugh.
Lin Xiaoyu’s face instantly flushed even deeper. Flustered and annoyed, she glanced repeatedly at the container in her hands, puzzled at how it had turned out this way.
“Did you store it in the freezer?” Pei Xingyan asked.
“Um… I made it last night, and I was worried it would spoil… so I put it in the freezer…” Lin Xiaoyu stammered, acting as if she’d done something wrong.
“Oh, my little lady,” Pei Xingyan teased, “If you freeze it like this, even raw beans would turn into popsicles.”
“S-sorry…” Lin Xiaoyu looked very guilty, biting her lower lip as she apologized, “I don’t have much experience and messed it up… making you wait here for so long for nothing…”
Her voice quivered, as if she was about to cry at any moment.
Pei Xingyan quickly tried to smooth things over. “It’s okay, really. I’m already touched by your thoughtfulness. It’s just a small mistake, no need to apologize again. Didn’t I say we don’t need to apologize between us?”
Usually, this would comfort Lin Xiaoyu, but today it didn’t work.
She looked even sadder, suppressing her sobs because she didn’t want to worry Pei Xingyan, but her trembling body was obvious. Who could miss it?
“I know you’re kind to me… and even if I mess up, you won’t blame me…” she said in broken sentences, “But I really wanted you to try what I made… When I was making it last night, just thinking about you tasting it made me so happy. But now—”
Unable to hold back any longer, she buried her head in her arm and leaned over the stone table, quietly sobbing.
Yet she refused to make a sound, only trembling gently—looking pitiful and aggrieved.
Pei Xingyan recalled how not long ago she had been crushed by pressure, even suicidal, and though she hadn’t become cheerful yet, he had to comfort her some more.
He placed his hand gently on her back and lightly patted her, soothing her. “Don’t be so sad. It’s just frozen, not spoiled. On a day this hot, wouldn’t eating a popsicle be even better?”
Perhaps his words helped, or maybe the touch of his hand worked some magic—Lin Xiaoyu gradually stopped crying. She looked up doubtfully and asked, “Really?”
“Do you think I’d lie to you?” Pei Xingyan replied, “Did you bring a spoon?”
“Yeah…” Lin Xiaoyu quickly searched.
She had brought a cutlery box, not just a spoon, but also a fork, chopsticks, and even a table knife.
“Awesome~” Pei Xingyan praised, “You’re really well prepared. With all those tools, eating ice cubes is easy!”
Lin Xiaoyu wiped away tears, holding her chin and grinning foolishly.
Her gaze settled on Pei Xingyan, her still-wet eyes seeming ready to spill tears again—soft and tender, a perfect embodiment of the phrase “tender as water.”
Pei Xingyan picked up the knife and gently scored the surface of the ice block. Then, holding the thermal container firmly with the other hand to prevent slipping, he pressed down hard.
He chopped the frozen block filled with crushed mung beans into dozens of small, uneven pieces.
“Now it’s mung bean popsicles, isn’t it?” He smiled, eyes curved as he speared a piece with the fork and popped it into his mouth.
It was indeed cold—so cold his scalp tingled, the chill running from his head down to his heels. But on a day this hot, the cool sensation was absolutely a pleasure.
A refreshing smile appeared on his face, and beside him, Lin Xiaoyu’s smile was even brighter. She held her chin happily, barely able to sit still.
This was exactly what she had said earlier: seeing Pei Xingyan enjoy what she made made her ecstatic beyond words. Even better than she imagined, Pei Xingyan looked very satisfied—undoubtedly a sign of approval.
Nothing could make her happier.
“Delicious?” she asked gently, eyes full of affection.
“Yeah, really good.” Pei Xingyan nodded honestly.
“That’s good~” Lin Xiaoyu beamed and then asked, “Can I have one too?”
“Come on, if you made it, who else but you gets to eat it?” Pei Xingyan laughed, handing her the fork.
But Lin Xiaoyu didn’t reach out.
Pei Xingyan thought he was being too blunt. After all, who would want to use a fork that had already touched someone else’s mouth?
Just as he was about to take it back, Lin Xiaoyu pleaded earnestly again:
“Can you… feed me…”
She looked up at Pei Xingyan with eager eyes, the kind of look that said if he refused, she might burst into tears and collapse right then and there, leaving no room for rejection.
Silently reminding himself she was still fragile and needed care, Pei Xingyan complied.
He speared another piece of ice and brought the fork to Lin Xiaoyu’s lips.
She wrapped her arms around his arm, leaned forward, and bit onto the fork.
“Ah-woo~!”
Then she smiled sweetly—a smile returned only to Pei Xingyan.
The sweltering heat that made people restless was no match for this smile. Pei Xingyan felt nothing but calm.
Lin Xiaoyu truly was a very adorable girl.