Chương 40: Afternoon Reunion

After lunch, Lin Che keenly noticed that the girl in front of him was in a low mood.

Although she was still smiling, her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and she unconsciously stirred the remaining soup in her bowl with her chopsticks, clearly indicating that the previous topic had stirred up some of her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

"It's nothing!" Su Yuqing snapped back to reality, flashing a bright smile, but he still caught the fleeting hint of melancholy in her eyes.

Lin Che calmly put down his chopsticks and suggested, "We just finished eating, how about we go for a walk by the lake? We've only just started school, it would be nice to get familiar with the campus."

Su Yuqing raised her head, her eyes brightening slightly, then feigned modesty and pouted, "Hmph, you clearly wanted to go for a walk, but you insisted on dragging me along."

"Then I'll go by myself?" Lin Che made a move to get up and leave, but a smile played on his lips.

"Wait!" She immediately grabbed his wrist, then, as if realizing something, blushed and let go.

"... Since you've invited me so sincerely, I'll reluctantly go with you."

Lin Che couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to pat her head: "Alright, alright, thank you for gracing me with your presence, Miss."

"Don't touch my head! It'll mess up my hairstyle!" She angrily slapped his hand away, but a smile secretly crept onto her lips.

The early September sun still carried the lingering warmth of late summer, but when the breeze swept across the lake, a hint of early autumn freshness could already be detected.

The willows along the artificial lake droop their slender branches, swaying gently and creating delicate ripples on the water's surface. Faint sounds of activity drift from the distant school buildings, adding a touch of life to the tranquil scene.

Su Yuqing skipped along ahead like a cheerful little deer, turning back every now and then to urge, "Ache, you're walking too slowly!"

"You're too fast," Lin Che said helplessly, quickening his pace while keeping his gaze fixed on her back.

"We came here for a walk, why are you running?"

The girl in front of him suddenly stopped and pointed to a pair of wild ducks in the middle of the lake: "Look! Aren't they courting?"

Lin Che followed her finger and saw two ducks rubbing their necks affectionately in the middle of the lake. He couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you even gossiping about ducks?"

"That's called being good at finding beauty in life!" She turned around, put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and the bow tie on her chest swayed.

"Ah Che, you're just too unromantic."

Looking at her bright smile so close to his face, Lin Che's heart skipped a beat. He had never seen her like this before.

"Speaking of which," he subtly shifted his gaze, changing the subject, "what made you decide to run for class officer?"

"Because it's so much fun!" Su Yuqing was immediately swayed, her eyes sparkling.

"Ache, don't you think participating in class activities is especially interesting?"

"I just feel tired. There are so many things to do. Just thinking about it gives me a headache," Lin Che replied.

"How could I be tired!" Su Yuqing's eyes sparkled.

"It's so much fun! Even though I didn't become class monitor, being the arts and culture representative is great. I can participate in planning class activities from now on!"

Lin Che couldn't help but smile as he looked at her excited expression.

"Speaking of which, how many friends did you make today?" He asked casually, recalling how the other person was surrounded by a group of people during the break.

"Six!" she proudly held up one finger.

"I've already exchanged contact information with six people!"

She suddenly leaned closer and asked curiously, "A-Che, what about you?"

"... One." Lin Che suddenly regretted bringing up this topic.

"One?" Su Yuqing's eyes widened.

"Who?"

"Lu Mingyuan, he just gave me directions."

"..."

"That's it?!" She shook her head in anguish, poking his chest.

"It's the first day of school! You can't do this, Che..."

Lin Che guiltily looked away—in fact, even this was something the other party had requested.

"Never mind," Su Yuqing waved her hand, "Anyway, I'm here. I'll introduce you to more people gradually!"

"However," she suddenly lowered her voice, speaking with a hint of grievance, "it's really hard to keep pretending I don't know you."

Lin Che couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Then why play this kind of game?"

"Because it's fun!" she clenched her fist, determined.

"I'm going to stick with it, and one day we'll suddenly reveal that we're siblings, and everyone will be shocked!"

Looking at her spirited demeanor, Lin Che smiled indulgently: "Whatever you want."

After walking around the lakeside path, the two found a bench and sat down. Su Yuqing yawned slightly, and her eyelids began to feel heavy.

She unconsciously snuggled closer to Lin Che, first gently touching his arm, then his shoulder, and finally resting her head on his body.

"Tired?" Lin Che asked softly, feeling the weight on his shoulder and unconsciously slowing his breathing.

"Just a little bit..." Her voice was slightly tired as she rubbed against his shoulder like a lazy cat, looking for the most comfortable spot.

Lin Che tilted his head slightly, looking at the girl leaning on his shoulder. From this angle, he could see her long eyelashes, delicate nose, and pink lips. Strands of her hair brushed against his neck, bringing a slight tickle.

Such an intimate posture would make anyone think they are a couple deeply in love, and would never guess that they are nominally siblings.

"Ah Che..." she suddenly spoke, her voice already tinged with sleepiness, "Which club are you planning to join?"

"I don't want to go to any of them, how about the Homecoming Club?"

"There's no such club!" She gently bumped his head against hers.

"And you're already trying to leave right after the start of the semester? This counts towards your GPA."

"Then which one will you apply for?" he countered.

"Me..." She tilted her head and thought for a moment, a gesture that made her lean even closer to Lin Che.

"The Light Music Club? The Literature Club? Or the Badminton Club?"

"Are you sure you don't want to recite the whole thing?"

"Hey!" she angrily punched him, but the force was so light it was like a tickle.

"Anyway, you have to come with me!"

"Why?" he teased her on purpose.

"Because—" she drawled, then suddenly sat up and leaned closer to him, a sly smile on her face, "you promised to take care of me, didn't you?"

"What's the connection between agreeing to take care of you and joining the same club...?"

"Hmm?" Su Yuqing leaned closer, her eyebrows slightly raised, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer.

The girl's face was inches away, her eyelashes fluttering, her eyes filled with dappled sunlight. Lin Che's heart suddenly raced, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. He sighed helplessly, "... Fine, I'll go wherever you go."

"That's more like it!" She sat back down, satisfied, and leaned back on his shoulder. Then she muttered under her breath, "Anyway... you used to spoil me like this too."

Lin Che was taken aback, then chuckled and said in a voice only she could hear, "Yes, it was true before, and it is true now."

She didn't say anything more, but quietly moved closer to him. Lin Che felt her breathing gradually become calmer and her body becoming more and more relaxed.

Turning my head, I saw that the other person's eyes were already slightly closed, and their head was bobbing up and down, as if they were trying to fight off sleepiness.

"Go to sleep, I'm here," he said softly.

As if given permission, Su Yuqing finally let herself drift off to sleep, snuggling against him. Lin Che carefully adjusted her position to make her more comfortable, his arms naturally encircling her shoulders.

A gentle breeze rippled across the lake, and in her half-awake state, Su Yuqing suddenly murmured softly, "Ache... I feel so happy..."

"Hmm?" Lin Che thought she had woken up again, but when he turned his gaze over, he found that she still had her eyes closed, but there was a sweet smile on her lips.

"In my past life... I didn't have the chance... to properly enjoy campus life..." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, broken and intermittent.

"In this life... Mom and Xiaoye didn't leave, and you're here too..." She paused, a hazy smile appearing on her face, "I... dare not ask for more..."

After saying this, her breathing became even and long, and she fell into a deep sleep. The sunlight gently enveloped the two of them, casting their intertwined silhouettes on the ground. A willow leaf gently drifted down and landed right in her hair, which Lin Che carefully brushed away.

He silently tightened his grip on her, feeling the warmth of her body in his arms. He lowered his head and gently kissed the girl's forehead: "You deserve all the happiness in the world. It's okay to be a little greedy."

He spoke softly, but a firm resolve surged within him.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still, with only the sound of the lake water gently lapping against the shore and the heartbeats of two hearts pressed together.