Jing Jing stayed at Su Ge’s house for a week.

When Lin Shilan came to pick up the puppy and bring it home, Su Ge told her she wouldn’t be leaving with them.

Her bus ticket was for tomorrow—she was leaving Yan County a week earlier than them.

During this week, Su Ge had sought out her former stepfather several times, pestering and repeatedly inquiring, and finally managed to find out her mother’s whereabouts.

Her former stepfather, who was Lin Shilan’s Uncle Tang, mentioned while drinking that an old acquaintance had told him that a few weeks ago, he ran into Su Ge’s mother on the commercial street in the neighboring county. Her mother was pushing a cart, selling fried skewers on the street.

Uncle Tang was an unreliable person, and his words couldn’t be trusted. Even if he hadn’t deceived Su Ge, this information was very vague. However, after hearing this from him, Su Ge immediately bought a bus ticket to the neighboring county.

Lin Shilan could understand Su Ge’s decision.

Different rainy seasons, different Su Ges—whether sick or on her deathbed, they all without exception called out for the “mother” they most wanted to see in their hearts.

She should have gone looking for her mother long ago.

Whether her mother was there or not, whether her longing would be answered or not, this journey would at least give her obsession an answer.

The decision to leave was sudden. With Su Ge leaving tomorrow, tonight was their last chance to gather as a trio.

Su Ge had bought ingredients early, inviting Lin Shilan to stay for dinner—she planned to cook herself tonight. Not forgetting Lin Shilan’s little tail, Su Ge also called Tan Jin, asking him to come over together.

“Leave home right away. We’re making curry rice—it’ll be ready very soon.” Su Ge specially instructed.

Tan Jin readily agreed: “Okay. Is there anything you want to eat or drink? I’ll buy it on the way and bring it over.”

Lin Shilan didn’t stand on ceremony with him: “I want to drink pearl milk tea. Su Ge, do you want some?”

Su Ge also wasn’t polite: “Yes! I’ll have a cup.”

“Then I’ll buy three pearl milk teas.”

After finishing the call with Tan Jin, the two girls dove into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.

Opening the cupboard, Lin Shilan couldn’t count how many times she had exclaimed since entering: “Your house has completely changed—it’s so well organized now.”

All the pots, bowls, ladles, and basins had been washed by Su Ge and arranged neatly.

Su Ge, washing vegetables, smiled: “That’s all thanks to Jing Jing’s arrival.”

Hearing its name mentioned, the little stray dog quickly ran out from the room to appear on the scene.

“Huh? Jing Jing?” Lin Shilan didn’t know her little dog was also a snail girl who could do housework.

Su Ge maintained the mystery: “That’s right. Anyway, it’s all thanks to it.”

“Alright,” Lin Shilan bent down and said to the puppy: “You’re a hero—today you get extra food.”

The little stray dog’s ears perked up, and it sat up straight.

The pressure cooker hissed.

Time’s magic made the beef tender, and the fragrance filled the room.

Under Su Ge and Lin Shilan’s cooperation, the delicious curry rice was about to be ready. Strangely, Tan Jin, who should have arrived over an hour ago, still hadn’t appeared.

“Could he be lost? Did something happen to him on the road?”

Lin Shilan was a bit worried: “I’ll call him.”

The phone rang several times before being answered.

“Hello?” It wasn’t Tan Jin who answered—it was Tan A’yi’s voice on the other end.

“Hello, Auntie, this is Little Lan.”

This situation was too abnormal. Holding her phone, Lin Shilan furrowed her brows: “Is it convenient for Tan Jin to take a call? I arranged to have dinner with him, but he hasn’t arrived.”

“Little Lan, it’s convenient—Tan Jin is at home.” Tan A’yi’s tone was unhurried, not as if something had happened: “Wait a moment, Little Jin left his phone in the living room. I’ll take it in to him.”

Seeing Lin Shilan’s expression was off, Su Ge also leaned over to listen. She simply turned on the phone’s speaker.

“Why did this child lock the door?” From the phone came the sound of Tan A’yi pulling the handle, along with very loud game sounds.

Keyboard and mouse were being operated rapidly—the game situation seemed exceptionally intense.

“Little Jin, Little Jin, open the door, take the call,” Tan A’yi knocked on the door loudly while calling to him: “Pause your game—you have plans tonight. How could you forget?”

“I didn’t make plans with anyone.”

To be heard over the game sounds, Tan Jin spoke at an especially high volume.

“Wait a bit, let me finish this round.”

On the other end of the phone, Lin Shilan and Su Ge heard his words clearly.

—It seemed Tan Jin had completely forgotten about his plans with them.

Lin Shilan felt something was off. He had always been thoughtful and valued commitments—this was completely unlike Tan Jin’s style.

But she couldn’t say what was strange. The voice over there really was his.

“Um…” Su Ge looked at Lin Shilan and smoothed things over: “It’s fine, let Tan Jin play. Maybe it’s an important game, a competition or something. Let’s eat by ourselves—the curry rice is ready. By the time he comes, the curry won’t be edible.”

“Mm.” Lin Shilan’s mood suddenly soured.

The host of the dinner invitation had already said as much, so she could only tell Tan A’yi: “Auntie, I’ll hang up then. My friend and I will eat first and not wait for him. Let Tan Jin play his game.”

Su Ge was leaving tomorrow.

This meal was supposed to be a farewell dinner for her, with special significance.

Yet Tan Jin was absent because of playing games.

The curry rice was made extremely flavorful, in no way inferior to restaurant curry.

While eating, Su Ge mentioned to Lin Shilan that when she went to find Uncle Tang, she happened to see Lin Shilan’s mother come looking for Uncle Tang and give him money. Lin Shilan hadn’t heard her mother mention this. It was possible that when her mother wanted to sign her up for the intensive class, she borrowed money from Uncle Tang and went to repay it a few days ago.

Making a mental note, Lin Shilan planned to ask her mother about it later.

Su Ge and Lin Shilan each ate two large plates of curry rice.

Jing Jing also ate a lot of meat, its little belly swelling up.

Dinner was both happy and unhappy. Happy because the curry rice was quite successful, unhappy naturally because Tan Jin didn’t come.

Earlier, while cooking, Su Ge had mentioned “pearl milk tea” several times. So after they ate, Lin Shilan proactively suggested: “Let’s go out for a walk to digest, and buy some milk tea while we’re at it.”

Su Ge happily agreed.

Changing into a yellow dress, Su Ge emerged from her room.

She wore loose school uniforms year-round. This was the first time Lin Shilan had seen her wear form-fitting clothes.

“Beautiful lady, your outfit is very summery.” Lin Shilan gave high praise, giving her a thumbs up.

“Does it look good?”

Su Ge shyly spun in a circle, her skirt hem like a blooming flower.

“It looks good.”

Smiling broadly, Lin Shilan took her arm: “Come on, I’m taking a beauty out on the town.”

Lin Shilan, who rarely smiled, gave compliments that could be counted on one hand.

This “beauty” was especially gratifying to Su Ge. Being led by Lin Shilan’s arm, she no longer walked with her usual hunched, slouched posture.

Su Ge’s flesh was still the same flesh as before.

However, its state had become relaxed.

Even though the main street was bustling with people coming and going, she wasn’t afraid of being looked at.

Rarely, it wasn’t raining outside.

They walked leisurely, no need for umbrellas, their hands free.

The summer evening breeze was humid and warm.

After ordering milk tea, they sat by the window. The breeze lifted Lin Shilan’s long black hair. She lowered her eyes and tucked the strands behind her ear.

Noticing Su Ge staring at her, Lin Shilan scratched her neck: “Is there something on my face?”

Stirring her milk tea with the straw, Su Ge said unexpectedly: “I used to be very jealous of you.”

“You’re too beautiful—in my mind, you’re the prettiest girl in our school.”

“After getting to know you more closely, I discovered that you actually have other merits too—excellent academic performance, diligent and kind…”

Picking up her cup, Su Ge took a big gulp of milk tea, as if drowning her sorrows in drink.

“Back then, I really liked Tan Jin, but Tan Jin liked you. He was the only person in class who didn’t bully me. To me, he was like a beam of light in the darkness. Grasping onto that lifeline, I got through many difficult days. Can you imagine how jealous I used to be of you?”

“I’m not as good as you say.” Lin Shilan reached forward to pat her shoulder, urging her to be clear-headed.

Tan Jin’s existence held extremely important meaning for her.

Su Ge didn’t need to say this—Lin Shilan understood.

“I’ll call Tan Jin to come out. How can he stand us up for a game? He needs to say goodbye to you properly, otherwise it’ll be too regrettable.”

Su Ge shook her head, her expression showing no reluctance: “No need.”

Looking at Lin Shilan, her gaze was burning: “Now I like you more.”

This direct shot at Lin Shilan left her bewildered: “Li-like?”

Su Ge laughed heartily: “Not romantic like—friend like. Compared to the kindness Tan Jin showed me, the strength you’ve given me is far, far more than what he gave me.”

The milk tea was sweet, Su Ge’s words even sweeter. Lin Shilan’s chest brimmed with emotion.

“In the past, when I saw your good qualities, I felt hateful. I was jealous of you.”

“Now I see those same good qualities—your face is still so delicate, your soul still so beautiful. When I look at your goodness, I feel incredibly comfortable. It’s natural that Tan Jin likes you, and I like you too. I hope you get better and better.”

Smoothing Lin Shilan’s disheveled bangs across from her, Su Ge’s lips trembled. In the end, she couldn’t hold back and revealed her sadness at parting.

“I’m very reluctant to part with you, my friend.”

Outside the window, the sky displayed the most perfect sunset glow in recent months.

From behind the thick cloud layer, brilliant pink light emerged, as if the white clouds had been carefully edged in pink-gold. Magnificent pink cascaded from the horizon to the human world. They sat quietly in the milk tea shop, everything before their eyes dazzling and brilliant, as if they were in a dreamlike cartoon world.

“Chibi Maruko-chan” was also Lin Shilan’s favorite cartoon.

Short-haired Su Ge, long-haired Lin Shilan wearing glasses. Looking at their reflections in the window glass, for an instant, they seemed to see Maruko and Tamae—the friendship they most yearned for in their childhood.

The sun set in the west, clear and rainy weather alternated, spacetime transformed.

Yet friendship remained in their hearts, forever unchanged.

Lin Shilan raised her milk tea and clinked cups with Su Ge.

“After this rainy season, we don’t know where we’ll each go. Even if we can’t meet again, we should still go see different beautiful scenery.”

Similar relieved smiles hung on their faces.

“Su Ge, may your future path be joyful.”

“Lin Shilan, may your future path be joyful.”