◎A Beautiful Day◎

Chun Zao didn’t adjust the hair clip again, and Yuan Ye didn’t mention it either.

Like an unspoken code word lying between them, within her reach to touch, within his sight when he lowered his brows.

Chun Zao loved reading, but opportunities to touch non-recommended extracurricular books were minimal, mostly limited to brief tastes when browsing bookstores during holidays.

She’d stayed home studying these past years, and as a native local, she’d surprisingly never visited the municipal library even once.

Yuan Ye didn’t rush to lead her to their final destination, instead taking a shortcut to stop at a private coffee shop along the way.

They entered one after another. Yuan Ye stopped at the counter and asked what she wanted to drink.

Chun Zao was a loyal devotee of milk tea and fruit tea. Under Chun Chuzhen’s strict control, she’d only occasionally had instant coffee. Her last time in a coffee shop was to inquire about summer part-time work.

Now looking at the fancy drink menu posted on the high chalkboard wall, she fell into confusion.

“Is Osmanthus latte good?”

Yuan Ye replied: “Not bad.”

Chun Zao looked at him: “Do you often buy coffee here?”

Yuan Ye: “I always bring a cup before going to the library.”

“What flavors do you usually drink?”

“Iced Americano. But you shouldn’t order that,” he found an easily relatable description: “It’s like drinking refrigerated Chinese medicine.”

Chun Zao’s little face wrinkled as she imagined the bitterness: “Huh?”

The shop owner behind the register protested for himself: “Our americano uses very fragrant and unique roasted beans, OK?”

Yuan Ye looked back with a smile: “Just give her the osmanthus latte, with three pumps of syrup.”

Ten minutes later, Chun Zao, who had been waiting at a small walnut wood round table, received her coffee card.

She flipped it over to see the delicately drawn osmanthus and cocoa bean pattern on the back: “What’s this?”

Yuan Ye said, “Their specialty. Each coffee type has its exclusive card. I got one for you.”

Chun Zao looked at the classic English coffee shop logo above, with its uniquely crafted design. She loved it—it would join her tin box secret garden as a heavyweight guest when she got home. She happily tucked the card into her canvas bag.

The first floor of the municipal library was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, with sunlight filling the spacious hall. Yuan Ye stopped at the entrance, took her phone, and helped her register for an electronic library card on the municipal library’s public account.

Chun Zao stood quietly, secretly studying Yuan Ye.

The tall, thin boy held a paper bag in one hand and operated her phone with the other, his eyelids slightly lowered in concentration…

He looked like a…

Handsome boyfriend with a good temper.

She was made shy by her imagination, turned away to giggle secretly, then collected herself and asked seriously: “Done yet?”

He looked up: “Why the rush?” Then asked: “How long has it been since you updated your phone’s system?”

Chun Zao was speechless for two seconds: “It’s the phone’s problem, not my problem.”

Yuan Ye smiled without speaking and handed the phone back.

After passing security, Yuan Ye led her to the third floor. The weekend library had quite a few people scattered about like stars, but it was exceptionally quiet.

They walked through mountain-like book stacks and long reading tables. Yuan Ye found his regular window seat and indicated for Chun Zao to sit there.

As a newcomer, Chun Zao sat down restrainedly, whispering: “Here?”

“Mm.” Yuan Ye took out each paper coffee cup, placed Chun Zao’s in front of her, then sat down on her outer side.

Autumn light and shadow were cut and pasted by the window frame onto the girl’s canvas bag.

Chun Zao drew out her pencil case and homework handouts from it, handling them gently, then slowly turned around to hook the nearly empty canvas bag onto her chair back.

Turning back, Yuan Ye was looking at her with slight teasing, his lip corners curved almost imperceptibly.

Chun Zao looked at him strangely, glaring once.

Yuan Ye immediately lowered his gaze and sent her a silent message on his phone: It’s fine, not every little sound is forbidden.

Quality person Chun Zao received it, her fingers flying as she typed: Mind your own business.

Yuan Ye: Fine, I won’t interfere.

Chun Zao: Doing homework now, do not disturb.

Both put down their phones simultaneously. Chun Zao sipped her hand-ground coffee and was amazed by the rich coffee flavor and elegant osmanthus fragrance—how could they combine so perfectly? The sweetness was just right, too.

She took another sip as if encountering something from outer space, then put it down, clicked out her pen tip, and devoted herself entirely to her holiday homework.

Yuan Ye habitually started with his strong suit—the math paper. After quickly finishing the multiple choice page, he pretended to flip it over, propping his head to look at Chun Zao. The girl with pen in hand had entered a realm of no one else, her brow furrowing like water ripples then smoothing, sunlight rendering her hair into translucent pale gold.

He smiled slightly and continued his work.

Near eleven o’clock, the aftereffects of getting up early and a lack of sleep crept up. Even caffeine couldn’t resist the invasion of drowsiness. Chun Zao covered her mouth and yawned, her eyelids gradually growing heavy.

She switched to supporting her chin with the other hand, stubbornly struggling not to give in.

The dense, small printed classical Chinese characters on the paper became increasingly blurry.

Noticing her intermittent nodding like a pecking chicken, Yuan Ye guessed most of it and quietly reminded: “If you’re sleepy, lie down for a bit?”

Chun Zao glanced at him, forcing herself to stay alert and bluff: “No! I’m not sleepy.”

She was fine—how could she be easily defeated by drowsiness?

Especially with Yuan Ye sitting beside her, who was addicted to sleeping on weekends. He looked so spirited, making her seem too weak in comparison.

It was rare to come out like this. If she just carelessly collapsed like that, it would be letting down his “careful arrangement.”

Chun Zao gulped down two big mouthfuls of coffee.

She put down her pen, supported her face with both hands, and rubbed twice, trying to make her drowsy self perk up again.

This coffee…

How was it more effective than a sleeping potion?

The wilting girl was still holding on stubbornly when Yuan Ye immediately gave up any ineffective verbal advice and yanked down his windbreaker zipper.

The sound of fabric friction drew Chun Zao’s confused, hazy gaze over.

The boy folded his removed jacket neatly at the table edge in two or three moves, pushing it over squarely and orderly.

Chun Zao was stunned, waking up somewhat from his sudden action, mouthing: What for?

“Use it as a pillow to sleep,” he said.

Chun Zao understood and shook her head: “No need.”

“Take it.” He decided for her, speaking briefly and brooking no further argument. Finally, he looked around, picked up his phone, and typed in the memo app: I’ll wake you in half an hour.

Seeing his upper body left with only a thin white t-shirt, Chun Zao still couldn’t bring herself to take it rashly. She wrote on the corner of scratch paper and lifted it for him to see: Won’t you be cold?

In this weather, the temperature was neither high nor low, and the library had no heating—she didn’t know if he’d freeze.

Yuan Ye’s fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, even bolding and enlarging the text as if emphasizing his tone: So sleep quickly. Originally only needed to be cold for half an hour, now it’ll be 32 minutes.

Chun Zao smiled.

Without further thought, she pulled this black “temporary pillow” in front of herself, replacing all papers and books.

When she leaned against it, sleepiness vanished instantly. Her senses were filled with the faint, almost imperceptible scent of detergent from the teenager’s clothes. She couldn’t help but bury herself deeper into her arms, as if sinking into a blue sea that wouldn’t cause oxygen deprivation. She became a light, clear jellyfish, gradually moving away from gravity’s pull through even breathing.

The movement on the left completely disappeared.

Yuan Ye glanced over, his gaze no longer restrained. He could finally look at her openly—even if it was just the back of her head.

He stopped his rotating pen, staring intently.

Suddenly, the girl’s body moved slightly, as if adjusting her sleeping position.

His gaze flew away like a startled bird.

Looking back, the girl’s face had indeed turned to the other side.

Her eyes remained comfortably closed, just smacking her lips twice, seemingly already sleeping soundly.

The flesh on her cheek was pushed together by the movement, round and bulging.

Yuan Ye suppressed his laughter.

What was happening?

Every day, she refreshed her cuteness value in his eyes.

He stopped looking and continued with problems, though his writing fluency plummeted and problem-solving speed extended to five times normal. He knew exactly how noisy the pen tip would be if he wrote too fast.

He didn’t forget to monitor the time and compare Chun Zao’s state. Seeing she showed no signs of waking, he turned off the alarm early.

The waiting time seemed to stretch. Yuan Ye, with nothing to do, wrote a note and pressed it under her handout with his pencil case, then went to browse the nearby book section.

During this time, Chun Zao opened her eyes. Seeing the empty chair beside her, she sat up straight with a start, looked around, and finally focused on the note in front of her.

“I’m going to look at books. I have my phone. Message me when you wake up.”

Chun Zao belatedly noticed the time and screamed internally: It’s already twelve o’clock. Indeed, she was the sleeping pig. Yuan Ye had gotten so impatient that he left to wander around and kill time.

She brushed away the hair strands stuck to her cheek, tidied up Yuan Ye’s windbreaker, then sent a message: I’m awake, where are you?

Yuan Ye replied instantly: I’m coming back now.

Chun Zao: I’ll come find you.

Yuan Ye: Too many bookshelves here, hard to find.

Yuan Ye: Stay there, I’ll appear within three minutes.

Chun Zao could only sit still, pouting as she played with her mechanical pencil for a while, until a shadow fell over her.

The moment their eyes met, he showed that rich, shallow smile.

Chun Zao instantly understood, threw the windbreaker to him, and continued with her half-finished Chinese homework.

Her phone lit up with his message: Princess, how was your sleep?

Chun Zao clenched her fist and replied: Thanks to you, not bad.

Yuan Ye: Starting today, the weekend sleeping crown belongs to you.

Childish, boring, ridiculous. Chun Zao ignored this message.

The sound of windproof fabric came from beside her. Chun Zao stole a glance—Yuan Ye was efficiently putting on his jacket.

For no reason, she began to feel ashamed of making him freeze and then ignoring him.

Unable to keep pretending indifference, she simply opened QQ to play along with this guy’s joke.

Chun Zao: I’ll only be champion for one day.

Yuan Ye held his phone and smiled: Fine, now I’ll present the prize.

He raised the book he’d just retrieved with one hand and held it out.

Chun Zao took it. The book had a simple binding, with a cover pattern like a pencil shooting straight into a dome, its tip hiding silhouettes of a girl and flying birds. She silently read the book’s name: “Educated.”

Then she looked back at him.

Yuan Ye met her gaze briefly, then lowered his head to explain his intention: To inaugurate your library card, starting with this book.

Chun Zao roughly flipped through a few pages: What’s it about?

Yuan Ye: A girl’s growth story of breaking free from family constraints and achieving self-realization through learning.

Chun Zao knowingly curved her mouth corners. She quietly gazed at the title page, then suddenly stood up after a moment.

Yuan Ye looked up at her.

The girl pointed to the fortress behind him, built of various colored book spines, indicating she wanted to browse around.

Yuan Ye stood to accompany her but was firmly pressed back down, her stubborn eyes clearly saying: she couldn’t possibly get lost.

So he remained on standby.

Half an hour later, he received Chun Zao’s help message and helplessly smiled as he got up, striding quickly through the mountain of books to pick her up.

On this ordinary yet extraordinary Saturday, Chun Zao borrowed two books from the municipal library for the first time in her life.

One was the foreign translated novel Yuan Ye had chosen for her, and the other was her uniquely chosen reading material for Yuan Ye.

For this, she had made a great sacrifice, bravely venturing into the children’s reading area that was practically another world.

It was a hardcover picture book for children, with rich, romantic color blocks on the cover and a simple, direct title that was enough to make one smile knowingly: “A Beautiful Day.”

Author’s Note:

Without watching movies or holding hands

There can still be a perfect date, a beautiful day.