July was the height of summer.

Green foliage surrounded the teaching buildings, with the entire university town bathed in sunlight. Students with youthful faces rode bicycles across campus. A path in Lian University was lined with hydrangeas, their blue-green blooms thriving under the blazing sun.

At the end of the semester, Lin Zhexia was busy preparing for final exams.

The professors had outlined many key points, and she spent most of the finals period in the study room with Chi Yao, working on problems.

“It’s so hard to memorize,” she said halfway through, slumping over her textbook, “…I don’t want to take the exam anymore.”

Then she asked, “Are finals difficult in your department?”

She wanted Chi Yao to comfort her: “After all, it’s a top department with such a high admission score requirement, the finals must be very difficult, right?”

However, she forgot that Chi Yao was from an entirely different world: “Just flip through the books and it’s fine.”

“…”

“You shouldn’t answer me like that,” Lin Zhexia exercised her girlfriend privileges, “I’m your girlfriend, you should humor me.”

Chi Yao had a pen between his fingers.

The black pen rotated half a circle casually between his distinct fingers, then he said, “Very difficult.”

Lin Zhexia: “How difficult?”

Chi Yao leaned back slightly: “I’m afraid I might fail.”

Lin Zhexia said: “Don’t worry, although you’re not as smart as me, passing shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

Chi Yao lifted his chin slightly: “Thank you for your encouragement.”

Lin Zhexia: “You’re welcome.”

“Is the performance over?” Chi Yao put down his pen, reached out to her with two pages of paper between his fingertips, lightly flipping over the page that had been stuck in front of her for nearly half an hour, “If it’s over, keep memorizing.”

“…”—

Another thing happened this semester.

After Chi Hanshan’s funds returned, he planned to buy back the house on Nanxiang Street.

“Your mother and I thought about it. Since you still plan to stay and develop in Lianyun, you’ll need a place to live.”

One day on the phone, Chi Hanshan discussed with Chi Yao: “Since your mother and I are staying in Jing City, we’d feel more at ease if you had your place in Lianyun.”

“The transaction period has just reached two years, and the current owners might not want to sell, but your mother and I have also looked at other properties in the same community…”

Chi Yao only said: “Don’t force it. I can figure out the housing situation myself in the future.”

Chi Hanshan said on the phone: “It’s not forced at all. Your mother and I have a comfortable cash flow now.”

Coincidentally, the male homeowner had just had a job change, and the family was planning to move to a different city. The transfer procedures went quickly.

After Chi Yao told Lin Zhexia about this, she was even happier than he was.

She never thought they could buy back that house, and now she and Chi Yao could visit each other like before: “Really? Then, when my mom nags me, I can go to your place to escape again.”

“Not my place.”

Chi Yao corrected her, “Now it’s your home too.”

Lin Zhexia made an “oh” sound, then belatedly asked: “What did you mean when you said you could figure it out yourself in the future? Did you originally plan to buy back the house?”

“I was planning to save money after starting work,” Chi Yao said casually, “but that way, my girlfriend would have had to wait a few more years.”

Lin Zhexia’s impression was too fixed.

Before, she and Chi Yao each lived in their own homes, so it was hard for her to understand why she would need to wait a few more years.

Although she didn’t ask out loud, Chi Yao understood her well enough to know she hadn’t caught on: “Do you know what the synonym for girlfriend is?”

“Huh?”

“It’s future wife.”

The two continued walking forward. This path extended beyond the campus, looking endless with no visible boundaries, but the road was lined with lush green trees. The intense summer sunlight filtered through the gaps as Chi Yao held her hand and continued: “After this, we’ll most likely stay and work in Lianyun. Aunt He probably wouldn’t want you to go too far, so we need to consider the issue of our marital home.”

Lin Zhexia was stunned for a long time.

She didn’t know Chi Yao had such plans.

It turned out she had already been preciously placed in his future.

When she came back to her senses, she felt a bit embarrassed and said softly: “You haven’t even proposed yet, and I haven’t said I’ll marry you, how are we already talking about a marital home?”

Chi Yao’s eyes moved slightly: “Are you planning to abandon me after leading me on?”

Lin Zhexia: “…That’s not what I meant.”—

On the first day of summer vacation, she, Chi Yao, and He Yang took a car back to Nanxiang Street together.

The three had agreed to meet at the university town station.

He Yang initially snorted on the phone, deliberately saying: “I don’t want to be a third wheel. I’ll go back by myself.”

At that time, Lin Zhexia had already packed her luggage and was waiting for Chi Yao in his rented apartment, dragging her suitcase.

The phone was on speaker.

So He Yang heard the ruthless voices of his two childhood friends.

Chi Yao and Lin Zhexia said in unison: “Oh.”

He Yang: “No, shouldn’t you try to persuade me? Coax me, comfort me, tell me I still have an important place in your hearts, that you still need a friend like me—”

Lin Zhexia thought for a moment: “To be honest, we don’t need you that much.”

Chi Yao didn’t even think about it: “Are you that important?”

He Yang: “…”

Lin Zhexia: “Then take a taxi yourself. We’ve already packed our things and will leave directly from the apartment later. We won’t go to the station.”

He Yang dragged his suitcase, hurrying frantically toward the campus exit: “Wait for me! I was just joking! Did you call a car? Aren’t we brothers? Brothers should wait for each other! You don’t have to coax me, but you must wait for me!!!”

In the end, Chi Yao called a taxi.

He Yang sat in the front, sulking, while Lin Zhexia sat with Chi Yao in the back.

Lin Zhexia tried to smooth things over: “Da Zhuang, don’t be angry.”

He Yang: “Don’t talk to me. I’m just an outsider after all.”

“…”

But with their friendship that went back to childhood, it took less than ten minutes for He Yang to recover on his own: “So the house has been bought back? Is it all fixed up? Then I can stay at your place during the vacation.”

Chi Yao only threw three words at him: “Not convenient.”

He Yang: “What’s inconvenient about it?”

Chi Yao: “I have a girlfriend now. Not convenient.”

“…”

Driver, please pull over.

He wanted to get out.

Lin Zhexia sat in the back, listening to their childish bickering while texting Lin He—

Mom, I’m in the car

Lin He replied quickly: Did you bring your keys?—

Yes—

Are you and Uncle Wei not at home?

Lin He: I forgot to tell you, we’re traveling and haven’t returned yet—

Little He, I think you’ve forgotten about your daughter.

Lin He: You’re not at home anyway.

Lin He: I did kind of forget.

Lin Zhexia: …

Lin He: Don’t get me wrong, when you first went to Lian University, I really couldn’t sleep at night, not used to you not being home. But people have strong adaptability. Now I find it so peaceful when you’re not home.

Chi Yao noticed her constantly changing expressions and asked: “What’s wrong?”

“My mom and Uncle Wei aren’t home,” Lin Zhexia relayed, “They’ve forgotten about me.”

Chi Yao raised his hand and patted her head: “I’ll stay with you.”

At first, Lin Zhexia didn’t think anything was wrong.

After all, “I’ll stay with you” were the simplest words of affection.

However, after they got out of the car and returned to their respective homes, Lin Zhexia tidied up her room a bit. With Lin He not at home, she had to change the bedsheets and cover herself. After bustling about for a while, she took a shower and was just about to turn off the lights to sleep when the doorbell rang.

Lin Zhexia went to open the door in her pajamas: “Why are you here?”

Chi Yao: “To stay with you.”

Lin Zhexia’s pajamas were very thin, white cotton pajamas. Chi Yao remembered this outfit well; she often wore it in summer before.

“I was just about to sleep,” she said after letting him in.

Chi Yao walked toward her room with familiar ease: “I can stay with you while you sleep, too.”

The originally tranquil atmosphere suddenly became incredibly intimate because of this sentence.

Chi Yao had also just showered at home. The hair on his forehead wasn’t completely dry yet. The young man was taller than her by a stretch, so Lin Zhexia had to tilt her head slightly to look at him. She saw Chi Yao’s darkened gaze and the silver earring gleaming in his ear.

The young man’s pale complexion was made even more striking against his black T-shirt. Perhaps because they had seen each other intimately before, Lin Zhexia’s gaze moved downward, and when it reached his waist and abdomen, although her eyes saw clothing, her mind automatically recalled the familiar contours of his abs.

At this moment, the two were facing each other in her bedroom.

This location was more private to her than any other place.

Because this bedroom was the most familiar place where she had lived since childhood.

There were too many shadows and memories of her growing up.

The desk she used every day before, the bookshelf that hid wish cards, that high school “couple photo,” and in the closet next to it, carefully stored, was the scarf he had knitted for her in high school.

But precisely because of this, when Chi Yao’s kiss fell, her heartbeat was more intense than ever before.

Outside the window, the sound of cicadas came through.

The sensation on her lips was as strong as the blazing sun at midday. Her lips were occasionally nibbled by him, triggering a fine trembling. Lin Zhexia’s whole body shook lightly, seeming unable to support herself, allowing the kiss to deepen.

Her only support was the desk behind her, her lower back pressed tightly against its edge.

Chi Yao seemed to notice she was about to lose her balance, so he wrapped one arm around her waist, effortlessly pulling her close.

The kiss lasted a long time. From the desk, all the way to that bed she knew so well.

“What a coincidence.”

Chi Yao supported himself with one hand on the bed, tilting his head back slightly when speaking, creating a slight distance.

Lin Zhexia’s mind was spinning, as if lacking oxygen, she could only stare blankly and ask: “…What coincidence?”

“The bedsheets and covers,” Chi Yao said, “they’re the same as when I secretly kissed you that time.”

Lin Zhexia lowered her eyes.

She only had two sets of summer covers, and today she had put on the one she used most often before.

Hearing him say this, lying on the bed, she seemed to recall the feeling of lying here with a fever the day Chi Yao left.

What was amazing was that now, they were kissing here.

But kissing easily leads to things getting out of control. As the situation gradually got out of hand, Lin Zhexia couldn’t help pushing him slightly, reminding him: “There’s no… You know… at home.”

Chi Yao naturally understood.

He hadn’t planned to go all the way, so he stopped his movements and just held her for a while.

Finally, the young man held her in his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Lin Zhexia felt the feather-like touch in the darkness and asked: “Was this how you kissed me back then? The day you left.”

After she spoke, she felt the slight vibration in the chest of the person holding her, as he made an “Mmm” sound.

Then Chi Yao lowered his head again and said beside her ear:

“Good night.”—

This vacation, Chi Yao only stayed overnight at her house once.

The next day, Lin He and Wei Ping finished their trip and returned home in the evening.

Wei Ping wore a colorful beach hat on his head; one look and you could tell they had just returned from a beach vacation: “Xia Xia, do you want coconut juice? Uncle will open one for you.”

“Did you go to the beach?” Lin Zhexia went to the door to welcome them, “…Coconuts are so heavy, you didn’t need to bring me three.”

Wei Ping opened his suitcase, and the bulky case contained three coconuts.

He took the coconuts out one by one and said: “One for you, one for Chi Yao, one for He Yang.”

“…”

Lin He entered after Wei Ping. She wore a vacation-style long dress and immediately started nitpicking once home: “Look at what you’ve done to the living room. It was all neat and tidy when I left. Can’t you clean up all these snacks?”

As she spoke, she inspected all the way to the kitchen: “You don’t even know how to wash the pot after cooking noodles. How many times do I have to tell you?”

If it had been before, Lin Zhexia would have found Lin He annoying.

But after being away from home for so long, even this nagging and criticism became endearing.

The college student who tried to be independent at school became the “child” she used to be when she returned home.

Lin Zhexia held the freshly opened coconut and explained: “I was just about to wash it when you happened to come back.”

Lin He looked at the time, understanding her all too well: “It’s already 7:30 now.”

“Comrade Lin Zhexia, tell me, how long have you been ‘about to’ do this?”

Lin Zhexia answered honestly: “More than an hour.”

“…”

After Lin He came back, Lin Zhexia’s days at home became harder.

The weather outside was getting hotter, too. In August, the sun was so scorching that people didn’t dare to go out.

Like countless vacations before, she sprawled on Chi Yao’s sofa, hugging a cold watermelon, scooping it with a spoon to eat while watching summer TV dramas.

Chi Yao sat beside her.

Other childhood friends gathered on another sofa, some playing video games, some chatting, the whole living room looking like a mess.

“Brother Yao, Sister Xia—cards, want to play?” someone asked loudly.

Lin Zhexia scooped a piece of watermelon, not even turning her head: “Not playing.”

Chi Yao: “As my wife says.”

“…”

The TV drama was clichéd and melodramatic. Lin Zhexia criticized the plot to him while stuffing watermelon into her mouth.

Chi Yao asked her: “Is it sweet?”

Lin Zhexia nodded and casually fed him a piece.

The TV soon went into a commercial break.

During this ad break, Chi Yao was forcibly pulled by the other friends to play a couple of rounds of cards.

Lin Zhexia looked up from the TV and gazed around. Chi Yao’s home had returned to its original state. A group of young men sat in a circle, and the one in the middle casually played his cards. Occasionally, when others said something, he would slightly pull up the corner of his mouth and smile along.

From the TV, the noisy sounds of advertisements came out, mixing with their talking voices—

The watermelon in her hand was very cold, dispersing the restlessness and heat of summer, with a healing feeling that emanated coolness.

Like countless summers before.

It seemed like everything should be this way, never having changed—

Midway through the vacation, Lin Zhexia met her old friends.

Chen Lin and Tang Shuxuan had changed their hairstyles, looking more youthful and lively.

They chatted about past events, which could now be treated as jokes, teasing each other: “I even asked you for Chi Yao’s contact information back then and was firmly rejected. That night, when I was refused, my feelings were so complicated.”

“You used to have a crush on that senior.”

“You used to charge into forum battles, and students from the neighboring school came to ambush you.”

“…”

On the day Lin Zhexia had dinner with Chen Lin and the others, Chi Yao also met with Xu Ting. Xu Ting studied forensic medicine in college, but he was still the same as before, looking “quite unreliable.”

Lin Zhexia was sitting in the restaurant, chatting with them, when her phone vibrated.

It was a photo sent by Chi Yao.

Boyfriend: [Photo]

In the photo, Xu Ting was making an exaggerated “Yeah” gesture.

Boyfriend: He says he wants to say hi to you.

Lin Zhexia smiled and replied: Thanks. Got it.

When she returned home that day, Lin He asked about the dinner, and Lin Zhexia said: “It was good. Tang Shuxuan is working a summer job, and Chen Lin is also tutoring. Oh, and Tang Shuxuan is dating too; her boyfriend is a guy from her department. They’re doing well.”

Lin He: “Look at them, and then look at yourself.”

Lin Zhexia knew she meant that others were actively working summer jobs to earn money. She admitted she had been a bit lazy this vacation, so she said: “I was looking for work too, but I couldn’t find anything suitable. I’ll look again later.”

“Besides,” she added slowly, “I have a boyfriend too, so at least I’m not losing in the dating department.”

Lin He: “…”

Lin Zhexia, who said she would look for a “summer job,” searched for a few days. While she didn’t find a job, the childhood friends group organized a new activity.

[Nanxiang Small Squad]

Da Zhuang: Going to the fair to shoot guns tomorrow?

Da Zhuang: First prize is a game console, second prize is a pair of Bluetooth earphones, third prize isn’t much use, just a stuffed toy, but this useless toy can be given to Sister Xia to play with.

Lin Zhexia: …?

What does he mean by giving the useless one to her?

They often organized various activities in the group chat.

A boring and childish proposal, once made, immediately received enthusiastic responses—

111—

Count me in—

Me too, me too—

Let me show you what a sharpshooter looks like

So everyone agreed to go to the fair to shoot guns the next afternoon.

Da Zhuang: @Lin Zhexia, is Sister Xia coming?

Lin Zhexia typed: Isn’t shooting guns a bit too childish?

The next second, she eagerly sent two more words: What time?

The next day at noon, Lin Zhexia finished her meal and tried to secretly take an ice pop from the refrigerator, but was expressly forbidden by Lin He: “You ate too many yesterday, don’t eat any today.”

Lin Zhexia reluctantly closed the refrigerator door: “Oh.”

But she didn’t give up. While waiting for the elevator at the door, she texted Chi Yao—

Do you have any ice pops at your place?

If you do, secretly bring me one when you come out—

Forget it, I’ll buy one at the convenience store myself. Don’t tell my mom, do you want anything?

Chi Yao must have been busy, taking time to reply with one word: Water.

Close to one o’clock in the afternoon.

Lin Zhexia sat at the entrance of Chi Yao’s building, waiting for him to come down and meet her.

The weather was hot.

Dry wind carrying heat blew in her face.

Like the first day she came to Nanxiang Street, she sat at the entrance of his building, holding a cold soda that gave off coolness, biting an old-fashioned ice pop.

After waiting for about five or six minutes, a sudden “click” came from the building entrance behind her.

For a moment, Lin Zhexia almost thought this familiar “click” seemed to come from many years ago.

The same sound passed through the silent and long years, overlapping with the present.

She turned her head with a slight delay.

The young man was against the strong light, his eyes deep, his appearance extremely eye-catching, his chin slender, exuding a kind of arrogance and willfulness that seeped from his bones. He entered her vision in an almost dazzling manner.

He took the cold soda from her, casually twisting it open while saying: “Let’s go, girlfriend.”

Lin Zhexia paused before following him.

The ice pop in her mouth was cold, the sun overhead was scorching.

The Nanxiang Street sign stood not far away.

Many scattered fragments about summer flashed through Lin Zhexia’s mind. Stories always seemed to happen easily in this season. The last thing she thought of was their once one-sided crush and heartbeat.

In every moment he had pursued her, she was also pursuing that summer.

That summer, with each other’s existence.

Forever passionate, never ending.

[End of Main Text]

Author’s Note:

The main text ends here~~ The summer of 2022 is also just ending.

I hope this story has brought you a little happiness and warmth.

This is my first time writing romance, and I was nervous about it, but in the end, right before my birthday, I took the opportunity to make a birthday wish for myself: “to do things that scare me,” which gave me the courage to start writing.

Apart from being in a different genre, this book is also very different from my previous writing style. It’s my first time writing such a pure emotional story, driven entirely by the development of feelings. I tried to prepare as much as possible, but indeed, there’s never a day when one is completely prepared for anything. During the process, I encountered countless small problems, but no matter what, “doing it” itself is the most important thing.

I gave it my all this time, and I’m very, very grateful for everyone’s support. I will continue to work hard.

See you next time if we’re fated to meet again~