CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: SELF-TAUGHT

Shi Yang took Zhao Meimei and left the park directly.

While biking home, Shi Yang pressed Zhao Meimei’s head with his chin and instructed, "Meimei, don’t mention what you saw just now to your parents at home, okay? Otherwise, your parents might think I’m leading you astray."

Zhao Meimei nodded in agreement, her small expression extremely calm: "Mm, I know, I definitely won’t tell anyone. But actually, it’s no big deal. It’s always on TV. Isn’t it just two people getting together and biting lips? I’ve seen it before."

Shi Yang pressed down with his chin forcefully as a warning, making Zhao Meimei yelp in pain.

Shi Yang scolded her, "Watch less of such TV shows in the future!"

Zhao Meimei shrank her neck back and behaved quietly.

The summer vacation passed quickly. After Shi Yang received his university acceptance letter, his father arranged to hold a banquet for him. A lot of people came that night, and Shi Yang’s father took Shi Yang’s mother and him around to meet friends.

Zhao Meimei sat with her parents in the best seat in the front row, craning her neck, searching around for her Brother Yangyang.

Shi Yang had a genuine smile on his face, politely listening to his father introduce him and his mother to friends, while he cooperated and greeted them courteously.

Shi Yang occasionally turned his head to see what Zhao Meimei and her parents were doing. Whenever he turned his head, he always met Zhao Meimei’s smiling gaze.

A warm current surged in Shi Yang’s heart, and he secretly smiled and winked at Zhao Meimei across the crowd.

When the banquet ended, Shi Yang’s parents were busy seeing off guests. Shi Yang slipped out of the restaurant by himself and nestled on a sofa chair in the corner of the hall to calm his emotions.

Tonight was the first time Shi Yang’s father introduced Shi Yang and his mother to everyone. Shi Yang leaned back on the sofa chair, savoring the complex feeling of sourness and slight bitterness that came after his internal ecstasy.

Zhao Meimei sneaked out to find Shi Yang. She squeezed onto the sofa chair next to Shi Yang, and just as she was about to speak, Shi Yang turned around and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her shoulder.

Zhao Meimei was stunned for a moment but then slid her hand under Shi Yang’s arm to hug him back, trying to make her small body as comfortable for Shi Yang as possible.

Zhao Meimei didn’t ask anything, and Shi Yang didn’t say anything either, but Zhao Meimei clearly felt that her always invincible Brother Yangyang had become exceptionally fragile at this moment, as if a breeze could cause deep cracks.

Zhao Meimei pursed her lips, imitating her mother’s comforting motions, gently patting Shi Yang’s back to express her silent support.

Zhao Meimei actually didn’t know why her Brother Yangyang seemed so sad at that moment. In her view, going to university was something that would make parents and friends proud, something good, nothing to be sad about.

Shi Yang held Zhao Meimei quietly for a while, rubbed his face against her shoulder twice, and then raised his head.

Zhao Meimei was just about to ask why Shi Yang wasn’t happy when she saw Shi Yang’s eyes suddenly redden, and his thick eyelashes lightly tremble, showing genuine emotion and revealing subtle feelings.

Shi Yang reached up and rubbed his eyes with force, blinked upwards, and then looked down at Zhao Meimei again, with a slightly embarrassed smile: "Today was the first time my dad introduced me and my mom to his friends. I was just a bit too happy."

It was the first time in Shi Yang’s life that he honestly expressed his true feelings to outsiders, showing his vulnerable side. In his mind, he completely considered Zhao Meimei as one of his own, with no need to hide anything from her.

Shi Yang went to the provincial capital for university, and Zhao Meimei officially started fifth grade.

Fifth grade for Zhao Meimei wasn’t much different from the fourth grade. Other than changing classrooms and deskmates, she still spent her days being mischievous in class, consistently ranking in the top three on exams.

In the second week of Zhao Meimei’s fifth-grade year, her family got a landline phone, belonging to their home. The phone was installed by someone arranged by the factory. Anyone who wanted to install one just had to pay, and workers would come to set it up and connect the signal for use.

Since Zhao Meimei’s family got their phone installed, Zhao Meimei insisted on making a long-distance call to Shi Yang every day. She would call, Shi Yang would hang up, and then call her back.

Liu Xiue often nagged Zhao Meimei, "Don’t keep calling your Brother Yangyang for no reason. Long-distance calls are so expensive!"

Zhao Meimei lowered her eyelids and said nothing.

Her Brother Yangyang went to university, and they’d be apart for almost half a year without seeing each other. If she didn’t keep in touch with calls, Zhao Meimei feared Shi Yang would grow distant and wouldn’t want to play with her anymore.

Every time Zhao Meimei thought about the possibility of her Brother Yangyang, after four years of university, forgetting who she was, she felt uneasy. She absolutely couldn’t allow that to happen, not even the slightest hint of it.

During winter break, Shi Yang returned and went straight to report at Liu Xiue’s grocery store with his luggage.

Liu Xiue had gone home to cook, leaving Zhao Meimei and Xu Xu to mind the store.

At that time, Zhao Meimei and Xu Xu were roasting tangerines together. Xu Xu was helping to roast, while Zhao Meimei carefully peeled the roasted ones, wrapping them in newspapers.

When Shi Yang opened the grocery store door, Zhao Meimei and Xu Xu both turned their heads. Zhao Meimei’s eyes widened in surprise, and she shouted excitedly, "Brother Yangyang!"

Xu Xu was just turning to look at Shi Yang when something hot suddenly burnt his hand. He quickly lowered his head to find that Zhao Meimei, in her excitement, had thrown the peeled tangerine into his lap.

Zhao Meimei dashed into Shi Yang’s embrace, spreading her arms wide for a hug, and shouted excitedly, "Bro! Brother Yangyang!"

Shi Yang tossed aside the suitcase and reached out to hug Zhao Meimei. If the grocery store wasn’t so cramped, he would’ve loved to spin Zhao Meimei around a couple of times.

The two of them hadn’t seen each other for half a year, both feeling the eagerness and excitement of reuniting. Being in each other’s arms felt completely different from their playful embraces before, bringing a sense of finally finding their "tribe," kindling a joyous reunion.

Zhao Meimei buried herself in Shi Yang’s embrace, deeply inhaling the scent of cold and warm mingled, from the down jacket of him. Holding him tight for a moment, she raised her head to confirm it was indeed her Brother Yangyang, who hadn’t changed one bit, still the person who cherished and liked her.

Zhao Meimei happily tugged at Shi Yang’s clothes: "Brother Yangyang, lean down."

Shi Yang’s eyes glowed with a smile as he leaned in cooperatively.

Zhao Meimei wrapped her arms around his neck, planted a loud kiss, joyfully expressing her happiness.

Xu Xu pursed his lips and stood silently on the side, clutching the still hot roasted tangerine through the newspaper, watching Zhao Meimei clinging to Shi Yang. Suddenly, Xu Xu instinctively realized that vying for affection was his true path in life.