August 29, Dubian Che had been wandering through the streets of Tokyo with Little Lian.

The long-absent restlessness and heat of Tokyo clung tightly to them, persisting even after they entered a building, resolutely lingering outside.

It was still the height of summer in Tokyo.

The morning of the 30th, Little Lian took the Shinkansen back to Iwate Prefecture.

When Dubian Che returned from the station, Xiaoquan Aonai, who had gone to school in the morning, was already back.

"Has Little Lian gone back?" Xiaoquan Aonai was still in her teacher's uniform.

"Aonai, could you hang this up for me?" Akiko took off her women's suit jacket, pleading like a child.

When Xiaoquan Aonai took her jacket, Akiko shuffled toward the couch like a zombie.

"Go change in the bedroom first, don't wrinkle your shirt," Xiaoquan Aonai reminded.

"I'll rest a bit first, I'm dying from the heat," Akiko said weakly, collapsing onto the couch, her knee-length skirt sliding up slightly to reveal her pale thighs.

Dubian Che moved to sit on the armchair next to Akiko's head.

Miyazaki Mieko sat beside Akiko's legs, staring blankly at the ceiling, unintentionally pulling at her blouse's neckline to let air in.

Xiaoquan Aonai returned to the bedroom, took off her teacher's uniform, and changed into a white short-sleeved shirt with a small dog printed on it and a knee-length skirt.

"Want some ice cream?" she asked while tying her hair, addressing the three in the living room.

"Sure!" Akiko extended her right hand, flapping it twice like a bird's wings, then left it dangling weakly by the sofa.

"I'll get it," Dubian Che stood up and said to Xiaoquan Aonai, "You rest too."

"It's okay, you worked hard too."

Xiaoquan Aonai walked into the kitchen, Dubian Che followed.

"What do you want to eat?" Xiaoquan Aonai opened the refrigerator, bent down to pull open the freezing compartment drawer, "Akiko bought a bunch a few days ago, all kinds of flavors."

"Miss, step aside, I'll choose myself."

"Sure, pick whatever you want." Xiaoquan Aonai straightened, only to find the space had suddenly become cramped, "...Dubian?"

Dubian Che stood in her way, blocking her exit.

"Miss." Dubian Che called out in a low voice.

"You, weren't you picking ice cream?" Xiaoquan Aonai cautiously looked back, not daring to turn around.

"Yes, I've already chosen."

"Then let me out...mm!"

Dubian Che pressed his face closer, his lips meeting Xiaoquan Aonai's.

Soft, tightly closed lips.

After kissing for a while, Xiaoquan Aonai pushed Dubian Che away: "They..."

In that instant, Dubian Che kissed her again,

"Mm?! Mm!" Xiaoquan Aonai tried to escape, her back pressing against the refrigerator door, Dubian Che clinging to her lips.

She shyly tried to turn her face away, but Dubian Che firmly wrapped his arms around her waist, draining her strength.

They tangled together.

When Xiaoquan Aonai wore the teacher's uniform, she looked quite slim, with a well-formed body that felt surprisingly substantial to touch,

and from her ears down to her neck, the curve was also very graceful.

Not to mention her skin, which was soft and pale.

As for her lips, they seemed like endless ice cream you could never finish.

"Ha, ha." After letting go, Xiaoquan Aonai's face was flushed, breathing unconsciously.

After catching her breath, she hurriedly said, "That's enough!"

Xiaoquan Aonai was sweet, shy, and a bit frightened.

Dubian Che watched her anxiously peeking toward the kitchen entrance repeatedly, her worried look utterly adorable.

"I don't want to let you go." With that, he moved to kiss her again.

"Dubian!" Xiaoquan Aonai lowered her voice, her heart pounding anxiously, "If we don't go back, they'll find out!"

"Let them find out."

"Dubian~~" Xiaoquan Aonai almost pleaded.

"Alright, alright. But I have one condition." Dubian Che looked at her with a smile, carefully examining her pretty oval face, "Miss, Aonai, you've always been the one being kissed by me, now you kiss me."

"Next time, okay? It really isn't a good time now!"

"Just a peck." Dubian Che's lips touched Xiaoquan Aonai's, "Just like that, come on."

Xiaoquan Aonai's eyes were watery, glancing between the kitchen entrance and the smug Dubian Che.

"Ay, really!" She swiftly pecked the young man's lips, "Alright, let me through!"

Dubian Che released her, leaning against the counter, watching Xiaoquan Aonai hurriedly bending down to grab the ice cream.

"Miss, it's not your imagination, your mouth really is a bit sweet." He said.

Even with the cold air from the freezer hitting her face, Xiaoquan Aonai's cheeks reddened even more — on the ride back from school, Akiko had peeled her a candy.

The flavor was still in her mouth, now tasted by Dubian Che.

How embarrassing!

"What, what would you like to eat?" Due to her shyness, she attempted to speak in a strictly businesslike tone, as a teacher to a student.

But her stuttering, feigned toughness was transparent, revealing her inner turmoil and embarrassment.

"Anything is fine." Dubian Che casually shoved his hands into his pockets, "Back when I was a kid in the village, all I ever ate during summer were those cheapest ice pops."

"The kind with the prize written on the stick?" Xiaoquan Aonai asked.

"To think we shared a childhood era, Miss."

"Got a problem with that?!" Xiaoquan Aonai finally shook off her shy mood, stood up holding four ice cream cones, handing one vanilla-flavored to Dubian Che.

"Miss, I don't want this one, switch it for the chocolate vanilla flavor."

"Just said you'd eat anything." Xiaoquan Aonai glared at him momentarily, then smiled and exchanged it for him.

It was a soft serve ice cream, lickable, unlike the ones Dubian Che used to have in the village during his childhood.