“2019.07.13 Sunny”
Liking you was the greatest heroism of my girlhood.
—Excerpted from Tao Shuran’s Diary
After saying the last word, Tao Shuran’s heartbeat sounded so loud that even she could hear it.
Fang Qingyi hurriedly jumped in to defuse the situation, ramping up the playful game atmosphere to its peak.
“Five, four, three, two, one… Liang Yuanjing, you didn’t continue, you lose! Pick a drink and chug it!”
Liang Yuanjing seemed to snap out of his daze only then.
He withdrew his gaze from Tao Shuran, moving leisurely as he chose from the row of colorful mixed drinks in front of him.
Liang Yuanjing picked a cup of lemonade.
Fang Qingyi covered her face nearby, wearing an expression of total shipper bliss, and said, “You two lovebirds are so in sync! This one’s exactly the one our Ranran made.”
With the word-connecting game from just before, the unique atmosphere reached its zenith.
Liang Yuanjing paused in the middle of tilting his head back to drink. He pointed at the nearby red, yellow, blue, and green drink that hadn’t fully blended yet, raised a brow, and took a big gulp.
It was as if he were mocking it—out of the bunch, the rest looked like “magic potions”; who would dare drink those?
The moment it touched his lips, however, he was a bit surprised.
This was lemonade that wasn’t sour at all. Besides being refreshingly crisp, it carried an unusual hint of sweetness.
It was as if it had been specially made for him.
Liang Yuanjing once again fixed his gaze on Tao Shuran’s face.
Her eyes were slightly averted to one side, not looking at him. The smile on her face was serene and elegant, a quiet detachment amid the lively bustle.
Liang Yuanjing found his attention repeatedly drawn to her.
What alarmed him even more was that when she had strung together that full sentence “I like you” earlier, his heartbeat had faltered for a moment.
Meanwhile, Fang Qingyi let out a deep breath, giving herself full marks for her perfect performance just now.
“Ranran, did you know you almost slipped up back there?”
“Oh man, I didn’t expect that word chain to turn into a sentence like that at the end, and for it to be you saying it right to Liang Yuanjing.”
Tao Shuran: “It wasn’t a slip-up. I did it on purpose.”
“Huh?”
With patience, she repeated, “I wanted to tell him that the person I like is him—even if it was in the tone of a game, even if he’ll never know.”
Fang Qingyi: “Aren’t you afraid he’ll notice something’s up? Isn’t that what you fear most?”
“I’m afraid, but—” Tao Shuran paused, tilted her head to gaze at the starry sky, and said softly, “This was the closest I’ve ever gotten to the moon.”
It got a bit cold in the evening.
Tao Shuran sneezed and went back to the hotel with Fang Qingyi to grab a thin jacket.
Just as they were about to leave, Fang Qingyi suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain. Tao Shuran figured it was from all the mixed drinks she’d had in the evening.
She pursed her lips and said, “I’ll stay and keep you company.”
“No need. Some hot water and a lie-down will do the trick.”
Fang Qingyi insisted on pushing her out the door. “Didn’t you keep saying you wanted to see the stars? Go on already.”
The door clicked shut in front of her with a “patta.” Clutching the secret weapon Fang Qingyi had packed for her in a makeup bag, Tao Shuran smiled helplessly.
She turned and headed toward the camping field. Even her best friend was working hard for her love—what right did she have to hesitate?
Halfway there, she ran into Fu Changpei, who had just finished showering. He was wiping his hair with a towel while squatting on the ground teasing a white Samoyed.
The sky was dim, but the lights were bright, shining brilliantly on his warm-jade-like features, making him look exceptionally translucent.
Tao Shuran greeted him. “You going to see the stars too?”
“Yeah.”
Fu Changpei turned his head to look at her. He was holding a small canvas bag and said warmly, “There were too many different foods today. I’m worried you all might have stomach issues tonight, so I brought some medicine.”
That was Fu Changpei for you—his bag was like a portable mini first-aid kit, always finding a delicate way to care for someone amid the noise.
Tao Shuran smiled and half-jokingly said, “I’m fine, but I think Little Yi might need it more right now. Her stomach’s killing her tonight.”
She’d passed along the message; the choice was up to him.
A best friend’s wingwoman duties could only go this far.
A suddenly flying disc caught the Samoyed’s attention, and it dashed toward the grassy area. Tao Shuran turned gracefully too, spreading her arms as she ran toward the lawn alongside it.
In that moment, the peak of summer and the evening breeze rushed into her embrace. She suddenly felt the beauty of youth from the bottom of her heart.
It was great to like someone so openly and passionately.
At the campsite, Liang Yuanjing sat in a dark green folding chair, legs spread wide, holding the flying disc that had just attracted the dog.
He stretched out his hand, teasing without throwing, perfectly controlling the white Samoyed. Its round, black-plum-like eyes stared at him intently.
Finally unable to take it, the little dog wagged its tail and rubbed against his palm.
Liang Yuanjing tilted his head back with a smile and flung it hard into the air. The disc traced a beautiful arc through the sky, like the trail left by a plane.
Tao Shuran stood still in place, watching for a long time.
She felt this moment was truly beautiful. Even under the dim night sky, his youthful vigor still sparkled in her eyes.
Like a hero who would never fall from grace.
“I like you so much—”
In the unseen darkness, Tao Shuran opened her mouth and said those words without restraint.
Only in this moment could she stand at a distance, greedily gazing at this young man—watching him act freely and casually, aloof and distant, yet harboring a softness unknown to others.
Suddenly, Liang Yuanjing noticed her.
The hem of the boy’s black T-shirt billowed up in the wind like an inflated balloon, carrying all the sweet, ambiguous bubbles.
Liang Yuanjing shouted from afar, “Tao Shuran—”
Tao Shuran’s eyes lit up in an instant. Ignoring everything, she ran toward him against the wind.
She finally reached Liang Yuanjing’s side, and he reached out to grab the collar of her jacket, bending down to ask close up—
“What were you mumbling to yourself over there?”
Tao Shuran clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. “You heard that?”
She clearly hadn’t made a sound.
“Nope.” A hint of amusement flickered in Liang Yuanjing’s eyes. “But I saw it. Pretty dumb.”
He paused deliberately, watching her expression, then slowly met her eyes and said, “Also pretty cute.”
“Got any water?”
Tao Shuran fumbled her way to the table, looking for water to drink. She couldn’t help licking her lips; everything she did came off flustered.
“Wine’s fine too.”
There really wasn’t any water.
Liang Yuanjing slipped one hand into his pocket and walked to the mobile snack cart. His slender fingers picked up some ice cubes, and the lined muscles of his forearm flexed a few times in the air.
He mixed a special drink for Tao Shuran on the spot.
The stars were bright that night. Liang Yuanjing tilted his head up to look for a bit, then turned to remind her.
“Tao Shuran, drink slower. This wine has a strong kick.”
But the girl slammed the empty glass down in front of him with a “clang.” Her eyes fixed on him, no longer evasive.
In their place was a misty, straightforward gaze locked right on him.
Realizing she was a bit out of sorts, Tao Shuran shook her head and prepared to go lie down in the nearby tent.
She had just taken a step when she heard Liang Yuanjing remind her from behind—
“Watch your step; there are pebbles around your feet.”
It was precisely this reminder that made Tao Shuran’s left foot catch on her right. She let out a startled cry and pitched forward uncontrollably.
In the instant before her nose met the grass, Liang Yuanjing reached out and caught her around the waist.
This was a position Tao Shuran had never imagined.
The moment her nose bumped into his chest, the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, there was the softness of his palm.
Tao Shuran looked up at him in a daze, her limbs losing all control as she panicked in his arms.
In the end, she really did step on that stone by accident.
Liang Yuanjing happened to let go at that exact moment.
Tao Shuran twisted her ankle, lost her balance completely, and tumbled forward.
And just like that, she fell into Liang Yuanjing’s arms again.
And precisely kissed his lips.
Everything happened too suddenly and illogically.
Like a dramatic idol drama. However, the ambiguous atmosphere didn’t unfold between Tao Shuran and Liang Yuanjing as it would on TV.
They fell silent, seeing each other’s flustered faces in their mutual gaze.
Then, wordlessly, they looked away.
Dodging was the innate instinct that awakened at the start of every budding romance.
Even in that single instant of contact, Tao Shuran still sensed a softness unlike any other.
Her heart raced in panic, but her mind was clear as she thought—
His eyes were like the moon.
In the end, Tao Shuran retreated first. She felt like there was a fuse buried in the grass, primed with volcanic magma.
One kiss ignited it all. Deeply moved yet deeply embarrassed, she fled in a panic.
As for Liang Yuanjing, he was stunned at first too.
Later, he probably really thought she’d gotten drunk and started waving a hand in front of her drifting gaze.
He licked his lips and teased with a smile.
“Little girl can’t handle teasing, huh? Drunk and putting on a drunken fool show.”
…
“So, you two kissed?”
On the hotel terrace, Fang Qingyi wrapped in a large bath towel jumped up and screamed wildly.
Tao Shuran’s cheeks flushed red. She quickly stood and tugged at her sleeve, pleading pitifully, “Keep it down! They live next door.”
“Nice, what a bombshell.” Fang Qingyi hurriedly asked, “So, what was our Liang Yuanjing’s reaction?”
Tao Shuran tried hard to recall Liang Yuanjing’s expression from that moment.
On his usually emotionless face, there seemed to be a rare flicker of something like surprise—not anger or fury, but an expression beyond her understanding.
Maybe it was her imagination?
“He didn’t react much.”
Tao Shuran bit her lip and slowly reenacted the scene.
“After snapping out of it, I pushed him away right away. He did this—rubbed his lip with his finger, straightened my shoulders, and warned me not to go around getting drunk and acting like a hooligan with others next time.”
Tao Shuran was on the verge of tears. “Little Yi, is my image in his mind totally ruined now?”
Fang Qingyi collapsed into the rocking chair, laughing so hard she shook all over.
“With the fanfic I’ve been reading, I’ve already got images of you two in my head—what do I do?”
“So romantic. You should’ve let your photographer here snap a pic on the spot.”
“Fang Qingyi, you take that back!”
Tao Shuran wished she could burrow into a hole. In her rare loss of composure, a rosy glow lit up her face.
Very annoyed, she said, “I don’t even know how to face him tomorrow.”
“Simple. Just act like you really got wasted and blacked out after waking up.”
Fang Qingyi said seriously, “Life’s a drama—all about the performance. If my stomach hadn’t acted up today, I’d have staged a drunk kiss scene myself.”
Tao Shuran casually asked, “Oh? Did Fu Changpei come deliver medicine to you tonight?”
“How’d you know?”
Fang Qingyi ducked her head slightly, burying it in her collar—a rare shy moment. She said softly, “I feel like I can keep liking him for a good while longer.”
“But seriously, I know a bit about Liang Yuanjing.”
Fang Qingyi snapped her fingers, vouching for her.
“If he doesn’t hate it, that means he likes it a little. I think you’ve got a shot.”
Was that true?
Tao Shuran didn’t know the answer.
On this sleepless night, for the first time, it wasn’t longing that kept her awake. Her leaping heart, like the relentless cicada cries of midsummer, engulfed her entirely.
Lying in bed, Tao Shuran finally checked out the CP fanfic Fang Qingyi had been nagging about these past few days.
It was a story posted on the Qing University Forum—not quite fiction, according to the creator. It was a real story from her own life.
The protagonists were anonymized as Little A and Little B, but the more Tao Shuran read, the more familiar it felt.
Finally, as the clock struck midnight, she couldn’t help messaging Luo Qiuya.
“Banyue Xing”: Link… Qiuya, is this something you wrote in the dorm?
“Qiuqiu Ya”: Took you long enough to notice. So, did I write it sweet enough for you?
“Banyue Xing”… Liang Yuanjing and I never did anything like that, holding hands together every day after class as we walked down the tree-lined paths of the campus, feeding each other our favorite foods in the cafeteria… We never did any of those things.
“Banyue Xing”: And things like kissing at the end of the hallway after class, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes…
Tao Shuran didn’t even have the courage to read the rest of the text a second time. She typed faster and faster, complaining to Luo Qiuya about this completely fabricated novel just like Qiuqiu Ya.
“Qiuqiu Ya”: Art always involves some embellishment. Sweet romance is all the rage, got it? Just tell me if what I wrote is sweet or not. I dare say eighty percent of Qing University is following my updates right now.
“Qiuqiu Ya”: I, the great Luo Qiuya, am about to take the world by storm and become the greatest author.
“Banyue Xing”: …Don’t write anything too excessive.
Just as Tao Shuran wanted to send a couple more “warnings” to her roommate who was lost in her creative frenzy, the door to the room was suddenly knocked on violently.
Fang Qingyi ran over from the connecting balcony between the two rooms and pressed her entire face against the glass, her bright eyes looking at her.
“Ranran, Liang Yuanjing and the others just called me. There’s a meteor shower!”
“You didn’t sleep too well. Let’s hurry and make a wish.”
A young girl’s thoughts were always innocent and unique, and Liang Yuanjing and the others clearly understood this kind of thinking well.
“My friend who studies meteorology told me there’s a meteor shower over Fuqing City tonight.”
Zhao Zhengnian snorted. “He even told me to hurry up and wish to become a billionaire. Seriously, who still believes in making wishes on shooting stars these days?”
A girl’s face suddenly appeared in Liang Yuanjing’s mind.
Her soft eyes flickered slightly, and the way she looked at him was always captivating. She also harbored an unusually devout attachment to a certain relationship in her heart.
At that thought, his thumb rubbed against the glass in his hand. He lifted his chin slightly and instructed Zhao Zhengnian, “Give those two a call and let them know.”
Zhao Zhengnian clicked his tongue and teased, “The official boyfriend is right here. How could it be my turn to call?”
Liang Yuanjing kicked at him and laughed as he cursed, “Even you’re joining in on the fun.”
Zhao Zhengnian grinned and said, “How could this be joining in? I think you two are pretty real.”
Real?
Liang Yuanjing tilted his head and thought of that kiss from earlier in the evening.
When she accidentally kissed him, he had actually felt something at the time too.
His heart raced wildly, as if it was about to leap out of his throat. Back then, he could hardly stand it and swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.
But when he looked down, he only saw her fleeing back.
Just then, Zhao Zhengnian leaned over with a cheeky grin and asked him, “A Jing, be honest with your bro. Did you feel anything?”
“Are you actually starting to like her for real?”
Liang Yuanjing’s fingers lifted slightly as he threw his head back and took a sip of alcohol.
He was really getting annoyed by the nagging. Unable to hold back any longer, he turned his head indifferently and said casually, “I don’t know.”
He really didn’t know.
At least in Liang Yuanjing’s plans, romance had never been part of his predetermined life preparations.
But he seemed to have forgotten that liking someone never followed the constraints of fate.
In the night sky, clusters of shooting stars streaked by, together forming the most brilliant fireworks of the late night.
Liang Yuanjing raised his head, lifted his eyelids, his expression on his face somewhat indifferent. He wondered idly that at this very moment, Tao Shuran was probably clasping her hands together, eyes closed in pious wish-making.
Wishing that the person she liked would like her back.
…
In the instant the shooting stars streaked by, led by Fang Qingyi’s enthusiasm, Tao Shuran couldn’t hold back after all. She sat cross-legged by the window with her, closed her eyes, and made a wish.
She didn’t actually believe in these things, but after falling for someone, she seemed willing to believe in anything even remotely related.
Facing the night sky, Fang Qingyi whispered, “I wish the person I like will definitely like me back this year.”
Tao Shuran had already made this wish many times.
Her gaze softened as she looked toward the neighboring room. Even though she couldn’t see anything, her heart still couldn’t help drifting in that direction.
So this year, her wish was—
“I hope it snows this year. I hope everyone can ring in the New Year together again.”
Tao Shuran still missed that winter when she was eighteen.
Back then, she had pressed against the glass window writing characters, while Liang Yuanjing wore a coat, arms folded, watching her intently.
He had been so gentle.
And she had liked him so much.