"The food here isn't too bad, is it?"
Yao Mingyue picked up a piece of grilled meat, put it in her mouth, and chewed while gazing beyond the intersection, where students were rushing to the cafeteria. Her tone was somewhat wistful.
"Three years of high school... I never thought of coming here. You and Nuannuan, after knowing each other for only a few months, were secretly eating here every day..."
Xu Musen was used to her unfiltered words. He smiled slightly: "Maybe back then, you were too busy being jealous and vain. I was, too. I didn't even dare to invite you here for a meal."
Xu Musen had altered the lyrics to "Little Happiness," and Yao Mingyue gave him a fleeting look but eventually sighed.
"Yes, it always felt like everything would stay the same as before, that no matter the conflict, we would always make up. You would always coax me, and we always assumed there would be endless chances in the future, but so many, many things, we actually never got the chance to do together.
Sometimes I think, we were quite the failure as childhood friends..."
There was still a hint of melancholy in Yao Mingyue's voice.
Clearly, childhood friends should have the most memories, but between them, there seemed to be only the most mundane of routines. Everything was so habitual.
Even after getting married, it was the same.
Yet, in just two or three years with An Nuannuan, it seemed their life was more exciting than their last twenty or thirty years together.
They traveled across the country for their honeymoon.
They built their little home together.
Even during the dull high school years, they could share lunch here... Follow current novels on n0velfire.net
It was such a small thing, but this pair of childhood friends never experienced it.
The grilled meat in Yao Mingyue's mouth seemed a bit sour...
A hand gently stroked her bowed head.
"But heaven did give us another chance, didn't it?"
Xu Musen's voice was gentle: "Besides, we still have countless opportunities in the future, and we will never leave each other. That much, I can promise."
Yao Mingyue smiled. Every time she saw Xu Musen soothing her so tenderly, she found herself always without resistance.
"Maybe. There might still be opportunities in the future. But when I think about it, we really missed so much in the past."
She moved a little closer to Xu Musen, her almond-shaped eyes shining, deeply gazing at Xu Musen's cheek: "For instance, during the three years of high school, you confessed to me so many times, but never got a response."
This regret... it seems really unfulfilled.
Xu Musen also felt a moment of trance, but looking at Yao Mingyue's face right in front of him, he smiled, picked up a piece of grilled meat, and fed it to her: "It's a bit of a pity, but good things are worth waiting for. In fact, confessing is just a way to be together better. In that sense, I should have succeeded long ago."
Yao Mingyue chewed the grilled meat he fed her, the flavor of the grease bringing comfort.
Confessing, just to be together better.
Yao Mingyue looked at him, wondering from what age she started liking him.
Was it that stormy night after elementary school graduation?
No... or maybe, from when they first started speaking, from the moment she first called out his name, she had already started liking him.
Yao Mingyue smiled foolishly: "And what about you? When did you start liking me?"
"Not later than you, that's for sure, since I liked pretty little girls from a young age."
Xu Musen laughed heartily.
"Does that make you a cradle snatcher?" Yao Mingyue asked out of the blue.
Xu Musen almost choked on a mouthful of rice. What kind of logic was that? He coughed: "I was a child myself back then, okay!"
Yao Mingyue giggled, her strange line of thinking and silly smile now bore more resemblance to An Nuannuan.
Xu Musen looked at her, a smile involuntarily tugging at his lips. He lifted his head, looking at the blue sky above the high school campus, where the campus loudspeakers were playing a melodious tune. Everything was so beautiful.
When talking about regrets, of course there were some. If during those three years of high school, they could have interacted earlier, what a wonderful three years it would have been.
He didn't notice that at this moment, Yao Mingyue's almond-shaped eyes were filled with countless emotions. She touched her handbag and suddenly stood up.
"The grilled meat rice is a bit greasy. I'm going to buy a bottle of water. Wait for me here."
Yao Mingyue smiled, turned, and left.
She didn't head for the convenience store but instead turned towards the music classroom.
At this moment, the music teacher in the classroom was still playing the piano.
The piano was connected to the school's loudspeakers.
Every noon, the music teacher would play songs as background music for students to relax while having lunch.
"Oh, what brings you here?"
The music teacher was surprised yet pleasantly so by Yao Mingyue's arrival. For such a promising student, she had the feeling akin to a sect elder discovering a talented disciple.
Yao Mingyue approached her, looking at the piano connected to the loudspeakers. She bowed to the music teacher.
"What are you doing, student..." The teacher was surprised.
"Teacher, may I play a piece on this piano?"
Yao Mingyue bowed, sincerely requesting.
The music teacher was momentarily stunned but then nodded immediately: "Of course, you may. Go ahead."
With that, she stood up and willingly gave up the seat.
"Thank you, teacher."
Yao Mingyue sat down, gently touching the keys with her hands. She closed her eyes lightly, then opened them and softly coughed into the microphone on the piano...