When the two of them left the school, it was the evening rush hour. The street in front of Tianji High School was bustling with traffic. Across the street was a row of shops and tutoring centers, their signs colorful and flashy. Among them was a dessert shop called "Yinan's Time".

Zhuang Fanxin said: “From now on, we'll go to Yinan's for drinks. Got it?”

Gu Zhuoyan asked: “Is it better than the other places?”

Zhuang Fanxin laughed out loud: “Because it's my deskmate's family's shop.” He pushed Gu Zhuoyan's shoulder and slipped through a gap in the bumper-to-bumper traffic. “Come on, I'll treat you to some cake.”

He had mentioned it in a reply on his Moments yesterday, so Gu Zhuoyan explained: “I was just messing around yesterday. I don't actually like dessert.”

Zhuang Fanxin said enthusiastically: “Their cake is super delicious. You'll love it after one bite.” Besides, he hadn't been here all summer break and wanted some for himself.

Gu Zhuoyan didn't refuse again and obediently followed Zhuang Fanxin inside. The shop wasn't large, but it was meticulously decorated, and every nook and cranny was spotlessly clean.

The owner was a middle-aged woman, Qi Nan's mother, at that moment sitting behind the mini bar doing the accounts. She looked up, as if spotting a rare guest: “Fanxin, you're here? Haven't seen you all summer break.”

Zhuang Fanxin leaned over the bar: “Auntie, did you miss me?”

“Of course I did, but you never came.” The owner tossed him a lollipop. Seeing him in his school uniform, her expression suddenly changed. “School's started? Why is Qi Nan still out fooling around?”

Zhuang Fanxin said: “Don't panic, don't panic. I was just accompanying a friend to school for an exam.”

Hearing this, the owner looked over and saw Gu Zhuoyan sitting at the long table by the window. She sighed in admiration: “So tall. How do other people's kids grow so big.” As she spoke, she handed over a menu. “See what you want to eat. This one's on Auntie.”

“Thanks, Auntie!” Zhuang Fanxin ordered with the lollipop in his mouth. “Auntie, is Qi Nan home?”

Behind the shop was a residential building. Qi Nan's family lived on the fourth floor; if he was home, one shout was enough to get him to come down and play. The owner said: “No, he went to play basketball with some people this afternoon.”

Zhuang Fanxin let out a reluctant “Oh”. 'How come that guy knows to call me when he's doing homework, but not when he's playing basketball?' He pouted and ended up ordering two slices of cake and two drinks.

The wait for the food wasn't short. Zhuang Fanxin said: “Auntie, give me something to do.”

The owner handed him a small blackboard and a few menu cards, and said: “School's starting soon. Design a new sign for Auntie.”

Zhuang Fanxin loved doing this kind of thing. He sat at the table and began to draw earnestly. Gu Zhuoyan watched for a moment, then was suddenly drawn to the photos on the wall. Many Polaroids were taped to the wall, almost all of them of boys and girls in school uniforms.

The one in the center was a photo of Zhuang Fanxin and Qi Nan together. In the photo, Zhuang Fanxin was holding a large cup of milk tea, with straight hair and dark, glistening eyes. He looked a little different from how he did now.

Gu Zhuoyan had originally thought the curly hair looked good, but now he was a bit indecisive. Of course, it wasn't his hair, so it was useless for him to worry about it. On another wall hung a few wildly imaginative comic panels, but each panel was related to the shop's signature items.

“You drew these?” he asked.

Zhuang Fanxin nodded. Back then, it had taken him two weeks in total, from conception to drawing to making it into a mural, as a birthday gift for Qi Nan. Gu Zhuoyan's mind drifted for a second; he remembered how, even though they didn't know each other well, Zhuang Fanxin had offered to help decorate his room and had also given him a painting.

He said: “Are you that nice to everyone?”

Zhuang Fanxin smiled: “That's because you haven't seen how much free cake I've eaten.”

Speak of the devil, the two slices of cake were ready and brought over, just as Zhuang Fanxin finished drawing on the small blackboard. “Try it.” He pushed a slice towards Gu Zhuoyan. “I ordered Yinan's signature for you. If you don't like it, you have to leave Rong City.”

Gu Zhuoyan said: “Then who would dare say it's not good? You'd be kicking me right out.” He forked a corner and ate it. The cake was very soft and cool; one layer was ice cream.

He had eaten desserts at many restaurants, both in China and abroad, from high-end to ordinary. This cake was quite good, but not to the extent that it surprised him. However, he acted as if he liked it a lot and asked: “Is it just called Signature Cake?”

Zhuang Fanxin said: “First, it has very little cream, so it's not too rich. Second, under the cream is a layer of milk jelly, and under the milk jelly is a layer of ice cream, so it's cool and refreshing. Then, there are red beans in the cake. Red beans represent longing, and the dark chocolate shavings sprinkled on top represent bitterness.”

Gu Zhuoyan felt dizzy: “What a meaningful cake.”

“Fresh, cool, bitter, sweet, and longing.” Zhuang Fanxin said, “This cake is called Summer's First Love.”

Gu Zhuoyan suddenly found it a bit hard to take another bite. He had never experienced a summer's first love, but he had experienced a "summer's coming out" a little over a month ago. He glanced at Zhuang Fanxin's slice, which was green, and asked: “What's yours called? The Mongolian Steppe?”

Zhuang Fanxin nearly choked. His slice had kumquat, mint, matcha, and grass jelly. It was icy cool in his mouth, good for sobering up and reducing internal heat. He said: “This is called Waking Hour.”

'The owner is a genius at naming things,' Gu Zhuoyan was chuckling to himself when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He took it out and looked, and the smile on his face quickly vanished.

Zhuang Fanxin inadvertently glanced at the screen; the caller ID said "Mom". He quietly ate his cake to let the other person take the call in peace, but to his surprise, Gu Zhuoyan didn't answer. The phone vibrated until it automatically disconnected, and a second call came through soon after.

He asked doubtfully: "Aren't you going to answer?"

Gu Zhuoyan didn't answer. Only when the third call came did he reluctantly press the answer button and slowly place the phone against his ear. His mother, Xue Manzi's voice came from inside: “Zhuoyan, are you done with your exam?”

He replied: “I'm done.”

“Was it tiring, taking exams all day?” Xue Manzi said, “I called your grandpa and asked Sister Hu to stew some soup. You have a bowl tonight and get some rest early.”

Gu Zhuoyan replied: “Got it.”

There was a short silence on the phone, as if there was nothing left to say. After a moment, Xue Manzi said: “I heard from your dad that you want to be in Science Class 3?”

Gu Zhuoyan remained silent. Xue Manzi continued: “I contacted the principal there. He said Class 1 has the best grades. Why—”

“My old school was better,” Gu Zhuoyan interrupted.

Before Xue Manzi could speak again, he said directly: “My phone's out of battery.”

He didn't call her 'Mom', didn't initiate any conversation, and every reply was frosty. After speaking, he hung up and turned off his phone, all in one smooth motion, then stabbed at his "Summer's First Love" until it was a mess. Zhuang Fanxin, at the side, was incredibly curious. Why was Gu Zhuoyan's attitude towards his mother so cold? Could she be his stepmother?

'He mentioned his old school, looks like Gu Zhuoyan doesn't want to transfer?'

The atmosphere was completely unsuitable for conversation, but Zhuang Fanxin couldn't hold it in: “What's wrong with you?”

Gu Zhuoyan ignored him. Zhuang Fanxin asked again: “Was that your mom just now?”

“Are you fighting with your family? Is it related to your school?” Zhuang Fanxin's brakes had failed. “Is it serious? Why did you transfer schools?”

He moved a little closer: “Are you okay?”

Gu Zhuoyan couldn't take it anymore: “Aren't you annoying?”

He didn't raise his voice, nor did he have an angry expression. Just his cold and calm tone was enough to scare Zhuang Fanxin into shutting his mouth. His face flushed red, perhaps from the shame of being rebuked, and he turned back to stare at the scenery outside the window, pretending nothing had happened.

The two of them didn't exchange another word. Gu Zhuoyan destroyed that slice of “Summer's First Love,” and as the ice cream gradually melted, he put down two hundred yuan, picked up his bag, and left.

They had taken the subway together on the way there, but Gu Zhuoyan didn't have the patience for that now and hailed a taxi. The taxi pulled over. He pulled open the door and looked back to see Zhuang Fanxin standing two meters away. Maybe he was annoyed with him, or maybe he was scared of him in this state. In any case, Zhuang Fanxin just stood there, looking quite wronged.

Before Gu Zhuoyan could speak, the driver rolled down the window and urged, “Hey kid, it's hard to park here. How about you get in the car first?”

Only then did Zhuang Fanxin move and get into the car, sitting on the opposite side from Gu Zhuoyan. Both turned their heads to stare out the window. They were silent the whole way. After getting out at the small intersection, Zhuang Fanxin ran a few steps ahead and walked on, keeping a distance from Gu Zhuoyan.

Gu Zhuoyan watched Zhuang Fanxin's back. He was so thin, and when he was unhappy, he looked a little stubborn. He recalled the other's barrage of questions. 'His eyes are so big, how can he be so unobservant?'

He passed by the Zhuang Family's gate. Zhuang Fanxin had already gone inside; even the echo from the closing gates had dissipated.

For the next two days, Gu Zhuoyan didn't see him at all. When he walked his dog, he would pace back and forth in front of the other's house, but he never even caught a glimpse of him. The degree of this "coincidence" defied the laws of probability. He later found out that Zhuang Fanxin was leaving early and coming back late, spending all day holed up in the art studio.

Gu Zhuoyan wondered, 'Is he avoiding me?'

'And here I was trying to hit on him, and I've already crashed and burned so quickly.'

Who could he blame? He could only blame Xue Manzi for her terrible timing with phone calls.

Zhuang Fanxin was indeed avoiding him. He didn't know if Gu Zhuoyan was still angry; after all, the other hadn't sent a single message, and meeting would probably be awkward. As it happened, a new batch of students arrived at the art studio, and the teacher asked him to be a temporary teaching assistant for a few days.

This afternoon, while it was still broad daylight, Zhuang Fanxin headed home early because the air conditioner at the art studio broke down. Before he reached his gate, he saw the German Shepherd tied to it. Looking closer, he saw that sure enough, there was beef jerky on the ground.

This was a repeat of the old trick, but Zhuang Fanxin didn't want to take the bait this time. He trotted over, collected the jerky, untied the leash, and coaxed the German Shepherd through his own gate.

Gu Zhuoyan waited and waited in his yard until dusk. He couldn't help but glance over. Great. His loyal hound was no longer outside the gate. He went over to the Zhuang Family's gate himself, only to find a lone leash dangling there.

The gate was unlocked. He pushed it open and walked to the front of the house.

Gu Zhuoyan called out: “Zhuang Fanxin?”

Zhuang Fanxin was watching TV in the living room and jumped at the sound. He opened a bag of dog biscuits to keep the German Shepherd occupied. He got up and went out, standing on the steps while Gu Zhuoyan stood at the bottom.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

Gu Zhuoyan answered: “Looking for my dog.”

Zhuang Fanxin said: “The dog's not at my house.”

Gu Zhuoyan said: “Then I'm looking for you.”

Zhuang Fanxin didn't say anything for a moment, looking at the sky, at the sunset clouds, pretending to be completely oblivious. Gu Zhuoyan walked over and stepped up onto the first step, so that they were separated by the height and distance of one step, and met his eyes.

He averted his gaze: “What do you want with me?”

Gu Zhuoyan took out a card: “I have something to show you.”

Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but look and almost immediately recognized it as a Tianji High School ID card. The documents had been submitted and the exam was over, so by his calculations, it was about time they were issued. He went down a step and snatched it to have a look. Name, student ID, second year…

“Science Class 3!”

For a moment, Zhuang Fanxin couldn't contain himself, a delighted smile spreading across his face. As he smiled, he remembered their current situation and quickly bit his lip to hold it back.

At that moment, Gu Zhuoyan said softly: “Sorry about the other day.”

Zhuang Fanxin released his lower lip. The unhappiness of the past few days receded like the evening tide. “I was the one who was too clueless.”

'He's not that hard to coax after all,' Gu Zhuoyan thought. He took the school ID with his left hand and extended his right, saying ceremoniously: “Well then, Classmate Zhuang Fanxin, I'll be in your care from now on.”

Zhuang Fanxin reached out and shook his hand. Gu Zhuoyan held the hand and gave it a little heft. Their touching palms were hot, damp, and slippery. He asked in amusement: “Why are you sweating so much?”

“I had a feeling you were going to talk to me,” Zhuang Fanxin answered, “...so I was a little nervous.”