01

Have you ever tried to like someone that way

Regardless of whether he is hated or disliked, he is entangled with it

It seems that as long as you never give up, he will belong to you forever

Xia Chan did not know whether the swelling in her mother's eyes held any longing for her father, or if she would rather have that person alive to argue with her than to leave her alone. However, her mother said nothing; she only came to Xia Chan's room more often and would occasionally lean against the doorframe, staring blankly at her as she lay on the desk doing her homework.

Xia Chan stood in the shaded area under the Kerry Tower where she was to meet Gu Tong, constantly fanning herself with her hand to ward off the heat, while squinting slightly to observe her surroundings.

In the summer of 2009, after a week of sustained average temperatures reaching 38 °C in City S, it finally rained, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of soil after the rain

Thus, every time she faced the empty house and her mother's day-to-day silence, her eyes would ache painfully to the point where she could hardly breathe, prompting her to hurriedly wipe her eyes, lift her head, smile, and pretend as if nothing had happened

Chan Chan, I am sorry, I am sorry for making you wait for so long

The café is located at the corner at the end of the alley next to the Carey Building, where a circle of pink roses blooms on the white fence. The wooden house enclosed by the fence is covered with dense climbing ivy, its emerald leaves swaying in the wind under the mottled light and shadow. A few meters long wooden steps extend into the glass door, and directly above the entrance hangs an orange square sign that reads "Cinderella"

Sometimes she would constantly remind herself in her heart: Xia Chan, your father is just asleep, this is all a nightmare, do not cry, if you cry, it will become real

Gu Tong wrapped her arm around Xia Chan's shoulder as they walked forward, casually handing her a wet wipe while explaining, "I spent a long time looking for my favorite lipstick while doing my makeup, my mom's car is in for repairs, and the traffic was congested on the way here"

"Exactly, braised pork." Gu Tong covered her mouth and laughed

"Arrived? How is it so fast?" Xia Chan asked without a moment's hesitation, looking up.

Cinderella Café. On the phone, I told you that last time my mother attended a cocktail party, she took a liking to the HR manager of the company she was collaborating with and insisted that I meet him. Gu Tong displayed an expression of helpless amusement, patting Xia Chan on the shoulder, "I know it’s difficult for you to accompany me every time, but who told you to be so clever and help me out? You are simply my strategist. Just like that fat guy last time, you made him so angry with just a few words that he stormed off. What did you say again... that he looked like walking five-spice pork?"

Xia Chan looked at Gu Tong with a reproachful gaze and sighed, saying: "I am truly afraid that my harshness will lead to being beaten; I might perish before achieving any success."

Gu Tong walked in with her head held high, exuding an air of a queen

When Xia Chan and her mother arrived at the hospital, it was already too late; the cold, white cloth concealed the harsh reality that she was unwilling to uncover

Xia Chan took a deep breath, suppressing her anger as she lowered her voice and said: "Alright, my cousin is being taken by my aunt to a blind date this weekend again. Every time, I have to tag along as a third wheel to help her evaluate. How would I know anything about men? Can you accompany me? After all, you are a guy, your perspective should... Hey, hey, hey, don't walk away!"

The kind of daily quarrels came to an end when Xia Chan was eight years old. That year, on a certain afternoon, her father stormed out, slamming the door with a deafening bang, and he never returned.

"It's been ten times, change the question." Jiang Huainan replied without raising his head, counting the medical textbooks he had just purchased.

Xia Chan was lost in thought when Gu Tong quickly pulled her back just before she collided with a tree trunk, scolding her with frustration: "Have your eyes grown on your forehead? Walking so fast and you didn't see the tree?"

You are quite ruthless

"No, I won't," Xia Chan lightly exhaled, raising a smile that reassured Gu Tong, and she said no more.

"Let's talk after catching up." A faint voice drifted from not far away

Jianghuai South

Xia Chan quickly finished the last bite of her popsicle, accurately tossing the stick into the trash can three meters away, and hurriedly hopped on her bicycle to catch up: "Wait, let me finish what I have to say."

"Hurry up! Go in first," Gu Tong said, pretending to be angry as she put away the umbrella and playfully slapped Xia Chan's backside, pointing to the brick-red wooden house behind the large tree

Since that incident, every time Xia Chan's phone calls bombarded him, Jiang Huainan would avoid her, and Xia Chan similarly evaded her cousin Gu Tong's "matchmaking consultant" calls, until Gu Tong pressured her into meeting by threatening to sever their sisterly relationship. Reluctantly, Xia Chan braved the scorching sun to leave her home.

"Yes, Commander! Please come in." Xia Chan exaggeratedly saluted and flatteringly opened the door

It is indeed a suitable place for blind dates and outings

On both sides of Xiulu Road stand the lush and elegant French sycamores, with a few scattered pedestrians on the road shaded by the branches. This area is relatively far from the city center, hence there are not many people.

"It's nothing, I didn't wait long either," Xia Chan said as she took a tissue to wipe the sweat from her face, retreating under the umbrella to ask, "Sister Tong, where are we going now?"

In Jianghuai South, Xia Chan parked her bicycle at an intersection, looking around in all directions, unsure of which way the person had gone. After a long while, she could only vent her frustration by kicking the nearby trash can.

Although Xia Chan knew that the man would never wake up again, the rejection within her was far more real than the reality itself

Gu Tong's sweet voice pulled Xia Chan back from her thoughts. As Xia Chan turned around, she saw Gu Tong, who was holding a small parasol and radiating brilliance. She was wearing a red bodycon mini dress and high heels measuring 9 centimeters, her long legs exposed. Her wavy long hair cascaded down like seaweed, and her exquisitely made-up face was partially covered by a pair of sunglasses.

"It is walking braised pork." Xia Chan glanced at Gu Tong and corrected her with dissatisfaction

Xia Chan thinks that people are accustomed to using the sharpest weapons to attack the most vulnerable things, but often the ones who get hurt are those who love you; such a truth is only understood after experiencing loss

Gu Tong is 26 years old this year. She returned from studying in the UK three months ago and had planned to take over a bar on Qingstone Road in City S. However, Gu Tong's mother believes she is not being serious about her life and thinks that marrying her off would resolve her worries. As a result, she arranged a long list of blind dates for her. Initially, Gu Tong was very resistant, but her mother froze her credit card, leaving her without funds. With her plans to open a bar indefinitely postponed, Gu Tong reluctantly agreed to go on blind dates in exchange for financial freedom.

"What a mood, you little girl." Gu Tong reproached lightly, unconvinced, when the text message alert rang at the right moment. Gu Tong glanced at it and immediately her face clouded over, calling out to Xia Chan to instruct, "My mom sent a message. She said it's a man wearing beige casual long pants, a white short-sleeved shirt, and gold-rimmed glasses. Please keep an eye out for him when he comes in."

"How could that be! You know that those people I am being set up with are either rich or noble, most of them are my mother's friends, and I cannot offend them. But you are different; my mother cannot hold you accountable. You should not hold a grudge against me for minor matters, so please do not take it to heart!" Gu Tong lowered her voice, her tone filled with gentle warmth

"Truly charming." Xia Chan remarked with a mischievous smile.

Before Xia Chan could finish her words, Jiang Huainan quickly stuffed the book into his backpack, gripped the handlebars of his bicycle tightly, and dashed out.

"Jianghuai South, which school are you planning to apply to? You have never told me." Xia Chan asked the boy sitting in front of her on the bicycle, propping himself up with one foot, his words muffled as she bit into her popsicle.

When she became sensible, Gu Tong would secretly bring various nutritional supplements and beautiful clothes to her home without her aunt knowing. Her father and mother were busy arguing and engaging in cold wars, rarely paying attention to Xia Chan's growth. They were so preoccupied with hurting each other that they did not know that when she was young, Xia Chan once caught a cold and had a fever. In the middle of the night, she groggily got up to find medicine, and taking the wrong medicine led to her insensitivity to taste. At first, Xia Chan thought it was due to the cold, but later she realized that she needed very strong flavors to taste salty, sweet, and spicy. Worried about being scolded, she kept this secret from her parents and shared it with Gu Tong in secret. During that time, Gu Tong would make excuses to take her out to play, but in reality, they were going to the hospital for treatment. However, there was no significant improvement, and later it changed to bringing her supplements to nourish her body. During that period, Gu Tong showed her warmth and concern, and Xia Chan would forever remember that anxious and caring demeanor.

At this moment, Jianghuai Nan pressed the pedal, producing a whirring sound, like a nimble fish freely darting about, soon disappearing from Xia Chan's sight