"Have you finished your tutoring?" Ms. Ding spoke first, laughing.
"Ah, not yet." Shi Hai turned his gaze to Tang Zuo, this time acting particularly studious and obedient. "Shall we go back and continue?"
Tang Zuo raised his eyes, glanced at Shi Ci quickly, and followed Shi Hai back to the side hall.
"Are you afraid of dogs? But my Pudding is very well behaved, so don't be afraid of him." Shi Hai smiled at her.
"Yeah." Tang Zuo calmed himself down and continued explaining the question to him.
The sound from the living room went from vague to clear.
"Ms. Ding, is there anything to eat? I'm hungry." Shi Ci's voice.
“There is green bean paste in the kitchen…”
While Tang Zuo was explaining the topic to Shi Hai, part of his thoughts began to wander.
The unique scent of grass and trees in midsummer drifted in from outside the door, and the sound of light footsteps approached like the wind.
Tang Zuo knew it was Shi Ci without even raising his eyes.
The air was filled with her scent. Tang Zuo had no habit of using perfume, so he didn't know what brand or style she used.
It just feels right for summer.
The soft and green trees seem to be in a forest, still stained with a little moisture after the rain, the sunlight is swaying, and the floral fragrance is not sweet or strong, but very deep and elegant.
Tang Zhuo was completely distracted. She was surprised by her own associations. She was not a person who could not concentrate so easily.
The scent slowly approached and placed a glass bowl on their table. It was filled with plump, rosy little tomatoes with a sweet taste of fresh fruit.
Shi Ci withdrew her slender white fingers from the edge of the glass bowl, and her casual tone sprinkled down from above, "Shi Hai, you did such a bad job?"
Shi Hai felt angry. Tang Zuo didn't even say he was bad. He muttered angrily, "I just started tutoring!"
"Oh..." Shi Ci said lightly.
"Oh what? Why do you embarrass me as soon as you come back? Why did you come back suddenly?" Shi Hai said in a bad tone.
"Hmph." Shi Ci just uttered a sound again.
Tang Zuo did not look up, nor did she join in the conversation between the siblings. Her eyes were always on the glass bowl in front of her.
There is only the fruit called cherry tomato.
She looked up thoughtfully and met Shi Ci's gaze.
Tang Zhuo couldn't tell what she felt. She wanted to avoid him, but her sight seemed to be glued and Shi Ci didn't look away.
Shi Ci laughed silently, then pushed the bowl full of cherry tomatoes in front of her.
As Tang Zuo walked out of the Shi family's front door, a breeze carrying a little hot air blew past her skirt.
She declined Ms. Ding's invitation to stay for dinner, and also rejected Shi Hai's offer to take her back to school. At that time, Shi Ci happened to be on the phone, probably about work.
She took two steps and stopped subconsciously.
The small tomatoes just now are quite sweet...
The pair of reddish brown soft leather Mary Jane shoes I bought on Taobao are really comfortable to wear…
What to eat in the evening...
Tang Zhao suddenly realized what she was waiting for, and she felt a little embarrassed. She raised her head and walked forward towards the sunlight.
"Xiao Tang."
Shi Ci's voice sounded behind her in time, causing her to stop again.
Tang Zuo waited until she called him the second time before turning back.
Shi Ci wore a two-piece dress, with a long tank top underneath and a vintage hollow embroidered design on the outside, apricot white, just reaching her knees, and her long hair was tied into a fluffy low ponytail. She looked relaxed and lazy.
"Can you go back alone? Do you need me to take you back?"
Tang Zhao shook his head, "No need." After a pause, "Professor Shi, I'm leaving first."
"Xiao Tang," Shi Ci walked over, "Are you angry with me?"
Tang Zhao turned his eyes away, "..."
Shi Ci walked closer and said, "I'm sorry, I really can't leave because of work."
Tang Zuo lowered her head to the ground. The summer wind blew past, and Shi Ci's shadow on the ground gradually overlapped with hers.
Tang Zhao's face suddenly became restless for some reason, and she whispered, "I'm not angry with you..."
Before she finished speaking, Shi Ci had already leaned over, moved her face closer, narrowed his eyes and smiled at her, "Really?" The fluffy and soft hair that was not tied up brushed against her, and the smell was like that of a flower shop in the early morning.
Tang Zuo was now sure that his face had turned completely red.
Her throat was choked and she couldn't answer.
Although she was calm and composed in front of others, she was always uncontrollably nervous in front of Shi Ci and didn't know how to respond.
She turned her head stiffly and said, "I have to go, otherwise I will miss the bus."
Shi Ci smiled and stood up straight, "I'll walk with you for a while."
Tang Zuo hesitated for a moment but did not refuse.
Walking out of the alley at the entrance, turning a corner, there is another wider alley. This section is the old town of Nancheng. The self-built villas have different styles and use their imagination. Some have mango trees planted in the backyard, some have a small garden, and even a small sculpture fountain with a slightly aesthetic appeal.
They continued to walk shoulder to shoulder.
"Are you still going to work next week?" Tang Zhuo glanced at Shi Ci.
Shi Ci hesitated for a moment and said helplessly, "Yes, maybe until school starts." Then she said, "However, I have already told them today that they will have two days off a week, so I will be back on weekends."
Tang Zuo blinked and looked at her in surprise.
Shi Ci's tone was so matter-of-fact that she couldn't believe that he was fulfilling his promise to her.
But, it might also be for Shi Hai.
Tang Zhuo's heart pounded nervously. She took a deep breath and asked, "Where are you going to work?"
"It's not far, just in Hangzhou, and they will send a car to pick me up and back, so I don't have to drive myself." Shi Ci seemed to know what she was thinking.
"oh… "
That's good.
Tang Zuo said softly in his heart.
They were silent for a moment, and they both understood who Shi Ci made this decision for.
Shi Ci also knew that Tang Zuo knew.
She had long felt that something was wrong, and the situation was more complicated than she had imagined.
She had long known that she and Tang Zuo were destined to be together. It was as if it was destined that she would see the girl's fragility and strength.
She once told sister Miu that she hoped God would give her another chance to find love again.
But, can she be sure
This time is different from every time before.
It's different. Shi Ci knows.
Being nice to her is the most natural thing to do, and it is also something that needs to be carefully considered. Shi Ci doesn't want anything to happen that would make her feel worse.
If it were someone else, Shi Ci would just give an explanation. But after a busy week at work, even if she only had half a day left, she wanted to come back and see Tang Zuo. Even over the phone was not an option. She just wanted to let her know that she was not a person who would break her promise, and she did her best to do so.
Fortunately, the traffic was smooth along the way and she returned to Hongcheng in time. She went back to school and found that Tang Zuo and Shi Hai were not there, and she couldn't get through on the phone, so she thought they should be at home.
Fortunately, I guessed right again. Fortunately, there was no traffic jam again.
However, it was unclear whether the weather was good or not at this time. A few dark clouds secretly appeared in the blue sky above our heads, and the wind gradually became stronger.
"It looks like it's going to rain..." Not long after Tang Zuo finished speaking, a dripping sound came from the leaves of the big trees beside the road, and big rain marks flashed on the road.
They quickened their pace in tacit agreement, but it was still not as fast as the summer rain. Thunder rumbled overhead.
"You go back, I can do it myself..." The cool raindrops hit his face. Tang Zuo looked up at the sky and touched his cheek.
"Come on, come on, let's hurry up." Shi Ci walked quickly. She was tall and had long legs, so Tang Zuo had to jog.
The raindrops hit the ground, bringing with them a little of the remaining heat from the sun.
Tang Zhuo saw that Shi Ci's shoulders were wet, and he felt the snow-white skin underneath.
She suddenly looked back at herself and stretched her hand back.
The white hand, with slender fingers, seemed very powerful as it held her wrist.
"Hurry up, little..." Her laughter was carried in the wind, and from the shape of her lips it seemed as if she said something.
Not Xiao Tang.
Tang Zuo was led by her to run. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Her vision was blurred and she could not see the road clearly, but her hand was held and that person knew the direction.
In the misty rain, Shi Ci's apricot-white skirt could be seen, and her whole body felt like it had fallen from the sky and hit her heart heavily.
Soon they ran to the bus stop, and the rain finally started to pour down without restraint.
Tang Zuo panted slightly and glanced at Shi Ci hastily. Her hair was wet and she raised her hand to brush it, and her facial features became clearer and brighter.
Noticing her gaze, Shi Ci looked at her sideways and curled his lips. As they looked at each other, Tang Zhuo lowered his eyes, pursed his lips shyly, and also smiled.
I don’t know what’s so funny, I just want to laugh.
Tang Zuo's eyelashes were stained with tiny raindrops, like fragile porcelain.
Shi Ci looked at it for several seconds before looking away.
It just so happened that there were only the two of them at the bus stop. In the sudden rain, pedestrians were hiding from the rain, and only vehicles were speeding past.
"Do you have an umbrella?" Shi Ci asked as the rain poured down from the shelter of the bus station, splashing water everywhere.
"I brought it." Tang Zhao opened his bag and looked at the black folding umbrella inside. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm fine. I guess it will stop raining soon."
But she didn't even bring her cell phone, so there was no way she could ask Shi Hai to bring her an umbrella, right
"It's really okay..." Shi Ci looked into the distance, "The No. 84 bus is here. Is it going to school?"
The dark green bus drove over, splashing a lot of water, and stopped in front of them with a "whoosh" sound, with the front door opened.
"Get in the car quickly?" Shi Ci urged her softly. Tang Zuo walked past her and stepped into the car.
Shi Ci looked at her slender back, not expecting her to turn around suddenly.
The car door almost hit her, and the driver shouted in surprise.
Shi Ci was also stunned for a moment. Tang Zuo turned around, put the black folding umbrella in her hand, and immediately turned around and quickly got into the car.
The driver shouted in shock, and after the door closed, the car sped away.
Shi Ci's ankles were wet by the splashing water.
Tang Zuo in the car just passed by without looking in her direction.
"Oh, really..." Shi Ci turned the folding umbrella in his hand and smiled with his lips curved.
Amid the driver's scolding and the other passengers' disapproving looks, Tang Zhao walked to the back of the car and sat down, her cheeks burning as she lowered her head.
It was a split-second decision, and she didn't think about it carefully.
It's unlike her to be so impulsive.
But she did it anyway. She covered her burning cheeks with her slightly cool hands.
The raindrops hit the car window with a crackling sound. The rain gradually became heavier and the world outside became blurry.
The phone vibrated slightly.
When I opened it, it was Shi Ci's WeChat message, "It's dangerous. Don't do it next time."
Tang Zuo opened his eyes slightly wide and saw the title at the end.
"Little bird."
Tang Zuo bit his lower lip, and the temperature, which had already cooled down, continued to climb up his cheeks.
So this is the name.
Even the wrist that she had held was hot.
Because it was a thunderstorm at dusk, the sky was dim and the rain was pouring down. The bus was like a boat on the water, and the inside of the bus was dark and quiet.
Tang Zuo's heart was beating vigorously.
The author has something to say: Thank you all for your long reviews, love you!