The sky gradually darkened as Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou headed home together—they had spent the entire afternoon wandering around, even stopping for ice cream at one point. Perhaps because Tang Keke was the restless type, she had enthusiastically taken Bai Yuyou to many places.
Though Bai Yuyou barely spoke along the way, she was in a good mood. Tang Keke had given her a completely new experience—the way girls entertained themselves was something she had never known before.
"Do you live here?" Tang Keke pointed at the apartment building in front of them.
"Mm." Bai Yuyou nodded softly.
"This neighborhood seems a bit old. I’ve heard some adults say this whole area might be demolished soon," Tang Keke muttered before suddenly realizing, "Wait, does that mean you’re going to be a demolition beneficiary?!"
Bai Yuyou tilted her head, seemingly confused.
"Never mind, I’ll explain it to you later. Which floor is your apartment on?" After spending the day with Bai Yuyou, Tang Keke had noticed that the girl seemed unfamiliar with many things, even struggling to express her own emotions.
Soon, Bai Yuyou led Tang Keke to her doorstep. The door was slightly ajar, not even requiring a key to open.
"Excuse the intrusion!" Tang Keke stepped inside and immediately spotted a figure busy in the kitchen. The person turned around with a warm smile.
"Welcome! Go wash your hands and sit down to eat. The food is pretty much ready."
"Wow." Tang Keke couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of six dishes laid out on the table. "Brother, you can cook too?"
"I know a little." Ye Shuang placed a bowl of soup on the table and served portions for both girls.
Once seated, Tang Keke took a bite of the stir-fried clams and her eyes lit up. "This is delicious! There’s no fishy taste at all!"
"Fresh clams won’t have any fishiness. I blanched them first and then stir-fried them after removing half the shells," Ye Shuang explained with a smile. "Eat as much as you like."
"Hehe, then I won’t hold back."
In no time, Tang Keke devoured three bowls of rice, while Bai Yuyou finished four, leaving Ye Shuang slightly stunned. Do young girls these days really eat this much?
"Heh, I have a pretty big appetite…" Tang Keke blushed, a little embarrassed. Her mother often joked that all the nutrients from the rice went straight to her chest.
Still, Tang Keke noticed Bai Yuyou’s impressive eating habits too.
With Tang Keke joining them, dinner felt livelier than usual. Watching the two eat heartily, Ye Shuang couldn’t help but smile faintly.
"Every dish is amazing." Neither of Tang Keke’s parents could cook—her mother’s specialty was a one-pot stew, where all ingredients were simply boiled together.
Seeing how skilled Ye Shuang was in the kitchen, she couldn’t help but feel envious of Bai Yuyou.
What Tang Keke didn’t know was that just a week ago, the girl had been living on instant noodles for every meal.
After dinner, Ye Shuang started clearing the table, but Tang Keke immediately jumped up to intervene. "I-I’ll wash the dishes! Let me do it!"
"No need. You’re a guest."
"Brother, you’ve already worked so hard cooking. I’d feel bad otherwise!" Tang Keke patted her chest emphatically, causing an exaggerated bounce.
In the end, Ye Shuang couldn’t refuse Tang Keke’s insistence and handed the task over to her. Bai Yuyou also went to help.
Listening to their laughter from the kitchen, Ye Shuang felt reassured. At the very least, from what he could tell so far, Tang Keke seemed like a good friend. He hoped their friendship would last—preferably for a lifetime.
But a pure, lifelong friendship was easier said than done. Having gone through different stages of life, he knew how rare it was to maintain a bond untainted by other complications.
Once the dishes were done, the three sat down to chat a little longer. Ye Shuang learned that Tang Keke’s parents were often too busy, leaving her to handle dinner alone most nights.
"How about joining us for dinner from now on?" Ye Shuang suggested.
"Huh?" Tang Keke hadn’t expected such hospitality and waved her hands hastily. "No way, that’d be too much trouble."
Realizing he might have overstepped, Ye Shuang simply smiled and dropped the subject.
Soon, it was time for Tang Keke to head home. They agreed to meet up for school the next morning, and Bai Yuyou gave a silent nod in response.
"Let me drive you back." Ye Shuang picked up his car keys.
"No need, Brother, I’ll be fine!" Tang Keke insisted.
"It’s dark outside. Not safe for a girl alone," Ye Shuang said.
Truthfully, Tang Keke was quite timid. After his remark, she glanced at the night sky and reluctantly agreed.
"Take a shower first. I’ll be back soon," Ye Shuang reminded Bai Yuyou, who had clearly been about to follow but was gently held back.
Once in the car, Tang Keke looked around excitedly, as if it were her first time in a sports car. "Wow, what brand is this? Must be crazy expensive, right?"
"Not exactly crazy expensive." Ye Shuang glanced at the girl, who had already fastened her seatbelt.
Perhaps due to the way the center strap pressed between them, the curves on either side appeared even more pronounced. Rubbing his temples, Ye Shuang focused his gaze on the road ahead.
"Keke, after spending the day with Bai Yuyou, what do you think of her?"
"Eh?" Caught off guard by the question, Tang Keke thought for a moment. "At first, she seemed cold and hard to approach… but now, she feels kinda silly and cute. Yeah, adorably clueless!"
Ye Shuang chuckled. "That girl lacks common sense due to some… unusual circumstances. I hope you’ll be patient with her as a friend."
"Brother, you’re exaggerating! I think she’s great—she always listens to me, and once you get used to her, she’s really easy to be around." Tang Keke lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers.
"I’m the nervous type, always overreacting and rambling. If anything, I should be thanking Bai Yuyou for being willing to be friends with me."
Ye Shuang didn’t press further. Soon, they arrived at her place.
"Bye, Brother!"
"Take care."
"Will do!"
Watching her disappear into the apartment complex, Ye Shuang slowly rolled up the window.
"Quite the complementary personalities. Bai Yuyou isn’t timid at all," he murmured to himself. Just then, his phone rang.
At first, he thought it might be Bai Yuyou calling, but the screen showed an incoming video call from Chen Qin.
"A video call? Why?" Though they had known each other since childhood, Ye Shuang and Chen Qin had never video-called before. Staring at the notification, he hesitated.