Wind

"I'm full." After finishing the food on the table, An Shiyu patted her bulging stomach.

"How many months along?"

"Such an old joke." An Shiyu seemed a bit disdainful, even giving off the vibe of looking at a caveman.

Ye Shuang fell silent.

Was it really that old?

After leaving the restaurant, An Shiyu stretched lazily. Her body was incredibly flexible, arching backwards until she looked like a shrimp bending the wrong way.

"Where to next?" Ye Shuang asked.

"Huh? Don't you have a plan?" An Shiyu shot back.

"How about a movie?"

"Not original enough." An Shiyu thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Get a room?"

Ye Shuang: "..."

"Just to play games, mister. You're not thinking of something weird, are you?" An Shiyu's lips curled into a smirk.

Ye Shuang twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe."

But in the end, An Shiyu had a place she wanted to go.

"Where?"

...

An Shiyu brought Ye Shuang to the foot of a mountain. He was very familiar with this place; it was the mountain they had climbed together before.

Back then, her heart had already had serious problems, to the point where even climbing a mountain left her breathless.

But coming here again, now in winter, the vegetation on the mountain was all gray—though the colors weren't as vibrant as last time, Ye Shuang's mood felt much lighter because the girl beside him had fully recovered.

It was strange how scenery could seem different depending on one's mood.

"What are you spacing out for?" A voice came from beside him. Ye Shuang slowly pulled his gaze back.

His eyes fell on An Shiyu. She took a couple of light, nimble steps. "You okay? If you're okay, take a couple steps."

"What could be wrong with me?" Ye Shuang smiled faintly and then caught up with An Shiyu's pace.

This time, the two walked quickly. Combined with the mountain not being very high, they soon reached the halfway point.

"Not going further. Tired." An Shiyu plopped down on a bench placed along the path.

"You actually admit to being tired?" Ye Shuang stood to the side. He felt fine, probably because the temperature was quite cold; climbing for a while didn't make him feel tired or hot.

An Shiyu sat on the bench, swinging her legs. As if remembering something, she tilted her head.

"Mister, I remember last time you offered to carry me up the mountain?"

"I forgot."

"Eh, I heard men with bad memory have very small dicks."

Ye Shuang: "..."

"I remember."

"Mister, you're so concerned with face, huh?" An Shiyu waved her hand dismissively, then gestured for Ye Shuang to squat down. "Quick, I want to get on you."

Why does that sound weird?

"I refuse." Ye Shuang crossed his arms. Last time was because An Shiyu was unwell. Now this fish was full of energy; there was no way he was going to carry her.

"Ye Shuang... carry..."

"Even if you imitate Yu You, I won't agree."

"Tch, what a stingy man." An Shiyu simply lay flat on the bench, as if transforming into a salted fish, her voice drawn out in a long whine, "Aah~ heartless man~ leaving me on the mountainside~ poor me, a person with disabled legs, can't even walk back~ aah~"

Several passersby cast strange looks their way. A few muscular elderly men who had just finished winter swimming, their trapezius muscles bulging, even looked like they wanted to come over and inquire about the situation.

"Get up, quick."

"Oh?" An Shiyu flipped herself over at that moment, looking up at Ye Shuang with wide, blank eyes.

"Just for a little while," Ye Shuang had no choice but to say.

An Shiyu revealed a neat set of teeth.

And so, Ye Shuang hoisted An Shiyu onto his back. Fortunately, he had been keeping up with his workouts recently, and An Shiyu was relatively light, so carrying her wasn't uncomfortable.

"Am I heavy?"

"Not too bad."

"Doesn't feel very stable. The ride comfort isn't high enough. I want to file a complaint." As she spoke, An Shiyu swayed her body.

"Stop wiggling!" Ye Shuang said with annoyance.

As he spoke, he instinctively gave the girl's bottom a pat.

The next second, both of them froze. The air seemed to solidify instantly.

An Shiyu fell completely silent. Ye Shuang cleared his throat dryly and had to say, "I... that wasn't on purpose."

"Mmm..." came a muffled sound from behind.

Ye Shuang stayed quiet for a few seconds, feeling the wind brush against his face. He originally thought of saying "The wind is quite boisterous today" to ease the awkward atmosphere.

But then it occurred to him that he seemed to have said that to a certain fish before.

As soon as Ye Shuang opened his mouth, he blurted out, "The butt is quite boisterous today."

Ye Shuang: "..."

No.

I want to find a hole to crawl into.

I'm dead.

"Uh, I, I misspoke. I meant the wind," Ye Shuang broke out in a cold sweat, stammering an explanation. "I meant to say the wind of the butt today... no, the butt of the wind today... no."

That's just a total pervert, isn't it?!

"Ah..." Ye Shuang's face turned ashen, his cheeks seeming to sag as if he had aged decades in an instant.

What's wrong with me today? One misstep led to another.

Behind Ye Shuang, An Shiyu suddenly whispered a phrase in her hometown dialect, her ears already flushed red.

Ye Shuang actually understood this phrase.

It meant "idiot."

Seeing that An Shiyu didn't seem intent on pursuing the matter, Ye Shuang simply carried her the rest of the way, arriving once again at the mountain top.

It was called the summit, but it was just a small platform with a bench for viewing the scenery, along with a trash can and a vending machine.

Just as Ye Shuang was about to ask An Shiyu to get down, she hopped off.

An Shiyu walked over to the railing and looked down—

The eco-park below was still largely tinged with green, blending with the distant seascape at the horizon as if breathing.

"Haa..."

The girl took a deep breath, letting the cool breeze ruffle her hair and long skirt.

Ye Shuang walked to An Shiyu's side. Noticing her quiet gaze fixed on the scenery, he didn't speak for a moment.

"Feeling alive is really good."

An Shiyu suddenly spoke. "I used to think I wasn't afraid of death... but it seems I'm not that tough after all."

"Human beings... it seems if they have some unwillingness, some regrets, they aren't willing to leave this world."

"I used to think I had no regrets at all."

Ye Shuang: "..."

He followed An Shiyu's gaze. Once, An Shiyu had seemed to say she really liked this view. Though from Ye Shuang's perspective, this scenery was rather ordinary, not even worth the climb to see.

"Seems you really like this city," Ye Shuang smiled.

"Mmm, besides this city..." An Shiyu suddenly tilted her head. "Hey mister, actually, I want one more gift."

"What?"

Ye Shuang instinctively turned his head. At that moment, An Shiyu had already risen on her tiptoes and, with her hands behind her back, kissed him on the lips.

The wind here wasn't strong, but it carried the faint scent of green apples from the girl into his heart.