Today Tastes Like Citrus Sweetness

After PE class ended, everyone returned to the classroom.

Shen Nian stuffed his empty bottle into the small plastic bag hanging between Xia Yanchun and Li Shiyan's desks.

Your trash bag is very nice, but now it's mine.

There weren't many classes in the afternoon, and no teacher showed up for the last period. Shen Nian rested his chin on his hand, feeling increasingly idle.

He zoned out for a while until school was dismissed, then rushed to the cafeteria with Ma Mingfan and Chen Dong.

"I've learned from my painful experiences. I've decided to train my willpower while training my body," Ma Mingfan said as he wolfed down his food, having finally figured things out.

Making oneself excellent is a very painful process, but once you stick to it, it becomes blissful.

The goal is to become the male protagonist of a dating sim.

I'll lay low and accumulate my strength for a year, and once I get to college, I'll show my true skills.

"Alright, I support you. What's your plan?" Shen Nian asked seriously.

"I don't know, let me think about it first. By the way, how do you work out?"

"A five-kilometer run, one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, and one hundred squats every single day."

"..."

Those who didn't know better would think he was Saitama.

Ma Mingfan decisively gave up. If he could do all that, would he still be sitting here talking about it?

Besides, he didn't believe Shen Nian was that impressive. Unless Shen Nian transferred him fifty yuan on a Thursday, in which case he would become Shen Nian's most unwavering believer.

"Let's start with quitting my phone," Ma Mingfan thought for a moment. "Not completely quitting it. Usually, after lunch during the break, I just hide in the bathroom and play on my phone. I've decided to use that bathroom-hiding phone time to exercise instead, like doing some push-ups."

"You have that much willpower? By the way, are you going to eat this chicken leg?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

Shen Nian acted as if nothing had happened. It wasn't that he wanted to snatch Ma Mingfan's untouched chicken leg; he was just curious.

After dinner, Shen Nian went upstairs to the academic building and saw Xia Yanchun softly leaning against the corridor railing, enjoying the breeze.

"Aren't you cold?" Shen Nian casually stood next to her with his hands in his pockets. His 1.8-meter frame made Xia Yanchun, who was resting her head on the railing, look quite short.

Compared to Shen Nian, she indeed wasn't tall. Shen Nian had to lower his head and Xia Yanchun had to stand on her tiptoes for them to share a romantic moment at the most comfortable angle.

"I'm okay." Xia Yanchun shrank her neck. Her collar was popped up high, squeezing the soft flesh of her cheeks into a cute curve. Her ears were hiding lazily beneath her hair, refusing to show themselves unless Shen Nian brushed her hair aside.

Her hair looked fluffy, and she had tied her ponytail a bit lower today so the wind wouldn't chill her neck, making her look a little less energetic than when she wore her usual high ponytail.

Winter just gave people a lazy, lethargic feeling.

"Any news about the New Year's Eve gala?" Shen Nian sighed.

"Yeah, it's in two days, and we get a one-day holiday for New Year's."

"I'll go fishing on New Year's Day to pay you back."

"Actually, I'm not in a hurry for you to pay me back at all."

"So I have to call you 'big sister', right?" Shen Nian lowered his voice.

Xia Yanchun completely refused to admit it. "I never said that. You interpreted it that way yourself."

"Alright, alright." Shen Nian let it go.

"Are you really going fishing? I want to go too."

"Come along then, otherwise I'll be bored. If you come, you can chat with me. I'll set up a chair for you to sit next to me. When there are no fish, you can play on your phone, and when I catch a fish, you can give me a kiss. That's how we'll pass the time."

"You slipped something weird in there. I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Xia Yanchun's eyes curved in a bright smile, feeling that the scene Shen Nian described sounded quite peaceful.

"Speaking of which, it's so cold in the dead of winter. Doesn't it become harder to catch fish?"

"There is such a saying." Shen Nian nodded, though whether the weather was cold or not had no impact on his ability to catch fish.

Fishing Mastery! Kiddo.

"Then doesn't that mean you won't be able to catch any fish and won't be able to pay me back?"

"It's just a little bit of money, it's not like I can't afford to pay it back. Tell you what, lend me another two thousand."

"What for?"

"I'll use this two thousand to pay back the two thousand I borrowed from you before."

"Then won't you still owe me?"

"Exactly, I'm just refreshing the duration."

"..."

Psycho. Does he think owing money is fun?

Too lazy to roast him, Xia Yanchun simply huffed. It wasn't appropriate to get physical in the academic building, so she couldn't hit Shen Nian and could only clench her small fists.

During the evening self-study session, Su Kexi came to the classroom for a brief meeting, mainly focusing on the New Year's Eve gala.

Shen Nian didn't really listen. It was nothing more than bringing their chairs down to watch the performances the night before New Year's Day. The freshmen and sophomores would be in the front, and the seniors would be at the very back, so they probably wouldn't be able to see much anyway.

Phones were allowed at the New Year's Eve gala, and in previous years, he had just played on his phone the whole time.

After school, the moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the noisy chatter filled the air.

Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun went downstairs together. Afraid of the cold, Xia Yanchun put her earmuffs back on, keeping her tender ears well protected.

Shen Nian was almost worried that a passing school administrator would mistake them for headphones and snatch them right off her head.

"Are your earmuffs gathering dust now?" Xia Yanchun tilted her head. She hadn't really seen Shen Nian wear his.

"Pretty much. I'm not afraid of the cold anyway."

"I'm jealous... I curse you to have freezing hands and feet tonight."

"You think I'm like you?"

"That's exactly why I'm cursing you."

"Don't sleep too deeply tonight." Shen Nian blatantly bumped into her, almost making her step into the mud beside the path.

Xia Yanchun stumbled and quickly bumped him back. Frowning, she patted Shen Nian with her small hands, hitting him over and over.

Her hits couldn't even break his clothes' defense. Shen Nian turned his back to her. "Harder, harder, that feels good..."

"I'll stab you to death!" Xia Yanchun fumed, starting to dig her nails hard into the skin on the back of Shen Nian's neck.

However, her fingernails were trimmed far too neatly. Rather than stabbing him with her nails, it felt more like she was poking him with her fingertips, which made it even more comfortable.

"You're too much. I thought you were flirting with me."

"Flirting my ass. Get lost."

"Someone's mad."

Xia Yanchun nearly choked on her anger, absolutely furious.

As a result, she sulked in the car and refused to talk to Shen Nian.

There were some fruit stands outside the gates of their residential complex. She asked Shen Nian to stop the vehicle and bought a small bag of baby mandarin oranges.

While Shen Nian parked, she stood to the side peeling the oranges, clutching all the peels in her hand.

"Here, have some." She pinched half an orange segment and held it up to Shen Nian's mouth.

Shen Nian ate it in one bite. Just as he was about to speak, Kitty Chun's fingers deliberately pushed down, pressing lightly into his mouth.

"Eww..." Xia Yanchun looked disgusted and wiped her fingers on his clothes.

"Did you even wash your damn hands..."

"Didn't I wash them in the bathroom when we left the classroom? They're clean."

"...Crazy woman."

"You're a dumbass. Do you want more or not?"

"Ah—"

"I'm not giving you any, bleh."

"...Seems like she really is a crazy woman."

"Is it sweet?"

"Pretty sweet," Shen Nian nodded.

Xia Yanchun hummed smugly and walked with him toward the elevator.

They ate two more on the way. These kinds of oranges were usually eaten in one bite; only a peerlessly good older sister would peel one and give her younger brother half.

The elevator doors opened. Xia Yanchun stepped out first, took out her keys, and unlocked her door.

"Ahem." Shen Nian stood there unhurriedly; the daily quest hadn't been completed yet.

The hallway kiss had already become an indispensable part of his life, unless he went into Xia Yanchun's room or Xia Yanchun came over to his room to sleep together.

"I don't understand what you mean." Xia Yanchun clung to the edge of the door, covering her mouth as she secretly rejoiced.

"Haji Chun, you..."

"Hmph. I'm going to take a shower."

Xia Yanchun turned and went back into the room, ignoring Shen Nian.

However, the door remained unclosed.

Anyone who could resist following her in would have to be a saint; it was obvious Haji Chun had done it on purpose.

"Are you planning to invite me to shower with you? You really leave me no choice..."

"Have some shame."

"Haha, so I misunderstood," Shen Nian grinned cheekily.

Xia Yanchun nearly laughed out loud. That rascal Shen Nian sure knew how to act.

"Sit." She pointed to the sofa.

"What for?"

"Just sit." Xia Yanchun pushed him towards the couch.

Once Shen Nian was seated, she straddled his lap and pressed her forehead against his. In this position, she was half a head taller than him.

Shen Nian’s heart stirred. Instinctively, he placed his hands on Chun’s slender waist, adjusting her position to fit more snugly against him.

"What is this? My reward for taking first place?"

"..."

Breaths came in fits and starts as self-control slipped away.

Today, the sweetness was flavored like citrus.