"I... I think I'd better not go."
Song Lang stood frozen at the door, his reason telling him that not going was the right thing to do.
Shen Zhifei didn't insist, and didn't even spare him a glance. She just stood by the bed packing her things, looking very much looking forward to the spring outing.
Song Lang felt a little uneasy again.
He turned and walked back to his room, leaned against the door, and listened intently to the sounds coming from the next room. Suddenly, he regretted his decision.
"Brother, I'm leaving."
Shen Zhifei's voice came from outside. Song Lang opened the door and chased after him, asking, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
“No, not really,” Shen Zhifei said with a faint smile as she stood at the door with her schoolbag in hand. “I’m leaving now. You’ll feel more comfortable at home.”
Song Lang's throat tightened: "What are you doing running around in the middle of the night? Come back here and stay home. Don't go anywhere else."
Shen Zhifei stood there without moving.
Song Lang strode up to him, snatched the backpack, weighed it in his hand, and said, "It's pretty empty. I'll put a couple of clothes in too, and we can share one bag."
This means he wants to go too.
Shen Zhifei smiled, his pupils filled with a light and gentle smile. Song Lang couldn't resist his smile and quickly returned to his bedroom. He rummaged through his drawers for a long time and finally found the same black hoodie that Shen Zhifei wore.
The next morning, when Song Lang walked out of the bedroom wearing that hooded sweatshirt, Shen Zhifei, who was sitting on the living room sofa reading a book, looked up and a hint of surprise flashed across her face.
Song Lang scratched his head, trying to cover it up: "Oh, what a coincidence, hahaha—maybe I should go change into something else."
“No need,” Shen Zhifei put down her hat, stood up, came behind Song Lang, and helped him straighten his turned-down hat. “Let’s go out for breakfast.”
"Okay, I'll go get my bag."
Song Lang slung the bag containing their belongings over his shoulder and followed Shen Zhifei out for dinner.
At 9:30 a.m., the group gathered at the entrance of a food street near the two schools. When Song Lang saw it, it was indeed not the romantic date he had imagined for two people. There were about a dozen people, most of whom were Song Xianji's friends.
With an equal number of men and women, and all around the same age, Meng Fanxing and Hao Wei quickly infiltrated the small group.
Song Lang also spotted several familiar faces in the crowd. They were people he had played street basketball with before. Sometimes when Zhou Sen and the others were busy, Song Lang would invite them to hang out together.
"Since we all know each other, let's not stand on ceremony. How many of us are there?"
Song Xianji counted the heads one by one, intending to call a car, but Hao Wei said, "There are 12 people in total, so three cars will be enough."
People who know each other well naturally sit together. Meng Fanxing wanted to sit next to Hao Wei in the back, but the goddess pressed her head down and pushed her to sit in the passenger seat: "You're too fat, it's too cramped in the back."
Shen Zhifei and Song Lang sat together in the back. Hao Wei tried to shrink herself into nothingness, with her buttocks barely touching the seat and her hands gripping the back of the passenger seat. She talked to Meng Fanxing casually, and whenever Meng Fanxing showed any sign of turning around, she would slap her back.
Her act of covering for him made Song Lang extremely sensitive.
Inside the carriage, he and Shen Zhifei sat leg to leg and arm to arm. Occasionally, when the train turned a corner, they would briefly separate or get even closer. This feeling of being neither too close nor too distant reminded him of the kiss in the movie theater.
My face felt even hotter.
Fortunately, Qingping Mountain is located in the suburbs, and there is no traffic congestion on the road. It only takes half an hour to get there.
After getting off the bus, everyone laughed and chatted as they climbed up the mountain. Song Lang felt a little awkward walking next to Shen Zhifei, so he went to chat with the boys he used to play basketball with.
Shen Zhifei walked quietly at the back of the group, her eyes fixed on the tall figure.
"Hey, did you two have a fight?" Song Xianji paused for a moment, then walked side by side with Shen Zhifei towards the mountaintop. "Why isn't he walking with you?"
"No." Shen Zhifei smiled, turned his head and said an abrupt "thank you" to Song Xianji.
“Hey, I love to have fun and make friends. This trip was something I discussed with them beforehand. It’ll be more lively with a few more of you. You don’t need to be so polite with me.” Song Xianji put his arm around Shen Zhifei’s shoulder and put a bit of his weight on him. “Help me for a bit, I can’t climb anymore.”
Shen Zhifei didn't push him away; instead, he was quite surprised: "Your temper has been getting warmer lately, hasn't it? Has Brother Song warmed you up?"
"We're not together yet," Shen Zhifei said.
"W-hat?"
Song Xianji shouted, and the people walking in front all turned around to look.
Song Lang was stunned for a moment when he saw the two of them with their arms around each other, then turned around and braced himself to rush towards the top of the mountain.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. Why is everyone so curious?" Song Xianji waved to the people in front of him, then lowered his voice and said, "You two are wearing matching outfits, and you turn around and tell me you're not together yet? Excuse me?"
"No, but soon." Shen Zhifei said with an air of confidence.
"Tch, so fast," Song Xianji tightened his grip, scoffing, "If you were with me, we'd have a kid by now. Pfft—"
Shen Zhifei withdrew his elbow strike, shoving Song Xianji, who was clutching his stomach, behind him, and continued climbing the mountain.
Qingping Mountain is not particularly steep, but it has beautiful scenery. After several years of intensive development, it has become a popular leisure and entertainment destination in the area.
There is a tourist town on the top of the mountain, mostly run by local residents as private guesthouses, farmhouses and small restaurants. Some developers have also selected land to build garden villas and are selling the properties under the banner of a leisure resort.
Song Xianji's family has a two-story villa here, with a large garden in front of it. It is said that his maternal grandfather bought the house for his retirement and self-cultivation.
The house had been renovated long ago, but the old man had never come to live there. Instead, Song Xianji would bring his cronies over every now and then to play. The house had everything from pool tables to VR game consoles.
The group first put their bags and packages at home, then rushed out to take a stroll around the town.
The mountaintop is less than two kilometers from the town, a gentle stretch of road that also has the most attractions.
They walked and played together, grass skiing, horseback riding, glass walkways, suspended swings... many of them had done these things many times before, but this time was different.