OS - 6

The courtyard wasn’t large, and it was cluttered with collected recyclables, making it look messy.

Grandpa was actually quite tall, but due to his old age, his back had become increasingly hunched, and his movements were no longer as nimble as before. Everything he did seemed slower now. Qing Hang was helping by bundling up flattened cardboard boxes, which saved space and made loading them onto the truck easier later.

While they were busy, Zhou Yu greeted them and then passed through the alleyway. As she jumped down from the steps, she nearly collided with someone.

Zhou Yu took two steps back to steady herself and caught a glimpse of the red string bracelet on the person’s wrist out of the corner of her eye.

He didn’t seem very happy.

“Where are you going?”

“To get Cheng Wanyue’s cake,” Cheng Yuzhou picked up the fallen knitted orange keychain and handed it to her. “Want to come along?”

Zhou Yu nodded. “…Sure.”

Cheng Wanyue didn’t have much of a sweet tooth—she only cared about appearances. She had sent a picture to the cake designer online. The first version made in the morning hadn’t satisfied her, so the cake designer had remade it. Just ten minutes ago, they called to say it was ready for pickup.

As they walked, Zhou Yu reattached the knitted orange to her zipper. Cheng Yuzhou slowed his pace and moved to her other side, allowing her to walk in the shade.

“What’s in your bag? It looks pretty full.”

“Gifts for Wanyue and Cheng Yanqing.”

“Haven’t you eaten yet?”

She looked up at him. “Is there no food at your house during birthdays?”

The sunlight was blinding, and Cheng Yuzhou couldn’t help but chuckle. “There is.”

None of the guests were there specifically for the food, but it wasn’t entirely wrong to say that everyone wanted to maintain good relations with the twins—it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

“There’s plenty.”

There were several cake shops in the county town, and Zhou Yu didn’t know which one the cake had been ordered from, so she simply followed Cheng Yuzhou.

Ten minutes later, she watched as Cheng Yuzhou walked past the last cake shop on this street without stopping, making her start to suspect that he might not know the way and had taken a wrong turn.

“Isn’t it that shop?”

Cheng Yuzhou glanced at the nearby cake shop. “That’s the one. First, let’s buy something else, then we’ll come back for the cake.”

“What do you need to buy?”

“Cheng Wanyue wants sparklers—those small fireworks.”

Zhou Yu said, “The toy store near the elementary school should have some. Let me show you the way.”

“Alright.” Cheng Yuzhou stopped to wait for her. “Then you lead the way.”

She walked ahead with her backpack, her hair tied into a low ponytail. Unlike Cheng Wanyue, who liked to put in subtle efforts—like secretly dyeing her hair an inconspicuous flaxen color and using malnutrition as an excuse—Zhou Yu’s hair was black. Half of her face was exposed to the sun, and her earlobes glowed faintly red. Cheng Yuzhou remembered the time he went to her house to pick apricots; even as it grew dark, he could still see how red her ears were.

A few elementary school students were squatting by the entrance of the toy store, watching turtles. Zhou Yu went inside and asked the shopkeeper if they had sparklers.

Aside from during the New Year, few people bought these small fireworks regularly.

The shopkeeper rummaged through the top shelf and found over ten boxes covered in dust—clearly leftovers from the New Year that hadn’t sold. Cheng Yuzhou bought all of them, and the shopkeeper carefully wiped each box clean before packing them into a bag, even throwing in a lighter as a bonus.

After picking up the cake, Zhou Yu led him back via a shortcut.

It was too hot outside, so everyone stayed indoors.

Zhou Yu hadn’t eaten dinner and wanted to find something to eat. Cheng Yanqing happened to be in the kitchen. “Yan Ci hasn’t eaten all day. Make him a bowl too—he’s sleeping on the third floor.”

“He won’t eat if I bring it up.”

Cheng Yanqing said, “Whether he’ll eat or not, you know best.”

Zhou Yu didn’t respond. After a while, she divided the noodles in the pot into two bowls and took one upstairs first.

Most of the people were on the first and second floors. On the third floor, only Qin Yun and two of her close friends were watching a movie. Yan Ci was asleep on the couch against the innermost wall. Zhou Yu placed the bowl of noodles on the table.

When Yan Ci woke up, he wasn’t as cold as usual—he just didn’t speak.

Qin Yun said, “Zhou Yu specially made this for you. Eat while it’s hot.”

Yan Ci didn’t glance at the bowl of noodles and closed his eyes again.

Qin Yun and her friends closed the door and went downstairs, leaving Yan Ci alone on the third floor.

Cheng Wanyue gathered everyone in the second-floor living room to play games. The Dou Dizhu group hadn’t finished yet. Someone was on the phone, and after finishing, another person needed to use the restroom. After waiting for over ten minutes, they finally all sat down. Cheng Wanyue first noticed Cheng Yuzhou was missing, then remembered Yan Ci was still sleeping.

“Where’s my incredibly handsome brother? Who’s going to call him? And Yan Ci too?”

Cheng Yanqing stood up. “I’ll go call them.”

“You tell them to hurry up! Don’t dilly-dally!” Cheng Wanyue had intended to send him anyway—no one else could persuade them. As Zhou Yu came out of the bathroom, Cheng Wanyue waved her over. “Ah Yu, sit next to me.”

“Coming.”

Zhou Yu went downstairs to the kitchen and found that the bowl had already been washed.

If Yan Ci hadn’t eaten, the bowl should still be on the third floor. Since it had been cleaned and placed on the rack, it seemed he had eaten. Relieved, Zhou Yu went upstairs and sat in the seat Cheng Wanyue had reserved for her. Originally, there was someone sitting next to her, but they had moved closer to the air conditioner due to the heat, leaving two empty spots.

Cheng Yanqing came downstairs first and naturally squeezed next to Qin Yun. Cheng Wanyue rolled her eyes and cursed him silently for being spineless.

“Brother, come here.” No sooner had Cheng Wanyue called out than Yan Ci appeared from the staircase with messy hair, clearly still in a bad mood from being woken up. He didn’t even look at anyone properly. “Yan Ci, what time is it? Are you really this tired? Don’t tell me you’re planning to leave.”

Yan Ci brushed past Cheng Yanqing, bumping his knee against his back. “I’m leaving.”

“No way! You can’t leave! Get over here!” Cheng Wanyue was the first to object. “If you leave, I’ll tell Grandma to come get you.”

“Alright, alright. It’s Princess’s birthday today—she’s in charge. Just indulge her once,” Cheng Yanqing pushed Yan Ci over, pausing for half a second to separate him from Zhou Yu. “Anyway, even if you go back, you won’t sleep well. She’ll definitely bother you again.”

Others helped lighten the mood, and Cheng Wanyue was finally satisfied. She pointed to the empty spot between Zhou Yu and Yan Ci. “Cheng Yuzhou, sit there.”

It wasn’t midnight yet, and the birthday celebration wasn’t over. Cheng Yuzhou decided to let her enjoy herself for now.

“Then let’s begin. Today, no one gets away.”

The game was simple: poker cards were distributed based on the number of players. Each round, only one card matched the one held by Cheng Wanyue. Whoever drew it would face either a truth or dare challenge—a cliché game, but perfect for gatherings of peers.

Zhou Yu sat next to Cheng Wanyue, who always accidentally revealed her cards when she got excited. Zhou Yu could see them.

Across from her, Cheng Yanqing was pouring vinegar into a cup.

Zhou Yu glanced at the cards on the table, noticing Cheng Yanqing had added mustard and half a cup of beer.

Whether choosing truth or dare, no one could escape drinking this concoction. Zhou Yu took a deep breath and prepared to grab a bottle of mineral water to keep handy.

Her arm was lightly nudged.

Cheng Yuzhou whispered softly, so only she could hear, “Trade with me.”