The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

The warm yellow light in the apartment cast the shadows of the two people onto the soft sofa back.

Yu Yue leaned on Shen Mei's shoulder, her cheek pressed against her slightly cool silk pajamas, and said in a muffled voice, "So, you two are officially a couple?"

Shen Mei thought about it seriously for a moment, "It can only be considered... a trial relationship."

Yu Yue let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong?" Shen Mei turned her head.

“Sister,” Yu Yue sat up straighter, her fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the sofa, “I’m going back to the shop to stay tomorrow.”

"Huh? Why?" Shen Mei asked in surprise, reaching out to grasp her restless fingers. "You're staying here just fine, why are you suddenly leaving?"

“You’re in a relationship?” Yu Yue looked up, trying to sound relaxed and natural, but the slight glint in her eyes didn’t escape Shen Mei’s notice. “It’s so inconvenient for me to stay here any longer.”

“No.” Shen Mei interrupted her. “Yue’er, listen to me. No matter if I’m in a relationship or not, or who I’m in a relationship with, our relationship will not change. You can stay here as long as you want.”

“But you’ll definitely have to spend more time with him, dating, spending time alone with him… I can’t be the one who doesn’t see the bigger picture.”

"Then I'll take you with me."

"Forget it," Yu Yue finally laughed, with a hint of reproach, "I don't want to be a third wheel."

“You’re not a third wheel.” Shen Mei laughed and tapped Yu Yue’s nose. “I feel more relaxed and comfortable with you. You know that, Yue’er.”

Yu Yue nodded, said nothing more, and leaned back on Shen Mei's shoulder.

After a while, an idea suddenly popped into my head.

"Sister, how about... I go and have a relationship too!"

Shen Mei was taken aback by her abrupt change of thought: "Huh?"

“Look,” Yu Yue thought, and the logic seemed to make more and more sense, “In the future, when you two go on dates, I can bring my boyfriend along. The four of us will be perfect! Then it won’t be considered disturbing you!”

Shen Mei chuckled and shook her head: "It's certainly a good thing that you want to be in a relationship, but feelings can't be rushed. You have to meet someone who is truly suitable and that you like each other."

Yu Yue blinked, her eyes clear as she looked at Shen Mei, and said:

"How about... I become your younger brother's girlfriend?"

"What?!" Shen Mei thought she was hallucinating, her eyes widening instantly. "Yue'er, you...you're not kidding, are you?"

“I’m not kidding!” Yu Yue’s expression became more serious. She knelt down and faced Shen Mei, speaking faster. “Look, he’s your brother. If we can be together, then you and I will be family, and no one can separate us.”

That's what it was for.

Shen Mei said helplessly, "Yue'er, I promise you that no matter what the future holds, the weight of our feelings will never change because of anyone or anything. You can always rest assured about that."

"It's not entirely about that." Yu Yue's voice lowered, and she picked at the sofa cushions again. "Your brother is actually a really good person... I have feelings for him. And, sister,"

She looked up and said, "He probably...likes me quite a bit too."

Looking at the serious expression on Yu Yue's face, Shen Mei felt a pang in her heart, recalling the changes in Shen Yu during this period.

The younger brother who used to give her so much trouble was indeed like a tamed person in front of Yu Yue.

He would patiently listen to Yu Yue talk about the trivial things in the shop, remember that she casually mentioned wanting to eat something and bring it next time, and when Yu Yue complained about him, he would just scratch his head and smile...

That level of focus and attentiveness went far beyond the usual politeness one would show to a "friend of an older sister".

And what about Yu Yue?

Although she always says things like "Shen Yu, you idiot" and "Stay away from me," she tacitly allows him to stay by her side for long periods of time, and sometimes she even subconsciously relies on him to solve some small problems.

Perhaps, in a corner she couldn't see, feelings had already quietly blossomed between them?

Moreover, is it bidirectional?

This realization made Shen Mei's feelings even more complicated.

There are concerns, fearing that they are young and impulsive;

There was hesitation, fearing that the foundation of this relationship was not solid;

But there's also a sense of comfort as the older sister—the hope that her younger brother will be seen and cherished by a wonderful girl like Yue'er.

She hesitated for a long time, so long that the light in Yu Yue's eyes began to flicker with trepidation.

Finally, Shen Mei sighed softly and took Yu Yue's hand again:

“Yue’er, you and Xiaoyu are both very important to me, so I cannot allow your relationship to be built on the basis of ‘getting closer to me.’ That’s unfair to you, and even more unfair to Xiaoyu. Feelings cannot be ‘arranged’ or ‘bound’; they must come from the hearts of two people and be purely based on mutual attraction.”

Seeing the look in Yu Yue's eyes that seemed to want to explain, Shen Mei continued:

"If you really think he's not bad, you can try dating him. But Yue'er, you must promise me that no matter what the outcome, it won't affect our relationship, and you won't force yourself or make yourself suffer in the slightest, okay?"

Looking into Shen Mei's concerned eyes, Yu Yue felt a surge of warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously, "I promise you, sister."

Shen Mei then let go of his hand, took out her phone, found Shen Yu's number, and dialed it.

"Xiaoyu, come to my house now. I need to talk to you about something."

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

Shen Yu's hair was disheveled, and she was slightly out of breath.

"Sister, Sister Yu Yue, what's up? Why did you call me over so late?" His gaze swept quickly between the two of them.

When his gaze swept over Yu Yue, whose eyelashes were lowered, he subconsciously lingered for a moment longer.

Shen Mei did not answer directly.

She glanced at Yu Yue beside her, then turned to her younger brother and said:

"Xiaoyu, Yue'er has something to tell you. It's about the two of you."

She paused, then added, "Listen carefully, think it through, and then answer according to your own heart."

Shen Yu's heart skipped a beat.

So serious?

He looked at Yu Yue and found that she was also looking up at him.

"Shen Yu, I want you to be my boyfriend."

"..."

The air seemed to be sucked out in an instant, and then completely frozen.

"cough--!"

The next second, Shen Yu choked on her own saliva and coughed violently, her face turning bright red instantly.

His eyes widened as if he had heard some declaration of alien invasion of Earth, his pupils trembling.

"Wha...what?!"

His voice cracked, and his gaze darted back and forth in terror between Yu Yue and Shen Mei. "Sister, Sister Yu Yue... what did you... just say? Say it again?!"

Yu Yue slightly raised her chin: "Didn't you hear me? I said, I want you to be my boyfriend."

She paused for a moment, then quickly added, "I think... we should give it a try, it should be good."

try it?

It should be good?

What kind of reason is that!

Shen Yu's mind was buzzing; her CPU was practically burning out.

Shen Mei spoke up at the opportune moment, completely shifting the focus of the pressure: "Xiao Yu, did you hear what Yue'er said clearly? This is what she proposed based on her own ideas. Now, what's your answer?"

She looked at him. "You don't need to consider me, or any other factors. Just ask yourself, are you willing or not?"

Shen Yu stared at Yu Yue with her mouth agape—her expression was serious, without a hint of joking or backing down.

He looked at his sister again—her eyes held concern, but more than that, they held a calm reassurance that he should take responsibility for himself.

My mind was a mess.

It was too fast, too sudden; it was completely beyond the scope of his life experience.

Logically, he should have found it absurd, refused immediately, and asked for clarification on what was going on...

but.

Deep down, an emotion is emerging more and more clearly.

It's happy.

That's right, it's happiness.

This joy was so real that it made him feel a little guilty.

He even subconsciously tried to suppress it, feeling that it was too "unsteady" and too "unmanly".

But it was there, throbbing with his out-of-control heartbeat.

His feelings for Yue—that inexplicable urge to get close to her, the feeling that seeing her smile made him feel sunny, and the even fun of being "disliked" by her—were something he hadn't really examined carefully.

At this moment, her words so directly laid it out on the table, giving it a clear title—"boyfriend."

Amidst the panic, there was a strange sense of satisfaction... indescribable.

It felt like we had been waiting for many years, and finally we had an answer.

He quickly lowered his head, staring at the tips of his shoes, afraid that they would see the expression on his face.

"I...I need to think about it..."

Yu Yue looked at the back of his head, which was hanging down, and softly hummed in agreement.

Just when Shen Yu thought she could get a moment's respite, Yu Yue suddenly spoke again, her tone returning to its usual sharp and slightly mischievous manner:

"I'll give you five minutes."

"Huh?" Shen Yu looked up abruptly, her face blank.

"Five minutes isn't enough!"

He blurted out instinctively, "Is this something that can be figured out in five minutes?!"

Yu Yue glanced at the wall clock, her tone flat: "Four and a half minutes left."

Shen Yu almost choked on her breath again, staring at her with wide eyes, looking at her as if the "timer had already started".

That feeling of being "controlled" by Yu Yue returned.

Shen Mei stood to the side, picking up her water glass to hide a faint smile from the corner of her lips.

The scene was absurd and... a little infuriating and funny.

She didn't intervene, but simply watched the sudden yet strangely harmonious "confrontation" between the two.

Five minutes passed, a mix of silence and intense inner turmoil within Shen Yu, as she walked, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

"Have you thought about it?"

Yu Yue asked her question right on time, her voice not loud, but it startled Shen Yu.

Shen Yu raised her head, and her gaze met Yu Yue's eyes again.

Very open and confident.

All the jumbled thoughts and considerations in his mind suddenly vanished.

Perhaps relationships really don't have that many "shoulds" and "steps".

Perhaps "giving it a try" is the most sincere start for people their age.

"I've thought it through!" he heard himself say, his voice more steady than before, even carrying a hint of reckless courage.

"Answer?"

"I agreed!"

After Shen Yu finished speaking, the heat that had just subsided on his face suddenly returned, but he forced himself to look at Yu Yue without looking away.

Yu Yue's eyelashes fluttered rapidly a few times, then she nodded, her face still showing little change in expression, except that the corners of her mouth seemed to curl up very slightly.

"it is good."

Then she pointed to the door, her tone as natural as if she were instructing him to go downstairs and buy a bottle of soy sauce, "You can go now."

Shen Yu: "...???"

He was completely stunned on the spot, utterly bewildered.

So... that's it?

He only needed five minutes (maybe even less) to think before he had a... "girlfriend"?