After a while, she quietly went back to her room.
Outside the door, the sounds of laughter and chatter from gaming and conversation could still be faintly heard.
Xia Yu lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Clinging to dad to play, cuddling up to mom…
She was a little envious, but no matter what, she just couldn’t learn how.
When she was born, her parents were still busy with work, and the place they lived in was small, so they could only keep her sister with them, while she was sent to live at Grandfather and Grandmother’s House in the countryside.
As a child, she thought it was because there was nowhere to live, and her parents had no choice.
But when her brother was born, they managed to keep another child with them.
The young Xia Yu couldn’t understand—why was she the only one who couldn’t live with their parents, the only one who was left behind?
She envied her sister and brother, and always longed to be with her parents.
It wasn’t until she started middle school, when her parents’ jobs stabilized and they moved into a new home, that her wish was finally fulfilled.
But… favoritism is favoritism, distance is distance.
No matter how much time passed, it was too late to make up for it.
Ding—
Her phone suddenly rang.
Seeing that it was a video call from Song Yu’an, Xia Yu sat up from the bed and pressed accept.
“Xiao Yu, can you see? Which one do you like? I’ll bring it back for you.”
With Song Yu’an’s voice, a row of delicate and beautiful Shell Bracelets appeared, the camera showing them one by one.
Xia Yu knew Song Yu’an was already in Hai Cheng today—she’d seen Xue Enjin’s post in Moments yesterday, showing their group happily smiling at the camera before departure.
Xia Yu said, “Are you at the seaside?”
“Yeah, a marketplace by the sea. I saw these and thought they looked nice, so I wanted to get one for you. How about this one? There’s also a purple shell.”
Xia Yu’s lips curved slightly.
“It’s really pretty.”
“Then it’s this one.”
“Alright, thank you.”
The camera shifted, showing Song Yu’an’s face.
Xia Yu couldn’t help asking, “Is surfing in the sea fun?”
“It’s fun, but actually pretty hard.”
“Oh.”
Song Yu’an said, “What are you up to now?”
“Nothing much, just at home…”
Song Yu’an said, “If you get bored or unhappy at home, you can come to Hai Cheng and hang out together.”
He always seemed to know she was the unhappy one at home.
Xia Yu was moved, just about to say something, when she saw another person appear in his camera.
“Song Yu’an, who are you talking to? Hurry up, let’s go get some late-night snacks!”
In the camera, Xue Enjin was wearing a long dress, a bright green as vivid as Summer, her smile lighting up her whole face as if she were glowing.
The words Xia Yu wanted to say were suddenly swallowed back.
“Oh, it’s your little sister! Hello, hello!”
Xue Enjin noticed her in the camera, leaned over next to Song Yu’an, and greeted her.
Xia Yu nodded slightly in response.
Song Yu’an said, “Xiao Yu, I’ll stop here for now. I’m going to grab something to eat. The bracelet is decided, okay?”
“…Okay.”
The camera shook and the screen went dark.
Just before the call ended, Xia Yu heard Xue Enjin’s teasing voice, “We’re all friends, how come you’re not buying me one too! That’s so unfair.”
Song Yu’an laughed, “Alright, alright, you pick, pick whichever you want.”
Xue Enjin’s appearance made Xia Yu lose the urge to say what she’d wanted to tell Song Yu’an.
Actually, on the night they had barbecue, she’d bought a plane ticket to Hai Cheng.
She’d been a little drunk at the time, so the decision was sudden and impulsive.
Surfing, sunshine, beach…
The stubbornness from drinking made her want to learn surfing too, to be sunny and dazzling.
But seeing him and Xue Enjin together now, she sobered up and hesitated.
If she went, maybe she’d just feel out of place.
Xia Yu stared silently at the flight information on her phone for a while, then comforted herself—if she just went to have fun by herself, that should be fine.
Anyway, she didn’t want to stay home for the summer, and she still had money saved from a part-time job last summer.
She just wanted to try the surfing he said was so fun, to see the ocean—nothing wrong with that…
***
Just as Xia Yu expected, her parents weren’t too bothered about her going to Hai Cheng with a classmate for a trip.
First, because she hadn’t asked them for money, and second, both were busy with work these days and couldn’t spare the energy to care.
So, on the day of departure, she packed her suitcase and headed to the airport alone.
She landed in Hai Cheng at night.
As she stepped out of the airport, the hot, sultry air hit her, making her take a step back.
But the damp, salty sea breeze brought a strange, indescribable sense of relief to her heart.
She couldn’t help but smile, hailed a taxi at the airport, and headed to the Homestay she’d rented.
The Homestay wasn’t far from the beach.
As Xia Yu unpacked, she called Lin Ying.
Lin Ying had originally planned to come with her, but her mother had suddenly fallen ill, so she had to stay home and take care of her for a while before joining later.
“It’s fine, really. You just take care of your mom, I’m totally okay by myself.”
“Alright… just be careful, okay?”
“Yeah, I will.”
It was late, so Xia Yu didn’t go out again.
After showering, she went straight to bed.
The next morning, she got ready to explore the area.
She’d checked online last night—there were lots of surfers in this area, and staying here was the most convenient.
After asking the front desk for a recommended surfing shop, she slung her small bag and set out.
From the Homestay, the road was lined with coconut trees, and in the distance, she could see gleaming white sand and blue sea.
In a good mood, Xia Yu walked for over ten minutes and saw a surf shop with boards hanging at the entrance, and an English name above: Summer.
But it didn’t seem to be just a surfing shop—inside, they also sold drinks and desserts.
Under the sun umbrellas outside, many guests were enjoying cold drinks.
Xia Yu walked along the pebble path, pushed open the door, and went in.
“Welcome! What would you like?”
The person speaking was a man behind the bar—tanned skin, long hair in braids, wearing a floral T-shirt, looking friendly.
Xia Yu stepped forward and asked, “Excuse me, do you offer surfing lessons here?”
“Sure do, little lady. Is this your first time?”
“Yeah, my first try.”
“When do you want to start? I can arrange a Coach for you.”
Xia Yu said, “Can I start now?”
“Now, huh…”
“Yeah, please help me find a really good Coach.”
Xia Yu hesitated, then added, “The best one you have.”
The man was about to say all their Coaches were booked today and he couldn’t arrange one on such short notice, but seeing the sincere, cute look on the girl’s face, he couldn’t bear to disappoint her.
“Hmm… you want the best Coach? Well, we actually have the best in the shop today.”
The man suddenly raised his hand toward a corner of the shop.
“Ayuan, got a student!”
Xia Yu instinctively turned to follow his gaze.
By the window, a young man in his early twenties was sitting.
He wore a white T-shirt inside, with a loose light blue short-sleeved shirt over it, and a baseball cap. She couldn’t see his expression, just his sharply defined jawline and fair skin.
He was leaning lazily in his chair, a cup of dark red iced drink in front of him, watching a video on his phone.
When he heard someone call him, he lifted his eyes slightly, his face expressionless, his gaze cool and a little impatient.
When Xia Yu met his eyes, she froze for a few seconds, forgetting to react.
The long-haired boss behind her seemed to expect this, grinning.
“Satisfied? He’s our shop’s top looker. I’ll have him be your Coach!”
“No, no need…”
“Huh?”
Now the boss was surprised.
“Why not? Even the top looker is getting rejected!”
Xia Yu looked embarrassed, lowering her voice.
“Boss, please find me a really good Coach, please…”
Now the boss was amused.
“Why do you think he’s not good?”
Xia Yu didn’t want the guy nearby to hear her say anything bad about him, so she whispered, “He’s so pale. He doesn’t look… very capable.”
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