One person eating turned into four eating together.
It wasn’t the first time they had done this, but today Xia Yu was especially quiet.
Xu Baiyan seemed unchanged. Mid-meal, Cheng Li turned on the shop’s projector to watch the Olympics surfing event.
He chatted a bit about the live broadcast with Xu Baiyan.
“Damn! Her chosen route is still very clear and smooth! This one’s good, that one’s good… Hey! Looks like she has a chance to advance.”
Xu Baiyan: “The cutback was nice, but the wave utilization was a bit lacking. Let’s see how she does next round.”
“If she does well next round, there’s hope for a trophy or something. Ayuan, if you go, our National Team’s chances of winning will greatly improve.”
Xia Yu faced away from the projection, unable to see the screen, but noticed Xu Baiyan pause and glance at Cheng Li.
Cheng Li immediately made a zipper-mouth gesture.
“Okay, I won’t say more. Eat, eat.”
Xu Baiyan withdrew his gaze but his expression darkened.
Xia Yu sensed the atmosphere felt off, so she looked at him twice more.
He seemed to notice and raised his eyes to her.
“What’s wrong?”
Xia Yu immediately shook her head.
“Nothing, I’m done eating!”
“Mm.”
Xia Yu cleared the table, dumped leftovers into the trash.
When she turned, Xu Baiyan was standing up.
He asked, “Are you off after you finish eating?”
Xia Yu:
“Yes.”
“What are your plans tonight?”
Xia Yu saw Cheng Li and Kk at the table look up at the question, and she felt a bit embarrassed.
“N-nothing much.”
Xu Baiyan thought for a moment.
“Want to learn Land Surf Board?”
Xia Yu was stunned.
“Your foot isn’t fully healed yet, right?”
Xu Baiyan: “Almost. Skateboarding should be fine.”
She had wanted to learn with him earlier but had delayed because of his leg injury.
Now that he brought it up again, she couldn’t help feeling excited. But back then, her mind was only on learning the Land Surf Board. Now… now there was something else.
“Are you sure you can do it?”
Xu Baiyan said, “I’ve seen the doctor.”
Only then did a slight smile break out on Xia Yu’s face.
“Then I’ll get some water. Wait for me!”
“Okay, no rush.”
Xu Baiyan followed Xia Yu to the bar, watching her take out a round, yellow insulated cup from her bag—childlike in appearance.
She filled it with ice water, closed it tightly, and put it back in her bag.
“By the way, no boards…”
Xu Baiyan hadn’t planned this until he saw her.
He looked back at the couple who had been sneaking glances over.
“Your boards are at the shop, right? I’ll take them.”
Cheng Li: “Ah… yeah, take them!”
Kk smiled brightly.
“Have fun!”
Under their gazes, Xia Yu walked out hesitantly.
She waited a moment on the road outside the courtyard, then saw Xu Baiyan come out holding two boards.
“Not far, let’s skate there as a warm-up.”
Xu Baiyan said.
“Mm… okay.”
Xia Yu had no problem with flat-ground skating.
Once on the board, she caught a glimpse of Xu Baiyan following.
She felt nervous because he was right beside her.
She could no longer just see him as a coach like before.
Fortunately, Xu Baiyan didn’t mention last night’s incident, and she gradually relaxed, immersing herself in skateboarding and the surrounding scenery.
Night hadn’t fully fallen yet; streetlights glowed, mingling with the distant purple-pink sky.
The waves had quieted from their daytime roar, gently brushing the shore.
People strolled leisurely, breathing in the scent of coconuts.
Riding the Land Surf Board’s speed, Xia Yu heard the sea breeze crossing mountains and waters, flowing past her ears.
She realized she truly loved this environment and feeling, as if she had completely escaped real life and entered a free, romantic realm—where she only needed to enjoy herself fully.
If she could, she wished she could stay here forever…
“Rocks ahead, be careful to avoid them.”
Suddenly, the voice next to her spoke.
Xia Yu’s gaze snapped back from the distant view.
She saw the rocks Xu Baiyan mentioned and tried to adjust direction.
But maybe she acted too hastily, and her body tilted slightly off balance.
Panicked, she instinctively leaned backward.
Fortunately, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist firmly, steadying her.
Regaining balance, she exhaled softly.
“That scared me…”
Xu Baiyan: “Still nervous when turning?”
“No… I just got distracted admiring the scenery.”
She immediately regretted saying that.
Before, if she dared be distracted while surfing or skating, he would have scolded her.
But this time, he looked forward with a faint smile on his lips.
Was he not going to scold her…?
Xia Yu relaxed, but the next moment realized his hand was still holding hers.
Xu Baiyan’s hands were much bigger than hers, fingers long and palms wide.
So when he held her wrist, half her palm was wrapped in his hand.
The warm, dry sensation easily sparked electricity, shooting through her skin into her blood.
Her whole body felt caught in a strange magnetic field.
“I can skate well.”
She reminded him.
Xu Baiyan glanced sideways, as if sensing something, then looked down at their intertwined hands.
“I’m holding you, so you’re allowed to be distracted and enjoy the scenery.”
Xia Yu: “I can also not look at the scenery.”
Xu Baiyan smiled.
“Xia Yu, are you shy?”
“No!”
“Then why are your palms sweaty?”
She tried to appear calm and steady, but couldn’t control her body’s reaction.
“I’m just hot…”
“Oh, just hot.”
Xu Baiyan knew better but insisted on watching her pretend to be calm.
He thought she might not realize how contradictory she was right now and found it a little cute.
After staring for a while, he decided to let her off, releasing her hand.
“Skate well, focus.”
His palm emptied, and a cool breeze swept through.
The tension eased, but a strange emptiness crept in.
“Okay, got it.”
They skated past the road, turned two more corners, and Xia Yu finally saw the skatepark.
At this hour, quite a few people were skating.
Xu Baiyan took her to the beginner-friendly area.
“Brother Yan? What are you doing here!”
Several boys were practicing tricks nearby.
One called out to them from afar.
Xia Yu turned to look and recognized the face—it was the little boy who had bumped into her while eating Ice Cream before.
The boy zoomed over on his board.
“Oh hey, you brought your girlfriend!”
Xia Yu couldn’t face being called that and immediately looked at Xu Baiyan.
He showed no sign of explaining.
“Xiao Hao, get me a set of Protective Gear.”
“You mean your girlfriend’s?”
Xu Baiyan: “Call her sister.”
The boy named Xiao Hao chuckled.
“Okay, okay, sister, I’ll go find you a set.”
Xiao Hao turned and skated off.
Soon after, he came back carrying a set of Protective Gear.
“Brother Yan, last time I told my dad you had a girlfriend, but he didn’t believe me and said I was making stuff up!”
Xu Baiyan took the gear and gestured for Xia Yu to stretch out her hand.
Xia Yu raised her hand blankly and watched him put on her elbow pad while stealing a moment to ask Xiao Hao, “What’s your dad been up to lately? Not surfing?”
Xiao Hao: “He’s been busy with work and even went on a business trip these last two days.”
“Oh, have you finished your homework? You come out to play every day.”
“On vacation!”
“Don’t you have homework even on vacation?”
Xu Baiyan lightly tapped Xia Yu’s arm.
“The other one.”
Xia Yu looked up at him and noticed his lips curve faintly when Xiao Hao was whining, “School doesn’t start for another month.”
This guy was deliberately teasing the kid.
“Want me to do it myself?”
She reached toward him.
Xu Baiyan glanced at her but didn’t hand over the elbow pad.
Instead, he grabbed her other hand and continued putting it on.
Xia Yu said nothing.
Xiao Hao watched and cheered, “I’ll do my homework later! I won’t disturb you guys now! I’m going to skate over there!”
Xu Baiyan waved his hands, signaling the boy was free to go.
Xiao Hao sped off, blending back with his group of friends.
Xu Baiyan stopped paying attention to them. He squatted down in front of her on one knee, ready to put on her knee pads.
Xia Yu felt awkward at this angle and took a step back.
Xu Baiyan’s hand holding the pad paused. He looked up at her.
“Put it on, or you’ll know how much it hurts if you fall later.”
Of course, she knew falling hurt.
But… that wasn’t the point right now.
“Why don’t you explain?”
Xu Baiyan: “Explain what?”
“That kid misunderstood at the Ice Cream shop,” Xia Yu said, examining and testing, “He’s said more than once that I’m your girlfriend.”
Xu Baiyan blinked.
Under the bright skatepark lights, his long eyelashes cast shadows on the skin below his eyes—so long, with a haunting, cold beauty.
“I didn’t explain last time because he’s just a kid; I couldn’t be bothered.”
Xia Yu forced herself to look away from his eyes.
“Then this time…”
“Why explain this time?”
Xu Baiyan said slowly, “Didn’t you decide to chase me yesterday?”
“Today I decided too. I accept it.”