Chapter 17: Unexpected Coincidences and Hidden Affections

That day after school, Lin Duo, as usual, walked home with Gu Xuexuan.

It was often said that people with contrasting personalities easily became friends, a truth exemplified by this pair. One was a talkative, outgoing chatterbox, while the other was tragically quiet, yet their companionship was remarkably harmonious, free from interruptions or awkward silences.

On the way, Gu Xuexuan leaned mysteriously towards Lin Duo’s ear, lowering her voice. “Hey, I’ve got a secret to tell you! He Pingping from Class 4 and Chen Ming from Class 3 are totally together now!”

Lin Duo blinked in confusion. “Are you saying they’re dating? But our school strictly forbids puppy love, and the homeroom teacher has warned us repeatedly.”

“You silly goose! Just don’t let the teachers or parents find out, right? From what I know, there are at least five secret couples in our ninth-grade class alone!”

Given Gu Xuexuan’s outgoing personality, she was quite popular in Class 5, which naturally meant she was privy to a wealth of such gossip.

Soon, Gu Xuexuan shifted her attention back to her adorable companion. “Duoduo, is there any boy you particularly like? I promise I won’t tell anyone!”

Lin Duo pondered seriously for a moment, then shook her head. Perhaps due to her age, she hadn’t yet deeply experienced the subtle romantic feelings between boys and girls.

Instead, she tended to categorize people around her simply as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ If she considered someone ‘good,’ it was a far cry from liking them.

Gu Xuexuan looked unconvinced. “Impossible! You definitely have a crush! What girl this age doesn’t have a spring in her step? Hmph, I’ve told you who my crush is, but you won’t tell me yours. You don’t consider me a friend!”

Gu Xuexuan’s ‘god’ was the student council president from the high school division, a handsome senior in his second year who was also exceptionally good at football.

Unable to escape Gu Xuexuan’s persistent pestering, Lin Duo finally pulled a memory from her mind. “I once met an older brother on a long-distance bus. He was very kind to me, and I’d really like to see him again.”

“An older brother? How old exactly? Is he a student?” Gu Xuexuan’s gossip-loving soul began to burn with curiosity.

“He’s a university student, already in his second year. Oh, and he’s from Nan’an University of Technology.”

“Oh, so he’s a top student too!” Gu Xuexuan practically vibrated with excitement. “What does he look like? Is he tall? Is he handsome?”

“He’s quite tall, probably around 1.8 meters. As for his face, I’m not sure how to describe it, but he was very pleasant to look at.” Bit by bit, Lin Duo reconstructed the image of Yuan Dingchu from her memories into words.

“And then? And then? Do you have his contact information? Have you seen him again?”

In truth, Lin Duo did have Yuan Dingchu’s phone number. But out of various considerations, she told a lie. “No, we just parted ways like that and never saw each other again.”

“Oh, I see…” Gu Xuexuan’s face fell in disappointment.

“You’re not just making someone up to trick me, are you?”

“Of course not! If I’m lying, I’m a puppy!”

Amidst their casual chat, the two arrived at the familiar T-junction, parting ways with a touch of reluctance. Back at the fruit shop, Lin Duo, as always, helped out with the business first.

Around seven in the evening, as the customer flow dwindled, Lin Duo prepared to head upstairs to study. Just then, a familiar, plump figure entered the shop, panting heavily. His eyes lit up upon seeing Lin Duo. “Oh my, what a coincidence!”

Lin Duo was equally surprised. “Wang Linshu? What brings you here?”

Wang Linshu tried to calm his heavy breathing. “Grandma needed a few fragrant pears for her fruit porridge, so she sent me out to buy them. And I just happened to find your place.”

Of course, Wang Linshu wouldn’t tell anyone that he had volunteered for this shopping trip himself.

Lin Duo blinked. “I see! So why are you so tired?”

“Hehe, Grandma needed them in a hurry, so I rushed over, following the map navigation.”

Nor would Wang Linshu tell anyone that he had already walked past nearly ten fruit shops on the map navigation before arriving at this one.

“Look how tired you are! Sit down and rest for a bit,” Lin Duo said, proactively moving a chair from near the cash register for him.

Wang Linshu plonked himself down, then looked up, forcing a smile. “What a coincidence, truly! It’s rare for me to come out for fruit, and I end up at your family’s shop.”

“It really is quite a coincidence. Wait a moment, you’ve worked up quite a sweat. Let me wipe it for you.” Lin Duo pulled a tissue from her apron pocket and carefully wiped Wang Linshu’s face.

Lin Duo’s hands were small, yet remarkably fair and delicate, with slender fingers. Wang Linshu’s gaze couldn’t help but follow her beautiful, clean little hand as it moved.

After wiping his sweat, Lin Duo tossed the tissue into the wastebasket and said, “Fragrant pears, right? I’ll go pick out some sweet ones for you. Just wait here for a moment!”

While Lin Duo was selecting pears, her adoptive mother, Wu Bijuan, finished cutting sugarcane for a customer and returned to the shop. She immediately noticed the style of Wang Linshu’s school uniform. “Are you Duoduo’s classmate?”

Wang Linshu quickly stood up, a hint of nervousness in his posture. “Hello, Auntie!”

From where she was packing pears, Lin Duo added, “This is my deskmate, and his grandfather is Uncle Wang.”

“Uncle Wang’s grandson?” Wu Bijuan paused for a moment, then a smile bloomed on her face. “Oh my, what an esteemed guest! Duoduo, don’t charge him for these pears. And, peel an apple to treat our little guest.”

“Alright!” Lin Duo skillfully packed the fragrant pears and set them aside. Then, she picked out a large, rosy apple and, right in front of Wang Linshu, began to peel it. Not once did the knife break the peel, and the apple’s surface was remarkably smooth, as if it had fallen from the tree in that perfect state.

Wang Linshu was utterly captivated by her little display of skill. “Lin Duo, you’re amazing!”

Perhaps to compensate for her lack of physical strength, heaven had blessed Lin Duo with a pair of exceptionally nimble hands. Even Yue Renhui, who had been in the fruit business for decades, couldn’t peel an apple with such finesse.

Lin Duo had, in fact, been showing off a little, and now she naturally felt even more pleased. “Hmph, I might not be as good at basketball as you, but I’m much better at peeling! Here, eat it!”

For reasons unknown, Wang Linshu didn’t reach out to take the apple. Instead, he slightly parted his lips. “I’m so tired. Could you feed me?”

“Feed you? You really are lazy.” Lin Duo didn’t think much of it. She cut a piece of flesh from the apple with her fruit knife, bent down, and used the tip of the blade to bring it to his lips. “Come on, open wide, ah—”

“Ah—” Wang Linshu obediently opened his mouth like a patient at a doctor’s office and slowly swallowed the apple piece. Though it was just a simple apple, it tasted as sweet as honey upon his tongue.

Unfortunately, this pleasant moment didn’t last long. A customer began politely demanding assistance. “Where are all the staff?! Hurry up and cut me a pineapple! If you don’t hurry, I’ll burn your shop down!”

Her adoptive mother was busy at the cash register, unable to leave. Lin Duo reluctantly set the remaining apple aside. “As you can see, I have no choice. I need to attend to that customer. Please wait for me.”

A minute later, Lin Duo returned, having finished her task, and shook the fruit scraps from her apron. “So, the pears are picked. Is there anything else you need?”

Having no prior romantic experience, Wang Linshu couldn’t think of any new excuse to linger. He stood up. “Well… I’ll head back now. See you at school tomorrow. And, um, thank you. I’ll definitely come here often to buy fruit from now on!”

After he had walked away, Wu Bijuan approached Lin Duo, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Duoduo, tell me honestly, what do you think of that boy?”

“Hmm… He’s quite nice, very friendly. Oh, and he’s really good at math; I often ask him for help with problems I can’t solve.” Lin Duo’s impressions of Wang Linshu were limited to these observations.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else?” Wu Bijuan specifically asked again.

Lin Duo thought carefully once more. “No, I don’t think so? Mom, why do you ask?”

“Hmph, well, what can I say when my daughter is so pretty!” Leaving Lin Duo with that cryptic remark, Wu Bijuan went back to cutting sugarcane for a new customer.