"Grandma, I've hired a ballet teacher for this summer. I still want to focus on learning ballet, so I won't be able to stay here. Besides, it would be too much of a bother for you," Wang Muman explained her plans.
"Alright, then Grandma can only continue chatting with the rascal," Grandma Yan Cheng sighed. She stood up, went to the living room, and placed some snacks in front of the television. She motioned for Wang Muman to sit on the sofa and for Yan Cheng to go about his business.
The television was tuned to Suzhou City TV's classic summer dramas, currently showing a well-known plot. Wang Muman remembered this show from when she was very young, though she hadn't understood it then. She didn't watch much of it now, preferring the Hong Kong dramas from her childhood, which were all about solving cases.
"Have some watermelon." Yan Cheng cut some watermelon and then sat down to watch with them.
The heat had arrived early and intensely this year. Without air conditioning during the exams, it would be difficult to concentrate due to the heat.
Wang Muman was sensitive to heat; she would start sweating and her face would turn red after standing in the sun for just a moment. Fortunately, she wasn't prone to mosquito bites, otherwise, it would be a double whammy.
Yan Cheng observed that Wang Muman stopped eating after a few pieces, indicating she didn't particularly like watermelon.
"Why isn't Xiao Yu coming this time?" Grandma Yan Cheng asked Yan Cheng. She had thought Zhou Mingyu would come too and had specifically cooked two extra dishes.
"He said his cousin's family invited them for dinner, possibly to celebrate finishing the high school entrance exams."
"Oh, I see. It feels strange without him here this time. I won't be able to finish all the food," Grandma Yan Cheng quite liked Zhou Mingyu. He was cheerful and very lively.
"Grandma, aren't you afraid he'll eat you poor?" Yan Cheng always wondered why Zhou Mingyu didn't gain weight, seeing how he ate next to him.
Grandma Yan Cheng smiled. "It's livelier when he's here. You two are both quiet and don't talk much. If I don't initiate, won't you both stop talking to me?"
Wang Muman put down her chopstick, realizing it was true. She felt a little awkward and turned her attention to the television.
"Then I'll ask him to come tomorrow and liven things up for you, okay?" Yan Cheng knew he was indeed quiet, and his daily work at school required him to speak.
Wang Muman sat with a reserved posture, her hands resting on her lap, looking obedient as she stared at the television screen.
Yan Cheng noticed a red mark on the corner of Wang Muman's mouth. He took a tissue and handed it to her, pointing to her lips.
"Oh! Thank you!" Wang Muman immediately took the tissue and wiped her mouth.
"Do you like saying thank you that much?"
"It's basic courtesy," Wang Muman said seriously after wiping her mouth.
On the television, a voice said, "If I could no longer see, I would rather die. I would rather not live. If I could no longer see, what meaning would this world have for me?"
Grandma Yan Cheng was engrossed in the show and didn't pay attention to their conversation.
"The evening breeze carries your smile, hazy and indistinct, with a one-in-ten-thousand heartbeat in your pupils..." Yan Cheng's phone rang. He picked it up; it was Zhou Mingyu.
"Xiao Cheng Zi, I'll go back and take a quick shower. Then, brother will take you flying all night, okay?" Zhou Mingyu was still panting on the other end of the phone, as if he had been doing something strenuous.
"I think tonight it won't be you doing the carrying."
"Why?" There was a pause on the other end. "Did Sister Man Man get brought home by you again?" Zhou Mingyu asked habitually.
"That won't do. Let Sister Man Man play support. Tonight, I must be carried!" Zhou Mingyu declared loudly before hanging up.
Even Wang Muman heard the last sentence. She glanced at Yan Cheng, feeling a bit helpless.