Spend Summer Chapter 19

Meteor Wishes

They played and joked all the way, bypassing Central Avenue to reach a detached residential area. It was only then that Shen Wan realized how different the worlds on either side of Central Avenue truly were.

Led by Lin Jiayue and Sang Zhiyu, with Ji Zhao and Shen Wan following close behind, the four of them stopped in front of an apartment building.

The building had three floors and looked like a small villa.

Lin Jiayue strode forward and pressed the elevator button, calling out, “Hurry up, I can’t wait!”

The other three followed her into the elevator, heading straight for the rooftop.

The rooftop was neatly arranged. A tent had been set up with a thick quilt spread inside, and four reclining chairs were placed nearby.

Lin Jiayue flopped onto a chair and stretched comfortably. “This is the life I should be living,” she sighed.

Seeing this, Shen Wan slowly walked over and sat down. The chair was soft and comfortable, equipped with a plush headrest.

As she sat, Shen Wan suddenly realized the vast gap between her and Ji Zhao. This gap wasn’t just in their family backgrounds, but in the way they interacted with the world.

Shen Wan turned her head slightly to look at Ji Zhao’s profile. Ji Zhao had her eyes closed, the moonlight casting a bright, clear glow over her face.

Shen Wan looked up at the night sky. The moon was still bright. From the ground, it looked motionless, but in reality, it had already circled the sun countless times.

Shen Wan let out a breath and whispered to herself in her heart—The sun hangs high, but it’s okay, Shen Wan. You can be like the moon and work hard to chase her.

After relaxing for a while, Lin Jiayue couldn’t sit still anymore. She sat up abruptly and shouted, “Come on, come on, take everything out! Let this young lady see what you all bought.”

Ji Zhao opened her eyes and sat up straight. Her tone was relaxed, but her words were still sharp. “You want to see? Have you forgotten who the boss is?”

Lin Jiayue chuckled and waved her hands in surrender. “Hehe, I’m just trying to liven up the atmosphere! Sister Zhao, you go first, you go first!”

Ji Zhao didn’t respond. Instead, she looked at Shen Wan, signaling for her to speak.

Confused but obedient, Shen Wan asked, “Should we take them out together?”

Ji Zhao nodded in satisfaction and explained, “That’s more like it! Our Wanwan took first place this time; she deserves to be the boss.”

Hearing this, Lin Jiayue gave a thumbs up in agreement. “True. But Sister Zhao, aren’t you targeting me? When will I ever get to be the boss?”

Ji Zhao wagged a finger. “That depends on you. If you work hard and get first place, you can be the boss.”

Lin Jiayue sighed heavily and complained weakly, “Forget it. I know my limits. With you three geniuses ahead of me, how could I ever be first?”

Her words made the other three burst into laughter.

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With a warm expression, Shen Wan took a fruit platter out of her backpack. “In that case, let’s start our… party.”

Ji Zhao immediately raised her hand in agreement. “Wanwan has spoken—the party officially begins! Everyone, take your things out!”

As she spoke, she pulled a drink from her bag. She handed a bottle of coconut milk to Shen Wan and whispered, “I bought this for you.”

Shen Wan looked down and took it, her eyes curving into crescents. Then, she took out the two oranges she had bought and quietly handed them over, also whispering, “I brought these for you.”

Ji Zhao squinted her eyes in a satisfied smile, her body instinctively leaning closer. Even though she was overjoyed that Wanwan had brought her oranges, she pretended not to understand. “Specifically for me?”

The tips of Shen Wan’s ears turned red, and the mole on her earlobe felt hot, but her voice was firm. “Yes, specifically for you.”

Ji Zhao’s mood sparkled like the stars in the night sky. She was incredibly happy about Shen Wan’s liveliness today, and she kept her eyes on her out of the corner of her vision.

Lin Jiayue and Sang Zhiyu exchanged a look, their eyes full of exasperation. Did these two really think they were being subtle? Did they not realize we could see everything?

Eating snacks, drinking coconut milk, and watching the night sky, the balcony lights of the rooftop flickered occasionally. The atmosphere was soft and beautiful.

Lin Jiayue counted down the time. “Three minutes left!”

Shen Wan and Ji Zhao looked at each other and then looked up at the sky together.

The countdown ended with Lin Jiayue’s voice, but the night sky remained as calm as water.

“Ah…” a disappointed cry rang out. Lin Jiayue gritted her teeth. “What? Nothing?”

Shen Wan looked down to comfort her. “It’s okay. Meteors are hard to see anyway. At least we…”

Before she could finish, she felt a touch on her arm. She heard Ji Zhao’s excited voice, “Wanwan, look! They’re here!”

Shen Wan looked up abruptly. Graceful streaks of light cut through the dark night sky, leaving long tails behind.

Shen Wan instinctively looked at Ji Zhao, only to find Ji Zhao looking back at her. Both of them broke into wide smiles.

Ji Zhao said, “Make a wish! Make a wish!” She crossed her hands and closed her eyes.

Shen Wan nodded and closed her eyes, imitating Ji Zhao.

Her thoughts were clear. She prayed silently—I hope Ji Zhao can always be full of smiles. I hope I… can be with her forever.

She opened her eyes and continued to stare at Ji Zhao. Ji Zhao’s eyes were still closed, her ponytail held high. The red mole on her wrist was striking under the afterglow of the meteors.

By the time Ji Zhao opened her eyes, Shen Wan had suppressed the firm obsession in her gaze, replacing it with a gentle smile.

Ji Zhao circled Shen Wan curiously, wanting to know what she had wished for, but she was afraid that asking would prevent the wish from coming true. Ultimately, she suppressed her excitement and curiosity.

After watching the meteor shower, the four of them crawled into the tent. Their hearts were still racing as they chatted about everything under the sun.

Shen Wan didn’t know when she had fallen asleep. She only knew that when she woke up, Ji Zhao was curled up beside her.

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The spring sun rose early. The sky was already bright when Shen Wan woke the other three. After washing up with the disposable toothbrushes they had bought the day before, they returned to school together.

The days that followed were ordinary. Although Shen Jianye still hit and scolded her sometimes, with Ji Zhao around, Shen Wan didn’t feel the bitterness. Her greatest wish every day was simply to see Ji Zhao.

June 1st, Children’s Day. It was an incredibly important date. Shen Wan had never cared about it before, but this time she took it very seriously because it was Ji Zhao’s birthday.

Getting up early and arriving at school, Shen Wan suppressed her anxious heart as she waited for Ji Zhao and Lin Jiayue to arrive.

The moment Ji Zhao arrived, Shen Wan and Lin Jiayue exchanged a look, signaling the start of the plan.

The two of them had already spoken with Li Yuanfang yesterday. She had given them permission to eat out at lunch. The only challenge was how to get Ji Zhao out without her noticing.

Lin Jiayue suggested she pretend to be sick. Although Shen Wan and Sang Zhiyu thought it was unreliable, they agreed.

Thus, during the last period of the morning, Lin Jiayue got into character early, clutching her stomach and constantly fidgeting.

Shen Wan’s throat moved as she swallowed. She blinked nervously and poked Ji Zhao with her index finger, whispering, “Zhaozhao, Jiayue seems unwell.”

Ji Zhao had already noticed. She nodded with a worried expression and said urgently, “School is almost out. I’ll take her to the hospital then.”

Seeing this, Shen Wan quietly held up three fingers, signaling that Ji Zhao had fallen for it and they could proceed to the next step.

As soon as the bell rang, Lin Jiayue frowned deeply and kept crying out, “It hurts, it hurts!”

Ji Zhao quickly stood up and crouched beside Lin Jiayue. “Does it hurt that much? Can you walk?”

Lin Jiayue nodded with feigned difficulty. Leaning on Ji Zhao for support, she stood up and staggered out of the classroom.

The moment the two of them left the classroom, Shen Wan and Sang Zhiyu also stood up. Grabbing their bags and the hall pass, they ran toward the cake shop.

The cake had been ordered yesterday. It was a six-inch red velvet cake decorated with strawberries, looking exquisite and beautiful.

All that was left was to write “Happy Birthday Ji Zhao” on the cake. Lin Jiayue had assigned this task to Shen Wan.

Looking down at the cake, Shen Wan pursed her lips and carefully wrote: Zhaozhao, Happy Birthday.

Out of her own selfish desire, she wrote Zhaozhao instead of Ji Zhao.

Carrying the cake, they arrived at the restaurant. The private room had also been booked yesterday and was already decorated with balloons and flowers, looking beautiful and romantic.

Shen Wan and Sang Zhiyu sat on the chairs waiting for them, looking worried.

Even though she knew Sang Zhiyu felt the same way, Shen Wan couldn’t help but turn and ask, “Zhiyu, do you think Jiayue can pull it off?”

Sang Zhiyu hesitated, not knowing what to say. But seeing Shen Wan’s anxious face, she comforted her, “She can. I believe in Yueyue. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Shen Wan rubbed her hands together and nodded reluctantly, but her eyes remained glued to the door, not even blinking.

The door was pushed open. Shen Wan immediately stood up to greet them, but the person in front of her wasn’t who she expected.

Ji Zhao’s mother, wearing a pink qipao, entered on the arm of a man in a suit. Seeing Shen Wan and Sang Zhiyu, she smiled and said, “Wanwan, Zhiyu, you’re here so early. I told you we should come sooner, but you insisted on organizing those documents!”

She patted the man’s arm with a hint of complaint in her voice before introducing him. “Wanwan, Zhiyu, this is my husband. I think this is your first time meeting him, right? Don’t be afraid; he just looks a bit fierce.”

Hearing this, Shen Wan nodded awkwardly and replied, “Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle.”

Sang Zhiyu followed suit and greeted them.

It should have been awkward for strange adults and children to be together, but Ji Zhao’s mother was a talkative person, so the atmosphere didn’t feel too stagnant.

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On the other side, having successfully obtained leave from Li Yuanfang, Lin Jiayue listened as Ji Zhao used her watch to contact her mother.

Ji Zhao: “Mom, Jiayue’s stomach is upset. Can you come pick us up?”

Ji Mother: “Sure. Is it very painful? Why don’t you start heading toward the hospital? It will take me a while to get there from here.”

Ji Zhao: “Okay, I understand.”

Hanging up, Ji Zhao continued to support Lin Jiayue. “Let’s head out first.”

Lin Jiayue nodded weakly, secretly praising herself. Lin Jiayue, you’re amazing! Your acting is top-notch!

After walking toward the hospital for a while, Lin Jiayue saw the restaurant nearby and slowly stopped.

Ji Zhao asked hurriedly, “What’s wrong? Is the pain getting worse? Should I call for an ambulance?”

For a moment, Lin Jiayue was at a loss. She definitely couldn’t let her call an ambulance! What should she do? What should she do?

Her mind raced. Lin Jiayue said, “No need. I’m just a bit tired. Let’s rest here for a while before moving on.”