"Mom, I'm back!"

  As usual, Wang Jinglu entered the door, put down the key, changed into slippers, and then walked into the living room.

  Wang Jinglu's mother was busy in the kitchen cooking dinner, and upon hearing this, she stuck her head out to take a look and said: "You're back? Wait a bit, dinner will be ready soon!"

  Wang Jinglu responded with a "yeah", put her bag on the living room coffee table, and bounced into the kitchen, leaning against her mother's shoulder, saying: "Mom, I'm hungry... what's good to eat today?"

  Mom glanced at her with a doting look, "I know you're hungry, just wait! Your dad isn't coming back today, so it's just the two of us. But Mom has steamed your favorite meatballs..."

  "Wow!" Wang Jinglu's face showed a greedy expression.

  At this time, her mother pushed her and said: "Okay, okay, go out and watch TV or practice the piano. It'll be fine in a while. Don't bother mom here!"

  "Ah," Wang Jinglu exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen.

  She still bounced and jumped, took her bag to the bedroom, then came back to sit in front of the piano, ready to practice for a while.

  Open the piano lid, fingers lightly fall, a lively melody slowly flows out.

  To say that I learned this as a child, it was really under the circumstances of having no choice but to follow my sister through this door, but later on, she gradually fell in love with the feeling of notes flowing from her fingertips.

  Those joyful, sorrowful, bright and sacred notes could make her completely forget everything around her, letting her fully immerse herself in them, obtaining the most simple pleasure that music has to offer!

  Of course... Not today.

  Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and perhaps many days to come, her heart can no longer hold anything else. The scenes flashing in her mind are only the ones she shared with him on that day.

  Do you have infatuation? Do you have love?

  She doesn't know.

  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

  She just knew that on the day she was with him, she was very happy.

  Although they just watched a few movies that she found somewhat boring that day.

  I still remember when I was a kid, because the two families lived opposite each other, there were always some comings and goings. Maybe the relationship between the two families wasn't particularly close, but kids didn't know about those things. Boys and girls of similar age got to know each other, then they played hide-and-seek together, watched cartoons together, went crazy together, ran together... he made himself cry, he made himself laugh out loud...

  Those scenes, adults must think that in a few years the children will forget themselves, but she knows that she has always remembered. They are all quietly at the bottom of her heart, not turning or moving, but as soon as she thinks about it, those scenes will be as vivid as yesterday.

  Later on, when the little boy and girl grew up and were about to go to school, their parents would instruct them saying: "You're a girl, you need to be more obedient, more honest, don't always play with boys, especially that kid next door, look at how crazy he is every day, so dirty, if you keep playing with him, your dad and mom, sister, teacher, and classmates will all dislike you, got it?

  She knew, she understood, although not as sensible as her sister was at such a young age, but she also started to understand things very early on. She knew that Dad and Mom were indeed not too willing to let her continue playing with that little boy together.

  So unknowingly, they started drifting apart slowly.

  Of course, just estrangement.

  Everyone lives opposite each other, the same age, the same school, it's hard not to meet. Moreover, everyone has known each other for a long time, seemingly since childhood, living in each other's lives, even if they don't usually talk, and sometimes don't even greet each other when they meet, but a smile, a glance, is enough to keep that inexplicable familiarity in their hearts.

  It seems that as long as someone takes the initiative to make a move, everyone will immediately return to their crazy and silly childhood.

  Then, two people attended the same elementary school, then attended the same junior high school, and then attended the same senior high school.

  It should be after the middle school exam, I remember that day was gloomy, it seemed like it was going to rain but didn't, the weather was hot and humid. He rode his bike back home with a basketball in his arms, sweating profusely. She also happened to return home with several classmates after spending a day at Daming Lake. They almost entered the neighborhood on their bikes at the same time, and arrived at the entrance of the building at the same time. He locked his bike, she also locked hers, he went upstairs, she followed him upstairs.

  He is in front and she is behind.

  She seemed to smell the strong sweat on his body.

  "He suddenly said: 'Where were you planning to go for high school?'"

  "My dad said so," she said.

  He grunted and didn't say anything. A moment later, she asked: "What about you?"

  "I'm also from No. 13 Middle School," he replied, "It's what my dad said."

  She let out an "oh".

  "This time he said: 'We haven't played together for a long time, right?'"

  She nodded slightly at first, then realized she was standing behind him and he couldn't see her nodding, so she softly said "uh-huh".

  Then, they arrived at each other's doorstep.

  The third floor is really too short.

  However, when they arrived at the entrance of their home, both of them stopped simultaneously.

  He turned around and she also turned around, they simply looked at each other for a moment, then she quickly shifted her gaze away.

  "It's really hot today, I heard it's 35 degrees. I think even under the fan it's not cool, but on the rooftop, as long as there's wind, it will be very cool."

  She let out an "oh".

  He didn't say anything, and she didn't either.

  The two of them stood still for a moment, and then he spoke up first, "Well, I'll head home first."

  She nodded, "Mm, I'm going home too, goodbye."

  "Goodbye," he said.

  Then after about twenty minutes, he went up to the rooftop.

  Ten minutes later, she also went up to the rooftop.

  It was strange between them, as if there weren't many topics to talk about, so everyone fell silent. Occasionally he tried to bring up a topic, but it was usually him talking for a few sentences, and she would respond with just an "uh-huh" or "oh".

  That day was really hot and there was no wind on the rooftop either.

  But it turned out he didn't cheat anyone.

  There is only wind on the rooftop, which is indeed cooler and more comfortable than a fan.

  Of course, after the strong wind comes the thunder and lightning, followed by a heavy downpour.

  Two people first stretched out their arms against the wind, revealing unrestrained smiles one after another, then hastily retreated back into the corridor in a fluster.

  From then on, they became more and more tacit.

  Or it can be said that they have re-established that tacit understanding.

  Every now and then, the two of them would go to the rooftop to stay for a while. Sometimes he went but she didn't, sometimes she went but he didn't, but it didn't matter. Even when they were both there at the same time, they wouldn't chat much. It seemed like all their words had been said during those childhood years of wild running and laughter, and they no longer needed to say anything else.

  So, just lie on the protective wall and blow gently for a while, it's fine.

  Then later on, when everyone had mobile phones, it became even more convenient.

  He wanted to see her, so he sent her a text message.

  She wanted to see him, so she sent a message too.

  His messages were simple, often just two words: rooftop.

  Her message was even simpler, just a space.

  At that time, they would occasionally chat a few words, but never talked about school or studying. He would talk about how good the martial arts novel he had read recently was, and she would say that she bought a skirt today, so beautiful, so beautiful, I like it so much.

  Then he said, "Alright, go to school tomorrow and wear it for me to see, I'll give you a look."

  She agreed.

  Then the topic was extended a bit.

  His father and mother, her father and mother, and sister.

  And then there's her little mother.

  Later, the young couple who just got married on the fifth floor would quarrel and fight; the old lady on the first floor had a dog named Beibei...and so on. Her sister finally released an album, although it was with four other girls. These boys liked to stare at Teacher Qi...and so on.

  Of course, most of the time, I am silent.

  There were even many times when he, or she came up first, and then another one also came up.

  Neither of them greeted each other or said hello, they just lay on the protective wall and stared blankly into the distance, no one saying a word.

  Maybe ten minutes, maybe twenty minutes, or maybe thirty minutes, when one of them suddenly comes to their senses and says, "I'm going down first, I need to sleep early today," or "I'm leaving, my mom will be looking for me later." The other nods, and this one goes downstairs.

  From head to toe, there was no communication at all.

  But the two people just feel very comfortable this way, so they are happy to continue.

  She didn't know if he would think of other things, such as... the future of the two people. She thought he should have thought about it too, because she knew that she had thought about it herself.

  But they never said anything about it.

  So familiar yet so strange.

  Until that day.

  She didn't know if she was stimulated or what, but her sister insisted that she go to Beijing for high school, and her dad and mom were obviously intentionally matchmaking her with Zhao Yuemin, and so on. Anyway, she suddenly felt a bit panicked.

  So she thought: This can't go on like this anymore.

  Before I knew it, the future was already just around the corner!

  So she said: You can't ignore it!

  So, the first time he said he wanted to go see a movie, she also insisted on going.

  The first time, they each wore one earphone and listened to the same voice coming from the same portable player.

  The first time they sat shoulder to shoulder in a movie theater, watching the same scene from the same film on the screen.

  For the first time, no, it should be said that after re-establishing contact for the first time, they actually talked so much in one day, and they actually spent a whole day together!

  No saying I like you, no saying I love you, no kissing, and even...no holding hands.

  There were several times when she deliberately swung her arms away from her body, expecting the warmth of the moment when her hands collided, while suppressing the intense pounding in her heart.

  It was a suffocating feeling.

  Sometimes it was her hand touching his.

  Sometimes it was his hand touching hers.

  She didn't know if he was doing it on purpose, but she knew for sure that she was.

  Nobody said anything, nobody even showed anything, but it's just... so blissful.

  In the cinema, she held the bucket of popcorn he bought, occasionally putting a handful into her mouth, then nudged him with her arm, and he also reached out to grab a few and put them in his mouth.

  His eyes were fixed intently on the screen, bright and piercing, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if thinking about something serious and important.

  She watched the movie for a while and then him for a while.

  After returning, she even thought that if there were no other disturbances, just that one day would be enough to make her reminisce for a long time. —— Perhaps it should be the same for him?

  As she thought of these things, a sweet smile once again appeared on her face.

  …………

  In the kitchen, Wang Jinglu's mother listened to the completely messy piano sound in the living room and couldn't help but turn around to look over despite being busy.

  Then, she saw the sweet smile on her daughter's face, and suddenly remembered when she first met her father. Then, she couldn't help but sigh.

  "Xiao Lu, dinner is ready!" she shouted.