Summer Heartbeats

[After I finish Dear Mom, I might write this next. A short story for a change of pace.]

Xu Yun couldn't keep up with the rat race in the big city. After much soul-searching, she returned to a small third-tier city to lie flat. She took over a little cafe, supporting herself and enjoying life.

Life in the small city was carefree, and she was already living like a retiree.

The only downside was that her mother kept urging her to get married and arranging blind dates every so often.

One day, her mother brought up blind dates again at the cafe. Xu Yun made coffee by hand and replied distractedly without even looking up:

"If you really want me to go on a blind date, fine. Get that tall, skinny dentist across the street to come over, and I'll go."

Before she had even finished speaking, the doorbell chimed.

The tall, skinny dentist walked right in.

Xu Yun: "..."

-

Later, the two of them really did sit down for a blind date.

Xu Yun explained awkwardly, "Really, it was a misunderstanding that day."

The dentist's expression was warm, and his voice gentle and easygoing. "Mm, I understand."

Xu Yun had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that lovely voice say, "Today is real. It'd be nice if things were real from now on, too."

Xu Yun: "???"

-

Xie Lü never imagined that the girl he'd glimpsed at seventeen would meet him again at twenty-nine.

This summer, not even the sweltering heat could stop

that long-delayed love, more than a decade in the making.

Saved on May 5, 2023

Theme: Learn to live.