Long Days with You

Jiang Miaomiao grew up in a small mountain village with her great literary scholar of a grandfather.

Then, when she started high school, she left the little town on the Tropic of Cancer and moved in with Aunt Xu, a friend of her mother's.

She would always remember that afternoon, when a boy stood outside the school gate with an umbrella.

His clear, bright voice carried a hint of laziness as he gently called her "Xiaoxiao," a smile in his eyes.

At Aunt Xu's suggestion, he casually called her "Xiaoxiao," while she earnestly called him "Big Brother."

But there seemed to be a touch of girlish affection mixed in. Only after that secret crush came to nothing did she finally let go.

Jiang Miaomiao always thought that she and Xu Shen could just about count as childhood friends who had met halfway through life.

In other people's eyes, Xu Shen and Jiang Miaomiao were a harmonious, complementary "brother and sister" pair.

One was pursuing a direct PhD at Tsinghua, distant and polite, and independent in everything he did. The other had terrible grades in high school science, but was gentle and sweet, a well-behaved girl.

Their only thing in common might have been their stunning looks.

Xu Shen and Jiang Miaomiao's constant bickering looked perfectly harmonious to everyone else.

Just looking at Xu Shen's refined, radiant appearance made Jiang Miaomiao feel less like a stranger to this brother who had joined her family halfway through life.

But Xu Shen questioned her in a flat voice: "This physics test is out of 20?"

Looking at the glaring red "20" on her paper, Jiang Miaomiao thought she still had a lot to learn...

Jiang Miaomiao went out to eat with an older schoolmate, and Xu Shen brought along a classmate and followed close behind.

They entered the restaurant one after the other.

He ordered at an unhurried pace, then added, "Send the sweet-and-sour ribs and salted egg yolk corn to table three."

Jiang Miaomiao glanced at Xu Shen's table with her beautiful eyes: ...

Xu Shen went to play basketball with his friends, and Jiang Miaomiao went along for an outing at Aunt Xu's suggestion.

A group of boys battled fiercely for the ball on the neighborhood basketball court, while Jiang Miaomiao sat obediently to one side and watched.

But the person she cheered for was Jiang Ting: "Go, Jiang Ting! Go, Jiang Ting!"

During halftime, Xu Shen seemed to glance at the girl from the corner of his eye. He pressed the tip of his tongue against his palate and chuckled.

Jiang Miaomiao looked up, smiled slightly, then lowered her head again.

"I am among the mountains and rivers, love is in the streams, and you are in the clouds and mist." (From Happily Ever After)

This is Xu Shen's three-line poem.

Reader's guide:

1. The male and female leads are not biological siblings; their parents simply know each other.

2. Just enjoy the story. There's no need to read too much into it.

3. If you have opinions about the plot, please comment politely. Personal attacks are not welcome.

Theme: Life is short, so just follow your heart.