Everyone arrived at the opening ceremony site of the resort and found that it was still early, and there weren't many tourists around yet. The stage, decorated with ribbons and balloons, was empty, and the staff was doing the final adjustments.
"Looks like we still have to wait a bit." Kiana stretched lazily, "How about we go look around first?"
Ivana immediately raised her hand, looked mischievously at Sirin, and said, "I propose that we take advantage of this free time to have last night's loser treat us to milk tea! Speaking of... last night, someone lost the worst~"
Sirin's little face instantly turned bright red, and she stubbornly said, "Who… who said I lost! That was a tactical retreat!"
"Oh? Really?" Ivana raised her eyebrows and said, "Then who was it last night that got so mad from losing too much they wanted to throw the Chess board into the Pacific Ocean?"
Hearing this, Sirin's face got even redder.
Then, she sneakily glanced at Van, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"Then… then Van will come with me to buy it!"
Saying that, Sirin grabbed Van's sleeve and looked up with a pitiful expression.
"I can't carry that much milk tea by myself…"
Looking at this girl who was fierce one second and acting pitiful the next, Van couldn't help but laugh.
He naturally understood Sirin's little intentions, but he didn't expose her.
"Okay, I'll go with you." Van rubbed Sirin's head.
Over here, seeing Van agree, Sirin was instantly overjoyed inside.
This sudden alone time made all her frustration from losing the game earlier fly straight to the clouds.
Sirin even started calculating how she could 'deliberately' lose to Van next time.
Looking at the backs of the two as they left, Ivana suddenly showed a sly smile.
"Hey hey, what do you think… could that girl Sirin be taking the chance of buying milk tea to secretly do something to the old man?"
After saying that, she deliberately nudged Kiana with her elbow, "Kiana, what do you think?"
Kiana tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "It's fine~ We've spent way more time with Van than Sirin has."
Saying that, she started counting on her fingers.
"The days back in school, and going to the arcade with Van the day before yesterday… even soaking in the hot spring together yesterday…"
Raiden Mei lightly nodded when she heard that.
"Yes, the hot spring last night… was very comfortable."
When she said those last few words, her voice unconsciously lowered, and her cheeks were slightly red.
"Mm… I think so too." Fu Hua adjusted her glasses and said softly.
Hearing this, Ivana unwillingly leaned toward Kiana and stoked the fire, "But Kiana, up until now, you haven't spent any time alone with Van, right? Don't you feel anxious?"
Kiana blinked her sky-blue eyes and said lightly, "Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't! I believe in Van, and I believe everyone will give me a chance too!"
These words were spoken openly and sincerely, even the always trouble-making Ivana was stunned.
She stared at Kiana for a while, then finally held her forehead and said helplessly, "Kiana, you…"
'Truly, the naturally straightforward always counters the scheming black belly, this rule always holds.' Ivana thought to herself.
———
On the other side, Van and Sirin walked side by side along the resort's small path.
"Speaking of which…" Watching Sirin hop along excitedly, Van smiled and said, "It's been a long time since the two of us went on a walk like this. The last time was…"
Sirin's footsteps paused slightly, and warm memories immediately surfaced in her mind.
Even though she was in an illusory dream back then, that time was indeed the happiest days for her.
Whether it was the snowy streets, the two of them holding the same umbrella...
Or in a warm room, eating dinner together...
Or even those nights they spent alone in the same room…
Thinking of these, her cheeks unconsciously turned red.
But after a while, Sirin suddenly snorted coldly and turned her face away.
"Hmph~ I thought that during this time, gege had been dazzled by Kiana and the others and completely forgotten about what we had~"
Although Sirin's tone was filled with complaint, her fingers secretly tugged on Van's shirt hem.
Looking at this tsundere jealous expression of Sirin, Van couldn't help but laugh and said,
"Alright, Sirin, that's my fault. I should've come to find you as soon as you got your memory back~"
Hearing this, Sirin's expression softened a lot, and she muttered softly, "Alright~ I'm not the kind of unreasonable girl, I understand gege's difficulties too. What I wanted to say is just..."
At this moment, a group of children suddenly ran past playing and chasing each other.
Sirin's attention was all on Van and didn't notice them at all.
"Watch out!"
Van reacted quickly and grabbed Sirin's shoulders, pulling her into his arms.
Sirin only felt the world spin, and the next second she was pressed against Van's chest.
She could clearly hear his strong heartbeat and smell his familiar scent.
After the kids ran off, Van let go and asked with concern, "Sirin, are you alright just now?"
Looking at Van's side profile under the sunlight, Sirin's mind went blank.
Facing Van's repeated question, she mechanically nodded.
So the two of them continued walking toward the milk tea shop.
After a while, Van curiously asked, "By the way, what were you about to say just now?"
Van's question reminded Sirin of the earlier scene, and her face turned red again.
"N-Nothing!" Sirin quickly shook her head and said.
Van smiled and rubbed her head, "Then let's quickly buy the stuff. The resort's opening ceremony is about to start. Weren't you looking forward to it?"
Sirin nodded and was about to walk forward when suddenly she heard Van's voice from behind,
"By the way… Sirin, if we get the chance, let's take a walk together like before again, alright?"
This sentence was like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of memory.
Sirin seemed to see the snowy scene of Siberia again, saw that back always walking on the outside to block the wind for her...
Her eyes lit up instantly, but she quickly turned her head and pretended to be calm,
"Hmph~ I've grown up already, I wouldn't be looking forward to something like that!"
But right after she said that, she added in a low voice, "But if… since you're the one who offered… then I guess it's not like I'm totally against it..."
After finishing, she quickly walked ahead, afraid Van would see her flushed face, but the slightly upturned corners of her mouth just wouldn't go down.
As the two chatted and laughed, they arrived at the milk tea shop entrance.
Pushing open the door, a fat brown cat suddenly darted out from their feet, nimbly jumping into the shade under a tree.
Van was stunned for a moment. He felt this cat looked kind of familiar.
Just then, a soft, sticky voice rang beside Van's ear.
"Hey little bro, could you please open the door for me? I'm kinda scared to open it myself…"
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