Time slipped away quietly as they solved problems.
As the bell for the end of the evening study session rang, Shen Yuan put down his pen and stretched luxuriously.
He stuffed the test paper into his schoolbag, and the zipper made a soft sound as it closed.
"Li Bao, time to head home."
"Always rushing me."
After stuffing what she needed into her schoolbag, Li Zhi tossed it to Shen Yuan. "Since you're in such a hurry, you can carry it."
"As if I don't carry it for you every time," Shen Yuan said, standing up with both schoolbags.
The lights of the academic building were still bright, and the two of them followed the flow of people down the steps.
The early autumn wind swirled up a few fallen leaves that brushed past their feet. Their shadows stretched long and then grew short under the streetlights.
They walked in silence through the school gates and rounded a familiar street corner.
Smelling the familiar aroma drifting from the street, Shen Yuan paid it no mind.
