Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she adjusted her hairstyle and smoothed out the edges of her snow-white dress.
"Mom, I'm going shopping with Han Wenwen! Please let Grandma know when she wakes up!"
Mrs. He was in the kitchen making breakfast. "Qingqing? Are you skipping breakfast?"
"Wenwen and I will buy something to eat on the way! Bye, Mom!"
Xiao Heqing had blossomed into a graceful young woman, her natural beauty gradually coming into full bloom. Compared to her pure and adorable appearance a few years ago, the word "beautiful" finally suited her face. Of course, compared to her best friend Han Wenwen, she felt she fell short in the beauty department. From the day He Qing met her, she noticed that the other girl was growing up to look more and more like an alluring vixen. Han Wenwen didn't have a trace of cute innocence on her face; instead, she possessed an indescribable, captivating aura. The two girls had completely distinct charms.
Xiao Heqing walked to the intersection and waited. Before long, Han Wenwen—wearing a form-fitting pink dress with her long hair draped over her shoulders—carefully sneaked up from behind. Covering Xiao Heqing's eyes, she planted a kiss on her cheek.
SMACK!
"Guess who?"
Startled and blushing, Xiao Heqing gasped. "Wenwen, why are you always teasing me like this?"
"You guessed it!" Han Wenwen giggled behind her hand. Then, she tilted her head and blinked her fox-like eyes in a charmingly coquettish manner. "What's wrong with girls kissing each other? If I don't kiss you now, I might not get the chance in the future."
Xiao Heqing helplessly wiped her cheek and gave her a look. "What do you mean you won't get the chance? Didn't you say we were going to the same middle school?"
Han Wenwen linked her arm through He Qing's. "That's right, I'm going with you. But that's not what I meant. I mean, once you start going to school with your childhood sweetheart, where does that leave me?"
Blushing, Xiao Heqing was at a loss for words. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Han Wenwen asked, "Have you talked to him on the phone recently?"
"No, nothing much has happened lately. But I can call him today after we finish walking around the Heart Connection Festival."
The two best friends headed toward the market.
"You're so dedicated to him," Han Wenwen noted. "You tell him every little thing that happens. I'm really curious—just how handsome is he to make you so obsessed?"
Xiao Heqing muttered, "He's alright. He was quite handsome when we were little, but I don't know what he looks like now."
"Huh? Don't you two call each other all the time? Have you never video called?"
"Ah, no, we haven't."
"I'm speechless. You really are a coward," Han Wenwen said, utterly stunned.
Ever since the two girls met at school on a rainy day two years ago, Han Wenwen had sought to repay Xiao Heqing's kindness. Whenever He Qing was assigned classroom cleaning duties, Han Wenwen would stay behind to help. If anyone spoke ill of He Qing, Han Wenwen would join in to snap back at them. Besides, Xiao Heqing's own assertiveness was off the charts, so Han Wenwen was never afraid of her getting angry.
Xiao Heqing, for her part, was the type to repay a drop of water with a gushing spring. Regardless of Han Wenwen's initial motives, being treated well meant being treated well, and she naturally returned the sentiment. Gradually, the two began spending every day together. Over the past two years, they had become inseparable best friends who shared everything, learning a great deal about each other's lives.
The Heart Connection Festival was incredibly lively. The two friends strolled around happily, holding hands or linking arms as they browsed the various stalls.
When they reached a stall selling love letter stationery, Xiao Heqing suddenly remembered something. "Wenwen, were there any more boys who confessed to you this month?"
Han Wenwen bent down to inspect the envelopes, resting her hands on her knees. Every design looked familiar to her. "Yeah, there were. Probably because the Heart Connection Festival is this week. I found three letters in my backpack yesterday."
"Huh? Three? Did you read them all?"
Han Wenwen shook her head. "No. I couldn't be bothered to read about how much they like me. I'm not interested in them anyway." She turned back, curious. "What about you? Has your precious sweetheart ever written you a love letter?"
He Qing replied shyly, "What are you talking about? We aren't at that stage yet. I honestly think he might not even know I like him."
Han Wenwen rolled her eyes at her best friend, completely exasperated. "Do you think boys are completely blind? Sure, some can be a bit dense, but I don't think your sweetheart is an idiot."
"Yeah, he is really smart. He's great at everything."
The two of them strolled around for a long time, making their way from the base of the mountain upward. The Heart Tree was located halfway up the mountain, and it was the busiest spot of the entire Heart Connection Festival. Interestingly, halfway through their walk, a group of boys suddenly rushed out, holding bouquets of flowers as if they had been waiting there all along. The boy in the center offered the flowers and confessed his feelings to Han Wenwen. He looked like a student from another school.
Xiao Heqing let out a long breath. Even she was used to this by now, let alone Han Wenwen.
Sure enough, Han Wenwen playfully yet directly turned him down. "Sorry, I don't like you. But you look quite handsome! There might be other girls who will like you."
After saying that, she pulled a hairpin out of her pocket and offered a beaming smile. "Here, I've worn this before. Consider it a souvenir. We're going to continue our shopping now. Bye-bye."
That was just how Han Wenwen was. Even when rejecting someone, she made sure to compliment them. Perhaps that was why so many boys continued to adore her even after she turned them down.
They finally arrived in front of the Heart Tree. The tall, majestic ancient tree was completely draped in red wish-strings. As a gentle breeze swept past, the red strings fluttered in an absolutely breathtaking display.
It was Xiao Heqing's first time seeing it. Her eyes widened, shimmering with awe. "It's the very embodiment of romance. I heard that a thousand years ago, a couple was separated for some reason, but they managed to find each other again after they each tied a red string to this tree."
"I've heard that story too," Han Wenwen said. "Did you bring your own red string today?"
Xiao Heqing nodded and pulled a red string tied with a small strip of red cloth from her pocket. "I did. What about you?"
Han Wenwen waved the string in her hand. "Of course I did. Let's find a spot to write our wishes. I heard the success rate is higher if you write them right here."
The two friends found an empty spot, crouched down, and began to write.
Xiao Heqing wrote earnestly, "I hope I can meet him soon—and be together forever."
After finishing, she noticed Han Wenwen chewing on her pen cap, staring blankly. "Wenwen, are you still not done?"
"I'm trying to figure out what to write. I've never really thought about what kind of boy I actually like."
Xiao Heqing chuckled. She thought, "Every kind of boy has already confessed to you, and you haven't chosen a single one." Aloud, she added, "Actually, I'm quite curious too."
"Oh, I've got it!" Han Wenwen took the pen and wrote on her red string: "I want my future man to know exactly what I want."
Xiao Heqing looked at it but didn't quite understand. "What does that mean?"
"It means I hope my future boyfriend is someone who shares a profound soul resonance with me."
At that, Xiao Heqing suddenly burst into laughter, and Han Wenwen followed suit. The two of them leaned against each other, giggling and bantering.
Xiao Heqing covered her mouth and smiled. "That sounds so deeply poetic."
They tied their respective red strings to the Heart Tree, binding their wishes to the ancient branches. If someone tied a red string but didn't have a specific crush yet, they could pick up a wooden token from a nearby stand. The token would supposedly reveal the surname of their future boyfriend.
Han Wenwen casually grabbed one. On the token was a single character: "Lin."
Xiao Heqing was pleasantly surprised when she saw it. "Lin?"
"What's wrong?" Han Wenwen asked. "Don't tell me your precious sweetheart's surname is Lin?"
"Yeah, his surname is Lin."
Han Wenwen looped her arm through her best friend's and held the token high in the air. "Well, it looks like we truly are best friends! Even our future boyfriends share the same surname! Do you think he might be your sweetheart's younger brother or something?"
Joking around, the two friends continued to wander hand in hand through the Heart Connection Festival. Up in the tree, their two red strings fluttered in the breeze until they tangled together, as if the wind had tied them into an inseparable dead knot.