Summer Leaves 2

Song Xiaoxiao's nagging continued.

"Even if you don't want to cling to rich people, you should at least find someone from a family with good conditions."

Xia Ye weakly said, "I can only dance, and even then, my teacher said I don't have talent. Where am I supposed to find someone with good conditions?"

"You're stupid!" Song Xiaoxiao, angry at her lack of ambition, gently poked Xia Ye's forehead. "If you had a really good job, like a civil servant, doctor, or someone with a stable career, plus your looks and figure, you wouldn't just be looking for someone from a family with good conditions.

It's precisely because your job isn't good that you're settling for less. If you truly want an ordinary life, you can find someone with a house, a car, and a financially comfortable family.

Do you understand? You're nowhere near the point where you need to look for that kind of person.

You can't downgrade yourself!"

"But... but look at those guys who come to the board game cafe. What are they like? Their eyes are always wandering over me, but Lin Yuan isn't like that. He just talks to me straightforwardly."

"Oh my god," Song Xiaoxiao had a speechless expression. "If men aren't after our looks, what are they after? Are they after the fact that we can't do laundry or cook? And what do you mean Lin Yuan is different? The more he acts like that, the more hypocritical he is."

"I, I didn't believe it before. But after interacting with him a few times, I just feel like he's different." Xia Ye still insisted on her opinion.

"Hmph~~, dare to make a bet with me?" Song Xiaoxiao said confidently.

"Bet what?"

"I bet your number one delivery brother is just pretending."

"How do we bet?"

Song Xiaoxiao ran a hand through her hair, looking at Xia Ye with a charming expression. "For my sister, I'll sacrifice myself and test him for you."

"No!" Xia Ye blurted out.

"Why are you so anxious? Don't you have confidence in him?"

Xia Ye thought carefully for a long while. "What if he finds out? Will he be angry with me?"

Song Xiaoxiao smiled slightly, looking as if she understood everything. "You want me to test him, don't you? Ah, for my sister, I'll make the sacrifice."

"Then how do you plan to test him?"

"Hmm~~, you two have dinner plans tomorrow, right? I'll tag along. Then I'll find an opportunity to be alone with him and test him."

"Then when the time comes, don't go too far, okay?"

Song Xiaoxiao angrily retorted after hearing this, "Xia Ye, I'm the one making the sacrifice, okay? Why aren't you concerned about me?"

"I, I believe Lin Yuan wouldn't do that."

"Heh~~, pure as a lotus. Saying one thing, meaning another."

After some playful banter, the lights in the small room finally went out.

Song Xiaoxiao's soft breathing echoed in Xia Ye's ears, but it wasn't that that kept her awake; it was what Song Xiaoxiao had just said.

If it had been when she first entered university, Xia Ye would have definitely thought: feelings are more important than anything else.

At that time, she didn't feel any pressure from life. If her living expenses weren't enough, she would call home and ask for money. She didn't even fully understand her family's financial situation.

Later, in her sophomore and junior years, she gradually deepened her understanding of money, and the disparity in others' eating, clothing, and spending habits made Xia Ye realize the fact of her humble background.

Students in the art department generally came from good family backgrounds. There weren't many children from ordinary families like hers, and the only one from a worse background than her was Song Xiaoxiao.

Song Xiaoxiao even earned her freshman year tuition herself, and throughout her four years of university, due to her bad reputation, she was often intentionally or unintentionally shunned by her classmates. Xia Ye was one of the few people willing to associate with her.

Perhaps it was because birds of a feather flock together; she and Song Xiaoxiao became close by sharing online shopping discount strategies.

However, even in today's bustling society, there is still a wall between the campus and the outside world, even if that wall is extremely low. That wall couldn't stop people like Song Xiaoxiao, who had already been through the wringer in society, but it provided an opportunity for Xia Ye, who was still in school, to bury her head in the sand.

Therefore, even if Xia Ye's confusion didn't suddenly appear the moment she graduated, and even if she had worried countless times about her future while studying,

as long as she was still within the wall, she could find reasons to delude herself with the living expenses provided by her parents and the inexpensive prices at the cafeteria.

Until that day, she graduated.

Her parents told her, "Daughter, you've finally finished university. Dad and Mom are going to find an easier job now." At that moment, Xia Ye was too embarrassed to ask for living expenses again. She also didn't dare to go back to her hometown.

When she was sad, she would hide alone and cry.

'Why is making money so hard?'

In the past, Xia Ye couldn't understand why there were so many young girls online willing to wiggle their butts in public. At that time, Xia Ye thought: even if she were given a lot of money, she wouldn't do it.

But after many job rejections, and eating takeout alone in her dorm, unable to stop her tears from flowing, after all that, Xia Ye finally couldn't help but ask Song Xiaoxiao about ways to make quick money.

But when she actually went to that board game cafe, every time she put on that maid outfit, she felt as uncomfortable as if her whole body was covered in thorns. She felt as if she could see her parents' disappointed eyes.

Struggle and confusion have permeated Xia Ye's life since graduation, right up to now.

After meeting Lin Yuan, it wasn't as if all of that ceased to exist. Rather, Lin Yuan reminded Xia Ye of the things she once believed were right, the teachings her parents had given her since childhood.

Calming down, Xia Ye finally had to admit in her heart: she really seemed to have treated Lin Yuan as a spiritual lifeline.

Although Song Xiaoxiao was also good to her, if she let Song Xiaoxiao comfort her, Song Xiaoxiao would definitely suggest, "A woman, while she's young..." But Lin Yuan was different. Even if Lin Yuan didn't comfort her, he exuded a kind of unyielding tenacity. This gave Xia Ye a sense of recognition.

But even so, Xia Ye still had to consider a very realistic problem—Song Xiaoxiao was right, it's really hard to survive by delivering takeout.

Xia Ye had a headache. If Lin Yuan had a better job, at least an average income would be fine.

But why should she think like that? Why did she have expectations for Lin Yuan?

Xia Ye's head ached from thinking, and she was almost insomniac.

She had to work the next day, so Xia Ye could only force herself not to think about these things.

Just as Xia Ye was tossing and turning, a message notification popped up on her phone.

"It's not hard, I'm used to working overtime."

It was a message from Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan had modified some code for the special situation at Nine Minutes Sweet Milk Tea Shop. After finishing his work, he saw the message Xia Ye had just sent him, so he casually replied.

For IT professionals, especially young IT professionals like Lin Yuan, overtime? Are you kidding? Overtime doesn't exist in an IT person's dictionary. The chirping of insects in the summer night is our battle song, the early morning is when our combat power is strongest, and the stars in the sky guide our coding direction.

Night, it gives me boundless stillness, it is the background color of my IDE, allowing me to write code undisturbed.

Of course, Xia Ye wouldn't know any of this. She just thought Lin Yuan had only just gotten off work at this hour.

"You're really working too hard. Go to sleep quickly."

Lin Yuan didn't expect that it was almost two in the morning and that girl was still awake.

"Why are you still awake?"

"You're not asleep either."

"I'm going to sleep, I'm too tired."

"Okay, I'm having insomnia."

"Insomnia? Sounds so luxurious."

Xia Ye feigned anger, muttering to herself, "Luxurious my foot, it's all because of you."

"I have to work three jobs tomorrow, I almost want to cry. God, please let me fall asleep."

"Playlist: Sleep Aid Divine Songs Collection."

Lin Yuan sent Xia Ye a playlist. "Tested and very effective, I recommend you try it."

Writing code is mentally taxing, and after lying down, one needs to calm down quickly. Lin Yuan had tried many lullabies, but ultimately felt this set was the most helpful for sleep.

"Wind and rain sounds, the world is desolate, giving you a free dream. Goodnight!"

Xia Ye put on her headphones, and immediately heard the rustling of strong winds blowing through the trees, and the sound of raindrops dripping from the eaves. It sounded like a bustling tranquility.

She closed her eyes and listened carefully for a while, as if she had returned to that carefree rainy afternoon of her childhood. She sat on a small stool, giggling and catching the rainwater flowing from the eaves with her hands...

"Voice: 2''"

Xia Ye personally said goodnight to Lin Yuan.