The weather in midsummer, should not have apricot flowers, and apricot trees are not easy to survive in the Lingnan region. It is said that this is a pioneering achievement of Nan Shan Park in gardening cultivation. Therefore, although it is not spring, this apricot flower festival has also attracted many tourists to flock here.

  Zeng Wei, wearing a bright green dress, was excited from the moment she stepped into Nan Shan Park. Along the way, she chattered and laughed with Ruan Ruan and Zhu Xiaobei, their joyful voices filling the air, and her radiant energy infected the surrounding tourists with the unique flavor of youth.

  "On a spring day outing, apricot blossoms fill the air, whose family's young man on the roadside is so carefree...". Zheng Wei had already begun to recite in a pretentious and elegant tone, holding a stalk of reeds that he had picked up halfway, waving it about.

  Ruan Ruan continued smoothly, "I intend to marry him for life, even if I am heartlessly abandoned, I will not be ashamed..."

  Zheng Wei immediately became displeased, "Pfft pfft, what a great day, why say such things?"

  "What a breeze, all the way here, and it's all uncles and aunts, not even half of them are young people." Zhu Xiaobei took out her camera and snapped photos left and right, couldn't help but feel a bit resentful. "I'm telling you Zheng Wei, are you sure you made an appointment with Chen Xiao Zheng? Is he definitely coming?"

  "Of course." Zheng said with wide eyes, "I even called him last night, he said he would definitely come back, he promised me!"

  "What's the point of cutting it now if he's still nowhere to be seen?" Zhu Xiaobei said with a slap.

  Zheng Wei hastily explained, "Originally I also said to set off from school together or meet at the park entrance. He said Nanshan Park is not that big, we'll run into each other after walking around, no need to wait so deliberately."

  Zheng Wei, Ruan Ruan and Xiao Bei were not locals. Before this, they had never been to Nan Shan Park, which was far from G University. At that time, Chen Xiao was saying on the phone, Zheng Wei also felt that there seemed to be no reason to object, "He's right, how big can this park be? Walking around and running into each other would be great, it would prove that we really have fate!" She convinced Zhu Xiao Bei, who had a mind to watch the excitement, while also convincing herself.

  Originally, she had planned a romantic solo date with Chen Xiao Zheng. According to her original plan, amidst the vast expanse of apricot blossoms, such a romantic scene would surely move his iron-like heart. But who knew that only last night did she find out that he had agreed to meet up, but not alone - he had also invited Old Zhang along. Old Zhang was initially unaware of the situation and thought it had been a long time since they'd gone on an outing together, so he readily agreed. It wasn't until Zheng Wei blew up at him that he realized he might become someone's thorn in the side. To avoid trouble, he wanted to find an excuse to back out, but Zheng Wei later changed her mind. She thought Chen Xiao Zheng had invited Old Zhang along because he wasn't mentally prepared to be alone with her - the timing wasn't right, and having Old Zhang there would only make things worse. Even if Old Zhang didn't come, Chen Xiao Zheng could still find other people to bring along. It was better to have someone reliable like Old Zhang around. So she openly invited Ruan Ruan and Xiao Bei to join them as well. After all, putting aside Chen Xiao Zheng's invitation, the apricot blossoms were also a big draw for young people who loved to play.

  It just so happened that Kaiyang called her last night and said he had borrowed his father's car, and tomorrow he could take them directly to Xinghua Village in Nanshan Park. Zheng Wei was thrilled when she heard the news, as she was the kind of person who would rather sit than stand. Moreover, from G University to Nanshan, they would have to transfer twice on public transportation, and the bus couldn't even take them directly to the park entrance. What a wonderful opportunity! Just as she was about to accept his offer, she suddenly thought of Chen Xiao Zheng. Although young and inexperienced, her instincts told her that this wasn't a good idea. Chen Xiao Zheng must have also taken public transportation to get there, and Zheng Wei didn't want to cast even the slightest shadow on her newly brightened path. So she politely declined Kaiyang's offer. She could hear the disappointment in his voice, but he still asked her how they could meet up at Nanshan Park. Zheng Wei naturally repeated Chen Xiao Zheng's words: "Nanshan Park isn't that big, we'll run into each other as we walk."

  Yes, how big is Nanshan Park anyway? The three of them walked and looked around, with all sorts of vehicles whizzing by beside them, including the park's paid gas-powered cars. Zhu Xiaobei suggested taking a ride, but Zheng Wei strongly opposed it, saying that if they sat in the car, they might zip past Chen Xiaozheng without even realizing it. "What's the point of taking a ride when we can take our time to stroll around the park? You're so uncouth, Pig North! Look at the beautiful scenery along the way, you should learn to appreciate it!"

  I walked and "appreciated" for nearly forty minutes, according to the results of asking for directions, the mountain where the Apricot Blossom Festival is located still has about fifteen minutes of walking distance. Ruan Ruan bought a park map at a small shop she passed by, not knowing that one look would make her jump in surprise: "Nanshan Park consists of 19 large and small hills, with a total area of 5.17 square kilometers, water surface area of 16,447 square meters, green area of 35,000 square meters... This time, the Apricot Blossom Festival is located on Die Xiu Ridge, which is the largest hill in the park, elevation... Ah, you're sure we can meet Chen Xiao Zheng by just 'walking and walking' like this?"

  Zhū Xiǎo Běi's face turned red with rage, "What, 5.17 square kilometers? Chen Xiao Zheng was obviously trying to deceive you! I'm so stupid for following you and being foolish together. Zhèng Wēi, I don't care anymore. When I collapse later, you have to carry me... If anyone dares to stop me from taking the cable car when we go down the mountain, I'll fight them to the death."

  Zheng Wei's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't know what to say anymore. But she firmly believed that she would definitely find Chen Xiao Zheng. With so many people in G University, it was unlikely that they wouldn't run into each other, especially since they had agreed to meet at the park. As long as they were heading in the same direction, how could they not meet? She had brought her hidden glasses today and now opened her eyes wide, unwilling to miss any figure within her line of sight. After complaining for a while, Zhu Xiao Bei was gradually attracted by the strange tropical plants around him and took many photos, while Ruan Ruan breathed in the fresh air with relish. Only Zheng Wei wandered along, searching for that figure with a lost soul, and missed all the scenery along the way.

  About ten minutes later, Zhu Xiaobei looked into the distance and excitedly shouted, "I see apricot flowers!" Ruan Ruan and Zheng Wei looked forward, and indeed a sea of red apricot flowers appeared before them. The three girls laughed and ran towards their destination until they were immersed in that sea of red.

  "It's really apricot blossoms, just like the ones in our old hometown." Zhu Xiaobei picked up her camera and took pictures non-stop, as if she was afraid that with a blink of an eye, all these flowers would wither away. Ruan Ruan had never seen apricot blossoms bloom so luxuriantly before, blooming as if they were pouring out all the beauty and goodness in their lives into this momentary burst of blossoms, without leaving any remaining energy behind. They were breathtakingly beautiful. Apricot blossoms are like blood when they bloom, and like snow when they wither. Zheng Wei walked through the forest, treading on the white petals that covered the ground, but he was nowhere to be found. Why wasn't anyone the person she was looking for? She had come here for him, but without finding this person, what was the point of such a beautiful scene? He had clearly said he would definitely come, and they would surely meet while walking, so why couldn't she even find a familiar figure in the distance?

  A strange gust of wind blew, and the flowers on the branches fell like rain, causing tourists to exclaim in surprise. One intact apricot flower was blown down and hit Zheng Wei's face with force, and Zhu Xiaobei snapped a photo of this moment, unable to help but laugh out loud. Just as Zheng Wei had removed the flower from her face, she heard Ruan Ruan say, "This wind is not right, we need to hurry down the mountain."

  Zhu Xiaobei heard the sound and looked up at the sky, and indeed a large patch of dark clouds slowly floated towards their direction. "Oh no, the weather is changing, comrades hurry to retreat!" She quickly put away her camera and pulled two companions to run down the mountain.

  "No way!" Zheng Wei wailed, "I won't go, I haven't found him yet, how can we just leave like this."

  "You're out of your mind! The weather is about to change and you still have the nerve to look for that unreliable guy?" Zhu Xiaobei stamped her foot.

  "I don't care, you go first if you want to leave, I'm going to find him!" The stubbornness and obstinacy in Zheng Wei's bones came out again.

  Ruan Ruan made a decisive decision, "Let's do it this way. The three of us will take the current position as the center and immediately search for people in three directions. I think this apricot blossom dense area is not too large in terms of area, and most tourists are concentrated here. If Chen Xiao Zheng comes, he definitely won't go too far either. I estimate that big patch of dark clouds won't come over immediately either. We'll set a limit of 15 minutes, at which time whether or not we can find people, we must return to this spot and gather, then immediately head down the mountain."

  Zheng Wei wasn't oblivious to the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, she wasn't stupid and knew Ruan Ruan was right, so she nodded in agreement. The three of them made a simple marker at the original location before immediately dispersing to search in a carpet-like pattern. When time is of the essence, fifteen minutes can pass faster than the blink of an eye. Zheng Wei still refused to give up and when she returned to the original location, Ruan Ruan had found her again, grabbing her hand without saying a word and pulling her back along the original path.

  "Ruan Ruan, are we really going back?" Zheng Wei's voice was already trembling with tears.

  Ruan Ruan looked up at the sky above her head again, "We have to get down the mountain soon, or it will be too late."

  After meeting with Xiao Bei, the three of them quickly ran down to Die Xiu Ridge. The sky had already darkened noticeably, and distant lightning flashed by. The tourists around them scattered in all directions.

  "Oh no, oh no! How unlucky can we be? It was still sunny and breezy when I came out this morning. How quickly the weather changed!" Zhu Xiaobei muttered to himself as he ran.

  Ruan Ruan comforted the two of them, "Don't worry, as long as we make it onto the bus before the rain starts, we'll be fine."

  Zheng Wei was pulled by Ruan Ruan to move forward, her eyes still scanning the tourists walking down the mountain road, she still didn't give up, "What if I just leave like this, what if he comes now?"

  Ruan Ruan didn't speak, while Zhu Xiao Bei hastily retorted, "Will he be as foolish as you? Even if he came, he would have run away long ago!"

  There are always gas cylinder trucks passing by the park, all of which are full of people going down the mountain. They waved their hands to stop them countless times, but not a single car was willing to stay for a moment. Dark clouds have shrouded the entire sky, like a large black pot, pressing down heavily. The wind keeps rolling up sand and stones. What was originally a beautiful park on the outskirts has become a desolate and deserted island, and a storm is approaching.

  Finally managed to get down from the Emerald Ridge, back to the main road of the park. The three girls had completely given up on taking the cable car at this point, as every stop was packed with people. Their only hope now was that the sky would give them a bit of face and grant them some more time, so they could make it to the bus station at the foot of the mountain before the rain started again. As they continued to roll and crawl down the hill, when they passed by a small public phone booth, Zheng Wei couldn't hold back anymore, "No way, I can't go down the mountain like this, I need to make a call."

  "What are you doing calling at this hour? Can't you see the dark clouds are chasing after us?" Little North looked at Zheng Wei like she was crazy.

  "I know, you go first, he clearly promised me it would be fine, I'm not leaving like this!"

  The two people who were in a hurry and had bad tempers reluctantly said: "Hit it, hit it. Looking at the sky, I guess it won't make a difference of just a few minutes anyway."

  Zheng Wei's first call was to Chen Xiao Zheng's dormitory, and his roommate said with certainty that he had left with Old Zhang in the morning, and it seemed they were going to Nan Shan Park. Zheng Wei had just let out a sigh of relief when she became anxious again - if they were still on the mountain now, they must have also encountered the change in weather, and she didn't know what to do. At that time, mobile phones were not popular, but Zheng Wei vaguely remembered that Old Zhang had a pager, so she asked his roommate for the number and called him directly. As she waited for him to call back, her heart was burning with anxiety, watching as lightning flashed across the sky, feeling like an ant on a hot skillet. Fortunately, Old Zhang's response was relatively quick, and two minutes later, the phone rang, and Zheng Wei picked it up to hear Old Zhang's voice, asking in a flurry of words, "Old Zhang, what route did you take? I've been searching everywhere for you and can't find you anywhere - it's infuriating!"

  Lao Zhang dryly laughed a few times, seemingly unwilling to take this hot potato. After a while, Zheng's voice came from the other end of the phone, filled with longing and yearning.

  "Hello?"

  "Chen Xiao Zheng, where are you going?" As soon as she heard his voice, Zheng Wei suddenly felt a wave of grievance surge up.

  "After all, I didn't miss it, but unfortunately, we didn't meet."

  Zheng Wei is now more concerned about this, she asked, "It's going to rain soon, do you know? Where are you? Let's go down the mountain together quickly."

  His voice had a few unexpected tones, "How come you're still on the mountain? I saw that there was a possibility of changing weather and went down the mountain directly. Now I just arrived in the city."

  "What? What did you say?" Zheng Wei asked in a bewildered tone over the phone.

  "I said..." Chen Xiao Zheng's words had not finished, a thunderbolt exploded at the horizon, Zheng Wei was frightened and almost dropped the phone. Ruan Ruan saw her hang up the phone like she lost her soul, and asked in a hurry, "What happened, what did he say?"

  Zheng Wei stared foolishly at Ruan Ruan for a while, then suddenly burst into loud sobs without any warning, "Chen Xiao Zheng... he's already gone down the mountain!"

  Zhu Xiaobei hadn't even reacted to her own crying when a pea-sized raindrop hit her face, stinging her. She touched her face and said, "Oh no, hurry up and run, it's really pouring!"

  The small IP phone booth was nowhere to be found, and the three of them were stuck in a place with no shelter from wind or rain. They were halfway up the mountain on the main road through the park, too far from the village ahead and too far from the shops behind. The sparse leaves of the subtropical trees by the roadside were not a reliable barrier either. At this point, their only option was to grit their teeth and run down the mountain.

  Sprinting had always been Zheng Wei's strong point, and the three of them ran wildly in the rain for a while before suddenly feeling that running any faster would be pointless. The rain was too heavy, and standing in it made them deeply understand what "pouring" meant. In less than five minutes, all three were soaked from head to toe, and there were many others like them on the road who had also been drenched. Cars full of people whizzed by, and those inside were the lucky ones.

  Anyway, it's already messed up, their speed slowed down instead, Zhu Xiaobei took off her jacket and wrapped it around her precious camera, holding it tightly to her chest. Zheng Wei was shaking in the rain, she could no longer tell where her tears were and where the rain was. Since they couldn't be distinguished, what's the point of crying?

  When they finally stood under the bus stop sign at the foot of the mountain, they were completely drenched in the rain and lost for words. Zhu Xiaobei's mind was preoccupied with checking her precious camera, while Zheng Wei cried with a sad face, "Zhu Xiaobei, scold me, it's my fault that you guys got rained on."

  Xiao Bei ignored her until the camera was safe and sound, then let out a sigh of relief. "Who am I scolding? I came with you, which makes me even dumber than you."

  With great difficulty, they squeezed onto the bus and stood in the crowded carriage like sardines in a can, with water dripping from their bodies and pooling at their feet. Unbelievably, as soon as they arrived in the city to transfer buses, the heavy rain stopped, and the scorching sun reappeared, with people on the streets dressed up and dry, as if the torrential rain that had just fallen only existed in the independent space occupied by these three unlucky souls.

  Ruan Ruan tugged at Zheng Wei's sleeve, his expression wooden. "Forget it, let's go back and clean up the mess later. Let's just consider this a realistic flesh wound trick."

  Zheng Wei looked at her muddy canvas shoes and thought to herself, "What a Jade-Faced Little Flying Dragon I am! I'm just a wretched drowned dog!" She muttered under her breath, "This scheme is too bitter, it's unbearable."

  She thought she was invincible, but heaven ridiculed her. Even if her strategy was a hundred times more brilliant than his, what could she do? Those who beg for love exhaust their minds, while those who don't love don't need any means, so he can defeat her without even trying.

  As they entered the campus, all three of them mentally hypnotized themselves not to look at others' strange gazes. The deliberate dressing up before leaving in the morning was made utterly ridiculous by a sudden and inexplicable heavy rain. As they passed under the dormitory building, Ruan Ruan and Xiao Bei walked a few steps up the stairs before realizing that Zheng Wei had not followed them. She went straight towards the boys' dormitory direction.

  "Change your clothes first, anything can wait, or you'll easily catch a cold." Ruan Ruan knew exactly what was on her mind.

  Zheng Wei pretended not to hear, taking three steps as two, and rushed into Chen Xiaozheng's dormitory. Coincidentally, he and Old Zhang were both there. Old Zhang was shocked by Zheng Wei's appearance, his mouth agape in an "O" shape, "Weiwei, you..."

  "Don't speak..." Zheng Wei stopped her as soon as she opened her mouth.

  Chen Xiao Zheng held the book, sitting quietly on the bed, looking at the girl in front of him who was a mess. Her long hair hung down in strands, half wet and half dry, her green skirt clung to her body, so wet that water could be wrung out of it, her canvas shoes were unrecognizable from their original color, she stood tall above him, her chest heaving rapidly.

  He was waiting for her impending outburst of anger.

  Just as Old Zhang thought Zheng Wei was about to pounce on Chen Xiao and tear him to pieces, she finally spoke up, "Is it fun? Let me tell you, I'm not playing along!"

  When she rushed out, she bumped into Xu Kaiyang who was walking towards Old Zhang's dormitory. As soon as Kaiyang saw her, he said: "How did you get soaked like this? I was worried that you would catch a cold in the heavy rain, so I drove around the park for several laps but couldn't find you..."

  "Walk and walk, you'll meet like this, you're such an idiot!" Zheng Wei pushed Kaiyang, who was confused, to the side and ran away without looking back.