Emily Carter suddenly looked at Brian Ford strangely: “Little Brian, you actually know how to use idioms now!” Her expression and tone were just like seeing a baby who hadn’t even reached one month old already able to walk.

Brian Ford’s hand went limp, and he almost toppled over. He shouted at Emily Carter in annoyance, “I... Do you really think I’m an idiot?”

Emily Carter wasn’t about to back down and immediately shot back, “Aren’t you?”

Brian Ford was just about to retort, straightening his back, but then he remembered how he always ranked last or second to last in every exam, and really couldn’t find any reason to refute Emily Carter’s words. For a moment, his back slumped and he fell silent.

Emily Carter also realized that what she’d just said was a bit much. When they were alone, she would call Brian Ford an idiot, but she’d never called him a moron. Literally, “idiot” and “moron” mean the same thing, but in tone and implication, they’re worlds apart.

Now, everyone called him useless, a moron, and he never argued back. But Emily Carter knew that was because Brian Ford was tired of arguing. Ever since kindergarten all the way through middle school, he’d been arguing, but no one ever changed their opinion of him just because he disagreed. A moron was still a moron, and useless was still useless. Brian Ford had once thought about proving he wasn’t a moron, but after trying so hard and still failing to learn things that seemed simple to Emily Carter, he gave up. Maybe he really just didn’t have a talent for studying?

It wasn’t just academics—no matter what kind of sports activity, he was always among the last few. His drawings could make the art teacher cough up blood, and even he couldn’t stand his own singing. How could such outstanding parents have a son like this?

No matter how others saw Brian Ford, she, Emily Carter, couldn’t look down on him. No matter what, she had to encourage this childhood friend “idiot.” What she’d just said was really too much, but a girl’s pride wouldn’t let her apologize directly, so she had to find an excuse to change the subject.

She looked up and happened to see the clouds in the western sky.

“Little Brian, look!” Emily Carter excitedly pointed at the sky ahead.

Brian Ford looked up. The sun was setting in the west, and the western sky was much more spectacular than the east. The clouds hung at the edge of the sky, golden rays of sunlight streaming down—some shining directly onto the earth, others blocked by the clouds. The clouds that blocked the sunlight became two-toned—golden on top, gray underneath. Even with clouds in the way, the rays still shone through the gaps and edges, and Brian Ford could clearly see strands of golden light in the air.

“So beautiful...” Emily Carter stopped her bike, staring blankly at the sky. She’d meant to distract Brian Ford, but now she was truly captivated.

Brian Ford stopped his bike to keep Emily Carter company, silently watching the sky.

“Little Brian, I remember when you were little you told me you really wanted to go up and see what’s above the clouds, right?” Emily Carter stopped looking at the clouds and turned to look at Brian Ford.

Brian Ford was stunned. “When did I ever say that?”

“Don’t pretend! After watching Doraemon, you told me you wanted a bamboo-copter to fly up and see if there’s a country in the clouds.” Emily Carter pointed at Brian Ford, exposing his old secret.

Brian Ford blushed, but luckily everything was tinted red by the sunset, so Emily Carter couldn’t tell. Still, he felt embarrassed, so he launched a counterattack: “And you have the nerve to tease me? Didn’t you watch Transformers and then go on and on about wanting to transform? Who would’ve thought that the wild tomboy from back then would turn into a...” He turned his head and happened to see Emily Carter’s shy expression, and for a moment he was so stunned he forgot what he was going to say.

So, on the way home, the two of them remained silent and awkward...

※※※

When William Reed learned that he’d be taken out to have fun during the National Day holiday, he was so happy he almost knelt down to the two of them again. You could tell from his beaming face that this week had really stifled him.

He firmly remembered all the things Emily Carter and Brian Ford told him to pay attention to, and even recited them back to prove he’d really remembered. After they got back, Emily Carter, who hadn’t smiled once, was finally amused by William Reed’s cuteness, and Brian Ford expressed his dissatisfaction with a heavy nasal grunt. Emily Carter immediately turned to glare at him, and he didn’t even dare to hum again. William Reed was also amused by the two of them, and over time, he wasn’t as reserved as when he first arrived.

“Um, I’ve been hearing you both mention ‘National Day’ a lot lately. May I ask, what does ‘National Day’ mean?” Once Emily Carter and Brian Ford stopped bickering, William Reed voiced his question.

Every time William Reed so respectfully asked a question, Emily Carter liked to shake her head and put on the air of a teacher before answering: “Confucius once said...” Ever since she met the “One Hundred Thousand Whys” William Reed, Emily Carter had found a use for this famous line from a certain martial arts drama. “National Day, as the name suggests, is the holiday celebrating the founding of the country. The full name of the country you’re in now is: ‘The People’s Republic of China.’ It was officially founded on October 1st, 1949, so October 1st is our country’s birthday.”

“The People’s Republic of China... Song...” William Reed muttered to himself.