Sheng Xia swallowed hard and met his slightly surprised gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “I… I want my essay back.”

Zhang Shu laughed, looking at her flushed face, suddenly wanting to pinch it.

The surrounding classmates: … Hah, they thought it was something important.

Zhang Shu pulled out her essay and handed it over. “Why apologize for wanting your essay back?”

Sheng Xia avoided his questioning gaze. She didn’t want to be like this either, but she wanted to apologize for her rashness and pettiness.

She could only comfort herself this way – she had said it, and he had received it.

“Teacher Wang said we should help each other. If you still need it, I’ll give it back to you after I organize it,” she replied softly.

“Teacher Wang?” Zhang Shu rolled the title around in his mouth before laughing again. “Almost didn’t realize who you meant.”

In the entire Class 6, no one formally addressed Wang Wei that way in private.

Sheng Xia remained silent and began organizing her essay notebook.

Why did he have to laugh like that? Each laugh carried a hint of rebelliousness, forcing air through his nose, his throat humming – brief sounds that gently brushed against the listener’s heartstrings, making them tremble.

After evening self-study, Sheng Xia bought one of Zhang Shu’s error correction workbooks from the North Gate stationery store for fifteen yuan. Wang Wei said almost everyone in the second year had one – calculated this way, the boss had underpaid Zhang Shu those few hundred yuan.

Returning home, Wang Lianhua was waiting in the living room as usual and had made her an egg custard for a late-night snack.

“Mom, our monthly exam results are out,” Sheng Xia said, holding the bowl.

Wang Lianhua nodded, “I saw them on the school app.”

Sheng Xia couldn’t read any expression on her mother’s face and just responded with an “Mm.”

After finishing her snack, Sheng Xia said, “I’m going to study.”

“Xia Xia.” Wang Lianhua called her back.

Sheng Xia sat back down, waiting for her mother’s response.

Wang Lianhua sighed, “I can’t help you much with high school studies. Do you think you need to find some extra tutoring outside of school?”

Previously, Wang Lianhua wouldn’t have asked such questions – she would have just decided. Perhaps she had noticed her daughter’s recent efforts and realized it wasn’t an attitude problem; ability was what it was, and saying more wouldn’t help.

Sheng Xia was hurt by her mother’s helpless expression. She sniffled, “Mom, I already feel like I don’t have enough time. If I add tutoring, wouldn’t the time be…”

“Then what’s your solution? What measures do you have?” Wang Lianhua asked. “If you don’t catch up now, next semester will be even more difficult.”

Sheng Xia’s throat tightened. “I got an error correction notebook from the top student in class. I’ll study from that.”

“Will that work?” Wang Lianhua’s tone was urgent.

“I don’t know.” Sheng Xia felt powerless. She couldn’t guarantee anything unknown.

Wang Lianhua was deeply worried but couldn’t say more. Finally, she decided: “Let’s see how the next test goes then. If it doesn’t work, we’ll arrange tutoring early. There’s not much time left.”

“Mm.”

“Good girl.”

“I’m going to study now, Mom.”

“Mm, go on. Don’t stay up too late.”

“Mm.”

That night, Sheng Xia was still awake at 2 AM, reading and re-reading Zhang Shu’s error correction workbook.

…

After the monthly exam came the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. The school maintained its usual arrangement: organized collective “self-study” – come if you want.

Naturally, Sheng Xia came every day. When Sheng Mingfeng wanted to take her out for meals, she refused.

Wang Lianhua had said she didn’t have much time left.

The bright red numbers on the countdown board reminded her of the same thing.

During the holiday lunches, the lunch program added a special meal and gave everyone mooncakes. Not many people ate at the shop, and everyone thanked the boss’s wife together – the atmosphere felt just like a family reunion.

Sheng Xia sat between Zhang Shu and Hou Junqi, eating quietly.

She had grown accustomed to this arrangement and no longer rushed through her meals like before. Hou Junqi knew she didn’t like talking while eating and rarely tried to engage her deliberately anymore.

Most of the time, she just listened to their conversations.

“Shu, want to go to the school store later?” Hou Junqi asked.

Zhang Shu said, “No.”

Hou Junqi said, “I want a soda. The mooncakes are too dry.”

Zhang Shu replied, “Oh, the soup won’t do?”

“No way, Shu, were you serious about quitting soda and snacks? I don’t believe it, with your sweet tooth…”

“Really,” Zhang Shu answered flatly.

Hou Junqi thought it unnecessary, “You won’t save much this way?”

Zhang Shu said, “Every bit counts.”

Hou Junqi glanced at Zhang Suxin, and seeing she wasn’t nearby, leaned close to Zhang Shu and whispered, “You’re going to buy that necklace? Damn, it’s super expensive!”

Zhang Shu gave him a side-eye but didn’t answer, focusing on his food instead.

Hou Junqi glanced at Sheng Xia, suddenly realizing there was someone else present. He made a zipping motion across his lips and fell silent.

Sheng Xia felt a bit uncomfortable.

Why couldn’t they just pretend she didn’t exist? Noticing they needed to guard against her halfway through their whispered conversation – was this okay?

However, she remembered how Zhang Shu always had a lollipop in his mouth during self-study. He did seem to really like sweets. And sodas too – he always had cans on his desk, almost one every day. He didn’t like water.

Lately, though, he had indeed been drinking only water.

Giving up snacks and drinks to save money for a necklace for the girl he liked? That must be hard.

Thinking of her previous misunderstanding, Sheng Xia came up with a way to make amends.

…

For the next few days, Zhang Shu’s drawer always contained lollipops and soda.

The lollipops were Fujiya brand, which he usually couldn’t afford, and the sodas were various kinds he liked. One bag of lollipops and one can of soda every day.

At first, Zhang Shu thought Hou Junqi bought them and didn’t think much of it, but after a while, he began to feel something was off. He asked Hou Junqi, “Are you pitying me?”

Hou Junqi was bewildered, “What?”

Zhang Shu pulled out the lollipops and soda from his desk, “Today’s feeding?”

Hou Junqi was even more confused: “What?”

If Hou Junqi were lying, Zhang Shu would know at a glance. So it wasn’t him?

“Don’t know who put them there, been eating them for several days,” Zhang Shu said.

Hou Junqi exclaimed excitedly, “Damn, a secret admirer, bro!”

Zhang Shu thought about it – it was the only explanation. He nodded: “Troublesome.”

Sheng Xia hadn’t heard this conversation as she had gone to get water. When she returned, Xin Xiaohe wrapped an arm around hers and said mysteriously, “Hey, Zhang Shu has another pursuer.”

Sheng Xia wasn’t very interested but still responded, “Really?”

“Yes! And they’re so silly, buying Zhang Shu snacks every day. He doesn’t even know who it is and almost thought it was Hou Junqi. Hahahahaha!”

Sheng Xia: …

Well, this…

She put them in her backpack every day and slipped them into his drawer while everyone was at lunch. It was hard for her too!

And now she was being called silly.

But this was good too. This way, wouldn’t he feel a bit better? Being liked is a happy thing – at least he had accepted her apology this way.

However, over the next two days, she noticed Zhang Shu wasn’t eating what she left. The snacks were piled on the windowsill, and she didn’t know what he planned to do with them.

Had he grown tired of them?

But Sheng Xia couldn’t remember what else he liked to eat. She hadn’t paid close attention before. Should she try things she liked instead?

She wouldn’t keep sending them forever – just until the end of the month. Calculating roughly, it would amount to several hundred yuan – enough to compensate for his emotional damage, right?

…

Summer in Nanli was long and dry. Even in October, there wasn’t a hint of a cool breeze, just like Sheng Xia’s name suggested.

The school’s sports meet was approaching. Held every year in late October or early November, it lasted three days. Third-year students no longer participated in traditional competitive events but needed to attend the opening ceremony and the final half-day of fun sports activities.

“The fun sports are really interesting! There’s three-legged racing, tire crawling, all sorts of things – you’ll see!” Xin Xiaohe explained excitedly.

This was the first time Sheng Xia had heard of such a format.

The school wasn’t just good at academics; they knew how to have fun too.

“Hey, Xia Xia,” Xin Xiaohe said mysteriously, “I heard the teachers want you to be our class’s banner goddess!”

Banner goddess. Although Sheng Xia hadn’t heard this term before, she could guess from the name that it meant the person who carried the class banner in the opening ceremony.

“Ah?” She was surprised – was it okay for a transfer student to carry the banner?

“Zhou Xuanxuan said so,” Xin Xiaohe whispered in her ear. “She carried it last year because she’s the arts committee member. Our class didn’t have any outstanding candidates, so they just picked her. Yesterday in our dorm, we asked her what formal dress she’d wear for the banner carrying this year, and she got really upset, saying it wouldn’t be her this year – Old Wang wants you.”

I see.

Sheng Xia had carried the banner at No. 2 High School too, but somehow it felt different here. “We need to wear formal dress?”

“Of course! Otherwise, how could it be called a goddess? This isn’t just an individual beauty competition – it’s class honor! One beauty elevates the whole class! You don’t know how Class 4 was practically floating in the clouds last year.”

Class 4, Chen Mengyao’s class.

Having spent time with Xin Xiaohe, Sheng Xia could now judge many things from her tone.

For instance, she probably didn’t like her roommate Zhou Xuanxuan.

And, she was very excited about Sheng Xia carrying the banner.

So, Sheng Xia held back her “Can I not do it?”

Besides, it was just speculation – no teacher had asked her yet.

Before the sports meet, they needed to design and make class T-shirts. Most classes chose a color and designed patterns to customize on e-commerce platforms. Sheng Xia hadn’t expected that Class 6’s shirt would be designed by Zhang Shu.

“He designed last year’s too. He’s very good at drawing,” Xin Xiaohe said.

Sheng Xia sighed, wanting to ask the heavens if they had closed any windows for him, or if they’d forgotten.

…

After lunch, Zhang Shu planned to return to the classroom to draw.

Hou Junqi asked, “Not taking a nap?”

“What sleep? Old Wang keeps rushing me, annoying.”

They had just entered the north gate when they saw Sheng Xia cycling out of school.

Hou Junqi said, “I was wondering why we haven’t seen little Sheng Xia at lunch lately. Turns out she’s been studying in the classroom until now. She’s working hard, though she didn’t do too well on the last test, right?”

Zhang Shu laughed, “You have time to worry about others? Do you know where you rank from the bottom?”

Hou Junqi waved his hand, “Well, this is just how I am, you know that. I’m going abroad anyway, and English alone is killing me. The only reason I’m not at the bottom of the school is because I don’t want to embarrass you, so I study a bit.”

Zhang Shu: “None of my business. Study or don’t, just don’t embarrass China when you go abroad.”

“You do have that patriotic worldview,” Hou Junqi said.

In the classroom, Hou Junqi sat in Sheng Xia’s seat playing games while waiting for Zhang Shu to draw. Suddenly, he remembered something and casually said, “Hey, Shu, heard little Sheng Xia is carrying our class banner this year. Her carrying the banner, you drawing – quite a partnership, eh? Not tired of working?”

Zhang Shu kicked his chair, “Don’t talk nonsense in front of others. Haven’t you seen how shy she is?”

Hou Junqi became serious, “I won’t, I definitely won’t.” After a moment, as if realizing something, he jumped up without caring about his game, “Shu, you don’t like Sheng Xia, do you?”

He hadn’t seen Shu so alert when he teased about Chen Mengyao before. Come to think of it, while Zhang Shu seemed indifferent to everything, he was very clear-minded. Chen Mengyao just liked spreading rumors about them, so he couldn’t be bothered to clarify.

When Hou Junqi stood up, his hip bumped into Sheng Xia’s desk, making it shake and causing several notebooks to fall from inside.

As Hou Junqi bent down to pick them up, Zhang Shu suddenly pulled his arm aside and stared at the notebooks for a while before bending down to pick them up himself.

Zhang Shu flipped through the familiar photocopies as scenes flashed through his mind:

Hou Junqi mentioned his snack abstinence during meals;

Her recent habit of staying late in the classroom instead of going to lunch on time;

The snacks and sodas that kept appearing in his drawer every afternoon;

Her shocked and worried face after talking with Old Wang that night;

Then Old Wang called him out to ask about his error correction method;

And when he returned, hearing her sudden “I’m sorry”…

Connecting these dots, he understood. So she had learned from Old Wang that he wasn’t selling contraband? And even bought a copy to verify. Ha, quite thorough. Feeling guilty? Remorseful?

He suddenly smiled.

He glanced at the sodas and snacks he’d placed on the windowsill. He’d thought they were from someone in another class and left them there untouched to show that admirer he wasn’t interested in their gesture.

Unexpectedly, it was this little Buddha.

Well, it certainly matched her sneaky style.

Hou Junqi was confused, “What’s up, Shu?”

Zhang Shu put Sheng Xia’s notebook back, returned to his seat, and bent down to check his drawer, sure enough finding snacks and drinks inside.

This time it wasn’t lollipops and soda.

It was an entire pack of White Rabbit candies and a whole row of Want Want milk drinks.

Hou Junqi burst out laughing: “Hahaha is this girl trying to give you death by sweetness?”

Zhang Shu also laughed, tearing open a pack of White Rabbit candy and popping one in his mouth, “Not a bad way to die.”

Sweet death indeed.

…

When they changed seats again on Monday, having completed one rotation, Zhang Shu was moving to the first group. Then Sheng Xia watched as he carefully put all the snacks and drinks from the windowsill into his drawer and moved them along with his desk.

She had thought he would leave them on the windowsill.

If she moved to the window seat, she would have been embarrassed to breathe seeing the snacks she’d given him all day.

And she saw him eating the White Rabbit candies and Want Want milk she’d sent.

Seems he had really gotten tired of lollipops before, and he quite liked the things she liked.

That was good then, not a waste.

All day everyone was talking about the banner goddess issue. Sheng Xia took it in, thinking about how to properly decline when Wang Wei asked her.

But during the afternoon class meeting, Wang Wei announced right away: “Everyone knows the sports meet is coming up. We’ll focus on participation. Hou Junqi, organize the fun sports events and arrange personnel in advance. Also, this year’s banner goddess will be Sheng Xia – any objections?”

“None!”

“Good!”

“Very good indeed!”

“Support with hands and feet!”

Applause and cheers came in waves.

Sheng Xia: …?

Had no one ever refused before? Why was the step of asking the person involved skipped?

Sheng Xia wasn’t being fussy. She had carried banners before – overcoming the pressure of being in the spotlight was a minor issue. More troublesome was that banner carrying, while seeming simple, required rehearsing with the formation. Holding it up for long periods left her arms sore for days.

Moreover, the second monthly exam followed right after the sports meet.

This slow bird didn’t want to waste energy on anything besides studying anymore.

She was already busy enough.

But in this situation, she had no right to refuse.

She could only accept.

“Sheng Xia,” Wang Wei called from the podium, instructing, “Go look at formal dresses when you have time. If you don’t know where to look, ask Teacher Fu. Budget is five hundred yuan, come to me for reimbursement later.”

“Five hundred is too stingy!”

“Yeah, other classes’ dresses look super nice and expensive!”

Some people stirred up trouble, shouting.

Wang Wei threw a piece of chalk, “It’s five hundred for the whole school, anything extra has to come from your own pocket. Am I being stingy? Don’t talk nonsense!”

Everyone laughed. Indeed, what girl wouldn’t want to shine on stage? There had been many cases of competition for glamour in previous years, with many paying extra themselves.

Sheng Xia nodded under everyone’s gaze.

It was just two days of practice anyway, might as well treat it as relaxation. Grades wouldn’t improve just by not participating in activities. If there was an impact, it would mean she wasn’t strong enough. What would come would come – Sheng Xia reminded herself not to borrow anxiety.

Before evening study, several girls gathered around Sheng Xia’s desk, chattering.

“What can you buy for five hundred? You can’t even rent anything good.”

“Yeah, genuine formal dresses are so expensive now!”

“How much was Zhou Xuanxuan’s dress last year?”

“She paid an extra thousand herself, it was rented.”

“I think those tulle cocktail dresses would definitely suit Xia Xia.”

“I think qipao would be amazing too, and few people wear them.”

“Crush Chen Mengyao! Go for it!”

“Keep it down, Zhou Xuanxuan has been unhappy for days.”

“Hmph, who cares about her? Last year when I wanted to take photos with her, she was all hesitant, but finally did me the ‘honor’ of one photo. But she never posted any photos with anyone from our class, just posted photos with Chen Mengyao, acting all proud. I don’t get it. She’s always got her nose in the air just because she hangs out with Chen Mengyao. Been annoyed with her for a long time.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll hear?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Anyway, I think Chen Mengyao is nothing special this year. Let Sheng Xia blind her dog eyes.”

“By the way, who crowned Chen Mengyao as school beauty?”

“Don’t know, everyone just says so.”

“She’s an art student, always in the spotlight, and naturally draws attention, right?”

“Spreading gossip about Zhang Shu and Lu Youze is probably her traffic strategy too?”

“Who knows.”

Sheng Xia felt suffocated being at the center of this gossip whirlpool.

Speaking up wasn’t right, and staying silent wasn’t right either. Listening to everyone praise her by stepping on others made her uncomfortable.

Finally, the class bell saved her. As everyone dispersed, Sheng Xia looked exhausted. She still didn’t know how to bring this up with Wang Lianhua – her mother would complain about it wasting study time.

Very worrying.

She was just about to focus on studying when she suddenly heard Lu Youze calling from behind her diagonal, “Sheng Xia.”

She turned back: “Mm?”

Lu Youze said: “Do you live in Jade Lanting?”

Sheng Xia: “Yes.”

“I think I saw you at noon,” Lu Youze said. “You ride a white electric bike?”

Sheng Xia nodded, “Mm.”

“That was you then. Didn’t expect we’re neighbors. You live in Zone B?”

Sheng Xia said: “Mm, what a coincidence?”

Lu Youze smiled, “I’m in Zone A. Saw you passing through Zone B’s entrance. You haven’t been living there since middle school, have you?”

“I have.”

“Me too. Strange we never ran into each other.”

Well, it was No. 8 Middle School’s school district housing, so having neighbors there was normal.

Zone B had villas while Zone A had mansions. Though only separated by a wall, their lobby and garage entrances were on different streets. Not meeting for years was normal too.

“Mysterious,” Sheng Xia said.

Lu Youze nodded, “Living so close to school, why do you still have lunch at school?”

Sheng Xia said: “No one cooks at home.”

“I see.”

The casual chat ended there.

Sheng Xia hadn’t expected that the next day, the topic would continue. Lu Youze asked: “Sheng Xia, is your father Sheng Mingfeng?”

Sheng Xia froze, not answering immediately.

Lu Youze felt a bit embarrassed, “I thought it was quite a coincidence. I mentioned it when I got home last night, and my dad knows you. Your name is quite special. My dad and your dad have some connection. He said when your family bought the house, my dad gave some discount.”

“Is that so?” Sheng Xia wasn’t good at such topics. She never asked about family matters and wasn’t clear about them.

So, Lu Youze’s father was Jade Lanting’s developer?

They gave her family a discount, should she say thank you?

The topic was quite strange, so Sheng Xia chose silence as golden.

“You live so close, why do you only stay for two evening study sessions before going home?” Lu Youze asked.

Sheng Xia answered honestly: “Afraid of the dark.” There were street lights, and it wasn’t dark, just too quiet with few people and vehicles at night.

“I always leave after the third session. If you’re afraid of the dark, you can go home with me.”

“Really?” Sheng Xia was delighted, she had always wanted to stay for another session.

Lu Youze nodded: “I’m bored going back alone anyway. Though I ride a bicycle, not as fast as your electric bike.”

Sheng Xia said: “I don’t ride fast either.”

“Good, then let’s go back together from now on.”

“Mm!” Sheng Xia agreed, “I’ll tell my mom tonight.”

Maybe this would make it easier to bring up the banner-carrying issue too?

…

When Sheng Xia got home that evening, she heard Wang Lianhua on the phone with Wu Qiuxuan’s homeroom teacher. Not wanting to interrupt, she had to let it go.

This delay stretched into the weekend.

Sunday noon, Sheng Xia came home for lunch and saw Wu Qiuxuan was home too. The atmosphere at the dining table wasn’t good, but Sheng Xia didn’t ask much. After hesitating for a long while, she first brought up wanting to stay for all three evening study sessions with Wang Lianhua.

Wang Lianhua naturally agreed but still had some concerns, probing indirectly: “That boy who comes back with you, he’s just a classmate?”

“Mm.”

“Really?”

Sheng Xia looked up, “Mm, his name is Lu Youze. I don’t know if Mom remembers, he was a middle school classmate.”

Wang Lianhua made an “ah” sound, “I remember, he always spoke at parent meetings. Good grades, a very polite child. His father is a director at Junlan Group, and has some connection with your father.”

Sheng Xia nodded: “Mm, that’s him.”

Sheng Xia knew Wang Lianhua had a natural filter favoring students with good grades.

“Their family is indeed next door,” Wang Lianhua cautioned, “But don’t get too close. You’re in your third year now, studies come first.”

“I know, Mom.”

“You’re the least worrisome one. When you say you know, I’m sure you understand,” Wang Lianhua sighed, “Unlike some people, who just worry me to death.”

Wu Qiuxuan slammed her bowl down, “If you want to scold me, just do it directly! No need to be so roundabout!”

“You’re talking back now? Look at yourself, how is this like a young lady should be? Fighting at such a young age? And look at you, what color did you dye your hair, what blue contact lenses are those – are you American? What things did you pierce your ears with, count how many holes yourself!” Wang Lianhua, whose anger hadn’t subsided, now erupted.

Because of Sheng Mingfeng’s position, they couldn’t exceed birth quotas, so Wu Qiuxuan and Zheng Dongning weren’t registered under the Sheng family household.

Wu Qiuxuan’s household registration was under one of Sheng Mingfeng’s good friends, the surname Wu, who registered in Dongzhou City. Legally speaking, Wu Qiuxuan was that person’s child, so she had to go to Dongzhou for ninth grade and take the high school entrance exam there.

Before school started, the little girl had been full of expectations, thinking how wonderful it would be to escape the nagging life. But after just a week, she started acting up, couldn’t get along with roommates, started fighting, recently dyed her hair, and got ear piercings. Wang Lianhua was called to the school on Friday, picked her up while there, and had to send her back in the afternoon.

Wu Qiuxuan sat up abruptly, “Anyway, I don’t want to study in Dongzhou anymore. We’re all Dad’s children, why do I have to go to school in Dongzhou? Why can Jie attend South University Affiliated School? Don’t think I don’t know – were her grades that good? She could only get into No. 2 High School! Wasn’t it Dad who got her in? Why is it different for me? Why!”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Wang Lianhua rapped her bowl, “Your sister went to No. 2 High School because she didn’t do well in the entrance exam, then transferred to Affiliated School when her grades improved. You’d better swallow those words – who knows what might happen if you say them outside!”

Wu Qiuxuan let out a “hmph,” “Anyway, only Sheng Xia has the Sheng surname. What do Ningning and I count for!”

She left the table and slammed her bedroom door thunderously.

Sheng Xia couldn’t swallow her mouthful of rice, holding it tasteless as wax.

Wang Lianhua shouted at the room: “Go ahead and slam it, break it! Maybe if you bring the house down your father might come take a look!”

“Don’t want him to look! What use is a father like that? Why didn’t he strangle me when I was born!” Wu Qiuxuan retorted from the room, her voice breaking, already tinged with tears.

Wang Lianhua stopped responding, just lowered her head, and quickly shoveled rice, not touching any dishes, stuffing balls of white rice down her throat.

Sheng Xia saw tears rolling from the wrinkles in her mother’s eyes, all absorbed into the white rice before being swallowed together.

Dongning was frightened, holding her bowl and looking at Sheng Xia helplessly.

Sheng Xia felt like there was an invisible pressure wall stuck in her throat, formless but oppressive. She swallowed hard and rubbed Zheng Dongning’s head, “Be good, Ningning, finish your rice.”

“Jiejie.” Dongning suddenly spoke.

Sheng Xia’s carefully suppressed emotions nearly broke at that moment. Dongning had autism, and it had been a long time since Sheng Xia had heard her call “Jiejie.” Perhaps the scene before her had affected Dongning – the child must be scared.

Sheng Xia stroked her little sister’s cheek, “What is it?”

Zheng Dongning just blinked at her.

After lunch, Wang Lianhua sat on the sofa watching TV. The TV was showing boring shopping programs – clearly, she wasn’t watching.

Zheng Dongning sat by the tea table drawing, seemingly drawing dolphins.

The room was quiet, looking peaceful and harmonious. Yet inside was complex chaos.

Sheng Xia finished washing the dishes and knocked on Wu Qiuxuan’s door. There was no response, but when Sheng Xia tried the handle, it was loose – the door wasn’t locked.

This was typical of Wu Qiuxuan, just waiting for someone to come comfort her.

Sheng Xia pushed the door open and gently closed it behind her. Sure enough, she saw movement under the blanket.

The air conditioning wasn’t on. Sheng Xia found the remote by the bed and turned on the cool air before sitting on the bed, gently lifting a corner of the blanket. The blanket was held from inside, resisting.

Sheng Xia spoke softly: “Qiuxuan, it’s me.”

Still no movement.

“Aren’t you hot?”

The blanket loosened a bit, and Sheng Xia pulled it back to reveal a pair of red eyes.

“Jie, I’m sorry…” Wu Qiuxuan said, starting to choke up again.

Sheng Xia’s throat was too tight to speak. She shook her head, took a moment to recover her voice, and then said, “Qiuxuan, Mom has no choice. She’s suffering too.”

In this family, no one suffered more than Wang Lianhua.

Marrying far from home, marrying down, a mother-in-law who favored sons over daughters, risking her political status to have three children who were all girls, her husband rising in his career while her natal family declined – she had lost even the capital to fight back.

A husband’s family she couldn’t fit into, a natal home she couldn’t return to, a broken marriage, three underage daughters…

A woman who once shone brilliantly now found even crying to be a luxury. How difficult life was, perhaps only she truly knew. Others, even Sheng Xia, couldn’t fully empathize.

One important reason Wang Lianhua couldn’t handle Wu Qiuxuan was that Wu Qiuxuan’s temperament was exactly like her own when she was young – willful, flamboyant, stubborn. She always scolded Wu Qiuxuan, yet always glimpsed and yearned for her past self in Wu Qiuxuan.

Wu Qiuxuan nodded while crying, “I know, I know it all, but I can’t help it. I’m sorry, Jie, I didn’t mean to…”

“Then how about taking a nap and apologizing to Mom when you wake up?” Sensing her sister’s continued hesitation, Sheng Xia changed the subject, “Your earrings are very pretty.”

Wu Qiuxuan touched her earlobe, asking between sobs: “Really?”

“Really,” Sheng Xia grabbed her sister’s hand, “Qiuxuan, you know what? I often envy you. Envy that you have your ideas, and your plans. You belong to yourself. You have your image and will have your own life in the future because you don’t have the Sheng surname…”

“Jie, I don’t understand…”

“You will understand,” Sheng Xia forced a smile, “I heard Dongzhou is very prosperous, very fashionable. Qiuxuan suits Dongzhou. If you take the high school entrance exam there, go to university there, work there – that would be quite nice, right? It’s quite close anyway, you can come back on weekends.”

“But I don’t know anyone…”

Sheng Xia said: “People always have to meet new people. Being able to meet many different people is also a kind of luck. You’re only 14, but you’ve already seen more than one city’s scenery, and experienced more than one place’s customs – isn’t that cool?”

“I guess so.”

“Why did you fight? Did they bully you?”

“No, there was this arrogant girl. She’s a fan of my idol’s rival and cursed my idol to fail.”

“How infuriating?” Sheng Xia shared her indignation, “Then you should curse her idol with tax evasion, sleeping with fans, and getting arrested!”

“Wow, that’s much worse.”

“Isn’t it? No need to fight, just make her mad.”

“Make her mad!”

The sisters lay on the bed chatting until they gradually fell asleep.

Sheng Xia’s biological clock was precise – she woke up as soon as nap time was over. She tiptoed out of the room to find Wang Lianhua no longer in the living room, probably taking Ningning to the psychologist.

Sheng Xia returned to her room to work on test papers but couldn’t concentrate. After thinking for a while, she packed her bag to go to school.

Before leaving, she called Wang Lianhua to tell her Qiuxuan was fine now and could be sent to Dongzhou in the evening.

Wang Lianhua sighed, “Good child, sorry to trouble you.”

“Mom, what are you saying?”

“Then what about dinner?” Wang Lianhua asked, “Going to and from Dongzhou will take three or four hours, I won’t make it back in time.”

Sunday lunch program didn’t include dinner.

“It’s fine, there are many restaurants around the school.”

“Choose somewhere clean then.”

“Okay.”

The three o’clock sun was blazing white, burning her back, but Sheng Xia didn’t ride directly to school. She circled aimlessly around the area.

The hot wind burned her face, able to scatter thoughts and dry tears.

But as tears grew more torrential and her vision began to blur, Sheng Xia made a sudden stop under a tree’s shade and burst into tears over her handlebars.

The kingdom of tears was too mysterious.

It was just a drop of water, yet the various emotions hidden within were enough to instantly engulf a person.

So she always hid her tears, releasing them with delay in places where no one could see.

Because she couldn’t let everyone be engulfed at once.

So she always cried alone.