The next day, Lin He and Wei Ping booked their flight tickets for their short holiday.

Lin Zhexia, who didn’t want to go out, saw them off at the door: “I know, remember to bring your keys, remember to eat properly.”

Before leaving, Lin He was still worried about her: “How’s your knee feeling today?”

Lin Zhexia: “It’s just a scrape, and the wound isn’t deep. The scab is forming quickly. After resting for a day, it doesn’t hurt anymore, and I don’t have much trouble walking.”

Lin He: “Be extremely careful when you’re home alone—”

“I know.”

After Lin He and Wei Ping left, Lin Zhexia went back to lie down on her bed for a while.

Chen Lin called her: “Tang Shuxuan and I are planning to go out. How are you feeling today? Do you want to come with us?”

“Where are you going?”

“We don’t know yet. Do you have any ideas?”

Lin Zhexia thought for a moment: “Let’s go to a temple.”

Chen Lin: “Huh?”

Lin Zhexia started checking the map: “There’s one nearby, only 20 minutes by car.”

Chen Lin: “I asked for your ideas, not for you to be so creative. I thought we might want to go to places like dessert shops. Why would you think of going to a temple?”

Lin Zhexia: “Because Chi Yao is going to participate in a physics competition.”

Chen Lin: “So?”

Lin Zhexia: “So I want to go to the temple to pray. I heard the lucky charms from that temple are very effective.”

Chen Lin: “…”

After a moment, Chen Lin said, “Alright, I’ll ask Tang Shuxuan. If she wants to go too, then we’ll go, but I think most likely she won’t—”

Chen Lin paused.

Chen Lin: “She just replied, saying she’s very willing to go. She wants to pray for a relationship.”

Lin Zhexia was also silent for two seconds: “That does sound like something she would say.”

Chen Lin sighed: “Then I’ll pray for success in the college entrance exams.”

Chi Yao was leaving at two in the afternoon, so the temple trip was very rushed. Lin Zhexia was afraid that by the time she returned with the items, he would have already left without her having a chance to give them to him.

So before leaving, she sent Chi Yao a string of messages-

Let me know before you get on the bus-

I want to see you off-

Even if I have to use a cane, I’m still coming to see you off [smile]

But to her surprise, the temple was especially crowded during the holiday, with a long line at the place to get charms.

Away from school, everyone rarely got to wear their clothes. Tang Shuxuan wore a dress today, looking particularly ladylike.

Tang Shuxuan comforted her: “Don’t worry, we should make it in time.”

Lin Zhexia felt a bit remorseful: “If I had known, I would have come yesterday.”

Tang Shuxuan: “…Your leg wasn’t completely healed yesterday. How would you have come?”

Lin Zhexia: “Rent a wheelchair?”

“…”

The three chatted while waiting in line.

Chen Lin livened up the atmosphere, teasing: “Shuxuan, what relationship are you praying for? Is it with that senior student?”

Tang Shuxuan didn’t deny it: “I hope we can go to the same university after graduation. I hope that when he wants to date someone in the future, I’ll be the first person he considers.”

She continued: “Actually, when I first went to ask for his contact information, I was just casually asking. I didn’t expect so much to happen afterward, even though it’s all one-sided.” She paused at this point, “I like him.”

Lin Zhexia listened from the side. She looked at the seemingly endless line in front, the curling incense smoke around them, and the devout worshippers bowing before the Buddha statue.

The temple was already quite old, with a hundred-year-old tree in the courtyard, lush with branches and leaves.

She looked back and suddenly asked Tang Shuxuan: “What is liking someone?”

She continued to ask, “How do you know when you like someone?”

Tang Shuxuan was stunned by these two questions.

She thought for a long time, and finally said: “I don’t know how to explain it either, but if you like someone, you’ll know it.”

The line was very long that day.

When it was Lin Zhexia’s turn, she devoutly held the blessing bag and bowed several times to the Buddha statue.

As she bent down, she silently recited in her heart:

I hope Chi Yao does well in the competition.

No, not just the competition, I hope everything goes well for him in the future.

And being safe and healthy is also important… Am I wishing for too many things?

The “lucky charm” that was said to be very effective online was a small red blessing bag, strung with a red cord, like a small pendant.

However, just as Lin Zhexia stood up with the lucky charm, she received a message from Chi Yao-

On the bus now.

…

Lin Zhexia: Weren’t you supposed to leave in the afternoon? It’s only noon now.

Chi-dog: Old Liu specially drove over to pick me up

“What’s wrong?” Chen Lin asked her.

“Chi Yao left early,” Lin Zhexia put down her phone, feeling a bit disappointed. “I still didn’t make it in time.”

Since she didn’t need to rush back to give Chi Yao anything, the three of them went to a restaurant with a nice environment for lunch after leaving the temple.

After ordering, Chen Lin saw Lin Zhexia still staring at the blessing bag.

After putting down the menu, she said, “It’s okay, he’s so good academically that participating in a competition is just a small matter for him.”

Tang Shuxuan also said: “That’s right. Think about his scores. He wouldn’t be afraid even if he faced opponents from Lianyun No. 1 High School.”

“And even if you don’t think about his scores, think about his personality—”

Tang Shuxuan shook her head, “With that invulnerable personality, he’s more likely to poison others than be harmed.”

From Tang Shuxuan’s perspective, she couldn’t imagine Chi Yao needing anyone to worry about him in a competition.

She even felt that they should be more concerned about Chi Yao’s opponents.

Lin Zhexia held the blessing bag and said, “It’s not like that, he…”

He’s sometimes stubborn about saving face.

He gets nervous, too. Sometimes, he even can’t sleep.

But these words that only she knew circled in her mouth and ultimately remained unspoken.

At the same time, Lin Zhexia’s memory was pulled back to many years ago.

At that time, Chi Yao’s health had improved somewhat, and he had returned to school normally, though he wasn’t very popular at school.

In other classmates’ eyes, Chi Yao was difficult to get along with.

He didn’t pay much attention to people, always giving off a “stay away from me” attitude.

Only she would follow behind him after school, chirping: “Chi Yao, the cafeteria food was so bad today.”

“Chi Yao, I don’t know how to do my labor technology homework. I know someone as helpful as you will help me.”

“Today, our teacher mispronounced my name in class. He called me Lin Chai Xia.”

“Now my classmates have started calling me Chai Xia—”

“…”

The path from elementary school back to Nanxiang Street was very short, surrounded by tree shade. At that time, Lin Zhexia, carrying the pink backpack Wei Ping gave her, walked together with Chi Yao.

She changed topics several times, and finally remembered something and called out: “Oh right, I heard you’re going to participate in a math Olympiad competition next week.”

Lin Zhexia continued: “Don’t be nervous.”

Chi Yao, at that time, stopped walking. With his hands in his pockets, he spoke coldly and condescendingly: “Me? Nervous?”

She didn’t understand what Chi Yao meant by those words at the time, and only said: “Everyone gets nervous.”

Chi Yao cut her off: “I don’t.”

“That small competition, I don’t take it seriously at all.”

But even in her naivety, she vaguely sensed Chi Yao’s unusual insistence.

It seemed like being looked down upon, being thought of as not strong enough, was something he couldn’t accept.

This suspicion was unexpectedly confirmed the day before the math Olympiad competition.

By coincidence, Chi Yao lost his house key that day.

The locksmith had already finished work and would only come the next morning, so Chi Yao had to temporarily stay at her house.

Lin He and Wei Ping originally wanted to give him their bedroom, but Chi Yao refused to trouble them so much. Finally, unable to persuade him, they made up a bed for him on the sofa.

Lin Zhexia, with her hair down, watched Lin He make the bed: “He can sleep with me.”

Chi Yao directly refused: “Who wants to sleep with you?”

“…”

Lin Zhexia: “My allowing you to sleep with me is already your honor. Don’t be ungrateful.”

Lin He turned to look at her: “You talk less.”

Lin Zhexia shut up.

Then, when she got up at night to use the bathroom, passing through the living room, she found that the bed Lin He had made was still perfectly intact, with no signs of having been used. Only a very dim light was on in the entire living room. Through the faint light, she saw the person sitting on the living room carpet.

After returning to her room, she specifically noticed the clock on the wall, the hour hand pointing to “2”.

…Why was this person still not sleeping at two in the morning?

As Lin Zhexia thought about this, the waiter happened to serve the dishes: “Hello, all your dishes are served. Please enjoy your meal.”

She came back to her senses and said, “Thank you.”

By this time, Chen Lin and Tang Shuxuan’s attention had already been drawn to the newly served dishes.

It was just as well that she didn’t want to continue talking about it, so she took the opportunity to change the subject: “Let’s eat.”

Before eating, she took pictures of the food on the table, sent them to Chi Yao, and captioned them:-

Don’t be too jealous, Dad

Chi Yao was probably still on the road, but he replied quickly-

Can you walk now?

Lin Zhexia replied: It doesn’t hurt anymore. I can walk.

She continued typing: And don’t make it sound like I’m disabled-

After Chi Yao went to the neighboring city, their communication could only rely on the internet.

But even through the network, she could understand Chi Yao’s whereabouts, knowing that the school had rented them a hotel, that they needed to train intensively, so they would stay for three days.

After Chi Yao sent photos of the hotel, Lin Zhexia chatted with him on WeChat: Your hotel is so big, I’m so envious. I’ve never stayed in such a big hotel in my life.

Chi-dog: Too much, tone it down

Lin Zhexia: Oh, I just wanted to give you some face

Chi-dog: Not needed

…

After a while, she poked him again: What are you doing?

Chi-dog: [Photo]

Chi-dog: Working on problems.

In the past, Chi Yao would also tell her these things, but at that time, she was only focused on arguing with him and didn’t pay much attention to the content.

Unlike now.

Strangely, she looked at the photo Chi Yao sent for a long time.

In the corner of the photo, Chi Yao’s hand resting on the test paper was captured.

She had to admit, knowing all his activities at all times made her very happy-

In the hotel.

“We originally borrowed a classroom,” the team leader teacher said while guiding their intensive training in the room, “but there was a miscommunication, so we’ll make do in the hotel for now. We have six people in our team, two tables should be enough.”

Chi Yao and Xu Ting sat together.

He held a pen in one hand, with a test paper spread out in front of him.

A mobile phone was blatantly placed beside the test paper.

Xu Ting: “I admire you, still able to reply to messages.”

Chi Yao replied to a message: “Don’t you have a phone?”

Xu Ting: “No one sends me messages.”

Chi Yao ignored him.

Xu Ting casually joked: “You two are close brothers—can you get Summer-bro to send me some messages too? My phone might rust from not being used.”

This time Chi Yao reacted. He used one hand to grab Xu Ting’s test paper along with his pen, then tossed it across to the other side.

“Change seats,” Chi Yao said, “you sit across.”

Xu Ting: “…”

A full day of intensive training quickly passed.

After nightfall, the training members each returned to their rooms to rest.

The team leader reminded them: “Everyone, go to bed early, don’t stay up late, conserve your energy.”

After returning to his room, Chi Yao took a shower, but he didn’t go to bed after his shower.

The single suite was very quiet. Outside the window, it was pitch black. He sat with his legs bent on the chair by the window, still holding a pen, occasionally using the paper on his knee to write and scribble.

But most of the time, he simply held the pen and stared blankly out the window.

The black pen spun casually between his fingers. Time passed, and the clock on the wall turned accordingly.

The hour hand quickly passed three o’clock-

Three in the morning.

Lin Zhexia was awakened by an alarm she had specially set.

Still half asleep, she grabbed the phone by her bed and, with unclear consciousness, found that familiar cat avatar-

Are you asleep?

After sending it, she tried hard to open her eyes. In a brief moment of haziness, she saw the “typing” indicator at the top of the chat box flash once.

It just flashed once.

It seemed like the other person had instinctively and accidentally clicked into reply to her.

But he immediately realized and then pretended not to be there.

It wasn’t until eight in the morning that the other person, as if timing it, replied: Just woke up.

Lin Zhexia looked at this “just woke up” for a long time.

She was a bit angry, but more than that, it was an emotion called concern.

Concerned that he wasn’t sleeping at night again.

Concerned that he was afraid she would worry, so he deliberately pretended to be asleep and didn’t reply.

Concerned that it might… affect his competition the day after tomorrow.

And it was physics, a very important competition for him.

Suddenly, Lin Zhexia felt as if her whole body was filled with something called courage and impulse. She opened a travel app to check tickets to the neighboring city.

It was over fifteen hundred kilometers from here to Haicheng City.

More than six hours by high-speed rail.

The next train was at three in the afternoon.

“Xiaxia,” in the afternoon, Lin He, still worried, called her every day, “How are you doing at home?”

Lin Zhexia said, “Mom, I’m fine.”

Lin He: “Why is it so noisy there? Where are you?”

Lin Zhexia stood alone in the crowded train station, surrounded by people coming and going, with screens showing train schedules constantly flashing: “I… I’m out playing with classmates.”

Lin He: “Classmates?”

Lin Zhexia was afraid the train station announcements would reveal her location, so she didn’t want to talk much with Lin He: “Yes, it’s too noisy here, not convenient to talk on the phone. I’ll text you later. That’s it, I’m hanging up now.”

Lin Zhexia hurriedly hung up the phone.

Then she held the ticket from Lianyun City to Haicheng City in her hand, looking for the entrance location on the flashing schedule screen.

Lin He usually restricted her movements strictly, so this was the first time she had traveled far alone.

Going to a place more than a thousand kilometers away by herself.

Haicheng City was a northern coastal city, a place completely different from Lianyun City.

But just thinking that the person a thousand kilometers away was Chi Yao, she didn’t feel afraid at all.

Looking back later, the time on the train that day seemed very brief, yet also very long. The scenery outside the window kept changing, leaving the Jiangnan water towns, passing through large farmlands and mountains, and stopping at several different cities along the way.

Finally, she squeezed out of the crowd at the train station, stood at the exit of Haicheng City Train Station, looked at this unfamiliar city, and only then belatedly felt a bit lost.

Chi Yao had sent her photos of the hotel before, but she didn’t know the specific location.

It was already past nine at night.

The sky was dark, and the accents of people talking around her also felt unfamiliar.

Someone saw her standing at the exit and tried to talk to her, but they spoke in a local dialect she couldn’t understand.

Lin Zhexia ignored everyone.

Finding a corner at the exit to crouch in, she made a phone call to Chi Yao.

“Chi Yao.”

After the call connected, she asked: “Are you asleep?”

On the other end of the phone.

Chi Yao sat in the chair by the window, looked at the bed that showed no signs of use, and said, “About to sleep.”

Lin Zhexia thought, yeah, right.

She didn’t persist with this topic and suddenly said: “Do you believe in magic?”

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment.

In those brief seconds, he seemed to hear some noisy sounds.

“It’s so late, and you’re not home. Where are you now?”

Lin Zhexia didn’t answer his question and continued on her own: “I know magic. If you share your location with me, I can appear by your side.”

On the other end of the phone, the young man’s tone changed.

Chi Yao’s voice lowered as he repeated the question: “Where are you?”

Lin Zhexia immediately realized Chi Yao was a bit angry.

Or rather, anxious.

Lin Zhexia didn’t dare to continue joking and honestly said, “I’m in Haicheng City now.”

“Haicheng City Train Station Exit 2, by the side, next to the pillar.”