She hadn’t minded when she was young. But as she grew older, her situation became increasingly awkward —

She couldn’t quite fit in with groups of other girls, and she couldn’t freely sling an arm around the boys’ shoulders and call them brothers the way she once had.

She didn’t like thinking about this. It felt self-indulgent to her. And she didn’t want to tell her parents that aside from Li Li, she had no real friends — because saying so wouldn’t change anything. Friends weren’t something you could conjure up just by talking about needing them.

Su Man and Lu Yuwen walked back together.

She asked, “I heard you talking with my parents earlier about opening a branch. Is that what brought you to Shanghai?”

Lu Yuwen glanced at her. “Yes and no.”

“Why so mysterious about it?” Su Man laughed. “If there’s anything you need help with, just tell us — our family will do its best.”

Lu Yuwen smiled, unhurried. “Originally I just thought I’d come and have a look around. But after I arrived, I suddenly found myself… unable to leave. So I decided to open a branch here. That way I’d have a legitimate reason to stay.”

His words were a little cryptic — what did he mean by suddenly feeling “unable to leave”? And what was this business about a “legitimate reason to stay”?

It sounded like he was hinting at something…

But then Su Man thought — was she reading into it? She wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and the more she tried to puzzle out other people’s thoughts, the more tangled everything got.

If she ended up being presumptuous and wrong… that would be mortifying.

Su Man kept her thoughts to herself and said nothing.

There were only a few steps left back to the room. The two of them reached the hospital room door, and Lu Yuwen — with something of a gentlemanly air — reached the door handle first, preparing to open it for her.

Voices from inside drifted out — Su Man’s parents, speaking with unusual agitation.

Lu Yuwen’s hand paused on the handle.

“I just can’t let it go. What does their family mean by it? They know full well what the situation is between Man Man and their Li Li — and she still went and said something like that in front of us!”

That was Su Ma’s voice.

Then Su Ba’s, calm and placating: “She didn’t really say anything. She just came to visit me, and then the conversation came around to the commendation ceremony — she was excited and happy for her son. No deeper meaning — don’t read too much into it…”

Su Ma snorted. “Right! Of course you’d say I’m reading too much into things — why don’t you say they haven’t thought things through at all? Hmph, well. They have a son — he can’t lose out no matter what. Of course they don’t care!”

“Sigh, you’re getting off topic again… Both those kids have grown up right in front of us. We’ve watched them every day. How could Man Man possibly get the short end of the stick?”

“Then what did she mean by that?! Going on about how wonderfully her son is doing, saying how he got an award, how a bunch of female classmates were fighting to take photos with Li Li! If they really thought of Man Man as a future daughter-in-law, would they say something like that in front of us?”

“They were just excited and carried away — don’t overthink it…”

“I’m telling you, every day it’s ‘don’t overthink it’ with you — what exactly is that thing sitting on top of your neck for?!”

“We were having such a nice conversation — why do you have to start in with the insults…”

……

Su Man stood frozen in the corridor, cheeks flushing crimson with embarrassment at first, then slowly, slowly cooling. Her heart felt like it had been submerged in cold water — chilled through.

Lu Yuwen held the door handle and looked down at her. The argument inside showed no sign of ending. He thought for a moment, then said quietly, “Let’s go for a walk downstairs.”

Su Man silently nodded and turned, walking with her head down.

Lu Yuwen followed and walked with her down the stairs.

Occasionally a patient or nurse would pass by them. Su Man descended one flight after another, never speaking.

Lu Yuwen quickened his steps so they were shoulder to shoulder, his tone gentle. “Parents worry about their children on instinct. There was nothing else behind it.”

“I know…” Su Man managed a weak smile. “It’s fine. My mom always talks like that. I’m used to it.”

Lu Yuwen walked with her a little further before speaking again: “Then why are you unhappy? Is it because… you have feelings for him?”

Su Man’s footsteps stopped.

Lu Yuwen stopped too. He studied her expression and, without quite knowing why, began to feel nervous.

—