When Ruan Yu was mentally simulating that bloody and violent scene, Ruan Chengrui’s voice came from behind her: “Yuyu, come sit down.”

Xu Huaisong glanced past her shoulder: “You go ahead. I’ll say hello to Teacher He.”

Go ahead? Meaning he’d follow shortly after — and sit at the same table as her?

Ha. Impressive. Going to all this trouble to engineer this encounter, just so he could rush over to meet the parents?

Another “Yuyu” rang out from behind. Ruan Yu glanced between Xu Huaisong and Zhou Jun and said, “I’ll head over then.” She went and sat down to the left of Qu Lan.

He Chong was seated on the relatives’ side. This table was mostly retired teachers from Su Shi No. 1 High School.

After sitting down, Ruan Yu greeted the teachers she recognized one by one. Not long after, she watched Xu Huaisong and Zhou Jun arrive side by side.

The seat to Ruan Chengrui’s right was still empty.

Ruan Yu slid her eyes sideways and, sure enough, just as Zhou Jun was about to pull out that chair, Xu Huaisong executed a slick little sidestep — a spiritual drift — and materialized beside her father.

Ruan Chengrui naturally looked up.

Ruan Yu was just preparing to enjoy the show, curious how Xu Huaisong planned to greet her father, when the next moment it wasn’t his voice she heard at all — it was her father’s: “Oh? Is this… Huaisong?”

Ruan Yu: “……”

Dad, could you please have some spine? How could you take the initiative to greet him first? And it’s been eight years — why do you still remember this student?

Xu Huaisong bent forward slightly, lowering his head: “Teacher Ruan?” The deference of a junior was expressed to perfection, carrying just the right trace of uncertainty.

“Come, come, sit.” Ruan Chengrui narrowed his eyes in a smile. “Haven’t seen you in so many years. I remember after you graduated, you went to America, didn’t you?”

Once Ruan Chengrui said this, the other retired teachers at the table also vaguely remembered him, one after another smiling and saying: “Huaisong? Hey, the fortieth anniversary gala — weren’t you the one playing piano on stage?”

“My goodness, you’ve only gotten more handsome!”

“Your grades back then were impeccable too — while preparing to study abroad, you still managed to come first in humanities!”

Xu Huaisong’s popularity was simply overwhelming. Ruan Yu and Zhou Jun combined couldn’t hold a candle to him. Every eye at the table was fixed on him, and chopsticks lay forgotten.

He nodded politely to the teachers and answered their questions one by one.

Last came Qu Lan: “Huaisong, what field are you in now?”

He turned and nodded toward her: “I was practicing law in America before. I’ve only just made plans to return and develop here this year.”

Ruan Chengrui’s eyes lit up ever so slightly at the word “lawyer.”

Ruan Yu recognized that familiar glint in her father’s expression and, sure enough, heard him continue: “Such a young and accomplished man like you, Xiao Xu — have you started a family yet?”

Though a teacher reuniting with a former student after many years would naturally ask about career and family, Ruan Yu knew that “Xiao [surname]” was the Ruan family’s unspoken convention — the honorific her father used when sizing up a potential son-in-law.

Xu Huaisong hadn’t even been sitting for a full minute, and he’d already been upgraded from “Huaisong” to “Xiao Xu.”

She rubbed her forehead. Had her father given any thought to how “Xiao Liu” might feel about this?

Xu Huaisong noticed her gesture, looked past the obstacles between them to glance at her, then answered: “Not yet, Teacher.”

Ruan Chengrui nodded and chatted with him a bit more. When the conversation turned to career, he turned to look at Ruan Yu: “Yuyu, look at Xiao Xu here — same graduating year as you, and look how well he’s doing!”

This was really just the standard way parents pay compliments about “other people’s children” — something to be heard and let go. But before Ruan Yu could respond, Xu Huaisong jumped in with modest earnestness: “Not at all. She’s doing better than me.”

Ruan Yu’s gaze slid slowly over, meeting Xu Huaisong’s eyes.

Beside them, Zhou Jun also caught the thick scent of gossip, pausing his small talk with the teacher next to him to tilt an ear and listen.

Ruan Chengrui was visibly surprised: “You know our Yuyu?”

With an elder asking, it wasn’t Ruan Yu’s place to interject, so she could only let Xu Huaisong nod: “Yes. Though I didn’t realize we were alumni before — otherwise I should have driven you all here today.”

Ruan Chengrui and Qu Lan exchanged a glance.

Ruan Yu swallowed her frustration and drained half a glass of orange juice in one go.

Keep performing. Go on, perform to your heart’s content.

Xu Huaisong then said to Ruan Chengrui: “After things wrap up here, let me accompany her to see you and Teacher Qu home.”

In this situation, calling her “Ruan Yu” would seem too formal — insufficient to convey his intentions to the two elders. Calling her “Yuyu” would go too far, making Ruan Yu feel put upon.

A vague, noncommittal “her” — covering all bases perfectly.

Unable to get a word in edgewise, Ruan Yu drank another half glass of orange juice and ground her teeth in silence.

Qu Lan smiled cheerfully and chimed in: “Don’t trouble yourself — if you’re heading that way, just send Yuyu home. Your Teacher Ruan and I live out in the suburbs.”

Xu Huaisong smiled and said: “No trouble at all. The air is lovely out in the suburbs — a nice drive.”

“But then you two would be heading back so late! That’s not very safe!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll see her right to her front door.”

The flattery and ingratiating was really something else. Ruan Yu finally couldn’t hold back, slipping in a remark: “How come you’ve never sent me home before?”

Xu Huaisong turned slightly toward her, pausing to genuinely reflect: “Mm, the past couple of times I only sent you to the lobby downstairs.”

Qu Lan was momentarily taken aback before she burst out laughing, pinching Ruan Yu’s sleeve and whispering: “He sends you to the lobby and you still think it’s not enough?”

She muttered back: “The lobby isn’t my front door — there could be dangers on the way upstairs, you know.”

“You child, you’re just arguing for argument’s sake!”

“No — I really should have walked her up. I’ll remember to do that from now on.” Xu Huaisong smiled and glanced at her, and after he finished, got a jab in the ribs from Zhou Jun sitting beside him.

He turned to look, and saw Zhou Jun discreetly pointing a thumb up at him, murmuring under his breath: “Brother, masterful.”

Xu Huaisong said nothing. Looking up, he saw Ruan Yu lean over to murmur something in Qu Lan’s ear, then abruptly rise from the table.

Watching her make her way toward the restroom, he gave Zhou Jun a nod — a silent apology for excusing himself — then stood up from the table and followed her.

Ruan Yu had gone to the restroom because she’d drunk too much orange juice. And, of course, to go and calm herself down.

Truly — the moment you start seeing someone through a particular lens, you only notice more and more just how insufferable they are. She couldn’t tell anymore which parts of Xu Huaisong were genuine, and which parts were performance.

Look at those smooth, polished words coming one after another. Who knows how many girls and their poor, unsuspecting parents he’d charmed like this before.

She took a few deep breaths in the stall. When she came out, she found Xu Huaisong lurking at the sink area outside like a criminal lying in wait, looking every bit like he was biding his time.

“Hey, you—” She looked up and clutched her chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack…”

Xu Huaisong seemed to smile slightly: “Were you in there cursing me out?”

Ruan Yu inwardly rolled her eyes, but shook her head with perfectly natural composure: “Why would I curse at you? What do you have on your conscience?”

“Nothing. Shall we go toast Teacher He together in a bit?”

“Aren’t you the one driving?”

“Tea instead of liquor.”

“Sure then,” she said with a sweet smile, “there are only three of us juniors at the table, so let’s bring Zhou Jun along.”

Xu Huaisong faltered slightly.

Ruan Yu blinked, expression perfectly innocent: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

One point back — she felt considerably better. Walking back with him, she said, “Have you noticed? My dad really loves setting me up with people.”

Xu Huaisong nodded, then heard her add: “Attorney Liu before was also someone Dad introduced me to.”

“I know.”

“Then do you know what my dad liked about Attorney Liu?”

Xu Huaisong thought for a moment: “Because he’s a lawyer?”

Ruan Yu shook her head with an air of deep meaning: “Because he’s honest and straightforward, kind-hearted, uncomplicated, unflashy, would never take advantage of anyone, and lets his actions speak louder than his words.”

“……”

Xu Huaisong gave a soft cough, looked down at her, seeming to search her face for some trace of what lay beneath.

But Ruan Yu seemed to be simply stating facts — with no particular intent to deliver a veiled rebuke.

Back at the banquet table, Xu Huaisong made a complete reversal from his earlier offensive, and except when directly addressed, rarely took the initiative to speak anymore.

What Ruan Yu did notice, however, was that every time the servers brought a new dish, whenever she looked at it for more than a second or two, that dish would find its way rotating around to face her again and again as the meal went on.

At one point, timing the moment when a plate of Longjing shrimp was just about to swing toward her, she snuck a sideways glance to her right — and caught Xu Huaisong’s slender, distinct-knuckled hand just lifting away from the lazy susan.

The pair of parental figures sitting between them exchanged a glance.

— By the look of things, the two kids had a bit of a falling-out just now?

— Seems like it. Our Yuyu still doesn’t appear to have said yes to Xiao Xu yet.

After the birthday banquet ended, the long-traveled Ruan Chengrui and Qu Lan were invited by He Chong to join for afternoon tea.

Xu Huaisong planned to use the time to go home and check on Tao Rong, and asked Ruan Yu if she wanted to come along.

Spinning a few dishes her way and thinking that was enough to win her over? No deal was ever that easy. Ruan Yu shook her head and said “next time,” staying with her parents for tea instead, not meeting up with him again until half past three in the afternoon to make the drive back to Hang Shi together.

Ruan Chengrui and Qu Lan were still at the teahouse entrance exchanging reluctant goodbyes with He Chong. Ruan Yu stepped a few paces away, and beckoned to Xu Huaisong, gesturing for him to come lean down.

He bent over with no idea what was coming, and saw her lean close to his ear and say in a low voice: “Do you know why I follow traffic rules so carefully?”

“Why?”

“It’s all thanks to my father’s upbringing.”

So on the drive back, Xu Huaisong kept his eyes straight ahead the entire way, driving with complete and undivided attention, without a single word to distract himself.

The two parents in the backseat exchanged another glance.

— By the look of things, the falling-out still hasn’t blown over?

— Then let’s not invite Xiao Xu to stay for dinner tonight.

Xu Huaisong, who had just lost a crucial dinner invitation without even knowing it, had no idea Ruan Yu had set him up. After sending the two elders home, he and Ruan Yu had a simple meal together in the city, then drove her back to her apartment.

It was already seven in the evening. Ruan Yu had been rushing around all day in seven-centimeter stilettos and was thoroughly exhausted and drowsy. She had no more energy left to trip him up. She covered her mouth with a yawn, waved goodbye to him in a half-dazed state, and pulled open the car door.

Xu Huaisong glanced at her, and was just about to get out of the car himself when she raised a hand to stop him: “I was joking at lunch. You don’t need to walk me upstairs.” With that, she shut the car door and turned to walk toward the brightly lit apartment building.

Xu Huaisong hesitated for a moment, then got out of the car anyway. But the moment he stepped into the lobby, he found her standing alone in front of the elevator, tilting her head and staring at something.

He walked over and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Yu turned around, pointing to a sheet of paper posted on the wall: “The power’s out. The elevator’s not working.”

Xu Huaisong glanced at the “Power Outage Notice,” then looked over at the emergency stairwell door on the other side. “Then let’s take the stairs.”

“It’s… it’s the twelfth floor.”

“Can’t manage it?”

Ruan Yu hesitated: “Oh — I can manage it.” She pursed her lips and headed toward the stairwell door, but as she passed by Xu Huaisong, she saw him crouch down.

She startled, heard him say: “Get on. I’ll carry you.” Seeing her stand there motionless and dumbfounded, he added: “Come on, I’ve got a video conference to get ready for.”

He couldn’t even carry someone without invoking that cold, domineering persona of his — was he even capable of speaking like a normal person?

Ruan Yu huffed and climbed on, privately resolving to tire him out completely.

But the moment she was up on his back, she immediately regretted that decision.

Because this chest-to-back position felt far too… intimate…

She arched her upper body back slightly: “Actually, let me get down…”

“Stop fidgeting.” Xu Huaisong glanced back at her. “If you lean back like that, it makes it much harder for me.”

That tone of his only firmed up her resolve to exhaust him to death. When he turned his head back forward, she quietly stuck out her tongue and pulled a face at him.

To her dismay, Xu Huaisong turned around again with uncanny sharpness, scaring her into stopping him with a yelp: “Why do you keep looking back — you need to… watch where you’re going!”

Xu Huaisong lowered his head and smiled, then began climbing the stairs at a steady pace, looking remarkably at ease.

Ruan Yu slowly got over the psychological hurdle of being pressed chest-to-back against him, leaned down near his ear and said: “You’re awfully practiced at this. You must have carried plenty of girls before.”

Xu Huaisong glanced back at her: “Just my dad.”

She’d been making a lighthearted joke — trying to probe his romantic history — and was now well and truly caught off guard. She was silent for a long while before asking: “Is your father doing all right these days?”

Xu Huaisong climbed one step at a time, answering as he went: “He gets by. He’s in America with a caretaker looking after him. It’s unlikely his cognitive function will recover, but as long as he doesn’t have another sudden stroke, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Ruan Yu knitted her brows, and gave voice to the question she’d kept buried in her heart for a long time: “Can I ask you something — you don’t have to answer if you don’t—”

“They divorced. My parents. Ten years ago.” Without waiting for her to ask, Xu Huaisong answered in one breath.

Ruan Yu let out a soft “mm.” Then, after he finished, she heard him breathing harder.

The tenth floor.

Very, very slowly, she pressed herself lower and in the smallest, most imperceptible increments, tightened her arms around his neck.

Like a gesture of comfort.

Xu Huaisong glanced down at her hands, curved the corners of his mouth, and said nothing.

Finally, the twelfth floor.

The two of them stepped out through the stairwell door — and to their surprise, came face to face with the elevator doors gliding smoothly open, out of which walked the landlord couple from the twelfth floor.

Ruan Yu was taken aback, and blurted: “Oh? Wasn’t the power out?”

The landlady was also briefly puzzled, then explained: “The power outage was this morning, from six-thirty to seven-thirty. They don’t do electrical maintenance at this hour — there’s too much foot traffic in the evenings.” She smiled. “Wasn’t the lobby downstairs all lit up? The hallways too.”

“……” Right. The lobby had been bright the whole time. Had she been so drowsy she’d misread the morning and evening times on the notice?

The landlord couple smiled and went inside.

Ruan Yu froze on Xu Huaisong’s back, not moving: “You… did you misread it too?”

Xu Huaisong looked back over his shoulder, and with a smile, turned the question back on her: “What do you think?”

Author’s Note: Tsk — no power outage, and yet he carried her all the way up twelve floors. This kind of romantic sourness that comes with being in love — us single souls simply cannot comprehend.