These days Ning Sui was out early and back late, clearly very fond of going out — but she also didn’t dare go too frequently for fear of Xia Fanghui noticing something. She and Xie Yichen saw each other roughly once every two or three days.
Even so, Fanghui’s powers of observation were horrifyingly sharp. Coming at it from a different angle, she quietly went to Ning Deyan to confirm her suspicions: “Have you noticed Xiao Ye checking her phone a lot lately? I keep seeing her glued to it whenever she’s home.”
Ning Deyan: “Do you think…”
Their eyes met, and before Xia Fanghui could finish her thought, Ning Deyan already moved to dismiss it: “That doesn’t seem likely. She was so busy with her studies the whole first semester — where would she have had the chance to meet any boys? Besides, isn’t it totally normal for young people to be on their phones a lot? You’re probably overthinking it.”
Xia Fanghui considered this and nodded slowly: “You’re probably right.”
This line of reasoning wasn’t entirely convincing to her — but then she thought of Ning Sui’s recent TOEFL score of 112, and a GPA of 3.9 from last semester, both of them quite impressive. Her worry settled.
Xia Fanghui decided she probably wasn’t in a relationship.
That conclusion, however, would have been received very differently by certain other parties.
Hu Ke’er had discovered that when it came to romance, this girl truly had a natural gift — seemingly born with an ability to dispense sweetness in lethal doses.
Since the holiday began, the three-person group chat hastily assembled in the car had been continuously active.
Every few days there’d be a fresh round of complaints.
Jin Ge: 【I genuinely surrender, being single has no human rights anymore?】
Jin Ge: 【A certain someone showed up to basketball today with a pink lip print on his neck……】
Jin Ge: 【I really [Smile]】
Jin Ge: 【And I had to help cover it up for him】
Kuge Lin: 【I saw it too】
Kuge Lin: 【[Smile][Smile][Smile]】
Paopao Ke: 【[Sobbing][Sobbing][Sobbing]】
Paopao Ke: 【I mean, they literally just got together, always all over each other — I guess I can barely understand it [Smile]】
This entire chat log was forwarded, in full and without editing, to the person responsible — who received it and promptly pretended not to have seen it.
— And Ning Sui genuinely had no way around it. She’d discovered that these study sessions conducted under the guise of academic work had a tendency to evolve into something rather different.
She didn’t know what kissing signified to a boyfriend. As for herself — she found it endlessly new.
And, frankly, exhilarating.
Like exploring a new world together — raw and fervent. No matter how many times, it never grew dull. And occasionally they’d even discover some small, new variation.
Still, some measure of self-discipline did hold between them. They both knew the studying couldn’t fall behind. In order to keep things on schedule, Ning Sui took a remarkably decisive approach — sometimes in the afternoons she’d bring Hu Ke’er along as a chaperone to join the study session.
After about three or four of those visits.
Hu Ke’er came home and posted in the group chat: 【”Understand” my ass. I’m done with love and all its works [Smile][Smile][Smile]】
—
Ning Sui’s birthday was January 29th. As it happened, that day was packed with plans. Wen Siyuan had arranged for the afternoon to go back to school with Cui Xian and Hu Ke’er to visit their teachers, and in the evening there was a high school reunion dinner — also organized by Wen Siyuan — partly as a birthday celebration for Ning Sui.
Wen Siyuan had a sociable, energetic personality, and his exam results had been impressive enough to give him the drive to organize events like this.
So Ning Sui and Xie Yichen had already arranged: she’d go to the dinner, and at the end of the night he’d come to the restaurant and pick her up. She just needed to send him the address.
Around this time, Xie Zhenlin and Qiu Ruoyun had returned from their work trip. Xie Yichen would go into the company with him during the day to help with certain business matters.
From Xie Zhenlin he also learned that his maternal uncle Qiu Zhao had considerably reined himself in recently, was no longer full of his own ideas, and was properly and diligently helping his mother run things — and had turned out to be quite capable.
Xie Yichen wasn’t particularly surprised. His mother was sharp — too sharp of a businesswoman to ever be taken advantage of.
That evening, around five or six, he sent Ning Sui a message: 【At the dinner venue?】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Yes yes!】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【It hasn’t started yet】
She sent him the address.
A good number of their classmates had come, so Wen Siyuan had booked a massive private room with two tables. Ning Sui had been pulled by Hu Ke’er and Cui Xian to sit at one of them.
While they waited for everyone to arrive, the conversation quickly turned to gossip.
Ning Sui took advantage of the noise and messaged her boyfriend: 【What are you having for dinner tonight?】
Xie Yichen sent over a photo of a takeaway box — some restaurant that had clearly cut corners, with barely a few pieces of beef inside.
Oreo: 【Just delivery】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【You’re not at the company today? Why just delivery?】
Oreo: 【I’m here — but my dad is bringing someone to have a work meal in the company canteen today】
Ning Sui remembered — he’d mentioned before that his father’s girlfriend, Zhang Yue, had put in money and had now become a minor investor in the company, with a legitimate reason to visit. According to Xie Zhenlin’s line of thinking, to prevent her from switching sides, she needed to be tied firmly to the same boat.
Ning Sui pressed her lips together and sent him an emoji: 【[Bunnying over to nuzzle you.jpg]】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Don’t order from that place again — I don’t think you’re eating enough】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Tonight I’ll treat you to a nice birthday cake!】
Two minutes passed.
He sent a voice message. His voice had a smile in it: “Got it. Message me when you’re wrapping up.”
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Sure~ [Bouncing Cat.jpg]】
Oreo: 【Mm】
She was still thinking of chatting more with Xie Yichen, but Xia Fanghui called at that moment: “Xiao Ye, has the dinner started?”
“Just about to.”
“Ke’er is there, right? Let her get on the phone.”
Ning Sui paused. Fanghui had hardly done this kind of spot-check call in the past few months.
Hu Ke’er had been chatting with Cui Xian, but caught the look and promptly took the phone, spoke a few words, and handed it back.
The call had already ended.
Hu Ke’er leaned close to Ning Sui’s ear and whispered: “Your mum didn’t say much — just asked where we were and how late we’d be going. I deliberately told her later than we would be — something like eleven, so you have time to go celebrate with Xie Yichen after.”
The carrot-head had her uses, and had never once dropped the ball in this department.
Ning Sui immediately took an orange from the fruit bowl and started peeling it for her.
Hu Ke’er accepted it with an arched eyebrow: “Don’t think this buys me off so easily. You owe me compensation for the emotional damage of these past weeks.”
Ning Sui didn’t argue. She smiled agreeably: “Alright.”
More classmates arrived, greeting her and wishing her a happy birthday. Quite a few had brought gifts.
What was surprising was that certain pairs no one would have expected to end up together had come in hand-in-hand, drawing rounds of teasing and cheers.
Cui Xian had been dropped off by her boyfriend too. Hu Ke’er said despairingly: “Is it really only me who broke up with someone a month before the class reunion?”
Ning Sui said: “Then go and find yourself a new one quickly.”
Hu Ke’er felt that compared to certain people who had recently found love, she was the one with her head clear and her spirit bright: “You think dating is like going to the market to pick out cabbage?”
She sighed quietly to herself: “I don’t know why — ever since I broke up, all my potential prospects seem to have collectively vanished. Not a single person to pursue any kind of something with.”
Ning Sui thought of something and said slowly: “Isn’t there still one?”
Hu Ke’er looked blank: “Who?”
Ning Sui said with quiet meaning: “That certain president you forcibly kissed —”
Something struck a nerve. Hu Ke’er suddenly changed color and lunged over to clap a hand over her mouth: “What are you saying?!”
Cui Xian had caught a snippet of the exchange and leaned in curiously: “What’s this about forcibly kissing a president?”
Hu Ke’er’s nails were digging frantically into the back of Ning Sui’s hand under the table. Ning Sui kept a straight face: “Rose-and-scallion vegetable — it has roses growing on top and scallions growing underneath.”
Cui Xian, in all her innocence, took this at face value: “Wow, a vegetable like that exists? I learn something new every day.”
Hu Ke’er: “…”
The tables were filling up. Dinner was almost ready to start. Cui Xian changed the subject: “Is Wang Feifei not coming today, then?”
That would be the young woman who’d had a double eyelid procedure and a rhinoplasty and was, by all accounts, deeply invested in her relationship — the type who believed everyone was trying to steal her boyfriend.
Hu Ke’er said with sharp-tongued candor: “Of course not. Botched surgery — can’t bear to show her face and blind everyone.”
This girl had made a poor impression on practically everyone around her.
Cui Xian picked up the tone of Hu Ke’er’s voice and got curious: “Did you have some kind of history with her in high school?”
Ning Sui knew the story.
Hu Ke’er had been in the middle of an ambiguous thing with the most popular boy in Class Eight at the time. Wang Feifei had gone and told him that Hu Ke’er was seeing two people at once. The whole thing between Hu Ke’er and that boy fell apart.
Cui Xian was sympathetic.
Ah, so there was history.
She was about to say something more, but just then happened to catch sight of Wang Feifei walking in through the door. She was dressed to be noticed — luxury handbag, full makeup, heavy eyeliner, a high nose and large eyes. The kind of look heavy with that influencer, internet-celebrity energy.
Hu Ke’er went stiff: “She actually came.”
For the girls already seated, it was quite something. Cui Xian breathed: “Wow.”
Wang Feifei seemed to sense something, glanced their way, then — without acknowledging them — tossed her hair and went to sit at the other table.
“…”
The three of them exchanged looks.
Just then, the doorway erupted with noise. Wen Siyuan had apparently also invited Yu Zhiguo. Teacher Yu was the star of their year level — somehow managing to make mathematics, that natural enemy of most students, actually interesting and fun enough to earn genuine affection from the class.
Yu Zhiguo was ushered in by a group of students and, with a glance around, chose the table where Ning Sui and the others were sitting.
Hu Ke’er and the others hurried to smile and call out: “Hello, Teacher Yu!”
Teacher Yu looked first at Ning Sui: “Happy birthday, little birthday star!”
Ning Sui smiled: “Thank you, Teacher.”
Teacher Yu had even brought a gift. Ning Sui was touched — and then opened it to find a high-level mathematics supplementary workbook, prompting general laughter: “Sui, don’t despair. Live and learn — this is Teacher Yu’s grand hope for you.”
They joked for a few exchanges. Teacher Yu took his seat and said: “Ke’er, you’re looking noticeably lighter-skinned.”
Hu Ke’er looked around, delighted, and touched her face: “Really? You think so?” To have so many people notice she’d gotten fairer?
Teacher Yu: “Probably because you used to be so noticeably dark.”
Hu Ke’er: “…” No further elaboration needed.
The fragrant main courses began to arrive. Teacher Yu started inquiring about everyone’s romantic situations, going around the table one by one.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Multiple girls in a row said yes. Hu Ke’er deflated and shook her head. When it came to Ning Sui’s turn, she hesitated for a moment and still replied: “No.”
A few boys at the table who had had a thing for Ning Sui in their class days pricked up their ears. Sun Xiaozhen was also at the table — she glanced up at the answer, then quickly looked down again.
The dinner was boisterous and lively. Between bites, there was plenty of catching up, and more than a few anecdotes from their time in class together.
As the mathematics teacher, Teacher Yu paid special attention to his two star mathematics students.
“Xiaozhen, Suisui — how’s Peking University treating you both? Have you been studying together?”
Strangely, despite being in the same department, Ning Sui and Sun Xiaozhen barely ran into each other in daily life. Even in large lectures, they’d never really exchanged greetings.
When they did run into each other most often, actually —
— it was in Xie Yichen’s WeChat Moments.
Hearing Teacher Yu’s question, both of them paused slightly. Ning Sui wasn’t sure whether Sun Xiaozhen had noticed anything between her and Xie Yichen. She suspected not. Either way, the two of them, with mutual and instinctive tact, both turned to Teacher Yu with the kind of polite smile reserved for elders: “It’s going well.”
The reunion moved quickly. Since it had started early, by the time people were mostly done eating, it was only around seven. A few classmates had left early, but most were still there, and Teacher Yu had stayed too.
Xie Yichen had finished dinner and had nothing to do, so when Wen Siyuan messaged to ask if he wanted to come join, he figured he’d go — after all, Hu Ke’er and the others were there too.
Ning Sui saw Xie Yichen’s WeChat message while she was still at the table. He’d forwarded Wen Siyuan’s message and asked if it was alright for him to come.
She and Xie Yichen hadn’t seen each other since she’d finished the TOEFL — it had been five or six days. They messaged every day, but she’d been quietly longing to see him in person.
She replied: 【Go ahead [Bouncing Cat.jpg]】
When Xie Yichen walked into the private room, the atmosphere was already boisterous and cheerful.
Hu Ke’er had ordered Ning Sui a big cake. Since some people needed to leave early, they’d already had her blow out the candles and make a wish, then cut it and passed pieces around.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and swept the room. He found her in one glance — surrounded at a corner by several boys and girls, enthusiastically playing a card game.
Several groups had spread out to play various table games. Xie Yichen hadn’t made his way over yet when Wen Siyuan’s hand landed on his shoulder with an exuberant whistle: “Ohhh, Yichen is here!”
That shout caught the attention of several nearby boys. It seemed the news had circulated widely in the days after the university entrance exams — and while Xie Yichen had never done any interviews, enough people still recognized him. Someone called out in excitement: “Isn’t that the top scholar from our province?!”
Top scholar of the province. Half a year on, and people could still call it out on the spot. That told you something about the weight it carried.
The person racked his memory: “Xie… what was it, Xie something…”
Wen Siyuan smiled and filled in: “Xie Yichen.”
The person smacked his head, eyes lighting up: “Right, right — sorry about that, Yichen-god. Word of your deeds has spread far even to our school, Number Four High.”
Most of the room’s attention was drawn over. Cui Xian and others who knew him already were standing to wave hello. Those who didn’t started looking around and asking under their breath — wait, the province’s top scholar is really that good-looking?
Xie Yichen was wearing a jacket, his eyes keen and sharp, and he was tall. He immediately became the center of attention. Wen Siyuan paraded him around proudly, introducing him to a few guys, and the ease of male camaraderie had them exchanging WeChat within minutes.
Several people drifted over to him. Familiar faces and strangers alike all found excuses to come up and say something.
Ning Sui snuck glances at him. Wen Siyuan seemed to want to pull him over to sit at the other table, but Xie Yichen didn’t take up the offer — instead he picked up two bags and strolled in her direction.
His gaze made a pass around the room, and Hu Ke’er, who had been sitting beside Ning Sui, immediately sprang up like a loyal subordinate to offer the seat: “Yichen, sit here.”
There were about six or seven people at this group. Everyone’s attention had drifted over. Hu Ke’er added with great meaningful weight: “Ning Sui’s birthday today, so she’s in the guest of honor seat — you’re sitting right next to the birthday girl. You don’t mind?”
Xie Yichen gave Ning Sui a discreet glance. She was over there in forced composure, not looking at him.
“Of course not.” Xie Yichen smiled. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” Ning Sui turned slightly to look at him — still not directly — and slid the perfectly untouched slice of cake that she’d been guarding carefully in front of her across to him, keeping up the pretense of perfect casualness: “There’s still one piece left, actually — did you want it?”
Xie Yichen sat down beside her without hurry: “Sure, thank you.”
Because Hu Ke’er had set the stage so neatly, no one found the seating arrangement the slightest bit strange.
They’d been playing poker before, but with Xie Yichen’s arrival, the focus naturally shifted and the conversation started up again, everyone curious and asking him things.
“Is it true you got full marks on both the mathematics and science papers?”
“They really let you go out for late-night snacks at Huahua High?”
“We heard you never really studied, but still got top scores?”
The seating was tight — everyone squeezed together. From where she sat, Ning Sui could easily catch the scent of sunlight and clean coolness that clung to Xie Yichen. Out of the corner of her eye she could also see his hand, loose-knuckled, lying carelessly on his thigh.
So her attention wandered as she listened to him respond: “The maths, yes — the science was just a little short.”
“After six in the evening there are still security guards. Daytime is more lenient.”
“That’s not true — I studied the whole time.”
A collective cry: “The top scholar’s ‘a little short’ must be 298!”
Ning Sui thought to herself: they were right, it really was 298.
But that wasn’t what her attention was on right now. She had already noticed, with quiet attentiveness, that two girls had been staring at Xie Yichen and taking every opportunity to ask him things and engage with him.
And right across from her was Sun Xiaozhen — silent, watching.
Ning Sui pressed her lips together and lowered her lashes.
She quietly took out her phone and sent a message to the person at the very top of her contacts.
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【[Bunnying over to nuzzle you.jpg]】
Because they were sitting close, Ning Sui heard Xie Yichen’s pocket give a soft vibration — along with a particular, distinctive notification sound. He was still listening to someone talk, but he took out his phone and unlocked it at the same time.
Both of them looking at their phones in that same moment was a little obvious.
Ning Sui slipped her phone under the tablecloth.
Oreo: 【What’s wrong?】
She typed slowly, making her case with care: 【Could you perhaps be mindful of managing your own conduct a little?】
Oreo: 【Hm?】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【A bit】
Suisui Suisui Suisui: 【Overly attracting bees and butterflies.】
A breath beside her shifted slightly. Then Ning Sui felt a distinctly indecipherable gaze tilt toward her from the side. She pretended not to notice, locked her screen, and looked up as if she’d been listening to the group conversation all along.
Wang Feifei appeared from the other table, materializing without invitation, her heavy perfume thick enough to make even Hu Ke’er on the outer edge wrinkle her nose.
She was quite unabashed. She walked straight up and asked: “Xie Yichen — can I have your WeChat?”
Xie Yichen had been in his relaxed, unhurried mood answering everyone’s questions right up until that moment. He heard this, sat up slightly, and replied with a clear, deliberate word at a time:
“Sorry — that’s not quite going to work.”
He paused for just a beat. Then, with a lazy tug at the corner of his mouth, he glanced sideways with a casual, unhurried air:
“My girlfriend keeps me on a pretty tight leash.”