That evening, Lin Lang walked Zhu Yunque from one end of Donggu Street to the other. By the time her temper had more or less burned itself out, he brought her home.

The girl looked quiet on the surface. In reality, her nature was rather erratic.

Which is to say — strictly speaking, it wasn’t Lin Lang’s doing at all. She’d simply gotten tired of walking, decided there was nothing more to be had from the night, and wanted to go home on her own terms.

As for whatever he’d said to comfort her along the way —

Lin Lang suspected she hadn’t absorbed a single word.

He was right, as it turned out. When Zhu Yunque got home, she didn’t spare a glance for any of the adults in the room. She changed into her house slippers and went straight to her bedroom.

By that hour, Deng Jiaqiang had long since left.

The dinner table hadn’t been cleared. Zhu Ping’an sat there looking exhausted, cigarette in hand.

When word reached him that Zhu Yunque was back, Deng Jiali gave him a pointed look — a wordless prompt to go check on her.

Perhaps out of consideration for the guest, Zhu Ping — after a few brief words of counsel, urging Zhu Ping’an to speak to her calmly and gently — took Lin Lang and left.

With the two of them gone, the three-bedroom apartment felt noticeably emptier.

A heavy quiet settled over the living room for a while. Then Zhu Ping’an stubbed out his cigarette, stood, and knocked on Zhu Yunque’s bedroom door.

It wasn’t locked.

Zhu Yunque hadn’t even thought to lock it.

She’d known Zhu Ping’an would come looking for her.

What surprised him was that she was already sitting quietly at her desk, appearing to prepare for studying. He hadn’t expected that.

Zhu Ping’an’s lips moved. He thought for a long moment, and in the end settled on the simplest form of care. “Did you eat anything out there? Are you hungry? Want me to cook you some noodles?”

Her pen paused on the practice paper.

Zhu Yunque stared at the English letters on the page, some useless tide of feeling stirring somewhere inside her.

A few seconds of quiet.

When she looked up again, her eyes held no trace of any of it. “Dad, I need to study.”

“…”

The words he’d been about to say lodged in his throat.

Zhu Ping’an stared at Zhu Yunque’s young, calm face — and his chest took a sudden, heavy blow, as though something had dropped against it.

He had the abrupt realization that he didn’t really know her at all.

The conversation was killed before it could properly begin.

After Zhu Ping’an left, Zhu Yunque shut herself in her room and worked on her assignments.

At one point during the evening, Feng Yanlai called Zhu Ping’an. Not wanting to disturb the elderly relative or the child, he went downstairs to take the call.

But their unit was on a low floor, and the soundproofing was poor.

Zhu Yunque’s small bedroom connected to a balcony, which meant she heard almost every word of that phone call with perfect clarity.

Without the authority he’d had at the dinner table, Zhu Ping’an’s voice carried only the resigned helplessness of a middle-aged man who had not managed to succeed in life.

“Yanlai, hear me out — it’s not like you’re imagining. I’ve been putting aside the living expenses you send for Yunque all along. It’s just that things have been especially difficult lately, and I had to borrow from that fund temporarily to make ends meet.”

“Jiali has to stay home to look after the child, and the child and the elderly relative together cost a lot — and then there’s her younger brother. You know he and Yunque don’t get along…”

“You’re right — none of that is your problem or Yunque’s problem. It’s all on me. I don’t earn enough. I haven’t paid enough attention to Yunque either — and as for the elder, I’ve already spoken to my older sister. She won’t be saying things like that anymore.”

At that point Feng Yanlai apparently grew angrier still, her voice rising to a near-piercing pitch, and Zhu Ping’an fell utterly silent under the force of it.

By the end, Zhu Ping’an sounded defeated.

He sighed. “Alright. You can take Yunque anytime you want. As for the twenty thousand — I’ll pull it together within a few days.”

The call seemed to end.

The balcony outside fell quiet for a long time. Only the faintly bitter smell of cigarette smoke drifted upward.

Under the desk lamp, Zhu Yunque’s almond-shaped eyes were dark and still.

All her attention was trained on the Chinese language fill-in-the-blank question in front of her.

“They were once free birds — in the name of freedom of life, and a life of freedom, they flew far away from human gatherings (___)”

She was quiet for two seconds.

Then she lowered her eyes and chose C.

— Flew away. Even flew far away. And would not come back.

The last evening of the National Day holiday passed in a haze of unfinished homework.

School resumed the following day.

An unusually early rain fell in the morning.

Temperatures dropped sharply. The air was damp and clean — exactly the kind of weather Zhu Yunque liked best.

When she set out, she deliberately brought an extra long-sleeved layer to school. The moment she sat down, Xu Linda came rushing back from the bathroom, frantic, begging to copy her homework.

She wasn’t the only one. Half the class was doing the same.

Xu Linda was simply luckier than most — she had Zhu Yunque.

And it was thanks to Zhu Yunque that Xu Linda managed to escape unscathed when the English teacher checked the papers during first period. The experience also gave Xu Linda her first real look at how terrifyingly accurate Zhu Yunque’s answers were — apart from the English composition, the entire paper was nearly perfect.

She’d always known Zhu Yunque used to be strong at English. But this strong — this was beyond anything Xu Linda’s comprehension could accommodate.

After first period ended, the two of them linked arms and joined the queue for the bathroom. Xu Linda pressed her mercilessly. “Zhu Yunque — tell me the truth. Did you deliberately do badly in the last exam?”

Zhu Yunque smiled. “I was going to ask you the same thing — I left early yesterday afternoon. Surely you had the whole afternoon to do your own homework?”

Xu Linda grumbled and pulled at her hair. “Don’t remind me. I spent all afternoon gaming with Deng Zhe, and then when it was time to log off, Deng Zhe ended up dragging Lu Rangchen in.”

Lu Rangchen and Deng Zhe occasionally played games together.

Deng Zhe had spotted him online the night before on impulse and pulled him into the session on a whim — and he’d actually joined.

Xu Linda shook her head in awe. “I honestly didn’t expect it — Lu Rangchen is absolutely incredible at games too. He solo-carried us with his Lee Sin and we crushed the entire lobby. It was glorious.”

Zhu Yunque didn’t play League of Legends herself, but she’d heard about it from Xu Linda enough times to more or less understand. What she hadn’t expected was that Lu Rangchen even played games — and played them that well.

But then again.

He was extraordinary at everything. He was even kind-hearted.

Wouldn’t he have been, if he was willing to invite someone he barely knew to come sit with him at a barbecue restaurant?

The thought brought an involuntary lull. A vague, debilitating feeling crept over Zhu Yunque again.

Xu Linda added, less enthusiastically, “He didn’t play very long though. He seemed to be in a bad mood — played two matches and logged off.”

Zhu Yunque’s fingertips drew in slightly.

She couldn’t help asking, “Why was he in a bad mood?”

At that moment, a stall in front of them finally opened. Xu Linda pulled the bathroom door open and shook her head. “Who knows? Even Deng Zhe has no idea what goes on inside Lu Rangchen’s head.”

“…”

Second period was physics.

Zhu Yunque’s worst subject — she emerged from the lesson feeling dizzy and worn. Making things worse, the teacher ran over into the break, which meant their class was a few minutes late getting out for physical education.

After class, Xu Linda automatically linked arms with Zhu Yunque and folded herself into the current of students flowing out. But in the next moment, she spotted two familiar figures ahead.

Xu Linda reacted with lightning speed, dragging Zhu Yunque forward to intercept the two boys ambling lazily toward the door.

The pair wore the same summer uniform of dress shirt and dress trousers, and the combination of broad shoulders and long legs made them a striking sight. That was before you even accounted for the fact that one of them was Lu Rangchen.

He appeared as though he had barely slept.

One hand in his pocket, he was rubbing the back of his neck, his short hair fractionally more disheveled than usual. But none of that diminished the effortlessly refined, aristocratic quality that hung about him — if anything, it made him three times more entrancing than usual.

Zhu Yunque’s heart lurched.

Her feet softened beneath her.

Before she could find a way to escape, Lu Rangchen turned at that exact moment. His gaze traveled past Xu Linda and landed on her with unhurried ease.

Zhu Yunque’s breath stopped.

Her thoughts crashed back like a receding wave — there was no fighting it, and she couldn’t summon the courage to meet his eyes directly.

It was Xu Linda and Deng Zhe who broke the momentary awkwardness, calling out greetings to each other. By the time the exchange was over, Zhu Yunque found herself walking side by side with Xu Linda, trailing behind Deng Zhe and Lu Rangchen as they descended the stairs.

Lu Rangchen walked ahead in silence, hands in his pockets, long legs covering the steps with calm indifference. Deng Zhe and Xu Linda filled the stairwell with their energetic chatter —

“Hey, why is your class out this late? Even later than Class A.”

“Obviously because the demon king held us over. He loves doing that.”

“God, that sounds rough. Did you even finish your physics homework?”

“Fat chance. Didn’t touch a single word last night. Spent this morning copying from our Yunque here.”

As she said it, Xu Linda leaned warmly into Zhu Yunque’s shoulder.

Zhu Yunque wore her usual slightly dazed expression, but her gaze kept drifting back — quietly, carefully — to Lu Rangchen.

His pace was unhurried, but his legs were so long that he was considerably faster than the three of them behind him. He showed no inclination to join the conversation.

Deng Zhe turned his head while walking to grin at Xu Linda. “If you ask me, you don’t belong in Class B at all — come transfer to Class C next semester. I’ll look after you.”

Xu Linda made a dismissive sound. “If I hang around with you, I won’t even be able to keep my Class C standing.”

That line drew a laugh out of Lu Rangchen.

Deng Zhe, who recognized the mockery in it, protested, “What’s with the sarcasm?”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow with idle disdain. “Just can’t stand watching a troublemaker corrupt other people.”

Deng Zhe: “…”

Deng Zhe decided that was a direct insult to his dignity. He fumed and beat his chest. Xu Linda dissolved into laughter. The narrow stairwell filled with noise and lightness.

Zhu Yunque pressed her lips together, her eyes softening with just a hint of a smile.

But the smile barely had time to form before it was interrupted — by Lin Zhinian, who appeared suddenly from the second floor.

Lin Zhinian was the celebrated beauty of the art program, well-known throughout the school.

She emerged from the art supply room and spotted Lu Rangchen immediately. Her eyes lit up, and she called out to him.

Lu Rangchen’s steps slowed.

Zhu Yunque’s heartbeat stumbled. Following his line of sight, she looked toward the girl bounding happily toward him.

Lin Zhinian was wearing the same summer uniform of shirt and pleated skirt, her face made up with careful, delicate light makeup. Her hair was loose, with several pretty little braids woven into the strands here and there.

She ran with a natural, joyful energy. Combined with her striking features — strong brows, large eyes, beautiful face — the whole picture was arrestingly lovely.

Zhu Yunque: “…”

An unavoidable feeling of inadequacy surged through her, flooding every fragile nerve.

By contrast, Lin Zhinian was easy and self-assured. She smiled as she spoke, her dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth. “Lunch together?”

Lu Rangchen turned his attention back with a neutral expression. “We’ll see.”

Lin Zhinian’s eyes curved into crescent moons. She fell into step beside him like a happy shadow. “Then how about dinner? I still need you to help me study anyway.”

Gradually, without anyone quite noticing how it happened, she and Lu Rangchen walked as equals, side by side — and they were quickly left ahead of the three who trailed behind, as though a natural barrier had risen between the groups.

Xu Linda went quiet.

She shot Zhu Yunque a look that was equal parts commiseration and fascinated observation.

Deng Zhe clicked his tongue softly. “His admirers — they never stop.”

Zhu Yunque stared expressionlessly at the two figures ahead of her — how perfectly matched they looked — and something dry and hollow unfurled through her chest, spreading like ice that had begun to melt.

Whatever Deng Zhe and Xu Linda said after that —

She didn’t hear any of it.

She only knew that the small, trembling flower at the bottom of her heart bloomed and died in the moonlight, and died and bloomed again.

Unhappiness could truly kill your appetite.

That afternoon, Zhu Yunque didn’t go to the cafeteria for lunch. She spent the entire noon period slumped over her desk in the classroom, earphones in, listening to English audio recordings.

Xu Linda, not quite able to relax, eventually brought her two pieces of rose cake to eat.

Zhu Yunque sat at her desk eating quietly, listening as Xu Linda relayed the gossip she’d gotten from Deng Zhe — part of which concerned Lu Rangchen.

She said that the reason Lin Zhinian and Lu Rangchen had been spending so much time together recently was because of their families.

Lin Zhinian’s father and Lu Rangchen’s father were colleagues at the same university. Knowing that Lin Zhinian was struggling to keep up with her academic coursework, her father had arranged for Lu Rangchen to tutor her.

Xu Linda added, with elaborate, drawling irony, “That Lin Zhinian really does have all the luck in the world. The early bird catches the worm.”

“Just watch — she’ll end up with a boyfriend instead of better grades.”

Zhu Yunque: “…”

Zhu Yunque let her long lashes fall. She silently took a bite of her bun. From start to finish, she said nothing on this particular topic.

As though she had no interest whatsoever in anything to do with Lu Rangchen.

And yet only she knew the truth — that every single word spoken about him was like a blade, cutting deep and leaving a mark.

Over the days that followed, Zhu Yunque forced herself to stop thinking about Lu Rangchen. That was not a landscape that belonged to her. To covet it excessively would serve her no purpose.

But not thinking about him was different from never running into him at school.

Fate seemed to enjoy playing this particular joke on her. In those days, no matter where she went, she kept encountering him with an ease she could never have achieved if she’d been looking.

Once was in the convenience store. She and Xu Linda were standing in front of the refrigerated section picking out ice cream when she glanced up and found Lu Rangchen standing idly right beside them. Her heart rate became erratic. In the end, neither she nor Xu Linda paid for their ice cream — Lu Rangchen treated them both to fruit juice.

Another time was in the teachers’ office.

When Zhu Yunque got into one of her intense bouts of studying, she spent even her breaks tracking down teachers with questions. One of those visits found Lu Rangchen already in the office, chatting casually with Class A’s head teacher about an academic mathematics competition.

He was still just a teenager, but there was something about the ease of his manner in conversation — an assured, compelling quality that outstripped his years. His low, magnetic voice spread through the office like a slow tide.

Zhu Yunque had to work very hard to keep all her focus fixed on her own teacher’s explanation.

She barely understood the question.

But then Class A’s teacher made a casual, teasing remark: “Look at Zhu Yunque — see how hard she’s working lately? If you could learn even a third of that from her, I wouldn’t have to keep worrying about your guaranteed admission.”

And that was when Lu Rangchen let his gaze settle on her face, openly and without ceremony.

Zhu Yunque thought he was going to tease her. Instead, the young man tilted his brow with that signature breezy indolence of his and said simply, “That’s true.”

Just those few light words — like open, brazen teasing — were enough to make Zhu Yunque’s face go crimson.

She never did understand the question she’d come to ask.

She thought that was as close as they would ever get. She never could have imagined there would be a third encounter — one that brought them closer still.

It happened on the weekend after the midterms.

Feng Yanlai came back from the capital.

The first thing she did was go to Yanliuxiang to collect Zhu Yunque.

Ye Tian was there too. He moved quietly through the bedroom, helping her pack her things in silence. When she was ready, Zhu Yunque turned to him. “I’m going now. Once I’m gone, this room is yours. If you don’t claim it, Deng Jiaqiang is definitely going to take it.”

Ye Tian said nothing.

After a long moment, he finally spoke. “Just don’t forget that I exist.”

Zhu Yunque’s eyes stung unexpectedly. But she kept her smile. “How could I ever.”

As she spoke, she reached up and ruffled his hair — the way she had done the very first time she’d laid eyes on him, when she’d first moved in.

“Come find me whenever you have a free day. I’ll take you to get that cold noodles place by the school gate.”

“Okay.”

And like that, Ye Tian stood and watched Zhu Yunque and her mother leave Yanliuxiang — leave that place saturated with sharpness and selfishness and small cruelties.

In the car, Feng Yanlai’s difficult expression from the house was entirely gone. She was soft and smiling, reaching over to take her daughter’s hand in warm good humor.

In those years, when she and Zhu Ping’an had divorced, she’d had no choice — she had to leave Zhu Yunque with him.

But the timing now was good. Her clothing business in the capital had been doing well enough that she finally had the capital to come back, open a store, and bring her daughter with her.

Zhu Yunque stared out the car window and watched Yanliuxiang and Donggu Street disappear, piece by piece. A strange feeling washed over her — like the soul belonging to her former self was slowly being extracted.

And yet, in that moment, she couldn’t begin to imagine.

A greater surprise was still ahead.

Because that very day, after Feng Yanlai took her out for a large meal, she brought her to see the apartment they’d be renting.

It was in the most expensive residential complex in Nancheng — in the city centre. Step outside the building, and one had immediate access to the newly opened Metro Line 1.

This kind of apartment, in those years, cost twenty thousand yuan per square meter.

Zhu Yunque didn’t know any of that. She only felt that this compound had a distinctly, overwhelmingly wealthy atmosphere — foreign to her, cold, and a little intimidating.

Apparently sensing her unease, Feng Yanlai made a point of adjusting the collar of her dress after they stepped out of the elevator.

Once she was done, she cupped Zhu Yunque’s fair, shy little face and smiled. “Takes after me — she’s absolutely beautiful.”

Then she patted her on the back. “Stand up straight, and have a little confidence!”

Zhu Yunque pressed her lips together in a bashful, obedient way and did as she was told.

Feng Yanlai walked her to the door, added a reminder — “Don’t forget to greet them properly” — and then pressed the doorbell.

Everything proceeded in an orderly, considered way.

Feng Yanlai knocked; the door opened. A woman with a quietly expensive elegance about her came out to welcome them.

She was the owner of this apartment. She was also Feng Yanlai’s friend: Cheng Liru.

Under Feng Yanlai’s instruction, Zhu Yunque obediently said, “Hello, Auntie Cheng.”

Cheng Liru smiled warmly, nodding her head and saying yes, yes, then reached over and patted her head and said she was a lovely, well-mannered girl.

Zhu Yunque produced a slightly stiff smile.

Then her attention was swallowed entirely by the LOFT interior spread out before her. The décor was refined and generous — and when she breathed in gently, the air was tinged with the subtle, costly scent of luxury incense.

Zhu Yunque’s heart began to race for no particular reason. She looked down and slipped her feet into the soft white indoor slippers the woman had offered her.

And right then — footsteps descended from the upper floor. Not heavy, not light.

She finished putting on the slippers and looked up instinctively.

In the next breath, the wheels of fate turned — and Zhu Yunque stood rooted in place, completely blindsided.

Lu Rangchen was coming down the stairs with both hands in his pockets, his gaze already landing on her without a trace of deflection. Languid, curious, and unhurried.

He walked to the foot of the staircase like that.

Auntie Cheng introduced them with a smile. “This is my son, Lu Rangchen — he had some free time today and tagged along.”

Then she turned to Lu Rangchen and explained that this was his Auntie Feng’s daughter — also a student at Nancheng Third High.

She was just about to tell him the girl’s name, when the young man, lounging at the foot of the stairs, raised his brow with a hint of mischief and cut in first. “We know each other.”

His voice was low and unhurried, like an undercurrent running beneath a still surface.

Zhu Yunque’s shoulder gave a small, involuntary jolt.

Auntie Cheng paused slightly. “You two know each other?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque’s mouth seemed to be glued shut.

Lu Rangchen, on the other hand, looked at her with perfect composure — the ghost of a smile at his lips. “We know each other.”

“She watches me during morning exercises.”