That December was a warm winter.

Fu Ming had collapsed, but because debts were repaid in time and widespread goodwill had been established, in many people’s hearts, Zhang Moyun was still that business legend worthy of admiration. Therefore, he had plenty of opportunities to make a comeback.

But this time, Zhang Moyun didn’t rashly charge forward again. Instead, he and several remaining trustworthy old brothers investigated again and again, deliberated again and again. Throughout the process, he had Zhang Jingchan follow along and participate. And this youth who acted like he was all that didn’t disappoint his father and uncles when it came to serious matters. He could completely keep up with their thinking and could even propose solutions more clever and incisive than theirs.

On Sunday afternoon, Zhang Jingchan had just come from some banquet when he arrived at the Li family home. He wore an exquisitely tailored black suit, and at his shirt collar, there was still a very faint smell of alcohol, though you could only detect it if you got very close. The Li family members had all gone to work, leaving only Li Weiyi at home. She opened the door and, seeing his much more mature appearance, froze for a moment.

Zhang Jingchan casually slipped one hand into his suit pants pocket, walked in without looking sideways, and patted her head with his other hand: “Stunned by what you see? I’ll have more and more of these social engagements in the future—you’d better get used to it.” He paused, then added on his own: “They’re all proper occasions. I won’t mess around.”

Li Weiyi scoffed: “Wait until I actually see lipstick marks on your collar before you explain. Actually no—if there are lipstick marks, we’ll break up. No need to explain.” Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, as if she quite looked forward to a life free of him.

Zhang Jingchan stopped in his tracks and swept her a rather cold glance: “Don’t casually say those two words ‘break up.'”

Li Weiyi looked at him strangely: “I was joking.”

“Even as a joke, it’s not allowed.”

Li Weiyi thought, what a strange possessiveness… Clearly these past few months, the two of them had been getting along awkwardly, with only bickering and no sweet nothings. But whenever it involved matters of ownership, this guy became extremely serious, as if afraid she didn’t understand the gravity and would ruin their future relationship development.

Li Weiyi thought he was like a fussy, superstitious old lady who had to see the planned romance through to the end. Ha ha ha.

The room had a small space heater on. Zhang Jingchan got hot and took off his suit jacket, tossing it over a chair back. He rolled up his sleeves, sat down with his long legs in dress pants spread wide, and picked up a red pen: “Finished the test papers? Let me see.”

Li Weiyi no longer thought he resembled an old lady. When she looked up, she could see his jawline so close at hand, his clean and sharp Adam’s apple, his shirt outlining his lean and muscular waist tucked into his dress pants. At his age, he had both the clean air of youth and the first traces of a young man’s steady calculation. Li Weiyi didn’t dare look even once more. She gave him the test papers and used a book to shield her face.

After a while, his lazy voice sounded: “There’s improvement, but not much. Total score increased by five points.”

Li Weiyi had already put down the book: “That’s already very good, okay? I’m ranked first in cultural subjects among art students.”

But he didn’t think much of it: “Since when do people complain about having too many points? You’re not competing with people in your school—you’re competing with everyone in the country taking the provincial Academy of Fine Arts exam. And this question—I clearly explained it last time. Why did you get it wrong again?”

Li Weiyi didn’t believe it and leaned her head over. She heard him say with disappointment: “He asked me if I was going to the cinema tomorrow. I already said that the tense after ‘if’ changes according to when the event actually happens. He’s asking about tomorrow, so of course you should use ‘will.’ What’s this ‘was going to’? Such a simple grammar point—you could get it right by instinct alone, yet you’ve lost points on it twice!”

Li Weiyi also realized it, clutching the paper with both hands, her face full of chagrin: “Ah! I remember, I really did remember, but when I was doing it, I went too fast. My brain didn’t turn around in time and I filled in the wrong answer again! Ahhhhh—” She stamped her feet hard several times, then knocked her head against the desk.

Zhang Jingchan watched her act foolish with an impassive expression.

Ever since he’d acknowledged this girlfriend, that irritable, indescribable emotion had been buried in his heart, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow, sometimes strong, sometimes faint.

Zhang Jingchan really hated tutoring people. He was used to riding far ahead alone in his glory. What’s more, this was tutoring a high school student. He was busy too, okay? He had to maintain first place in his entire department, and now he also had to help his father revive the family business. There were things to worry about everywhere.

But on the first day of establishing their relationship, he didn’t know what possessed him to use tutoring as bait to entice her to work hard and test into the neighboring provincial Academy of Fine Arts. These past few months, every weekend, even like today when he was so tired he didn’t want to move, even when his father said if he was tired he could skip once and that Li Weiyi’s grades were already good enough—he’d only rested for five minutes in his father’s car before taking a taxi over himself.

And then not only did she get the same type of question wrong, she performed forehead-against-wooden-desk for him on the spot?

That restless irritation with nowhere to vent surged up in his heart again. Zhang Jingchan stared impassively at the girl’s fair and tender face, her slender neck, and though she was clearly admitting her mistake, the mischief and liveliness shining through her eyes. One look and you could tell she was just placating him.

Zhang Jingchan casually picked up a workbook, rolled it up, and used one end to lift her chin, raising her face.

“This can’t go on anymore,” he said.

This gesture of his was rarely frivolous. Li Weiyi was also stunned. He was clearly lifting her chin with a book, so why did she already feel so mortified?

“There need to be punishment measures for studying, otherwise you won’t remember.”

“What punishment?” Li Weiyi’s heart sank. He wasn’t going to punish her with more test papers, was he? Good heavens, she wanted a boyfriend, not another mother…

Before she could finish her internal complaint, Zhang Jingchan tossed aside the rolled-up book, replaced it with his hand in the same gesture, pressed his other hand against the desk edge, and loosely enclosed her in his embrace. He lowered his head, and just when their lips were about to touch, he glanced at her.

Her eyes were full of bright, glistening moisture. She didn’t dodge, showed no disgust, didn’t close her eyes either, but her breathing became very short, which he could hear.

Zhang Jingchan’s mood immediately improved. He closed his eyes and carefully kissed her.

This was Li Weiyi’s first kiss. She didn’t even know where to put her hands and could only clutch at his collar. But this older brother who was quite irritable when tutoring homework was extremely gentle when kissing. He let her clutch at him, even tilting his body toward her, as if willingly letting her lead him by the neck.

His other hand left the desk and came to her shoulder, gently holding her. His kiss was also very refined. Li Weiyi thought he truly lived up to being an academic achiever.

After kissing for probably a few minutes, Li Weiyi’s calves had started trembling when he finally moved his lips away. Li Weiyi thought it was over, but then he asked: “Will you sit on my lap?”

“Huh?”

Zhang Jingchan just laughed. Li Weiyi had never seen him smile like this—his eyes curved, the corners of his mouth lifted, so handsome it could kill you or bring you to life. She stared in a daze.

Zhang Jingchan pulled her onto his thighs to sit, encircling her with both arms. Li Weiyi grabbed onto one of his solid, lean arms and said: “Didn’t we agree to only be together after getting into university?”

Zhang Jingchan lowered his eyelashes: “This doesn’t count as being together. This is study punishment, and also warming up.”

Li Weiyi: “Has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly thick-skinned?”

His face moved even closer: “Has anyone ever told you that your lips are very soft?”

Li Weiyi admitted defeat.