Ruan Yu went downstairs. Earlier when she entered, under Shen Bing’s commanding gaze, she had been too self-conscious to look around. She knew the house was large but hadn’t noticed where the kitchen was.

She wandered around the living room for a while, treading carefully, afraid her canvas shoes might dirty the intricate patterns on the floor tiles.

Finally, she found the kettle.

It wasn’t in the kitchen but at the bar counter in the living room.

Approaching it, Ruan Yu first noticed the row of tea canisters neatly arranged against the wall. Biluochun, Tieguanyin, West Lake Dragon Well… Each canister had handwritten labels in elegant, beautiful handwriting.

This must be Shen Bing’s writing. Surprisingly, her handwriting was gentle, unlike her personality.

Besides the kettle was a wooden tray with two cups. Ruan Yu examined them carefully but couldn’t spot any differences, so she randomly picked one and filled it with water.

As she carried the cup back upstairs and just turned into the hallway, she heard approaching footsteps. Looking up at the person coming down, she froze.

It was Teng Yi.

He wore a white T-shirt and black linen pants, looking lazy as if he’d just woken up, only his dreadlocks maintaining their original style.

He squinted, barely acknowledging Ruan Yu, then turned back and shouted up to the second floor.

“Teng Hao! Who said you could bring girls home?”

The young man called “Teng Hao” came running out upstairs, leaning against the railing to observe this chance encounter in the hallway, then glanced at Ruan Yu.

“Come on, she’s not my classmate, she’s yours!”

Teng Yi looked confused.

Teng Hao added: “She’s from your Yang Shan University, the new tutor Mom hired.”

Ruan Yu tried to process this flood of information.

Teng Yi, and Teng Hao, under the same roof, same mother – could they be brothers?

What a coincidence.

Ruan Yu stood silently, lost in complex thoughts.

Teng Yi turned back to look at her again, and suddenly his expression lightened with recognition.

“Red Carp?” he said these three words.

Teng Hao found this puzzling, but Ruan Yu knew what he meant.

She nodded.

“Hello, I’m Ruan Yu.”

“Ha, so you are a fish,” he smiled, his dark eyes seeming to hold stars.

Ruan Yu didn’t explain that this “Yu” wasn’t that “fish,” and Teng Yi didn’t introduce himself, as if he naturally assumed all Yang Shan University students knew who he was.

Teng Hao had already returned to his room at some point, leaving just the two of them facing each other in the hallway.

A slight awkwardness hung in the air.

Just as Ruan Yu was about to step forward, Teng Yi walked toward her. He stopped in front of her and naturally took the water cup from her hand.

“Thanks.”

He tilted his head back to drink, then turned to go back upstairs.

His steps seemed lighter going up than coming down, his black flip-flops making “pat-pat” sounds against the black marble stairs.

Watching his tall figure grow more distant, Ruan Yu couldn’t help saying: “That water wasn’t for you.”

Teng Yi heard her words and turned back, meeting her gaze.

“Oh, but this is my cup.”

“……………………..”