Among Jiang Ruoqiao’s friends, Jiang Yan was often teased for being a devoted, obedient boyfriend.

He listened to Jiang Ruoqiao. When Jiang Ruoqiao told him not to buy the bag, he agreed — and unlike some people, he wouldn’t say one thing and do another. After posting to his social media, he went and knocked on Lin Kexing’s bedroom door directly.

Lin Kexing looked exhausted, but the moment she saw him, her eyes lit up in an instant.

A pity that every one of these tiny, subtle changes in her went entirely unnoticed by Jiang Yan. He came straight to the point: “Kexing, sorry to trouble you — please let your friend know that I won’t be taking that bag after all. I’m really very sorry. If she needs any compensation, I can cover it.”

Lin Kexing looked up at him with a dazed, drained expression. “Why don’t you want it anymore? Does your girlfriend not like the colour?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. His eyes, his whole expression, were full of a deep and tender feeling. “That’s not it. She told me off for spending money carelessly. If I’d actually given it to her, she’d probably be upset with me.”

“But why?” Lin Kexing couldn’t understand — and within that confusion was a dejected, helpless sort of envy. “You worked so hard to earn the money, and you bought her a gift — and she’d still get upset?”

Jiang Yan smiled and corrected her gently. “See, you don’t understand. She was doing it because she cares about me.”

Lin Kexing froze.

“She said we’re both students living off our family’s allowance. Even if I use my own earnings to buy her things, she doesn’t feel good about it.” Jiang Yan’s eyes, his heart — all of it was Jiang Ruoqiao. “She’s a truly wonderful person. She told me she doesn’t care about any of that. Kexing, I thought about it, and honestly my means really are limited right now — squeezing together the money for a bag for her is hardly worth it.”

Why put up a front for the sake of appearances?

He still had a future. He and Ruoqiao still had a future.

There was no rush.

A powerless feeling spread through Lin Kexing. Her legs felt weak. She could only lean against the doorframe and try to appear unaffected, the corners of her mouth pulling into some semblance of a smile. “Alright. I’ll let my friend know.”

“Thanks.” Only then did Jiang Yan notice that her complexion wasn’t very good. “Kexing, are you not feeling well? You don’t look great.”

Lin Kexing smiled. “No, I’m fine. I must have been out in the heat too long today. I’ll sleep it off.”

Jiang Yan made a sound of acknowledgment. “That’s good.”

He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. I’ve still got a bit of work — I should head back.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Brother Jiang Yan.”

Jiang Yan turned and went downstairs.

Only when his figure disappeared from sight did Lin Kexing close her door. She slid helplessly down against it until she was crouching on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, crying softly.

It hurt so much.

When she had first fallen for Jiang Yan, she was so young. No one had told her that loving someone who didn’t love you back would be this painful.

—

Late that night, Lin Kexing tossed and turned and could not sleep. She finally got up and went downstairs.

She was getting a glass of water when, to her surprise, she ran into Jiang Yan’s mother.

Jiang Yan’s mother was in her pyjamas. Seeing that Lin Kexing was still awake, she came forward and reached out to gently smooth her hair. “Kexing, why are you still up so late? Are you worried about something?”

Lin Kexing’s eyes were red-rimmed. She lowered her gaze and shook her head.

“If you don’t mind sharing, you can tell me.” Jiang Yan’s mother took Lin Kexing’s hand and led her outside the villa.

The island’s climate was pleasant — swelteringly hot during the day, but come night, a cool breeze swept through and made it very comfortable.

At this hour, everyone else had gone to bed.

Lin Kexing leaned against Jiang Yan’s mother’s shoulder as they sat together. Jiang Yan’s mother had always been gentle and patient. After they had sat like that for ten minutes or so, Lin Kexing could no longer hold back, and said quietly: “Auntie, I have a friend. She’s liked someone for a very long time — many years now. But that person has a girlfriend, and she doesn’t know what to do. She wants so badly to let go, but it’s so hard.”

Jiang Yan’s mother patted her hand soothingly, her voice gentle and warm. “Your friend should be around your age — only eighteen, still so young. Being young means having infinite possibilities. If you’re asking what she should do, I can only say this from the perspective of someone who has been through it: listen to your own heart. When the feelings fade on their own, you’ll naturally be able to let go. And if they’re still there, there’s no need to force yourself. One day, looking back on this stretch of time that caused so much pain — it will have become a very precious memory.”

Lin Kexing looked up, dazed. “Just a precious memory?”

“Things change with time.” Jiang Yan’s mother laughed softly. “The person your friend likes must be very young too. So many people in the end don’t spend their lives with the person they first loved. Life is like a long train journey — some people only travel a part of the road with you, and at the next stop, maybe that person will get off. Maybe your friend is the one who will be with him until the very last stop. None of that can be known yet. You’re all so young — as I said, still so many possibilities ahead.”

Perhaps it was because Jiang Yan’s mother was so gentle. Perhaps it was because her words carried something like a quiet magic. Whatever the reason, the heaviness that had been pressing down on Lin Kexing began to lift.

Yes. She and Jiang Yan were still this young.

She would stand where she stood, and not disturb him or his girlfriend. One day, perhaps, she would simply let go of it on her own.

Deep within her, a secret voice spoke: *Perhaps one day, his girlfriend will get off the train.*

Seeing Lin Kexing brighten up again, Jiang Yan’s mother looked on with quiet warmth.

—

The very next morning, Lu Yicheng did something unusual and took Lu Siyan out for breakfast.

Moving preparations needed to be set in motion, and he had to pick up some luggage bags. Lu Yicheng was by nature thrifty, and for breakfast he had only a bowl of noodle soup costing a few yuan. Lu Siyan, however, would not be caught dead upholding the reputation of a bottomless pit lightly. His breakfast requirements were high: from the convenience store, he selected the most expensive bottle of fresh whole milk, and demanded the deluxe rice noodle rolls — with meat, an egg, a sausage, and prawns. While eating, he caught sight of a child at the neighbouring table having fried dough sticks, and immediately felt the pull of wanting some too. He looked at Lu Yicheng with bright, hopeful eyes — the implication could not have been more obvious.

Lu Yicheng: “…”

Fine.

Come to think of it, how expensive could breakfast be compared to a Lego set?

Get it.

Lu Siyan’s stomach could only hold so much, and in the end Lu Yicheng finished what the boy couldn’t, making this the most filling meal Lu Yicheng had eaten in quite some time.

Lu Yicheng’s habit was to buy daily necessities from the larger wholesale market, where things were generally cheaper than at the supermarket.

After picking out what he needed at the best available prices and preparing to leave, he happened to glance at a stall nearby that was selling women’s slippers.

Over the coming days, people would be coming to view his apartment. He and Jiang Ruoqiao had already agreed that when she was free, she would help receive the prospective tenants.

In that case, by any measure, he ought to get her a pair of slippers.

Lu Yicheng steered Lu Siyan around a few people and approached the stall.

Out of habit, he scanned the price board first — his approach was to find the pair with the best value for money. Price would be the first thing he considered.

Lu Siyan was perceptive. He could see that his father was holding up two pairs of slippers with a thoroughly serious expression, comparing them intently.

In a clear, bright voice, he asked the stall owner: “Auntie, how much are these two pairs he’s holding?”

The stall owner was a woman in her thirties. Seeing this chubby, adorable little boy calling her “auntie,” her heart immediately warmed. “For anyone else, I’d ask twenty-five. For you, sweetie, I’ll make it twenty!”

Lu Siyan: “No, no, that’s too cheap!”

The stall owner: ?

Lu Siyan said magnanimously: “Auntie, we want to buy the most expensive slippers you have!”

Just bring them out!

Lu Yicheng: ?

No.

He stopped Lu Siyan. “Who’s paying — you or me?”

Lu Siyan scrunched up his nose. “But the two pairs you’re looking at are really ugly.”

The stall owner: ?

Lu Siyan promptly turned back to the stall owner with a bright smile: “Auntie, I’m not saying they’re ugly — it’s just that they really don’t match my mom.”

The stall owner understood. “Oh, little one, you’re so thoughtful.”

Lu Yicheng: “Lu Siyan. I am the one paying.”

“I know.” Lu Siyan said, equally earnest. “But we should buy the best ones for Mom. If it comes to it, I can eat a little less — I won’t drink milk in the mornings this week. We’ll save the money and use it to buy Mom the nicest pair of slippers.”

Lu Yicheng: “…”

In the end, Lu Yicheng did not give in. He ignored Lu Siyan’s protests and bought a pair of rose-coloured women’s slippers — the kind Lu Siyan wouldn’t look at twice.

Lu Yicheng still believed that value for money had to be considered.

The slippers were ultimately purchased for twenty-five yuan.

The price was reasonable, and Lu Yicheng had carefully assessed the softness and firmness. As for whether they were stylish or attractive — that was simply not within Lu Yicheng’s scope of consideration.

They were slippers. Just for wearing around the house. What did it matter whether they were fashionable?

Lu Siyan was at a loss for words.

Buying the best for Mom, buying the most expensive — that was exactly what Dad used to do.

Lu Siyan sighed. “A man who’s stingy won’t get far in life, Dad.”

Lu Yicheng paid him no attention.

Lu Siyan continued muttering: “Also, Mom doesn’t like rose at all.”

These slippers were genuinely, truly ugly. Even he thought so.

Lu Yicheng had genuinely reached his limit with this child. The boy was only five — how could he already be this long-winded? As the saying went, economic foundations determine the superstructure. He was the one paying, so he was the one who got to decide which pair to buy.

He crouched down and looked Lu Siyan in the eye. “Do you have any good friends?”

Lu Siyan: “So many!”

“Give me an example.”

“Gao Ziqiu is my good friend. Xie Yuze is my good friend too. The three of us are the best at ball bouncing.”

Lu Yicheng nodded. “Very good. I have good friends too.”

Lu Siyan looked at him.

“Your mother’s current boyfriend is one of my good friends,” Lu Yicheng said.

And so he could not take Lu Siyan’s advice — not even in something as trivial as buying a pair of slippers.

Whatever he and Jiang Ruoqiao might become to each other in the future, at the very least right now, they needed to maintain a reasonably safe distance.

Because of Lu Siyan, they were inevitably drawn into each other’s orbit — but only to that extent. Lu Yicheng told himself this.

He said what he had to say and stood up. He picked up his shopping bags, and perhaps because they were heavy, his grip tightened slightly — the tendons on the back of his hand stood out in faint relief.

Lu Siyan looked at him, bewildered.

He couldn’t understand a single thing his father had just said.

—