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

He listened to Jiang Ruoqiao very well. When Jiang Ruoqiao told him not to buy the bag, he had agreed, and he would not say one thing and do another. After posting to his social media, he took the initiative to go and knock on Lin Kexing’s bedroom door.

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

It was a pity that every one of her subtle changes went entirely unnoticed by Jiang Yan. He went straight to the point: “Kexing, sorry to trouble you — please let your friend know I don’t want the bag anymore. I’m really sorry. If she needs any compensation, I’m happy to pay.”

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

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

“But why?” Lin Kexing couldn’t understand — and her incomprehension came laced with a dejected, helpless sort of envy. “You work hard to earn money, you buy her a gift, and she still gets 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 family allowances. Even if I use my own money 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 said she doesn’t care about those things. Kexing, I thought about it — my means really are limited right now. Scraping together the money for a bag 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 went a little weak, and she could only lean against the doorframe, pulling the corners of her mouth into a semblance of a smile. “Alright. I’ll let my friend know.”

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

Lin Kexing smiled. “No, I’m fine. Probably too much time in the heat today. Sleep will fix it.”

Jiang Yan made a sound of acknowledgment. “Good.”

He glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s getting late. I’ve got a bit of work to do — I’ll head back.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Brother Jiang Yan.”

Jiang Yan turned and went downstairs.

Only when his figure had disappeared entirely did Lin Kexing close her bedroom door. She slid helplessly down against it, crouching with her arms around her knees, crying softly.

It hurt so much.

When she had first fallen for Jiang Yan, she had been 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 got up and went downstairs.

While getting a glass of water, she ran right into Jiang Yan’s mother.

Jiang Yan’s mother was in her pyjamas. Seeing that Lin Kexing was still awake, she came over and reached out to gently stroke her hair. “Kexing, why aren’t you asleep yet? Something on your mind?”

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

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

The island climate was gentle — blazing hot during the day, but by night a cool breeze drifted through, making it very pleasant.

At this hour, everyone 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 tender and patient. After sitting that way for about ten minutes, Lin Kexing couldn’t hold back any longer and said quietly: “Auntie, I have a friend. She’s liked someone for a very long time — years. But that person has a girlfriend now, 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 in comfort, her voice soft and kind. “Your friend should be about your age — only eighteen, still so young. Being young means having infinite possibilities ahead. If you’re asking what she should do, all I can say from the perspective of someone who has lived through it is: listen to your own heart. When the feeling fades by itself, it will naturally fall away. If it’s still there, there’s no need to force yourself. One day, looking back on this period that hurt so much, it will have become a very precious memory.”

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

“Things change with time.” Jiang Yan’s mother gave a soft laugh. “The person your friend likes must also be very young. So many people in the end don’t spend their lives with the one they first loved. Life is like a long train — some people are only with you for part of the journey, and at the next stop they may get off. Perhaps your friend is the one who will be with him all the way to the end. None of it can be known. You’re all so young — as I said, infinite possibilities.”

Perhaps it was because Jiang Yan’s mother was so gentle. Perhaps it was because her words carried something like quiet magic. Either way, the cloud that had been sitting over Lin Kexing began to lift.

She was right. She and Jiang Yan were still so young.

She would stay where she was, and not intrude on him and his girlfriend. One day, perhaps, she would find it had faded away on its own.

And deep within, a secret voice murmured: *Perhaps one day, his girlfriend will get off the train too.*

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

—

Bright and early the next morning, Lu Yicheng did something out of the ordinary and took Lu Siyan out for breakfast.

Moving arrangements needed to be put on the agenda, and he had to pick up some luggage bags. Lu Yicheng was thrifty by nature; he had only a bowl of noodle soup for a few yuan. Lu Siyan, on the other hand, would not sully the reputation of a true four-legged gold-consuming beast. His breakfast expectations were exacting: he got the most expensive bottle of fresh whole milk from the convenience store, and ordered the deluxe rice noodle rolls — loaded with meat, egg, sausage, and prawns. While eating, he noticed a child at the neighbouring table having fried dough sticks and immediately wanted some too. He looked at Lu Yicheng with bright, shining eyes — the hint could hardly have been less subtle.

Lu Yicheng: “…”

Fine.

When you thought about it, how much could breakfast cost compared to Lego?

Get it.

Lu Siyan’s stomach was only so big, and in the end what he couldn’t finish went into Lu Yicheng’s — making this, for Lu Yicheng, the most filling meal he’d eaten in a good while.

Lu Yicheng’s habit was to shop for daily goods at the larger wholesale market, where prices were generally lower than at supermarkets.

After selecting what he needed at the best value and preparing to leave, he happened to catch sight of a stall selling women’s slippers.

Over the coming days, people would be coming to view his apartment. He and Jiang Ruoqiao had already arranged that when her schedule allowed, she would help receive the prospective tenants.

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

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

Out of habit, he scanned the price board. He wanted the pair with the best value for money. Price would come first.

Lu Siyan was sharp. He could see that his father was holding up two pairs of slippers in both hands, studying them with grave seriousness.

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 call her “auntie,” she was instantly delighted. “For most people, I’d say twenty-five. For you, I’ll do twenty!”

Lu Siyan: “No good — that’s too cheap!”

Stall owner: ?

Lu Siyan said grandly: “Auntie, we want the most expensive slippers you’ve got!”

Just bring them out!

Lu Yicheng: ?

No.

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

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

Stall owner: ?

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

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

Lu Yicheng: “Lu Siyan. I am paying.”

“I know.” Lu Siyan said with equal seriousness. “But we should still buy Mom the best. If it comes to it, I’ll eat a little less — no 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 held firm and did not yield. He ignored Lu Siyan’s protests and bought a pair of rose-pink women’s slippers — the kind Lu Siyan wouldn’t bother looking at twice.

Lu Yicheng still held that value for money had to be the priority.

The slippers were ultimately purchased for twenty-five yuan.

The price was fair, and Lu Yicheng had carefully compared the softness. As for whether they were stylish — that simply fell outside the scope of Lu Yicheng’s consideration.

They were slippers. Just for wearing around the house. What business did they have being fashionable?

Lu Siyan had nothing left to say.

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

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

Lu Yicheng ignored him.

Lu Siyan kept muttering under his breath: “Plus Mom doesn’t like rose-pink at all.”

These slippers were genuinely horrific. Even he thought so.

Lu Yicheng had truly reached the end of his patience. This child was only five — how was he already this insufferably long-winded? As the saying went, the economic base determines the superstructure. He was the one paying; therefore what got purchased was his decision.

He crouched down to Lu Siyan’s level. “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 bouncing balls.”

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 that was why he could not follow Lu Siyan’s suggestion — not even in something as trifling as buying a pair of slippers.

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

Because of Lu Siyan, some contact between them was unavoidable — but only that much, and no more. That was what Lu Yicheng told himself.

He said his piece and stood back up. He picked up his shopping bags — they were perhaps a little heavy, because his grip tightened, and the tendons along the back of his hand rose faintly to the surface.

Lu Siyan watched him, completely at a loss.

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