Jiang Ruoqiao gave no response to Jiang Yan’s remark whatsoever.

In the car, Jiang Yan was driving, and Lin Kexing sat in the front passenger seat, restless and on edge.

Jiang Ruoqiao could only see the backs of their heads, yet she was acutely aware of Lin Kexing’s emotions. Unrequited love really did take a toll on a person. Lin Kexing was born the eldest daughter of the Lin family’s jewelry empire, a winner from the moment of birth — with a life like that, she should have been confident and proud. And yet when Lin Kexing was around Jiang Yan, she seemed to embody the saying perfectly: she had lowered herself all the way to the dust.

And what exactly did Jiang Yan have to offer?

From Jiang Ruoqiao’s perspective at least, he was no longer a privileged rich kid, which meant he was—

Jiang Ruoqiao’s gaze drifted almost unconsciously to Lu Yicheng. Without the male lead’s plot-armor glow, Lu Yicheng could run circles around Jiang Yan.

So she genuinely couldn’t understand the abasement Lin Kexing seemed to sink into whenever Jiang Yan was involved.

Maybe, as her close friend had said, she simply didn’t understand that so-called thing called love — she had never truly fallen for anyone.

And perhaps precisely because of that, she could see the situation with greater objectivity. Jiang Yan wasn’t anything special. Yes, he had gotten into A’Da University, but who on this farmstay trip wasn’t an A’Da student? The man sitting behind her in the back seat, Lu Yicheng, had been the top-scoring science student in their entire year and was now the top scholar in their whole department.

Jiang Yan’s family background was nothing to write home about either — his family didn’t even own their home, they were still living at the Lin family’s place.

As for his looks and bearing, Jiang Yan was decent enough, but not to the point where anyone couldn’t take their eyes off him.

In short, the aura Jiang Yan had once held for Jiang Ruoqiao had entirely faded. If she hadn’t known the novel’s plot, to her he would have been just another ordinary university student.

In the original story, no matter how much the author had tried to romanticize Jiang Yan, one fact remained undeniable: his eventual success owed a great deal to Lin Kexing and the Lin family’s help.

Thinking about all that Lin Kexing had given in the original story, Jiang Ruoqiao almost wanted to raise her eyes to the sky and groan: Heaven is blind — why does none of this good fortune ever fall to me?

Female supporting characters have no rights!

In the back row, which had three seats, Jiang Ruoqiao and Lu Yicheng each sat on one side, with Lu Siyan between them.

Lu Siyan was very happy.

He was going out with his dad and mama together.

He was so happy he couldn’t contain it. Without thinking, he reached out and hooked his little pinky finger around Jiang Ruoqiao’s.

Jiang Ruoqiao looked down, and pressed her lips into a smile. After all the time they had spent together lately, this little boy had managed to carve out a place in her heart. Among all the males she knew, Lu Siyan had secured the top spot. She noticed the tips of his ears had gone pink, and smiled at him. “Are you hot?”

It was still very hot today.

The air conditioning was on inside the car, but the sun outside blazed down relentlessly, and the rays streaming in were slowly driving the interior temperature up.

This was an older-model car, and all the vents were positioned in the front — the temperature difference between the front and back seat was quite noticeable.

Lu Siyan shook his head. “Not too hot.”

He really, really wanted to sit in Mama’s lap.

Jiang Ruoqiao read his intentions and shook her head with a regretful expression.

Lu Siyan sighed.

Jiang Ruoqiao simply opened the small bag she had with her — stuffed full of snacks. She rarely ate snacks herself, so these had all been packed for Lu Siyan before leaving.

Lu Siyan peered inside. “Biscuits!!”

“Mm,” Jiang Ruoqiao took one box out. “This one’s strawberry flavour.”

Lu Yicheng shook his head slightly and calmly said: “Just one pack.”

The box had two packs inside.

Even someone as perceptive as Jiang Yan might have missed this moment. Consider what kind of person Lu Yicheng was — unfailingly courteous with the boys, and even more so with girls. By rights, if Jiang Ruoqiao had just given his child a snack, he should have either politely declined on the child’s behalf or expressed profuse thanks. And yet right now, his manner was entirely relaxed. Not the slightest hint of gratitude.

Jiang Yan didn’t notice.

But Lin Kexing did.

A flicker of surprise passed through her mind: Are Jiang Ruoqiao and Jiang Yan’s friend really on such comfortable terms?

At the thought, she felt a pang of dejection. She could sense that Jiang Yan’s friends didn’t seem particularly warm toward her.

Hoping to close some of that distance, Lin Kexing turned to look at the back seat — and couldn’t help but pause.

All three of the people in the back were remarkably good-looking.

Jiang Ruoqiao went without saying — she was the unofficial campus beauty of A’Da, elected by the general student population through grassroots consensus.

Lu Yicheng as well — he simply kept a lower profile, but when it came to A’Da’s most handsome male student, at least half the student body would think of him first.

And the child in the middle was also strikingly cute and pretty.

But for some reason, looking at the three of them together, she found herself feeling… a strange sense of how perfectly matched and harmonious they looked as a group.

Lin Kexing thought she must be losing her mind.

How could that possibly be?

She shook her head and composed herself, then turned to Lu Siyan with a smile: “Little friend, what’s your name? How old are you?”

Lu Siyan was a very polite child. Even though he had just stood up for his mama a moment ago, he could speak perfectly well to her now. He answered with great seriousness: “My name is Lu Siyan. I’m five years old.”

“What a beautiful name,” Lin Kexing said. “Do you know how to write it yourself?”

Lu Siyan puffed out his chest. “Of course! My name was given to me by my dad and mama!”

Lu Yicheng and Jiang Ruoqiao: “…”

You shouldn’t be that proud about it.

Though the name really was lovely.

“That’s wonderful,” Lin Kexing was quite taken with this little boy. Her tone grew softer. “Then little friend, would you like some snacks? I have some.”

Lu Siyan had been in a happy mood a moment ago, but the moment he heard that, he immediately shook his head. “No thanks. My dad and mama said I can’t accept food from strangers when we’re outside.”

Even Jiang Yan, who was driving, found this child entertaining and teased him: “But you still took the snacks Ruoqiao gave you.”

Jiang Ruoqiao looked at Lu Siyan.

Typical child — he had a gift for digging his own holes.

But Lu Siyan was Jiang Ruoqiao’s son, and Jiang Ruoqiao was the kind of person who never embarrassed herself.

Lu Siyan rattled off his answer at lightning speed: “There are exceptions!”

“If a celestial fairy gives you something, it’s fine to accept it,” Lu Siyan declared. “I think she is a celestial fairy. She’s the most beautiful and gorgeous person there is, so she’s the exception.”

Jiang Ruoqiao was overjoyed: now this was her own child!

She reached out to ruffle his little curly head. “You little sweetheart, you’ve got such a honeyed tongue.”

Hearing Mama call him “sweetheart,” Lu Siyan’s ears quietly turned red again. He was both delighted and excited. “I only say what’s true! If you don’t believe me, ask…” he paused, “ask Lu Yicheng!”

Lu Yicheng, who had been unexpectedly called upon, promptly closed his eyes and feigned sleep, every inch of him silently declaring: this has nothing to do with me, do not disturb.

Jiang Yan burst out laughing. “Lu Yicheng, your kid’s got good taste.”

Lin Kexing, who had just been politely turned down by Lu Siyan, sat quietly with her head lowered.

Feeling very low.

No one could say Lu Siyan had said anything wrong, or that he was being naughty. Lin Kexing felt herself hopelessly out of step with the mood in the car, and by this point she regretted coming at all.

Jiang Yan glanced to the side and noticed Lin Kexing with her head down, and knowing she was embarrassed, he stepped in to help. “Kexing, did you bring anything to drink?”

“I did.” Lin Kexing said. “I brought the sparkling water you always drink. Do you want some now?”

Jiang Yan said yes.

Then he addressed the people in the back. “Ruoqiao, are you thirsty? I think there might be a café up ahead — want me to get you an Americano?”

Jiang Ruoqiao shook her head. “No need.”

“What about something else, Sister?” Lin Kexing asked. “I brought fresh-squeezed orange juice — Auntie made it herself, and it’s absolutely delicious.”

The “Auntie” Lin Kexing referred to was Jiang Yan’s mother.

Jiang Yan only then realized he hadn’t made the introduction, and said, “She means my mom.”

Jiang Ruoqiao gave a noncommittal nod. “Mm.”

“Ruoqiao, this is Kexing,” Jiang Yan said. He wasn’t sure how to introduce Lin Kexing, and this time he didn’t use the word “little sister” — exactly why he didn’t, he hadn’t quite thought through. “She’s my mom’s…”

Lin Kexing thought of Jiang Yan’s mother’s anxious worry.

She thought of Jiang Yan’s mother saying she was afraid Jiang Ruoqiao would think less of Jiang Yan.

She spoke before Jiang Yan could finish: “My mom and Auntie are very close friends. They were university classmates, actually dormitory mates — they have a wonderful relationship.”

Jiang Yan paused, and then went along with that version.

Jiang Ruoqiao had no particular interest in any of this. She had read the entire novel — did she really not know what the relationship between these two was?

To put it simply, they were childhood sweethearts.

At this point in time, Jiang Yan genuinely only saw Lin Kexing as a little sister. He had no romantic feelings toward her yet — but even so, she had a place in his heart. They had practically grown up together, and Lin Kexing was quiet and sensible. They knew every one of each other’s preferences by heart. In Jiang Yan’s twenty years of life, every significant event had been something Lin Kexing knew about, and often participated in. That kind of bond, even if it wasn’t yet romantic love, ran no shallower than love.

If she didn’t know the story, Jiang Ruoqiao would have been very bothered by her boyfriend having someone like this in his life — a woman who offered so selflessly and cared so quietly.

Who wouldn’t be bothered?

But as things stood, Jiang Ruoqiao simply wasn’t concerned.

Or rather — rather than saying she was concerned about those two and whatever was between them, it was more accurate to say she was concerned about whether those two would affect her life the way they had in the novel.

She was a living, breathing person who had done nothing wrong. Why should she have to be the cannon fodder in someone else’s sweeping love story?

Lin Kexing seemed worried that Jiang Ruoqiao might misunderstand, and added: “I’m more than two years younger than Brother Jiang Yan. When we were little, he always looked out for me — more than my own brother did. To me, he really is just like an older brother. Auntie noticed I hadn’t been in great spirits lately and asked Brother Jiang Yan to bring me out to get some fresh air.”

Jiang Ruoqiao thought: how utterly pathetic.

She kept her face perfectly composed and gave a neutral sound, as if she didn’t care in the least.

Jiang Yan felt a wave of quiet relief inside — he always knew Ruoqiao was a kind and understanding person.

He gripped the steering wheel and stole another glance at Lin Kexing, as if to say “I told you, she’s wonderful, didn’t I.”

Lin Kexing managed a strained smile in return.

Jiang Ruoqiao couldn’t even be bothered to watch those two’s little exchange.

Lu Yicheng, on the other hand, was having regrets of his own — regrets about agreeing to come on this trip with Jiang Yan.

Jiang Ruoqiao knew about the “little sister” business from the game. Jiang Yan didn’t know she knew — but Lu Yicheng did.

So while Jiang Yan assumed that Jiang Ruoqiao’s silence meant she wasn’t bothered, Lu Yicheng found himself remembering that evening — her leaning against the doorframe, a half-smile on her lips, saying: “You men really do love claiming little sisters, don’t you? That eager to play the big brother role?”

Now, hearing Lin Kexing address him as “Brother” this and “Brother” that, he felt…

Jiang Ruoqiao glanced over at Lu Yicheng.

The man wore an expression of profound gravity, as if he were heading off to war rather than a farmstay.

He was sitting there looking like he was perched on a bed of nails, yet the one who had claimed a little sister wasn’t him, and the one being called “Brother” wasn’t him either.

Really…

Jiang Ruoqiao shook her head, not thinking much of him.

—