Lu Yicheng brought Jiang Ruoqiao back to his rental apartment.

In her current state, returning to the guesthouse and being seen by her maternal grandparents would not be good. On the way back, Lu Yicheng had stopped at a pharmacy to buy iodine solution and ointment. Lu Siyan had gone to kindergarten, so the apartment was very quiet. Jiang Ruoqiao sat in a chair to one side. Lu Yicheng had originally intended to hand her the iodine solution and let her tend to herself, but one look at her dazed, listless state made him sigh. He crouched down in front of her and said softly, “Let me clean the sand out of your wound first. It might sting a little.”

Jiang Ruoqiao looked at the top of his head and gave a low murmur of acknowledgment.

Lu Yicheng dipped a cotton swab in iodine and carefully cleaned her wound.

Her skin was naturally fair, which made the injury on her knee look all the more alarming. Yet throughout the entire process, her brow never furrowed once. She seemed unable to feel the pain. Her expression could be described as calm, though a more accurate word would be numb.

Jiang Ruoqiao was, in truth, someone with a very high tolerance for pain.

She had a remarkable capacity to endure — to hold in joy and delight, just as she held in suffering and grief.

As Lu Yicheng applied the iodine solution, he kept an eye on her expression. When he realized she hadn’t furrowed her brow even once, he lowered his gaze and said nothing.

“All done,” Lu Yicheng said. “Try not to get it wet. Change the dressing once a day.”

Thinking of how much she cared about her appearance, he added, “It won’t leave a scar.”

“Mm, thank you,” Jiang Ruoqiao said. “I’d like to wash my hands in the bathroom.”

Lu Yicheng stood up and tossed the used cotton swabs into the trash bin. “Go ahead. Have you had breakfast?”

Jiang Ruoqiao looked at him.

Even he noticed it himself — at this moment, Jiang Ruoqiao’s reactions were half a beat slow.

“Alright, I understand.” Lu Yicheng did not head to the bathroom, but instead went to the kitchen to wash his hands. While he busied himself, Jiang Ruoqiao went into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. The temperature that day wasn’t particularly high — wearing short sleeves felt a little cool. She just wanted to calm herself down.

She had already cried once, hadn’t she?

She turned on the faucet and scooped up a handful of cold water to wash her face. She raised her head and looked in the mirror, unable to tell whether what was on her face was water or tears.

In the kitchen, Lu Yicheng concentrated on making breakfast.

There weren’t many ingredients left in the refrigerator. He opened a can of luncheon meat, cut it into thick slices, and set it aside. The gas stove had two burners — on one side, a small saucepan was heating water. On the other, he used a flat pan to fry an egg, then fried the luncheon meat. He boiled some thin noodles, laying the beautifully fried egg on top along with a few slices of luncheon meat. It was a simple meal, but an inviting one.

He hadn’t had time for breakfast either. He brought the bowls to the dining table, then hesitated, unsure whether to call her. The next second, the bathroom door opened. Jiang Ruoqiao had already composed herself, both her emotions and her expression. She was a person of very strong resolve. She had felt furious and heartbroken and devastated over that dream, but she understood that what she needed to focus on even more was the present. She had already brought her grandmother here for medical attention more than a year ahead of time. She would also do everything she could to prevent what had happened in the dream from happening again…

If tears were of any use, she would be willing to cry every day.

But right now, her maternal grandparents needed a pillar of strength. She had to pull herself together. It would be alright. Jiang Ruoqiao, things would not unfold the way they had in the dream.

Lu Yicheng still had his apron on.

He untied it and gave her a gentle smile. “Have some noodles.”

Jiang Ruoqiao gave a quiet affirmative and sat down across from him. The two of them each had a bowl of noodles — though not identical. Jiang Ruoqiao’s bowl had luncheon meat and an egg; Lu Yicheng’s had only an egg.

Lu Yicheng noticed that Jiang Ruoqiao hadn’t picked up her chopsticks and asked, “Don’t you like this?”

He added, “Would you like me to make you a sandwich instead?”

Jiang Ruoqiao shook her head slightly. She had already recovered her usual composure. “The noodles are fine, I have no problem with it — there’s just too much.”

Lu Yicheng had clearly misjudged her appetite.

Such a big bowl — how could anyone finish it all?

Lu Yicheng thought for a moment, then stood up. “Hold on.”

He went to the kitchen and found a pair of disposable chopsticks in the cupboard. Before picking up any noodles, he asked her again, “Shall I take some out for you?”

Jiang Ruoqiao nodded eagerly. “Take quite a bit.”

Lu Yicheng used the disposable chopsticks to transfer several portions of noodles from her bowl, pausing to ask, “Is that enough?”

“Take a little more.”

“…Alright.”

“Take a few pieces of the luncheon meat too,” Jiang Ruoqiao said.

Lu Yicheng paused. “Don’t you like it? I think it tastes pretty good.”

Siyan loved it, after all.

“I can’t finish it, there’s too much,” Jiang Ruoqiao said.

“Mm.”

By the end of it, Lu Yicheng’s bowl was practically piled into a small mountain. Jiang Ruoqiao looked at it and laughed. “The main issue is that you cooked way too much to begin with.”

Lu Yicheng shrugged and admitted honestly, “You know, every time I cook noodles, it’s really hard to get the amount right. I think I’ve put in too little, so I add a bit more, and then a bit more, and it ends up being a giant pot.”

Jiang Ruoqiao could relate to this deeply. “I know exactly what you mean. Cooking noodles is my biggest fear too.”

The atmosphere between the two of them returned to normal.

And because of what had happened, in Jiang Ruoqiao’s heart, the distance between herself and Lu Yicheng had grown shorter.

The weather was beautiful that day. Sunlight streamed through the window and into the apartment. The two of them sat facing each other, eating a simple, lightly flavored bowl of noodles. Jiang Ruoqiao felt as though a pair of hands was gently smoothing away her anger. She still had so very many things to do. After finishing the noodles, Jiang Ruoqiao naturally moved to clear the bowls, but Lu Yicheng quickly stopped her. “No need, no need — it’s only two bowls. My hands already got greasy earlier anyway. Don’t dirty yours.”

Inside Jiang Ruoqiao’s bag was the appointment slip that Lu Yicheng had queued through the entire night to secure. She was sincerely grateful to him.

Often, she would accept the pursuit and attentions of the opposite sex with a sense of entitlement — such things were commonplace, and from a young age she had grown accustomed to others’ eagerness to please.

But when it came to Lu Yicheng, she always felt that an attitude of entitlement would be terribly detestable.

She shouldn’t take advantage of his kindness.

Yet how was she supposed to thank him? She couldn’t think of anything for the time being, so she made a mental note of it in her internal tally. Once her grandmother’s situation had settled, she would find a way to thank him properly and sincerely.

“I’m going back now. I want to come clean with my maternal grandparents,” Jiang Ruoqiao said. “This afternoon when I take her for the examination, it’ll be impossible to hide. Elderly people are perceptive — one examination she might let pass without thinking much of it, but going for a second one, she’ll definitely understand something is up. So I want to use something bigger to redirect her attention, to make her feel that being sick and getting treatment isn’t such a big deal. As long as she feels at ease in her heart, it won’t be a big deal.”

Lu Yicheng understood. He nodded. “That works.”

Thinking about it, yes — an unexpected five-year-old great-grandchild turning up out of nowhere… the elderly couple would surely feel that matter was far more pressing.

Jiang Ruoqiao lowered her gaze. “So I might need to trouble you with things going forward.”

Given her grandparents’ personalities, once they accepted that Siyan was her son, they would certainly wonder why Siyan was living with Lu Yicheng.

That layer of the relationship couldn’t simply be glossed over.

Lu Yicheng’s expression was relaxed. “It’s no trouble. It’s only right.”

That phrase — “it’s only right” — had become the most frequently spoken line from him lately.

But nothing about it was simply “right.”

He didn’t owe her anything. Even though the two of them shared a child, Siyan had not been born from the current version of her.

…

Jiang Ruoqiao returned to the guesthouse.

Her grandmother was on the balcony tending to the flowers and plants the landlord had left behind. Her grandfather was watching a television drama. Jiang Ruoqiao stood in the entryway, watching her grandmother’s silhouette, and felt her nose beginning to prickle with emotion. She shook her head and worked hard to press down all her negative feelings. After changing her shoes, she acted as though nothing was amiss and sat down on the sofa to watch TV. Her grandfather noticed her and asked casually, “Why aren’t you at school?”

Jiang Ruoqiao said, “The long holiday is coming up, and there aren’t many classes. Third-year students don’t have much coursework — a lot of it is preparing for exams. Every certificate I could sit for, I’ve already taken.”

“Ah, right,” her grandfather said with a nod.

Jiang Ruoqiao spent a long time steeling herself, then suddenly said, “Grandmother, could you stop for a moment? Grandfather, could you pause the television too? I have something very important to say…”

Her grandmother left the flowers and plants alone and straightened up to look at her.

Her grandfather reluctantly pressed the pause button on the television.

Jiang Ruoqiao tried her best to lighten the mood. “There is one piece of not-so-good news and one piece of good news. Grandpa, Grandma, which would you like to hear first?”

Following the tradition of their family…

Her grandparents said in unison, “Save the good news for last. Tell us the not-so-good one first!”

Jiang Ruoqiao knew they would choose that way. She deliberated carefully before cautiously opening her mouth. “Grandmother’s examination results showed something that needs to be followed up with a second check. The doctor yesterday recommended going directly to see Professor Huang. I’ve already made the appointment — we can go this afternoon at three o’clock… The doctor yesterday said to follow Professor Huang’s recommendation and see whether a biopsy or direct surgery would be the right course of action.”

In the past, she had always seen scenes like this in television dramas — someone falling seriously ill, with the family keeping it hidden.

But in the modern world, trying to hide such things was truly, truly difficult.

Elderly people of her grandmother’s generation were generally very afraid of hospitals. If she brought her grandmother to another large hospital for a second round of tests today, her grandmother would surely be wracked with worry and would dwell on it constantly. Rather than let her imagination run wild, it was better to directly tell her what she already knew.

Her grandmother froze. Her grandfather’s face fell into helpless dismay.

Her grandfather’s voice wavered. “Qiao — Qiaoqiao, what’s wrong with your grandmother? Isn’t she perfectly fine?”

What was all this about biopsies and surgery?

Jiang Ruoqiao gave a small nod. “The doctor is also recommending a more thorough examination. Grandfather, it’s going to be alright. Modern medicine is very advanced, and Professor Huang is a national authority in this area.”

No matter what Jiang Ruoqiao said, the mood in the room remained heavy.

This was something she had foreseen. After a period of silence, she summoned her energy again and spoke in a bright, vibrant voice. “Ah, but there’s still the good news! One piece of news you could absolutely never guess!”

Her grandmother forced a smile. “What good news?”

Her grandfather looked at her with suspicion. “You’re not about to tell us you made all that up just now, are you?”

Her grandmother shot him a look. “Is Qiaoqiao the kind of person who doesn’t know better than that? Would she joke about something like this? You pea-brained old man!”

Jiang Ruoqiao knew that her grandparents were also trying to lighten the atmosphere in their own way. She lowered her head, and when she raised it again, she was still wearing a full smile. “Who do you think Siyan looks like?”

Her grandparents clearly didn’t follow the connection — why had they suddenly gone from the topic at hand to talking about someone else’s child?

“Looks like who?” they asked, puzzled.

“Ta-da~” Jiang Ruoqiao pulled up a photo of herself as a child from her phone’s album. “Like me, of course!”

She worked hard to keep the atmosphere light and to make herself appear easygoing. Only if she appeared to treat the whole surgery situation as nothing significant would her grandparents feel at peace. “Don’t you think the resemblance is striking?”

Her grandmother: “…”

Was this supposed to be the good news?

Thinking that, she still cooperated with her granddaughter and reached from the coffee table for her reading glasses, then put them on and studied the photo. She thought back to how the child had looked yesterday. “…There does seem to be some resemblance. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Wait a moment.” Jiang Ruoqiao stood up, reached into the inner compartment of her bag, and took out a piece of paper to hand to them. “This is the paternity test report for me and Siyan. I’m not joking — he really is my son. But he’s my future son. Siyan isn’t from the present. He came from…” she did a quick calculation, “…twelve years in the future.”

Her grandfather: “…”

Her grandmother: “?”

Jiang Ruoqiao walked over and linked arms with her grandmother. While her grandmother was still frozen in shock, she said in a voice full of tender longing, “So, Grandmother, I’m scared. You always say I’m still just a child myself. I don’t know how to raise a little one. Will you and Grandfather help me? Teach me? I’m truly frightened.”

*I need you both very much. So very much.*

—