After the summer of 2007 arrived, students at Sixth Middle School suffered terribly.

This year, City C’s summer was especially hot, with global climate change drawing worldwide attention. The television screen scrolled major news: “Blue-green algae outbreak in Lake T basin at the end of May affecting a large area—nearly a million citizens’ tap water undrinkable.”

After several years of rapid economic growth, environmental issues had finally gained national attention.

Some even joked that after global warming, City C had transformed from a previously peaceful and pleasant city into a giant furnace.

Chen Feifei was slightly plump and even more afraid of heat in summer. She stuck out her tongue. “Yao Yao, do you think panting like a little dog can really help cool you down?”

Bei Yao had originally been doing homework in the classroom. She turned her head and couldn’t help but have her lips curved by Chen Feifei’s antics.

Chen Feifei said, “The school is way too stingy. These half-old, half-new electric fans—only three total in the classroom, and the one above my head is broken. I’m really about to die from the heat.”

What’s more, although they had the weekend off, the dormitory didn’t turn on fans during the day. Sixth Middle School justified this by saying it let students adapt early to “hardship and hard work.”

Chen Feifei remembered something. Her eyes lit up as she fished out a promotional poster from her drawer.

Large gilded characters read: “Qingshi” Grand Opening, Free Lucky Draw, chance to win “Häagen-Dazs” ice cream.

The ice cream promotional image above was exquisite. Just one glance on a scorching summer day could nearly steal your soul away.

Chen Feifei glanced at Bei Yao and softened her voice. “Yao Yao, let’s go check out ‘Qingshi.’ It’s not far from school anyway, and the lucky draw is free. I’ve never had Häagen-Dazs in my life. I heard it costs dozens of yuan for one. What if we win?”

Bei Yao thought about it. “That place seems to be a fifteen-minute walk from school.”

Chen Feifei looked at the flyer and gritted her teeth. “No problem!”

Bei Yao held an umbrella and went with her.

With her obsession with Häagen-Dazs as motivation, Chen Feifei struggled through the scorching heat for a full fifteen minutes and finally arrived at the entrance to “Qingshi.” However, upon seeing the spectacular queue, Chen Feifei completely despaired.

From the first floor entrance of “Qingshi,” the line extended all the way to the roadside.

The year 2007 wasn’t like later years with such abundant material goods. At least for high school students, being able to draw for Häagen-Dazs without spending money was quite worthwhile.

Even Bei Yao, who wasn’t very afraid of heat, felt momentarily daunted seeing such a terrifying queue.

However, seeing Chen Feifei’s disappointed expression, she comforted her. “It’s okay, we brought an umbrella. If we queue for a bit, it’ll be our turn soon.”

Chen Feifei rallied her spirits.

The two girls stood at the back of the crowd. The line moved forward slowly at a turtle’s pace.

Bei Yao looked up at this newly built “Qingshi” with its significant backing. Qingshi wasn’t an ice cream shop but a large entertainment venue. The first floor sold pastries, cakes, and cold drinks. The second floor was a restaurant. The third floor was an internet café. The fourth floor was KTV.

Looking further up, the fifth floor was a billiards room, the sixth floor a card room.

The seventh floor and above were all hotel rooms.

Qingshi was established between Third Middle School and Sixth Middle School, leaning more toward Sixth Middle School.

For high school students, this was a venue containing all luxurious entertainment projects. However, consumption was deadly expensive—you could tell just from the first floor selling Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Chen Feifei felt dizzy and faint but looked up longingly. “If only one day I could eat whatever I want on the first and second floors and play however I want on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth.”

Bei Yao encouraged her, “When you grow up, you’ll be able to.”

Chen Feifei laughed. “I was just saying. This kind of money-burning place—those who come are either rich people or spendthrifts. A pauper like me shouldn’t even think about it. Yao Yao, you’re so nice, still earnestly encouraging me.”

Chen Feifei took the umbrella and held it over both their heads.

High above, glass refracted dazzling light in the sunshine.

~

On the sixth floor of “Qingshi,” in the card room, a group of teenagers was playing cards.

Wei Wan leaned against the armrest of her chair, holding a cup of iced drink. She wore a rose-red mini skirt, the hem dangerously reaching her thighs, her appearance gorgeous. Wei Wan bit the straw on and off, watching this group of “wealthy teenagers” from class.

Their Class 9 of the first year was considered a class with a concentration of wealthy people. Wei Wan was the class beauty.

After playing a pair of 2s, Jin Ziyang looked at Wei Wan with a grin. “Is our great beauty Wei bored? Come, come—big brother will teach you to play cards.”

With his improper joking, all the young men and women laughed.

Zheng Hang said, “With your dog-shit card skills, forget about it.”

“What kind of talk is that? Do you have to undercut me like this!”

“Tell me yourself—when have you won? Last round, we were about to win, but you actually took my card! I’m your teammate, you fucking idiot!” He got angrier as he spoke.

“…” Jin Ziyang felt guilty. Originally, if he hadn’t taken that hand, Zheng Hang would have finished. But he’d played too excitedly and hadn’t counted cards, so once he took the cards, both of them were done for.

Jin Ziyang coughed and looked toward the young man sitting with his back to the window. “Brother Chuan, can’t you go easy on us? We’re all friends here. Do you get satisfaction from winning these few hundred yuan?”

Only then did the young man lazily raise his head. He was bathed in July’s scorching sunlight, but because the air conditioning was on indoors, he didn’t feel hot.

Pei Chuan sat with legs crossed and threw out the last four 9s, replying indifferently, “You’re just bad. I’ve already been very restrained.”

Jin Ziyang took an arrow to the chest: “…”

As the young men joked around, Wei Wan couldn’t help but let her gaze fall on Pei Chuan.

These boys in their class were all rich second-generation. Jin Ziyang and Zheng Hang’s families both owned companies, so being wealthy was justified. But no one knew what Pei Chuan’s background was. The boys kept their mouths shut about Pei Chuan’s family circumstances.

Yet this young man was the most generous spender among them.

At least Jin Ziyang and Zheng Hang didn’t dare buy a luxury car worth over a million yuan in high school. If they really did, their dads would hang them up and beat them.

Jin Ziyang changed the subject. “I’m not good at playing, but someone else is good!” He grinned at Wei Wan. “Quick, go sit next to Brother Chuan. Let the gambling god teach you some card skills.”

Wei Wan’s face reddened. She glanced at Pei Chuan. The young man’s lips held a smile. He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either.

Wei Wan’s heart beat a bit faster. Amid the booing, she sat down next to Pei Chuan.

The young man’s slender fingers were very attractive. This round, he was dealing.

He shuffled cards very smoothly and dealt very quickly.

Jin Ziyang looked at Wei Wan and raised an eyebrow. “Class beauty, great beauty—this round we won’t play for money. If I win, how about you kiss me?”

Wei Wan was easygoing and just smiled at this.

Zheng Hang said, “Why should it be you? What if I win?”

Jin Ziyang suddenly said, “Then whoever finishes their cards first, Wei Wan kisses them, and that person pays today. How about it, Wei Wan? Do you dare?”

Wei Wan glanced at Pei Chuan’s unrestrained brows and eyes beside her and smiled. “What’s there not to dare?”

“A kiss on the lips—no backing out.”

Only then did Wei Wan turn her face away as if embarrassed. She sipped her iced drink, her gaze falling outside the glass window. Below, the queuing crowd was dying of heat in the scorching sun. Many young girls were getting impatient from waiting.

Wei Wan smiled contemptuously in her heart.

Look—this was the difference between people. She had also heard that “Qingshi” was holding some lucky draw, and even if you won, it was just a Häagen-Dazs. Many people stood under the blazing sun and would ultimately return empty-handed. Perhaps when they were in their teens, they’d never have the chance to be this comfortable.

As for Wei Wan, the drinks these young men were treating her to cost more than that.

At the card table, the young men’s battle was intense.

Jin Ziyang’s face was almost scrunched into a ball. “What the fuck kind of hand is this? I have 3, 4, 5, 6 but no 7!”

The landlord was still Pei Chuan. He looked at the pair of jokers and four 7s in his hand and fell silent for a moment.

When Zheng Hang heard his idiot teammate say he had no 7, he was also confused for a moment because he also had no 7. Then Zheng Hang unobtrusively glanced at Pei Chuan and sighed inwardly.

After one round, Pei Chuan only had the pair of jokers left.

He casually threw down the cards.

Jin Ziyang wasn’t angry about losing. Instead, he raised his eyebrows lecherously. “Beauty Wei, time for you to perform.”

As soon as these words came out, except for Zheng Hang, who frowned slightly, the other young men and women present cooperatively started booing.

In this atmosphere, Wei Wan turned to look at Pei Chuan. He leaned by the window and glanced up at her.

No one in Class 9 of the first year knew Pei Chuan had a disability.

Because even in the hottest summer, he always wore long pants. After all these years had passed, when he slowed his pace to walk, not only could people not detect anything wrong, there was even an indescribable lazy, unrestrained air about him.

Wei Wan was actually very curious about and liked him.

He was rich, good-looking, excellent at cards and basketball. She’d heard he’d also learned boxing since childhood.

Thinking this, she leaned over, moving closer. She half-closed her eyes, getting closer and closer to him.

Jin Ziyang’s booing reached its loudest at this moment.

Pei Chuan curved his lips, watching her kiss approach.

He found it amusing. If she knew what kind of person he was, she’d probably be scared enough to jump from here.

Pei Chuan was internally indifferent. Lips touching lips—it wouldn’t hurt or itch. Compared to betrayal, abandonment, and deception, these were all just games. He wasn’t a good person to begin with, so he didn’t need to mind.

His slender index finger still held a King of Diamonds. Wei Wan’s perfume was somewhat strong.

Pei Chuan lowered his gaze, looking lazy.

But in that instant of lowering his gaze, the young girl wearing a bean-green short-sleeve shirt downstairs lifted her face and raised her head.

Bei Yao moved the umbrella aside, tilted her small face to look at the clear sky, her voice crisp and sweet. “Feifei, the sun’s been covered by clouds.”

So they didn’t need to hold the umbrella anymore.

The glass high above was one-way. Bei Yao couldn’t see who was above or what they were doing. But in Pei Chuan’s line of sight, she had entered.

Wei Wan kissed toward him.

He almost subconsciously turned his head. Wei Wan’s lips brushed past his cold, hard jaw.

Everyone in the card room was stunned.

In their impression, Pei Chuan wasn’t someone who couldn’t take a joke. Wei Wan bit her lip, knowing the kiss had been dodged. She also felt some shame. Her eyes held humiliation, and she was unwilling to speak, only looking at Pei Chuan.

Pei Chuan was silent, his gaze sweeping downstairs once.

Jin Ziyang quickly eased the atmosphere. “Aiyo, Brother Chuan, that’s not very honest of you. To make our great beauty Wei kiss you again, you even pulled this move!”

Wei Wan’s expression improved somewhat. She also thought Pei Chuan was deliberately teasing her.

But the next moment, Pei Chuan suddenly stood up.

He looked at his group of confused fair-weather friends, fished two cards from his pocket, and tossed one to Jin Ziyang. “Pay the bill.”

The other he tossed to Wei Wan. “Apology. Everyone go home today.”

Wei Wan looked down—it was a gold card for the first and second floors of “Qingshi.”

She could spend freely inside.

The young women present all looked over enviously. Wei Wan’s last bit of anger also dissipated.

She said understandingly, “Since Pei Chuan has something to do, let’s not play today.”

Pei Chuan put on the black wristguard by his chair. His bare arms were solid and powerful. His face had lost its lazy smile. He fell silent and walked out alone.

Jin Ziyang said in a daze, asking quietly, “What’s wrong with him?”

Zheng Hang shrugged. “Don’t know.”

They’d never seen him like this before.

~

Pei Chuan went downstairs to the second-floor floor-to-ceiling window.

His gaze fell on Bei Yao. She couldn’t see him. For over a year, this was the first time he’d looked at her from so close.

She was truly beautiful—so beautiful that for over three hundred days he hadn’t dared open the Sixth Middle School forum.

Bei Yao’s bean-green short-sleeve shirt had a little cat licking its fur printed on it. In the July summer, perhaps from the heat, she gently used the back of her hand to wipe the thin sweat from her forehead. Her friend in front said something to her, and her clear almond eyes smiled.

Pei Chuan pressed his lips together and lit a cigarette.

A male student in a gray shirt came out, passed by Bei Yao, and gave her the two Häagen-Dazs he’d bought. The boy’s face was bright red. This time, Pei Chuan seriously read the boy’s lips. He said, “Please have some.”

Pei Chuan’s expression was indifferent as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

Bei Yao smiled and shook her head. “Thank you.”

The boy left, disappointed.

Chen Feifei watched the boy’s retreating figure longingly but said nothing.

About five minutes later, it was finally Chen Feifei and Bei Yao’s turn. Both girls reached into the box and pulled out a number.

Pei Chuan saw Bei Yao first look at her own number, then look at the carefree Chen Feifei’s. Then she gently blinked at the server and quietly pointed at Chen Feifei.

Pei Chuan stubbed out the cigarette, almost instantly guessing: Bei Yao had won the prize, but Chen Feifei hadn’t. She quietly requested the server say that the number on Chen Feifei’s ticket was the winning one.

The pretty young girl’s look made the server’s heart soften, and she agreed.

When the server handed the Häagen-Dazs to Chen Feifei, Chen Feifei happily cheered and jumped up to hug Bei Yao. “Yao Yao, this is great—I won!”

Bei Yao also laughed along.

They left. After walking several steps, Pei Chuan saw the girl called Chen Feifei carefully scoop out a spoonful from the ice cream and feed it to Bei Yao first.

Bei Yao smiled and ate it.

Pei Chuan touched his lighter—ice cold without a hint of warmth.

He realized he shouldn’t have abandoned a group of people to come watch her. He didn’t even dare appear before her. She had carefully tried to protect him, wanting him to become a clean little boy. After growing up, he had already become dirty.

Clearly knowing he wasn’t worthy of even looking at her once, he still couldn’t hold back.

She still possessed beautiful youth, while Pei Chuan had become filthy bones that couldn’t climb up from hell.

Perhaps because July was too hot, the place where his heart was inevitably began to throb wildly.

Someone like Wei Wan could still enjoy the air-conditioned card room. A girl as wonderful as Bei Yao could only obediently stand under the sun.

His dark eyes were calm.

~

Bei Yao and Chen Feifei had already walked quite far when a male server caught up to them.

He said politely, “You two students, is this voucher ticket yours?”

Bei Yao glanced at it—it was her “non-winning” ticket.

The server revealed a relaxed smile. “Then that’s right. The store was too busy just now and made a mistake. This is today’s grand prize ticket. ‘Qingshi’ has prepared a gift package for you.”

He took out a very pretty box, handed it to Bei Yao, and left.

Bei Yao: “…”

Under Chen Feifei’s urging, Bei Yao opened the box.

The box came with ice packs. Inside was an exquisite cake with an adorable little princess made of cream on top.

Inside the box were also two cold drinks and four Häagen-Dazs.

No wonder it was so heavy.

Chen Feifei’s eyes went straight. “Holy shit, Yao Yao, your luck is so good.”

Bei Yao frowned. She didn’t seem to remember “Qingshi” having any daily grand prize?