During the hottest time of summer, Chen Hu brought a plate of frozen watermelon to Bei Yao’s house.

The chubby youth had only climbed to the third floor, yet he was already panting like an ox. He knocked on the door, and Bei Yao’s delicate little face appeared on the other side. Bei Yao had just finished her afternoon nap and was preparing to get up and do her homework.

Chen Hu’s already ruddy face turned even redder. He said in his rough voice: “My dad’s factory distributed frozen watermelon. He told me to let you try some.”

“Thank you, Chen Hu.” Bei Yao took it. “Come in and sit for a bit. I made ice jelly this morning. Would you like to try some?”

Hearing there was ice jelly to eat, Chen Hu immediately entered without ceremony and sat on the sofa.

When Bei Yao went to get the ice jelly, Chen Hu suddenly spoke up: “Bei Yao, do you miss Pei Chuan?”

Bei Yao said: “I do.”

Chen Hu said dejectedly: “I miss Minmin too. When you were little, you and Pei Chuan had such a good relationship. Why won’t he even contact you now that you’ve grown up? Hmph, I knew he was an ungrateful wolf cub.”

Bei Yao brought him the ice jelly and smiled: “Mm, you’re right.”

The grown-up Pei Chuan was extremely unfamiliar. Yet his eyes were still so fierce and cold—he truly was a wolf cub, wasn’t he?

Chen Hu felt uncomfortable instead: “I didn’t mean to badmouth him.”

Actually, as the years passed and they grew up, the children from the old residential complex either moved away like Fang Mingjun or left C City due to their parents’ work transfers. Growing up and going their separate ways left Chen Hu feeling melancholy.

Bei Yao turned on the fan to blow on him.

All the children from the complex weren’t bad—she understood that. Chen Hu had been thoughtless when he was young, but growing up, he no longer said hurtful things. The youth had endured quite a bit of ridicule because of his body type, so he understood better the feeling of having flaws.

Bei Yao’s family still didn’t have a refrigerator this year. The ice jelly she made was placed in cold water after being mixed, and after a while, it could be taken out and would be quite delicious.

Bei Yao put the frozen watermelon into her own plate and returned Chen Hu’s family’s plate to him. Chen Hu happily finished a bowl and then huffed and puffed his way back downstairs.

Downstairs, he encountered an unexpected person.

Pei Chuan’s stepsister, Bai Yutong.

Bai Yutong was carrying a bottle of alcohol. She looked at the watermelon seeds that hadn’t been washed off Chen Hu’s empty plate: “Did you take watermelon to Bei Yao?”

Chen Hu answered in his rough voice: “Mm.”

Bai Yutong concealed the light in her eyes and joked: “You’re so good to her. When will you share a slice of watermelon with me to try?”

Chen Hu frowned. He said: “Then wait here, I’ll go up and get some.”

The watermelon wasn’t just for Bei Yao—he had given some to all his childhood playmates. Although Bei Yao had grown up to be extremely captivating, Chen Hu had no favoritism in his heart. It was just that, like the other youths, he had no good feelings toward the newly arrived Auntie Cao Li and this scrawny Bai Yutong, so naturally he hadn’t thought to give her anything.

After saying this, without waiting for Bai Yutong’s reaction, he ran back to his own home.

Bai Yutong held the bottle of alcohol, her heart filled with uncontrollable grievance. She glanced in the direction of Bei Yao’s room. A cluster of bright roses climbed and bloomed, and the summer ivy grew lush and verdant. Even plants favored beauties, wanting to peek out near Bei Yao’s window.

Bai Yutong said in a low voice: “Just a poor wretch.”

Everyone in the complex knew that Bei Yao’s family circumstances weren’t good. Bei Yao’s uncle had caused trouble and owed a lot of money, and more than half of Zhao Zhilan’s savings had gone to fill that bottomless pit.

But the family with the best circumstances in the complex was the Pei family.

Her stepfather had been promoted to captain of the criminal investigation team this year. Although Pei Haobin hadn’t paid much attention to his family before, he had always been diligent and reliable at work and had earned many merits. His career had risen steadily, and now everyone had to address him as “Captain Pei.”

Moreover, Pei Haobin had bought an apartment in the city center and was just waiting for when the family had time to move there.

Pei Haobin had feelings for the residential complex, but Bai Yutong had no feelings for it whatsoever.

She’d heard that the new house Uncle Pei bought was big and beautiful, and the complex even had gardens and a swimming pool. How wonderful it would be if she could move there sooner.

And besides…

Bai Yutong curved her lips. Uncle Pei had originally had a son—the first heir. Unfortunately, that stepbrother was a cripple who never came home after starting high school. Now Uncle Pei treated her and her mother especially well. It would be best if that stepbrother never came back.

The Pei family had money. She used to only be able to wear ugly, unfashionable dresses, but now her dresses were all pretty and refined styles.

Compared to Bei Yao, who still occasionally wore her cousin’s old dresses, Bai Yutong didn’t know how much more comfortable she was.

The sun blazed mercilessly. Sweat poured down Bai Yutong’s forehead. She was frustrated inside—she wasn’t fair-skinned to begin with; how could she endure such exposure? She hid in the shade of greenery. In her heart, she didn’t want to wait for that slice of watermelon, but why should that girl called Bei Yao, the prettiest one, have it while she didn’t? Thinking this way, Bai Yutong felt she absolutely had to wait for it.

But before Chen Hu returned, a tall and upright youth walked in through the complex gate.

Bai Yutong’s gaze froze.

In August, the sky stretched endlessly blue without a single cloud. The sunlight hung high, pouring entirely onto him. The youth was expressionless, hands in his pockets, his stride unhurried.

He wore a simple white shirt and black pants. In this hot August, he seemed to be walking through a desolate and lonely autumn.

His demeanor was exceptionally cold and aloof, yet because of his young, handsome, and upright face, he appeared particularly resolute and distinguished.

It was the first time Bai Yutong had seen such a handsome boy in the complex. Her gaze fell on him in a daze.

The youth first glanced at the plum tree with bare branches at the complex entrance, then slowly moved his gaze to the window on the third floor across the way.

There, roses bloomed delicately, like lingering feminine fragrance.

The emerald-green ivy boldly explored toward her window, also taking on a somewhat bashful appearance.

He withdrew his gaze and walked toward his own home.

Bai Yutong was stunned. She was clearly wearing her prettiest dress, yet this youth didn’t glance at her even once, as if she didn’t exist. Her face flushed with embarrassment, her heart interwoven with the amazement of first seeing him and the shame of being ignored by the youth.

However, she didn’t know him and had no reason to call out to him. She could only watch helplessly as he went to the building on her side.

Only then did Chen Hu come down with the cut watermelon: “Here.”

He really only gave her one slice. After waiting more than ten minutes, Bai Yutong’s heart bled internally. She cursed him secretly in her mind but had to wear a smile on her face: “Thank you.” Then she took the watermelon and left.

Chen Hu couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to her and went to Li Da’s house to deliver frozen watermelon.

~

When Bai Yutong pushed open the door, she saw the youth sitting on the sofa. She froze, then looked toward her mother, who appeared somewhat uncomfortable in the living room.

Cao Li’s face showed embarrassment and helplessness: “Wait a bit longer. Your dad just went to work.”

The youth’s expression was indifferent: “Mm.”

He sat with his legs crossed. Hearing Bai Yutong return, he didn’t turn around. Then he stood up directly and walked toward his own room.

Cao Li stepped forward: “Hey, hey, you…” In the end, she felt too embarrassed to speak.

Bai Yutong instinctively interjected: “That’s my room!”

The youth finally had a reaction. He turned around, his thin lips curving slightly: “Yours?”

Bai Yutong felt inexplicably intimidated in her heart, but she still said: “It’s mine now. It’s not quite appropriate for you to go in, is it?”

Pei Chuan wanted to smoke a cigarette.

However, mindful of his purpose in coming back, he only said coldly: “You move out. Immediately.”

No matter how foolish Bai Yutong was, she understood that this person before her was that stepbrother she’d never met. She looked at his legs in shock, the directness in her eyes completely unconcealed. Cao Li, having more experience and higher emotional intelligence, scolded quietly: “Tongtong!”

Bai Yutong came to her senses and put the alcohol on the table, no longer looking at Pei Chuan.

Cao Li said: “I’m sorry, Pei… Pei Chuan. Auntie and your father both thought you wouldn’t come back to live here. That room has good lighting, so…”

Everyone understood what she meant.

The complex’s floor plan was three bedrooms and one living room.

One master bedroom was Pei Haobin’s, one used to be Pei Chuan’s, and there was another with poor lighting that had been made into a storage room.

Bai Yutong hadn’t lived in the storage room but had instead moved into Pei Chuan’s original bedroom with good lighting.

Seeing the youth’s expressionless face, Cao Li said awkwardly: “I’m sorry, we didn’t consider this well. It’s not realistic to have Tongtong move now—how about tonight?” By then Pei Haobin would be back, and facing his own biological son, it wouldn’t be so awkward.

Pei Chuan scoffed lightly: “Fine.”

He didn’t open that door but opened the door and left the house.

He was definitely going to take that room back.

That place faced her room—it was the closest place to her.

Yet he had… abandoned that place for a year. A year without seeing roses bloom, without seeing the lush ivy.

~

Seeing Pei Chuan walk out, Bai Yutong immediately said with grievance: “Mom, I don’t want to live in the storage room.”

Cao Li glared at her: “Shut up. Do you know what should and shouldn’t be said? After all, he’s your Uncle Pei’s biological son.”

“But I’m the one who’s been filial this past year!”

“And you’re the one who’s gotten the benefits!” Cao Li said sternly. “If you want to live an even better life in the Pei family in the future, listen to me!”

Bai Yutong was frightened and fell silent. Compared to an insignificant room, she was more attached to a life of material comfort. She was truly afraid of being poor.

However, Cao Li thought more than she did. Whether they could successfully exchange rooms was still a question. Pei Haobin might not necessarily give the room to his son—after all, who knew what this son who had disappeared for a year had been doing?

Pei Chuan had also told his family he was going to attend Sixth High, but when Pei Haobin went to Sixth High to find him, he couldn’t be found.

The next day, he received a text message: “I’ve left. Don’t worry about me.”

And he’d been gone for a year.

Pei Haobin followed the clues his son left behind to search everywhere and discovered a plane ticket to Q City. Only then did Pei Haobin have no choice but to give up.

China’s population was vast as the sea—where could one find a youth whose whereabouts were uncertain? Although Pei Haobin had been unable to sleep at first, tossing and turning with worry, over time, resentment toward Pei Chuan inevitably grew in his heart. A family member who could just abandon them—such a cold-blooded and unfeeling person, how could one expect him to be filial?

Bai Yutong recovered: “Mom, where did he come from? How did he suddenly come back?”

“How would I know?”

“Mom, you say he’s a crip…” Under her mother’s gaze, Bai Yutong shut her mouth, no longer saying that word, and continued asking: “He didn’t take any money when he left and had no living expenses, right? How has he survived this year?”

Cao Li also frowned: “Working part-time or something like that, I suppose.”

Bai Yutong inevitably felt a trace of disdain rise in her heart. No wonder Pei Chuan came back wearing an ordinary white shirt—he was poor and couldn’t make it anymore, so he had no choice but to come back.

Bai Yutong had worked part-time before. She knew how hard it was to be child labor. Even now, her hands were dry and rough, and in winter they would develop ugly chilblains—all because of washing and serving dishes. Thinking of Pei Chuan having lived at the lowest level of society for over a year, Bai Yutong felt her initial amazement at seeing him was utterly revolting.

How could she have been amazed by such a person?

This stepbrother who had “dropped out” early would probably only be able to depend on his stepfather for the rest of his life.

Thinking of this made her irritated. There was another mouth to feed in the family, and perhaps in the future, this person would need her help. Bai Yutong felt uncomfortable inside.

~

Pei Chuan leaned against the lush ivy.

His utterly selfish self had ultimately chosen this despicable path.

He was going to seize, to snatch that one-in-ten-thousand possibility.

Pei Chuan made a phone call. The person on the other end said quietly: “It’s taken care of.”

Pei Chuan gave an “mm.”

His fingertip slid across his phone, somewhat lost in thought. When they were young, the textbook taught the story of the farmer and the snake. The farmer saved the snake, yet the snake repaid kindness with enmity and wanted to devour the farmer.

Now he was that venomous snake flicking its tongue and baring its fangs.

Going to do the worst, most terrible thing in the world.

Bei Yao, if one day, all the encounters, companionship, and separations were his deliberate malice—even if you cannot love me, please don’t hate me, alright?

He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall below her floor.

The August sunlight blazed intensely. This wall faced the light, which was why the ivy could grow so well. Because the ivy was beautiful and spectacular when lush, the residents of the complex hadn’t thought to remove it.

Pei Chuan’s sweat flowed down along his black hair, soaking his cheap shirt all the way through, yet he paid no attention.

When evening came, the show would begin.

He hadn’t seen Pei Haobin for a year. He didn’t know if it was his nature to be cold-blooded, but one year had actually worn away his expectations of his own father.

More than this, he was more worried about Bei Yao’s reaction.

~

Zhao Zhilan was very happy when she came home. At the dinner table, she coughed and said solemnly: “After all these years, our stingy clothing company has finally given out benefits!”

After 2003, their garment factory had been restructured into a company, and Zhao Zhilan had become a small supervisor in the design department.

Bei Yao took a bite of eggplant and looked curiously at her excited mother.

Zhao Zhilan pulled out an invitation voucher from her pocket and said proudly: “I never thought the garment factory would have such a generous day. It must be because we earned quite a bit of money for the company last year.”

Bei Yao took it and looked closely. It was actually a free experience voucher for the “Youth Summer Camp.”

The scenery on it was very beautiful, and the accommodations, travel arrangements, and lodging all looked very good.

Zhao Zhilan said: “Very few people in the company have this privilege. Zhao Xiu was extremely envious, but since my performance last year was better than hers, she had nothing to say. I heard that signing up for a seven-day summer camp on your own costs over two thousand yuan! That’s even more expensive than traveling. Our Yaoyao has never participated in anything like this. This time, there’s finally an opportunity.”

Bei Yao said: “Can I not go?”

“Why not!”

Bei Yao’s almond eyes were clear and bright: “Since Mom’s reward is so valuable, why don’t we sell it? We could get at least over a thousand for it.”