Chen Yi didn’t get into a physical fight with Zhou Yuan. Strictly speaking, he never intended to fight him at all. What he said to Zhou Yuan was because he saw through Zhou Yuan’s cowardice and timidity, using words to first break down the dark side in his heart.

Perhaps Zhou Yuan did love Lin Jiahui, but before loving Lin Jiahui, he loved himself more. He felt guilty about Lin Jiahui leaving without saying goodbye, but this guilt wasn’t enough to support him in giving up everything he had for Lin Jiahui’s sake.

His self-assumed deep affection could only deceive himself. If he truly wanted to keep her, Lin Jiahui and he had so many mutual friends, her parents, even her hometown—any of these could have become clues for him to search for her. Why bother stubbornly staying in this small corner of the world?

However, Chen Yi still did something not quite peaceful. He used his connections and asked friends to look up Zhou Yuan’s information, then like a bully, he gradually revealed everything he knew, threatening Zhou Yuan not to come here again, or else he could forget about staying in City B.

Whether it was this threat that worked or not, Zhou Yuan didn’t say a word at the time, his face deathly pale as he entered the elevator.

……

At this moment, Chen Yi stood at the bathroom door, thinking about how Zhou Yuan looked before leaving, finding it increasingly funny. This person was really easy to fool.

Not letting him stay in City B—Zhou Yuan actually believed such ridiculous words.

He let out a mocking laugh. Ruan Mian beside him looked at him, “What are you laughing at?”

Chen Yi still had that righteous appearance, his brows slowly relaxing, the mocking smile becoming gentle. “Nothing.”

Ruan Mian imperceptibly pursed her lips, “I’ve already made your bed for you. I have an early morning flight tomorrow, I’m going to sleep.”

“Alright, I’ll take you to the airport when the time comes.” Chen Yi was going back to his maternal grandparents’ place tomorrow and would return to Pingcheng a day later.

“So, good night?”

“Mm.” He ruffled her hair, “Good night.”

Ruan Mian shuffled back to her room in her slippers. When she turned off the lights and lay in bed, she could still hear Chen Yi’s movements outside—neither too loud nor too soft, but not annoying at all. Instead, there was a warm feeling.

It was as if the two of them weren’t just living together, but truly owned a home—the home she had once longed for and fantasized about countless times.

Accompanied by Chen Yi’s intermittent sounds, Ruan Mian gradually became drowsy. Half asleep and half awake, she vaguely heard the sound of the door being pushed open.

Before she could fully wake up, the empty space beside her was suddenly pressed down by an unexpected weight. The man’s body carried the dampness from after bathing, water droplets dripping onto the side of her neck. The cool sensation made Ruan Mian completely awake.

She looked up and saw Chen Yi’s face close at hand, her voice drowsy, the end note carrying a hint of laughter, “Did you walk into the wrong room?”

“Mm.” He lay down and raised his hand to massage the back of her neck twice, saying with a straight face, “I’m particular about beds. I’m more familiar with this one.”

“……” Ruan Mian laughed out loud. Drowsiness overcame everything else, and just as she was about to fall asleep, she mumbled, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have made your bed.”

Chen Yi lowered his head and kissed her forehead, then patted her back on and off like coaxing a child, coaxing, “Sleep.”

Early the next morning, Chen Yi took Ruan Mian to the airport. The two of them delayed in the parking lot for a while and almost missed the flight. Ruan Mian was so angry she didn’t talk to him all day.

Around eight in the evening, after Ruan Mian had eaten dinner at home, she accompanied Zhou Xiujun on a walk downstairs. When they came back, she found out that Ruan Mingke and Chen Shuyu had made plans for their family to come over for dinner at home tomorrow.

After hanging up the phone, Ruan Mingke asked Ruan Mian what Chen Yi liked to eat, planning to have the housekeeper buy it tomorrow.

She shook her head, “I don’t know.”

This was truly not knowing. After the two of them got together, they automatically entered a slow and steady phase. They had very little time and opportunity to be together normally. When eating together, they could occasionally find out what the other person couldn’t eat, but rarely paid attention to what they liked to eat.

Ruan Mingke said, “Then ask him.”

“Oh.” Ruan Mian went back to her room to get her phone. She had just typed a few words when she remembered she was still angry with him, and deleted all the words she’d typed.

But not long after, she received a WeChat message from Chen Yi.

[CY]: Hmm?

[Ruan Mian]: ?

[CY]: Weren’t you about to send me a message just now?

Ruan Mian didn’t know how he knew, but at this moment she still stubbornly refused to admit it, just like refusing to admit she was no longer angry.

However, very soon, she had no choice but to admit it, because Chen Yi sent over a screenshot of their chat page.

Except in the upper left corner, her status had changed to ‘the other party is typing……’ This was solid proof. Ruan Mian couldn’t refute it, but her attention was attracted by another matter.

She looked at the upper left corner of her and Chen Yi’s chat page. Since adding him on WeChat, she had never changed any note for him, always using his own WeChat nickname.

Ruan Mian was a bit curious about what note Chen Yi had given her, but it wasn’t appropriate to ask directly. She chatted with him about random things for a bit and even forgot the main business.

It was only later when Ruan Mingke reminded her that she remembered, but by then it was already very late. She randomly named a few dishes.

After listening, Ruan Mingke figured out something was wrong and teased, “Are these what Chen Yi loves to eat, or what you love to eat?”

Ruan Mian drew out her voice in an “ah,” saying guiltily, “They’re the same.”

“……”

The father and daughter rarely had free time and sat down to chat for a while.

Ruan Mingke started brewing tea again. Ruan Mian sat there, watching the steam swirling in the air, and for a moment it was as if she had returned to one evening during the summer after graduating from senior year. She had also sat in the same position, chatting with Ruan Mingke about Chen Yi.

At that time, she thought the ending between herself and Chen Yi was already set in stone. Her words were full of regret, never imagining that years later, she would be able to reunite with him and have a new story and ending.

Early the next morning, Ruan Mian was still sleeping when Zhou Xiujun woke her up. The autumn morning was misty and a bit chilly.

She washed her face with cold water, dispelling some of her drowsiness. Sitting in the living room, she listened to Zhou Xiujun and Ruan Mingke discussing how much of a red envelope to give Chen Yi for his first visit.

She suddenly felt a sense of unreality. This feeling continued until Chen Yi’s family arrived.

Chen Shuyu and Song Jing were about the same age as Ruan Mingke, but Song Jing was well-maintained. Wearing an elegant long dress with her hair up, her figure graceful and tall, she looked several years younger than the two fathers.

Ruan Mian greeted them, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie.” Song Jing and Chen Shuyu both smiled in response, their expressions gentle. Looking carefully, they were somewhat similar.

Ruan Mingke welcomed them, “Come in and sit.”

Ruan Mian held the door. After Song Jing and Chen Shuyu came in, she finally had space to talk to Chen Yi, “What time did you arrive in Pingcheng last night?”

“After four.” Chen Yi took a step inside. The living room and entryway formed a blind spot, invisible from both inside and out. He held gifts in both hands and unexpectedly bent down to kiss her.

Ruan Mian was startled and quickly pushed him away, saying in a low voice, “What are you doing!”

After speaking, she turned her head to look inside, afraid that the people in the house had seen their action just now. Fortunately, the elders were all busy exchanging pleasantries and didn’t put their attention here.

With a slightly red face, she threatened, “Stay away from me today.”

Chen Yi was thoroughly amused, finding the shy and angry Ruan Mian even more adorable. But he didn’t add fuel to the fire, nodding and saying, “I’ll try my best.”

“……”

The two of them didn’t dawdle at the door for too long. Entering the living room, Chen Yi greeted Zhou Xiujun, “Hello, Grandmother. I’m Chen Yi.”

Zhou Xiujun smiled in response, fine wrinkles spreading at the corners of her eyes.

The elders chatted while the two younger ones sat nearby listening, only occasionally responding when asked something.

Ruan Mian still remembered what Chen Yi had done before. While listening to them chat, she was distracted, guarding against Chen Yi, afraid he would make some move in the next second.

However, until lunch, Chen Yi didn’t act too intimate with her, and Ruan Mian slowly relaxed her vigilance.

The housekeeper at home fried beef meatballs for lunch. Ruan Mian hadn’t eaten them before. She picked up one and bit into it, tasting the filling inside and detecting the flavor of onion. She couldn’t help but frown, but it wasn’t appropriate to spit it out, so she forced herself to swallow it without chewing.

Chen Yi saw her expression was off and leaned his face slightly toward her, “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Mian put down the meatball she’d bitten and her chopsticks, reaching for water while explaining, “There’s onion in it.”

“Then give it to me.” Chen Yi naturally picked up the meatball from her bowl. Ruan Mian didn’t even have time to react when she noticed that the conversation at the table seemed to stop for a few seconds.

She froze completely, not daring to look up at the four elders sitting across from them, only able to step on Chen Yi’s foot under the table.

Chen Yi ate without changing his expression, but under the table, he moved his leg to the side.

……

After the meal, Song Jing and Chen Shuyu stayed for a while longer. Ruan Mingke specially took out his treasured tea leaves and busied himself brewing tea.

Ruan Mian and Chen Yi sat in the living room, each looking down at their phones. The tea’s fragrance gradually floated over with the flow of air.

Chen Yi sniffed lightly.

Hearing the sound, Ruan Mian looked up at him, “Can you tell what kind of tea it is?”

Chen Yi turned his face. Ruan Mian’s vigilance was now at one hundred percent. She instinctively moved to the side. He curved the corners of his lips, “I can’t. I’m not a dog with a keen nose.”

She moved her stool, creating some distance between them. But when she looked up and saw his eyes were red, her heart softened again, “Do you want to go to the room and sleep for a bit?”

“No need.” Chen Yi pressed his fingertips against the corner of his eye, “We should be going back soon.”

“Oh.”

As they were talking, Chen Yi’s phone screen lit up. He picked it up. The screen recognized his face and unlocked, jumping directly to the page before the screen went dark—his WeChat chat list.

Ruan Mian was sitting very close to him. At a glance, she saw that his pinned chat was her WeChat profile picture. At the same time, she also saw the note Chen Yi had given her on WeChat.

It wasn’t the serious full name she had imagined, nor the various sweet pet names between couples, and certainly not like her—too lazy to add a note and just using his WeChat nickname.

The note he gave her was very simple, three characters she had never thought of.

——Soft and Fluffy.

She pinched her earlobe and leaned in to ask, “Why did you give me this note? Is it because of my name?”

“Hmm? Soft and Fluffy?” Chen Yi turned his head, “No.”

“Then why?”

“Because—” He looked at the person who was very close, raised his hand to pinch her cheek, and laughed softly, “You feel soft and fluffy when I pinch you.”

“……” Ruan Mian couldn’t take it anymore. She reached out and pinched his arm hard, almost flipping the table in outrage.

Chen Yi frowned in pain but didn’t stop her action. He was just a bit curious about the note she gave him, “What’s yours for me?”

Ruan Mian glared at him. Three words seemed to squeeze out from between her teeth—

“Stinking. Scoundrel. Rogue.”

—

Author’s Note: Chen Yi is such a dog, qwq

Wishing everyone success in the college entrance examination and may your names appear on the honor roll.