Long Qi knew the residential complex where Jin Yiken lived. Not only did she know it, she had lived there for a week.

But after returning home Friday evening, she opened the chat box on her campus network account and sent Dong Xi a message for the first time: How do I get to Langzhu Manor?

Dong Xi’s avatar only lit up after nine o’clock. Then the words “typing” appeared at the top of the chat box. Her heart felt very itchy at that moment, particularly itchy. Long Qi propped up her chin facing the screen, her index finger tapping her cheek from time to time.

Less than half a minute later, Dong Xi replied: Where do you live?

She replied: Huning Complex, 550 Ningxia Road.

Three minutes later, Dong Xi sent a detailed route map from Ningxia Road to Langzhu Manor. Long Qi immediately typed: What time are you going?

Dong Xi didn’t reply quickly, and there was no typing indicator at the top of the chat box. She guessed perhaps she had temporarily left the computer. It wasn’t until ten minutes later that the chat box received a message.

—What time are you coming?

Dong Xi didn’t reply about what time she was going, but asked what time she was coming.

This time there was no instant reply. Long Qi poured a glass of water, looking at these four words while pondering. After pondering, she typed out a line.

“I’ll arrive at ten. I’m not familiar with that area. Go together?”

Half a minute later, Dong Xi replied: Mm, then I’ll wait for you.

Those four words “then I’ll wait for you” looked beautiful to the eyes and bloomed like a flower in her ears, crisp and clear.

As a result, the entire night was spent unable to sleep as if lying on clouds. It wasn’t until Saturday morning at nine-thirty when she arrived at the manor entrance that she saw Dong Xi in person.

They had agreed on ten o’clock, but at nine-thirty she was already waiting at the bluestone wall by the entrance. Long Qi had the taxi drive to a flower garden area diagonally across. When she got out of the car, Dong Xi’s gaze happened to sweep over. She quickly rushed behind a decorative rock and leaned against it.

But just after doing this, she felt cowardly in her heart. She sucked in a breath. Her clenched right fist hesitantly struck her left palm. She turned her head to peek at the entrance, then quickly withdrew.

Took another breath.

After breathing, took another look.

Leaned back against the rock again.

Breathed again.

“Hey.”

The cyclical preparation work was finally interrupted by a voice emerging from her side. Long Qi turned to look and met a boy’s lazy gaze. The boy wore home clothes, left hand carrying a breakfast bag, right hand holding half a vegetarian sandwich, looking at her while slowly performing chewing motions.

Si Bolin.

This Si Bolin was Jin Yiken’s neighbor, a troublemaking brother who grew up wearing the same pants. During the week Long Qi stayed at Jin Yiken’s place, she had seen him come to the Jin family’s refrigerator to scavenge food four times. He was also handsome, the very conspicuous kind of handsome, with a particularly sharp mind. Thanks to this, after mixing with Jin Yiken for so many years he hadn’t been led astray, and even often looked down on Jin Yiken’s ostentatious badness. Jin Yiken called him “profiteer.”

Anyway, the two schemed against each other and had suffered quite a few losses at each other’s hands. Today was Jin Yiken’s birthday, yet he was still standing here eating breakfast in a set of home clothes—clearly they had just fallen out again. Long Qi replied to him: “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“Just pretend you didn’t see me and continue eating your breakfast as you go in.”

His eyes slowly glanced toward the manor entrance: “Watching her, huh?”

As he spoke, he bit into his sandwich and continued chewing.

“She’s very hard to get.”

As soon as Si Bolin said this, Long Qi immediately looked at him. At this moment, he sauntered two steps to the side, with subtle expression changes conveying “wow I just guessed this,” “this young master is simply too smart,” “no worries I understand you guys,” and even “that bastard Jin Yiken is finished.” Long Qi pointed her finger at him: “Si Bolin, if you get involved in this matter, we’re through.”

“I didn’t even know I was ever friends with you.”

While speaking, he resumed his lazy expression management state. It seemed he wasn’t very interested in this matter either. Long Qi walked out from the decorative rock pile before him. He continued eating his sandwich while slowly sauntering, looking like he was about to die of laziness.

Dong Xi in the distance saw her.

After Long Qi reached her, her steps slowed. Dong Xi’s hands were behind her back, her eyes looking at hers, long hair gently lifting in the wind.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Dong Xi replied lightly.

Long Qi asked: “Have they started?”

“They should have started.”

The conversation was very dry, awkwardly forced. Long Qi smiled on the surface while biting her own tongue. Instead, it was Dong Xi who naturally said: “Let’s go in.”

Langzhu Manor was very large. The spacing between villas was wide, with independent courtyards full of green forests. It was counted as one of the top luxury residential areas in the city. When Jin Yiken used to take her out, he never avoided people. He said there were fewer people living here than security guards, and the security guards never gossiped.

At that time, his parents were on vacation abroad. Only he and his younger brother were home.

“What number is his house?” Long Qi asked.

“Number 68.”

…

The two continued walking. After walking for a while, Dong Xi said: “You know about him and me, right.”

Long Qi looked at her, immediately hearing the meaning of laying cards on the table. She continued looking ahead while walking, unconsciously putting both hands in her pockets: “Mm.”

Dong Xi’s hands remained behind her back. After Long Qi responded, she also continued lowering her head, letting the wind blow open the bangs on her forehead.

“What do you think about this matter?”

“I have no opinion.”

Just after saying this, she added: “Everyone has their own choices.”

Dong Xi nodded.

Then, her elbow lightly felt pressure. Long Qi belatedly turned her head sideways and saw Dong Xi’s hand gripping her elbow area. It wasn’t the close arm-linking between girls, not that feeling, but rather an indescribable sense of trust. Her left hand was still behind her back, while her right hand gently gripped Long Qi’s elbow, her five fingers almost without strength, very soft. When Long Qi took a step, she followed with a step.

This feeling made one’s footsteps slow down, as if the slower the better.

But the atmosphere was interrupted when approaching Jin Yiken’s house. From the villa came faint noise and music. Jin Yiken just happened to come out of the courtyard. Before Long Qi saw him, he had already seen the two of them and called out in a bad tone: “Dong Xi.”

The soft feeling at her elbow instantly disappeared. Dong Xi put both hands back behind her.

“Come here.” He said.

That tone truly sparked with anger. After speaking, he went inside without even waiting for her. Dong Xi was slow for a few seconds but still walked toward him.

Long Qi held back from speaking at that time.

Jin Yiken’s parents weren’t home. Upon entering the villa, there was a very noisy sound of music. She didn’t see Dong Xi. At the entrance, several girls from the elite class were chatting. Seeing her, they immediately turned and walked toward the living room.

Many people gathered in the living room and the swimming pool in the back yard. The second floor was relatively less crowded, but Zhuo Qing was on the second floor. She didn’t go up. After searching around the first floor and still not finding anyone, she was thirsty and familiarly went to the kitchen refrigerator to get a can of chilled beer.

“Sister Long, you’re here.”

Just as she was drinking, she heard this voice from behind. She almost sprayed it toward the sink. She turned around and saw Jin Yiken’s younger brother, Jin Shaogao. He seemed half a head taller than when she saw him last summer, quite tall for a seventh grader.

Long Qi choked and coughed. He pulled out a tissue for her.

This child wasn’t originally like this. When Long Qi first came, he still ordered her around like a young aunt. She was too lazy to acknowledge him. Later, when Jin Yiken and she were doing it, they forgot to close the door and were interrupted by him once. The child was young with a sharp mouth. At the dinner table that evening, he threw out the word “hooker” at Long Qi and was dragged to the balcony by Jin Yiken for a violent beating for half an hour before he cried and changed to calling her Sister Long. From then on, he trembled whenever he saw her, his hospitality etiquette as proper as if seeing his own ancestor.