The construction businessman’s surname was Li, and he lived in an upscale residential area in the suburbs.

The neighborhood’s scenery resembled Zhao Shanqi’s home, with luxurious and grand architecture. Several detached villas were built near the edge of the artificial lake in a beautiful location.

Xie Huai parked outside gathered the materials for discussing the project and held Xia Xia’s hand as they entered.

Black swans and a school of koi fish swam freely in the lake. The two of them sat by the lake feeding the koi until after lunchtime before going to knock on the door.

While waiting at the doorstep for someone to answer, Xie Huai glanced at himself and Xia Xia, joking: “Do we look like insurance salespeople?”

Xie Huai wasn’t just here to accompany Xia Xia today; he had work to do, wearing dress pants and a blue shirt with a light-colored tie.

As it was Xia Xia’s first day, she wanted to make a good impression and didn’t dare dress too casually. She wore a red floral chiffon blouse and a black pencil skirt that both complemented her elegance and showed off her figure.

When no one was looking, Xie Huai wrapped his arm around Xia Xia’s waist and mischievously pinched her bottom.

He raised his eyebrows and let out a playful whistle: “Nice and perky.”

Xia Xia slapped his hand: “It’s broad daylight, and you’re wearing a suit – have you no shame?”

Xie Huai withdrew his hand: “Fine, I’ll be proper. I’ll touch it when we get back.”

The main door opened, and a chubby middle-aged man appeared.

Xie Huai adjusted his tie, putting on a polite and appropriate smile as he shook hands: “Hello, Manager Li.”

Li Jiamin nodded gently: “Come in.”

The villa had four floors total, backed by mountains and facing the lake, with a modern European-style decoration that was both simple and elegant.

The housekeeper had prepared Black Forest cake and red tea as afternoon refreshments.

Li Jiamin first made small talk with Xie Huai, then chatted with Xia Xia. He was gentle and conversational, making others feel at ease in his presence.

“My nephew has a fairly agreeable personality, but getting him to study is like asking for his life,” Li Jiamin said with a headache. “He argues with his mother all day at home, and when they both got tired of arguing, they simply sent him to stay with me for a while.”

Li Jiamin said to the housekeeper: “Go call him down, tell him the tutor I hired is here, and ask him to come down to talk and have some snacks.”

The housekeeper went upstairs to call him, knocked for a long time but no one opened the door, and returned awkwardly: “He says he’s taking a nap and will come down later.”

Li Jiamin frowned: “Is he napping or playing games?”

The housekeeper fell silent.

“He didn’t come down for lunch, didn’t eat breakfast either – he might as well spend his whole life with those games.” Li Jiamin’s expression darkened as he prepared to call him personally.

Xia Xia quickly stood up: “Manager Li, let me go. We can skip the afternoon tea.”

Li Jiamin: “Xiao Xie and I have a business relationship, so calling me Manager Li is appropriate, but you’re tutoring my nephew, so you can call me Uncle Li.”

Xia Xia looked at Xie Huai.

Xie Huai smiled and hooked Xia Xia’s pinky: “This is my girlfriend.”

Li Jiamin suddenly understood.

Xie Huai let go of Xia Xia, his gaze tender: “Go on.”

The housekeeper led Xia Xia upstairs. On the stairs, she looked back.

Xie Huai sat across from Li Jiamin, taking out a stack of materials and placing them on the coffee table in front.

He spoke softly to Li Jiamin about the performance and pricing of construction materials, his demeanor humble but not subservient, leaning forward slightly when emphasizing points, accompanying his explanations with gestures.

She liked Xie Huai in jeans and T-shirts, and she also liked him in shorts and tank tops.

Ultimately, what she loved was his casual and laid-back demeanor, as if nothing could truly trouble him, everything solved with a smile.

This was her first time seeing Xie Huai in formal attire discussing business. He had none of the maturity and meticulousness she’d seen in other professionals. Even in adult clothes, he remained as clear and pure as a youth.

Xia Xia suddenly remembered how Xie Huai looked when she first met him – his eyes sharp and dazzling, his demeanor proud and fierce. In the blink of an eye, she had known him for two years, and throughout those years, the light in his eyes remained as pure as ever, his pride undiminished.

This was her young man.

Xia Xia thought, feeling sweet and proud.

The housekeeper led her to the door and said softly: “It’s here.”

Xia Xia thanked her and knocked gently on the door.

Soon, an impatient boy’s voice came from inside.

“How annoying! I told you I’m taking a nap.”

The housekeeper said awkwardly: “Xiao Peng, the teacher is here for your lesson.”

The room went quiet for a moment, followed by a noisy sound of things being tidied up, then silence again.

The housekeeper opened the door and smiled at Xia Xia: “Miss Xia, please go in.”

Xia Xia stepped through the doorway and was hit by a smell – not unpleasant, but the stuffiness of a room that hadn’t had fresh air for a long time, making it hard to breathe just standing there.

Xia Xia walked down a short corridor and turned into the room.

The room was clean, obviously regularly cleaned by the housekeeper, and well-lit, facing the emerald lake in the compound, with rolling hills visible in the distance.

The room was large, about fifty square meters, with a glass desk near the window. Li Jiamin’s game-loving, study-averse nephew sat at the desk with his back to her, feet propped on a gaming chair, staring blankly at an open workbook, the lights on his gaming PC just having gone dark.

Xia Xia could only make out his thin frame.

She organized her thoughts and spoke gently: “Xiao Peng? I’m the tutor your uncle hired, a student at Nanda University…”

She glanced at his desk, looking for signs of life to judge this boy’s interests – understanding would help her find better conversation topics later.

There wasn’t much on the desk, just a computer, a bottle of cola, some health supplements, and a few books.

In the center of the desk, near the boy’s line of sight, sat a photo frame.

As soon as Xia Xia’s gaze fell on it, she felt as if her eyes were glued to it, unable to move away.

The photo in the frame had yellowed, showing an endless blue sea in the background, with a boy intimately holding a girl’s shoulders. Their faces were still young then, but their eyes were fearless and bright.

Xia Xia’s eyes stung as long-buried memories broke through a deep crack, drawing out things she had long wished to forget.

The photo was taken with an instant camera, at the seaside.

The instant camera produced photos immediately – Xia Xia had only seen such cameras on TV and looked at it curiously in her hands.

Her photo with Ping Jiapeng slowly developed, both of them looking beautiful, and photogenic from any angle.

Xia Xia excitedly took the photo to show Ping Jiapeng, overhearing him talking with friends behind some rocks.

“Peng, how come your girlfriend has never seen an instant camera before?” That girl’s laughter was thunderous, full of disbelief, “When I asked for her phone number, she pulled out a basic phone – a basic phone! I haven’t seen one in years. This is too funny, is she collecting antiques or something?”

Ping Jiapeng: “Don’t make fun of Xia Xia.”

Xia Xia inadvertently heard these words, unconsciously biting her lip until she left deep tooth marks.

When Ping Jiapeng returned, he acted as if nothing had happened, childishly holding the photo up to the sunlight: “Xia Xia, look how well-matched we are.”

That night on their way back, walking through the bustling streets, Ping Jiapeng held her hand.

“My parents are traveling, no one’s home tonight.” He intimately caressed her fingers, his voice ambiguous, carrying a hint of expectation, “Let’s go to my place.”

Xia Xia shook her head, saying nothing.

Passing a phone store, Ping Jiapeng asked: “Want to take a look?”

Xia Xia: “Whatever you want.”

Ping Jiapeng picked out a white smartphone for women and placed it in front of her: “Do you like it?”

Xia Xia remained silent as he held her hand to try the smooth touchscreen: “Your birthday is coming up, let this be my birthday gift to you.”

Xia Xia couldn’t remember what she said that night, only that she, who had always been gentle with Ping Jiapeng, had a major outburst. At the time, she couldn’t explain exactly why she was angry, but years later, when she could laugh about it, she realized it stemmed from a girl’s deep-seated insecurity and sadness.

The insecurity came from poverty.

The sadness came from Ping Jiapeng.

— Though he claimed not to mind, deep down he felt she had made him lose face in front of his friends.

The afternoon light in the room was harsh and dazzling. Xia Xia stood stunned for a long while before finally coming to her senses.

After two years apart, Ping Jiapeng’s voice had changed considerably. Before he had been going through puberty, his voice always carried a hint of hoarseness. When he spoke at the door just now, Xia Xia hadn’t recognized it was him.

Ping Jiapeng turned his face – shocked, surprised, incredulous.

His lips were chapped from not drinking enough water, trembling as his Adam’s apple bobbed, unable to speak for a long time.

He hadn’t changed much, still handsome as before, just paler from rarely leaving the house, and looking less energetic.

But Xia Xia had changed.

Before, the girl had been simply pretty, neat, and clean, radiating the vibrant energy of youth. Now, after years of study and experience, she exuded an enchanting gentle temperament from head to toe.

Just standing there quietly, she captivated Ping Jiapeng’s gaze.

“Xia… Xia Xia?”

That instant, Xia Xia froze, then was startled awake by his words.

She stepped back, without much hesitation, and turned to leave.

Ping Jiapeng jumped off his chair and blocked the doorway just before she could exit.

His tall frame blocked her path, his hand reaching the doorknob first, locking the door.

Xia Xia didn’t look at him, her voice flat: “Please move.”

“It is you.” Each of Ping Jiapeng’s words seemed to be squeezed through his teeth as he raised his hand, his fingertips touching Xia Xia’s hair at her temples. “Where have you been all these years?”

Xia Xia didn’t answer his question, brushing away his hand and raising her eyes to stare at him: “I said, move.”

“I went to your house, your mom said you hadn’t been back for two years. You just said you’re studying at Nanda?” Ping Jiapeng spoke incoherently. “Are you angry because I didn’t come after you when we broke up? I didn’t mean to – that day when I got home, my mom locked me up and took away my phone. By the time I got out, you’d already left Chang City, and I couldn’t contact you at all.”

Ping Jiapeng was emotionally agitated, trying several times to touch Xia Xia’s hair and face, but she dodged each attempt.

“I didn’t mean to, I’ve been thinking about you.” His voice choked up, his eyes so red it seemed he might cry at any moment. “I know I was immature back then, I even fought with my mom about it…”

He was overwhelmed by the sudden joy of reunion, unable to stop the flood of words once he started talking.

“Ping Jiapeng.” Xia Xia interrupted him. “We can talk later, but could you please move aside first?”

“My boyfriend is downstairs.” Xia Xia had composed herself, and her gaze no longer wavered when she looked at him. “He would be angry if he knew I was alone in a room with you, and I don’t want to upset him.”