“A boy?” Lin Zeqiu’s tone suddenly rose, “Lin Zhixia! You’re a girl, you can only play with girls! Boys and girls should be kept separate, do I have to tell you this?”

Lin Zhixia hadn’t expected her brother to focus only on this point.

What could have been a reasonable discussion had turned into him putting on a face, insisting on arguing with her, and now shifting the conflict onto Jiang Yubai!

Lin Zhixia picked up her penguin plush toy and used Lin Zeqiu’s logic against him: “Lin Zeqiu, I’m a girl, you’re a boy, we should also be kept separate. I’m not talking to you anymore.”

Lin Zeqiu’s anger reached its limit: “I’m your brother! Where did that boy come from anyway?”

“None of your business,” Lin Zhixia raised her head, “He and I are good friends at school, you and I aren’t siblings at school.”

She hugged the little penguin tightly and turned to leave for the living room.

Lin Zeqiu raised his left hand, reached over her shoulder, and snatched the penguin away.

He held the plush toy high above his head. Lin Zhixia stood on tiptoe, reaching for it, but couldn’t come close. Compared to her brother’s height of one meter eighty, Lin Zhixia was much too short.

With the little penguin just out of reach, Lin Zhixia angrily grabbed Lin Zeqiu’s shirt: “Give it back! Give it back to me! I need to sleep with it every day during my nap and at night! Hurry up! I’ll give you four seconds to think about it!”

“You must promise me to find a girl to be your best friend, then I’ll give it back to you. Otherwise, you’ll never see this penguin again.” Lin Zeqiu set extremely harsh conditions.

He hoped Lin Zhixia would make the right choice.

He guessed that the boy didn’t rank as high as the penguin in Lin Zhixia’s heart.

He didn’t get Lin Zhixia’s answer. Burning with rage, Lin Zhixia stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Moments later, she ran back with a basketball and a pair of scissors.

Lin Zhixia knelt on the floor, slowly placing the basketball on her lap. Scissors in hand, she pointed the sharp blade at the ball’s surface, her tone unyielding: “Lin Zeqiu, in this world, no one can threaten me. I hate being threatened. If you don’t give my penguin back, I’ll puncture your favorite basketball, turning it into a hornet’s nest.”

Lin Zeqiu’s heart trembled. He sat cross-legged, lowered his head, and returned the little penguin with both hands.

Lin Zhixia finally rescued her plush toy. But her resentment toward her brother deepened further. In her view, her brother’s behavior was completely unreasonable. He was nearly fourteen years old, yet why was he acting like a four-year-old?

Her brother hesitantly patted Lin Zhixia’s head. His warm palm rested on her head, fingertips gently stroking her hair, as if soothing an irritable little animal.

Lin Zhixia gradually calmed down: “I’m hungry, I want to eat, my stomach is growling.”

“Don’t dawdle, let’s eat,” her brother led her out of the bedroom, “Mom made braised chicken legs.”

“Braised chicken legs!” Lin Zhixia hopped and skipped toward the dining table.

The table was set with three steaming dishes and a soup: braised chicken legs, sauced eggplant, cucumber salad, and tomato egg soup. The food emitted a tantalizing aroma that immediately cleared Lin Zhixia’s gloomy mood. She happily picked up her bowl and used a small spoon to scoop up the chicken gravy, pouring it over the white rice.

Lin Zhixia took a bite of the chicken leg, savored it carefully, swallowed, and exclaimed delightedly: “Mom’s braised chicken legs are the most delicious.”

She picked up two pieces of eggplant, placed them over her rice, and continued eating in small bites.

Lin Zeqiu suddenly said to her: “Lin Zhixia, boys are different from girls. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Why are you discussing this topic with me during lunch?” Lin Zhixia scraped the meat off the chicken leg with her chopsticks and mixed it into her rice.

Lin Zeqiu held his rice bowl, speaking emphatically: “Lin Zhixia! This morning I saw you at school walking very close to that boy, with no female classmates around. This absolutely won’t do. Middle school is different from elementary school, you must be mindful of the boundaries in your relationships. Don’t think you’re so smart that you can be fearless. You absolutely cannot be alone with male classmates or male teachers, there must always be someone else present. If a male teacher asks you to go to the office, check beforehand that other teachers are there—preferably female teachers. If a male teacher detains you alone, or asks you to go to his home for tutoring, don’t even acknowledge it, understand what I mean? Mom and Dad haven’t told you these things, so don’t complain that I’m nagging.”

Lin Zhixia pondered: “Where did brother learn all this?”

“Never mind that,” her brother’s brows furrowed, “I won’t harm you anyway.”

Lin Zhixia took a sip of tomato egg soup, feeling warm all over. After filling her stomach, her mood became much more peaceful. Perhaps humans are more irritable and impulsive when hungry? She absent-mindedly explained: “Brother, I understand the things you understand. When danger comes, whether from a male or female, I’m at a disadvantage physically. But I’ve always been careful about self-protection. I observe the expressions of classmates and teachers, guess their psychological activities, judge whether they have malicious intent… actually, brother! This morning, I felt you had a lot of malice toward me.”

Lin Zeqiu put down his chopsticks, his gaze drifting elsewhere. When something was on his mind, he would lose his appetite.

Lin Zhixia picked up a chicken leg for her brother: “That friend of mine, he’s a very good person. We both skipped grades from the experimental elementary school to enter the competition class… oh right, he was born in the same year as me, our birthdays are just one month apart.”

Her brother’s breathing paused: “Your friend is also ten years old this year?”

“Yes.” Lin Zhixia nodded repeatedly.

Her brother confirmed again: “He also got into the competition class?”

“Not only did he get in,” Lin Zhixia said with a hint of pride, “he’s ranked ninth in our class! Our class is full of talented people, including the number one warrior from the Normal University Affiliated Elementary School, and the runner-up in the elementary division of the fourth citywide primary and secondary school Go competition. For Jiang Yubai to rank ninth in our class is already very impressive!”

Her brother’s expression changed unpredictably. Feigning calmness, he picked up his plate and moved a braised chicken leg into his bowl. He silently lowered his head, mechanically putting food into his mouth, not even noticing a slice of ginger in his bowl.

Ginger was Lin Zeqiu’s most hated ingredient. When he was five or six years old, seeing ginger shreds in his bowl would make him jump up and shout.

Years later, Lin Zeqiu, tempered by life’s experiences, had indeed grown considerably, surprisingly able to tolerate ginger slices without changing his expression.

Watching her brother’s unusual behavior, Lin Zhixia couldn’t help thinking: Brother cares a lot about the competition class. So, when he hears that Jiang Yubai, at just ten years old, could skip two grades and successfully test into the competition class at Provincial No. 1 Middle School, would her brother feel ashamed?

Lin Zhixia tried to comfort him: “Brother, you often rank first in your advanced class, which shows you’re quite smart compared to ordinary people. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Today I met a female classmate from Class 18, her name is Jin Baihui. I think Jin Baihui puts too much pressure on herself, and she’s not happy in the competition class either.”

Her brother remained silent.

Lin Zhixia focused on eating.

After the meal, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, lay down on her bed, covered herself with a soft blanket, hugged her little penguin, and prepared for her afternoon nap.

Her brother appeared at her doorway like a specter. He deliberated for a long time, mentally preparing what to say, before finally telling Lin Zhixia: “Lin Zhixia, I still mean what I said earlier, you must find several girls to be your best friends. You can’t always hang out with boys. Even though you’re very young, the classmates in your grade and neighboring classes are two or three years older than you, their thoughts must be different from yours. How about this, you break away from Jiang Yubai and spend more time with other girls for a few days, what do you think?”

“Don’t disturb my nap,” Lin Zhixia replied coldly.

Her brother entered her room and tugged at her pillow. She angrily protested: “Lin Zeqiu! If you annoy me one more time, I’ll immediately complain to Mom!”

“Complaining to Mom” was a clever move that worked every time.

Lin Zeqiu immediately returned to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, feeling quite tired and weary. Why did he have to worry about so many things all day? The dishes from lunch hadn’t been cleared or properly washed yet. Exhausted in body and mind, he fell back on his bed. The jumbled thoughts accumulated in his mind formed a paste-like mess, and he couldn’t be bothered to untangle them all. He simply closed his eyes and unknowingly fell asleep.

He had a fragmented dream.

In the shadowy light of the dream, a youth in school uniform was brazenly lecturing him: “Lin Zeqiu, your sister is so young, she talks annoyingly, she could be lured away with just a strawberry candy. What if someone at school bullies her? The competition class isn’t such a big deal. Even her elementary school classmates could skip grades and get in.”

He also heard his mother calling near his ear: “Wake up! Wake up! Lin Zeqiu!”

He startled awake and opened his eyes in confusion.

The sunlight streaming through the window was intense. His mother stood beside his bed, telling him: “Lin Zeqiu, your homeroom teacher and your sister’s homeroom teacher both called me, asking why you two didn’t come to class this afternoon? Your father and I were checking inventory earlier. Some customers ordered seven cases of beer, your father went to deliver them, and I was so busy at the store that I only just realized you and your sister overslept. Hurry and take your sister to school.”

Lin Zeqiu immediately became alert, grabbed his backpack with one hand, and rushed to Lin Zhixia’s bedroom. He pushed open the door and looked inside—sure enough, Lin Zhixia was still sleeping. She lay on her side, sleeping in a state of complete unconsciousness.

Generally, if Lin Zhixia experienced significant emotional fluctuations while awake, she would sleep especially soundly during her midday and evening sleep. Lin Zeqiu knew his sister’s habits like the back of his hand; he just hadn’t expected that today, he would oversleep.

He slapped the wall hard: “Hey, get up, Lin Zhixia! Lin Zhixia!”

Lin Zhixia opened her eyes groggily: “What is it?”

“It’s three in the afternoon,” Lin Zeqiu reminded her.

Lin Zhixia asked in surprise: “Why didn’t Mom come to wake me up?”

Lin Zeqiu explained: “You and I go to the same school, Mom assumed I would take you with me when I left.”

Mom stood at Lin Zhixia’s doorway saying: “Xiaxia, next time you sleep, set an alarm.”

“No need,” Lin Zeqiu said casually, “I don’t take afternoon naps. I’ll wake her up.”

Lin Zhixia hated the sound of alarm clocks. And Lin Zeqiu never took afternoon naps. He was used to spending his lunch breaks memorizing texts and English vocabulary. He was a role model for many students in the advanced class at Provincial No. 1 Middle School. Since entering middle school, he had never been late or left early even once.

Today, he broke his record.

After Lin Zhixia finished getting ready, Lin Zeqiu led her rushing out the door.

She followed her brother, running toward the bus stop. Her brother had long legs, taking one step to her two, running much faster than she could, though he frequently stopped to wait for her.

She suddenly remembered when she was little, and her parents took her and her brother back to their hometown. On the hillside behind the old house, there was a large, dense bamboo forest. Because bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat tasted so good, Lin Zhixia would often go pull up a few bamboo shoots, and her brother would always follow behind her carrying a wooden bucket. No matter where she ran, whenever she looked back, she could see Lin Zeqiu.

She remembered Lin Zeqiu’s watchful gaze that constantly looked after her.

Family bonds are truly complex, Lin Zhixia silently reflected, with moments that make her feel secure, and moments that hurt her.

*

At three-twenty in the afternoon, Lin Zeqiu and Lin Zhixia arrived at Provincial No. 1 Middle School. The security guard checked their campus cards and let them through the gates.

It was currently break time between classes, and the campus was bustling with noise and excitement. Lin Zeqiu and Lin Zhixia, carrying their backpacks, walked one after another toward the teaching building, clearly two late students.

Lin Zhixia closely followed her brother’s footsteps when suddenly someone ahead called out: “Lin Zeqiu! Lin Zeqiu, you’re late? Who’s that girl beside you?”

Lin Zeqiu attended Class 4 of the eighth grade.

Class 4 of the eighth-grade classroom faced south from the north, located on the first floor of Building A, near the middle school entrance of Provincial No. 1 Middle School. Lin Zeqiu’s classmates stood in the corridor, stretching their necks to look, their focus all on Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia quietly asked: “Lin Zeqiu, are you going to say I’m your schoolmate again?”

Lin Zeqiu paused.

After a two-second hesitation, he stepped up onto the stairs, his back resolute.

Lin Zhixia couldn’t see his expression.

He faced his many classmates from Class 4, his figure as straight as a sturdy white poplar. He had his hands in his pockets and didn’t take them out, which gave him an even more imposing presence.

He formally introduced: “This girl is my sister. She’s a new student in the competition class of the seventh grade this year.”

A burst of commotion erupted among the students of Class 4.

Lin Zhixia didn’t understand the underlying meaning of those sounds. She stood at the doorway of Class 4, speaking unprompted: “My name is Lin Zhixia, my brother is called Lin Zeqiu, summer and autumn, just sounding like siblings, our parents deliberately chose these names.”

Lin Zeqiu waved at her: “You should hurry to your classroom.”

Lin Zhixia happily agreed: “After school, I’ll come find you to go home together.”

Just as she took a step, she heard a classmate behind her ask: “Lin Zeqiu, if your sister could get into the competition class, why couldn’t you?”

Lin Zeqiu didn’t respond. He had known this day would come. He had experienced it countless times in his imagination and nightmares, and had prepared foolproof countermeasures.

Lin Zeqiu turned his head, curled his lips into a smile, and said to that classmate: “What the hell are you talking about? Everyone has their fate.”

Unexpectedly, that classmate persisted: “I’m not talking nonsense, Lin Zeqiu. Are you planning to try for the fourth time?” He laughed and said in a teasing, light tone: “Lin Zeqiu, your day has finally come! You can’t even match up to your little sister…”

Lin Zhixia spun around abruptly.

She responded seriously: “Even if my brother tried four times, that’s proof of his effort. He keeps advancing toward his goal, there’s nothing funny about that. Have you never failed? Can you succeed at everything on your first try? Is your real life the same as what you imagined it would be?”

That classmate was stunned.

Lin Zhixia’s afternoon nap had been longer than usual, and she wasn’t fully awake yet. She was organizing her thoughts. She wanted to make that classmate cry right at the doorway of Class 4, which was also within her capabilities.

But her brother patted her shoulder: “That’s enough, you should go now, class is about to start.”

Lin Zhixia nodded slightly.

She ran toward the seventh-grade teaching building.

The bell suddenly rang, echoing throughout the campus. The bell sound was a light piano melody, and she felt as if she were running on revolving musical notes.

*

At the beginning of the school year, Lin Zhixia’s only worry was that “her brother might sever ties with her.”

She successfully resolved this worry in just half a day.

She believed that at least half the credit belonged to Jiang Yubai.

Regarding this, Jiang Yubai modestly stated: “Your good communication had nothing to do with me.”

“No, it had everything to do with you!” Lin Zhixia insisted, “You helped me find the breakthrough point, thank you! Jiang Yubai.”

Jiang Yubai said with restraint: “You’re welcome.” He turned to the next page in his notebook—this was the birthday gift Lin Zhixia had given him.

When he first received this gift, he felt that this notebook was very precious… or rather, it wasn’t just a notebook, it was more like a handwritten book.

After reading it for several days, Jiang Yubai gradually discovered the extent of Lin Zhixia’s thoughtfulness. The book covered thousands of problem variations, collecting all kinds of exquisite and ingenious problem-solving techniques. When writing, Lin Zhixia had also organized her thoughts. She would write some scattered reflections in the margins.

Jiang Yubai often left comments for her in pencil.

Lin Zhixia simply took out a new notebook, naming it “Exchanges and Insights in Learning and Life,” signed: Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai—this became a diary they recorded together.

Compared to the gift Lin Zhixia gave to Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai’s reciprocation seemed insufficient. He decided to make up for it on September 24, 2005, which happened to be Lin Zhixia’s tenth birthday.