The night before Old Master Yan’s departure, he spoke with Ah Heng for a long time. When they emerged, both their expressions were somewhat strange.

The next day, when Yan Xi and the Wen family went to see them off at the airport, Guard Li pulled Yan Xi aside and rambled on and on, his eyes reddening, worried sick about how his precious darling would take care of himself.

In contrast, Grandfather, in his formal attire, showed no particular concern or reluctance to part with his beloved grandson, only looking at Ah Heng, seeming to have words left unsaid.

Si’er stood at a distance, watching Old Master Yan and Ah Heng, a mocking smile on her lips.

Ah Heng’s mouth twitched as she stepped forward, quietly reassuring him: “Grandfather Yan, don’t worry.”

The old man’s eyes instantly brightened, smiling like spring flowers blooming, waving as he and Guard Li departed for their flight.

“Ah Heng, what were you and the old man plotting behind my back?” Yan Xi felt chills down his spine.

Ah Heng remained silent for a while, then lowered her head: “It’s a secret, can’t tell.”

This response only piqued the young man’s interest further. He pestered her the whole way back, but Ah Heng just pretended to doze, acting as if she hadn’t heard.

Si Wan watched Yan Xi with amusement, patting his shoulder: “Don’t waste your energy.” Everyone in the car looked at him with interest, and Yan Xi suddenly lost interest in continuing his questions, turning to look out the window.

Suddenly, Yan Xi became excited, shaking Ah Heng vigorously: “Ah Heng, the G-H highway entrance, you saw it when you came to Beijing, right? Just renovated, the sign is beautiful, the colors coordinate so well.”

Ah Heng smiled without speaking, just carefully watching Yan Xi’s animated expression as he excitedly talked about color combinations.

“Brother Yan Xi, you know so much!” Si’er spoke up, with a small smile and a neutral tone.

The young man’s beautiful large eyes froze, showing some embarrassment as he closed his mouth and fell silent.

Si Wan sighed almost inaudibly.

Yan Xi had always been like this with Er’er since childhood. Er’er’s words to Yan Xi often contained traces of harshness, while Yan Xi treated her with tolerance and awkwardness, mixed with some timidity.

Usually, the two had little contact or intimacy, barely even speaking. But in memory, every time Er’er was bullied or ostracized by the boys in the compound when he rushed over to rescue his sister, he would always find Yan Xi with bruises on his face, quietly blinking his big eyes watching Er’er cry, occasionally offering a tissue.

He found it both amazing and regrettable that whenever his sister was bullied, it was always Yan Xi who stepped up. No matter how close the two families were, it still hurt his pride as a brother.

Unfortunately, Er’er seemed to dislike Yan Xi from the bottom of her heart. She said that whenever she was sad or upset, Yan Xi was always around.

Children’s memories are shallow, and they often mistakenly associate the person present with the one who caused their pain, forming negative impressions. Combined with Yan Xi’s usual behavior, no matter how he tried to explain, Er’er seemed determined to dislike Yan Xi.

Ah Heng had been having some troubles lately, troubled by someone she had never met anyone so troublesome before.

He would only drink chocolate milk, but the chocolate flavor couldn’t overpower the milk taste; fried eggs had to be exactly 80% cooked, with the runny yolk perfectly centered; watching TV required occupying an entire sofa, with no one allowed to sit beside him; bath products had to be baby-specific gentle formula, don’t even think about alternatives—unless you wanted to see him break out in allergic “flower blossoms”; when drawing or gaming, you had to stay ten steps away, but when he needed you, you had to appear within three seconds or suffer his reproachful gaze; laundered clothes had to be perfectly clean and pressed like display items in a boutique store, if not perfect, they at least had to be fragrant, with a subtle, enticing scent…

Thus, what appeared before everyone was a golden-glowing, perfect young man and a disheveled Ah Heng.

“Tsk tsk, Classmate Yan Xi, you’re not a fox spirit, are you, specifically sucking people’s essence?” Rosemary teased.

“If I were to suck anything, I’d start with the monster first.” Yan Xi spread his hands innocently.

Rosemary smiled seductively, her phoenix eyes upturned, moving ambiguously close to Yan Xi: “Come on, baby. Go ahead and suck, I don’t mind.”

Xin Dayi’s hand trembled, slapping his physics book onto Rosemary’s face: “Damn, if Yan Xi’s a fox spirit, you’re a thousand-year snake demon, no chest, no hips, yet his grandmother’s got such high self-esteem!”

Chen Juan’s fingers pinched the corner of his book, throwing it back, hitting Xin Dayi’s forehead squarely, squinting: “You’re one to talk, you’re like an un-evolved baboon trying to pass as a human!”

Fox, snake, baboon…

“Are we opening a zoo?” Ah Heng yawned, half-awake. Last night, after Yan Xi finished gaming, he had wailed about being hungry and thirsty, waking her up to heat milk and cook instant noodles, so she was somewhat sleep-deprived.

“No, we’re still missing one,” Yan Xi said seriously.

“What?” Ah Heng rubbed her eyes.

“Add a stuttering Jiangnan water turtle and we’ll be complete.” Yan Xi snickered, his teeth dazzlingly white.

Mother’s grandmother’s crash-bang-boom!

Ah Heng was indignant.

“Ah Heng, in my opinion, Yan Xi just knows you’re easy to bully,” Chen Juan smiled mischievously.

Ah Heng smiled – you figured that out all by yourself?

“Thank you for the compliment.” Ah Heng went with the flow, smiling, lowering her head to continue calculating energy conversions.

“Ah Heng, why do I feel like you don’t particularly like me?” Chen Juan mused, “Have I offended you?”

The ballpoint pen paused slightly, Ah Heng looked up, smiling lightly: “No.”

“We’re desk mates after all, isn’t it a bit cold of you to be so distant?” Chen Juan turned left, fingers interlaced, slightly curving his crimson lips.

Ah Heng was stunned: “You know I’m not good with words, usually when speaking…”

Chen Juan interrupted her, smiling seductively, gazing intently: “That’s not an excuse.”

Ah Heng smiled slightly, lowering her eyes. She could hardly say that she instinctively felt he wasn’t a good person, so she openly disliked him, could she?

“You know, I’m very short on friends. Girls are jealous of me…” Chen Juan suddenly grabbed Ah Heng’s right arm, tears welling up, casting a sideways glance at Xin Dayi with bright eyes, “And boys always try to take advantage of me.”

Meanwhile, Xin Dayi was scratching his head, drawing force analysis diagrams.

Ah Heng was speechless. You’re giving him too much credit.

Ah Heng looked at Yan Xi’s closed door, rubbing her temples, somewhat troubled.

Xin Dayi had come early, and the two had been behind closed doors, silent and secretive, who knows what they were doing?

Knock knock.

No response.

This was the tenth time.

Ah Heng was a bit depressed. From when she started cooking dinner until the mung bean porridge in the kitchen had cooled, nearly two hours had passed, and these two hadn’t made a sound.

So, she pushed the door. Fortunately, it wasn’t locked.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Two high-decibel screams, one voice deep, one pitch high.

Ah Heng was startled badly, quite horrified. Peering in, a DVD was playing on the TV, and the two young men sitting cross-legged on the floor saw her appearance and seemed greatly shocked, screaming like mother hens.

“Don’t look, don’t look!” Xin Dayi jumped up, spreading his arms in front of the TV, his eyes huge, face red enough to cook.

Ah Heng was stunned, staring at the glimpses of a woman’s pale legs visible through the gaps Xin Dayi was trying to block.

Bang, a throw pillow flew at her.

“Pervert!” Yan Xi stood at a distance, his melon-seed face red, big eyes taking up half his face, spittle nearly flying onto her face. Following that, a second and third pillow came flying, the whooshing sound accompanied by clear, obscene moans from the TV.

Ah Heng smiled stiffly at Yan Xi, turned, and closed the door. After walking a few steps, she returned, opened the door, and heard the screams again.

“I just, wanted to ask, when you want to eat. Also, continue, I’m not in a hurry.”

Later, during dinner, Xin Dayi stammered: “Ah Heng, don’t misunderstand, this time, it’s our first time.”

First time watching something starting with A? Or is your first time collectively spreading obscene materials?

Ah Heng smiled without speaking, but her face was ashen.

“Gadfly!” Yan Xi hugged his white porcelain bowl, shrinking his head as he drank porridge, only his big eyes showing, wronged and innocent, with hints of teasing and craftiness.

Ah Heng put down her bowl, her expression gentle, speaking slowly word by word: “How am I a pervert? Did I participate, or, help you with handwork?”

“She’s angry, really angry!” Xin Dayi shuddered, whispering in Yan Xi’s ear. Getting Ah Heng to say such explicit things, on normal days, would be harder than killing her.

“Did you need to tell me!” Yan Xi raised his eyebrows, covering his mouth with his hand, cursing back in a low voice.

“What should we do?” Xin Dayi scratched his black hair, feeling thorny.

“How about you apologize to Ah Heng?” Yan Xi stroked his chin, considering deeply.

“Why me?” Xin Dayi got anxious, half his body leaning into Yan Xi’s seat.

“Tch! It’s your stuff, should I take the blame?” Yan Xi said righteously.

“Damn! If it weren’t for you saying you wanted to watch Western ones, would I have gone through all the trouble to sneak it here?” Xin Dayi was nearly going crazy.

“Ah, forget it, it’s your stuff, you’re responsible.” Yan Xi spread his hands, closing his eyes and playing the rogue.

Ah Heng lowered her head, her shoulders constantly twitching, the chopsticks in her hand trembling.

“Ah… Ah Heng, don’t cry, well, I didn’t mean to bring those things, don’t be angry.” Xin Dayi swallowed, apologizing quietly, “It’s all my fault, don’t cry, I’ve never seen a girl cry, it’s terri… ow ow, Yan Xi, why are you stepping on me!”

“Ahem, right right, Ah Heng, it’s all Big Uncle’s fault. This kid all these years, only growing in age but not in wisdom! How could he do something so against heaven’s principles, so obscene, so un-Young Pioneer-like! Let me beat him up for you!” Yan Xi stomped hard on Xin Dayi, putting on an apologetic smile.

Hearing this, Ah Heng raised her head, her cheeks red from holding back, and between her lips was a gentle, teasing smile.

Thankfully, she wasn’t crying. Xin Dayi breathed a sigh of relief, but then realized and gritted his teeth: “Ah Heng!”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to laugh.” Ah Heng curved her lips, slowly, in good humor.

“Ah! You dead ladle, dead water turtle!” Yan Xi was angry, his left hand pretending to hit Ah Heng’s head, but when it reached her crown, it fell gently, patting softly, his palm slightly cool and soft.

“Tch, silly child, and here I thought you were really angry.” His smile was like flowers, his eyes as large as longan fruits, squinting slightly.