Chen Yi didn’t come to find Miao Jing until three days later.

Miao Jing suffered from insomnia, heart palpitations, and weak legs, her face pale. She didn’t dare keep the dagger in the dormitory, instead keeping it bound to her body at all times, lying that she had stomach pains—when girls enter puberty, they occasionally ask for sick leave due to stomach pains. By coincidence, the homeroom teacher told Miao Jing to rest well in the dormitory and classroom. Her roommates helped bring her food and water, while Miao Jing stayed motionless, curled up like a quail for several days.

One evening on her way back to the dormitory alone, Chen Yi caught her, giving her a meaningful look. Miao Jing understood, following him at a distance. The two walked one after another to the playground, where there was a vacant lot nearby, overgrown with weeds, perfect for hiding.

Chen Yi had been standing in punishment in the principal’s office for several days. He played innocent, and the school leaders couldn’t find any evidence against him. They released him with lingering doubts, and he swaggered out of the office, returned to class, and played the role of a good student.

Miao Jing stopped behind a clump of weeds where there was a small clearing for hiding. Chen Yi pressed his hand on her small head, pushing her down to crouch, while he went out to circle around once before returning. They crouched face to face, their features barely visible to each other.

“Where is it?”

The dagger was bound to her abdomen with cloth, hidden under her loose school uniform. Miao Jing, trembling with fear, felt for it and handed it over with shaking hands. In the dim light, her delicate wrist appeared snow-white before him. The object was warm when he took it, heated comfortably by her body temperature, carrying the clean scent of a young girl. Chen Yi weighed it in his hand, his dark eyes sparkling with a smile.

“Thanks.”

The young girl before him pressed her pale lips tightly together, saying nothing. Her brow showed signs of exhaustion, without a trace of vitality, clearly terrified.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, reached into his back pocket, and held out two red bills in front of her: “Take this to buy some food. If it’s not enough, ask me for more.”

Miao Jing didn’t reach out, her face still ashen, her lips trembling as she stammered: “Are you… are you going to fight?”

“Why are you asking so many questions?” He tilted his chin up roguishly, his tone wary, “Mind your own business.”

She hadn’t meant to interfere. Miao Jing slowly stood up, supporting herself on her knees, turning to leave.

“Don’t want the money?”

No, she shook her head with a blank expression, hunching over to push through the weeds, wanting to get far away from this hidden, desolate place. Chen Yi tucked the object into his clothes and straightened up, letting out a cold sneer: “Fine, suit yourself.”

They walked one after another, with only a bit of light from the playground floodlights reaching this area. Miao Jing couldn’t see clearly where she was stepping, carefully testing each step forward. Chen Yi pushed aside the weeds beside her, passed her, and led the way in front, hunching his shoulders, effectively hiding her behind him.

After a few steps, he trampled down the weeds at his feet and curled his lip in disdain, muttering under his breath: “This thing is imported, I can sell it for quite a bit… who told you to bring money? Looking for trouble…”

Miao Jing was slightly stunned.

He walked very quickly, soon disappearing. Miao Jing stood at the edge of the playground, scratching her slightly sweaty neck, grass seeds stuck to her face causing a persistent itch. She turned around, walking in the opposite direction from him, slowly making her way back to the dormitory. She collapsed onto her bed, blinked her eyelashes, slowly let out a breath, closed her eyes, and curled up to sleep.

For a long time after that, she and Chen Yi had no interaction, but during room inspection, Chen Yi loudly called her sister in front of all the boys, and this relationship slowly spread. Some people asked if she was Chen Yi’s cousin or adopted sister, and some senior girls came specifically to ask her to help deliver love letters or make connections. Miao Jing was overwhelmed, shaking her head and pretending to be mute. Once when she was surrounded by several ninth-grade girls asking questions, Chen Yi happened to notice. He walked over with a cold expression, his jaw tight, his fierce gaze sweeping over the group, grabbed Miao Jing’s shoulder, and twisted her back to the classroom like a chicken. After that… Chen Yi claimed over a dozen adopted sisters at school, and girls calling him brother were everywhere.

Miao Jing, this mysteriously appeared sister, suddenly lost her special status.

With only a few months until the high school entrance exam, Old Li kept Chen Yi confined to school, not allowing him to skip classes, even taking attendance during evening self-study. Sometimes when they encountered each other on campus, he would be with his group, passing by expressionlessly trying to look cool, broad-shouldered and long-legged, walking with swagger. Miao Jing would slightly move aside, lowering her head submissively, but some people would still give her a second look.

“That junior girl looks familiar, haven’t we seen her before?”

“That’s Yi-ge’s sister, what are you thinking?”

Chen Yi delivered a flying kick: “Watch where you’re going, why are you looking at what you shouldn’t? Do you not want your eyes anymore?”

“Yi-ge… which sister is this one? How many good sisters do you have?”

“None of your damn business.”

–

That June during the high school entrance exam, Chen Yi’s results came out. Although his score wasn’t enough for the best city key school, it passed the district key school’s score line. Old Li saw the score and felt relieved, repeatedly urging Chen Yi to study well, stay on the right path, and not go astray, life is long, and his future hasn’t even begun.

Chen Yi rarely came home during summer vacation. He and Chen Libin hadn’t seen each other for several months. This time there was no fighting—Chen Yi had grown rapidly these few years, his height almost catching up to Chen Libin. Father and son sat at the dining table, eating in silence as usual, not making a sound, each keeping to themselves.

When discussing this year’s high school entrance exam and high school selection, Chen Libin poured a cup of wine, thought for a moment, took a sip, and spoke methodically.

“What high school? How much will three years of miscellaneous fees cost? Haven’t you caused enough trouble and harm since childhood? Who doesn’t say you’re the black sheep? If you enter school again, where there are proper students, you’ll fight and brawl, corrupt good students, and damage the school’s reputation and discipline. If you cause trouble, how many people will you harm? The father pays for the son’s debts, can I afford it?”

Chen Libin gripped his wine glass and downed it in one go, his refined face showing a strange flush: “Go to vocational high school, I’ve already had someone register you, and transfer your student records there. The school has a mechanical and electrical program. After you study for a few years, I’ll arrange for you to be an electrician at the power supply station. You need to remember what you’re afraid of, then you won’t cause trouble.”

Chen Yi was afraid of electricity.

He froze in his chair, his jaw line like a bowstring about to snap, his whole person like a cold stone statue, exuding murderous intent. Miao Jing and Wei Mingzhen sat at the other end of the dining table, not daring to breathe as they stopped their chopsticks. Miao Jing was afraid to look up, but when she caught Chen Yi’s gaze, his deep dark eyes collided with hers, suddenly bursting with a sharp, cold light, and then he violently rose to flip the table—the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes on the dining table crashed down, Chen Yi swung a chair at Chen Libin, who turned pale, dodging to the side with his chair, crashing into Wei Mingzhen’s shoulder. Mother and daughter both screamed, watching wide-eyed as father and son began to fight.

“Why don’t you just die, you bastard? Wasn’t it enough that you drove my mom to death, you scum, you lunatic…” Chen Yi’s eyes were bloodshot as he swung his iron fists repeatedly, “All these years… one day I’ll kill you…”

“You little beast… mongrel, bastard, I gave birth to you and raised you… I’m your real father… you, you carry my surname, Chen, in this life don’t even think about… I’d rather raise dogs, cats, or beasts than raise you…”

The fight ended with neighbors gathering to watch and busybodies knocking on the door to mediate. The father and son becoming mortal enemies became neighborhood gossip for a long time afterward.

Chen Yi, covered in wounds, coldly twisted his face and kicked the door on his way out. After that, he never returned to this home again.

Miao Jing entered eighth grade that summer. She was a good student, had few friends, and was introverted. She spent most of her days reading at home, but was always somewhat afraid—afraid of Chen Libin. Such a refined and gentle person, who spoke logically and seemed to have such an easy-going, mild temperament, could exhibit completely contrasting behaviors, especially when he started drinking while playing on the computer, his face growing paler and more refined with each drink.

She didn’t dare stay home alone with him, always feeling uneasy. Wei Mingzhen knew about her timidity and sometimes took Miao Jing to her tea house. The tea house was located near the pedestrian street, a two-story establishment with both quiet rooms for tea and chat and rooms for board games. Miao Jing worked part-time preparing fruit plates to earn some pocket money.

But Miao Jing quickly discovered Wei Mingzhen’s secret from subtle clues. Every few days, a middle-aged man would come to the shop looking for Wei Mingzhen. They would leave one after another and return together. When Miao Jing saw this, Wei Mingzhen wasn’t particularly flustered, directly saying he was her lover and asking Miao Jing to keep it secret.

It had been going on for some time. Ever since Wei Mingzhen frequently argued with Chen Libin, adopting an attitude of living separate lives, she met another man while playing mahjong. They exchanged glances, and Wei Mingzhen used her work outside as an opportunity to carry on a secret relationship with this man.

Miao Jing had always been somewhat emotionally numb and mature beyond her years, like a closed bottle, maintaining distance from everyone. She had never developed close mother-daughter intimacy with Wei Mingzhen, and upon hearing this secret, remained calm and composed.

“What if you get caught?”

“If you don’t tell, who will find out? And I’m not afraid if they do.”

Speaking of the current situation, Wei Mingzhen was quite dissatisfied. She was thirty-five or thirty-six, still attractive, but certainly not like when she was young. Her relationship with Chen Libin wasn’t good, and her heart always felt empty and unsettled.

“You’re about to start eighth grade, just five more years of school, then you can go to university wherever you want. I’ll be free then too.”

“I’ve never had much money, and I don’t want to live like this anymore. If I break up with Chen Libin and we move out of the Chen house, what do you think?”

“Rent a place?” Miao Jing nodded, “We could.”

“I’m just thinking out loud. You need to study, and I can’t support both of us on my own. The money from the tea house is just enough for my expenses.” Wei Mingzhen sighed, “This friend of mine… he’s a nice person, but his job is ordinary, he can’t support two extra people either…”

They still couldn’t break free financially.

Miao Jing didn’t spend much, but her living expenses and school fees were all paid by Chen Libin.

Chen Libin didn’t interfere in other matters; as long as Wei Mingzhen wasn’t discovered, maintaining the current situation seemed fine for now.

–

When school started in September, Miao Jing returned for registration and heard that Chen Yi had gone to vocational school. Not only he, but his group of middle school friends were there too. However, Bo Zai said Chen Yi had only registered but never attended classes, instead hanging around outside.

After learning Wei Mingzhen’s secret, Miao Jing felt she couldn’t stay in this family forever and had a premonition that something bad would happen. People have an instinct for self-preservation, and she increasingly disliked the Chen family, changing from weekly visits home in seventh grade to monthly visits.

Chen Libin would drink after returning from night shifts. Someone had given Wei Mingzhen the idea to buy him alcohol, placing small wine cups beside his computer, pouring drink after drink, preferably until he was dead drunk, then asking him for money—there was no hope from Chen Yi anymore, and if she could endure it, she would get her share of Chen Libin’s substantial savings, or if she couldn’t hold out, she could at least get as much as possible.

Chen Yi never came back. The single bed and miscellaneous items in the living room were thrown out. Miao Jing hadn’t seen Chen Yi for an entire year, could barely remember what he looked like, and rarely thought about him. She was growing up too, getting taller, wearing tank tops, becoming graceful and delicate, turning into the secret crush of many boys in her class.

Some things happen mysteriously, like wishes being granted, or being led forward by an invisible spider thread, not knowing when you’ll run into the transparent web, and then fate suddenly pounces, throwing you toward unknown encounters.

During English class, Miao Jing was called out by her homeroom teacher. There was a phone call from home saying a family member had an accident. Miao Jing’s heart skipped a beat. When she took the phone, it was Wei Mingzhen’s voice, with a hint of lightness in her crying tone, saying Chen Libin was in intensive care and asking her to come to the hospital.

Rushing to the hospital, Miao Jing saw Wei Mingzhen completely unharmed but looking haggard, and tear-stained, her slightly wrinkled eyes unusually bright, seemingly suppressing something. Then she saw Chen Libin lying in the hospital bed, on a ventilator with tubes attached to his body.

He had fallen down the stairs—such a strange coincidence, though some called it unfortunate bad luck, and Chen Libin had always been unlucky. That evening, while Wei Mingzhen was still out, the half bottle of alcohol at home was finished. Chen Libin carelessly put on shoes to go out, brought back a bottle from the supermarket, and while climbing the stairs, didn’t watch his step carefully, fell backward and rolled down, hitting the back of his head. Neighbors found him unconscious and sent him to the hospital—spinal cord injury, respiratory failure with cerebral hemorrhage, directly admitted to the ICU.

The Chen family didn’t have many close relatives. Chen Libin had a brother living elsewhere but they rarely kept in touch. Now only Wei Mingzhen, old neighbors, work colleagues and leaders, and a few distant relatives could show concern about his condition.

And of course, Chen Yi.

Chen Yi walked into the hospital, coming down the long corridor. Miao Jing sat at the ICU entrance, feeling he seemed a bit taller, blocking all the light behind him. His crew cut had grown slightly longer and was dyed ash gray. He wore a black T-shirt with a printed shirt over it, silver chains dangling from his neck—completely youth hip-hop style. Chewing gum, his eyes narrowed irritably, perhaps from staying up late, and a heavy tobacco smell followed his steps.

Miao Jing didn’t recognize him, he seemed… like a completely different person.

Seeing her staring blankly, Chen Yi slightly bent down, lowering his head to examine her, his gloomy and cold gaze falling on her face. Miao Jing turned away, looking at the ICU doors.

He asked lazily: “What happened?”

Wei Mingzhen approached in tears, explaining to Chen Yi the scene from that day, and asked him to go in to see Chen Libin—it had been three days, and he still hadn’t woken up.

Chen Yi went in to look. The tall, refined man lay pale-faced with sunken eye sockets, lying in bed at others’ mercy. He stood expressionlessly for a few minutes, came back, and heavily fell into a chair, face dark, chewing gum without speaking.

This was his father—Wei Mingzhen, Miao Jing, and others had to take second place. The ICU needed someone to keep watch every day, and naturally, it had to be Chen Yi. As for subsequent treatment, whether the person could wake up, and the ICU fees of three thousand per day, were also issues Chen Yi had to consider.

Wei Mingzhen mentioned these things while crying, and Chen Yi’s deep gaze turned to her face as he sneered: “Now you think I’m worth something.”

He was still a minor, only sixteen this year.

“We’re all family, let’s figure out how to get through this difficult time together.” Wei Mingzhen pushed Miao Jing forward slightly, “He’s the head of the family, we must burn incense, pray, and find a way to wake him up.”

Chen Yi kept watch at the ICU, while Miao Jing had final exams in the next two days. After the exams, she would come to keep me company. They sat on opposite ends of the long bench, Chen Yi taking out a new model phone from his pocket to play games, Miao Jing holding an English vocabulary book, clearly divided, not interfering with each other.

Wei Mingzhen ran around handling medical insurance, requesting leave from work, taking care of various matters, and using Chen Libin’s bank card and ID to withdraw money for fees.

Chen Libin stayed in the ICU for seven days, showing no signs of recovery. The family signed papers to give up treatment, both Wei Mingzhen and Chen Yi signed, and he was transferred to a regular ward.

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.