At first, Rong Qian had been worried that Shen Yi might run into Meng Yuxin and her companion on his way back.

Fortunately, Shen Yi returned about ten or more minutes later, carrying a bag of daily necessities and a few thick clothing items.

The clothes had been picked out by Shen Yi himself — there was a knit sweater as well as a coat.

Rong Qian glanced at them and noticed the styles were different from what she had seen in the photographs, which meant she wouldn’t be going back anytime soon.

“The supermarket nearby doesn’t have much of a selection. Make do with these for now — when I have time, I’ll take you downtown to the shopping center to pick something out properly.”

Shen Yi handed her the items and went into the kitchen to wash his hands, then arranged the toast he’d bought onto a plate and brought it to the table.

Rong Qian looked through the bag and found he had bought all the toiletries she needed, and had even specifically chosen a women’s shampoo and body wash. Quite thoughtful of him.

By the time Rong Qian finished washing up and came out, Shen Yi had already warmed up the milk. She could sit right down and eat. As Rong Qian bit into her toast, she watched Shen Yi — splitting his attention between his schoolwork and his breakfast — and asked, “When did you start living independently on your own?”

“Three months ago. Moved out of the school dormitory then.” Shen Yi didn’t look up.

Rong Qian nodded. “What made you decide to rent a place by yourself?”

“Easier to work.”

“Work?” Rong Qian paused. She suddenly recalled that the first role Shen Yi had played was a deaf-mute youth — he’d been fifteen at the time. Was the “work” he was referring to acting?

“Washing dishes at a restaurant. Delivering newspapers. Running odd jobs. Any part-time work I could find, I’d take it.” Shen Yi said it lightly, but Rong Qian understood that life hadn’t been easy for him.

Not taking a single cent from his family, paying his own tuition and living expenses entirely by himself — that was no small feat. It was fortunate he had a scholarship to cover a large portion of the costs.

Thinking about it, Rong Qian looked down at the toast and milk in front of her and suddenly found them less appealing. All of this had been paid for with his hard-earned money. He must have been scrimping and saving ordinarily, and here she had shown up and immediately cost him a sizable sum.

After breakfast, Rong Qian decided that during whatever time she was staying here, she would also go out and find part-time work — to ease some of the financial pressure on him.

When Shen Yi heard her plan, he frowned — clearly not in agreement.

Rong Qian laughed and teased, “If I don’t go look for work, are you going to support me?”

Shen Yi kept his head down and said nothing. Rong Qian had only been making an offhand remark, had already moved on, and didn’t think anything of it. Then, after a long pause, Shen Yi said quietly, “Would that not be allowed?”

“What?” Rong Qian had already forgotten she’d said anything.

Shen Yi shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Right, have you made any friends?” Rong Qian suddenly thought to ask. Shen Yi replied, “I don’t need friends.”

Rong Qian couldn’t help smiling. “Nobody doesn’t need friends — especially not someone on their own the way you are.”

“Who says I’m on my own?” Shen Yi looked up at her. Rong Qian fell silent for a moment. Even if she was here with him now, she would have to leave eventually.

Shen Yi could tell what she was thinking. “Are you going to say that sooner or later you’ll leave me again?”

“Yes.” Rong Qian didn’t pretend otherwise.

Shen Yi said, “Then I’ll just wait for you to come back. Won’t that do?”

In that moment, Shen Yi had no idea what those words truly meant. Nor could he know that this sentence would run through the entire course of his life — because in the years to come, the rest of his days would be spent in a long, long waiting.

Though Shen Yi claimed he didn’t need friends, Rong Qian hadn’t forgotten that group photograph. She asked him, “Do you know Chen Shiyi and Lu Xuan?”

“You know them?” Shen Yi’s brow furrowed.

Rong Qian asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Are things not good between you and them?”

“It’s nothing.” Shen Yi didn’t elaborate. And with that perpetually cool, detached expression of his, it was impossible for Rong Qian to read anything from his micro-expressions.

Shen Yi had to be at the restaurant for work at eleven. He usually took care of lunch there, and his schedule after leaving in the morning generally meant he wouldn’t be back until evening, or even late at night.

But now that Rong Qian was here, the question of lunch and dinner had become a problem. Rong Qian had half a mind to protest — did she really look like someone completely incapable of taking care of herself? Like someone who couldn’t even cook her own meals?

In the end, it was Rong Qian who shooed him out the door. She told him not to worry about a thing and to just get on with what he needed to do.

That said, Shen Yi was distracted throughout his shift, unable to stop worrying about her being alone at home. He even dropped and smashed a plate — which vexed him greatly, as today’s work had essentially amounted to nothing.

Eager to get home as quickly as possible, Shen Yi turned down his evening shift and headed back by nine, making sure to bring along some late-night snacks for Rong Qian.

Saint Roland Street was situated in a rather quiet corner of the city. Once night fell, the number of people on the streets dropped sharply, and only a sparse few solitary figures passed by.

Shen Yi pedaled his bicycle with focused attention. The desolate winter wind swept across his face, tousling the dark, unruly strands of his hair. In the soft embrace of the night, the boy’s fair, clean features appeared even more strikingly clear and captivating.

Suddenly, something ahead caught his eye. Shen Yi’s brow furrowed.

A stretch of road up ahead had several lampposts that had gone dark. Peering into the distance, he could see nothing but a wall of black.

Shen Yi had a vague sense of what this meant. He narrowed his eyes, kept his expression cool, and rode steadily forward. As he entered the darkened section of road, he saw the silhouette of a person standing in the middle of the path, arms spread wide — clearly intending to block his way.

Shen Yi didn’t spare the figure so much as a glance. He turned the handlebars, executed a deft maneuver, and swung around the left side of the figure.

But the person had been watching for just such a move. At precisely the right moment, they grabbed the back of the bicycle seat and wrenched it to a halt.

Forced to a stop, Shen Yi was furious. He turned to the person and said coldly, “Let go.”

“Well, well — quite the temper today, aren’t we? Riding like the wind — rushing off to see someone?” A teasing male voice floated out from behind him. The bicycle seat dipped under additional weight, and Shen Yi kept his face cold as he rode to a lit section of road before stopping.

“Get off.” Shen Yi said two words.

Lin Feng hopped off the seat, crossed his arms, and swaggered up to face Shen Yi in that lazy, roguish way of his. He leaned right against the front of the bicycle, blocking any escape. “Just want to have a word with you — why is that so difficult? And since when do you head home this early in the evening?”

“What does it have to do with you?” Shen Yi shot him a look.

Lin Feng grinned. “We’ve got the kind of bond that comes from having fought together — don’t you think you’re being a little cold with me? And if you’re worried about me dragging down your reputation, put your mind at rest.”

Lin Feng continued breezily, “I know someone like you — top student, bound for the upper echelons of society once you graduate — I wouldn’t ruin that for you. I just think you and I click, and I want to give you a hand.”

Lin Feng — a street-level drifter and small-time troublemaker — had come to know Shen Yi through pure coincidence.

One night, he’d had too much to drink and been cornered by some enemies who had proceeded to beat him senseless on the side of the road.

It had been very late that night — the kind of hour when, even if someone happened to pass by, they wouldn’t pay any mind.

That was when Shen Yi came riding past on his bicycle. A slender young man, lightly dressed for the cold, cool and aloof — the type you’d peg as someone with a naturally indifferent disposition.

And even if this had been some kind-hearted soul, with a slight frame like that, what could he possibly have done? He’d probably glance at the commotion, then ride off without a second look.

But even as Lin Feng was thinking exactly that, Shen Yi climbed off his bicycle — and walked directly over.

Lin Feng had felt an inexplicable surge of anger. He’d already been beaten to the ground, face bloodied, and he roared at Shen Yi to get lost and stop sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

Those men, realizing Shen Yi was planning to help, shifted their focus and made him their next target.

Lin Feng hadn’t known at the time what Shen Yi was capable of. He forced himself to his feet and threw himself into the brawl — and by the time he’d gathered his senses, all those men had been driven off by Shen Yi.

Over the years, thanks to a certain someone, Shen Yi had come to understand the importance of keeping his body strong. He had stuck to a routine of running and physical training and had spent considerable time practicing various techniques.

His naturally lean build meant that no matter how much he trained, he still looked thin — not much flesh on him, it seemed.

But you’d only know otherwise if he took off his shirt — what greeted your hands wasn’t just bone, but well-concealed muscle.

When Lin Feng asked why he had saved someone like him, Shen Yi’s reply was five words: “You are Chinese, same as me.”

Lin Feng greatly admired Shen Yi for that. Later, when he found out that Shen Yi had made some enemies at school and might be targeted outside of it, Lin Feng began stationing himself along the route Shen Yi took home every evening.

Only once Shen Yi was safely back did Lin Feng allow himself to leave.

“Just say what you came to say.” Shen Yi was preoccupied with thoughts of Rong Qian alone at home, but he also knew that unless he heard Lin Feng out, Lin Feng wouldn’t let him go.

The corner of Lin Feng’s mouth curved into a roguish, effortlessly cool smile.

If Rong Qian had been there, she would have recognized him immediately — this was the young man in Shen Yi’s group photograph, the one with the tattoo on his arm and a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Rong Qian had asked Chen Jia to look into him — but the search had turned up nothing. At the time, Rong Qian had guessed that this person might no longer be in this world…