But before that breath of relief had fully settled, a deeply infuriating voice rang out from behind her — triumphant and delighted, roaring at the top of his lungs in sudden enlightenment: “Mommy! This is the super-handsome guy who was doing this-and-that with Sister outside the Bookstore just now!”

Ning Sui: “???”

Honestly, having just finished “destroying all the evidence” of something, Ning Sui’s conscience was already thoroughly guilty. After Ning Yue blurted out that sentence, she stood there in stunned shock for two full seconds, hit with the absurd, baseless feeling of being caught red-handed for underage dating. Her very first instinct was to grab her bag and bolt.

She made it about two steps before Xie Yichen caught her by the strap of her bag, gave a quiet cough, and pulled her back.

Xia Fanghui was nearly upon them — running was absolutely not an option.

At this moment, Fangfang had her signature short, capable brownish-red bob, one hand carrying a box of fruit — loaded with the muscat grapes that were Ning Sui’s favorite — with the little menace trotting close behind her. They had just parked in the lot downstairs and were approaching with breezy, confident strides. Ning Sui’s heart instinctively leapt straight up into her throat.

The four of them stared at each other. In the brief silence of eyes meeting eyes, Xie Yichen was the first to speak, his expression perfectly composed: “Hello, Auntie.”

Xia Fanghui’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then swept down to the bags in Xie Yichen’s hands — all small things Ning Sui loved: handcrafted trinkets, in elegant packaging, tied with pretty ribbon bows.

To Ning Sui’s surprise, Xia Fanghui’s tone was quite calm: “You must be Yichen.”

Xie Yichen nodded. He paused for a moment — the slight flicker of tension from being first spotted had vanished entirely. His gaze was clear and steady, and there was a faint note of apology in his voice: “I didn’t expect to run into you here. I didn’t have time to prepare anything to bring as a first-meeting gift.”

That he’d even thought about something like that gave Xia Fanghui a brief pause, and she said quickly: “Don’t worry about it — it should be me preparing a gift for you, really. First meetings and all.”

She glanced at her daughter, who was currently doing her very best impression of someone deeply interested in the ground, then looked back: “But I haven’t brought anything with me today either. Ning Sui’s father will be home soon — if it’s not too much trouble, why don’t you come upstairs for dinner tonight?”

She added: “If it’s convenient, of course.”

Xie Yichen looked at Ning Sui first. She was visibly stiff with nerves, standing in perfectly obedient posture, every single one of her twelve senses on high alert. Their eyes met in midair — a subtle, silent exchange — but she was so nervous that she couldn’t transmit a single coherent signal, and her expression remained exactly as blank as before: “Auntie, I’m happy to come, whenever works for you.”

Xia Fanghui paused: “Alright then. Come on up.”

The security guard held the door open for them, and all four filed inside. As Ning Sui followed along toward the elevator, her heart was still thudding away steadily.

The idea of bringing Xie Yichen home to meet her parents had come up more than once — Fangfang had casually dropped hints about it many times — but it had never quite made it onto the actual agenda.

So an encounter like this, completely unplanned, carried its own particular kind of impact.

And Fangfang — that ticking time bomb — had admittedly been running at a low, steady warmth for these past several months, her temper remarkably even. But Ning Sui still knew her mother well enough not to drop her guard entirely.

One wrong step and she might still hit a landmine.

She was still lost in thought when the person beside her suddenly drew closer, and in the shadow of the corridor, quietly pinched her fingertips.

They had just rounded the corner from the stairwell landing. Xia Fanghui was ahead, holding Ning Yue’s hand, her back to them — she hadn’t seen. But even so, Ning Sui’s heart gave a sharp little squeeze. She swallowed, kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, and — like answering a secret signal — gave his palm a single return pinch.

Her hand had barely released when Xia Fanghui turned her head: “Little Coconut.”

Ning Sui immediately straightened up, obediently asking: “What is it, Mom?”

Fangfang was noticeably out of character today.

She was usually someone who couldn’t hold a thought in until they walked through the front door — she’d start talking before they’d even arrived. This time, though, she held back, and asked only a light: “You’re both on break now, I take it?”

Ning Sui nodded: “Mm, just started break a couple of days ago.”

Xia Fanghui looked at Xie Yichen: “I heard you all went to climb the Great Wall?”

This time it was his turn to answer: “Yes — with six other classmates.”

Xia Fanghui gave him a measured look, then two: “You’re in the computer science program, right? Which specialization?”

“That’s right, Auntie. Though we don’t have specific specializations — our program is called the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Computer Science Experimental Class. My own research focus is in AI-generated content…”

“AI-generated content?”

“That would be things like AI voice synthesis and AI image generation — systems that can intelligently learn from large behavioral datasets of human activity and produce humanlike outputs. Applications include navigation voice assistants, intelligent mapping, psychological consultation platforms, and so on.”

For the questions that followed, Xie Yichen responded with quick, organized clarity — it was almost as if he knew what she was going to ask before she opened her mouth: “In my third year I went to MIT in America for a spring research exchange. I’ve recently applied to their graduate program as well, so I’ll likely be continuing my studies abroad.”

Xia Fanghui said: “Ning Sui is going abroad too — did you apply to the same program?”

“Yes. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll be at the same school.”

By this point they had arrived at the front door.

A cleaner had come in today, and the apartment was spotless — every surface gleaming, nothing out of place. The refrigerator was stocked full of fresh vegetables and produce. The cleaner was already in the kitchen starting on dinner; Xia Fanghui washed her hands and went to help.

The apartment was modest in size — a hundred and fifty square meters — but the living room was fairly spacious, with a decor style that leaned calm and understated. Just inside the entryway stood a storage cabinet: on top, a display of the wines and spirits Ning Deyan had slowly collected over the years; and below, an assortment of oddly-shaped, delightfully quirky handcrafted pieces that Fangfang and Ning Sui had brought back from their travels.

Further inside was a locked glass display cabinet, its contents meticulously arranged: all the trophies and medals Ning Sui and Ning Yue had accumulated over the years from various competitions and activities.

Xia Fanghui poured a cup of tea for Xie Yichen and waved toward the couch: “Dinner might still be a little while. Why don’t you both sit and watch some TV in the meantime.”

Xie Yichen had just swapped into guest slippers and set his bag down on the couch, but he remained standing at the sound of that: “Thank you, Auntie, but really — with that many dishes, I’d feel bad just sitting around. If you don’t mind, I’d be glad to give you a hand in the kitchen?”

Setting aside looks and background for a moment, just from those few minutes of conversation, it was easy to sense that this young man had been raised well, and that his social instincts were sharp. Xia Fanghui was quietly growing more impressed by the moment, though she kept her expression deliberately neutral, putting on a mock air of parental authority as she cleared her throat: “Now what kind of host would I be, putting a guest to work the very first time they visit? You just sit — or have Little Coconut give you a tour of the place.”

Xie Yichen smiled: “I actually cook fairly often on my own, so I have some experience.” The unspoken meaning was clear: I won’t be in your way.

Xia Fanghui raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised: “You cook?”

Ning Sui, finally finding somewhere to anchor herself, nodded rapidly like a little bird pecking seeds, making her case for her boyfriend with enthusiasm: “Yes, yes! Mom, he’s an amazing cook!”

Xia Fanghui’s eyes flickered perceptively: “Oh, is that right? When exactly are you eating his cooking, at school?”

Ning Sui went rigid. She realized she’d almost let something slip, and her heart nearly launched itself out of her chest.

Her mind raced at full speed, and she replied with her most guileless expression: “…You know, when friends have birthdays and we all get together at someone’s rental place.”

Xia Fanghui gave a soft “oh,” and let the subject drop. “Honestly, it’s fine — you two just relax and wait for dinner.”

Xie Yichen didn’t push any further.

Ning Yue had been sneaking glances at their whole conversation from the sideline, and at this point Xia Fanghui turned to him: “By the way — this is my younger son. He’s in his first year of high school right now.”

She patted Ning Yue on the head: “Why haven’t you said hello yet?”

Ning Yue dutifully extended his hand: “Hi, ge.”

Xie Yichen curved his lips, shaking his hand with full formality: “Hello.”

Xia Fanghui looked very satisfied: “Your ge is at Tsinghua — very academically impressive. You should ask him for advice on your studies.”

Ning Yue: “Ohhhh——”

Ning Sui sat on the couch, still not quite back to earth.

Their first meeting, and the atmosphere was warmer than she ever could have predicted.

The slightly tense, almost standoffish scene she’d been bracing herself for had simply… not materialized.

Which was rather remarkable, when she thought about it. She couldn’t help blinking a few times.

Meanwhile, Ning Yue was staring at Xie Yichen without blinking, still thoroughly absorbed in his own astonishment.

Wait — since when did his sister find a boyfriend this good-looking?!

Sharp, angular features. A straight, prominent nose. A clean, defined jawline. He was lounging there in a lazily relaxed way, and his voice was low and deep, with this inexplicable magnetic quality that was impossible to pin down.

Xie Yichen noticed Ning Yue peering at him with wide, eager eyes, and smiled, striking up a conversation: “I heard from your sister that during the break, aside from playing basketball, you’re also studying high school math competitions?”

Ning Yue immediately sat up straighter: “Yeah!”

He darted a glance toward the kitchen — Xia Fanghui had gone inside — and let his carefully maintained expression drop entirely: “Mom wants me to aim for CMO by second year of high school.”

“How’s it going? Do you feel confident?”

Ning Yue gave a dry cough, his tone measured and carefully restrained: “I’d say… pretty okay. Just, you know. So-so.”

Ning Sui had heard this tone enough to recognize it immediately: this little creature was managing expectations again. Ever since he’d stolen the technique from her, he’d refined it to an art form. She narrowed her eyes: “Tell me honestly — how much are you enjoying that new phone?”

Ning Yue: “……”

Well, since she asked — it was great. Genuinely, deeply great.

Big beautiful screen, plenty of storage, lightning-fast speed. He was completely attached to it, and would have slept with it in his arms every night if he could.

As the original discoverer of a certain secret, Ning Yue was still very much riding the high of it. His eyes were practically glued to Xie Yichen, brimming with curiosity: “Yichen ge — when did you and Sister get together?”

Xie Yichen: “The winter break of our first year, I think.”

Ning Yue: “Wow, that’s been a while.”

Xie Yichen couldn’t help the slight pull at the corner of his mouth: “Yeah.”

Ning Yue leaned in, sly-eyed: “Who chased who?”

“Me.” The answer came with perfect ease. Xie Yichen said it without a second thought — and Ning Sui’s fingers curled inward involuntarily. No matter who asked, no matter where they were, he always said the same thing. That he was the one who had pursued her.

“How long did it take?”

“A few months or so.”

“What do you like about my sister, then?”

Xie Yichen smiled: “Everything.”

Ning Yue was in full fan-club president mode, eyes round and hungry for more: “Can you be a little more specific?”

“Mm.” Xie Yichen raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced over to the side, and began listing them as if reciting something he knew by heart: “I like that she’s adorable, perceptive, emotionally attuned, clever, beautiful, and that she blushes easily…”

Who talks like this with the actual person sitting right there?!

One asking nonstop, the other actually answering with complete sincerity!

And since when was “blushes easily” considered a positive quality?! Ahhh!!

Ning Sui pressed her voice low and turned to Ning Yue: “Shouldn’t you be going to do your math homework right about now?”

Ning Yue looked at her with a grin: “Sister, you’re totally blushing, aren’t you?”

Ning Sui: “……”

Honestly, she’d been more or less fine up until he pointed it out — but the moment he said it, her face kicked into automatic overdrive, two patches of warmth blooming out from her cheekbones, completely beyond her control. Ning Yue took one look at the atmosphere and, in a rare display of self-awareness, made himself scarce with great efficiency: “Okay okay okay, I’m not going to be a third wheel anymore, hehehe!”

With just the two of them left in the living room, their gazes tangled in the air between them. Xie Yichen looked at her for a long moment, then shifted a little closer and gently caught her hand.

Ning Sui’s lashes flickered. She heard his voice, slow and low: “I’m not going to do anything.”

But his eyes moved over her face in plain, unabashed appreciation, dark and bright all at once.

There really wasn’t anything he could do, here in the apartment.

He wanted to kiss her — but for now, he’d have to hold himself back.

Xie Yichen’s breath was warm, and he kept his gaze on her, then changed tack: “Are you going to show me around?”

The fingertips he was holding grew warm too. She said quietly: “…Okay then. We’ll look from the outside in.”

Fangfang was still in there, after all. So she didn’t let go of his hand — just led him further inside.

Xie Yichen had already noticed the trophies in the glass display cabinet gleaming under the lights, and he walked over for a closer look. Ning Sui had genuinely won quite a lot — Xia Fanghui had arranged everything with care, the honors organized from the bottom up in chronological order, the most recent annual comprehensive scholarship sitting at the very top.

Ning Yue’s were in an adjacent column, arranged in the same way.

Primary school: the class captain’s armband, a “Little Soccer Champion” certificate, first place in a children’s piano competition, and a breaststroke championship.

Xie Yichen looked through it all, and smiled: “Your brother is actually quite adorable.”

From second year of high school onward, through all of Ning Sui’s various descriptions, the vivid portrait of this lively little menace of a brother had taken full shape in his mind. Ning Yue didn’t know it, but Xie Yichen had, in a sense, “known” him for quite a long time.

He used to wonder sometimes how a family could feel so thoroughly alive — the bickering, the teasing, the nonstop chaos from one moment to the next, and yet whenever something truly mattered, they all pulled in tight around each other.

The little guy had taken the brunt of Fangfang’s exasperation on Ning Sui’s behalf — he was a handful, no question, but there was no denying his contributions were real. It was hard not to feel a certain warmth toward him. Ning Sui herself couldn’t help but murmur: “That’s… actually true.”

The glass cabinet had been polished by Xia Fanghui to a brilliant shine. Xie Yichen bent down and examined it with unhurried interest. Ning Sui wasn’t sure what he found so fascinating about the heap of old certificates — until he spotted something in the bottom row and looked up: “What’s this ‘Best Standing Award’?”

— She had practically forgotten this existed until he said it.

Ning Sui leaned in for a proper look: “When I was in kindergarten, the school put on a little play — something about woodland animals having a tea party, I think. The teacher told us anyone who signed up would get a prize, to encourage us. It turned out later the awards were all invented by the teacher on the spot, but at the time my mom was absolutely determined that I go up on stage.”

Xia Fanghui had always been a woman of momentum — but at that age, Ning Sui had inherited a little of her father’s tendency toward avoidance, and found the idea of performing in front of everyone mortifyingly embarrassing.

Xie Yichen: “And then?”

Ning Sui paused for a beat, then slowly, and with a resigned look, glanced at him sideways: “…So I signed up to play a tree.”

A peach tree, to be precise — laden with fruit, standing completely motionless onstage for the better part of an hour.

“Best Standing Award.” Entirely deserved. Undisputed.

Xie Yichen laughed so hard his chest shook, unable to stop himself from picturing the scene: “Do you still have photos from that?”

As a matter of fact, they did.

All these years, Fangfang had carefully captured each small moment of both Ning Sui and Ning Yue growing up, and had turned those memories into two photo albums, one for each child — preserved in perfect condition.

“Should be in my room somewhere.”

The sound of the wok crackling and sizzling drifted from the kitchen. The two of them slipped quietly into Ning Sui’s bedroom.

Her room was generously sized. In the center was a full-width 1.5-meter bed. Beside it stood a carved wooden wardrobe. The whole space was airy and open, decorated in a palette of soft pink and pale green. A large, pretty bow was tied to one side of the headboard. Even the walls were painted a dreamy blush rose — calling it a princess’s bedroom would not have been an exaggeration.

This had the signature touch of Xia Fanghui written all over it.

Though Ning Sui hadn’t looked at the album in ages, she knew exactly where it was — right on the top shelf, visible the moment she tilted her head back. She rose onto her tiptoes and stretched her arm up, but she was just a little short of reaching it. Xie Yichen curved his lips, extended his arm, and retrieved it with easy, effortless reach. The cover was stiff cardboard, bound together like a proper book. He asked: “Can I look?”

Ning Sui nodded.

But the moment Xie Yichen flipped it open, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye — and suddenly remembered something was wrong. She reached out in a flash to grab it back, but he was faster. He had already turned to the first page, and his gaze had already landed on what was there.

It was a fairly large old photograph.

An old-style residential building. A plain round wooden table. A tiny girl in nothing but a grandmother-green knit sweater, both little legs bare and chubby, sitting in a baby chair and gnawing earnestly on a drumstick.

Being the very first thing you saw upon opening the cover — and clearly a candid snap on top of that — the impact was not small.

Little Ning Sui’s expression in the photo was tremendously expressive: head tilted to one side, one eye aimed sideways at the camera, but her true attention was entirely on the drumstick. Both hands gripping it, face grave and solemn, she bit into it with the gravity of someone handling a matter of supreme importance.

Seeing the corner of the man beside her already beginning to lift, Ning Sui suddenly remembered that she had been sitting there with her bottom bare — no one had apparently thought to put trousers on her — and worse, someone had taken that opportunity to steal a candid shot. Her whole body yearned to sink into the floor, and she stretched out her hand to stop him: “Don’t look——”

How could anyone be this adorable?

Xie Yichen stared at her, laughing, something in his chest slamming hard. On instinct he pulled the album just out of her reach — and Ning Sui, reaching for nothing, fell straight forward into his arms. His other hand curved around her waist on reflex, cushioning the movement and pulling her close to keep her from stumbling.

Ning Sui’s cheek came to rest against his chest. She steadied herself with her hands on his sides, her pulse hammering in her ears, the tips of her ears nearly on fire: “Xie Yichen——”

But before she could finish, his voice dropped low against her ear, quiet and unhurried and loaded with meaning: “What are you embarrassed about? I’ve seen you like that.”

Ning Sui: “……”

Hahahahaha he is such a shameless, incorrigible scoundrel.

Ning babe: ………………