Xu Jia Ning was called to Teacher Qin's office. In order not to hurt the self-esteem of the model student, Teacher Qin spoke in metaphors and hinted cryptically, leaving Xu Jia Ning, who was already weak in Chinese, even more confused.
Teacher Qin also recommended that he go read Thunderstorm.
Naturally, Xu Jia Ning had no mood to read any Thunderstorm. In this final exam, Xiao Yan was still top of the rankings, while he had barely managed to beat Qiao Dan Qi to secure the second spot.
"Accomplish things that seem impossible no matter how hard you try."
Only by accomplishing it could he meet the person he wanted to see. But Xu Jia Ning still could not do it.
That night, Xiao Yan was busy working in the shop, chopping vegetables, simmering broth, tidying up the countertops...
Lin Chu Sui stuck to him like a little stalker. Wherever he went, she followed.
The already cramped little shop became even more crowded.
Tall and slender, Xiao Yan had an apron tied around his waist. His handsome features softened the lofty, unapproachable impression his good looks often evoked, lending him an earthly, mundane air instead.
Lin Chu Sui liked watching him work. He was always so focused, and that serious look was also quite charming.
Xiao Yan said, "Miss Lin, if you're bored, why not recite some poems for me?"
"We just finished finals and are on winter break. You're still going on about studying?"
"Break? What misconceptions do you have about the life of a high school senior?"
Lin Chu Sui blinked blankly. "What do you mean, Scholar God?"
The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth quirked up. "Kind reminder: make-up classes start tomorrow. You're welcome."
"Oh my god!" She looked at Xiao Yan in horror. "How did you know?"
Xiao Yan shot the question back. "How could you not know when we go to the same school?"
Lin Chu Sui instantly deflated, listlessly taking out her phone and sending a message in the [Nancheng No.1 Middle School Belles Group] —
"The news about make-up classes isn't something only I didn't know about, right?!"
Xu Jia Ning immediately replied: "Yes, everyone else knew. Only you didn't, loser."
No sooner had he sent the message than —
Lu Chi: "Oh my god!"
Zhang Cheng Yu: "Oh my god!"
Lu Tian Bai: "BFF, don't scare me!"
Xu Jia Ning: ...
Why did he join this useless group!
Zhang Cheng Yu: "I already bought high-speed rail tickets to go out and play tomorrow!"
Lu Chi: "My sister and I are already on the high-speed rail! [Despair]"
Lin Chu Sui's mood instantly brightened. As expected of the good friends her dad got her with a summer's worth of QQ candies — not one of them let her down when it mattered.
Fine, she'd attend make-up classes. Although winter break was short, she could still see her world's most handsome boyfriend every day. That was also extremely delightful.
Xiao Yan held a knife and was chopping vegetables. His fingertips aligned perfectly with the blade's edge as he sliced potatoes into fine, thin strands.
Lin Chu Sui stared at his long, beautiful, delicate hands. "Don't know who's so lucky to have a boyfriend with such nice, long fingers."
Xiao Yan stopped his motions. "I strongly advise you again not to make inappropriate jokes."
"How is complimenting your long fingers inappropriate?" Lin Chu Sui said disdainfully. "You're the one with a dirty mind."
Xiao Yan didn't bother debating her. He simply continued prepping the ingredients.
The young lady watched his back for a while before calling out, "Boyfriend, can I give you a pet name?"
"What?"
"Your sister calls you A Yan. Then I'll call you..." Lin Chu Sui thought for a moment then said, "How about I call you Xiao Xiao?"
"You can just keep calling me boyfriend."
"Oh? You don't like it?"
"It's extremely unpleasant."
"Hmph."
Lin Chu Sui refused to give up. "Xiao Xiao."
"Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao."
Xiao Yan ignored her with his back turned.
"Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao..."
She switched to an almost coquettish tone. "Xiao Xiao, don't ignore me."
Xiao Yan finally couldn't stand it anymore. He turned around and spread his arms. "Fine. Hug."
Lin Chu Sui happily rushed into his embrace, squeezing his waist tightly.
His body was hard yet warm, smelling lightly of laundry detergent and lemon. Clean and fresh.
Xiao Yan held his arms open to avoid getting oil and grease on her as he indulgently allowed her to act spoiled, letting her hug him for a long, long time.
Lin Chu Sui nuzzled his shirt. "A Yan, you really, really like me, huh?"
Xiao Yan lowered his head and lightly rubbed his nose against her forehead.
Mm, he liked her a lot.
So much that it was indescribable. So much that he wanted to give her his everything, every night in his dreams.
"Lin Chu Sui." His voice was low and heavy.
"Yes?"
"From now on, call me A Yan."
She looked up at him. "Oh? You like this name?"
The light in the youth's pitch-black eyes gentled as he gazed down at her. "Mm. I like it."
This name held affection, and affection was what he had craved yet lacked the most in his childhood.
"A Yan, A Yan, A Yan."
Xiao Yan couldn't help but kiss her cheek again.
...
Right as the two were being lovey-dovey, Xiao Qian walked up to the shop with a backpack on, and upon seeing this scene, quickly covered her eyes. "Oh my! Oh my, oh my!"
Lin Chu Sui immediately let him go and politely greeted, "Sister."
"I came to grab a book. I have class. Sorry for disturbing." Xiao Qian looked at them meaningfully. "Didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"You weren't interrupting at all."
Xiao Yan pointed at the clock on the wall. "There's still half an hour. You'll be late for the bus. Just take a taxi."
"That's why I won't waste time chatting with you two."
Xiao Qian hurried to the back room to find her workbook, then came out and Xiao Yan put an umbrella in her bag. "It's going to rain soon. Take a taxi."
"I know."
Just as Xiao Qian was about to leave, she seemed to recall something and turned back to ask him, "What ranking did you get for finals?"
Xiao Yan also found it odd. "Why are you suddenly interested in my grades, sister?"
"It's not strange for me to care about you, is it?"
"You never asked before."
"That's because you always ranked first. Did I need to ask?"
Xiao Yan quickly caught the logical flaw in her words. "Then what makes you think this time I might not have ranked first?"
Xiao Qian's face instantly flushed. She tried to stay calm as she walked over and rapped his head with her book. "Trying to interrogate me like a criminal, huh!"
Xiao Yan instinctively dodged behind Lin Chu Sui. Lin Chu Sui spread her arms. "Sister, don't hit him."
"Oh, you have a girlfriend to protect you now." Xiao Qian flicked Xiao Yan's head, then pinched Lin Chu Sui's ear, laughing. "Found yourself a backer."
"You're more violent than my girlfriend." Xiao Yan pushed her hand away. "You really will be late."
"I'll settle accounts with you when I get back." Xiao Qian tiptoed to ruffle his hair, then did the same to Lin Chu Sui. "You two kids be good and study hard at home. Behave."
"We know."
Not long after Xiao Qian hurried off, the skies opened up and rain poured down in sheets. She quickly opened up her umbrella and stood waiting at the bus stop.
Though there were also many taxis soliciting business, Xiao Qian still tried to save money where she could.
Having experienced poor times, every cent had to be spent like blood money. She and Xiao Yan had no family to rely on. They could only depend on themselves to work towards a better future.
Because of the sudden torrential rain, every bus was crammed full. On top of that, this was downtown, so more and more people gathered at the bus stop, packed together like sardines. Even the taxis were all taken, unable to solicit any more customers.
Xiao Qian tried to squeeze onto a bus, but she was petite and quickly shoved back out by the aunties and uncles, stumbling in an undignified manner. Her clothes were also drenched by the rain.
"Little lady, what are you squeezing for?" an auntie scolded. "Don't you know to respect your elders?"
"You were the one shoving me the whole time."
Xiao Qian still tried to push her way forward, but was pushed violently by the auntie and nearly fell.
Xiao Qian was quite angry now and went up to reason with her. "How could you resort to violence?"
The auntie ignored her. With her obese body, she relentlessly shoved her way forward until she finally managed to squeeze onto the bus.
"How rude!" Xiao Qian was never one to swallow insults quietly. "No class whatsoever!"
The auntie looked back at her as if she were the victor. "If you're so classy, why are you taking the bus?"
The bus crammed full of people lumbered heavily away from the stop.
Xiao Qian's clothes were completely drenched now and her anger still hadn't abated. She also felt very wronged and anxious since she definitely wouldn't make it to class on time.
She opened up her umbrella and hurried to the next bus stop, hoping there would be fewer people there.
Yet she never expected that when the roof leaks, it rains all night. The heel of her high heels got stuck in the drain cover.
Xiao Qian tried hard to lift her foot, but the heel got stuck and broke off directly.
The class she was going to was body shaping training for models, and she had to wear high heels. Now her shoes were broken and she couldn't attend the class either.
Xiao Qian's mentality collapsed completely. She took off her shoes, threw away her umbrella, and stood alone in the rain, unable to even cry.
She blamed herself for trying to save that little bit of money, seeking far away rather than near. As a result, she couldn't even attend the class.
Because she was poor, everything went wrong.
Right ahead was the central financial district. Girls her age dressed up brightly and walked hurriedly - they were either white-collars or executives.
But she was nothing...
This world was not meant for people like her.
A sadness welled up in her heart. Xiao Qian's eyes grew hot. She threw away the umbrella in her hand and limped forward a few steps.
Just then, a Mercedes Benz sedan stopped beside her. The window rolled down and Xu Jia Ning poked his head out in a suit and leather shoes, "Sister, what happened to you...?"
"Ah!"
Seeing Xu Jia Ning, Xiao Qian burst into tears for some reason. Fortunately, it was raining heavily, so the rain and tears blended indistinguishably.
Xu Jia Ning hurried out of the car. He didn't even bother with an umbrella, just grabbed her hand, "Sister, get in the car."
Xiao Qian staggered back awkwardly, not daring to look directly at his dazzling luxury car.
"Have you been drinking again?"
"I didn't drink," Xiao Qian explained hurriedly, "I...I have a class to attend."
"I'll take you there," Xu Jia Ning said.
He pressed a key fob button and the rear door opened automatically. He put Xiao Qian inside, then got in himself.
The car had excellent sound insulation, completely isolating the chaotic, dirty world outside. The pitter-patter of heavy rain became background noise.
Xiao Qian didn't dare move a muscle, afraid of soiling the leather seats and high-end equipment she had never seen before.
There were no clean towels in the car. Xu Jia Ning simply took off his suit jacket and handed it to her, "Wipe your hair."
Xiao Qian shook her head, declining his kindness.
Xu Jia Ning clambered from the front to the back seats, clumsy yet amusing, like a child.
Fortunately, the interior space was extremely spacious. He sat down beside her and used his clothes to wipe her hair.
"If you're going to class, why were you standing in the rain?"
Xiao Qian noticed that the left heel of her high heels was broken off.
"It's a body shaping class for models, so I have to wear high heels," Xiao Qian explained again. "The broken heel means even if I go, it'll be pointless and I'll be laughed at."
"How much does that class cost? Can't you just not go?"
"It's not expensive. It's an adult education course offered by a vocational school, not the kind of high-end thing you're imagining..."
Xiao Qian didn't want to explain further. The more she explained, the more upset she felt. She silently gazed out at the pouring rain.
"Then I'll take you home," Xu Jia Ning said.
"Do you have plans?" Xiao Qian could tell from Xu Jia Ning's formal attire that he must have something going on. "Just drop me off at the bus stop."
"I'm free. I'm a student. I don't have anything going on besides homework waiting for me at home."
"Then why are you dressed like that?"
"I always dress like this," Xu Jia Ning straightened his tie. "Do I look handsome?"
"Oh, come on." Xiao Qian laughed softly, "If you're busy, go take care of your things. Don't mind me. I'm an adult, I can take care of myself."
Xu Jia Ning did in fact have plans. Tonight was the group's annual gala. Old Xu planned to introduce him to some of the company's directors.
But it didn't matter. Nothing was more important than what was right in front of him.
He simply put his phone on silent.
Xu Jia Ning dug out his previously shed school uniform from the car and draped it over Xiao Qian, saying, "I'll take you home."
"Okay."
Xiao Qian could smell a faint scent of cologne on his school uniform. It smelled nice.
Xu Jia Ning was a bit different from Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan was clean and refreshing, but his temperament was too heavy, his thoughts too deep as he marched forward bearing a weight.
Xu Jia Ning was a refined, elegant boy raised in prosperous, fertile lands. He had the scent of sunshine about him.
This was fatally attractive to Xiao Qian.
She admitted she was realistic, but she was no celestial maiden untouched by the mortal world. In this cold, indifferent world, she only wanted to grab onto the tiniest bit of warmth.
If only he were a little older, that would be so much better.
Xu Jia Ning climbed back to the driver's seat again. Xiao Qian laughed, "Kid, do you always crawl around in the car like this?"
"Yeah, it's convenient."
"Your sister said you're very particular about things. This is not elegant at all."
"I'm elegant around other people. I don't have to be with you," Xu Jia Ning smiled like a child. "I want you to see the real me."
"What is the real you like?"
"I'm really good at claw machines. My house is full of stuffed animals I've won. I'll give them to you next time."
Xu Jia Ning looked at her, "I'm really great at claw machines. I'll give you a lot of stuffed animals next time."
"Kid, you know how to get along well with girls and make them happy."
"But in your eyes, I'm still just a kid."
Xu Jia Ning adjusted the rearview mirror to perfectly frame her exquisite face. "Sister wouldn't watch Casablanca with a kid, right? Even if I ace all my exams, you still wouldn't."
Xiao Qian was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Mm."
"I just thought, I could buy you new shoes, but then I realized, it wouldn't be appropriate to use Old Xu's card. Even driving you home in the car Old Xu bought me, I really don't have the right to earn your affection."
Xiao Qian looked up at the rearview mirror. The boy's eyes were clear and pure. Every word came from the heart—
"Never before have I wished so badly to grow up quickly, sister."
