Chapter 92

Yu Nian’s face flushed, and she didn’t dare be a demon anymore. She obediently followed behind Li Xiang, going along with whatever he said.

He really was letting her off easy.

But later, Yu Nian thought it over and felt something was amiss.

Who was letting whom off easy? Clearly, this kid had been secretly crushing on her for years in the real world.

Liu Manman’s home was on the fourth floor. The two of them knocked twice on the iron door, and it opened.

A small head poked out from the door, looking lively and curious.

Yu Nian glanced at Li Xiang, then stepped forward, bent down slightly, and asked, “Little friend, does Liu Manman live here? We’re her classmates.”

“You’re looking for my sister?” The child, likely excited by the sight of new people, yelled several times, “Jiejie! Your classmates are here ya,” His voice was loud and clear.

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Mbl xykd essa oyp dso srld, yde Nkw Yydxyd nyxl swv sq bla cleassx, alprsdekdt vs vbl nyzz. Gp pbl rypple bla ekek, pbl nypwyzzu awqqzle bkp byka yde tldvzu vsze bkx vs ts rzyu, vbld oyzjle shla vs vbl essaoyu.

Ms Zw Lkyd, vbyv pkxrzl, wdnsdpnkswp tlpvwal pbsole vbyv Nkw Yydxyd eked’v alpldv bla&dcpr;ekek; sd vbl nsdvayau, pbl yzoyup xykdvykdle vbl kxytl sq y tsse pkpvla kd qasdv sq bkx.

“Lkyd Lkyd, obyv cakdtp usw twup blal?” Nkw Yydxyd pllxle iwkvl pwarakple vs pll Zw Lkyd yde Nk Dkydt yv vbl essa.

“Lsvbkdt xwnb, fwpv xkpple usw.” Zw Lkyd pxkzle yde oayrrle bla yax yaswde Nkw Yydxyd’p, vkzvkdt bla blye fwpv ldswtb vs dsvknl yd see ale ryvnb sd Nkw Yydxyd’p aktbv nbllj.

“Yydxyd, obyv byrrldle vs uswa qynl?” Zw Lkyd’p lmralppksd vwadle plakswp yp pbl pvyale kdvldvzu yv Nkw Yydxyd, bla casop qwaasokdt. “Psxlpvkn hkszldnl kp ytykdpv vbl zyo.”

Nkw Yydxyd rywple, vswnble bla aktbv nbllj, yde alyzkgle vbyv vbl pvkdt bye zsdt qyele, vbswtb pbl byed’v lmrlnvle vbl aledlpp vs zkdtla.

“Rv’p dsvbkdt. Yu xsx fwpv zspv bla vlxrla; pbl qllzp cye ycswv kv vss.” Nkw Yydxyd tyhl Zw Lkyd y qykdv pxkzl yde prsjl psqvzu.

Fwnb tsse pjkd, yde kv tsv bkv fwpv zkjl vbyv; kv oyp poszzld vss. Tso xydu eyup oswze kv vyjl vs blyz yb!

Liu Manman’s show of strength only made Yu Nian feel more heartbroken, though she didn’t know what else to say.

The unpleasant topic passed, and the three of them sat in the living room, chatting casually.

Liu Manman’s didi occasionally wandered past them, making small noises to grab their attention. His tricks were incredibly childish; sometimes, he would hide behind Liu Manman and shyly stare at Yu Nian and Li Xiang.

There was no denying that the boy resembled Liu Manman. Especially when he looked at people with those almond-shaped eyes—innocent and cute—it was hard to get angry at him.

Sometimes, when Liu Manman talked about how disobedient he was, this person would pout and stare at her pitifully. His little expression was full of grievance, but if they praised him just a bit, he’d get so excited he’d start dancing.

Perhaps that was just how this little friend was, easily forgetting the times he’d cried out when his sister had disciplined him—always crying and fussing but never holding a grudge.

Time with friends always passed quickly. By the time Yu Nian and Li Xiang left the building, night had fallen.

“Alright, Manman, head back now. It’s cold outside, no need to see us off,” Yu Nian said as she stood at the steps of the building entrance, waving goodbye to Liu Manman.

“Then you guys be careful on the way back. Let me know when you’re home.”

“Okay.”

Just as Yu Nian turned around, a chilly gust of wind blew against her, making her shiver. She quickly zipped her down jacket all the way up and tucked her neck into the collar.

Seeing this, Li Xiang instinctively took off his scarf and wrapped it around Yu Nian, then naturally held her hand and tucked it into his own coat pocket to keep her warm. He grumbled, “See what happens when you don’t listen? Now you’re cold.”

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s my fault. I’ll change next time,” Yu Nian quickly nodded, smiling as she admitted her mistake.

Li Xiang knew that Yu Nian was just saying it; next time, she’d probably do the same. He could only shake his head helplessly.

The distant streetlamp stretched their shadows long across the pavement, and as they laughed and talked, their retreating figures were etched into Liu Manman’s memory. At that moment, she no longer felt like a child sulking over not getting candy; instead, a profound sense of contentment filled her heart.

From the time her mother learned that she had lost the poverty grant for the next semester, this day was particularly difficult for her.

There was another endless argument.

Her mother slammed every harsh word at her, making her feel both ashamed and utterly humiliated.

But then someone told her that none of this was her fault, that she didn’t need to bear such a heavy burden. She was still a student; it was unfair to put the weight of adult worries on her shoulders so early.

These words made the initially unbearable day a little different. At least now, when she looked up at the oppressive night sky, she didn’t feel as hopeless and could even allow herself a small sense of anticipation for the next day.

Shi Zhengqing acted quickly, and within a few days, he found out that a friend’s child, just entering fifth grade, was looking for a tutor. Coincidentally, they lived in an upscale neighborhood not far from Liu Manman’s home.

When Liu Manman heard about it, she thanked Yu Nian profusely over the phone. She knew that without Yu Nian’s help, she wouldn’t have landed such a good opportunity. After all, with such high pay, they could easily have hired a proper, experienced tutor.

Yu Nian was also happy for her. Finally, Liu Manman’s part-time job was sorted out. Though her guilt didn’t completely vanish, at least it was eased somewhat, which was a relief.

With this weight lifted from her mind, Yu Nian started visiting Li Xiang’s place every few now and then—so frequently that even Shi Zhengqing, who never interfered with her freedom, couldn’t help but notice.

On this day, just as Yu Nian was putting on her shoes to go to Li Xiang’s, a deep voice sounded behind her.

“Stop!”

Puzzled, Yu Nian turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Shi Zhengqing asked, pretending not to know, “Where are you going?”

Yu Nian answered matter-of-factly, “Chi Yao’s house ah.”

The moment he heard that, Shi Zhengqing quickly replied, “Come back, come back. Don’t go over there for a while. Chi Yao’s dad just got back from abroad, and the family is reuniting. What are you doing joining in the fun.”

If Yu Nian hadn’t learned Li Xiang’s true identity, she might’ve almost believed it.

But, afraid of revealing any hints and not daring to go against Shi Zhengqing’s word, she grudgingly said, “Fine, I just won’t go.”

Shi Zhengqing chuckled at her dejected look and scolded, “You’re such a child, diligently going to other people’s houses more often than your own.”

“So what? Now you’re even stopping me from visiting my godmother? I’ll tell my mom when she’s back,” Yu Nian retorted defiantly.

Unfazed, Shi Zhengqing waved her off, “Go on, go on! Go quickly, bah!”

So, when Ling Ya returned home, she found the two of them sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, each absorbed in their own things, not speaking to each other.

Seeing this, Ling Ya knew right away that they’d had another spat while she was away. But she wasn’t worried; instead, her workday exhaustion melted away as she joked, “How many days are you two planning on this time ah?”

Ling Ya looked warmly at her husband and daughter. Despite Shi Zhengqing’s usual gentle and courteous manner with others, he seemed to become a child when it came to Yu Nian, always stirring things up with her.

Feeling wronged, Yu Nian pouted, especially with Shi Zhengqing watching her. She hadn’t seen Li Xiang all day, so she immediately complained, “Mom, Dad’s picking on me. He wouldn’t even let me go see Chi Yao.”

Ling Ya: “Why?”

Shi Zhengqing gave his daughter an exasperated glance. “Shi Nian Nian, your mother and I are both dedicated people. Think about it, we’re each other’s first love. Back then…”

Before he could finish, Yu Nian interrupted, “Back then, you two fell in love at first sight. You were both crazy for each other, with a bunch of rich kids and officials’ sons chasing after Mom, and you, a poor guy, got lucky, right?”

Shi Zhengqing obviously choked: “Right.”

“Dad, you’ve told me this at least ten times. I can recite it backwards now,” Yu Nian huffed. “But what does that have to do with me going to see Chi Yao?”

Shi Zhengqing’s voice suddenly grew louder, “It has everything to do with it.”

“Then, please explain it to me properly,” Yu Nian rolled her eyes at Shi Zhengqing, picked up a sunflower seed from the plate, and listened intently.

But as soon as she cracked open her first seed, she couldn’t keep going.

From across the room, Shi Zhengqing’s voice came through, sounding like a concerned father weighed down by life’s burdens.

“Nian Nian, as a responsible person, you can’t use the good looks your mother and I blessed you with to toy with young men’s feelings, you understand?”

“???” A series of question marks practically appeared above Yu Nian’s head.

Who knew that the next words were even more shocking.

“I know about you and Da Chuan. I’m not saying you can’t date him, but you keep going over to Chi Yao’s place every other day. What if the boy gets the wrong idea?”

The living room fell into silence. After a long pause, Yu Nian finally found her voice and asked in a dry tone, “Dad, you think my boyfriend is…”

“Why are you still hiding it from me? Isn’t it Zhang Chuanze? I know. His mom asked if he’s dating anyone, and I bet he kept it a secret to avoid getting in trouble with the adults.”

“…”

For some reason, Yu Nian suddenly felt like lighting a row of candles for Zhang Chuanze.

Talk about “friend” and creating a relationship out of nowhere… and it was even a “girlfriend” this time.

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Author’s Note:

Zhang Chuanze: Ha, I, an old tool man.