Chapter 3

Ying Nian immediately started kicking, but “Brother Niu’s” lackeys couldn’t just let her go. Fortunately, Jiang Jiashu quickly reacted, not letting her fight alone.

The two of them together quickly took care of the situation.

“You wait for me!”

Before retreating from the alley, Brother Niu pointed at Jiang Jiashu and threw out a harsh threat.

Ying Nian picked up her book and bag, dusting them off as she said, “Where did your group of brothers go? Usually, you have a lot of people around you, but now not a single one is in sight?”

Jiang Jiashu detected the sarcasm in her words and responded stiffly, “In school. I didn’t call them. My mom knows I have a good relationship with them.”

Jiang Jiashu had a group of friends he played well with, but Ying Nian wasn’t familiar with them. She had only heard about a few of them. The one she remembered the most was someone named Chen Something Xu Ze, who often appeared on the top student list, either in second or third place.

She had seen him a few times. He was quite good-looking but had a cold personality and didn’t like to talk. His eyes always had a bit of hostility in them. She didn’t like this kind of uncheerful type and forgot about him after seeing him. Yet, it seemed many girls at school fell for this kind of person, not just in their grade, but some senior students were also infatuated with him.

Hearing the implied meaning in Jiang Jiashu’s words about not wanting his mom to find him, Ying Nian couldn’t help but chuckle, “Oh right, I almost forgot you’re running away from home, huh? How old are you to be doing this kind of thing? I think you’re just too idle.”

She packed up her things, turned around to leave, and casually said, “You should go home early!”

“I’m not going back.”

She paused in her steps, turned her head, and said, “Oh, you’re really taking it to heart, huh?”

Jiang Jiashu glared at her, “Isn’t it because of you! You argued with Grandpa, so why grab me by the collar? If you hadn’t grabbed me and said those things, my mom wouldn’t have gone back and kept scolding me. She kept going on about how I’m not as good as you, saying that even at this age, I’m being pulled around by a girl and have no prospects!”

Ying Nian found it amusing, “Does my excellence bother you? Your mom says you’re not as good as me, and you blame me?”

“You…” Jiang Jiashu started to speak but stopped.

Ying Nian didn’t want to argue with him, “Enough with the nonsense, go do whatever you need to do.”

As she turned to leave, she heard Jiang Jiashu call out behind her, “Ying Nian!”

“What?” She turned around impatiently. Jiang Jiashu stared at her for a long time but ultimately said nothing.

Ying Nian rolled her eyes inwardly. This person was so indecisive. She didn’t feel like waiting for him to speak and assumed he was just being melodramatic, so she walked away decisively.

The alley was now empty except for Jiang Jiashu. After Ying Nian’s footsteps faded away, the surroundings became eerily quiet. Feeling frustrated, he suddenly lifted his leg and kicked the corner of the wall.

That day at the family banquet, after Ying Nian left, Grandpa Ying was furious. Later, Ying Nian’s parents—who were also Jiang Jiashu’s uncle and aunt—brought his grandmother home. They were already worried about not seeing their daughter and then got scolded by Grandpa Ying.

Initially, Jiang Jiashu was angry after being grabbed by Ying Nian. However, his younger cousin from his eldest uncle’s family came to talk to him when there were fewer people around.

The child whispered to him, “Sister Ying Nian didn’t lie! It was Qianqian who kept pestering Sister Ying Nian for a fight. When he couldn’t win, he cried on the ground. When Sister Ying Nian walked over, Qianqian suddenly kicked her… you can’t blame Sister…”

Jiang Jiashu was well aware of Qianqian’s temperament—spoiled and capable of such unreasonable behavior. But Jiang Jiashu didn’t want to get involved in their dispute. He had only stopped Ying Nian because he was afraid she might hurt Qianqian if she used too much force.

But in everyone’s eyes, did they all think he was taking sides and standing against Ying Nian?

When his younger cousin from his eldest uncle’s family explained with those earnest eyes, it was as if he was blaming Jiang Jiashu for being unreasonable. This made Jiang Jiashu feel very uncomfortable.

Just like now.

Standing in the alley, Jiang Jiashu recalled Ying Nian’s usual way of looking at him, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

…

For Ying Nian, helping Jiang Jiashu out in the alley was just a small effort. She didn’t plan to meddle in his family’s affairs. She had run into him and advised him to go home; whether he listened or not was no longer her concern.

After having dinner and returning to school, Ying Nian put the whole incident out of her mind.

That evening, when she got home and was about to take out her keys in front of her villa, she was suddenly startled by a shadow from the side.

“…Oh my gosh!”

She took a small hop to the side, and after seeing who was sitting by the flower bed, she rolled her eyes hard.

“Jiang Jiashu?! What are you doing here, hanging around in the middle of the night?”

Jiang Jiashu was completely shrouded in shadows, his face looking much more worn, and she felt like he was about to grow a beard.

It hadn’t even been a night, and he had become this disheveled.

“What are you doing at my door?” Ying Nian, having composed herself, asked again.

Jiang Jiashu moved his lips.

“…”

“What did you say?”

“……”

“Speak louder!” Ying Nian couldn’t help but yell at him, “Didn’t you eat?”

Jiang Jiashu glanced at her, his face flushed with embarrassment, seemingly having a hard time speaking, “I haven’t eaten.”

Ying Nian was stunned for a moment before she reacted, “If you haven’t eaten, go and eat! What are you doing here?”

“Are my uncle and aunt home?” he asked softly.

“No, they’re out for something and won’t be back soon.”

“I…”

“You?”

“Can I…”

“You can?” Ying Nian was completely baffled. Seeing Jiang Jiashu stammering, she almost wanted to rush over and shake his shoulders to make him spit out every word he was struggling to say.

“——Can I come in and have something to eat?” Jiang Jiashu finally mustered the courage to ask.

Ying Nian: “…You don’t have money?”

“I used it all.”

“Then go home!”

“I don’t want to go back today.”

“When are you planning to go home?”

“…Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

The night fell into a brief silence.

Unexpectedly, Ying Nian mercilessly refused, “Sorry, go somewhere else. If you stay at my place, your mom might think your running away has something to do with me, and I don’t want to be blamed for that!”

Jiang Jiashu looked slightly incredulous, “Aren’t you afraid that if something happens to me, my mom will blame you for not taking me in?!”

“Hey, you really have the nerve to say that?” Ying Nian glared at him, “So no matter what, I’m going to be blamed? Then I definitely won’t take you in. If I’m going to get scolded anyway, I might as well choose a less troublesome way!”

She waved her hand dismissively, “You should go.”

Jiang Jiashu stood up abruptly, “Do you dislike me that much? After all, we’re siblings—”

“Now you remember we’re siblings? Didn’t you hear what I said this afternoon, or do you just not care?” Ying Nian retorted.

Jiang Jiashu’s face flushed and paled alternately.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, Ying Nian started to step up the stairs. Behind her, Jiang Jiashu spoke again, “You hate me now because of my past neglect, but what about before that? When we were kids, I tried to get close to you. But no matter how my brothers and I talked to you or asked you to play, you always had a cold, unapproachable attitude!”

He grew more agitated, “You think the family doesn’t like you, so you don’t like them back. You feel wronged and think we all owe you. But have you ever thought about your own problems? If you could just change that bad temper of yours, even a little bit—”

“It’s easy for you to say, isn’t it?” Ying Nian turned back, her face stern, interrupting him. “Of course, you’re a boy, all of you are boys. You haven’t been wronged, you haven’t been mistreated, so of course, you don’t understand how I feel.”

She sneered, “I’ll just mention one thing, just one—”

“When we were six, Grandpa came back from the supermarket with a bag of imported tangerines. He gave each child in the family one, and because there were extras, he also gave some to the two boys from the neighbor’s house.”

“One was left.”

Jiang Jiashu looked bewildered, a trace of confusion flashing across his face.

“That day, the two of us were watching TV upstairs, sitting side by side. Grandpa came up with the last tangerine, and when he saw me, he hesitated for a moment. I guess he hadn’t counted me as one of the kids in the family, which is why there was only one tangerine left.”

Ying Nian laughed as she spoke, “But he only hesitated for a moment, then he gave that tangerine to you. He didn’t say anything, not a word to me, and then he left.”

Ying Nian asked Jiang Jiashu, “Do you remember this incident? You probably don’t. Back then, you were just focused on eating, enjoying the sweetness of the tangerine. How could you understand how bitter I felt beside you? I was only six years old, but I remember it clearly. Do you know how I’ve managed all these years?”

“I…” Jiang Jiashu’s lips trembled, but he couldn’t find the words.

“How many segments can a tangerine be divided into? Even if not split evenly, Grandpa never thought to give me even one or two segments to taste,” Ying Nian continued. “What’s wrong with me not wanting to be close to you all? It’s normal for kids to push and shove each other while playing, but for me, if anyone cried, it was always my fault. I was scolded endlessly, day in and day out.”

“You boys were cherished by Grandpa, but I was my parents’ treasure too. Why should I have to endure unfair treatment? You say I should change my temper, but it’s easy for you to say. People say, ‘If it rains, let it rain; if someone wants to get married, let them get married.’ Your grandpa, my grandpa, simply doesn’t like girls. Since the day I was born, he hasn’t liked me. How am I supposed to change that? Change my gender? You’ve seen with your own eyes all these years. Have you seen him change?”

Ying Nian raised her hand, tucking stray hairs behind her ear, and spoke each word with unwavering conviction, “Some things cannot be changed. He favors boys over girls, and I, as a girl, am proud of myself and my gender.”

At some point, a gust of wind arose, rustling the leaves and inexplicably sending a chill through the air.

After speaking, Ying Nian jogged up the steps, opened the door, and went inside.

The door opened and then closed, shutting firmly in Jiang Jiashu’s face.

Jiang Jiashu stiffly moved his left foot, the sound of gravel scraping against the sole of his shoe unusually loud in the night. He had no memory of the incident Ying Nian described, but he knew she wouldn’t lie and had no reason to make up such a story.

She was right. If the wound wasn’t on your own body, you wouldn’t remember it as vividly and painfully as the person who was hurt.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to say something to Ying Nian, but she had already gone inside. His tongue felt heavy, and even if he had the words, he didn’t know how to express them.

What was there to say?

Should he ask her why she never mentioned it earlier? Should he ask if it really hurt that much? Or should he ask if she is okay now?

There was no need to speak; he could already foresee the answers.

Jiang Jiashu suddenly felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

He had never understood why Ying Nian was so determined, why everything she did had to be the best. No matter how difficult it was, she always strove to achieve the best.

It turns out that all of this had been catalyzed long ago.

On that day, so many years ago, he took the last tangerine that their grandpa handed him. As he peeled it open, he saw the sweet, juicy segments of the fruit.

But Ying Nian saw something different—she saw the biased and decayed heart of their grandpa, laid bare.

……

Jiang Jiashu squatted outside Ying Nian’s house for a long time, not to wait for his uncle and aunt to come back, though he knew that with their temperaments, they would certainly let him in if they saw him.

He didn’t know what he was thinking. Having nowhere else to go, he left home without enough money, and now he had only a few coins left in his pocket. He didn’t want to trouble his friends, so he just squatted there.

He didn’t know how long he had been there when he suddenly heard footsteps in front of him.

Jiang Jiashu looked up abruptly. Ying Nian, in her slippers, stood at the half-open door, frowning down at him.

Feeling a rush of heat to his face, he quickly stood up, “I’ll leave right away…”

“There’s no need to leave. You can come in,” Ying Nian said, crossing her arms in front of her. “But I have a condition.”

“…What condition?” Jiang Jiashu felt a bit disappointed, realizing she wasn’t changing her mind out of a desire to help him.

“I’ll let you stay today, but whether you reconcile with your mom tomorrow or compromise and go back home the day after, you have to resolve this running away from home business before the weekend…” Ying Nian raised an eyebrow, “And then come with me to Shanghai.”

“Shanghai?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you going to Shanghai…?”

“You’ll know when the time comes, don’t ask so many questions now.” Ying Nian frowned. “My parents won’t agree to let me go alone.”

Whenever she went out with the school team for competitions, her parents were always worried. Without a pretext, it would be difficult for her to go to Shanghai alone.

“Agree, and you can come in. If not, forget it.” Ying Nian didn’t give Jiang Jiashu much time to think and turned to go inside.

…

“There are dumplings and glutinous rice balls in the fridge, all handmade. The soup dumplings are store-bought ready-to-eat ones. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can also cook the handmade noodles. The portions and ingredients are pre-measured.”

“Bottled water is in the cabinet. If you want hot water, you’ll have to boil it yourself.”

“Oh, there’s also frozen fruit juice in the fridge, but it’s cold. The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. Press the second button on the wall to lower the big screen if you want to watch something…”

After saying all this, Ying Nian started walking toward the stairs.

Jiang Jiashu, like a startled animal, stared at her, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to my room. Where else would I go?” Ying Nian was puzzled by his surprise. “What? Are you scared to be alone?”

“When Uncle and Aunt come back…”

“Just tell them I took you in,” she said, pausing and pointing at him. “Don’t mention anything about Shanghai. I’ll tell them myself!”

Then, she briskly went upstairs, leaving Jiang Jiashu alone downstairs.

After standing there for a while, Jiang Jiashu headed to the kitchen to cook dumplings. He calculated his portion and, after hesitating for a while, added a portion for Ying Nian. Once the water boiled, he put the dumplings in and then served them when they were done.

He finished his dumplings, but Ying Nian showed no signs of coming downstairs.

Jiang Jiashu sat idly in the dining room, having washed the dishes and wiped the table, with nothing else to do. After a moment’s thought, he scooped all the remaining dumplings into a large bowl and brought them upstairs to Ying Nian.

Ying Nian’s bedroom door was open. She was sitting at her desk using her computer. Jiang Jiashu stepped inside and cleared his throat, “I made some dumplings. You…”

She turned around at the sound of his voice, and Jiang Jiashu glanced at her computer screen, his words trailing off.

S… some team… and something about Shanghai…

“Is this why you want to go to Shanghai?” Jiang Jiashu’s face was filled with surprise.

If he wasn’t mistaken, her computer was displaying the official website of a professional team, and the schedule showed an upcoming match taking place that weekend.

Ying Nian, not expecting his appearance, saw him holding the dumplings and didn’t say anything harsh. She casually responded, “Yeah.”

“You play this game too?”

“No.”

“Then you’re going to…”

“Watch the match.”

“But you don’t play…”

“Because I like their team—” Ying Nian turned her head calmly to look at the screen, her voice pausing for a moment, “one of the players.”

Jiang Jiashu stood there holding the bowl, stunned. Gaming, such a “frivolous” activity, seemed unrelated to someone like Ying Nian, who excelled in everything. When did she start liking game competitions?

While he was lost in thought, Ying Nian, seeing that he had already noticed, no longer hid it and continued browsing the website openly.

Jiang Jiashu finally snapped back to reality and noticed that after scrolling down, Ying Nian’s screen had remained on the same player’s profile for a while. He suddenly understood.

“——So you’re going for love like walking on noodles?!”

“What?”

Ying Nian turned around abruptly.

Jiang Jiashu smirked, “People say ‘walking a tightrope for love,’ but here you are, traveling to a strange city for one person, like a fan chasing a celebrity. It’s even more precarious than a tightrope—one step and it breaks, isn’t that like walking on noodles?”

Ying Nian: “……”

——”Walking on noodles for love,” seriously?

Jiang Jiashu, this annoying guy, truly had a knack for metaphors!