That noon, Xu Guangji was eating in the cafeteria. There weren’t many fresh dishes available, and some were leftover remnants. By chance, he ran into Cai Yingying’s father. Old Cai, once the head of the neurology department and now recently promoted to deputy director, came over with a Hello Kitty lunchbox and sat down next to Xu Guangji with a cheerful expression. “Old Xu, you didn’t go home either?”

Xu Guangji was focused on his meal. Noticing a shadow fall over him, he instinctively glanced at the chicken legs he had marinated yesterday and pulled his plate closer to himself.

“You’re being a bit disdainful. Not everyone’s situation is like yours,” Director Cai said, grandly opening his lunchbox.

Xu Guangji took a silent glance. Indeed, it wasn’t like that.

Director Cai silently picked up his chopsticks and changed the subject. “I heard from Yingying that Xu Zhi did quite well this time, over 700 points.”

Cai Yingying’s tendency to embellish was more pronounced than the cafeteria’s stir-fried dishes. Xu Guangji continued eating. “It’s not that high.”

He knew Xu Guangji had been so low-key in recent years that he might as well have been forgotten. The painful lessons from earlier years had made him believe in the old adage about fortune: being too successful and high-profile would make even the heavens envious, leading to troubles.

“I know your old lady is superstitious, but you’ve had formal education,” Director Cai said, scraping the edge of his lunchbox with his chopsticks. “You should still celebrate.”

“I never said I wouldn’t celebrate,” Xu Guangji looked up and adjusted his glasses. “Let’s wait until the official results come out. How’s your daughter doing?”

“Don’t mention it,” Director Cai sighed, lowering his head to eat. “Her performance was as stable as my blood pressure. She didn’t gain a single extra point. If she’s unwilling to repeat, she might just end up at a vocational college.”

Xu Guangji sympathetically pushed his chicken leg towards Old Cai. “Here, have it.”

Old Cai took it back, which made Xu Guangji think he didn’t want it. He was about to say, “Don’t be polite; your daughter is really hard to manage,” when he saw Director Cai dip into the sauce on his plate and take a bite with great satisfaction. “Thanks! This sauce is really good. Next time, I’ll have Cai Cai come over and get a scoop for me.”

Xu Guangji: “……”

“But there’s something,” Old Cai said, still savoring his chicken leg and suddenly remembering, “I need to remind you. Is your Xu Zhi seeing someone?”

Xu Guangji abruptly put down his chopsticks. “Who told you that?”

“Calm down,” Old Cai said, setting aside his chicken and quickly explaining. “At the parent-teacher meeting after the third mock exam, you weren’t there. I happened to run into a boy in the teacher’s office. He was wearing a necklace, the one that Qiudie left for Xu Zhi. I noticed Xu Zhi’s grades were stable at the time and didn’t want to tell you right away in case it affected her exam performance.”

Xu Guangji stared at him intently, silent.

“Don’t look at me like that. The exams are over now, so there’s no need to get worked up. Find some time to talk to her. It is a bit early for a relationship. On this front, our Yingying is quite reliable. She’s not as pretty as your Xu Zhi and her grades are not great. If someone were to date her,” Old Cai closed his lunchbox with confidence, “I’d be the first to take him to our hospital to get his eyes checked.”

…..

Heavy rain had washed the entire city clean. The sky was even brighter after the rain, with the lush green leaves glistening in the rain’s aftermath, while cicadas chirped away, marking another summer.

Xu Zhi was heading to the apartment rented by Tan Xu. Since Tan Xu wasn’t there, the door was shut tightly, more securely than the Taoist furnace of Laozi. The neighbor, who was also a student preparing for exams, said that Tan Xu had gone back to his hometown in the afternoon and would only return in the evening.

Xu Zhi descended slowly, taking the time to observe the cylindrical building. The building was mostly inhabited by high school seniors because it was very close to the No. 1 High School in the city.

The competition at No. 1 High School was intense, with top scorers from various counties and even other provinces squeezing in. Thus, many students from outside the city preferred to rent their own apartments, as the dormitories had a strict lights-out policy at ten o’clock.

It was said that during the months leading up to exams, this building would often remain brightly lit at four or five in the morning. Under such hellish pressure, it was no wonder Tan Xu had such a volatile temperament.

Qingyi City was perpetually damp and rainy, and the walls in the stairwell were peeling and moist, giving off a musty, damp smell.

As Xu Zhi reached the first floor, she faintly heard a few low voices from inside the apartment—

“The results aren’t out yet, but after discussing with your father, we still prefer to send you abroad. There’s no need to repeat the year.”

“Oh, whatever.”

The voice was cool and firm, with a magnetic quality.

Xu Zhi instinctively looked up. The security door was ajar, and a long, sleek shadow fell across the corridor through the gap. The building, with its outdated and dilapidated facilities, had peeling walls and a damp, grimy appearance, but somehow the clean, slender shadow seemed oddly captivating.

In the corner, several mosquito repellents covered in a dense array of mosquito and fly stickers were discarded, along with various brands of electric mosquito coils, some of which had clearly never been used. It was evident that the owner was quite particular and hard to please.

The woman’s voice came again, “That girl… you need to clarify things with her. You’d better—”

“Hmm, I’ve said it. You do whatever you want. Even if she were my girlfriend, it wouldn’t matter. If you say to break up, then we’ll break up.” His tone was remarkably indifferent.

The door was slightly ajar, and through the narrow gap, Xu Zhi could see a middle-aged woman with an elegant demeanor sitting on the living room sofa, her face out of view. Her voice reminded Xu Zhi of her mother, Lin Qiudie; the tone was almost identical—gentle yet sharp, even when angry, it was calm and measured. The woman’s pale yellow floral dress also resembled one Lin Qiudie owned.

“You’re still making excuses!” The woman’s voice rose in frustration as she slammed a teacup onto the table. “If she’s not your girlfriend, why bring her home? If I hadn’t come over, what were you planning to do? And look at what you’re wearing. It’s not that I’m against you dating, but don’t make things so messy that there’s no way to resolve them! That girl’s father is not someone you can just brush aside.”

He seemed to sneer slightly.

“Isn’t that just perfect? Then you won’t have to go through the trouble of finding excuses to send me abroad.”

“What kind of attitude is that? Are you dissatisfied with how we’re handling things? If you have any complaints about us, just say it outright. Don’t be so passive-aggressive.”

The owner of the shadow remained with their back to them, standing at the entrance. The figure was tall and slender, dressed in a very casual manner—almost as if in a hurry, hastily throwing on a couple of clothes.

The upper body was clad in a loose-fitting sports jersey, and despite being slim, the figure was well-proportioned with clean, sharp lines, fitting the archetype of a model physique—just the kind of guy you’d expect from a school like this.

Xu Zhi recalled that Cai Yingying had indeed mentioned that not only were academic standards fiercely competitive at No. 1 High School, but even handsome guys were in fierce competition.

Xu Zhi’s gaze landed on his school pants with the logo. Compared to the more elaborate uniforms of Rui Jun, the No. 1 High School’s uniforms were consistently plain and disciplined.

However, this guy didn’t look like someone who followed the rules. Leaning against the shoe rack by the door, one hand in his pocket, his uniform jacket hung loosely on his shoulder, and one foot lazily rested on a basketball covered in signatures. Amidst his mother’s relentless nagging, he remained calm, even ordering takeout for himself.

“What are you ordering again!” The woman clearly knew him well, “Do you do anything other than eat all day?”

“Is eating not allowed?” he retorted, adding fuel to the fire. “Maybe I should ask the hospital if they forgot to mention that I’m made of iron when I was born.”

“Do you have to be so abrasive in your speech?”

He sighed, “Oh, haven’t you known from the start that I’m a thorn?”

What, was I born with a knife?

The lady probably felt self-reproach, fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject, “Did you spend the entire night at the police station with your grandfather?”

“Otherwise? The other party wouldn’t settle privately.”

“Of course, that’s a professional scammer. Only your grandfather would fall for it,” the lady paused, seeing that he wasn’t inclined to discuss his elders, then shifted back to the topic, “The girl you brought back earlier, was it the first time or have you two—”

“Enough. I’ve said she’s not. If you want her to be, then fine, I’m too lazy to explain.” He was utterly impatient.

The corridor was quiet, with the cicadas outside calling loudly, trying to cover up any discordant sounds. The lady’s voice finally softened a bit—

“I don’t care, you’re going abroad soon anyway. Just handle these messy affairs. Also, when you called me from the police station last night, I was in a meeting at the station, which ended at three in the morning. I only found out from the police call in the morning. It wasn’t that I intentionally didn’t answer your call.”

“Hmm, understood,” he was unexpectedly agreeable at this moment, not intending to delve further or ask what happened after three. He ran a hand through his hair, like a sloth, and slowly got up from the shoe cabinet. “I’ll lie down for a bit.”

The lady called out to him, “Wait a minute, change your clothes first and accompany me to Professor Jiang’s house.”

He was probably laughing in frustration, his back arching in speechless exasperation as he leaned back again, “Why don’t you just send me to the national team and sign me up for an Ironman triathlon?”

While saying this, Chen Luzhou suddenly glanced back at the corridor. His gaze met Xu Zhi’s standing outside the door, but he didn’t pay much attention and quickly turned back, closing his eyes and leaning against the wall, in a state of complete indifference, stubbornly continuing to resist his mother:

“Mom, I haven’t slept all day. Even if I’m keeping you company, it should be in shifts—”

“Chen Luzhou! Can you please be serious!”

It was true; Xu Zhi had been a mischievous child, speaking without a filter, and Mrs. Lin’s catchphrase was always: “Can you please be serious?”

He sighed, “Ah, Mom, don’t be mad. I haven’t even said anything more outrageous yet. But, I’ve never intended to go against your wishes. To use Zhu Yangqi’s words, I’m somewhat of a mama’s boy. Whether it’s going abroad or repeating the year, as long as you’re happy with it, I’ll agree. I promise that any future girlfriend will be approved by you. Is that okay? Can I go to sleep now?”

“You really are ungrateful—”

The middle-aged woman’s voice suddenly cut off as an unfamiliar face came into view.

Xu Zhi, who probably missed the days of sparring verbally with her mother, found the confrontation quite entertaining and emotionally charged. Like a rabbit with its ears perked up, Xu Zhi slowly walked down the steps, clearly enjoying the scene and observing the drama.

Chen Luzhou, exhausted, tilted his head back and let out a long sigh, feeling both helpless and extremely weary: “Mom, I’m really tired—”

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Luzhou, noticing his mother’s gaze shift away from their heated exchange, frowned and turned around impatiently.

The sunset painted the sky with fiery red clouds, casting a warm, vibrant glow over the narrow corridor, like a masterful brushstroke turning the mundane into a vivid artwork.

Their eyes met again suddenly. The two pairs of eyes were devoid of emotion, as cold and indifferent as two glasses of ice-cold beer clinking together in a summer heat—neither could be clearly defined as more intense.

This guy had particularly smooth and sharp features, exuding a cool, aloof demeanor. His eyelids and mouth corners were thin, and when he wasn’t smiling, he had a distinctly unapproachable air.

Xu Zhi, on the other hand, had a round face with delicate, refined features. His appearance was generally mild, but his eyes were a stark contrast—calm yet piercing, always carrying an air of detachment that made his direct gaze seem somewhat intimidating.

When unapproachable meets intimidating, it’s a difficult standoff. Whoever speaks first loses.

“…”

“…”

However, Xu Zhi was internally debating whether he should say something like, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I just heard your mom’s voice and was reminded of my deceased mother—”

But he realized that might not be appropriate.

Then, as she looked at him, she suddenly remembered what Old Xu had said: someone with genuine eyes is not likely to be foolish. This guy might be sincere or not, but his gaze was truly sharp—definitely not someone easy to fool, his intelligence was evident in his eyes.

Xu Zhi thought he might as well sincerely admit fault and apologize. Before he could open his mouth, he was cut off by a remark.

“Or how about this,” Chen Luzhou said, pulling off his school jacket and tying it around his waist, though he wasn’t really sure what he was covering. Leaning halfway out, with a face full of well-intentioned sincerity, he continued, “If you want to hear someone getting scolded again, just add me on WeChat. Next time, buy a ticket in advance, and I’ll save you a seat by the door. Standing and listening must be exhausting.”

“Don’t—”

Not waiting for Xu Zhi to finish, Chen Luzhou slammed the door with a deafening crash. His frustration was palpable, and the gust of wind he created carried with it an unfamiliar, chilling edge that hit her squarely in the face.

The summer foliage shimmered with a fiery glow, and shadows danced on the ground. Xu Zhi could still hear the faint echoes from inside the room, mingling with the incessant sound of cicadas, resonating in that scorching, bright June.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking?” The woman, with a sharp tongue just like Lin Qiudie, refused to let it go. “Is this how you talk to a girl? Are you proud of your string of romantic entanglements? Can’t you speak properly? Does your mouth have to run off at the mouth?”

“Not going to say more,” Chen Luzhou replied indifferently as he walked away in his slippers. “To you, even talking to a dog seems like flirting.”

“Keep pretending. You’re always so good at stirring people up. I can’t be bothered with you. And by the way, if you’re going to wear a jacket, wear it properly. Tying it around your waist just makes you look sloppy.”

“Just now with that door-slamming force, do you think I had time to find some underwear? Didn’t you see how she was staring at me?”

Xu Zhi: ????????????

I saw, and I’d rather die.