Chapter 26

The hottest days have passed. 

Summer vacation is almost over. 

Students have returned, relatives are back, shops have opened, and money is flowing into Zhang Rui and Zhang Yanran’s shops.

The day after they returned to Kyoto, before school started, Huo Yian and Xu Rong came over eagerly.

Early in the morning, Tian Jiao had just woken up and was enjoying breakfast made by Zhang Yanran when she heard a knock on the door.

Song Zhen, who had risen early to exercise and eaten breakfast, stroked his beard in surprise, “You came so soon?”

This referred to Xiao He’s mother and stepfather.

When they returned yesterday, Tian Jiao had told Song Zhen about what had happened.

Li Mu hadn’t visited for a long time. He was busy with his own work and came only occasionally to check on his apprentice’s progress.

Tian Jiao swallowed a bun and said, “Who can blame you for being so charming, teacher?”

Song Zhen chuckled and pinched his apprentice’s nose before walking slowly to the door.

When he opened it, he saw a well-dressed man and woman. The man wore a suit and tie, and the woman wore a lovely dress.

Seeing Song Zhen, Huo Yian quickly smiled and said, “Hello, Mr. Song. I heard Xiao He received a lot of care from you, so my wife and I came to visit.”

Song Zhen raised his eyebrows slightly and said casually, “Oh, come in.”

Huo Yian sighed in relief and led Xu Rong inside.

Xu Rong felt a bit nervous but followed him in. The spacious courtyard house had an old charm, and the living conditions looked just as good as those in the Huo family. She felt a bit more relaxed.

As they entered the main room, they saw three young people sitting there, each enjoying something. The steamed buns and meat porridge on the table smelled delicious. The children looked well-dressed, in pretty simple skirts. Even her son wore a clean shirt and trousers.

Xu Rong had always felt guilty for enjoying life while her son struggled. But now, she suddenly felt that guilt fade as she softly said, “Xiao He, Mom is here to see you.”

Xiao He nodded calmly, “Mom.”

Song Zhen also sat down but didn’t offer them any hospitality.

Huo Yian didn’t mind and set aside the items he was carrying: “Mr. Song, these are various health supplements from Country M. They are very good for the body. After my father started using them, his health improved a lot…”

Song Zhen took a sip of tea, looked at Xu Rong, and asked, “How long have you lived in Kyoto?”

Xu Rong pursed her lips, smiled shyly at Huo Yian, and nodded, “Well, it’s been less than a year since I left Lanshan Village. I was confused then, and he brought me to Kyoto.”

Song Zhen said, “When did you get better?”

Xu Rong’s expression faltered, and she looked down, not daring to speak.

Huo Yian jumped in, “At that time…”

Song Zhen raised his voice, “I’m asking about her.”

Huo Yian fell silent and gently patted her shoulder.

Xu Rong’s face turned pale, her smile stiff. She said dryly, “I’ve been well for two years.”

“Only two years?”

Xu Rong didn’t respond.

Song Zhen snorted, “You both can leave now. What happens to Xiao He and this child in the future is none of your business. Don’t think about taking the child back.”

Huo Yian quickly added, “Mr. Song, I may not be able to have children. Also, while the Huo family is not huge, we are still a good family. If Xiao He inherits it, he can work less in life!”

Song Zhen looked at him with scorn. Just as he was about to respond, he heard his young apprentice’s soft voice: “Uncle Huo, you are mistaken. Xiao He is very capable. He doesn’t need your family’s wealth.”

Huo Yian turned to her, looking at her like she was naive: “You’re still young; you don’t understand what money means to people.”

Xiao He said, “I said no, so I don’t want it.” 

Huo Yian fell silent and looked at Xu Rong. 

Xu Rong bit her lip, looked down, and whispered, “Xiao He, stop being difficult. Even if you have Mr. Song supporting you, you need to rely on yourself later.” 

A rare flash of helplessness crossed Xiao He’s eyes. He said, “I have money.” 

Seeing they didn’t seem to understand, Song Zhen stood up and pushed them out. “Okay, I accept the gift, but don’t come back.” 

Huo Yian wanted to say more, but Song Zhen was strong for his age, so he simply pushed Huo Yian out and shut the door. 

With a bang that almost hit his face, the door closed. 

Huo Yian, who had never faced such a situation before, turned around with a cold expression and looked at Xu Rong, who also looked upset. He said softly, “Let’s go.” 

Xu Rong frowned slightly and tugged at his sleeve. “Yi An, don’t be upset. Xiao He didn’t mean it.” 

Huo Yian remained patient with her. He took her hand and patted it gently, saying, “I’m not upset. He’s just a child and doesn’t understand.” 

Xu Rong’s face brightened at his kind words. Huo Yian relaxed, feeling glad to see her smile. He put his arm around her shoulders and said, “Let’s go.” 

**** 

The departure of the two men didn’t affect those in the house. 

Tian Jiao finished her buns and turned to Xiao He. “What are you doing later?” 

“Reading,” Xiao He replied. 

His life was often dull. Unless Tian Jiao invited him to do something fun, he usually wouldn’t do much. 

Tian Jiao yawned and said, “I’m going to paint. Want to join me?” 

Xiao He nodded and stood up with her. 

Zhang Yanran watched them with a smile and said to Song Zhen, who was sipping tea, “Grandpa Song, I have plans with Brother Jiang, so I’ll head out first.” 

“Go ahead,” Song Zhen waved his hand and added, “If he’s still here at night, bring him back for dinner.” 

Zhang Yanran blushed and left. 

… 

There are many rooms in Song Zhen’s courtyard. Knowing they loved to study, he had set up a special study room for them. It had a big bookshelf filled with books, while some space was empty for Tian Jiao and the others to fill with their own books. 

Three desks were arranged side by side in the study. Tian Jiao sat in the middle, with Xiao He on her left. 

One was reading a book while the other was leaning on a painting, lazily holding a paintbrush. Colorful and lively images appeared on the white paper. 

They weren’t traditional characters but cartoon-like figures, looking more mature than typical cartoons. 

Xiao He glanced at the painting and found it interesting, but he had never seen anything like it before. 

Tian Jiao’s painting skills had grown stronger. As she became more skilled, she began to paint stories she liked from her previous life, using her art to tell those stories. 

She wondered if she could submit this work. 

She voiced her thoughts. 

Xiao He replied in his calm voice, “You can. I’ve looked at magazines that accept animation submissions. You should try.” 

Tian Jiao was surprised. “You actually looked into that?” 

Xiao He smiled and explained, “Since you always draw, I thought you might submit your work, so I checked.” 

Tian Jiao felt warm and patted his shoulder. “You’re so kind.” 

“That’s how it should be.” 

Tian Jiao shook her head. “It shouldn’t be like this.” 

Xiao He pressed his lips together, looking unhappy. He turned away to read his book. 

The book in his hands was boring and complex. He should have been enjoying it, but he couldn’t focus. His eyes wandered back to Tian Jiao, yet he hadn’t read a single word. 

He felt it was natural to plan for her future. 

But from Tian Jiao’s words, it sounded like she wanted to distance him from her. 

Tian Jiao didn’t expect Xiao He to be angry. It was the first time he showed anger around her. She put her drawing paper down and poked Xiao He’s arm. “Are you mad?” 

Xiao He shook his head and returned to his usual quiet self. 

Tian Jiao pouted and poked him again. “You say you’re not mad, but I can see it.” 

After two pokes, Xiao He finally snapped, “Stop bothering me.” 

“Are you still mad?” Tian Jiao asked playfully, smiling. 

When she smiled, her big eyes sparkled beautifully, making her even cuter. Xiao He couldn’t stay angry. He shook his head. “I’m not mad anymore.” 

Tian Jiao felt satisfied. She stood up and ruffled his hair. “Good boy.” 

Now that the little fight was over, Tian Jiao focused on the magazine. 

After choosing two magazines with Xiao He, she wrote two short stories based on their styles. One was a campus love story, and the other was about an ancient emperor and a lady. The ancient story and modern campus tale were submitted to different magazines. 

Xiao He helped her come up with the stories. 

Tian Jiao decided, “When the royalties come, we’ll split it.” 

Xiao He smiled. “I don’t want it. You can have it all.” 

Tian Jiao was thrilled. “Great! When we get the money, we’ll go eat something delicious.” 

The “remaining” meant what was left after expenses. 

… 

There was no response to their submissions yet, but Tian Jiao and her classmates were back in school. 

College life was both fun and boring. She didn’t have a dormitory, and she didn’t recognize many classmates since she was busy studying. She spent her days with Xiao He and sometimes Zhang Yanran. Eventually, Zhang Yanran made a new friend, and they drifted apart. 

In mid-September, Tian Jiao received a response to her submission. Both of her manuscripts were accepted, and the total royalties of over 20 yuan arrived in an envelope. 

After getting the envelope, Tian Jiao decided to use the twenty yuan to go out for dinner. 

Xiao He was in class. Since Tian Jiao had no morning classes, she opened the envelope at home, took the money, and waited at the school gate. She wanted to walk less and order less food.

At about 11:40 in the morning, all the students came out.

Tian Jiao looked at the crowd.

Just as she spotted a handsome boy in a white shirt, a young man in a black suit walked over and stopped in front of Xiao He. The two looked at each other and talked.

The young man was older and taller than Xiao He, but he stood lazily.

Tian Jiao couldn’t hear what they were saying because they were far away. Worried, she ran over to see.

As she got closer, she heard the young man say, “Are you mute? How could my uncle like someone like you? You want to inherit the Huo family? You are not even worthy of carrying my shoes!”

Xiao He looked at him coldly and replied, “Get lost.”

The young man became furious and was about to act.

Xiao He took two steps back and prepared to fight.

Tian Jiao thought to herself, Oh no!

Then she heard the guard at the door shout, “You two students, what are you doing!”

With that shout, the young man froze, turned around, glared, and stopped his hand from hitting. He scoffed, “I warn you, don’t try to enter the Huo family; you can’t get in!”

“You’re overthinking it. Xiao He has never been interested in the Huo family. Just tell your uncle not to bother Xiao He again,” a clear female voice said. The young man turned and saw a girl about thirteen or fourteen standing there, staring at him angrily.

Just as the young man was about to sneer, he saw the boy who had almost ignored him suddenly brighten his eyes. He walked over to the girl and called out with a faint smile, “Jiaojiao, why are you here?”

Tian Jiao waved her hand and glanced at the man again, then smiled and said, “I received my manuscript fee, so I will treat you to a meal.”

“Okay!” The smile on Xiao He’s face grew wider.

The young man was handsome, with delicate features and a gentle expression, but all of this was directed at the girl beside him. Despite the young man’s earlier words, he did not divert much of his attention.

The young man was unwilling to give up and walked up to the two of them proudly, saying, “Do you know who I am?”

Tian Jiao stopped and finally looked at him seriously.

The girl looked pretty and charming, with clear, moist eyes. Even though she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, the young man subconsciously held his head high and straightened his suit, trying to appear more impressive.

However, when the girl looked at him, she asked, “Excuse me, are you the leader of the country?”

The young man’s face froze, and he looked at her in disbelief. Just as he was about to argue, he heard her ask, “Is that a senior diplomat?”

“……” The young man was speechless.

Finally, the girl asked, “Or the richest man in the country?”

Silence again.

“Or a master of calligraphy?”

A classmate passed by and happened to hear this. He chuckled and quickly walked away.

The young man could not take it anymore and angrily said, “I am the eldest grandson of the Huo family and will inherit the Huo family in the future. Do you know the Huo family? Huh?”

Tian Jiao shook her head honestly. “I don’t know.”

Another classmate passed by, who happened to be Tian Jiao’s classmate. Seeing her being questioned like this, she replied unhappily, “The Huo family is a famous jade merchant, and they own three mines.”

The young man felt proud, but then he heard the classmate add, “But that’s the Huo family, not him, so don’t worry about it.”

The young man’s face darkened again.

Tian Jiao: “Puff!”

Finally, under their combined pressure, the young man, Huo Cheng, the eldest grandson of the Huo family, left angrily.

Tian Jiao then took Xiao He out for dinner. However, on the way, they only had five yuan left, so they went to a restaurant and spent it all.

Meanwhile, at the Huo family.

When Huo Cheng returned home, he saw his uncle Huo Yian and his wife Xu Rong trying to please the old man. They happened to be discussing Xu Rong’s son, Xiao He.

“Xiao He is a very well-behaved boy. Thanks to Mr. Song, he is now studying at Tsinghua University. Although he is not a full-time student, he is no different from a full-time student,” Xu Rong said proudly.