Lu Nian’s first reaction was that she absolutely couldn’t let him go to Thirteen Middle School.

She had a feeling that if she couldn’t stop Qin Si this time, then his fate would still follow the original book exactly.

A life of loneliness, without family or love, living for revenge, becoming increasingly paranoid and gloomy, and ultimately dying before the age of twenty-nine.

She didn’t know how much of the plot she could change, but for now, she wanted to try her best to pull him back on track.

So, she pretended not to understand forcefully, “Why not go to the affiliated middle school? Isn’t everyone going straight there? The affiliated middle school is really good…”

She earnestly spoke a lot about the benefits of the affiliated middle school, then emphasized the importance of teachers, “Teachers in middle school are really important! Even if you’re smart, self-study won’t be as good without a teacher guiding you.”

The boy was very quiet, “Hmm.”

Lu Nian felt thirsty from talking, “…What does ‘hmm’ mean?”

Qin Si casually said, “The tuition is too expensive.”

Lu Nian raised her voice, “You don’t have to worry about that!”

“If you think it’s like owing money to my family, you can keep track of it and pay it back later.” She met the boy’s gaze, pitifully sniffed, her voice lowered, “If you don’t want to borrow money from my family, you can borrow from me, of course, with interest, and I’ll come to collect from you later.”

Qin Si fell silent.

He didn’t know what to say.

Studying had always been easy for him, but it’s not like he didn’t put in any effort.

Studying was important to him, so he wouldn’t give up on it wherever he went.

But he didn’t want to stay at the Lu’s anymore.

He had thought a lot these days, starting early, every cell in his body screamed at him when he suffered torture and humiliation at the Lu Family, urging him to leave the Lu Family early and one day, he would repay those people for what they did to him.

But when he had such an opportunity, he hesitated.

He could have left and cut off ties with the Lu’s and her forever.

He loathed himself for being like this, but couldn’t control it.

Two emotions tore at him day and night, leaving him sleepless, sinking into deep self-loathing.

Qin Si remained silent.

Lu Nian knew that it was his way of showing he didn’t intend to change his mind.

Qin Si seemed reclusive and hard to approach, but surprisingly honest in front of her, hardly ever lying about such matters.

She got a little anxious and asked directly, “If you’re not going to Affiliated Middle School, then where do you want to go?”

Qin Si still didn’t respond.

She said somewhat stubbornly, “Fine, wherever you go, I’ll go too. After all, I’m a year behind you.” She didn’t believe he would still choose those rough schools.

The boy stood his ground, “Are you kidding me?”

Lu Nian replied, “Have I ever lied to you? If you don’t go to the affiliated middle school, I’ll go wherever you go.”

She was serious, pushing him to the edge, leaving him no choice but to take the path she offered.

The boy’s eyelashes trembled as he looked at her coldly, “Are you threatening me? You’re a young lady, of course you can be willful and go wherever you want. But do you think you can threaten me like this? Do I care?”

Lu Nian was hurt by his words, her face turning pale.

After all this time, she thought she and Qin Si were at least friends by now.

But in his eyes, were they no different from when they first met? Back then, she could endure such cold and mocking words, but now, it felt like being stabbed by something sharp.

The moment it slipped out, Qin Si regretted it.

But during this time, the inexplicable irritation and confusion had tightly bound him, preventing him from saying anything conciliatory or regretful.

Growing up without parents, family, or friends, he didn’t know how to approach people or how to soften the sharp edges within himself.

At this moment, it was unclear whose face was paler, Lu Nian’s or Qin Si’s.

His lips moved slightly, emitting a few syllables, but he never said anything before she turned and ran off in silence.

It was their first parting in discord.

Graduation exams were in June, and the voluntary application forms were due in May.

For many students, especially those transitioning to higher grades, parents made all the decisions without much input from the children.

However, for Qin Si, the Lu family wouldn’t intervene at all; he could decide wherever he wanted to go by himself.

He filled out the form silently and handed it in without a hint of hesitation.

The image of her speaking and the way she ran off last time, those tearful eyes, remained in his mind, refusing to leave.

He regretted it.

For the first time in his life, Qin Si regretted.

His words were like blades, once spoken, they couldn’t be taken back.

He didn’t want to see her like that.

Growing up without parents, enduring beatings, insults, hunger, and cold during his childhood had hardened his heart, but none of those torments affected him as much as her eyes did.

When Qin Si filled out that form, he initially thought she was forcing him.

However, when he finished writing the last word, he sadly realized that his hand had flowed so smoothly, his heart betraying his will, leading him onto an irreversible path.

As the lower grades went on break, when Lu Nian went to school to collect her end-of-term exam results, she passed by the graduation honor roll for that term.

She slowed her pace and finally stopped in front of the board.

With just one glance, she saw Qin Si’s name prominently displayed near the top, admitted to Ancheng Affiliated Middle School.

Her eyelashes fluttered, but she didn’t say anything, just left as she came.

However, two things happened that summer.

Due to campus expansion, starting from that year, Ancheng Affiliated Middle School’s elementary and middle school sections officially separated.

The elementary section stayed put, while the middle school section moved to a new campus about an hour’s drive away.

“I’ll be staying on campus,” Qin Si told her before leaving.

He had never actively sought her out, and this was the only time he had spoken to her, and it sounded more like an announcement than a request.

Lu Nian didn’t say anything.

After he finished speaking, he left as well.

Staying on campus, leaving the Lu family, and following two-thirds of the trajectory from the original book, but his choice of school had changed.

So, was it a change or not?

Lu Nian felt a bit confused.

The attic became empty.

Sometimes, during her walks in the garden, Lu Nian would glance at the attic windows, which remained hidden behind dark curtains, never to be opened again.

That year, she didn’t see Qin Si again.

Finally, she began to show signs of growth.

She had grown taller, and as a thirteen-year-old girl, she was beginning to develop delicate curves, no longer resembling a doll as she did in her childhood.

Her features were naturally beautiful, but due to her young age and previous illness, her beauty had been hidden.

Now, as she blossomed, her beauty began to emerge, still tender but promising of the future.

On the day Lu Nian reported to her first day of school in the affiliated middle school, Lu Zhihong unusually postponed his work, “I’ll drive you to school.”

Lu Nian had successfully enrolled in the middle school section of the affiliated middle school on her own merits, not through any connections from her family.

Over the years, he hadn’t had many expectations for his daughter, but now, he couldn’t help but feel a rare sense of joy.

“Afterwards, make sure Yangyang looks after Nian Nian more,” Lu Zhihong said, “If anything happens, inform us immediately.”

Lu Nian’s health had improved somewhat this year, but she was still much weaker than normal, still in need of careful care.

Lu Yang is seventeen this year and is in his second year of high school at Fuzhong.

Lu Nian sat in the back seat, propping up her chin, looking at the scenery outside the window, and casually replied.

“Isn’t there still one more at Fuzhong, Yangyang is still far away,” He Tian said lazily, “Our family has raised him for so many years, hasn’t he made any contribution?”

It took Lu Zhihong a moment to realize who He Tian was referring to.

Qin Si was very different from what he had imagined.

What he wanted at the time was a child who was obedient, well-behaved, smart, capable of helping Nian Nian with things, and wouldn’t have any ideas of stealing the limelight, but unfortunately, Qin Si had nothing to do with being obedient and well-behaved.

He was disappointed later on and gave up on the idea.

Over the years, he hadn’t paid much attention to him, purely letting him go, after all, the money to raise a child effortlessly was not lacking in their Lu family.

“I heard that child is doing very well in his studies,” He Tian said, “Why not let him tutor Nian Nian, otherwise, what’s the point of raising a freeloader with our money, our money doesn’t just fall from the sky.”

Lu Zhihong nodded, “Then Nian Nian will contact him later.”

I wonder if that child’s eccentric and obstinate temperament has softened a bit over the years.

Lu Nian tightly pursed her lips and said nothing.

In fact, over the past year, Qin Si’s tuition and living expenses have been paid from her account.

She knew Qin Si didn’t want to owe the Lu family money, but Qin Si hadn’t touched that money again, she didn’t know how Qin Si had come up with that amount.

She suddenly remembered Qin Si when she first met him, the silent but stubborn little boy who was still wearing thin clothes in the winter, with red hands and ear tips from the cold, and the argument they had when they last met, her nose inexplicably sore.

People look down on you.

She sniffed and thought, forget it, from now on, she’ll just watch from afar, and won’t try to get close to him again.

Lu Zhihong knew the directors of Fuzhong.

The director personally came out to greet their family, promising to place Lu Nian in the first class and take good care of her.

In September, the weather was cool and pleasant, and the new campus was beautiful, with camphor trees planted all around, and a faint smell of grass and wood in the air.

She walked in the new campus with an empty backpack, preparing to find her classroom and report according to the map.

Maybe she stood in front of the guidance sign for too long, when she was ready to leave, she heard a girl’s voice behind her, “Classmate, are you also in Class 1101?”