Zhao Yayuan usually stayed in Nanzhao for only a week or two each year, and this time, his stay was even shorter.

Qiu Lan felt a bit reluctant, “Leaving so early this year?”

Zhao Yayuan replied, “Senior year, school starts early because of extra classes.”

“Next year, you’ll be taking your college entrance exams.” Qiulan chuckled, “In a few more years, you could bring home a wife for me. Who knows, I might live long enough to see great-grandchildren.”

Zhao Yayuan said, “Don’t worry, you definitely will.”

“Grandma, your legs aren’t good, and the station is crowded. You should stay at home,” Qiuli said, “I’ll take Xiao Ya to the station.”

Although he was gentle by nature, he could be quite stubborn at times.

Qiu Lan had no choice.

he lightly tapped his leg, self-deprecating, “I’m getting more useless every day. I don’t know how many more years I can watch over you.”

Qiuli didn’t say anything.

He moved gently and carefully, showing his skill in caring for others. He tucked Qiulan in, drew the curtains, and then closed the door.

Qiuli accompanied Zhao Yayuan to the return bus station.

He walked quietly, his features delicate yet striking, with soft lines and no aggressiveness.

His nose was elegant, and his eyes were clear and gentle, like a pristine spring.

Very similar.

Zhao Yayuan thought.

The first time he saw Lu Nian, he had thought of this.

But as they grew older, the differences brought by gender became more pronounced—one becoming increasingly sweet and feminine, and the other a gentle, outstanding young man.

Zhao Yayuan said, “I’ll come back next year.”

He looked in the direction of home, “What are your plans? Will you stay here forever?”

Qiuli said, “Grandma doesn’t want to go anywhere. I want to stay here and take care of her.”

Zhao Yayuan was silent for a moment, “Grandma is almost eighty.”

Qiuli naturally understood the implication.

But this was an unavoidable fact, and he had long since considered it.

The mornings in Nanzhao began early.

The distant dark green mountains stretched endlessly, shrouded in white mist.

The simple and honest townspeople lived a straightforward life, almost everyone knowing each other.

Early in the morning, people were already setting up breakfast stalls, and children ran laughing across the stone bridges.

The green mountains and clear waters painted a picture of an idyllic paradise.

“I like Nanzhao,” Qiuli said, his gaze distant, “I like the people here and the life here. The children I’ve taught at school rely on me a lot.”

Zhao Yayuan said, “If you’re willing to return, you could have a much better life and it would be easier to help them.”

Qiuli remained silent.

“If you’re still worried about Lu Nian, don’t be. If you go back now, Lu Nian would only welcome you,” Zhao Yayuan finally said, looking at him.

Qiuli did like her a lot.

Even though Lu Nian had done that to him, over the years, he often spoke about his childhood.

Zhao Yayuan had heard enough fragments to almost fully understand their childhood life.

He used to complain about it, saying he had heard it so much that it was like having calluses on his ears.

If Qiuli no longer held a grudge, returning to Ancheng would be a good decision for everyone.

Qiuli gently shook his head.

Zhao Yayuan said, “Alright, I won’t push you. It’s just a suggestion.”

Not wanting to go back is quite normal.

No matter how much he once liked it, he was probably hurt deeply, his heart completely chilled.

He respected his friend’s decision.

Finally, they arrived at the station. Zhao Yayuan complained, “Damn it, this crappy station has been like this for over ten years. Next time, I’ll make sure someone comes to fix it.”

“Xiao Ya,” Qiuli escorted him to the bus door and repeated, “Remember our agreement.”

“Alright.” Zhao Yayuan spread his hands, “See you next year then.”

When Qiuli talked to him about those past events, he made Zhao Yayuan promise never to reveal his background or experiences, especially not to tell Lu Nian.

In fact, Zhao Yayuan respected his decision.

Conveniently, Lu Nian had lost her memory and didn’t remember having such a person in her life, so everything was natural.

However, even with memory loss, memories can resurface.

Lu Nian wanted to come to Nanzhao with him next year.

When she saw Qiuli, if he didn’t say anything but she figured something out, it wouldn’t be a violation of their agreement.

After seeing Zhao Yayuan off, Qiuli walked back alone. Many people who recognized him greeted him along the way.

Qiuli was very popular in Nanzhao.

He and his grandmother depended on each other, and his gentle, handsome, intelligent, and considerate nature made him particularly well-liked among children.

He returned home.

Qiulan was still asleep.

He went to his room, sat for a while, and then took out a box from the depths of the cabinet.

Inside was only one item.

It was a little girl’s hair tie, somewhat worn, with pink and white fabric stained with peculiar dark red marks, now very faint.

Even the color of the hair tie itself had started to fade over time.

He quietly looked at it, holding the tie in his palm, his fingers slowly tightening.

He closed his eyes briefly, then calmly put everything back as it was.

….

Once senior year started, time became increasingly tight.

Lu Nian also began to feel the pressure, knowing that every grade now affected her future.

If she could choose, Lu Nian definitely wouldn’t want to go abroad.

Moreover, any lack of progress would mean her summer efforts were wasted.

For the first monthly exam, Lu Nian was unusually nervous. Tian Yue even joked, “Nian Nian, do you realize you look quite fierce now?”

When the grades were announced, she was more anxious than ever.

Math was the second subject to be announced.

Lu Nian looked from the front of the sheet to the back.

She saw the first digit, “1,” and her heart skipped a beat.

Then she saw the second digit, another “1,” feeling oddly disappointed.

Finally, she saw the third digit, “9.”

Her math score had gone from 91 to 119.

It had been a long time since her math score had been this high, especially since the total score changed to 150.

And this time, the test was particularly difficult, with everyone scoring relatively low.

Just a bit more, and she could have reached 120.

It seemed that the genius aura had indeed rubbed off on her a bit.

When Lu Yang came to pick her up, he noticed her unusually cheerful mood.

“Uncle is home tonight too,” he said as he drove, after learning about her improved grades. “He’ll definitely be happy.”

Lu Nian responded, “Mm.”

This time, surprisingly, Lu Nian didn’t resist Lu Zhihong. After all, whether she goes abroad or not depends on his decision.

After showing her report card to Lu Zhihong, he praised her but added that she still needed to keep working hard, as one good result didn’t prove much.

Lu Nian wasn’t particularly moved by his praise.

Back in her room, Lu Nian couldn’t help but take a photo of her test paper and send it to Qin Si.

She bit her lip and smiled at her phone screen.

It was all thanks to his notes and tutoring.

She felt like she was finally starting to understand things.

That evening, Qin Si replied.

Lu Nian eagerly opened his message.

And then she was dumbfounded.

He had gone through her wrong answers and provided detailed explanations and error analyses.

Did he think she was asking for help with the questions?

Lu Nian thought, “…”

Didn’t he notice her score improved from 91 to 119?

She felt a bit dejected, thinking that for someone like him who consistently scores above 140, her scores of 91 and 119 probably seemed equally mediocre.

She closed her phone.

Imagining Qin Si, miles away, living his university life.

It felt so distant, and it should be a relaxed and colorful experience, right?

He probably still did part-time jobs, but university courses weren’t as demanding, so he’d have more free time.

What did he do with that extra time?

Lost in her thoughts, Lu Nian hugged her Lu Jue plushie and fell asleep without realizing it.

Lu Zhihong and He Tian’s bedroom was on the first floor, and there was another living room on the west side of the first floor that was usually just for the two of them.

Lu Zhihong had just been looking at Lu Nian’s report card.

With her 20-point improvement in math, her rank had also risen, placing her at 99th, just meeting his minimum requirement.

“Xiao Qin is quite capable,” Lu Zhihong said. “It’s the first time Nian Nian has made such significant progress.”

“So, does this mean you won’t send her abroad?” He Tian asked casually.

Lu Zhihong shook his head, “This is just one time. We need to see if she can maintain it.”

He added, “I only have this one daughter. Ideally, I’d prefer Nian Nian to study domestically.”

This way, he could keep a better eye on her. He worried that being abroad might make her too wild.

Since the suicide attempt years ago, Lu Nian’s personality had gradually improved.

Lu Zhihong was much more at ease now and didn’t need to resort to harsh measures.

If possible, he naturally preferred to get along well with his daughter rather than using tough methods.

He Tian remarked pointedly, “If it were the other one, you wouldn’t have to worry about grades at all.”

Lu Zhihong disliked her sarcastic tone when mentioning Lu Zhuo, but he refrained from getting angry.

“I’m going to bed,” he said, leaving the living room.

Zhang Qiuping entered to replenish the tea, standing at the door as she watched Lu Zhihong leave the living room with a hint of anger.

“He’s a pitiful child,” He Tian said, nonchalantly blowing on her nails and flipping through a fashion magazine.

She pointed ahead, “Replace my tea with wine. Bring that bottle of red wine from last time.”

She was still young and didn’t need health teas.

Her relationship with Zhang Qiuping had always been mediocre.

Zhang Qiuping was an old servant in the Lu family, and He Tian had married in later.

Due to Lu Zhihong’s oligospermia, He Tian would never have her own children.

Lu Zhihong felt somewhat indebted to her and, on the other hand, didn’t want He Tian spreading this scandal, so he was particularly tolerant of her.

Zhang Qiuping was one of the few people in the Lu family who knew about Lu Zhuo’s situation.

She quietly went about her work.

For some reason, He Tian was in the mood to chat that evening.

“You know,” she said,

“if A-Zhuo were still alive, what would their sibling relationship be like? Nian Nian probably wouldn’t be living so comfortably.

The future of this household would most likely belong to A-Zhuo.”

Zhang Qiuping, keeping her head down, finally couldn’t help but interject, “…Young Master was always good to Miss Nian Nian.”

“That’s true,” He Tian conceded. “But that was when they were children. Who knows what would happen as they grew older?”

Given Lu Zhihong’s parenting methods, it was only a matter of time before the siblings would have turned against each other.

The twins lost their mother when they were young, and Lu Zhihong was often absent due to work.

Before he knew about his oligospermia and the impossibility of having more children, Lu Zhihong didn’t pay much attention to them.

In fact, he was somewhat resentful of them due to their maternal bloodline.

Out of the two children, he obviously favored Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo was the boy who could inherit the family business, and he was also intelligent and obedient.

Lu Nian, on the other hand, was rebellious and difficult, often having hysterical outbursts that scared the housekeepers and servants.

When He Tian first married into the Lu family, she had no affection for the twins left by her husband’s first wife, especially since they weren’t well-liked.

But between the two, she had a better impression of Lu Zhuo.

The relationship between the two children was also quite peculiar.

He Tian thought, the term “people pleaser” aptly described Lu Zhuo’s attitude towards Lu Nian.

For Lu Zhuo, his twin sister was his closest person.

He always tried to please her, offering her whatever good things he had, whether it was food or toys.

He followed her everywhere, like a little animal trying to gain affection.

But it was all in vain.

Lu Nian hated him.

She felt that he had taken away what little affection their father had left, stealing the attention of everyone in the household.

She believed that if Lu Zhuo weren’t there, everything would be better.

Until Lu Zhuo truly disappeared from the family, she never once called him by his nickname or spoke to him kindly.

“That child had a hard life,” He Tian said, sounding drowsy. “He left early, spared himself some suffering in this world. Maybe it’s for the best.”

This winter seemed to have arrived particularly early.

Su Qingyou had also been accepted into An University and had grown quite close to Zhao Tingyuan.

Sometimes, when Zhao Yayuan returned home, he would see his brother in the living room, chatting happily with Su Qingyou across the coffee table.

Su Qingyou always greeted Zhao Yayuan politely.

No matter how badly Zhao Yayuan treated her or ignored her, she always maintained her graceful and composed demeanor.

Over time, Zhao Yayuan could no longer keep up his hostility and eventually stopped trying to make things difficult for her.

“That woman is very skilled,” Zhao Yayuan said to Lu Nian.

Zhao Tingyuan’s attitude towards Su Qingyou was ambiguous.

He never rejected her visits, but he also never made any overt moves or publicly expressed any romantic interest in her.