Chapter 42

During the winter break, Lu Yan’s enthusiasm for studying was very high. She refused to visit relatives for New Year’s greetings, didn’t want any red envelopes, and locked herself in her room to study.

Lu Zhen had worked hard for almost half a semester, and his grades had improved a lot, at least he wasn’t at the bottom of the class anymore.

But as with everything, there’s the initial surge, then the decline, and eventually burnout. Slowly, Lu Zhen began to slack off, and if it weren’t for Lu Yan urging him, he might have slipped back into his lazy ways.

One evening, Lu Yan received a text message. It had no content, just a punctuation mark: “.”

She replied, “Who is this?”

“It’s me.”

“Shen Kuo?”

“Mm.”

Lu Yan immediately perked up, sitting up from the sofa. She wanted to call him back, but just as she was about to, she saw Lu Zhen wearing headphones, humming a tune, and sliding down the staircase handrail with his tall frame.

Lu Yan decisively hung up the call and switched to text instead.

“You bought a phone!”

“Mm, still don’t really know how to use it.”

Lu Yan could tell he didn’t know how to use it. Just these few words had taken him five minutes to type and send.

She smiled and asked, “Did you buy the phone to contact me?”

“Overthinking.”

She snorted lightly, then as she was typing a message, Shen Kuo added, “I bought it so you can contact me.”

Lu Yan stared at the message and rolled around on the sofa, burying her face in the pillow, “Ahhh!” She was excited for quite a while.

Lu Zhen took off his headphones and frowned at her. “Are you going crazy?”

Lu Yan kicked him, and Lu Zhen dodged to the side, grabbing her foot and pulling her closer. “Who are you texting?”

“No one!”

“Give me the phone.”

“No!” Lu Yan kicked him away, rolling across the sofa to the other side. “This is my privacy. You can’t invade my privacy!”

Lu Zhen didn’t care about her protests and pinned her down on the sofa, reaching for her phone. “I’m your father, and here, you don’t have privacy.”

“Ah, you’re too domineering!”

Lu Yan struggled to get up, but Lu Zhen grabbed her foot and pulled her back. “Are you texting Ye Jiaqi? I knew it was him! Little brat… still up to no good!”

At this moment, Lu Jian came out of the study. “What’s all the noise about?”

Lu Yan saw her grandpa and rushed behind him for protection. “Lu Zhen is trying to steal my phone and read my messages! It’s too much!”

Lu Zhen ran over and pointed at Lu Yan. “She’s dating early! I’m just trying to discipline her.”

Of course, Lu Jian was protective of his youngest daughter. He immediately took off his slipper and pointed at Lu Zhen. “With your attitude, you’re going to discipline your sister? How about disciplining yourself first!”

“I… she…”

Lu Zhen was left speechless.

Being a brother was different from being a father. As a brother, he could ignore his sister, but as a father, if he didn’t step in, no one would.

With the responsibility of a father, Lu Zhen absolutely couldn’t let his daughter be deceived by a bad man at such a young age.

Lu Yan peeked out from behind her grandpa and stuck her tongue out at Lu Zhen, making him blush in anger, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Aren’t you supposed to be aiming for a top university?” Lu Jian, still shielding Lu Yan, turned to Lu Zhen. “Go back to your room and study.”

Lu Zhen angrily said, “Are you just going to ignore her dating early?”

“I’m not dating early! He’s lying!”

Lu Jian was really a protective father. He looked at Lu Zhen and said, “If you can score as well as your sister, you can date early and I wouldn’t care!”

Lu Zhen finally gave up, turning to go upstairs, but kept looking back with threatening eyes at Lu Yan, signaling that this wasn’t over.

After he went back to his room, Lu Jian turned to Lu Yan and said seriously, “No dating early.”

“No, no, I’m not dating early!”

Lu Yan quickly ran back to her room, afraid her grandpa would ask more questions.

Lying on her soft bed, holding her phone, a smile crept up on her lips.

In the past, it had only been her and her dad at home. Although they played the cat-and-mouse game, making life lively, something always felt missing.

Lu Zhen played both father and mother, taking care of Lu Yan with great attention, but… the family was still incomplete. It lacked a mother and lacked grandparents.

Lu Yan silently made a decision. This time when she returned, she would protect her family, especially… her mother.

She would never let her mother face any more accidents.

At his desk, under the warm glow of a desk lamp, Shen Kuo sat, staring at the black-and-white screen of his phone, reading a “Good night” text message from the girl.

He was used to writing more in one text message to make it more worthwhile.

“I still owe you a movie. When are you free? Even though your family owns a movie theater, this time, I’ll buy the tickets.”

Lu Yan received this long message and smiled unconsciously, excitedly rolling around on her bed.
He still remembered the joke about “her family owning a cinema.”

She typed out a message:

“When are you free? I’m fine anytime, just let me know.”

After finishing the message and getting ready to send it, Lu Yan suddenly remembered the advice her grandmother, Meng Zhining, had given her: A girl should never lose herself in love.

Her fingers paused for a moment, and she replied instead, “How about tomorrow night?”

“Okay, rest early.”

“You too, no staying up late to study.”

Everyone says Shen Kuo is intelligent and has a high IQ, but only Lu Yan knows that his good grades are definitely a result of his hard work.

No one can succeed effortlessly. While others work hard, he’s working even harder.

“No staying up late! No staying up late! No staying up late!”

Shen Kuo received three “No staying up late” messages in a row, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He obediently closed his book and got up to leave his room.

His father, Shen Jianxun, was still awake, sitting on the couch watching TV.

A Zhao Benshan comedy skit was playing on the TV.

Shen Jianxun liked watching comedy sketches. He often took jokes from the skits and turned them into funny stories to tell Shen Kuo, and sometimes he was quite humorous.

He liked to tease Shen Kuo, but Shen Kuo wasn’t very expressive when it came to laughing.

During his growing years, his son had rarely shown joy or laughter. Life’s burdens had made him quiet and withdrawn, his entire demeanor heavy and serious.

Shen Kuo stuck the notebook with his phone number on the wall near the landline, then turned around and said, “Dad, I bought a phone. If you ever feel uncomfortable at home, make sure to call me right away.”

“Eh, why waste money on this? I’ve been feeling much better recently, don’t worry.” His father said with concern, “Is the phone expensive? Don’t spend money on things like this. Look at your clothes, you’ve been wearing them for years. Get yourself some new clothes for the New Year.”

Shen Kuo explained, “It’s not just for you, Dad.”

Shen Jianxun looked at him, and under the dim light, Shen Kuo’s face was soft with a gentle warmth.

“I have a girlfriend now.”

Shen Jianxun froze for a moment, then smiled, “Alright, you little rascal.”

Shen Kuo had always been mature for his age, learning how to deal with the world like an adult, so Shen Jianxun rarely saw this kind of softness in his son.

“Is it the girl who came to our house that day?”

“Mm.”

“She seems like a good girl.” Shen Jianxun didn’t have many adjectives, but “good” was enough to convey his full approval of Lu Yan. “But… her family seems well off.”

Children from wealthy families, no matter how simply they dress, always give off an air of calm and composure that can be felt.

Shen Jianxun walked to the cabinet, took out a few wrapped bills, and handed them to Shen Kuo. “The future is uncertain, and you’re still young. But when you’re with a girl, you can’t be too stingy.”

Shen Kuo smiled, “Dad, I know. I have money too.”

“Take it.”

Shen Kuo knew this was his father’s kindness, so he didn’t refuse, figuring he could use it to buy medicine for his father if needed.

“Dad, things will get better.” Shen Kuo said confidently. “I’ll make everything better.”

You just wait.

On the afternoon of the 20th day of the New Year, Lu Yan, wearing her brand new pink and white cotton jacket, stood waiting at the entrance of the cinema.

She arrived a full twenty minutes ahead of the agreed time. In her past life, she had been a chronic procrastinator, always late when meeting friends. Being late had become second nature.

When the unexpected happened, scenes from the past replayed in her mind—those wasted moments, the friendships and kindnesses she had consumed… all became her deepest regrets.

If she had another chance, she would never again waste her life on meaningless distractions.

She wanted to become a better version of herself. Only with such a self would she be worthy of the love and sacrifices her family had given her, and worthy of… that outstanding and hardworking boy.

On the way, Shen Kuo kept texting her, and when he found out she had arrived, he told her to go inside the cinema and wait there instead of standing outside in the cold wind.

The winter winds in the northern city pierced to the bone, cutting like a knife. Shen Kuo glanced up at the sky. The dark clouds were slowly rolling in, seemingly signaling rain.

He looked around for a store selling umbrellas, but just then, he received a call from Zhong Kai.

“Brother Shen, where are you?”

“Outside, what’s up?”

Zhong Kai was quick-tempered and immediately began complaining on the phone, “That bastard Tang Fengpei! He promised to rent us a warehouse for the firecrackers, but now that the goods have arrived, he’s telling us he wants to raise the price! This is bullshit!”

Shen Kuo looked at the darkening sky and asked in a deep voice, “How much of an increase?”

“Fifty percent! This is just robbery!”

“If the price increases by fifty percent, we won’t make any profit.”

“Exactly! I didn’t agree with it. I’m guarding the goods outside the warehouse right now! Brother Shen, if you’re not busy, come over and talk to him. Maybe we can work something out.”

Shen Kuo frowned. “I don’t have time right now…”

Zhong Kai couldn’t believe his ears. For Shen Kuo, besides his father, making money was the most important thing.

“Shen Kuo, we’ve invested a lot in this batch of goods. It’s about to rain, and if we don’t resolve the warehouse issue, this money will… go down the drain.”

Shen Kuo knew full well how important this batch of goods was, but the appointment he had to keep was just as important.

“I have a date with Lu Yan.”

Zhong Kai understood and stopped insisting.

Shen Kuo had never been one to break his word—this was his principle in life. Moreover, the person he had made the promise to was his beloved girl.

“Alright, I’ll talk to that old fox again. You… don’t think too much, just enjoy your date. This is probably your first date with a girl, right?”

Shen Kuo gave a light smile, hung up the phone, and quickened his pace.

Lu Yan stood at the entrance of the cinema, waving at him enthusiastically when she saw him coming.

Shen Kuo picked up his pace and walked over. He took off the scarf around his neck and draped it around her fair and slender neck.

His eyes were lowered, his dark pupils gentle as he wrapped the scarf twice around her neck and tied a knot carefully, letting it fall on her chest.

The scarf was soft, carrying his warmth, and felt cozy.

Lu Yan looked down at the light gray scarf and smiled, asking, “Is this for me?”

“This is a men’s scarf, I’m just letting you wear it.”

Lu Yan pouted, “I don’t care, if it’s around my neck, it’s mine.”

Shen Kuo gently tapped her on the back of the head and said, “Stop talking nonsense.”

“Really,” Lu Yan looked at her watch and said anxiously, “Oh no, I still have something to do this afternoon. I’ve arranged to meet Qi Yuzhi to—”

Shen Kuo’s hand landed on her forehead, shaking his head slightly, “Less talking.”

“Really,” Lu Yan glanced at her watch again, saying hurriedly, “I’ll be late, Qi Yu’s waiting, we’re—”

“Lu Yan, today is our first date.”

“Yeah, our first date, but it won’t be the last one. I don’t want to let Qi Yuzhi—”

Before she could finish, the little girl had already grabbed his sleeve and pulled him against the flow of people, out of the cinema. She reached the street and, in no time, hailed a taxi and pushed Shen Kuo inside.

“Sorry! My best friend’s more important. Bye!”

Shen Kuo suddenly grabbed her wrist, and Lu Yan, feeling a little guilty, took a step back, “Wh-what are you doing?”

Shen Kuo didn’t answer, he just looked at her deeply.

“I’ll really be late, bye!” she said quickly.

Shen Kuo let go of her hand, turned to the taxi driver, and said, “Driver, take us to Warehouse No. 4.”

Lu Yan closed the car door and waved at him.

The taxi drove off, disappearing at the end of the road. A breeze blew, and Lu Yan stood alone by the street, letting out a soft sigh.

Meng Zhining’s message came in, asking Lu Yan, “Baby, has your date started?”

Lu Yan had kept her feelings for Shen Kuo a secret from everyone, but she had never hidden it from Meng Zhining.

Meng Zhining had studied abroad in her younger years and had an open mind. She didn’t treat her child’s love life like most parents, seeing it as something to be feared. She was knowledgeable and mature, always able to offer Lu Yan helpful advice.

Lu Yan had never had a mother growing up, and Meng Zhining filled that gap, offering the motherly love she had missed.

Although Meng Zhining was open-minded, she still couldn’t fully let go. She knew Lu Yan liked Shen Kuo, and when you like someone, sometimes you just can’t control it. So, she often couldn’t help but text Lu Yan to check on her date’s progress.

Lu Yan squatted by the road, typing a message to Meng Zhining, briefly explaining what had happened earlier.

“Mom, I’m too thoughtful, aren’t I? You asked me to love myself more, but it seems like I can’t do it.”

Lu Yan had always been pampered as a rich second-generation child, doted on by her father, and rarely considered other people’s feelings. She was proud of herself.

But now… she realized that considering others often meant putting herself in an uncomfortable position, and it made her feel a little sad inside.

As Shen Kuo had said, this was their first date. She had been so excited the night before that she couldn’t sleep, repeatedly rehearsing today’s events in her mind.

Lu Yan rarely experienced negative emotions because so many people loved her, and she had always grown up in the sunshine, with plenty of nourishment. But because of that, she feared she couldn’t understand Shen Kuo’s struggles, and she feared she wasn’t worthy of his affection.

After a long while, Meng Zhining finally replied, “Baby, although I’ve advised you not to lose yourself in love, I’ve never been able to do that myself. The ‘^[1]“push-pull” refers to a dynamic where one person alternates between creating closeness (pull) and distancing themselves (push). It’s a behavior often used, consciously or unconsciously, … Continue readingpush-pull’ approach may seem clever, but it’s not at all cool. If you like him, treat him sincerely, and even if you break up later, there will be no regrets.”

“The one you’ll always remember in your life is the one you owe something to in the relationship.”

–

When Shen Kuo arrived at Warehouse No. 4, Zhong Kai was already arguing with the warehouse owner.

“We agreed on the price earlier, but now that our goods have arrived, you’re raising the price? That’s just too much!”

“Aiya, prices have gone up this year, we can’t help it.”

Shen Kuo knew that this wasn’t the first time Tang Fengpei, the warehouse owner, had done this. The situation was complex, and once the goods had arrived, the price was hiked. If they didn’t agree, they had no choice but to comply.

Zhong Kai, impatient as always, nearly got into a fight with Tang Fengpei. Shen Kuo walked over, pulling him away, and said, “It’s going to rain soon. The goods need to be stored today.”

When Tang Fengpei saw Shen Kuo coming, he gave a forced smile. “The price increase wasn’t our idea. Go ask around, the prices at Warehouse 3 and 5 have gone up too. Besides, your goods are fireworks—riskier than most. A price increase is only logical.”

Zhong Kai swore loudly, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier? Now that the goods are here, you bring it up?”

Tang Fengpei knew they were cornered, and with no way out, he felt confident in his position. “You either take the price or leave it. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

Shen Kuo glanced back at the mountain of fireworks in the yard and said to Zhong Kai, “Go find a car. We’re taking the goods away.”

“Take them away? Where to?”

“To my place.”

Zhong Kai was stunned and lowered his voice. “Your place? Are you crazy? How are you going to fit all this stuff in your house?”

Shen Kuo shot a cold look at Tang Fengpei and said, “Go find a car. Move the goods.”

Zhong Kai hesitated for a moment but eventually pulled out his phone and called a friend.

Seeing Shen Kuo’s determination to move the goods, Tang Fengpei began to panic a little. “Are you crazy? These are fireworks. How can you keep them at home? It’s too dangerous.”

Shen Kuo ignored him completely.

After Zhong Kai finished the call, he said to Shen Kuo, “The car is on its way.”

By now, the first few raindrops had started to fall. Tang Fengpei saw that Shen Kuo was serious about leaving and grew anxious. If they didn’t store the goods in his warehouse, it would be difficult to find another place at this time.

“Look, it’s already starting to rain. You guys can wait for the car, but these goods won’t wait.”

Shen Kuo remained calm. “If they get wet and can’t be used, I’ll take the loss. But one rule in business—Shen Kuo never lets himself be threatened.”

Tang Fengpei, an experienced businessman who had dealt with all kinds of people, had originally thought he could easily pressure the younger Shen Kuo and Zhong Kai. But now, he didn’t expect Shen Kuo to have the courage to go all in like this.

The rain was starting to come down harder, and Zhong Kai was beginning to lose his patience, repeatedly tugging on Shen Kuo’s sleeve.

These fireworks couldn’t get wet. If they did, they would be useless, and all the money would be lost.

Shen Kuo said, “Any losses, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Tang Fengpei, more anxious than Zhong Kai, knew that if the goods got wet, he wouldn’t even get a penny for the storage fee. Worse, word would spread, and he’d likely lose future business.

“Fine, fine, you can store the goods at the original price,” Tang Fengpei said. “But hurry up and bring them in.”

Shen Kuo refused, “No need.”

“Ah, you young people—too impulsive! Okay, how about this? We’ll stick with the original price. Original price for storage, how about that?”

Shen Kuo raised his dark eyes and said firmly, “Eight percent off.”

“Hey, don’t push it!” Tang Fengpei was furious.

Shen Kuo turned to Zhong Kai. “When’s the truck arriving?”

“Almost there,” Zhong Kai replied. “It’s nearby.”

As the rain continued to pour, Tang Fengpei finally gave in.

“Fine, eight percent off. Just hurry up and bring the goods in…”

Zhong Kai quickly said, “Deal! No changing the terms!”

“No changes, no changes,” Tang Fengpei called to several workers. “Come help bring the goods inside.”

The rain was coming down even harder now, and the goods on top were nearly soaked. The only ones that could be saved were those underneath. Shen Kuo fetched a cart, and with Zhong Kai, began loading the goods into the car and running them into the warehouse.

The rain poured relentlessly.

“It’s too late,” Zhong Kai, drenched and sitting on the ground, said in frustration. “Everything’s soaked.”

Shen Kuo didn’t say a word, he continued moving the salvageable goods silently.

He wouldn’t give up until the last moment.

Even the workers around them had given up. There were too many goods to move, and with the rain pouring down, they didn’t want to get sick in the cold winter.

Rainwater streamed down Shen Kuo’s hair as he pressed on, his face set in determination as he continued to move the goods.

“Shen Kuo, let it go. It’s too cold,” Zhong Kai urged, holding him back.

“The stuff at the bottom can still be used,” Shen Kuo replied, before rushing back into the rain.

Zhong Kai knew Shen Kuo’s stubbornness and could only continue helping move the remaining goods.

Just then, a flash of pale pink rushed forward, taking a bundle of firecrackers from Shen Kuo’s hands and cradling them carefully.

“What are you doing here?”

The heavy rain quickly drenched Lu Yan’s hair, and she could barely open her eyes against the downpour. “I brought you an umbrella.”

“An umbrella? Hurry up and get going.”

“Oh!”

Lu Yan ran into the warehouse with the firecrackers, set them down, and returned to grab more goods, running back into the warehouse.

She worked with great determination, not caring about her wet clothes or the dirt.

Shen Kuo couldn’t stop her, there was no use in being anxious. He just focused on getting the remaining goods inside.

Zhong Kai and the other workers began sorting through the goods in the warehouse, and Lu Yan squatted by the stock, nervously asking Zhong Kai for clarification:

“Can this be used?”

“What about this one?”

“And this?”

Zhong Kai replied, “It’s fine. Fortunately, the plastic wrap kept the rain out.”

Lu Yan let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Shen Kuo finally couldn’t stand it anymore. With a cold expression, he walked over, grabbed Lu Yan by the collar of her jacket, and lifted her up like a little rabbit, carrying her to a sheltered corner away from the wind.

“Who told you to come?” His face was not pleasant, and there was a hint of anger in his voice.

Lu Yan, looking pitiful, said, “I came to bring you an umbrella.”

Shen Kuo looked down at her. Her pale pink cotton jacket was soaked through, and there were mud stains all over it. Her hair was damp and clung to her face, her delicate features softened by the wetness. The water glistened on her eyelids, making her look so pitiful, yet so beautiful it made his heart ache.

The words of reproach caught in his throat, and he couldn’t say them. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back and arms to warm her up.

Lu Yan obediently leaned into his chest, nuzzling against the sweater he was wearing.

Shen Kuo turned his face away, murmuring with a hint of reproach, “Causing trouble.”

Lu Yan, still worried about the goods, kept glancing back at Zhong Kai. “How much can be salvaged? How much did we lose?”

“Heh, don’t worry, we were lucky. Most of it’s fine, thanks to the waterproof plastic.”

“That’s really great.”

Lu Yan sneezed, and Shen Kuo took her hand, leading her out of the warehouse.

Just as they stepped out, Zhong Kai’s friend arrived with the car. Without saying anything, Shen Kuo pushed Lu Yan into the car.

“Where are we going, Shen Kuo?”

“To my place. You can take a hot shower and change into some dry clothes.”

Lu Yan, still concerned, said, “Uh, wouldn’t that be inconvenient?”

Shen Kuo casually replied, “My dad’s at the hospital tonight, he won’t be back.”

Lu Yan blinked, and a strange flush appeared on her cheeks.

With no parents around, this… might actually be more inconvenient.