In September, as the weather gradually cooled and autumn arrived in Lan City, Chu Yi finally felt brave enough to step outside her door.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two of them went to celebrate at Qiao Anchen’s parents’ house. 

With his rare three-day vacation, they had dinner and spent the night there. 

They stayed in Qiao Anchen’s old room, which was a bit worn and filled with traces of time. The corners of the desk were scratched, there were faded basketball posters on the wall, and the books in the bookshelf had yellowed pages.

The bed was a narrow single bed with a checkered sheet, reminiscent of a student dormitory. Chu Yi opened the window of his room and saw the basketball court behind the lush tree leaves outside.

“Did you used to like playing basketball a lot?” Chu Yi asked. Qiao Anchen looked out in the direction she was pointing and replied, “It was okay, I played more when I was in school.”

“Were you the type who only studied all the time when you were in school?” Chu Yi was curious as he talked about his past.

She felt that, given Qiao Anchen’s nature, she could almost imagine what his school life was like.

Hearing Chu Yi’s question, Qiao Anchen frowned in thought, looking somewhat confused.

“What else would you do if you weren’t studying?”

“… Well, there are many other things, like secretly reading novels in class, chatting, playing games. During holidays, going out for meals, singing, and so on with friends…” 

“You were so inattentive in school?” Qiao Anchen looked at her with suspicion, and Chu Yi retorted.

“That’s a normal school experience. Most people go through it like that.”

“Oh, well, I didn’t,” Qiao Anchen said. “I generally avoid wasting time on such things.”

“………”

The idle chatter ended there. Chu Yi was feeling bored in Qiao Anchen’s room when Tian Wan knocked and peeked in.

“Would you like to take a walk around the neighborhood?” she asked Chu Yi, her eyes smiling, with a friendly and gentle expression.

“It seems like every time you come here, you just have a meal and leave. You haven’t explored the surroundings yet. Let Qiao Anchen show you around, and you can come back just in time for dinner.”

After speaking, Tian Wan turned to Qiao Anchen with a more serious expression.

“Take Chu Yi around the area and be careful.”

As they went outside, the afternoon heat had not yet dissipated, and the sun still had some warmth. Chu Yi wore a floral dress with a cardigan, her cute, plump toes peeking out from her sandals, looking fresh and tender.

Qiao Anchen held an umbrella for shade since Chu Yi was very sensitive to sunlight. Even the light close to sunset made her feel uncomfortable and glaring.

Due to the umbrella’s size, Chu Yi had to cling to Qiao Anchen’s arm, making them appear quite intimate.

— Of course! If it weren’t for this reason, she absolutely wouldn’t want to be so close to him voluntarily!

The neighborhood was well-landscaped, with a basketball court, a swimming pool, tree-lined paths, and plenty of flowers swaying in the breeze, their petals trembling in various colors.

As Chu Yi and Qiao Anchen strolled, they came across a girl in a white dress who suddenly approached them.

Her long hair flowed, and she looked graceful and delicate, carrying a small bag and wearing white canvas shoes, fitting the image of a pure campus goddess.

Chu Yi initially just glanced at her and then looked away, but the girl was staring directly at Qiao Anchen and even walked towards him.

“Anchen Ge! You’re back!”

She called out excitedly, her fair cheeks tinged with a slight blush, her eyes sparkling.

Chu Yi looked at Qiao Anchen.

The man whose arm she was holding nodded slightly and replied calmly, “Xiao Wei, long time no see.”

“When did you come back? This is…” she immediately asked, then, as if just noticing Chu Yi, her expression hesitated.

“This is my wife, Chu Yi,” Qiao Anchen introduced, but didn’t tell Chu Yi who the girl was. The girl in the white dress paused, then continued.

“By the way, Anchen Ge, I heard you got married. I just returned to the country recently and couldn’t attend the wedding. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s enough that the important relatives were there,” Qiao Anchen said understandingly, his tone sincere. Chu Yi noticed the girl’s slightly awkward expression and almost couldn’t suppress a smile.

“You rarely come home. Would you like to come over to my house? My mom would be very happy to see you.” The girl hid her disappointment, adjusted her mood, and spoke cheerfully. Qiao Anchen paused for a moment and then shook his head without hesitation.

“No, I want to take Chu Yi for a walk.”

“Say hi to Auntie for me.”

“Alright.” The girl looked disappointed, glanced quickly at Chu Yi, and then her gaze lingered on Qiao Anchen, reluctant to part.

“Anchen Ge, I’ll leave now. See you next time.”

“Mm, okay.” Qiao Anchen nodded, leading Chu Yi forward. As they walked a good distance away, she felt as if she could still sense the girl’s gaze lingering on them.

After a while, as they approached the neighborhood gate, Chu Yi hadn’t heard Qiao Anchen speak. She casually asked.

“Who was that just now?”

“She’s a resident of the same neighborhood,” Qiao Anchen replied as they reached the security booth, nodding at the guard inside.

Chu Yi recalled the girl’s behavior, which didn’t seem like that of an ordinary resident.

She squinted her eyes, scrutinizing Qiao Anchen.

“She even called you Anchen Ge.” She usually just called him Qiao Anchen!

“She’s younger than me,” Qiao Anchen answered matter-of-factly.

Chu Yi was taken aback, paused for a few seconds, and couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you two very close?”

Qiao Anchen furrowed his brow in thought. “I’m closer to her mother.”

“?? Hmm?”

“Her mother lives alone. When I was in school, I would occasionally help with changing faucets and light bulbs and such.”

“… Oh.” Chu Yi said, “I didn’t expect you to be such a caring person.”

“It’s just something I did casually.” Qiao Anchen shifted the umbrella slightly towards her, ensuring she wouldn’t be exposed to the sun.

Qiao Anchen had attended elementary and middle school nearby, so their walk only took a few minutes. Since the children were all out of school, the campus was empty. After the security guard checked their ID, he let them pass without issue.

Though he didn’t want to come, Chu Yi insisted on seeing it. Qiao Anchen’s memories of his school days were not vivid, and he only vaguely remembered the location of the classroom.

Indeed, his memories, aside from a few major events, were almost entirely blurred, mostly consisting of the same monotonous, mundane experiences.

Recent events have been quite vivid in his mind, and upon reflection, they’re all related to Chu Yi.

Perhaps it’s because, for Qiao Anchen, these recent experiences were quite novel. After all, it was his first time trying to win over a girl and realizing the vast differences in thoughts between men and women.

Without the narrative of his own school days, the two quickly finished their tour of the not-too-large school. On the way back, Chu Yi suddenly remembered something else.

“Qiao Anchen, didn’t anyone pursue you when you were in school?”

He paused, “I did receive some love letters.”

“Really? And then what happened?” Chu Yi asked with great interest. She couldn’t help but imagine if he had acted like the cold, scholarly male leads in dramas, either ignoring them completely or tossing them in the trash.

Chu Yi thought the former seemed more likely.

“I usually returned them and apologized.”

“… That’s it?” Chu Yi was greatly disappointed. Her curiosity was piqued by the girl in the white dress and the school, and she wasn’t ready to give up.

“What if someone pursued you relentlessly, even blocking you in the classroom every day?”

Qiao Anchen was silent for a moment before answering.

“In that case, I might report it to the teacher.”

“……” Chu Yi tried to suppress her laughter but couldn’t. She bent over laughing, leaning on Qiao Anchen, her laughter causing her to wobble.

“Hahaha, that’s hilarious! The poor girl had to be reported to the teacher for liking someone, and she might even get a punishment.”

“Qiao Anchen, you’re too much!” She finally got the chance to voice her feelings from this period. Chu Yi felt a bit of satisfaction.

“As a victim, it’s just a form of self-defense when there’s no other choice,” Qiao Anchen corrected her seriously. Chu Yi nodded in agreement, deeply understanding.

“It’s clear you’ve been a victim more than once,” she said. After all, how else would he have resorted to reporting it to the teacher?

By the time they got home, the sun had set. Qiao Anchen put away the umbrella and held Chu Yi’s hand. By coincidence, they encountered the girl in the white dress again at the door. This time, she was holding a bag of fruit and seemed about to knock. Seeing them, her eyes brightened immediately.

“Anchen Ge, you’re back. My mom brought some autumn pears from home and asked me to bring them for you to try.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Qiao Anchen said as he reached out to take them. He was about to enter the house, but the girl in the white dress was still standing there, looking at him with bright, expectant eyes.

Qiao Anchen paused, puzzled, and asked, “Do you have something else you need?”