Qi Wang took the bus home that day, leaving his motorcycle parked in front of the shop, untouched.

He sat in the last row.

It was Yu Nian’s favorite spot.

The night was dark.

When he came out of the restaurant, it was already ten o’clock at night, but the streets were still bustling, lanterns hanging from tall evergreen trees, many shops plastered with New Year’s posters.

He reached up and touched the scarf around his neck, a birthday gift from Yu Nian.

That day was also on the bus.

Yu Nian looked at him with misty eyes, the scent of peach wine lingering in the air with every breath.

His gaze fell on Yu Nian’s lips, cheeks, and eyelashes, his breath slowing for a moment, but quickly pretending to be calm and composed.

Thinking back, it was from that day on that he harbored unspeakable feelings for Yu Nian.

But he had always been repressed and reserved, accustomed to hiding his emotions, and no one could perceive them.

Qi Wang’s eyes were half-closed as he leaned against the seat, the bus swaying slightly, giving rise to waves of exhaustion.

An hour later, the bus finally stopped at the entrance of the small community where he lived.

He went upstairs as usual, opened the door, but somehow dropped the keys on the floor.

He stared at the keychain for a while, with a little doll hanging on it with closed eyes, which Yu Nian had put there, made of clay.

He was usually meticulous with things and rarely damaged objects.

But now, with just one slip, the little doll’s arm was broken.

Qi Wang slowly crouched down and picked up the doll.

The doll was tiny, not even the size of half a palm, now without an arm, its closed eyes looking a bit aggrieved.

Qi Wang gently tightened his palm, the broken part slightly sharp, pricking his palm.

He opened the door again, went inside, the living room was dark, quiet and oppressive.

He didn’t turn on the lights.

He didn’t even step into the room.

He just sat there at the doorway. It was an overcast day, even the starlight was sparse, the air was damp and cold, like layers of waves, engulfing people in the tide.

He held the broken doll, his head resting on his arm, like a cold sculpture, not moving for a long time.

---

For the next few days, Qi Wang didn’t receive any news from Yu Nian.

Yu Nian’s clothes, belongings, were still in the small bedroom next door, his toothbrush, daily necessities, piled up in Qi Wang’s room.

But he never came back.

Yu Nian seemed to have disappeared like a drop of water into the ocean.

Not to mention Qi Wang, even Song Yunchun didn’t know the address of the Yu family.

She had tried to contact Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli, but only got through to their secretary, who gently advised her not to call again.

“Miss Song, if Mr. Pei wants to contact you, he will naturally let me communicate with you in advance, but both he and Mr. Yu are quite busy, and it’s not clear when they’ll have time,” the secretary was polite, “If you don’t have anything urgent, I’ll hang up now.”

After the call ended, Song Yunchun also looked awkward.

She used to get responses from Pei Zhao for everything, just because Yu Nian happened to choose her restaurant and became a pianist under her.

Now that the noble Young Master Yu had returned home, her reports naturally no longer had priority.

She actually understood in her heart.

After struggling for more than ten years, how could she not understand the cruel rules of this world.

Even though Pei Zhao looked gentle and friendly, and Yu Xinli polite and courteous, she and they were people from two completely different worlds.

They treated her kindly because they respected her as Yu Nian’s “temporary boss,” and Yu Nian happened to get along well with her.

But once this relationship was gone, she was just a small piece of dust that could be swept away from life at any time.

She was like this.

And Qi Wang was even more so.

She even thought that maybe Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao didn’t plan to come and see Qi Wang at all.

After all, life was not a TV drama.

TV dramas might have dramatic breakups, couples being separated forcibly, and tearful farewells.

But in reality, Qi Wang was just an insignificant figure.

Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao could easily sever the connection between the two with a few movements of their fingers.

Yu Nian might be sent abroad or to a boarding school.

And Qi Wang might stay in City C, or go to college in a different city.

But no matter what the situation was.

Even if Qi Wang moved heaven and earth, he couldn’t come into contact with the heavily guarded Yu Nian.

They might not even have a formal farewell, just quietly disappearing from each other’s lives.

Even if they were to meet again years later, after Yu Nian had grown up and gained more autonomy, everything would be different, and they couldn’t go back.

Thinking of this, Song Yunchun felt heavy-hearted.

She turned to look at Qi Wang standing at the counter, in just a few days, Qi Wang visibly lost weight.

He was still silent, making it hard to tell how much turmoil was in his heart.

But he was like a tree approaching winter, still tall and straight, but gradually withering, showing no signs of life.

And the others in the restaurant were still unaware of the truth, thinking that Yu Nian had gone home, and Xiao Gu and Chu Hejun were still complaining about how Yu Nian had left without saying goodbye.

Xiao Gu was wiping the glass jar, muttering, “This guy has no loyalty at all, I even saved some egg tarts for him, and if he doesn’t come back soon, they’ll go bad.”

She pouted, feeling a bit aggrieved. She really treated Yu Nian as a friend, so it didn’t matter if he quit his job, but how could he not even leave a word.

Chu Hejun reached out and squeezed her shoulder, feeling uncomfortable like her, but still comforting her, “Maybe something came up at home.”

Xiao Gu pursed her lips, not responding, and buried her head to arrange the utensils to be used tonight.

Song Yunchun simply couldn’t listen anymore.

She sat on a high stool, staring blankly at the cookie jar in front of her.

Thinking back, Yu Nian hadn’t been in her restaurant for a few months, but he was so likable, cheerful, and lively, showing no signs of being a young master. From the staff to the customers, everyone liked him, and no one would be willing to let him go.

Sometimes Song Yunchun also thought, if Yu Nian had really been her employee, it would have been better.

One thing she had always been proud of in “Morning Ten” was that the turnover of her employees was very slow, mostly because of unforeseen circumstances forcing them to resign.

Working at “Morning Ten”, although there might be some minor conflicts and quarrels, the overall atmosphere was always warm and happy, even former employees would occasionally come back to visit, hugging her with a smile, bringing souvenirs from different places.

She thought, if Yu Nian really was just a small employee, he would probably stay in her restaurant for a long time.

She would prepare New Year gifts for him and Qi Wang, take everyone out for hotpot at the end of the year, and then hang everyone’s group photo on the wall, which could still be shown to customers many years later.

But unfortunately.

Her little temple was too shabby to keep someone of Yu Nian’s distinguished status.

---

In the next half month, Yu Nian remained elusive.

Just before the end of the month, Song Yunchun received another call from Pei Zhao’s secretary.

Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao finally found some time and hoped to chat with Qi Wang tomorrow afternoon.

“The meeting place will be the café opposite your restaurant. Mr. Pei has reserved the entire place. Mr. Qi just needs to come over then,” the secretary’s voice was still clear, “If Mr. Qi has any inconvenience that day, please let me know in advance, and I will make arrangements.”

Song Yunchun thought, what inconvenience could there be? Since it was for Yu Nian, even if it meant facing a knife, he would go.

She gave a half-hearted “Okay, I’ll let him know.”

On the 23rd, Qi Wang took a leave of absence and pushed open the door of the café opposite right on time.

He immediately spotted Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao sitting by the window.

Blood relations did indeed have a strange resemblance; even though their temperaments were vastly different, they still carried a shadow of Yu Nian when they looked up.

The room was very warm, and Qi Wang untied the gray scarf around his neck, walked over to sit across from Yu Xinli and Pei Zhao, and pulled out a chair.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Yu, Mr. Pei,” Qi Wang nodded slightly to them, his voice devoid of resentment, just calmly looking at them, “Hello, I’m Qi Wang.”

Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli were also observing him.

Although they had seen Qi Wang in photos before, seeing him in person was different.

They had to admit that the young man in front of them had a very good appearance, devoid of the gloominess they imagined. Instead, he was slender and clean, like a green bamboo, with a clean temperament.

The three sat together in awkward silence.

The waiter silently brought hot tea and quietly left.

The café, usually bustling with people, was now so quiet that even the sound of a falling pin could be heard.

The hall was empty, the shadows outside the window desolate, everywhere exuding the bleakness of winter, without a hint of vitality.

Finally, it was Pei Zhao who spoke first, “Mr. Qi, you should know why we’re here. Let’s not beat around the bush. We are Yu Nian’s older siblings, and we came here today to talk to you about Yu Nian and you.”

He looked at Qi Wang, for the first time without a relaxed smile on his face.

Yu Nian had been causing trouble at home for a month now, crying, shouting, and even attempting suicide. Even if he were a god, he would feel tired now.

He said to Qi Wang straightforwardly, “As Yu Nian’s guardians, I hope you and Yu Nian can break up. I know this may be presumptuous, but Miss Song Yunchun should have told you something about our family. Yu Nian is the youngest child in the family, young and impulsive, leaving home in a fit of anger, always wanting to go against the family. But someday he will grow up. And you and him…”

Pei Zhao paused for a moment, not immediately continuing.

He spoke this sentence with some restraint.

After all, this was someone Yu Nian liked. Setting aside Yu Nian, he didn’t have any deep-seated grievances with Qi Wang, and his upbringing prevented him from speaking harshly.

After thinking for a moment, he continued with his usual politeness, “You and Yu Nian are obviously not very suitable. I can understand the impulsiveness of young people like you, but you have been immersed in society for a long time and are much more mature than Yu Nian. You should understand what choice is better for you.”

He looked at Qi Wang and reminded him straightforwardly, “As compensation for breaking up with Yu Nian, you can make any requests to us.”

Qi Wang listened quietly.

He thought, Yu Nian’s siblings were indeed civilized and decent people as Song Yunchun had said.

Even if they deeply disliked him in their hearts, they could still maintain basic politeness on the surface.

He lightly clasped his hands together, his face betraying no emotions.

He looked calmly at Pei Zhao and asked the first question since entering the café.

“Before discussing the matter between me and Yu Nian, I would like to ask, is Yu Nian okay?”

When Yu Xinli heard this question, she raised an eyebrow slightly.

Pei Zhao carefully observed Qi Wang’s expression and answered with just two words, “Not good.”

He didn’t try to conceal anything.

If Yu Nian could be easily handled, they would have given up on Qi Wang long ago, and he and Yu Xinli wouldn’t be here.

“Yu Nian was calm at first and didn’t resist being confined at home, but recently he has started causing trouble at home,” Pei Zhao said calmly, “But this is normal. He’s only eighteen, and boys at this age are easily blinded by love.”

Qi Wang felt a little relieved to hear this. If Yu Nian still had the energy to cause trouble, it meant he wasn’t being mistreated.

He didn’t immediately respond to Pei Zhao and Yu Xinli’s words, but picked up the hot tea on the table and took a sip.

During the conversation among the few people, the tea had cooled down, and drinking it wouldn’t warm his stomach at all.

Somehow, Qi Wang thought of the fruit tea Yu Nian used to make.

It was something Yu Nian learned at the restaurant, sometimes he would make it at home too. It was very simple, boiling fruits with honey for sweetness. The whole house would be filled with a sweet aroma.

He didn’t particularly like fruit tea.

But out of consideration for Yu Nian, he would drink a cup or two, just to get it over with.

But now he suddenly missed the warmth of the fruit tea.

He asked Pei Zhao, “If I’m unwilling to break up with Yu Nian, what measures will you take?”

Pei Zhao seemed to have anticipated this question.

He lightly tapped the table with his fingers, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.

“Well, that’s a bit unfortunate, Mr. Qi,” Pei Zhao’s voice was gentle, but there was no smile in his eyes, “I don’t like saying this, but I have a thousand ways to force you two to break up. You need to live in society, but you have no foundation, no family. Making it impossible for you to find work anywhere would be an easy task. But I don’t want to do that.”

“And… I think you should be a smart person, not to let the situation become so ugly,” Pei Zhao said as he placed several pages of documents that had been lying next to him in front of Qi Wang, “I’m sorry, we used some unconventional means to investigate all your experiences. It’s quite unexpected to us.”

Qi Wang took the thin sheets of paper, and as he read through the lines of reports, his pupils slightly contracted.

It documented all his experiences from the age of fourteen until now.

Like a concise and clear resume, even more organized than his own memories.

But this resume was not about shining achievements or job applications; it was about a checkered past.

Pei Zhao said softly, “You came to City C as a runaway at thirteen, without parents, working odd jobs under false identities until you were fifteen when you were apprehended for armed robbery. You were then handed over to welfare institutions for care, and despite them arranging for your schooling, you still frequently skipped classes, got into fights, and had several disciplinary actions recorded, with average relationships with your classmates.”

“Your grades were decent, gradually catching up with the school’s pace, and by high school, you were among the top students. If you had focused on studying and stopped wandering the streets, you would probably be studying in a prestigious university now. However, just before the college entrance exam, you got into a conflict with someone, injuring them and causing them to be hospitalized. If it weren’t for the other party issuing a forgiveness letter, sparing you from criminal liability, Mr. Qi, you might be serving time in prison now.”

Pei Zhao’s expression gradually turned colder as he said this.

In fact, he had considered not intervening and allowing Yu Nian to manage this youthful infatuation naturally.

Even if the other party might be attracted to Yu Nian’s wealth and status, who could avoid such things in the world?

Even if the match was not suitable in terms of social status, as long as the family background was clean and it didn’t harm Yu Nian, he didn’t want to be the villain.

Moreover, teenage love never lasted too long. Even if Yu Nian was currently infatuated, with time, he might grow tired of it.

He wasn’t afraid of Yu Nian experiencing a little hardship in love. After all, he and Yu Xinli would be there to support him, and at most, he would shed a few tears and start anew.

But as Yu Xinli threw this stack of documents in front of him, he changed his mind.

He could allow Yu Nian to suffer in love, but he couldn’t accept Yu Nian being with such a dangerous individual, someone with such a twisted and violent mindset.

He said to Qi Wang, “In just a few years, you have been detained by the police several times, although you don’t have a criminal record, you have quite a few violations. And where did you grow up before the age of thirteen, and what experiences did you have? What kind of character did you develop? We know nothing about this period, it seems to be a blank. When you were caught by the police before, you never admitted where you came from, only saying you were an orphan. We didn’t intend to investigate further, but Mr. Qi, please put yourself in our shoes and think, which siblings would allow their beloved brother to be with someone like you?”

Qi Wang slowly clenched his hands.

The thin pages were so heavy, and the edges were so sharp that they cut his hand.

A drop of his blood seeped onto the paper, staining the edge with a red dot.

His dark and dirty past was laid bare on the table like this.

He had actually anticipated this scene, but still held onto a glimmer of hope, hoping for a bit of dignity in front of Yu Nian’s family.

But it was useless.

He had never been favored by fate.

Born on a desolate land, raised by despicable people, and wandering around for a living, he had grown into such an unworthy person.

The mistakes he made for the sake of survival had now turned into sharp thorns, firmly embedded in his chest.

Those black and white words all showed his ugly past.

He was the one who slept under bridges, accompanied by wild dogs.

The place he grew up was filled with violence, abuse, and even crime.

He had worked on construction sites, carried cement, disguised himself as a sixteen-year-old with a fake ID and a physique taller than his peers. And finally, due to ignorance, he had threatened his boss with a knife for unpaid wages.

All of these, if he really wanted to excuse himself, seemed to have reasons for suffering.

But facing Yu Nian’s family, he couldn’t argue.

He was just such a person.

He was a rough tree grown on barren land.

Rugged, ugly, ignored by others, but relying on a little bit of innate moisture, he struggled to grow branches and twigs, trying hard to disguise himself as normal.

But as Pei Zhao said, even if he switched positions, he wouldn’t allow Yu Nian to be with such a person.