The warmth of the palm on his cheek startled Li Wenshui, and he slowly looked up at Liang Jin.

Liang Jin wore a faintly amused smile. He was the one who proposed “being together,” yet his demeanor was one of arrogant condescension, as if he were doing a favor.

Since breaking up with Yu Zizhuo, many people had pursued Li Wenshui and suggested “being together,” but he had rejected them all. To him, this kind of thing should be serious and sincere, not based on mere appearances. He wanted to see genuine feelings, and those people didn’t have them. He didn’t dare to risk himself again.

Li Wenshui didn’t understand why Liang Jin had suddenly changed his mind. However, it was clear that Liang Jin saw him as someone unworthy, someone without value, and therefore undeserving of any benefit.

But should he refuse? If he agreed, his current situation might improve a little. After all, it couldn’t get any worse.

After a long silence, Li Wenshui took Liang Jin’s hand, which was still on his cheek, and said, “I agree.”

This was entirely within Liang Jin’s expectations. He tilted Li Wenshui’s face upward, gazing into those beautiful eyes that now sparkled with calculated thoughts. Quietly, he waited for Li Wenshui to state his conditions.

Li Wenshui asked, “Do you know Yu Zizhuo?”

Liang Jin thought for a moment before withdrawing his hand. “I have some impression of him. Did you offend him?”

“Yes,” Li Wenshui lowered his gaze, his fingers instinctively intertwining. “Last time, he left me stranded in the wild.”

“How did you offend him?”

The Yu family was a renowned literary family with some influence in the business world. Liang Jin had met Yu Zizhuo before and remembered him as polite and reserved.

Li Wenshui avoided the specifics. “He’s my ex-boyfriend. He wasn’t happy about the breakup and deliberately sought revenge.”

Liang Jin chuckled. “You’re really something, managing to drive a bookworm to madness.”

“He was already mad,” Li Wenshui said, grabbing Liang Jin’s arm as he tried to pull away. Uncertain about how influential Yu Zizhuo’s family was or whether Liang Jin could handle them, he added, “You can help me, right? That’s my first condition.”

The worry in Li Wenshui’s eyes made Liang Jin feel underestimated. Smiling faintly, he said, “I told you, I’ll agree to any condition. I’ll talk to Yu Zizhuo. What’s your second condition?”

“Nothing else.”

“Hmm?”

“Hmm,” Li Wenshui nodded. “I can’t think of anything right now. I’ll bring it up when I do, okay?”

Other than Yu Zizhuo, his biggest problem was money, and since he couldn’t ask Liang Jin for money, he had nothing else to request.

“That’s fine. No time limit. Whenever you decide on your second condition, just let me know, and I’ll agree to it.”

“Thank you.”

Liang Jin stared at Li Wenshui’s strikingly beautiful face. “Don’t thank me. I’m not agreeing to this for free.”

A heavy feeling settled in Li Wenshui’s chest. There was no such thing as a free lunch. If Liang Jin helped him deal with Yu Zizhuo, he would have to give himself to Liang Jin in return.

Though he envied relationships where love didn’t require sacrifice, that kind of luxury was beyond his reach.

“I’ll take you home first,” Liang Jin said, not immediately demanding anything in return. In his eyes, there was no need to rush such matters.

The car stopped at the entrance to a dark alley. Just as Li Wenshui was about to get out, Liang Jin called out to him. “Leaving so quickly? Aren’t you going to ask for my contact information?”

Only then did Li Wenshui realize he didn’t have Liang Jin’s number.

Liang Jin said, “Memorize my number: 15…”

Li Wenshui pulled out an old, battered, bright red phone and struggled to press its peeling buttons. “Go ahead, I’ll save it.”

Seeing someone dressed in designer clothes using an elderly person’s phone and earnestly waiting to save a number was comical to Liang Jin. He found it amusing. “You’ve been using a phone like this? Your image is supposed to be the youngest son of a construction company boss and a wealthy internet celebrity. Isn’t this a bit unfitting?”

“Stop mocking me. I can hear it,” Li Wenshui snapped, visibly annoyed at Liang Jin’s sarcastic tone. “My phone was taken by Yu Zizhuo.”

Liang Jin noted how Li Wenshui’s almond-shaped eyes widened, fierce yet adorable.

He laughed. “What’s the use of being fierce with me? Why don’t you show that to Yu Zizhuo? Why didn’t you get him locked up?”

“I’ve already sent him in once,” Li Wenshui said, initially sounding proud and defiant, but then his confidence waned as he added, “His parents bailed him out. Reporting him now won’t help; you can’t fight power.”

The car door opened automatically, and Liang Jin placed an umbrella next to Li Wenshui. Smiling, he teased, “Impressive. I guess I shouldn’t provoke you, or you might send me in someday.”

“Do you ever stop mocking people? You…”

When Li Wenshui got emotional, the corners of his eyes would be tinged with a faint blush. It wasn’t obvious unless you looked closely, but up close, it made him look delicate and charming. His rosy lips parted as if to speak again.

Liang Jin didn’t expect anything pleasant to come out of his mouth. With one hand, he pinched Li Wenshui’s cheek, making his soft lips pout slightly. Liang Jin squinted his eyes and, taking advantage of the moment, leaned in and gave him a light kiss.

The sudden closeness, the brush of lips, and the mingling of breaths sent Li Wenshui’s brain into a standstill. By the time he processed what had happened, Liang Jin had already let him go, leaving three faint pink fingerprints on his fair face.

Looking at Liang Jin, who acted as if nothing had happened, Li Wenshui, normally quick with his words, found himself at a loss. Liang Jin slipped a business card into Li Wenshui’s pocket, gently pinching his stunned face. “Tomorrow afternoon at four, wait for me at the back gate of the school. Don’t be late.”

Li Wenshui pressed his lips together, grabbed the cake and the smashed mangoes, and jumped out of the car. Liang Jin called after him again, “You forgot your umbrella.”

Holding the umbrella with a grin, Liang Jin watched him. Li Wenshui snatched the umbrella from him, gave him what seemed like a glare, and turned to walk into the dark alley.

Liang Jin’s lips curved into a faint smile as he drove away in good spirits.

Li Wenshui hadn’t gone far into the alley when he turned back to check, but Liang Jin was already gone. He turned back again, his path faintly lit by a weak light ahead.

A girl in a blue school uniform stood by the wall, holding a lantern to shield herself from the rain.

Li Wenshui hurried over and held the umbrella over her head. “Why didn’t you wait for me at home?”

“I didn’t have anything to do at home, so I came out for some fresh air,” the girl replied, her round, bright eyes lively and mischievous.

“You’re about to take your college entrance exams. What if you catch a cold?” Rain had soaked half of Li Wenshui’s shoulder.

Li Wenqing glanced back, clasping her hands behind her, and tilted her head to study her brother’s face. “Ge, who was the person who dropped you off? Your girlfriend?”

Li Wenshui’s heart skipped a beat. “What did you see?”

Li Wenqing waved her hand. “I didn’t see anything. Just guessing.”

“Don’t make wild guesses, kid. Just a friend.”

“Alright.”

Li Wenqing laughed, leapt onto her brother’s back, hooked her arms around his neck, and let the lantern dangle against his chest, lighting their way through the darkness.

She exclaimed, “Ge, your shoulder’s wet!”

Li Wenqing, at 1.67 meters tall, was only ten centimeters shorter than Li Wenshui. He couldn’t fully carry her on his back, so she had to occasionally touch the ground with her feet. The two swayed their way into the courtyard.

Li Wenshui patted her back. “We’re here. Get down already. How old are you to still want your brother to carry you?”

“Why not?”

Li Wenqing jumped down, took the items from his hands, and headed to the door. The porch light swayed gently in the wind and rain.

Pushing the door open, Li Wenshui saw the simple meal on the table: white rice and stir-fried vegetables. It was unclear how long it had been sitting there; it looked a bit cold.

“I bought you some mangoes and cake. Eat those for now, and I’ll heat up the food,” Li Wenshui said.

He turned his back to Li Wenqing and changed into casual clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and put on an apron. He thought to himself that Li Wenqing was still growing, and a meal without meat wouldn’t do. He decided to cook another meat dish.

In the cramped kitchen, Li Wenshui got busy. Since they didn’t have a refrigerator, they couldn’t store fresh meat, and it was too late to buy any pork. Luckily, they still had a can of luncheon meat.

From the other room, Li Wenqing called out, “Ge, three of the mangoes are rotten.”

“You eat the good ones. Leave the rotten ones for me.”

Li Wenqing protested, “Ge—how many times do I have to tell you that you can’t eat rotten fruit!”

“Mangoes that are bruised from being dropped are fine to eat,” Li Wenshui replied as he picked up an egg and cracked it open with one hand, skillfully whisking it.

“Ge—” Li Wenqing, a girl full of endless questions, called again.

Patiently, Li Wenshui responded, “Hmm? What is it?”

“Who is Liang Jin?”

His hands froze for a moment. Li Wenqing continued, “The label on the cake box says ‘Honored VIP, Mr. Liang Jin.’ Is he the friend who just gave you a ride home?”

Distracted, Li Wenshui muttered an absent-minded “Yes.”

“The cake was from him too, wasn’t it? It’s so expensive. This tiny piece costs 535 yuan!”

As the oil in the pan heated up, Li Wenshui remained lost in thought, still whisking the eggs absentmindedly.

Standing at the kitchen door, Li Wenqing observed her brother’s face, which alternated between smiles, frowns, and puffs of anger. She thought to herself, It seems that Mr. Liang Jin is someone who makes my brother feel very conflicted.

At the dinner table, the plate of scrambled eggs with sausage was so full it was nearly overflowing.

“Ge, there’s so much. I can’t finish it,” said Li Wenqing, propping her chin on her hand.

“That’s fine. If you can’t finish, I’ll eat the rest.”

Peeling the skin off one of the bruised mangoes, Li Wenshui took a bite. Its sweet and fragrant flavor filled his mouth, far better than that of regular mangoes. Yet, if Liang Jin hadn’t liked them, he wouldn’t have bought such expensive fruit no matter how much he liked them.

“Gege,” Li Wenqing placed a piece of egg in Li Wenshui’s bowl, hesitated, and then asked cautiously, “I heard that Dad has been locked up.”

Li Wenshui looked up, set down the mango, and his expression turned serious. “Who told you that? Was it Wu Dongya or Li Liyan? Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to have any contact with them?”

“No… It’s just that… well, Li Liyan keeps calling me,” her voice trailed off into a whisper, “Ge, has Dad… been locked up for a long time?”

Li Wenshui said nothing, silently studying Li Wenqing’s evasive gaze.

When he took her away from Wu Dongya’s house, she was still too young to understand anything. He had never instilled hatred for them in her because he wanted his sister to grow up unburdened by their dysfunctional family.

To Li Wenqing, their departure was because Wu Dongya didn’t want to keep them. It wasn’t the fault of Li Qun or Li Liyan. As a result, she bore no resentment toward them.

It was fine for her not to hate them, but now that she was eighteen, she should have understood everything. Yet she still maintained contact with them, and this made him deeply uncomfortable.

“So, do you want to plead on Li Qun’s behalf?”