These past few days coincided with the third-year mock exams, and today was the final day. Qi An’an had been buzzing with excitement all day, and the test questions flowed effortlessly for her.

As soon as the bell rang, Qi An’an turned in her paper and ran out. Since Jiang Lu wasn’t in the same exam room as her, she hurried over to his classroom and peeked through the window just in time to see him packing up his things and heading out.

“Jiang Lu!” Qi An’an called out with a bright smile, her eyes curved into crescents as she waved at him. “What a coincidence, I just happened to see you!”

“Qi An’an, don’t stand so close to me.” Jiang Lu said as he instinctively stepped back two paces.

Though his voice stayed deliberately cold, his heart sighed helplessly. He kept a half-meter distance between them. She might be clueless, but he always had to think of her well-being.

But Qi An’an didn’t care about his warnings. In two or three steps, she had closed that half-meter gap. “You were full of rules back when we used to walk together too. I don’t care.”

Her precious boy still seemed unused to close physical contact with people. This wouldn’t do. Once her precious girl came along, they’d have to walk side by side eventually.

Seeing that Qi An’an had again moved right next to him within a few steps, Jiang Lu let out a sigh in his heart and helplessly quickened his pace.

This was exactly how he had ‘abandoned’ her at the start, no longer walking her home after school. With his long legs and fast stride, even when she jogged, she couldn’t keep up. Eventually, she understood his intentions and stopped pitifully hoping to go home with him.

Now, watching him pull the same trick again, Qi An’an wanted to shout at his back, ‘Don’t run!’ Honestly, couldn’t he calm down? All this old mother wanted was to celebrate his birthday, and yet he ran like the wind.

Normally she would’ve let it go, but today was special. Qi An’an had no choice but to speed up to chase that tall figure.

At this point, the exam had just ended, and the hallway was crowded. Qi An’an was trying hard to catch up with Jiang Lu when someone accidentally bumped her from behind. She lost her balance and went down in a glorious fall.

It was quite the spectacle. Her pencil case slipped from her hand and hit the ground, spilling stationery everywhere.

So embarrassing! Qi An’an was extremely frustrated. As she braced herself to get up, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from ahead.

A pair of long, strong hands appeared in her line of sight, gently supporting her elbow. “Why were you so careless?”

Qi An’an looked up and locked eyes with Jiang Lu, whose usually dark and unreadable eyes now brimmed with urgency. It was strange. This was the first time she had ever seen such rich emotion in those pitch-black pupils of his. But the pain in her knees left her little time to think.

Jiang Lu’s brows were furrowed, but his hands were gentle. “Come on, get up first.”

He helped her up, only for his movement to stiffen as he realized what he had done. But Qi An’an acted naturally and even smiled at him, which made him feel a little more at ease. He cautiously withdrew his hands.

By then, the schoolmate who had bumped into her had already picked up her stationery and handed it back. “Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. Are you okay? Is it serious? Do you need to go to the clinic?”

Sigh, what’s one fall? Besides, the other party had basically helped her catch up to her troublesome cub. He’d done her a favor. Qi An’an waved it off without a care. “I’m fine, really. It’s not serious. Don’t worry.”

She smiled, and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, soft and warm. The boy stared, clearly dazed, then nodded. “That’s…… good. Since I knocked you over, if you feel unwell later, you can call me.” He tore a piece of paper and quickly jotted down his number before handing it to her.

Though Qi An’an had no intention of asking for compensation, she took the note to put him at ease. “Got it. Really, I’m okay. You can go now.”

The boy glanced at her again before finally walking off, still a bit dazed.

Jiang Lu cast a glance at the other party’s retreating figure. His dark eyes gave nothing away. But when his gaze returned to Qi An’an, it softened again. “Can you still walk?”

Qi An’an cleared her throat and deliberately teased him, “Not only can I walk, I can walk really fast.”

Jiang Lu said nothing. He lowered his eyes, and his long lashes drooped quietly. The way he looked was filled with guilt and sadness.

Q Qi An’an was startled. She hadn’t expected Jiang Lu to take it so seriously. In a fluster, she tried to console him, “What are you doing, baby? Don’t overthink this! It was just dumb bad luck, really. If you want to blame someone, blame that guy with glasses, not you! I wasn’t chasing after you because you walk fast— I was walking slower than a stroll, I swear.”

Jiang Lu kept his head lowered, his expression hidden. Qi An’an had no choice but to bend down slightly, trying to peek at his face from below.

She didn’t realize that from this angle, her round eyes made her look even more adorable. Jiang Lu’s heart softened. He pointed at the steps nearby. “Sit here for a while. I’ll go get some iodine.”

Earlier, he’d been so frantic he’d forgotten all restraint and helped her without thinking. Now that his reason had returned, he didn’t dare touch her again.

When Jiang Lu came back, Qi An’an had somehow found a bottle of water and was quietly humming while rinsing the wounds on her knees.

Her slender legs were straight and porcelain white, almost unnaturally delicate. Jiang Lu felt like his gaze had been burned. When he saw the scrapes on her knees, he couldn’t help but frown lightly.

Jiang Lu handed her the medicine. “Qi An’an…… put some medicine on.”

“Thanks, Jiang Lu.” Qi An’an said, taking it.

She had only dabbed it on a few times before Jiang Lu couldn’t help but warn her, “Hey…… be careful. Don’t be so rough.”

Qi An’an answered breezily, “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry, I’m tough.”

Jiang Lu sighed and gave a helpless smile. He knelt in front of her. “Give it to me.”

He carefully treated her wounds. Just as he was about to stand, Qi An’an beamed and waved at him mysteriously. “Wait, Jiang Lu.”

The evening wind ruffled his dark hair slightly. Jiang Lu didn’t move. “What is it?”

Qi An’an grinned and gestured for him to come closer. “Come here and you’ll see. Sit.”

She patted the step next to her with a flourish. “Hurry, hurry.”

As if under a spell, Jiang Lu walked over and sat down.

“Jiang Lu, happy birthday.” She said in a sweet voice, propping her chin in her hands, her smile radiant. “And happy Children’s Day.”

The sunset’s golden glow fell across her fair face, casting a soft halo around her. She looked like a painting.

Jiang Lu froze.

He blinked slowly, staring at her in a daze. A moment later, he felt a soft, unfamiliar ache in his chest.

He never would have imagined that she would remember his birthday.

He had never expected birthday wishes. This was the first time in his life someone had said happy birthday to him.

And the girl before him, with her warm, unguarded smile, had offered her blessing on what he considered a tainted, unworthy day.

His fingers trembled slightly. He quietly placed his hands on his knees and replied hoarsely, “Thank you.”

Qi An’an cheerfully pulled out a small red charm from her pocket and handed it over. “Here’s your birthday present. I personally asked for this lucky charm. It’s for lifelong happiness and peace.”

In the end, she didn’t go with the fancy gifts Yu Tianyang suggested. As nice as they were, she felt Jiang Lu wouldn’t accept them. He was a sensitive boy. Too expensive a gift might only add to his burden.

But this lucky charm was perfect. It showed her care and expressed her heart. As a devoted mother fan, she only wished for him to grow up safe, happy, and eventually live a joyful life with someone he loves.

Of course, if he could throw her some sugar along the way, that’d be even better.

Jiang Lu stared at the gift in a daze. Her soft little hand held the red charm tenderly, and he found himself holding his breath, wiping his palms against his pants helplessly.

At last, Jiang Lu slowly reached out and took the gift. “Thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”

His voice was soft, but his tone was sincere and determined.

Qi An’an’s smile was as bright as honey. Jiang Lu silently looked at her for a moment longer, then forced himself to turn away, gently closing his fingers around the charm.

────ρя


After one final week of intense study, the high school entrance exams finally came to an end. Qi Yan, who was swamped with work out of town, found time to call home. “An’an, how did the exam go?”

Although Qi An’an felt it wouldn’t be a fair victory no matter how high she scored, she still couldn’t help feeling a little pleased with herself. “I did really well. With a brother who once ranked tenth in the whole city, I should at least make it into the top fifty, right?”

Qi Yan was coaxed into a soft laugh. “Alright, our An’an is truly smart. I’ve been too busy lately. When I get some time, I’ll definitely come back to keep you company. Be good at home, okay?”

“I know, Brother. Don’t worry about me. Just make sure you get enough rest and don’t stay up too late. Remember to eat on time.”

Qi Yan felt soothed in his heart and smiled gently. “There’s one more thing……”

He hesitated, then finally spoke in a low voice, “Qi Zhen should be arriving this afternoon. If anything happens, you must call me.”

The female protagonist is coming this afternoon? Qi An’an’s eyes lit up immediately. “Don’t worry, Brother. No one can bully your sister. I promise. Just focus on work.”

After hanging up, Qi An’an bounced in place three times in excitement. The female protagonist had appeared. Now all that was left was the male protagonist! She couldn’t wait and immediately called Jiang Lu.

“Jiang Lu, what are you doing?” Qi An’an’s voice was laced with laughter. “Come over and hang out at my place this afternoon, okay?”

On the phone, Jiang Lu’s voice was deep and rich with a magnetic tone, “I’m not coming.”

“Don’t reject me so quickly! Come on, you promised to draw me a picture before, remember?” She had waited so long for this initial meeting scene. If she had to wait any longer, she’d go crazy from craving it.

There was a pause on the other end. Then Jiang Lu said, “I……”

Qi An’an heard just that one word and immediately knew he was about to refuse. She quickly softened her tone and shamelessly gave up her pride, “Please come, Jiang Lu. We haven’t seen each other much since the high school entrance exams started. I really miss you.”

There was a long silence before Jiang Lu’s voice finally came, low and quiet, “Alright.”

Receiving his reply, Qi An’an rolled excitedly across her bed.

────ρя


Jiang Lu stared at the darkened screen of his phone and gently rubbed it with a softened expression.

Qin Meng hadn’t noticed his face. Her fingers trembled slightly as she shakily brought a cigarette to her lips and took a drag. Her long curly hair was messy and unkempt. “You beat up Sister Wu’s client that badly and still walked away unscathed? You actually paid that woman off? Where the hell did you get so much money?”

Jiang Lu put away his phone and gave her a calm glance. “It’s none of your business.”

He met the woman’s hateful gaze and curled his lips. “Don’t look at me like that. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m fine. Drugging me? What am I, a child?”

Qin Meng’s expression changed drastically. “You pretended to pass out yesterday?”

Jiang Lu’s eyes turned cold. It was pitch black and devoid of emotion. “You’ve been trying to shove me into your client’s bed for ages. I just took the chance to kill that idea for good. Anyway, it’s you who’s offended that surnamed Wu now. She actually seems to think highly of me.”

Qin Meng clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, spitting out each word, “Where did you get that much money?”

Just the thought that Jiang Lu might not be living as miserably as she’d imagined made her furious. She shot up and cursed, “You little bastard, you really hid it well! But I still got something out of it. If I’m not wrong, wasn’t yesterday the entrance exam? You missed it. That must sting, huh?”

As if hearing a joke, Jiang Lu let out a low laugh. “I can’t believe how stupid you are. It’s just an exam. You think I care?”

Even without yesterday’s counterattack, he wouldn’t have taken the exam seriously. Top scorer? Reputation? All of it would just become a knife in this lunatic’s hands, ready to stab him full of holes.

If he didn’t want to fall from the altar, he had to bury himself in the mud first.

He didn’t care. He didn’t mind becoming ordinary. The only regret was that he had hoped the one bit of success he had might leave that girl with a faint impression of him.

“You’re lying! Of course you care!” Qin Meng shrieked. Her breathing grew rapid, her eyes turned cold, and her tone darkened, “That b*tch Wu threw me away. You schemed against me, ruined my business, and destroyed everything I had! You think I’ll let you off? I’m going to destroy you too!”

Jiang Lu looked indifferently at the hysterical woman before him and tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Twisted and gloomy, his life had been nothing but darkness and filth. If it weren’t for that ray of light, he would have already fallen into the abyss, utterly destroyed.

He took his few belongings— a still-sealed eraser and a protective charm he kept close— and left without looking back.

────ρя


Driven by her CP-fan soul, Qi An’an waited eagerly by the window.

The floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor offered a great view. She leaned there watching for over an hour until she finally saw a taxi slowly stop by the gate. A girl in a white dress stepped out— tall and slender.

Qi An’an’s eyes widened. That must be the female protagonist!

The girl got out of the car, said a word to the driver, and started dragging her heavy suitcase from the trunk. Qi An’an was just about to head downstairs to help when another figure appeared in her line of sight.

Jiang Lu rounded the corner. He used to wait for Qi An’an there when they went to school together, so he was very familiar with her home.

Today he wore a plain black T-shirt. Without the school uniform, he had shed the youthful innocence and now looked even sharper and colder. Even though his clothes were simple, Jiang Lu’s appearance and aura were so striking that someone unfamiliar might mistake him for a young heir from a wealthy family.

It was hot, and Qi Zhen raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, fanning herself with the other. A shadow appeared in her peripheral vision. She glanced over casually and froze.

Her heart skipped a beat. Without regard for manners, she stared directly at Jiang Lu.

Her gaze was so intense that Jiang Lu noticed.

When he turned, the person was still moving her things, so he didn’t think much of it— until he got closer and realized she was staring so blatantly.

That naked stare triggered a wave of physical revulsion. Jiang Lu frowned slightly and deliberately shifted away to put some distance between them.

From upstairs, Qi An’an couldn’t make out Jiang Lu’s reaction. Just seeing this unexpected encounter had already made her dizzy with excitement.

They were in the same frame! They made eye contact!

Qi An’an’s world was instantly filled with pink bubbles. But the real drama was just beginning. When Jiang Lu passed Qi Zhen, she suddenly stepped forward and said something to him. Qi An’an couldn’t hear what it was from so far away.

In the next second, Qi Zhen grabbed Jiang Lu’s wrist.