It felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained in an instant and Jiang Lu’s grip on He Jiahao’s collar loosened.

He abruptly turned his face away, a flash of panic passing through his eyes. With a fierce motion, he flung He Jiahao aside. “Get lost.”

He Jiahao panted for breath, scrambling to his feet and fleeing in a hurry. Those still sprawled messily across the ground also took the chance to escape if they could.

Jiang Lu turned and walked away without sparing a glance at Jiang Zifan, Zhou Qi, or the others.

“Hey, Brother Lu……” Jiang Zifan hadn’t even finished speaking when a clear, crisp voice rang out from behind.

“Jiang Lu!”

Jiang Lu’s footsteps paused ever so slightly, then he continued walking forward. Zhou Qi and the others exchanged looks, sensing something unusual. For so long, plenty of people had tried to get close to Jiang Lu, but he had always handled them effortlessly. Yet this time, he didn’t look like someone ignoring a pursuer. He looked more like he was fleeing.

Still, no matter how odd the situation, none of them dared gossip about Jiang Lu at a time like this. They all lowered their heads and followed quietly.

But the girl behind them didn’t give up. In a few quick steps, she caught up. “Jiang Lu! Jiang Lu, why are you ignoring me?”

Finally, Jiang Lu came to a halt, resignedly standing still. He looked straight ahead and spoke in a low voice, “You guys go ahead first.”

His expression was unreadable, but no one dared tease him. They all left in silence.

Seeing that Jiang Lu had stopped and made no move to run, Qi An’an slowly walked up to him. She watched him closely, but he didn’t return her gaze.

There was no emotion on Jiang Lu’s face, but in the depths of his dark eyes, a faint ripple stirred— like a convict awaiting judgment, quietly despairing.

Qi An’an, however, was too concerned to notice the subtle shifts in his expression. She looked him over from head to toe and asked with concern, “Jiang Lu, why were you fighting? Did he bully you? Are you hurt?”

Jiang Lu froze for a second, turning his head toward her in disbelief.

Meeting her worried eyes, his throat tightened, and he couldn’t utter a single word.

Thinking of what she had seen earlier— their conversation and the people lying on the ground— Qi An’an grew even more uneasy. She reached out to roll up Jiang Lu’s sleeve. “Let me see. I saw blood on your sleeve. Did you get cut? If you’re hurt, you need to treat it quickly. Don’t let it get infected.”

Her small hand was warm, and the touch sent a tremor through him. Jiang Lu suddenly yanked his hand back with force, even stepping away.

“Don’t touch me.” His hand wasn’t clean now. Jiang Lu hid it behind his back.

His voice was hoarse, and beneath it lay a dense, barely concealed restraint.

Seeing how much he resisted, Qi An’an dared not reach out again. “Okay, I won’t touch you. Just be careful. Don’t strain yourself.”

Jiang Lu’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice. He looked up at Qi An’an. Her eyes were as clear and pure as ever as they were fixed on him. It was filled with concern and worry, and reflections of him shimmered inside.

He confirmed it twice. There was no anger or disgust.

Jiang Lu’s lashes trembled faintly. His hand at his side slowly clenched. Without a word, he suddenly turned and started walking.

“Wait, Jiang Lu!” Qi An’an hurried to block his path. “You…… Did you enroll in Xincheng No. 1 High School?”

Her confusion was genuine, without any reproach. “Don’t deny it. You had No. 1 High’s uniform, and your friends were wearing it too. So why did you tell me you enrolled in No. 7 High?”

And all this time, he hadn’t told her the truth. What was that about? Qi An’an couldn’t make sense of Jiang Lu’s thinking.

Jiang Lu stayed silent for a moment, then turned slightly and gave her a faint smile, tinged with coldness. “Because I wanted to lie to you. What does it have to do with you what school I go to?”

As soon as he said that, Jiang Lu felt a swelling in his throat, the metallic taste of blood faintly rising.

Since he had said this much, she shouldn’t care about him anymore. His self-control wasn’t exactly reliable.

Qi An’an was momentarily choked by his words, at a loss for what to say. She felt a little sulky. Why lie to a friend? But then again, wasn’t it a good thing that Jiang Lu enrolled in Xincheng No. 1 High School? All her worries about being in different schools had just vanished.

Qi An’an had always protected Jiang Lu and was never one to hold a grudge against him. And after not seeing him for so long, meeting him again was a joy in itself.

“If you’d told me sooner, we would’ve known we were schoolmates already. We could’ve studied together.” Qi An’an, carefree as always, brushed off Jiang Lu’s earlier sharp words as if they meant nothing.

Jiang Lu’s lips pressed into a thin line as his gaze fell on the neatly worn school uniform Qi An’an had on. The uniform of Xincheng No. 1 High was white with red trim— clean and vibrant. She looked adorable and full of energy in it.

He looked away and couldn’t help but curse Qi Yan inwardly. The guy looked sharp but couldn’t even dig up a simple detail. He didn’t know the two of them enrolled in the same school? Was this some kind of loyalty test?

If he’d known Qi An’an was also attending Xincheng No. 1, maybe he wouldn’t have chosen such a reckless path so easily.

But now, there was no going back.

Jiang Lu knew he couldn’t stay any longer. After a two-second pause, he said quietly, “I have things to do. Don’t bother me.” With that, he strode off quickly.

“Jiang Lu, wait—”

Qi An’an only managed to call out once before Jiang Lu stopped again. But he didn’t turn around.

“Your hand.” She reminded, “Don’t forget to treat the wound, okay? And be careful when showering. Don’t let it get wet.”

Jiang Lu still didn’t look back. He stood with his back to her, slowly raising a hand to his chest.

There, he kept a safety charm.

His slender, beautiful fingers trembled slightly, the veins on the back of his hand faintly standing out.

In the end, Jiang Lu didn’t say another word to Qi An’an. He lifted his foot and walked away.

────ρя


That night, Qi An’an couldn’t focus on her homework. After writing for a bit, she set her pen down and started thinking.

Jiang Lu had enrolled in Xincheng No. 1. That was great news. But…… why did it feel like he was a completely different person? Also, he had been placed in Class 16. Was it because something went wrong during the exam? Just how poorly had he performed……?

She blamed herself for not noticing sooner.

Putting it all together, Qi An’an reached a conclusion. Jiang Lu must have been deeply affected by his poor performance on the entrance exam. He must have been really upset.

And today, he’d even gotten into a fight. The friends around him didn’t look like good students either. She was happy he has friends, but seeing him like this reminded her of a part in the novel— when he was in prison, cold and detached.

No, no, no! Qi An’an shook her head hard to chase away that part of the story. After much thought, she picked up her phone and called Jiang Lu.

The phone rang while Jiang Lu was standing on the balcony, silently watching the city at night. His apartment was on a high floor with a wide view, and the open-air balcony gave him a sweeping look at the glittering streets below. The night sky gleamed with city lights.

He had just finished showering and his hair was still damp. When the phone rang, Jiang Lu didn’t reach for it immediately. He rubbed his brow, then casually glanced at the screen. The moment he saw the caller ID, his body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

He held the phone tightly for a while, his palm growing damp with sweat. Finally, he pressed ‘Answer.’

“……What is it?” He asked.

He had meant to sound indifferent, but didn’t realize that in the night breeze, his voice carried a low, gentle softness.

Qi An’an had almost hung up when he answered. She blinked and forgot the order she had planned to say things. So she started with, “Jiang Lu, how’s your hand? Did you bandage it?”

Jiang Lu looked down at his arm. Earlier that day, one of the guys managed to slash him. The cut wasn’t deep but was long, and it looked worse than it was. He hadn’t paid much attention to it, even letting water get on it during his shower.

Now the wound had turned pale pink, slightly swollen from the moisture, the skin curling at the edges.

Jiang Lu gave a low hum. “It’s taken care of. Anything else?”

“Yes, yes, wait a second. You……” Qi An’an hesitated. “Jiang Lu, if you’re ever feeling upset or wronged…… can you talk to me about it?”

Jiang Lu closed his eyes. The phone in his hand creaked slightly from his grip. After taking two deep breaths, he said softly, “I’m not upset.”

Qi An’an carefully chose her words, her soft voice traveling through the receiver, “Is it because the high school entrance exam didn’t go well? It’s my fault too. I didn’t notice it back then…… I should’ve comforted you sooner. But Jiang Lu, don’t lose heart. You’re so smart and capable. Even if your starting point isn’t ideal, you can still—”

Jiang Lu cut her off. “Don’t say anymore.”

Don’t say anymore. If she kept talking, the fragile fortress he had barely managed to build in his heart would collapse completely.

She had said it before— she wouldn’t be in an early relationship with him.

She wasn’t wrong. And he couldn’t bear the thought either. He didn’t want someone as good as her to be tainted by someone like him.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Jiang Lu hung up the phone.

Outside, the night stretched vast and desolate. Jiang Lu stood in silence for a long time before letting out a low sigh. In truth, he had wanted to ask Qi An’an why she applied to Xincheng No. 1 High School.

For the next three years, she would be right under his nose, so close to him. Was this heaven’s way of prolonging his torment, or was it a rare mercy from fate?

────ρя


The next day, Qi An’an wore an expression like she was contemplating life as she made it through her classes.

By the time school ended, Ji Ruomeng couldn’t hold back anymore. “An’an, are you trying to ascend to immortality today or something? You’re acting…… super calm. Like you’re ready to become a nun any second.”

Qi An’an neatly aligned her books with obsessive precision. “I’ve seen my destiny clearly. I’m doomed to grow old alone. My daughter doesn’t like me, and my son hates me.”

“Wow, that bad?” Ji Ruomeng’s tone carried no sympathy. “Then don’t have kids at all. Sons and daughters are all trouble anyway, and they’ll just fight over your inheritance. Not worth it.”

“You two are still talking about having kids at a time like this?” Yu Tianyang strolled in from the front of the classroom, loud and casual as always. “Focus on the present, will you?”

Yu Tianyang was on Class 2. Both Class 1 and Class 2 were honors classes, but Class 1 had a slightly better overall performance. He had missed the cutoff for Class 1 by just one point during the entrance exam, and ended up entering Class 2 as their top scorer.

Not many of their middle school classmates enrolled in Xincheng No. 1 High, and Qi An’an was his only close friend there. So he frequently wandered over to Class 1. Even Ji Ruomeng knew him by now. “What’s there to worry about right now? It’s just military training. We’ve already done that in middle school. And if you ask me, No. 1 High is already being humane by scheduling it after the hottest weeks. At least it’s autumn now. You should’ve seen the kids at No. 3 and No. 5 High, they got sunburned so badly.”

Yu Tianyang said, “Sunburn’s nothing. I heard this time we’re getting instructors from Longcheng First Unit. Two words— intense training. You girls are gonna be trained to death.”

Ji Ruomeng instantly fired back. “Just you wait. We’ll see who dies first!”

Qi An’an laughed, holding her forehead, and without hesitation sided with Ji Ruomeng. “Big Nephew, did you really run over here just to laugh at us girls for being weak at military training?”

Yu Tianyang let out a dramatic “Ay yo!” and waved his hands. “No way. I’m here out of kindness. Since the school’s going into full lockdown mode for training, everyone has to board— no exceptions. I came to see if you need help moving your stuff.”

Military training at Xincheng No. 1 was different from other schools. It followed full military-style management. Regardless of whether students were day or boarding students, everyone had to stay on campus during training. The weekend before training began was the designated time for moving into dorms. Parents were not allowed to help and all organization had to be done independently.

“No need to trouble yourself. We can handle it.” Qi An’an said, and Ji Ruomeng nodded. “Don’t worry, we’re not that useless. We’ll be done in no time.”

Yu Tianyang raised an eyebrow. “Sure? Don’t be shy. Boys and girls are in the same dorm building— just upstairs and downstairs. If your stuff’s too heavy, call me.”

────ρя


The next day, Qi An’an brought two large suitcases— one filled with clothes, the other with bedding. Butler Chen repeatedly asked the gate guard if guardians were really not allowed in, and only gave up reluctantly after confirming it.

“Miss, why don’t you listen to the young master? He said it’s fine to take a leave. The teacher won’t make things hard for you. It’s going to be tough, you know.”

Qi An’an was amused by Butler Chen’s miserable expression. “Don’t worry, Uncle Chen. It’s just military training. All the students are doing it. Why should I be the only one to skip? I’m not that delicate. Don’t listen to my brother. I finally managed to convince him.”

Butler Chen had no choice but to nag her some more before watching her drag her suitcases through the gate.

When she reached the assigned dorm building, she immediately spotted Ji Ruomeng standing downstairs with her hands on her hips, staring bitterly at her four suitcases.

“Mengmeng!” Qi An’an called out as she walked over. “Why do you have so much stuff? Did you seriously pack a whole suitcase of snacks?” She asked, pointing at the largest one.

“Of course! How else am I supposed to survive military training without snacks?” Ji Ruomeng placed a hand on Qi An’an’s shoulder and took a deep breath. “Come on, my beautiful warrior, pick the first one to take upstairs.”

“Let’s go with this one.” Qi An’an laughed and patted the biggest suitcase.

The girls’ dorms were on the fourth floor. Two girls carrying one suitcase wasn’t exhausting. They only needed to make six trips, and it wouldn’t take long. After moving two suitcases, they were about to start on the third when they saw Yu Tianyang coming down the stairs.

“Oh my goodness, put that down! Give it to me.” Yu Tianyang rushed over and took the suitcase from them. “I’ve already finished unpacking. Let me help carry yours. Whose is this one?”

The first two were Ji Ruomeng’s, and so was this one. She didn’t argue with him. “It’s mine. Much appreciated, Brother Yu.”

“Cut the nonsense. Come upstairs with me. I’ll help you take it to your room.” Yu Tianyang turned to Qi An’an and said firmly, “You stay right here. Don’t move. I’ll come back and carry the rest up.”

He had clearly been busy for a while already and his face was dripping with sweat. Qi An’an thought for a moment. The last of Ji Ruomeng’s suitcases wasn’t that big, so she could probably manage it on her own.

Just as she was about to move, someone called her name.

“An’an.”

Qi An’an turned around and saw Qi Zhen smiling at her. “An’an, are all these your things? Why are you moving them yourself? Couldn’t find a guy to help you?”

Qi An’an had already made two trips, and the hair at her temples was damp, clinging to her fair cheeks. She casually wiped it with her hand.

Qi Zhen’s words and tone made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t say much. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”

Just as she lowered her head and prepared to leave, she heard Qi Zhen call out toward the distance, “Jiang Lu! What a coincidence, running into you here.”

Qi An’an looked up and saw Jiang Lu approaching, pulling a suitcase, with a few friends walking alongside him.