After school, Chu Xingning and Chu Tao rarely went home together on a Friday.

Chu Tao had finished his tutoring classes, and Chu Xingning’s friend had gone to attend his aunt’s birthday.

However, the road from school to the alley entrance was rather bumpy.

“Hey, Chu Xingning, I’m Huang Suiyu from Class Eight. I’ve been noticing you for a while. Want to be friends?” The tall boy scratched his head awkwardly, and he wore a slightly seductive cologne.

Chu Xingning’s expression was a bit cold. “Sorry, I don’t need friends.”

“Chu, do you have time to hang out on Friday? I’m from the class ahead of you, and my family owns the famous Huanxing Hot Springs Resort.”

This hot spring resort was well-known, and everyone in Huai City knew that a visit there was quite expensive.

Chu Xingning didn’t respond and walked past him.

“Chu Xingning, Chu Xingning, let’s get to know each other!”

“Hey, Chu Xingning, do you remember me? We used to attend the same competition prep class.”

“Chu Xingning, I’ve liked you since middle school.”

“Chu Xingning, I’m of age now. I checked online, and our compatibility score is 90 percent. Shouldn’t we at least give it a try?”

These admirers crowded around, almost pushing Chu Tao aside.

At first, Chu Tao tried to be polite, asking them to give his brother some space since he was in a hurry to get home.

But the group was eager to hand gifts to Chu Xingning, ignoring Chu Tao’s words.

Finally, Chu Tao lost his patience, threw one of them over his shoulder, and forcefully told them to back off, finally scaring the group away.

Chu Xingning, annoyed, said, “So irritating! Isn’t spring supposed to be over by now? Why are these Alphas acting like they’re in heat?”

Chu Tao shook his head. “Who knows? Maybe someone shared your picture in the whole grade chat again.”

Chu Xingning had all sorts of widely circulated candid photos—doing exercises, attending classes, running, buying things.

It couldn’t be helped. Too many Alphas secretly admired him, and every time a new batch of freshmen arrived, they joined the persistent pursuit.

But as time passed, the freshmen had now been in Huainan for almost a year and weren’t as enthusiastic as before. It was strange how things suddenly flared up today.

As soon as Chu Tao got home, he noticed that Song Mian was in a bad mood.

He had to admit that he was pretty good at reading people’s emotions, especially with his mom, who wore her heart on her sleeve.

Song Mian’s joys and sorrows were pretty straightforward, mostly stemming from family matters or occasionally from the disruptive community members that drove her to the edge.

The meal was already prepared, and the kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma. Song Mian was furiously wiping the table, almost as if she wanted to scrub a hole into the tablecloth.

Chu Jiangmin sighed helplessly and patted her shoulder in a soothing gesture. “Come on, come on, the kids are back. Why are you so angry?”

Song Mian took a loud, heavy breath but didn’t reply. After finishing the table, she tossed the cloth forcefully into the sink.

The wet cloth hit the metal sink with a dull thud.

Chu Tao raised an eyebrow, wisely avoiding her as he headed to his room to drop off his bag.

Today, there had been a parent-teacher meeting. Most likely, his mom had been upset by something at school.

Once in his room, he closed the door behind him and tossed his bag onto the desk.

A crisp sound followed, as if there was something metallic inside.

Chu Tao lowered his gaze, staring at his bag for a moment before locking the door. He opened the zipper.

In a small pocket at the back of his bag, there was a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

Chu Tao’s breath hitched as he took out the chocolates, noticing a yellow sticky note attached to the lid.

The handwriting was Jiang She’s: neat, fluid, and confidently written.

— “Might not see you tomorrow, so here’s an early gift. Don’t get too emotional; just remember to repay me.”

Tomorrow?

Leaning back against the door, Chu Tao pondered slowly.

What was special about tomorrow?

It wasn’t anyone’s birthday, nor a special holiday.

But then he remembered—May 20th!

He couldn’t help but smile, amused that even the seemingly tough and unruly Jiang She knew about 5/20 (a date that sounds like “I love you” in Chinese).

He had completely forgotten. No wonder so many people at school were swarming around Chu Xingning today.

It still felt unfamiliar to him. He was used to these little gestures of affection being for his brother, with him quietly standing on the sidelines, sometimes helping chase away pesky admirers.

He’d never thought that one day, he’d have what his brother had.

Carefully, Chu Tao opened the box, and the rich aroma of chocolate wafted out immediately.

He looked down, picked up a piece, and gingerly unwrapped it before popping it into his mouth.

The wrapper was covered in Italian words he couldn’t quite understand, and he wasn’t sure how Jiang She had gotten hold of it.

The chocolate quickly melted from the warmth of his mouth, filling it with a rich, intense flavor.

He bit down lightly, breaking the shell, and the center oozed out with a sharp, tingling taste of rum.

The blend of cocoa and rum was absolutely delicious.

Chu Tao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he silently swallowed.

It seemed that tomorrow, he had to find Jiang She, as promised, to repay him.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Chu Tao quickly closed the chocolate box, then looked around his room, wondering where to hide it.

If he left and his mom came in to clean, what would he do if she found it?

This heart-shaped chocolate box was hard to hide.

Chu Tao opened his desk drawer, checked under the desk, even pulled out the storage under the bed, but none of these spots seemed safe enough.

Finally, he decided to tuck the box under his pillow.

As long as he made the bed before leaving, his mom generally wouldn’t touch his bed.

Relieved, Chu Tao took a deep breath, trying to swallow down the lingering taste of chocolate and rum, and then stepped out of his room.

Chu Xingning was at the sink washing his hands, raising his eyebrows at Chu Tao. “Mom is really mad.”

Chu Tao frowned slightly and joined him to wash his hands. “Yeah.”

Chu Xingning asked, “Smells good. Did you eat chocolate?”

Chu Tao paused for a moment. “Uh, yeah.”

Chu Xingning asked casually, “What brand? Smells nice.”

Chu Tao had no idea what that Italian brand was called. Jiang She had probably had someone bring it over from abroad.

He blurted out, “Dove.”

Chu Xingning turned his head curiously. “Did someone give it to you?”

Chu Tao swallowed, his gaze flickering, his ears reddening slightly. “A classmate.”

“Oh.” Since most of the classmates in Chu Tao’s class were Alphas, Chu Xingning didn’t think much of it. He dried his hands and went to the kitchen with Chu Tao.

Song Mian was still angry.

It looked like her anger might last until tomorrow.

Chu Tao was completely puzzled.

What had happened at the parent-teacher meeting?

Ms. Yang wasn’t the type to say upsetting things, or was it because he had dropped one rank, and his mom just couldn’t handle it?

That would be expecting a bit too much from him, wouldn’t it?

Seeing Song Mian’s mood, Chu Xingning also felt a bit suppressed.

This time, it wasn’t that Chu Tao had fallen behind; it was likely that Song Mian was upset because he had dropped out of the top ten.

Chu Xingning took a deep breath, walked over, and gently tugged on Song Mian’s sleeve, saying softly, “Mom, don’t be mad. I’ll definitely get back in next time.”

Song Mian’s icy expression softened slightly. Her gaze softened, but her tone was still a bit stiff. “It has nothing to do with you.”

Chu Tao, who had just finished washing his hands, overheard her and paused slightly.

If it wasn’t about his brother, then it was about him?

Chu Tao still wanted to enjoy his meal, so he added, “I’ll get back next time too.”

Song Mian’s expression froze, and she looked at Chu Tao with a strange look. “Back where? Do you want to fall back to 50th place?”

Chu Tao was taken aback, unprepared for her question.

He had meant he’d get back to 20th place, but it seemed there wasn’t much difference between 20th and 21st, so it wasn’t surprising his mom misunderstood.

Chu Xingning pressed his lips together and put an arm around Chu Tao’s shoulder. “You did well this time; I’m the one who didn’t do so great.”

Chu Jiangmin waved his hand, giving the two of them a look. “What are you two thinking? This has nothing to do with either of you, so stop taking the blame.”

Song Mian stayed silent and went to bring over the dishes from the pot.

Chu Tao and Chu Xingning exchanged a confused look.

Song Mian set the dishes on the table, and Chu Jiangmin brought over the rice cooker.

“Time to eat!” Song Mian pulled out a chair, and the legs scraped against the floor, making an ear-piercing sound.

Chu Jiangmin rubbed his temples in frustration and tried to reason with her, “You’ve known her for years; you two have been colleagues for so long. Don’t you already know what she’s like? You’ll still see her at work—making things tense won’t help.”

Song Mian put down her chopsticks, glaring at Chu Jiangmin. “What do you mean by ‘making things tense won’t help’? Did you hear what she said? And you had no reaction at all! I get it now—the kids are clearly only my responsibility!”

Chu Jiangmin sighed and gently rubbed her back to calm her down. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But what can I, as a grown man, do—go and argue with a woman?”

Song Mian turned away, biting into a piece of chicken with force. “Fine, I’m the only one who has an issue with her.”

Chu Tao scooped a spoonful of rice and casually asked, “Auntie Tang? What happened?”

Chu Xingning perked up, listening closely. In their home, Song Mian’s mood often set the tone for the whole household.

Song Mian replied curtly, “I’m cutting ties with Tang Lingmei! Don’t mention her to me again!”

Chu Tao closed his mouth and looked wide-eyed at his father across the table.

Chu Jiangmin discreetly shrugged, signaling him not to ask further.

Chu Xingning, being the most doted on in the family, usually took on the role of cheering up his mother when she was upset.

He chuckled, “Mom, why are you acting like a little kid? Adults shouldn’t end friendships over a little disagreement.”

He figured maybe Aunt Tang had dumped her work on his mom again, or perhaps she’d been bragging about her husband and son in front of her.

While Aunt Tang’s words often rubbed people the wrong way, she wasn’t a bad person; she was just a bit too proud.

Tang Lingmei had a hard time hiding her feelings and was always saying whatever came to her mind. Over the years, she’d cried, laughed, and lived enthusiastically within her little circle. She thought her husband was amazing, her son was amazing, and her happiness was always sky-high.

Being friends with someone like that wasn’t tiring, and there was no need to be calculating.

That’s why Song Mian got along so well with her.

When she first joined the office, Song Mian was sensitive and reserved. She found Tang Lingmei insufferable, but after a while, she got used to her and actually became closest to her, despite having to put up with her blunt, unfiltered mouth.

Song Mian glanced at Chu Xingning and muttered, “What do you know? I’ve had enough of her. This is adult stuff—stay out of it.”

Chu Tao ran his tongue over his cheek, then lowered his head and took a mouthful of rice.

He decided not to get involved in the issues between his mom and Aunt Tang. He didn’t understand, nor did he want to.

Right now, he was feeling overwhelmingly happy, the rum-filled chocolate melting warmly in his heart.

He never needed much—just having Jiang She was enough.