Special.

It was a framed photo hanging on the wall.

In the background, there was an endless sea of trees.

The little boy had a pale face and was giving a faint smile to the camera.

His features were delicate, and though he looked sickly, his smile was gentle, and his brows seemed to be touched by moonlight.

He thought of Lu Nian.

Zhao Yayuan turned over restlessly and threw aside the comic book he had been holding. “Your sister doesn’t remember you at all.”

He muttered to himself, his eyes complicated.

Although he had never met Lu Nian, he knew all about her childhood from hearing her name so often over the years.

He wanted to get close to her; it felt natural.

Getting closer had its advantages too.

He wanted to find out if Lu Nian really forgot or if she was just pretending to be kind-hearted.

Ancheng University of Technology was not far from the affiliated high school.

It was a good university, so many students from the high school ended up there. Seeing students in high school uniforms on campus was not unusual.

In a café at Ancheng University, Lu Yang and Lin Junrun were sitting face to face.

Lu Yang frowned. “I asked you to help my sister with her studies. Don’t disturb her too much.”

Lin Junrun nodded. “Okay.”

Lu Yang asked, “Has she been in contact with that person recently?”

Lin Junrun knew Qin Si and remembered seeing him with Lu Nian on the street that day.

He told Lu Yang what happened on the street.

Lu Yang frowned slightly. “You said Nian Nian asked you to leave?”

Lin Junrun nodded.

Lu Yang asked, “What did they do then?”

Lin Junrun said, “I watched them secretly. They didn’t do much, just seemed to argue. Nian Nian left alone, looking unhappy.”

Lu Yang said, “Nian Nian has hated him since she was little. He keeps bothering her. Next time you see him, tell him our family doesn’t welcome him. Tell him to stay away from Nian Nian.”

Lin Junrun nodded eagerly.

He was Lu Yang’s junior, and their families had known each other since they were little. Lu Yang’s family was better off, and Lu Yang was generous. Plus, Lu Yang had influential relatives.

Lin Junrun knew about Lu Nian’s status and that Lu Yang already had a position lined up in their family’s company.

His family knew this too, so naturally, Lin Junrun tried to stay close to Lu Yang.

That’s why Lu Yang trusted him with this matter.

Lu Yang, now in college, couldn’t always look after Nian Nian, so he asked Lin Junrun for help, saying he’d owe him a favor.

Lin Junrun was more than happy to help.

He had known about Qin Si for a while. Qin Si was famous in their grade for his excellent grades and good looks. He was a mysterious and cool guy, the type many girls liked.

However, after hearing about his true identity from Lu Yang, Lin Junrun didn’t think much of him.

The next week, he went to find Qin Si in his class.

When the familiar-looking boy came out, he didn’t seem to care about Lin Junrun at all.

Lin Junrun gathered his courage and spoke, “You’re Qin Si, right?”

The boy glanced at him. “What’s up?”

Lin Junrun said, “I’m Lin Junrun, the guy who had dinner with Nian Nian. We met on the street.”

Nian Nian.

The boy sneered.

He was much taller than Lin Junrun, and when his cold, dark eyes looked down at someone, it was quite intimidating.

“We had a great time at dinner last time,” Lin Junrun said, as if trying to prove something. “Nian Nian even agreed to draw for me.”

Qin Si’s tone was calm. “Do you really not know why she had dinner with you?”

Lin Junrun’s face turned pale. “What business is it of yours?”

He couldn’t understand how Qin Si knew about this. Lu Yang had assured him that it wouldn’t get out.

Lin Junrun stammered, “Don’t you dare go to Nian Nian and cause trouble.”

“Nian Nian hates you,” Lin Junrun said. “Stop bothering her. Her family doesn’t want you near her either.”

The boy’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

He knew very well that he wasn’t worthy of thinking about her.

He didn’t care how Lu Nian saw him.

But it seemed that the person in front of him had no self-awareness at all.

That day, when he saw Lin Junrun trying to grab Lu Nian’s hand, he realized his self-control wasn’t as strong as he had thought.

With his eyes half-closed, the boy asked casually, “Did Lu Yang send you?”

Lin Junrun panicked. “What does this have to do with Lu Yang?”

The boy said calmly, “Don’t go looking for Lu Nian anymore.”

His long, narrow eyes, usually just cold, now showed a hidden fierceness and brutality that made Lin Junrun break out in a cold sweat.

“Tell Lu Yang that he will pay for what he owes me, sooner or later.”

Lately, Lu Nian had been preoccupied. She remembered her promise to draw for Lin Junrun, so she went to the art club’s studio and spent every afternoon there after school.

The sketch was already outlined. Lu Nian was setting up her easel and mixing paints, absentmindedly preparing to start coloring when a girl came over and whispered, “Nian Nian, someone is here to see you.”

The person who appeared surprised Lu Nian so much that her hand slipped, smearing paint all over herself.

After all, it was rare for this person to come looking for her, even once in a blue moon.

Since that rainy night, their relationship seemed to have improved a bit.

Although he didn’t seem particularly happy afterward, it was better than their previous big fight, where they parted on bad terms.

Qin Si seemed unusually irritable and didn’t know how to start the conversation.

He watched her paint in silence for a while before asking, “Are you working on homework?”

Lu Nian replied, “No, it’s not homework. It’s for someone.”

“Who?”

“Lin Junrun, that guy from last time,” Lu Nian said. “He said he liked my painting, so I’m making one for him. Look, I spent three days on just the sketch, and here…”

Qin Si rarely showed interest in her hobbies, so Lu Nian felt a bit happy.

She eagerly explained each part of her painting, proud of her work.

The boy listened with a blank expression and then said briefly, “Stop painting. He doesn’t want it.”

After saying this, he turned to leave.

Lu Nian was confused. “???”

“Wait a minute, explain why he doesn’t want it.”

Qin Si’s expression darkened. “Do you really have to give it to him?”

Lu Nian said, “We agreed on it.”

Moreover, she had already painted so much. Not giving it would be a waste of her effort.

The studio was quite crowded. Lu Nian was very beautiful, and many had unofficially declared her the school beauty, so she attracted a lot of attention.

Now, seeing a handsome stranger looking for her, everyone was all ears and eyes, ready to watch.

Their relationship looked very subtle.

They spoke casually, as if close, but their words and tones were far from friendly. They didn’t seem like relatives, and definitely not like a couple.

Qin Si seemed to be in a bad mood.

He didn’t seem to want to have any entanglement with her in such a public place.

He took long strides to leave, his tone cold, “If you want to give it away, just find someone random on the street. It’s not like you can’t give it to anyone.”

Could anyone believe those words?

Anger surged in Lu Nian, “Wait!”

Ignoring the paint on her hands, she chased after him, running almost as fast as in her physical education class.

Fortunately, her physical condition had improved recently, and she finally caught up with him at the corner.

She stood in front of him, blocking his path.

Suddenly, she realized that Qin Si had grown so much taller than her. The contrast between him now and the weak little boy covered in scars was stark.

Qin Si didn’t say anything and didn’t try to run again.

Just as Lu Nian thought he might be reflecting on his actions, she heard him say, “Someone’s coming.”

Lu Nian was speechless. Did he think she was that embarrassing?

Or maybe he was involved with someone else and didn’t want to be seen with her.

They moved to a secluded corner of the corridor, and Lu Nian exclaimed angrily, “Are you afraid of being seen by others?”

They were standing very close, and this time, for some reason, Qin Si didn’t quickly push her away as usual.

She suddenly caught a familiar scent.

Very faint.

It felt familiar, like a mixture of mild soap fragrance, a refreshing scent belonging to a boy.

It seemed like she was about to grasp onto something.

Like a little puppy, Lu Nian earnestly leaned closer to him, trying to figure it out.

The boy froze instantly.

He felt like he was in trouble. Loosely holding her wrist, he quickly distanced himself from her. “…Are you always like this with guys?”

Lu Nian was defiant, widening her eyes as she looked at his hand holding her wrist. “Are you like this with girls too?”

Qin Si quickly let go of her hand. “…Not including you.”

In other words, he didn’t consider her a girl.

Rogue.

Lu Nian was furious.

Her little hand was covered in paint, and now she just wanted to smear it all over Qin Si’s face. “Yeah, with all those pretty girls you’re always hanging out with, of course you wouldn’t consider me.”

He looked down on her, didn’t he?

Qin Si, “?”

Lu Nian was a bit shorter than him, and for some reason, he reacted a bit slowly. His right cheek was smeared with paint by Lu Nian, though it was just a sudden, unexpected move, it was successful nonetheless.

Seeing his handsome face messed up, she felt happy.

Finally satisfied, she clapped her hands. “Explain to me, why don’t you want me to give it to him?”

The boy seemed unwilling to bring up this topic again, shifting his gaze. “It wasn’t Lin Junrun who helped you that day.”

He said, “Stop looking for him.”

“Why?”

Lu Nian didn’t believe it. Lu Yang had told her. Although Lu Yang’s character was not great, he hadn’t lied to her so far.

And besides, if it wasn’t Lin Junrun, then who was it? How did Qin Si know?

He couldn’t answer why.

…I just like him.

The girl’s voice was clear and sharp, with a hint of frustration. The words echoed in his ears like a thunderbolt.

The speaker didn’t mean it, and it was likely said in a fit of anger, but it left him utterly embarrassed on the spot.

But just that one sentence was enough to keep him tossing and turning countless nights, even causing him to have unspeakable dreams he was ashamed to remember.

He absolutely couldn’t let Lu Nian know that it was him…

Otherwise, it would be too much trouble.

Once exposed, his embarrassing thoughts would probably be completely revealed in front of her.

But now, he was forced to the point where he had no choice.

There were only two options in front of him: either admit that it was him, not Lin Junrun, or…

He gritted his teeth. “I don’t want you to see him.”

The boy’s ears were burning red, feeling truly cornered, his words coming out with immense difficulty.

When had the proud and icy Qin Si ever spoken like this?

The girl’s bright eyes widened in surprise. “What? Say that again?”