The numerous pairs of wild lovebirds had finally finished their entanglements.

Zhao Rencheng finally gathered enough strength to stand up.

For the first time in his life, he had been so thoroughly amused by someone’s sheer shamelessness that he physically couldn’t get up.

“Class Belle, you’re incredible.”

“You big fool, hurry up!” Zhang Yunxi rolled her eyes.

“Alright, alright, let’s go.” Zhao Rencheng lifted his flashlight and started heading down the mountain with her.

Whoosh—

A wild rabbit fell to the ground.

Zhang Yunxi: “???”

What just happened?

“What did you do?”

“Saw a rabbit, reflexively kicked a stone, and hit it.” Zhao Rencheng explained.

Zhang Yunxi was speechless. “Why don’t I have that kind of reflex?”

“No idea.” Zhao Rencheng picked up the rabbit. “Do you wear scarves in winter?”

“I do, why?”

“No reason.”

Zhao Rencheng thought the rabbit’s fur was quite nice. After skinning it, he could make a scarf for Zhang Yunxi.

“Want some rabbit meat?” he asked.

“Isn’t that a bit much? I just had the chicken you gave me today, and now rabbit too? Feels a little excessive,” Zhang Yunxi said shyly.

Seeing her act bashful, Zhao Rencheng bent over laughing.

Zhang Yunxi was at a loss. She had a strong suspicion that Zhao Rencheng’s usual serious demeanor was just an act.

Because today, he had laughed even more than she had.

And once he started, he couldn’t seem to stop.

“Hey, that’s enough! I’m warning you—don’t overdo it. I’m a very shy girl! If you keep laughing at me, I’ll cry for you!”

“In a bit…”

Zhao Rencheng had to take a moment to breathe. “I’m laughing so much my stomach hurts.”

Zhang Yunxi exasperatedly looked up at the moon but couldn’t help asking, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Even Zhao Rencheng felt that he was unusually happy today.

It didn’t even feel like his life anymore.

After escorting Zhang Yunxi down the mountain, Zhao Rencheng returned to the spot where they had played their game earlier.

He picked up the two sticks they had used and took them home.

There, he found a clean little box and carefully placed them inside.

After some thought, he wrote a note:

“Class Belle and Big Fool.”

Looking at those five words, Zhao Rencheng’s lips curled into a smile.

Lying in bed, he kept thinking about their game.

The word “game” felt so distant to him.

So distant that he had forgotten what it was like to play.

Or perhaps, he had never truly known.

At three years old, Zhao Rencheng had been sold by his parents for thirty yuan to his second uncle, who wanted a son but couldn’t have children of his own.

At the time, his second uncle had a job.

But by the time Zhao Rencheng arrived, his uncle had been injured and was no longer working.

His aunt took over as the breadwinner, and although she wasn’t overly affectionate, she never let him go hungry.

She made sure he was well-fed and even sneaked him bits of meat from time to time.

But his uncle, confined at home, couldn’t bear the shame of being supported by his wife.

He couldn’t bear the fact that he had lost that part of himself.

Seeing Zhao Rencheng only made it worse, so he forced him to do all the chores.

Playing was forbidden.

And any mistake led to a beating.

His aunt always tried to protect him, but she suffered terribly for it.

Eventually, she had enough.

She bought out her work position, divorced his uncle, remarried, and had a child of her own.

His uncle was furious.

So at ten years old, Zhao Rencheng was sent back to his biological parents.

They never treated him as their own.

By then, he was already 1.6 meters tall—too conspicuous.

So, they made him do all the hardest, dirtiest work.

Yet he was never given enough to eat or wear.

Back in the city, at least he had a bed and didn’t have to worry about food and warmth.

But after returning home…

He slept in the firewood shed.

Summers were tolerable.

Winters were so cold his teeth chattered nonstop.

Fortunately, the suffering didn’t last too long.

In the city, he had learned martial arts.

To keep warm, he ventured into the mountains, catching chickens and rabbits to trade for bits of cotton.

He stuffed them into the clothes his aunt had once made for him.

His parents didn’t treat him like a son, so he didn’t treat them like parents.

If they cursed at him, he punched them.

If they tried to steal his clothes, he nearly burned the house down.

As a child, whenever someone tried to bully him, he fought back like a wild cub, utterly fearless.

He became the infamous village tyrant.

Other kids his age were terrified of him.

No one wanted to play with him.

Later, he learned about the military.

At eighteen, he secretly signed up.

His aunt had sent him twenty yuan every year.

Until he turned eighteen, when it stopped.

By then, he had over a hundred yuan saved up.

But no one in his family knew—his aunt had warned him early on:

“Don’t let your parents find out, got it?”

So he never told them.

Using his own money, he traveled to the provincial capital to enlist.

It shocked everyone.

Once he joined the army, he pushed himself relentlessly.

He loved it—because every time he trained, he was first!

His rank skyrocketed.

With money in his hands, he sent his aunt two hundred yuan every year.

She accepted it.

Told him to serve well.

To serve the people.

But in the end, he had disappointed her.

Yet Zhao Rencheng felt at peace with it.

Because after crossing countless mountains, he had finally met his old commander.

And he had the chance to take care of him.

Back then, he had been reckless and wild.

It was the old commander who taught him to read.

Who taught him how to survive in dangerous places.

To him, his aunt was like a mother.

The old commander was like a father.

Both had given him so much.

But to be honest, Zhao Rencheng had never expected much from life.

For him, getting through each day was enough.

He had never looked forward to the future.

Just drifted through life.

Until Zhang Yunxi appeared.

Thinking of the Class Belle, Zhao Rencheng smiled and slowly drifted off to sleep.

But when he woke up the next morning and recalled his dream—

He smacked himself.

“Beast!”

Meanwhile, the very person who had appeared in his dream was sneaking around Zhao Mo’s house, pacing at the doorstep.

Zhao Mo was the first in her family to wake up.

Opening the door, she saw her little aunt standing there.

A bright smile spread across her face.

“Little Aunt! What brings you here?”

“Come with me.” Zhang Yunxi took her hand and led her up the mountain.

She unwrapped a package, revealing a portion of chicken.

“I had some yesterday, and there was some left over. This morning, I added some noodles and made chicken noodle soup. Try it.”

The bowl was still steaming.

She had woken up early to make it, afraid that Damei and Xiao Xiao would wake up and question where the chicken had come from.

It wasn’t like eggs, which could be easily explained.

After all, the educated youths often traded with villagers for eggs.

She could just say someone gave them to her.

But chicken…

Who would give that away?

Zhao Mo looked at the generous portion of noodles and asked, “Little Aunt, did you eat chicken noodle soup too?”

“I did. Hurry up and eat. Once you’re done, I’ll wash the bowl and take it back.” Zhang Yunxi urged.

“Okay.”

Zhao Mo picked up the bowl and started eating.

The soup was hot and flavorful, the noodles chewy, and the chicken incredibly fragrant.

As she ate, she told her little aunt, “Oh! Er Gouzi and I found a chestnut tree! Once we pick some, I’ll bring them to you.”

“Great! Then I’ll buy some sugar, and we can make sugar-roasted chestnuts!”