When they arrived at Liangzhou Station, Chuxia was about to get off the train.

It was a large station and would stop for a few minutes.

Qian Ran insisted on seeing her off. Although Chuxia refused, he still followed her quietly and took her luggage.

“Go on and get on the train; you don’t want to miss it.”

“It’s okay,” Qian Ran followed her to the exit and handed her the luggage, saying, “Sister-in-law, be careful when you go out.”

“This is my hometown. I’m very familiar with it. You don’t need to worry. Qian Ran, thank you for everything on this trip. Go back quickly.”

Chuxia waved to him and walked out with her luggage. She was worried that if she didn’t leave soon, Qian Ran might keep lingering.

Once outside the station, seeing the familiar streets, Chuxia suddenly felt as if she had been away for a long time, even though she had only been gone for two months.

When she left, the trees in Liangzhou had just started to bud; now, the leaves were lush and green.

Chuxia got on the bus and looked out the window.

“Huai’an…” She reached out as if to pull him and show him the clothing store they often visited.

But her hand reached out to empty space. Chuxia paused, suddenly losing interest in the scenery outside.

Returning home, the sun was still shining. Most of the people in the compound were at work in the factory, so few knew Chuxia had returned.

Opening the door, a cloud of dust hit her face. Chuxia waved her hand, sighed, and began cleaning.

Fortunately, she had covered most things with cloth before leaving, so there wasn’t too much dust underneath.

Even though the sun was a bit lower now, there was still some time before evening. Chuxia took out the blankets to air them, so they wouldn’t be too damp for sleeping at night.

After cleaning for an unknown amount of time, the house was finally a bit cleaner. Chuxia, exhausted, sat on a chair drinking water, thinking of resting and then going out to buy some food.

There was nothing in the house now; the stove was empty, and although there was some coal in the corner, it needed to be ignited.

She couldn’t cook anything at home.

“Chuxia?!”

As Chuxia was drinking water, she heard Sister Li’s surprised voice.

She turned around immediately, her face involuntarily breaking into a smile, “Sister Li, it’s me.”

“Oh! I was wondering why the door was open and the quilts were out. I thought your mom finally couldn’t resist coming over to pry the lock open.”

Sister Li had no good feelings towards Wang Yulan.

Although Wang Yulan pretended well, anyone who could be so cruel to their own daughter and grandson couldn’t be a good person.

Chuxia frowned at the comment.

The people from the Luo family were the most distressing part of her return to Liangzhou; she didn’t want to see them at all.

But it was also clear that with an empty house, it was strange if Wang Yulan didn’t come to claim it.

“If she really pried open my door, my mom and the others wouldn’t think of staying here.”

Given Wang Yulan’s nature—selfish and unwilling to give up her face while trying to gain benefits and a good reputation—it was unrealistic to expect anything different.

Sister Li smiled happily and nodded, “They’re not from the Textile Factory No. 3. If they dare to break into your house, not only would the family quarters people not agree, but neither would the factory.”

“How many times has my mom been here?” Chuxia asked, knowing Wang Yulan’s nature. If she was unreachable, it was likely her mother had come by often.

Sister Li couldn’t count exactly, but it had been many times.

Chuxia didn’t manage to go out for a meal; Sister Li insisted she come to her home, saying that if she didn’t, it would seem like she looked down on their food.

Sister Li had specially prepared a meat dish and placed it in front of Chuxia, urging her to eat without being polite. Seeing the three children from the Li family eyeing the food hungrily, Chuxia felt uneasy eating it.

However, Sister Li’s kindness warmed Chuxia’s heart, and her smile grew.

She placed the dish in the center and said, “Let the kids eat. I’m an adult and don’t need it.”

Sister Li was about to say something more when Chuxia quickly asked if there had been any news in the family quarters recently, diverting Sister Li’s attention.

“Actually, there’s nothing new. After you left, many people wanted to know where you went, but I didn’t tell them. The person who asked the most was Guan Yan. I find it strange; why is she so curious about your family when you don’t have a good relationship with her?”

Chuxia lowered her eyes and drank her porridge, “Maybe it’s because the kids get along well.”

She knew Guan Yan’s curiosity was because she had always tried to get close to her. Chuxia suspected it was related to the Cen family.

Everyone knew she had married into the military, but the specifics weren’t known.

However, Guan Yan seemed to have some sensitive awareness.

During the time her husband was at home, Guan Yan had visited frequently, all of which Chuxia had refused.

Now that Chuxia was gone, Guan Yan must be anxious.

Chuxia guessed that Guan Yan’s husband might have learned something through his business connections.

But no matter what they knew, Chuxia didn’t want to have too much interaction with them.

“Sister, thank you. If anyone asks where An’an and I went, please don’t tell them.”

“I know.” Sister Li firmly assured, “I’m very discreet and won’t say a word.”

Before Chuxia left last time, she had told Sister Li not to disclose where she and An’an were going.

If others found out from elsewhere, it was fine, as people in the family quarters weren’t idle enough to inquire specifically, except for those with ulterior motives.

After eating at Sister Li’s home, Chuxia set up the coal stove for heating and then went home to make the bed and prepare for rest.

She was tired after sitting on the train for so long, and with the exam coming up in a couple of days, she needed to ensure she was well-rested.

Just as she was about to get into bed, there was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

It was Guan Yan’s voice, and Chuxia immediately lost any desire to open the door. “I’m already lying down. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Guan Yan outside gritted her teeth and had no choice but to turn and leave.

The next morning, as soon as Chuxia opened the door, Guan Yan’s door next door also opened.

“Chuxia, you really came back? An’an didn’t come back?”

Chuxia, holding a basin, didn’t even give her a smile, “You already knew I was back yesterday.”

Not answering her question about An’an, Chuxia went to fetch water to wash up.

After getting a cold shoulder from Chuxia, Guan Yan stopped trying to get close, but she still greeted Chuxia with a smile whenever she saw her.

After breakfast, Chuxia took out the bedding to air it and then took a bus to No. 9 Middle School.

She first went to the office of the head of the academic affairs.

When the fat-faced head saw Chuxia, his eyes nearly disappeared in his smile, “Student Luo, you’re back! I was worried that you might not have seen the school’s notice.”

The notice from the school about the preliminary exam was sent with the No. 9 Middle School exam papers, and Chuxia had only learned the specific date after receiving it.

“I saw it.”

The head of the academic affairs breathed a sigh of relief, “The school called you a few days ago. The person who answered said you hadn’t been home recently. I was worried you might not be back.”

But even if Chuxia wasn’t there, the school couldn’t rest easy.

No. 9 Middle School wouldn’t let Chuxia miss the college entrance exam.

The preliminary selection was crucial and couldn’t be missed.

“Yes, I’ve been traveling these days. My homeroom teacher told me that the preliminary selection would be around May, and if I didn’t see the notice, I’d be back in May anyway.”

The head of the academic affairs knew why Chuxia was there and directed her to collect her admission ticket from the homeroom teacher.

When Chuxia met her homeroom teacher, she also breathed a sigh of relief.

However, she looked stern, and Chuxia couldn’t discern her mood.

“The admission ticket cannot be given to you now. You’ll need to come to school on the morning of the exam day to receive it. We’ll then take you to the exam venue.”

The preliminary selection would not be held at the school, and even the examination centers were not in the district where No. 9 Middle School was located.

To prevent cheating and familiarize everyone with the college entrance exam process, the preliminary selection would follow the college entrance exam procedures.

Chuxia nodded, “Okay.” She would follow the school’s arrangements, as they had experience with these matters.

The homeroom teacher provided the exam time, the time to come to school, the district she was assigned to, and the exam room number.

After hearing the preliminary selection details from the homeroom teacher, Chuxia left the school.

At this time, everyone was in class, so she didn’t encounter any unpleasant people.

At this moment in the capital, Cen Zhengnian finally had time to return home. When he reached his doorstep, he found that no one was home.

Cen Zhengnian had a key, so he opened the front door of the house.

Unlike usual, where a little dog would run over barking as soon as the door made a sound, the house was eerily quiet, just like it was before Chuxia and An’an moved in.

Frowning, he entered and saw the floor covered with yellow and green jujube flowers, as if no one had swept in a long time.

It was then that Cen Zhengnian recalled what Chuxia had said to him before she left.

She mentioned that she would return to Liangzhou in a few days, but she had said this during a tender moment at night.

Cen Zhengnian had just mumbled an “uh-huh” at the time.

Later, as work became busy again, his mind was consumed by his research, leaving him unaware of the passing days.

When he finally completed a small phase and had time to return home, all he could think about was seeing Chuxia and An’an.

It was only then he remembered Chuxia’s mention of returning to Liangzhou.

He quickly went to the local convenience store in the alley to call Liangzhou.

The store owner, hearing that Cen Zhengnian was looking for Chuxia, smiled and said, “How did you know Luo Chuxia was back? Wait, I’ll go get her.”

Chuxia was at home, preparing to take some things to Bangzi and his friends.

She was about to head out when she heard the store owner calling her name. Someone was calling her.

Hurrying out, Chuxia assumed it was a call from Beijing and thought it might be An’an.

To her surprise, when she picked up the phone, she heard Cen Zhengnian’s gentle voice.

“It’s me, Chuxia.”

Chuxia was momentarily stunned. “You knew I was in Liangzhou?”

Cen Zhengnian’s smiling voice came through the line, “When I got home and saw that no one was there, I remembered you said you were going back to Liangzhou.”

Given the calendar’s stopped date, he was merely guessing. If Chuxia wasn’t in Liangzhou, this call would let him know she was still on the road. If she had arrived, he could speak with her.

Hearing Cen Zhengnian’s words made Chuxia laugh.

She could imagine his confused expression when he returned home to find everything gone.

“I took An’an and the dog to my grandpa’s place. You should have asked me about my return to Liangzhou,” Chuxia said with a hint of schadenfreude, recalling that night in the dormitory.

Cen Zhengnian chuckled lightly, “I did ask. Are you sure you could have answered?” Chuxia rubbed her ears, feeling that the weather was a bit hot.

“If you don’t ask, how would you know I couldn’t answer?” Chuxia retorted, though she had indeed forgotten other details at that time.

Cen Zhengnian said, “That’s because I didn’t try hard enough.”

His tone was even more cheerful, causing Chuxia to blush. “Stop talking! Don’t say anymore!”

She had forgotten that Cen Zhengnian was always so shameless about such things, and she couldn’t match him in that regard.

Hearing Chuxia’s annoyed tone, Cen Zhengnian knew she would hang up if he continued, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject.

He asked her about the journey to Liangzhou and if she encountered any problems.

Their conversation returned to normal, but Cen Zhengnian kept asking questions, and Chuxia answered.

Chuxia noticed her throat was a bit dry. She glanced at the clock and realized it had been over half an hour.

The phone bill would be high if she continued, so she quickly said, “Alright, if there’s anything, I’ll call you. I need to go back to studying.”

“Mm.” Cen Zhengnian’s fingers moved slightly, reluctant to hang up. But Chuxia had already ended the call.

He stood by the phone for a moment before putting it down and heading back home.