Zhang Lu’s smile grew wider as she untied her scarf and fanned herself—she had worked up a sweat from skating.

Standing up straight, Zhang Lu playfully patted Cen Huai’an and Jiang Weixian on the shoulder. “Nice, you’ve got good taste! Want to grab some water?”

Cen Huai’an was feeling a bit thirsty too, so the three of them began skating slowly toward the outer edge of the rink, heading to where they had left their bags to get some water.

Suddenly, they heard terrified screams—“Ahhh!”—followed by someone shouting loudly, “Move! Get out of the way!”

All three of them had trained in martial arts, and even though Jiang Weixian wasn’t as skilled, he was still more agile than most people.

Before their minds could fully process the situation, their bodies instinctively reacted, quickly dodging to the side.

Just as they moved, a young man in a black winter coat lost control of his speed and skated past where they had been standing, only to crash hard onto the ice.

The loud “thud” of his head hitting the ice made Zhang Lu wince, biting her lip. “Ouch, that’s gotta hurt!” she said through gritted teeth.

Cen Huai’an nodded.

Just the sound alone was painful to hear.

After the fall, the young man continued to slide a long way across the ice, making it seem even more painful.

But falling on the ice was common—everyone fell while learning to skate.

Cen Huai’an had fallen before, and so had Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian.

They didn’t think much of it and continued toward the edge of the rink when they overheard people behind them talking.

“Why isn’t he getting up?”

“Did he hurt himself?”

“Is he unconscious?”

“Oh no, something’s wrong!”

Cen Huai’an turned to look and saw the young man lying motionless on the ice.

His eyes seemed to be closed, and it looked like he had passed out.

Zhang Lu noticed too.

Forgetting about getting water, she grabbed Cen Huai’an and Jiang Weixian and headed back to check on the situation.

A concerned person approached the young man, about to help him up, but Cen Huai’an shouted without thinking, “Don’t move him! You might cause further injury!”

This was basic knowledge Chu Xia had drilled into Cen Huai’an after learning about it from TV shows or reading about it.

She wanted him to be able to protect himself in case he ever faced such a situation.

Cen Huai’an, with his excellent memory, remembered every bit of advice she’d given him.

Some injuries shouldn’t be touched immediately, as improper movement could make things worse.

The person hesitated at Cen Huai’an’s words, pulling their hands back and refraining from touching the young man.

Just then, a young woman skated over, knelt beside the unconscious man, and began checking his condition with professional precision. “I’m a doctor,” she called out, “everyone, back up and give us some space!”

Cen Huai’an didn’t say anything further, retreating a little with Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian, watching from a distance, his brow furrowed.

Zhang Lu gripped Cen Huai’an’s arm, her face filled with worry. “Is skating really this dangerous?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Anything can be dangerous.”

Zhang Lu thought about it and nodded in agreement. “You’re right. You can trip just by walking.”

The doctor knelt by the young man again, shouting, “Someone call an ambulance! The emergency number for the rescue station is 2XXX.”

Since it was 1987, there wasn’t the universal emergency number like 120 that would become common later, but every city had a rescue station, and most people knew the number.

Once called, an ambulance would arrive.

Zhang Lu immediately responded, “I’ll go! I’m fast!”

She grabbed Cen Huai’an and Jiang Weixian, hurrying toward the edge of the rink as people cleared a path for them.

Cen Huai’an pressed his lips together, quickly changing out of his skates. He was the first to head off toward the public phone booth.

Zhang Lu quickly caught up, both of them panting as they reached the phone booth, with Jiang Weixian trailing behind.

Just as Zhang Lu was about to make the call, Cen Huai’an had already picked up the phone and dialed.

After describing the young man’s condition and location to the nurse at the rescue station, Cen Huai’an, Zhang Lu, and Jiang Weixian returned to the ice rink.

They didn’t re-enter the rink but sat on the wooden bench outside, watching the doctor still working on the unconscious young man.

Zhang Lu sighed, “I wonder if that guy will be okay?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “He will be.”

Though he wasn’t entirely sure, he had faith that with a doctor’s help and the quick call for an ambulance, the young man would pull through.

Jiang Weixian looked nervously between Cen Huai’an and Zhang Lu. “Sister, brother, I don’t want to skate anymore.”

“Scaredy-cat!” Zhang Lu lightly tapped his head.

Cen Huai’an looked at Jiang Weixian and said, “Skating can be dangerous, but if you don’t try dangerous moves and are careful, there’s nothing to be that afraid of.”

Falling was common, especially in winter with all the layers of clothing—it usually didn’t hurt much. It was rare to hit your head badly enough to cause real harm.

But after witnessing the aftermath of that young man’s fall, Jiang Weixian had developed a fear of skating that wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon.

Before long, the ambulance arrived, and the doctor got into the ambulance with the young man, leaving with him.

Cen Huai’an, Zhang Lu, and Jiang Weixian let out a small sigh of relief.

There wasn’t much else they could do, but they no longer felt like skating.

Gathering their ice skates, they headed home.

When Chu Xia saw Cen Huai’an return so early, she looked puzzled. “Weren’t you skating with Zhang Lu and Weixian? Why are you back so soon?”

Cen Huai’an had called Chu Xia before heading to the rink, letting her know that he might be home late, so she wouldn’t worry.

After entering the house and putting his skates away, Cen Huai’an said, “Mom, someone fell on the ice today.”

Chu Xia looked at him, waiting for more. Falling while skating wasn’t unusual, but if Cen Huai’an was mentioning it, something serious must have happened.

Cen Huai’an poured himself a glass of water, telling her everything that had happened at the rink.

He hadn’t had a drink since that moment and was still thirsty even after finishing the water he had brought with him on the bus.

Chu Xia, having not seen the young man’s condition, couldn’t make a definitive judgment, but she knew well the possible complications from a fall like that.

It was likely a concussion, especially given the head injury, but there could be other issues as well—the brain is a complicated organ.

She gently patted Cen Huai’an’s head and praised him, “You did great. What you did might have saved a life. I’m so proud of you, An’an!”

Cen Huai’an kept thinking about the boy’s situation, and his mood was heavy on the way home.

However, when he heard Chuxia’s words, An An suddenly felt much lighter.

Yes, he had done what he was supposed to do, and the rest was beyond his control.

There was no need to dwell on it too much.

Cen Huai’an relaxed, put down his cup, and stood up. “Mom, I’m going to check on the puppies!”

Three puppies had been reserved—one was taken by Jiang Zhida, and another by Luo Peng.

Both of their homes had private yards suitable for raising dogs.

Zhang Lu’s wish to have a dog couldn’t be fulfilled because her family lived in a small space, an apartment allocated by the work unit, which wasn’t suitable for keeping pets.

No one wanted the last puppy, which made Cen Huai’an the happiest; he loved all three puppies and would check on them every day after school, hoping to keep them forever.

A month passed, the cold snap ended, and the weather began to warm up.

As the temperature rose, Beihai Park’s ice rink closed.

However, a roller skating rink was available, popular among children and young adults, especially college students in Beijing.

Many owned a pair of skates; everyone in Chuxia’s dormitory did, and they often skated on their days off.

In early spring, besides the skating rink, Beihai Park also offered beautiful scenery and other fun activities, making it a great place to visit.

It had been a long time since their last skating trip, and Zhang Lu and the other kids came to Beihai Park again.

This time, they were accompanied by adults—Chuxia, Jiang Zhiguan, and Luo Peng brought Jiang Weixi along.

Jiang Weixi refused to be carried by Luo Peng and insisted that Cen Huai’an hold her hand.

As they strolled through Beihai Park, they admired the budding green trees and early spring scenery.

“Brother, duck!”

“That’s a mandarin duck.”

“Brother, mandarin duck!”

“That’s just a mallard.”

Jiang Weixi looked confused, her small face full of bewilderment. “Duck? Mandarin duck?”

She tugged at her hair, staring at the similar-looking creatures on the water, unable to tell them apart.

Chuxia watched the two children with a smile, enjoying how Cen Huai’an played with his sister.

Every time this happened, he would be brought back to his childlike innocence by Weixi.

Luo Peng laughed warmly from behind, while Jiang Zhiguan laughed heartily. “Sister-in-law, Weixi is so cute!”

Looking at Weixi’s round, rosy cheeks, like a red apple, she couldn’t help but feel fondness.

Then, glancing at her own daughter, who was skipping stones with Jiang Weixian by the water, showing none of the gentleness expected of a girl, she sighed inwardly: Lu Lu will never be a refined, gentle girl in this lifetime.

Cen Huai’an patiently explained the differences between ducks and mandarin ducks to Weixi, while Chuxia and the other two leaned on the wooden rail by the water, enjoying the view of the lake.

A gentle breeze brushed Chuxia’s face, lifting strands of her hair.

She couldn’t help but smile, feeling completely at ease.