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Chapter 18 — I Want to See You

On Wednesday afternoon, Wei Jin and Xie Huaiyu brought Wei Qian to attend his auditory training session, accompanied by his nanny, Xiang Wan.

Que Wanshu came to the entrance of the speech and hearing center to receive them. Upon seeing her, Wei Jin smiled and said, “Wanshu, long time no see.”

The Wei family was known for their generational beauty. Wei Jin and her younger brother Wei Xun looked quite alike, though Wei Jin’s eyes were more expressive, with a gleam that made her stand out. Her features carried the softness and elegance unique to women. Wei Xun, in contrast, had deeper and more defined features — long, dark eyes and an intense gaze that could unsettle anyone.

Que Wanshu was momentarily dazed but quickly returned to herself. “Sister Wei Jin, long time no see.”

She hadn’t seen Wei Jin in many years. Her memory of her was that of a strong, dependable businesswoman who loved teasing her younger siblings. Back then, whenever she and Wei Xun were around, Wei Jin would often joke about the two of them.

Wanshu was an only child. Among her peers, the only cousin she had was four years younger and didn’t live in Zicheng, so they rarely saw each other.

Because of that, Wei Jin and Xu Zhiyan’s older brother, Xu Zhisen — who had always looked out for her — had felt more like real siblings to her.

She had thought that after so many years, things would feel awkward between them. But the warmth and familiarity in Wei Jin’s smile quickly put her at ease.

Wei Jin pointed to the man beside her and said, “This is my husband. You’ve met him before.”

Wanshu followed her gaze. The man standing there was tall, with sharp, handsome features. Though he had a commanding presence, his temperament was gentle and scholarly. Standing beside Wei Jin, he exuded the aura of a dependable husband and father.

She recognized him — Xie Huaiyu, Wei Jin’s husband. When they got married, Wanshu had still been in her second year of high school and had attended the wedding with Wei Xun.

“Hello, Therapist Que,” Xie Huaiyu greeted her with a smile.

“Brother-in-law—” Wanshu instinctively began, then abruptly stopped and corrected herself, “Mr. Xie, hello.”

She felt a little awkward. Having known Wei Xun since childhood, she was also familiar with his family. Other than his parents, she had always called his relatives the way he did.

Xie Huaiyu raised an eyebrow playfully. “It’s fine, you can just call me brother-in-law.”

Wei Jin chuckled and echoed him. “Exactly. Since you call me sister, it’s only right that Huaiyu is your brother-in-law. He loves hearing people call him that.”

That made Que Wanshu laugh. She nodded and agreed. Then her eyes fell on the woman standing beside Specialist Lin. “Is this Qianqian’s nanny?”

Xiang Wan stepped forward and warmly shook her hand. “Hello, Therapist Que, I’m Xiang Wan.”

“Nice to meet you.” Wanshu smiled and returned the handshake. Although she felt that Xiang Wan’s gaze was a bit intense, she didn’t think much of it and nodded to Specialist Lin before leading everyone inside.

The reason Que Wanshu wanted Wei Jin and Xie Huaiyu to accompany Wei Qian to this session was because as guardians, parents should understand the child’s condition and participate in the process. Auditory rehabilitation for children is family-centered — it’s less about teaching the child and more about teaching the parents.

Only when the family is actively involved will the training be effective.

As for inviting the nanny, it was because Xiang Wan was one of Wei Qian’s primary caregivers. She might be more aware of his habits and reactions than his parents.

Inside the therapy room, Wanshu had the adults sit at the round table. She placed Wei Qian in a child’s chair beside her. On his other side sat Wei Jin, Xie Huaiyu, and Xiang Wan.

The round table allowed the child to see and interact with everyone.

The session followed a similar format to the last one. Wei Jin, Xie Huaiyu, and Xiang Wan had all listened to the audio files provided by Wei Xun and practiced at home. Their cooperation was smooth.

Initially, the class went well. Perhaps because his parents, nanny, and teacher were all engaging with him, Wei Qian was very excited and enthusiastic.

But after about half an hour, his energy and attention noticeably dropped. He began to look around aimlessly and even ignored the toys handed to him.

“Qianqian, what’s wrong?” Wei Jin stroked her son’s head and pointed to the toy in Que Wanshu’s hand. “Look, the teacher wants to play with you.”

She held the toy in front of him, but unexpectedly, he pouted and began crying, swatting the toy away and lunging toward his mother for comfort.

Wei Jin, a bit flustered, turned to Wanshu. “What’s going on with him?”

“When did he last eat?” Wanshu asked.

Xie Huaiyu checked his watch. “Around 1:30.”

“And did he take a nap today?” Wanshu continued.

Wei Jin comforted her son while replying, “No. His older brother played with him late last night, so he woke up later than usual today and didn’t nap.”

“That explains it,” Wanshu said. “He’s probably just tired. Children have short attention spans and tire easily. That’s why we usually schedule therapy during their most alert hours. Last time he had a nap before class, which is why he was more energetic and focused.”

“Can he still continue like this?” Wei Jin asked. Wei Qian had stopped crying and was now snuggling in his mother’s arms, peeking at his father from over her shoulder.

“He can,” Wanshu replied gently. “Soon, we’ll have Mom place him back in the chair. He may cry again, but we’ll ignore it and continue rotating the toys… Do you know what kind of toy he likes most?”

All three adults began to answer at once, but Wei Jin was quickest. “Toy cars.”

She gently patted her son’s back. “He loves all kinds of toy cars. He can play with them alone for a long time.”

In fact, Wei Qian even had preferences for real cars. His favorite was his grandpa’s Rolls-Royce and his uncle’s Bentley. His least favorite was one of her Land Rovers — he cried every time he sat in it until she switched cars. The elders used to joke that the little guy only liked luxury rides.

Both Xie Huaiyu and Xiang Wan nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Wanshu smiled. “Great, then let’s play with toy cars.”

She sifted through a box specifically for toy cars and chose a red toy sports car. She then gestured for Wei Jin to place Wei Qian back in his chair.

Sure enough, the moment Wei Jin tried to do so, he burst into loud wailing. Although startled, she still gritted her teeth and placed him in the chair.

Wei Qian cried and reached for his mom, but the safety bar blocked him, so he cried even harder. Wei Jin and Xie Huaiyu looked heartbroken.

Xiang Wan, on the other hand, was calmer. She noticed that despite his twisted crying face, not a single tear had fallen. She glanced at Wanshu, who returned a small, knowing smile.

Ah — the little guy was fake crying.

Wanshu remained composed, placed the toy car in front of her, and exclaimed, “Vroom vroom, the car is off!” She pushed the red car toward Xiang Wan with a swoosh sound.

Xiang Wan caught it and perfectly mimicked the motion and sound before sliding it to Wei Jin.

Wei Jin clumsily caught it and sent it to Wanshu, who then sent it to Xie Huaiyu, who passed it to Xiang Wan again.

After a few rounds, although Wei Qian was still crying, his voice began to fade, and his eyes unconsciously followed the red toy car.

At the right moment, Wanshu gave Xiang Wan a look. Xiang Wan understood and slid the car to Wei Qian. “Vroom vroom, the car is coming!”

Wei Qian stared at the approaching car and reached out to catch it.

“Wow!” Wanshu clapped loudly the moment he caught the toy. The adults echoed her cheerfully.

Suddenly being praised, Wei Qian stopped crying and pushed the car back to Xiang Wan.

“Vroom vroom,” Wanshu echoed, clapping again as Xiang Wan caught it. “Qianqian is amazing!”

The others joined in enthusiastically, and the once tearful boy broke into a smile, stretching his hands toward Xiang Wan and babbling happily.

She rolled the toy back to him, and he pushed it to his dad, mimicking their actions.

Meanwhile, Wanshu quietly took out a wooden bell and shook it behind him, watching for any reaction.

Wei Qian kept playing, seemingly not noticing.

Wei Jin pursed her lips and exchanged a glance with her husband.

Wanshu waited a few seconds, then shook the bell again. This time, Wei Qian’s eyes shifted slightly — he noticed her movement and turned to reach for the bell.

“Ding ding ding—” Wanshu said, still shaking the bell before handing it to him. She then took out another sound-making toy and repeated the process.

But Wei Qian’s response to off-screen sounds remained inconsistent. Sometimes he turned his head, sometimes not — and sometimes he turned only after noticing Wanshu’s movement, not the sound itself.

Typically, infants develop the ability to locate sounds around six months of age — first horizontally, then downward, and finally upward.

For children with cochlear implants, auditory development is delayed. Even if they can move their heads flexibly, they might not immediately respond to sounds — their reactions often begin with subtle eye movements.

Because of this, Wanshu later explained the issue in detail to Wei Jin and Xie Huaiyu, hoping to ease their anxiety and give them confidence.

---

“As a mother, you’ve already done very well, so don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Que Wanshu had seen too many cases like this.

While society assigns mothers great responsibility and expectations, it is also quick to blame them. If a working mother fails to notice something wrong with her child in time, it’s her fault. If she’s a full-time homemaker, it’s even worse—a dereliction of duty of the highest order.

And that’s not even considering how difficult it is to assess a young child’s hearing ability. Many children with hearing impairments are initially misdiagnosed with other conditions. And when it comes to the so-called “parental neglect,” why is it that people always blame the mother and rarely the father?

If a father is too busy with work to notice anything, it’s because “he’s supporting the family.” If he’s a stay-at-home dad and makes a mistake, it’s understandable—he’s a man, after all, and men aren’t as meticulous as women. And somehow, it all ends up being the mother’s fault again—for being too career-focused and neglecting the child.

Voices like these are everywhere.

Que Wanshu found this deeply unfair, but she couldn’t change the mindset of every household. All she could do was try her best to empower and support these mothers.

So she looked seriously at Wei Jin and said, word by word: “As long as it’s within your capacity, whether you choose to balance both or give up your career to return to the family, both are fine. But you must understand, sister, that this is a choice, not an obligation.”

She didn’t want the word “mother” to become a weight used to oppress women. At all times, women should have the right to choose.

The ones who blame or deny them because of that choice are the ones least qualified to speak.

Wei Jin was stunned.

She understood most of what Que Wanshu said. She was an ambitious woman—despite her younger son’s condition, she never once considered giving up her career for him. But precisely because of that, she often felt guilty and pained when facing Wei Qian.

Her child was still so young—less than two years old—and had already undergone brain surgery. He now faced a long road of rehabilitation, and growing up, he might also have to deal with the psychological pressure and burden of his disability.

Even if she was wealthy and could provide the best quality of life for him, some things he would inevitably have to experience and overcome on his own.

The more she thought about the hardships awaiting him, the more her heart ached with guilt and sorrow—but she didn’t know who she could confide in.

Although she and Xie Huaiyu had a good marital relationship, there were things she couldn’t share with him—because she knew he felt the same, which only made it harder for them to comfort each other.

Wei Jin had initially come to Que Wanshu just to unburden her heart, not expecting such comfort in return.

She looked up and met Que Wanshu’s gaze—clear, gentle, and steady. That quiet look alone offered immense reassurance.

It had been many years since Wei Jin last saw Que Wanshu—eight years, a long time that should have changed many things. Yet as she looked at the woman in front of her, it seemed she had changed in some ways… and remained the same in others.

It made sense—after all, she’d gone through a major family tragedy.

And yet she was still that same warm, polite, and quietly charming girl from before. Quiet and introverted, but sincere and kind to everyone. A rare, childlike heart in a wealthy household.

Now, after enduring life’s ups and downs, she had gained a resilience and gentle strength that allowed her to lift others up with a single sentence.

Wei Jin also felt guilty toward Que Wanshu.

Back then, when disaster struck the Que family, Wanshu had been just eighteen, forced to deal with her father’s mess while also taking care of her suddenly ill mother. She had to bear immense pressure and give up many things.

And yet, at that very time, Wei Xun acted out—he wanted to stay in the country and give up his university plans in the U.S. for her, causing chaos in the family. Their parents, out of options, sought out Que Wanshu.

By the time Wei Jin found out, Wanshu had already left Zicheng with her mother without a word. Their whereabouts had been tightly concealed by the Xu family, who had always been close to the Ques.

Wei Jin was furious. Her mother claimed she only asked Wanshu to “talk to Wei Xun,” but knowing Que Wanshu’s personality—was there any doubt she had tried?

It was Wei Xun who was being unreasonable—why take it out on a girl who was already going through so much?

Her temper was most like her grandfather’s—intolerant of anything unjust. She immediately lashed out at her mother and even scolded her usually silent father, who had allowed it to happen.

After that, seeing her sullen younger brother only made her angrier. She gave him a serious beating and scolded him harshly.

She had always admired and cared for Que Wanshu. That girl had shouldered her entire family through storm and fire, and made a decision that many elder figures in their circle still found unbelievable and deeply impressive.

At the same time, she felt guilt. They had grown up together—she should have helped her, but in the end, they had only added to her burden.

Wei Jin understood why Wei Xun was so fixated on her.

Because Que Wanshu was a beautiful, capable girl, and her stubborn little brother was the type to never let go once he set his mind on someone. His attachment to her was only natural.

Thinking of her brother, Wei Jin sighed inwardly.

She never intended to interfere in others’ relationships, but as she looked at the gentle, quiet woman in front of her, she couldn’t help but say, “Wanshu, thank you so much for today. As for future therapy sessions, my husband or I will come with Wei Qian whenever we can. But if we both happen to be busy, his nanny or… or his uncle might bring him instead. Would that be okay?”

Que Wanshu paused, then smiled. “Of course.”

But what she was thinking was—

Wei Xun?
He probably doesn’t want to see me again, does he?

Sure enough, the following Wednesday, it was Xie Huaiyu who brought Wei Qian to therapy.

Que Wanshu felt a bittersweet twinge—she wasn’t sure whether she was more relieved or disappointed, and her face showed a trace of distraction.

Xie Huaiyu noticed and called out, “Ms. Que?”

Wanshu quickly composed herself, putting on a warm smile as she led father and son to the therapy room. “This way, Mr. Xie.”

—

Zuo Nan was swamped lately.

As the executive assistant to the heir of ZeYue Group, he already had plenty on his plate. Worse, his boss was a hardcore overachiever—and had recently leveled up. He now operated like a fully charged robot, working like mad every single day. As his assistant, Zuo Nan was barely hanging on.

He’d been working overtime for days. Whenever he finally got home and tried to get intimate with his wife, the boss’s phone call would interrupt—and his wife would kick him out of bed.

“Is this guy sick or what?”

Disheveled, Zuo Nan grumbled while picking up his phone, but when he answered, his tone flipped instantly: “Hello, President Wei. What can I do for you?”

His wife rolled her eyes and walked away in her robe, leaving him to his misery. But he had no choice—he was a corporate workhorse now, dignity be damned.

With no time for romance and round-the-clock overtime, Zuo Nan had gone from polished elite to sleepless office ghost.

His colleague, Li Muqing, wasn’t doing much better. As the prince’s business assistant, she too was buried in work and hadn’t gone out drinking with her girlfriends in ages. She now looked like an addict desperate to inject alcohol into her veins.

The two of them finally managed to sneak a break and were commiserating in the break room.

Leaning on the table like a ghost, Li Muqing asked weakly, “Nan-ge, when will this hell end?”

Zuo Nan looked even worse than her. “Maybe after the product launch…”

ZeYue Electronics was preparing for a major product launch. They had historically produced monitors, projectors, and home appliances, but their new CEO had pushed for a pivot—into AI-integrated smart appliances targeting both younger and older demographics.

The R&D team had made a key breakthrough and developed some truly competitive products, aiming to release them before the holidays.

Everyone in the company was under pressure—and even the CEO himself was working late every night.

Zuo Nan assumed this was why his boss was being such a workaholic. But Li Muqing had other theories. She thought his obsessive work mode reminded her of how her overachiever bestie coped after a breakup—by throwing themselves into work.

Maybe the young boss had been dumped?

She shared this thought with Zuo Nan. They exchanged a look, then burst out laughing: “No way, right?”

Zuo Nan guffawed. “President Wei doesn’t even like humans!”

Li Muqing nodded. “You’re right. I must be so overworked my brain broke.”

But their laughter quickly turned to sorrow. Just then, Maggie from PR walked by and joined them, whispering, “I think he’s just competing with his sister—classic rich family power struggle.”

Chairwoman Wei Jin had just been promoted to Vice Chair. She was competent and well-liked by the board and employees alike. Everyone could tell the chairman favored her as the successor.

She had married a man with no notable background and stayed in the Wei family, even giving both sons her surname—a sign of her ambition. Compared to her nine-year-younger brother, she had more experience, trust, and public support. No wonder the young boss was pushing himself so hard for this product launch.

Maggie’s version of events sounded far more plausible than “broken-hearted CEO.”

Zuo Nan and Li Muqing were enlightened—and suddenly energized by this juicy gossip.

Until they heard that voice approaching.

“Zuo Nan—”

Everyone froze. Seconds later, Wei Xun appeared at the doorway, dressed in a gray-black vest suit, emanating intensity. He stared coldly at Zuo Nan. “I just sent some files to your inbox. Organize them and send them back. Also, prep a meeting room. I want R&D, product, PR, and marketing teams in a meeting in one hour.”

Zuo Nan straightened up: “Yes, sir!”

Then Wei Xun turned to Li Muqing: “Assistant Li, is the product data ready? Have you scheduled the factory inspections? I need all discussion points with the suppliers finalized and on my desk before tomorrow.”

Li Muqing shot to her feet. “Yes, I’ll get on it!”

Before Maggie could show any sympathy, the boss turned on her too.

“Maggie. Your ad copy was garbage. The slogans were unoriginal and cliché. The long description was a mess—no focus at all. Redo everything.”

Maggie bowed: “Yes sir, I’ll revise it immediately!”

Wei Xun left like a storm. The break room lay in ruins.

An hour later, the meeting began—and even more victims were claimed.

At the head of the table, Wei Xun sat intently focused on the presentation screen. In front of him stood R&D Director He Ming, reporting the latest product updates.

Not just Zuo Nan and Li Muqing—every senior exec who worked closely with Wei Xun had now witnessed his full-blown workaholic fury.

---

Not only did he push himself hard, but he also pushed his employees — and he was sharp-tongued, too. Just moments ago, several department heads had been mercilessly chewed out by him. Now, only the R&D Director was still hanging on, barely holding the line.

After finishing his report under immense pressure, He Ming stood nervously under his boss’s scrutiny, feeling as if Wei Xun’s stare could flay him alive.

Ahhh, if you’re going to scold me, just scold me already! Just staring like that and saying nothing is way more terrifying, sob sob sob.

After a long moment, Wei Xun finally spoke. He asked a few pointed questions about the optimization plan. He Ming braced himself and answered them one by one. In the end, he heard:

“Hmm. Good work. Thank you for your efforts.”

“…I’m sorry, President Wei, we’ll continue improving—huh?”

He Ming, who had already prepared himself to start apologizing, was stunned to be praised. He looked up in disbelief and met Wei Xun’s deep, dark eyes.

Wei Xun set down his pen and leaned back in his chair. Facing his subordinate’s shocked expression, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Why are you so tense? Do I seem like the kind of boss who chews people out first no matter how well they’ve done?”

Everyone in the meeting room looked at each other.

Come to think of it, Wei Xun really wasn’t like that. When he criticized, he almost always explained the reasoning and offered suggestions for improvement — he didn’t scold for the sake of scolding.

That’s why employees, while intimidated by him, also deeply respected him. Many of them even hoped — desperately — to one day receive his praise and recognition.

So, in this meeting, the R&D team — the only department to receive a rare compliment from President Wei — couldn’t help but sit a little straighter under the envious stares of the other departments.

Wei Xun glanced at his phone. Seeing that it was almost time, he looked up and surveyed the room. “That’s all for this meeting. Any other objections? If not, we’re done.”

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, wearing the expressions of people who had narrowly escaped a disaster.

Wei Xun took in their reactions with an indifferent look. Then he glanced at Zuo Nan and gave a subtle signal. Zuo Nan immediately understood and hurried out of the conference room.

Moments later, he returned with staff from the administrative department, bringing in dozens of boxed dessert sets. Each was a nine-grid sampler with strawberry cake, chocolate puffs, berry tiramisu, cookies, fruit pudding, and other treats — beautifully made and mouthwatering to look at.

Wei Xun stood up from his seat and said in a gentle tone, “Everyone’s been working hard lately. I asked Zuo Nan to prepare some afternoon tea. Grab a box and take a short break before continuing work. With the product launch around the corner, let’s give it one last push.”

Cheers erupted across the room: “Aahhh thank you, President Wei!”

Each person received a large dessert box, and just like that, all their fatigue vanished. Working overtime was exhausting, yes — but at least the company was generous with overtime pay, and the boss knew how to care for his employees.

Looking at the dessert box — about the size of a 12-inch pizza box — everyone silently thought the same thing:

“Waaah, President Wei, I won’t allow anyone to defy you!”

Maggie, who had a major sweet tooth, had tried almost every dessert shop in Zicheng. With one glance, she recognized that these were from a famous shop known for two things: amazing taste and outrageous prices. Just one of these nine-grid boxes cost several hundred yuan.

Clutching her dessert, she walked over to Zuo Nan, eyes shining. “Nan-ge, looks like our company’s afternoon tea budget is booming.”

This was a Maison dessert box! She usually had to grit her teeth just to buy one mille-crepe slice, and now she was getting a whole box for free?

Zuo Nan knew how pricey the shop was too. He glanced at her and smiled. “What are you thinking? Even if the budget is decent, we couldn’t afford this kind of splurge. President Wei paid for these out of his own pocket.”

“What?!” Maggie immediately looked toward Wei Xun, who was standing by the window on the phone. His tall, upright figure suddenly looked majestic — almost divine.

“Oh my god, I vow to follow the God of Fortune for the rest of my life…”

Just then, Wei Xun finished his call and turned around — only to see Maggie solemnly clutching the dessert box and muttering like she was worshipping him.

Wei Xun: “…”

His mouth twitched. He seriously suspected all his employees were a little off.

Still, seeing Maggie reminded him of something. “Maggie, are the press conference speech and presentation ready?”

Hearing the keyword, Maggie instantly sobered up. “Yes! I’ll send it to your inbox right away!”

Wei Xun nodded. “Good. I’ll take a look.”

ZeYue Electronics had traditionally focused on monitors, projectors, and household appliances — unlike mobile phones or computers, which advanced rapidly each year. As a result, their product launches hadn’t drawn as much attention as those from high-tech consumer electronics firms.

In the past, product presentations were usually delivered by the product department manager. But ever since Wei Xun took over, the company had seen new momentum in R&D and innovation. Naturally, the product launch needed a fresh approach too.

Having the CEO speak at the launch would boost its impact and better communicate brand value. Given Wei Xun’s image, education, background, and leadership — all perfectly aligned with ZeYue’s new direction — the PR department proposed that he be the keynote speaker.

Wei Xun accepted.

He had another virtual meeting soon, so he picked up his phone and headed back to his office. Zuo Nan hurried to catch up and asked, “President Wei, should I bring your dessert to your office later?”

“No need. You guys split it,” Wei Xun replied coolly. “I’m cutting sugar right now.”

Zuo Nan: “???”

He stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded, and stared at his boss’s receding back.

“…Is he trying to ascend to immortality or something?”

—

Late at night, the Wei family estate.

It was nearly 11 p.m., and Wei Xun was still in his study working. Lately, he hadn’t been sleeping well. He often tossed and turned at night, and even when he did fall asleep, it was light and restless — as if his mind was perpetually on high alert, never fully relaxed.

If he couldn’t sleep, he didn’t bother lying in bed. He’d just get up to read or work instead. That’s why Zuo Nan kept receiving messages from him at odd hours, and had even discussed his boss’s strange sleep habits with Li Muqing. They both suspected he really was trying to become immortal.

Wei Xun knew something wasn’t right with him. More than that, he even knew why he was acting so off.

He was deliberately avoiding all other thoughts — pouring every bit of his focus into work. Because if he didn’t, the tidal wave of chaotic emotions and memories would come crashing down and drown him.

Wei Xun hated being ruled by emotion.

But repressing thoughts and feelings like this was damaging. Mental strain often showed up in physical ways — like his recent insomnia and loss of appetite.

Worse still, the more he tried to forget, the more he saw her — that silhouette, that face — everywhere he looked. It haunted him like a ghost, always nearby.

He even started wondering if he had some kind of mental illness.

So he gritted his teeth and threw himself deeper into work, using it like a self-inflicted purge to erase that lingering figure from his mind.

At first, it worked. He was reviewing the press conference script and making edits with full focus, reading line after line and jotting down suggestions. He had already finished most of it.

But when he reached the line:

“This product not only promotes family harmony, but also fosters better relationships among neighbors…”

He suddenly froze.

Especially the phrase “fosters better relationships among neighbors.”

On the screen, those words started to twist and morph before his eyes — until they rearranged themselves into six bolded characters that screamed at him:

Neighbor. Girl’s. Little. Brother.

SLAM—

Wei Xun slammed his laptop shut.

To hell with “neighborly relations”!
To hell with being the neighbor girl’s little brother!

His frayed sanity snapped at last. He shot up from his chair, grabbed his car keys, and stormed downstairs with a grim face.

His logic had vanished. He couldn’t think straight anymore — he was moving purely on instinct. He drove halfway across Zicheng, finally parking near the entrance of the Green Grove residential area.

It was past midnight. Most of the city had gone dark, save for a few scattered stars and the dim yellow glow of streetlights, standing sentinel for those returning home late.

Wei Xun sat quietly in his car, staring at a name on his phone screen — Que Wanshu.

His finger hovered over the call button… then hesitated and pulled away. A few seconds later, it hovered again… then withdrew. He repeated this over and over. Ten, twenty minutes passed like this.

Wei Xun laughed bitterly at himself.

He wasn’t indecisive — not usually. He was the kind of person who took immediate action and refined things along the way. But now, he had spent nearly half an hour just debating whether or not to call Que Wanshu.

Back then, when he wanted to see her, he would just go and see her. He never had to agonize over finding an excuse.

The thought made his chest tighten. He grew increasingly agitated — his mood sinking fast. In frustration, he tossed his phone aside and opened the storage compartment to pull out a long-forgotten pack of cigarettes. Then he got out of the car.

Leaning against the vehicle, he put a cigarette between his lips. Just as he was about to light it—

A voice — soft and familiar, the one he’d been dreaming of — called out from nearby:

“Wei Xun?”

He froze and turned abruptly.

And there she was.

Que Wanshu, her warm and clear eyes meeting his.

“What are you doing here?”

He heard her ask gently.

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