Chapter 3

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Xu Xieyi had just hung up the phone with Lin Sheng when the bell rang. She hurried back to the classroom, anxious, and took the back door directly instead of the usual route through the front. The back row was a gathering spot for the mischievous boys, and as soon as she appeared, some of the rowdier classmates glanced her way.

“Xu Xieyi, slow down!” one called out.

“Yeah, what’s the rush?” another teased.

They were sitting haphazardly, whistling and laughing. Xu Xieyi shot them a sharp glare, instinctively lowering her head and slouching as she passed through the aisle beside them.

Perhaps because she was too flustered, she accidentally kicked someone’s foot, stumbled slightly.

“Ah!” she gasped, almost bumping into a boy walking ahead.

The boys nearby whistled louder, shouting “Yo yo!” and “Wow!” in mock excitement. Xu Xieyi recalled the girls telling her how those boys secretly joked about her figure behind her back. Embarrassed and angry, her eyes reddened as she hurried silently to her seat.

The entire study period, she couldn’t focus on her book, the scene at the back door replaying in her mind, frustrating her. After several attempts to calm herself, she finally pulled out her phone quietly, found Lin Sheng’s number, and carefully typed out the details of when and where to eat, checking the message multiple times before sending.

Holding the phone, she silently prayed, “Merciful and compassionate Brother Lin, please... show some kindness. I beg you.”

—

As soon as the afternoon bell rang, Xu Xieyi quickly packed her bag. Yang Bingbing and Zhang Xiaoli teased her for being in such a hurry, joking that she was rushing off to meet some handsome guy.

Xu Xieyi, pressed for time, thought their imaginations were overactive. “Stop guessing, there’s no boyfriend. It’s just a brother.”

“What brother?” they asked.

“You can call your boyfriend ‘brother’ too,” she replied, tossing out the word, “Elder!”

Sure enough, the two girls lost interest in prying further. Yang Bingbing said, “You can get all excited just from calling your elder brother... I’m impressed.”

They laughed and joked, and though Xu Xieyi was still bothered by the earlier incident at the back door, she joined in their laughter like a blossoming young girl.

While they were chatting, Yang Bingbing suddenly pointed at the phone on Xu Xieyi’s desk. “Xu Xu, your phone has been ringing for a while, why aren’t you answering?”

Xu Xieyi looked and saw the caller ID: “Lin Sheng.”

Surprised, she quickly answered, wiping away her lively laughter and putting on a composed tone.

—

Evening fell, faint rain drizzled over the city’s towering skyline. Lin Sheng switched on the car’s windshield wipers and put on his Bluetooth headset just as the call connected. From the other end came a polite, almost formal voice: “Brother Lin.”

The wipers cleared a patch of glass, and Lin Sheng’s gaze drifted toward the distant road and pedestrians. He remembered the cautious wording in Xu Xieyi’s message and could tell she was taking this seriously. A small smile played on his lips.

Adjusting the earpiece with a clean, slender finger, his voice was gentle. “School’s out?”

“Yes, just finished class.”

Xu Xieyi treated this like a major event. While talking on the phone and packing her bag, she ignored Zhang Xiaoli and the others’ distractions. “Brother Lin, you can rest at the hospital. I’ll still need about forty or fifty minutes to get to Fortune Plaza.”

“No rush,” Lin Sheng said, steering the wheel through a traffic light. “You go to Second High School, right?”

“Yes.”

“Wait for me at the school. I’ll come pick you up.”

Xu Xieyi paused while putting down her pencil case. “No, no trouble, Brother Lin. I’ll just take the bus myself.”

“No trouble at all.”

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“Really, it’s fine, I...” she started.

“Just wait for me at the school.” Lin Sheng’s gentle smile carried a hint of firmness that left no room for negotiation.

A Volkswagen Polo suddenly cut in sharply ahead.

With nimble fingers, he turned the wheel to avoid the car, his voice low and casual. “I don’t want to have dinner with a tired little cutie.”

—

Lin Sheng said he’d arrive at the parking lot in thirty minutes.

But Xu Xieyi left the classroom early, holding her umbrella and waiting. She adjusted her backpack straps, still mulling over Lin Sheng’s words, “tired little cutie.”

—That must be because last time she’d been squished on the bus and looked a mess, so Brother Lin said that.

The damp air was cool as she breathed it in.

While waiting alone, her mind wandered aimlessly over various matters: her parents, college entrance exams, next week’s homework.

Rainy days grew dark early.

By the time Lin Sheng drove into the parking lot, the street lamps were already lit.

In the dim drizzle, under the glow of the yellow lights, a girl in the Second High School uniform stood holding a red plaid umbrella, her black backpack slung over her shoulders, ponytail strands falling softly. Her delicate face still bore traces of youthful innocence. The evening breeze lifted stray hairs near her ear.

She stood quietly, neat and composed, without a trace of fuss.

Blending into the night and the gentle rain.

Lin Sheng’s fingers rested casually on the steering wheel as he found himself glancing at her longer than intended.

The wind picked up, and she looked cold, hugging herself and shrinking slightly in the rain. A bit pitiful.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked, rolling down the window.

Startled, Xu Xieyi had been so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed the car. The man’s arm rested casually on the window frame as he looked her way.

She quickly greeted him politely, “Brother Lin.”

The amber light combined with the rain mist softened his features. His smile was faint, far less stern than when they met at the hospital. He was kind and unpretentious. “Get in quickly. The wind’s strong—don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay!”

Xu Xieyi stepped over puddles and approached the car. After shaking off her umbrella, she slid into the passenger seat and carefully placed the umbrella in a plastic bag she had prepared earlier, so as not to dirty the car.

Lin Sheng noticed the careful gesture and was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected such thoughtfulness from a young girl.

“Sorry,” he said. “Traffic was a bit heavy. Sorry I’m late. You’ve been waiting long?”

“No, no, Brother Lin, you arrived on time.” Xu Xieyi lowered her head to pack the umbrella, smiling politely. “The classroom was empty, so I came down early.”

“I see,” Lin Sheng said casually, clearly uninterested in the mundane details of a student’s life.

Just as Xu Xieyi finished packing the umbrella and tied the bag, she suddenly felt a large piece of clothing draped over her shoulders.

Startled, she looked up to see Lin Sheng had already withdrawn his arm, focusing on driving. “Put it on. Don’t catch a cold.”

“Thank you, Brother Lin.”

She thanked him, somewhat dazed. Most boys she knew were noisy and mischievous; no one cared for girls like this. It felt unfamiliar.

The tires rolled through puddles, sending waves rippling outward.

Xu Xieyi smoothed the black windbreaker on her shoulders, still warm from the man’s neck, faintly scented with a subtle masculine cologne.

She glanced sideways.

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Lin Sheng wore just a white shirt, a clean wrist adorned with a watch.

She couldn’t help but look at his ear—sharp and well-defined, clean.

She vaguely recalled that the boy from her childhood memories had earrings, quite a few of them.

Sensing her gaze, Lin Sheng turned and gave a slight, squinting smile.

—

Lin Sheng was again surprised. This girl was more organized than he had imagined.

She hadn’t invited him to eat spicy hotpot or fried skewers like most students might, but instead had properly arranged to go to a mutton soup hotpot restaurant, clearly having done some homework in advance.

Of course, Lin Sheng understood her purpose in inviting him.

Yet, this little girl, so young, already playing adult “games,” amused him somewhat.

Anyway, he had no pressing plans that night.

The waitress stood by the table waiting for their order, occasionally glancing at the man, noticing a small dark mole on his right cheek. It seemed almost deliberately placed—who could have such a perfect mole?

Xu Xieyi looked up from the menu. “Brother Lin, do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“Anything’s fine. I don’t have any.”

“Oh,” she nodded blankly, then handed the menu to the waitress. “One jin of mutton, half jin of mixed cuts, vegetables—seasonal vegetable platter. For dipping sauces, fresh chili and fermented tofu—one bowl without scallions, one normal. For cold dishes, smashed cucumber and beef mixed with shredded vegetables.”

Suddenly remembering, she asked, “Brother Lin, what would you like to drink? There’s coconut juice and cola.”

Lin Sheng didn’t answer immediately but smiled faintly. Just as Xu Xieyi was about to interpret, she calmly said, “Brother doesn’t drink beverages. You order whatever you like.”

Xu Xieyi suddenly felt that her earlier reverence for Lin Sheng at the hospital had been timidity. Brother Lin was actually quite approachable.

After ordering, the waitress wrote down the menu and left.

“You seem good at ordering food,” Lin Sheng asked without looking up.

“No, no, I’m not good at it,” Xu Xieyi waved her hand.

She truly wasn’t skilled; usually when eating out with classmates, it was just simple street food or spicy hotpot.

“But,” she curved her lips slightly, “I can cook.”

Lin Sheng had just finished inspecting the grease stains on the table and chair, raising his eyelids. “Oh?”

Xu Xieyi expertly unwrapped the sterilized utensils and arranged them for him. “I’ve liked watching cooking shows since I was little and imitated what I saw. My parents are pretty lazy and often let me cook, so I gradually learned.”

Suddenly, Lin Sheng’s phone received a WeChat message. He glanced at it and casually said, “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Xu Xieyi wasn’t naturally talkative, but wanting to get closer to Lin Sheng and eventually persuade him to agree to the ten thousand yuan for her surgery, she forced herself to chat.

She recalled how her parents did business and dealt with people, bringing up some topics.

Mostly about the old affairs of Ze’an.

That was the only thing she could talk about with Lin Sheng.

“I haven’t been to Ze’an in years. Is it still the same as before?” Lin Sheng looked up from his phone, glancing at the girl.

Xu Xieyi didn’t notice the man’s indifferent attitude on the topic, nor that his attention had shifted back to his phone, his mood sour.

Of course, perhaps because he was so skilled socially that even his indifference came across well. A naive high school girl wouldn’t see through it.

She enthusiastically described, “It’s different now. A lot has changed. The government rebuilt the entire county. The main avenue is much wider, but it still gets congested during National Day because of too many tourists.”

“Are your parents still running the supermarket?”