Bian Bian tugged on the leash, and Yan Xi followed along, heading toward the elevator.

“Ding—” The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, prompting Yan Xi to quicken her pace.

Jiang Chizhou and Xiao Ran stepped out of the elevator, one after the other, and the three of them found themselves face-to-face. The atmosphere was a bit tense.

Xiao Ran, ever the diligent student, was still clutching a book, clearly having been off studying seriously. But what about Jiang Chizhou?

Yan Xi pursed her lips, her gaze flicking between the two. “You two came back together?” It was her first time seeing Jiang Chizhou and Xiao Ran walking alone together.

Xiao Ran, startled, quickly glanced at the person beside her and hurriedly explained, “We just ran into each other downstairs.”

“Oh.” Yan Xi pulled on the leash, stepping aside to let them pass. But neither Xiao Ran nor Jiang Chizhou moved.

Yan Xi’s hand hovered near the elevator button before she hesitated and retracted it. She circled around to face Jiang Chizhou, waving her slender fingers in front of his face. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jiang Chizhou lowered his gaze, his eyes dark and brooding, clearly not in a good mood. Under her intense stare, he half-heartedly muttered, “Nothing.”

Before Yan Xi could respond, he had already walked past the two of them and disappeared into the stairwell.

After knowing him for so many years, Yan Xi could read Jiang Chizhou’s emotions with just a blink. His unusually sullen mood today, and the fact that he hadn’t said a word since they crossed paths, made her uneasy.

Ugh!
Well, there’s no point in walking the dog now.

Yan Xi tilted her head back, watching as Jiang Chizhou’s dejected figure faded away. She raised her finger and pointed backward, telling Xiao Ran, “I’m going to check on him.”

Xiao Ran nodded silently, waiting for Yan Xi to leave before she limped her way to the door.

With the adults not home, she headed straight to her room, put down her backpack, and laid the math textbook that had gotten bent on the desk.

She slowly flattened the dog-eared corner of the book, and images of Jiang Chizhou heroically scaring off the punks earlier that day flashed through her mind. Without realizing it, her arm pressed down on the book, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.

–

Meanwhile, outside the Jiang household.

Bian Bian, who had been eager to explore earlier, now resisted moving forward. Yan Xi shortened the leash and tried reasoning with him, “Bian Bian, let’s go check on your brother. He seems pretty down.”

That look Jiang Chizhou had given her just now—it was downright gloomy! Yan Xi couldn’t shake the concern she felt.

Whether Bian Bian understood or not, he reluctantly followed her. Standing outside Jiang Chizhou’s door, Yan Xi raised her hand to knock, but before her fist could connect, the door opened.

Jiang Chizhou stood there with the same expression as before. He looked like he had something on his mind but wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“You going somewhere?” Yan Xi asked.

“No.”

“Then why’d you open the door?”

“Weren’t you knocking?”

Yan Xi was confused. “I hadn’t knocked yet.”

Had she lost her memory or gone deaf? She distinctly remembered her hand not touching the door. Was this some kind of telepathic knocking?

Jiang Chizhou felt momentarily embarrassed. There was no way he’d admit that he had been standing by the door the whole time, watching her interact with Bian Bian, until she raised her hand to knock.

At a loss for how to start the conversation, they awkwardly fell into small talk. “You seem upset,” Yan Xi said.

“I’m not,” he denied.

Without hesitation, Yan Xi pushed him a step inside. “Don’t lie. I can tell what mood you’re in with just a finger twitch.”

Even though she was calling out his lie, somehow, her words lightened his mood. Crossing his arms, Jiang Chizhou’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “You know me that well?”

“Hmph!” Yan Xi raised her chin proudly. “Of course! Know your enemy, and you’ll win every battle! I’ve done my research.”

Back when she was determined to make trouble for Jiang Chizhou, she’d gathered intel from his mom and his friends, keeping a notebook of everything related to him. Of course, she knew him well!

“Alright, fine. I’ll admit it. I lost a basketball game this afternoon, so I’m in a bit of a bad mood,” he explained.

“Ohhh.” So that was it.

Yan Xi knew Jiang Chizhou was skilled, rarely encountering an opponent. He was used to winning, so losing must have hit him harder.

“Chizhou, winning and losing is part of the game. You need to lighten up.” She kindly offered him words of comfort, delivering her advice with great wisdom.

Jiang Chizhou glanced at her lively expression and exaggerated gestures, letting out a quiet laugh.

This girl… she acted like she could see right through him, but in reality, she was completely oblivious.

“Yan Xi, you’re such an idiot,” he muttered. She believed everything people told her, but never saw what they didn’t say.

Her comforting words came to an abrupt halt. Yan Xi stretched her neck forward, staring at him in disbelief. “Did you just call me stupid?”

She had been kind enough to offer him encouragement, and he insulted her in return?

Her temper flared!

What began as an act of kindness quickly devolved into a brawl. The two of them ended up wrestling on the couch, with Yan Xi trying to catch him off guard. But Jiang Chizhou grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

The reflexive movement left them in an awkward position. Jiang Chizhou suddenly realized his hands were touching something soft. Unable to control himself, he gave it a squeeze. “Huh, bigger than I thought…”

The air froze. Time seemed to stop.

A surge of heat rushed to Yan Xi’s head. She elbowed him hard, pushing him away, and grabbed a pillow from the couch to hurl at him. “Pervert! You filthy pervert! Ahhh!!!”

*

After the weekend incident, Yan Xi officially declared that she and Jiang Chizhou were no longer friends.

At the same time, the school was preparing for monthly exams. For the freshmen, this was their first major test. The results and rankings would be posted in the classrooms, and parents were bound to ask about their scores—this exam mattered.

Yan Xi remained calm. No matter what exam she faced, she never got nervous. She wasn’t the most diligent student, but she attended classes and did her homework. Whenever she encountered difficulties, she asked for help. This consistent approach kept her grades solidly above average.

Xiao Ran, on the other hand, was under more pressure. She was still flipping through her notes a minute before the test began.

After the first day of exams ended, the students were released earlier than usual. Xiao Ran’s classmate, Hu Xiushui, approached her again. “Xiao Ran, are you sure you’re not going?”

Xiao Ran clutched her pen tightly and shook her head softly. “No, I’m not going.”

Although she wanted to make money, she was even more afraid of running into those thugs again.

Yan Xi found Xiao Ran’s exam room and poked her head in through the doorway. “Xiao Ran.”

Hearing her name, Xiao Ran quickly packed her things and hurriedly said goodbye, “My cousin’s waiting for me. I have to go.”

Her foot was still injured, making her walk awkwardly. Yan Xi held out her hand for support. “Hold onto me and take it slow.”

They’d only discovered Xiao Ran’s injury that Saturday night when they had asked her to join them for dinner. Zhao Qiujing had been heartbroken, rushing to buy medicine to reduce the swelling.

Since riding a bike was out of the question, Zhao Qiujing had also given them extra money for taxis. Xiao Ran, too embarrassed to accept it, had let Yan Xi keep the cash.

Taking care of her cousin had now become Yan Xi’s responsibility. Just like today, after the exam, she was there to help her cousin get home.

The two of them moved at a snail’s pace, and when they were finally nearing the school gate, they found themselves blocked.

Jiang Chizhou stood there with Song Feiyang, He Xincheng, and a few others, drawing attention. Every girl passing by couldn’t help but glance their way.

Yan Xi instinctively straightened her back and lifted her chin, trying to act like she didn’t see them as she walked confidently ahead. But before she could pass, a hand stretched out horizontally, blocking her path.

She turned her head, already bristling with annoyance. “We’re not speaking. Do you even know what a breakup is?”

“We never had a relationship to begin with. What’s there to break?” Jiang Chizhou smirked, leaning closer with a mischievous smile.

Just hearing his voice made Yan Xi’s blood boil. She hadn’t been able to sleep well since the incident on Saturday night. Jiang Chizhou’s voice had echoed in her ears all night, and she had woken up with dark circles under her eyes, utterly drained.

She realized one thing: she and Jiang Chizhou were simply incompatible!

Yan Xi led Xiao Ran to the gate, where they

hailed a taxi. Jiang Chizhou followed shamelessly, and before Yan Xi could chase him off, he offered, “I’ll pay for it.”

At that, Yan Xi stepped back, letting him take care of the fare. She helped Xiao Ran into the back seat, and they all headed home.

Once they reached the entrance of their apartment complex, the three of them got out in turn, Jiang Chizhou bringing up the rear.

Yan Xi wasn’t paying attention and swung her arm out too far, accidentally hitting something hard.

“Ahh…” A sharp pain shot through her arm, and as usual, Yan Xi exaggerated it. “Ow, ow, ow, it hurts so much…”

“Cousin!” Xiao Ran called out in concern, quickly letting go of her hand. “Are you alright?”

But before she could answer, Jiang Chizhou had already pulled Yan Xi toward him. “Let me take a look.”

A reddish mark had formed where she had hit herself. He held her wrist, scolding her out of habit, “Yan Xi, are you stupid? How do you even manage to hit your arm while walking?”

“And now you’re scolding me?”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry.”
Someone who was in the wrong didn’t have the right to lose their temper!

Even though it was just a bump, and the pain was already fading, Jiang Chizhou continued to hold her wrist gently, rubbing the area softly.

Watching this scene unfold, Xiao Ran took it all in silently. She tightened her fingers into a fist.

So, this is what it means when they say that the child who cries gets the candy?

–

The pain was fleeting, and Yan Xi still had the responsibility of helping Xiao Ran upstairs. “Okay, I’m fine now.”

“You sure?” Jiang Chizhou asked, not entirely convinced.

“I’m sure.” Yan Xi nodded lazily and resumed helping Xiao Ran up the stairs.

Once Xiao Ran was safely home, Yan Xi was about to leave when Jiang Chizhou stopped her, pulling her into the stairwell.

“About the other day—I’m sorry,” he said, adding seriously, “I really mean it.”

He hadn’t done it on purpose. The situation had been too complicated. In those brief seconds, his mind had gone completely blank, and he hadn’t even realized what he was doing.

They’d spent years joking and messing around, but recently, time and time again, he was becoming more aware of something: the little girl who had always been under his nose was growing up.

“Will you give me another chance?”

Yan Xi puffed out her cheeks, her eyes shifting as if lost in thought.

Seeing her hesitate, Jiang Chizhou felt a bit anxious.
They weren’t kids anymore. They couldn’t just forget and move on after a fight. Their bodies were changing, and so were their hearts. And when it came to Yan Xi…

An unspoken feeling was starting to surface. “There’s something I want to tell you.”