...
Aunt Qin had been waiting at home for a long time.
She had made a late-night snack. When Chen Yiyang finally came back, she smiled and welcomed him, asking, "Where's Xiao Mi?"
It was almost eleven, and Yun Mi hadn't returned yet.
Chen Yiyang had just taken off his jacket, intending to go upstairs, when he paused briefly. "What's up with her?"
Aunt Qin glanced at the sky outside. The weather looked bad. "Oh," she said, "Nothing much."
Just a little worried.
She wiped her hands on her apron and said, "Xiao Mi asked me to make a late-night snack—Wensi crab roe porridge. She said you've been in a bad mood, and something tasty might help you feel better."
Chen Yiyang glanced at the dining table.
The lights were still on there. A big bowl of porridge was kept warm, giving the place a different feel from when it was just him and Aunt Qin—warm and cozy, like a real home.
Aunt Qin said gently, "Xiao Mi taught me how to make this porridge. She said her mother used to make it for her when she was alive. It's a specialty from the Jiangnan region. Xiao Yang, would you like to try it now?"
Chen Yiyang stopped on the stairs. He tossed his backpack onto the living room sofa and said, "No need."
Aunt Qin looked outside. It was about to rain.
With some hesitation, she said, "Xiao Yang, maybe you could go pick up Xiao Mi. A young girl, out this late, it's not safe."
-
In the classroom of Class 1, everyone had left.
Yun Mi was still buried in her wrong questions, refusing to look up.
Her phone buzzed twice in the desk drawer. Startled, she bit her lip and checked.
It was from Chen Yiyang.
Yun Mi was surprised.
"Grow Up Well": What's up? Aunt Qin looking for me?
"y2": In the classroom?
"Grow Up Well": Yeah.
"y2": What time are you coming home?
Yun Mi looked out the window. The sky had darkened, and it seemed like it might rain again.
Yun Mi had an umbrella. She replied: Later.
"y2": "Later" is when?
It was already 11:18 PM.
Usually, the security guard would come to kick people out by 11:30.
"Grow Up Well": Ten minutes.
Just as she was about to send it, there were two knocks at the door. "Dong dong." Yun Mi paused briefly and looked up abruptly.
The boy's unrestrained figure was leaning against the doorframe. Chen Yiyang stood there lazily, his eyelids slightly drooped, his gaze falling lightly on her.
Yun Mi's heart skipped a beat. She felt that Chen Yiyang wouldn't show up for no reason—he must have found out about her bet with Jiang Wenshao. She said softly, "Let me just finish this problem..."
"Let's go."
His tone was flat but carried an undeniable force.
Chen Yiyang said, "It's going to rain soon. Aunt Qin is here to pick us up, waiting at the school gate."
Yun Mi froze.
She always felt like she was troubling Chen Yiyang. She was afraid he was annoyed; she knew he hated her.
She mustn't let Chen Yiyang find out she had caused trouble.
Chen Yiyang was afraid of Wen Liangyu knowing about the trouble, and she was too.
So she silently put away her pen and notebook, her voice as soft as a whisper, "Okay."
Chen Yiyang's phone lit up again.
A friend request from Jiang Wenshao popped up on the screen.
He had been adding him over a dozen times all evening. This time, the request note was glaring:
"Your little girlfriend is still cramming at the last minute? Some people are just that way—no matter how much they pretend, they can't improve."
Chen Yiyang's eyes narrowed slightly. He gave a light scoff.
He accepted.
In the late night on Shancheng University's campus, wind picked up, the chill seeping through collars.
During this period, Chen Yiyang had agreed to teach her, but he wasn't at her beck and call. He only helped her organize knowledge tree diagrams and explain wrong problems after school each day.
Yun Mi knew she had taken up too much of his time.