Everything around seemed to freeze, all senses infinitely amplified, the eerie silence flooding in like the tide. Hanging up wasn't an option; Cheng Buxi wanted to chop off her own hand.
Just then, Feng Yuan turned over, murmuring incoherent dream words, and the overnight clothes on the balcony dripped. Drip, drip... constantly stimulating her fragile senses.
Lu Tingzhou heard her unsteady breathing and seemed to understand. He propped his temple with one hand, his sturdy frame sinking into the leather sofa. His posture relaxed, and his voice became soothing and gentle. "In the dorm? Where did you bump? How could you be so careless?"
Cheng Buxi bit her lip. After a long moment, knowing she couldn't avoid it, she braced herself and said, "Hold on." She didn't dare say the call was an accident, so she had to play along. She got out of bed as quickly as possible and ran to the empty hallway. A rustling sound came through the phone; the other end was patient enough to wait until she felt safe to continue the conversation.
"Brother, I had a nightmare." She stood on tiptoe, her voice soft and sticky.
She had been like this since childhood—knowing how to coax and deceive at critical moments, like a cat's claws rubbing and scratching at the tip of his heart. As her elder brother, he was utterly helpless against it.
Lu Tingzhou's eyes shone, brighter than before. Her repeated initiative made him a little elated, and a faint, ethereal smile appeared on his lips, one he hadn't even noticed himself. "Mm, don't be afraid. It's just a dream."
Actually, he had had a dream too—a dream about one deep winter when she was sick with a high fever at night. She had taken a lot of medicine, three or four doctors came but couldn't cure her, and the whole family was frantic. Even his mother, Ms. Bai, who was so strong-willed, had lost the light in her eyes. Finally, they called a psychic to exorcise the evil spirits, and miraculously, she recovered. Young and thinking she was about to die, she had drowsily clutched his palm and said, "Xiaoye gege, if you meet someone better, remember to leave me behind."
Leave her behind? No, he wouldn't. He would never leave you. Even if he met someone better, he wouldn't. Besides, no one could ever be better than you.
...
After waking, he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. As expected, everything was a mess. He had planned to read for a while but ended up retreating to the bathroom to take a cold shower.
"Brother... I don't think I've woken up yet." Cheng Buxi gathered her hair to one side, her jet-black, silky hair falling naturally, revealing the graceful, snow-white curve of her neck. She was beautiful—her pretty face could be a weapon. Still deep in the long dream, she shrank her shoulders as a draft blew through the hallway. In the dream, she had been innocent and fearless, knowing she always had someone to rely on. Back then, they had been so close, and she could depend on him and cling to him without restraint. But now...
"Then don't wake up." Lu Tingzhou rubbed his brow; the taste of indulgence was addictive. He changed the subject. "Are you hungry? I'll send someone to bring you some food. Your favorite Yuji cherry cake."
Cherry cake.
Cheng Buxi stared absently at a corner where a few ants were diligently carrying winter supplies. In the three years of silence, her tastes had changed a lot; she no longer liked cherry cake. But she didn't say that. "I'm not hungry. I'll eat at the cafeteria with classmates later."
He didn't insist and said okay.
Since things had come this far, "Brother, save me." Since the call had already been made, Cheng Buxi decided to take this opportunity to ask for his protection, instinctively beginning to act cute. "Could you say some bad things about me to Professor Shen?"
This request was unusual. Lu Tingzhou raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Cheng Buxi mumbled, "So I don't have to go to the Shen family... The eldest young master Shen is elegant and wise, a man of outstanding talent. Once he finds out that the object of the arranged marriage is a person with a terrible character, he will surely disdain to be associated with me. Auntie will also back down."
So, who was it that yesterday cried and said she'd marry if she had to, and now refused? Truly a cunning and fickle little fox with its tail wagging.
Lu Tingzhou was momentarily speechless, his heart a mix of joy and worry. Happy that she had no interest in the title of Mrs. Shen, but worried that she was unaware of her own charm. Even if he spoke ill of her, how could Shen Xiushi's judgment be poor?
When the other end remained silent for a long time, Cheng Buxi grew inexplicably nervous. "...Brother?"
Pulling himself together, Lu Tingzhou rubbed his brow. His voice was low but clear, and he promised calmly, "You won't go."
Inside the dim suite, his figure stood tall and solitary, with a hint of cold determination. He stated the outcome so definitively that Cheng Buxi felt a deep sense of relief and release. After all, he was Lu Tingzhou—the eldest young master's words always held true, including that "I don't like you."
"Really? Auntie won't blame me?" she asked, as if still uneasy.
His voice was still firm and gentle. "Mm, she won't."
She clearly grinned.
Before hanging up, Lu Tingzhou said one more thing that left Cheng Buxi dazed for a long time. He said, "Xiaoxi, I'm glad you called."
How could she explain that this call was actually an accident? She couldn't bring herself to say it.
-----
Gao Yabin had a habit of morning runs. Seeing Cheng Buxi head out with a book early in the morning was rare. She asked if she was going to the library. Cheng Buxi, who clearly hadn't slept well—dark circles under her eyes, face pale as a ghost—shook her head. "The welfare home."
"The one where you volunteered before?"
Cheng Buxi said yes.
She was still dressed lightly, as if the near-ten-degree weather didn't feel cold. A cream-colored diamond-patterned knit cardigan, paired with not-too-tight light jeans that outlined her long, slender legs, and mustard-yellow leather flats, giving off an autumn-winter vibe. Her long, smooth black hair was simply combed and left loose at her cheeks. Her oval face was clean and fair as fine jade, making her look delicate and radiant.
The title "Campus Belle of the Finance Department" was precious and resounding, causing countless battles among previous cohorts. Many coveted it, but to her, it always seemed to diminish her.
"Your credits are already added; you don't need to go anymore," Gao Yabin said, immune to her face after seeing it every day.
"I promised a few kids I'd visit them every two weeks and buy some snacks."
Gao Yabin lacked such perseverance and awareness. People who had long lived under someone else's roof always felt a natural indebtedness, needing to do something to balance it.
"Go ahead, but don't forget there's an exam today."
If she hadn't mentioned it, fine. But now Cheng Buxi remembered that Shen Xiushi was setting the exam, and his questions were always tough. She was oddly worried about failing.
-----
The welfare home was near the old campus of the Finance University, a bit of a distance from the new campus.
When Cheng Buxi entered the welfare home's classroom, many children were gathered in a circle of varying heights. In the middle, a little girl was crying bitterly. Her name was Youyou, born with a cleft lip. Her parents probably couldn't afford the treatment, or perhaps for some other reason, they had heartlessly abandoned her. Even at such a young age, she had already endured much of the coldness of human relationships.
When Cheng Buxi first came here as a volunteer, Youyou had just been brought to the welfare home. She was timid and nervous, often hiding in corners, refusing to talk or see anyone. She reminded Cheng Buxi of herself when she first entered the Lu family. Perhaps it was mutual sympathy, but Cheng Buxi took special care of her, always giving her the best things first.
Thinking it was a case of bullying, Cheng Buxi rushed over to stop it, but the children were only trying to comfort Youyou and stop her crying. Just then, someone noticed Cheng Buxi and shouted, "It's that sister!"
"Pretty sister is here!"
Almost everyone swarmed around her.
Cheng Buxi was sensitive to school bullying. She pulled the sobbing little girl into her arms and asked softly, "Youyou, why are you crying?"
"Mimi, Mimi is bleeding..." Youyou held a cat covered in wounds.
Cheng Buxi followed her gaze and felt her heart sink.