The results of the high school entrance exam were released quickly. On June 28th, the weather was clear with not a cloud in the sky.
Zhao Zhilan had known since early morning that the exam results would be announced today. She planned to check Bei Yao's scores via her phone as soon as they became available.
Bei Yao was changing her shoes at the entrance: "Mom, checking scores on the phone costs money—five yuan per subject. With nine subjects in total, that would be forty-five yuan. It's not worth it. The teacher will distribute the score reports in a couple of days, and that won't cost anything."
Zhao Zhilan glanced at her daughter.
The nearly fifteen-year-old Bei Yao was wearing a white dress with a fitted waist, tied into a bow at the back. The dress was a hand-me-down from her cousin Xiao Cang, only half-new, with a stubborn ink stain on the hem. Xiao Cang was slightly chubby, so her clothes were too big for Bei Yao. The girl's arms were slender, and their delicate paleness added a touch of elegance to her appearance.
Zhao Zhilan felt a pang of heartache. Her second child, Bei Jun, was just over a year old, and expenses were everywhere. Her daughter was sensible and understanding, never asking for anything and even helping the family save money.
When Xiao Cang's clothes had first been brought over, Bei Yao had smiled to reassure them, saying, "I never got to wear a white dress when I was little. Cousin Xiao Cang's clothes are so pretty."
Zhao Zhilan cherished Bei Yao deeply. She had poured so much into her firstborn daughter that, when she saw the mischievous little Bei Jun wreaking havoc around the house, she sometimes thought in frustration, "Why not just toss the second child out? Then we could buy our girl a few decent outfits."
No one was prettier than her daughter, yet all the other girls dressed better than Bei Yao.
Zhao Zhilan chided gently, "Our family isn't so poor that we can't afford forty-five yuan. I'll feel more at ease once I check your results."
Understanding a parent's heart, Bei Yao replied softly, "Alright, then check. I estimated my scores, and I should be able to get into Sixth High School."
Zhao Zhilan also supported Bei Yao attending Sixth High School.
Bei Yao had started school earlier than her peers, and in Zhao Zhilan's eyes, she was still a child. Sixth High was the closest school to their home, making it easier to look after her. It would also be convenient for Bei Yao to come home for meals on weekends. If they had time, Bei Licai could even ride his motorcycle to deliver some treats to her.
Soon enough, Zhao Zhilan checked Bei Yao's results.
She had done very well. Based on Sixth High's admission rates in previous years, Bei Yao was sure to be accepted. The whole family was overjoyed.
Zhao Zhilan was emotional—the daughter she had raised was already about to enter high school.
That night, as she lay in bed, she discussed with Bei Licai, "Yao Yao will definitely have to board at school for high school. It's an hour and a half from home, and she'll have evening self-study sessions. We won't be able to pick her up after work. Let's buy her a cell phone."
Bei Licai had no objections. He grunted in agreement.
Zhao Zhilan acted promptly. The next day, she bought Bei Yao a pretty flip phone.
That year, full-screen smartphones hadn't yet become widespread. Phones were transitioning from slide models to flip ones, and touchscreen phones wouldn't become popular for a few more years.
The new phone was pink and smooth to the touch. Zhao Zhilan smiled, her eyes crinkling, "The staff at the service center all said this one is pretty and that girls like it. Try it and see if you like it?"
Knowing her parents' intentions, Bei Yao smiled and said she liked it.
Bei Licai cautioned, "Don't let having a phone affect your studies. It's for making calls, so don't let your grades slip because of it."Before Bei Yao could respond, Zhao Zhilan shot Bei Licai a glare. "How dare you criticize Yao Yao? She has the best self-control in our family. Who was it that swore off TV last week, only to sneak out of bed and watch it in the middle of the night two days ago?"
"..." Well, there had been a soccer match.
"Anyway, I trust Yao Yao. She won’t neglect her studies just because she got a phone."
Bei Licai swallowed the words he was about to say.
Truthfully, his biggest concern wasn’t Bei Yao’s grades but the risk of puppy love. Bei Yao was exceptionally beautiful, and at this age when young hearts first stir, he couldn’t help worrying that some troublemaker might set his sights on his daughter. Yet, as a father, he felt too awkward to voice such concerns outright, especially with Zhao Zhilan fiercely protective of their daughter, making it even harder for him to speak up.
A few days later, the admission results were released, and Bei Yao was accepted into Sixth High School.
She was overjoyed, after all, she had worked diligently and steadily toward this goal step by step.
In the sweltering heat of July, Bei Yao turned on her new phone. Fresh out of the shower, her hair was half-dried and damply draped over her shoulders. Hua Ting had gotten a phone back in eighth grade and had given Bei Yao her number, which Bei Yao saved. She then looked up Pei Chuan’s number. Both their families were better off than Bei Yao’s, so they had gotten phones earlier than she did.
Bei Yao had long known Pei Chuan’s number—Uncle Pei had given it to her. However, since the phone was bought for him by Jiang Wenjuan, Pei Chuan rarely used it. Unsure if the call would go through, Bei Yao decided to try her luck and dialed his number.
The summer night breeze rustled the curtains of the young girl’s room. The flowers on her windowsill had been replaced with roses, their pink and white petals swaying gently in the wind. The phone emitted a series of beeps as it rang.
He picked up. "Hello? Who is this?"
His voice had deepened past the stage of adolescence, now rich and mellow like the unconscious strum of a cello. Bei Yao, barefoot and lying on her bed, realized it had been a long time since she last saw Pei Chuan. Softly, she said, "It’s Bei Yao."
On the other end, Pei Chuan’s hand, which had been casually drying his hair, froze.
The towel still rested on his black, short-cropped hair. Hearing her voice after so long left him momentarily stunned. Almost unconsciously, he repeated in a low voice, "Bei Yao."
"Mhm!" she replied with a laugh.
The sweetness in her voice traveled through the phone, and he lost all interest in drying his hair, a flicker of restlessness coloring his expression.
The neighborhood’s greenery was quite lush, and countless cicadas chirped tirelessly from the trees, grating on his nerves.
He didn’t know if it was resignation or some other emotion that made him ask, "What’s wrong now?"
Despite the seemingly impatient words, his tone held no trace of impatience. So, she continued in her gentle voice, "I have good news to share—I got into Sixth High! This is my new phone, a reward from Mom."
The warmth that had begun to gather in his eyes shattered instantly, replaced by a chill.
Sixth High...
"Pei Chuan, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you still there?"
"I’m here," he said flatly. "Congratulations."
Completely unaware of anything amiss, Bei Yao chirped, "We can go to school together when the term starts."
He opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak. In the end, he could only say, "I’m going to sleep."
Pei Chuan hung up the phone, hastily finished drying his hair, and then followed his usual routine to remove his prosthetic leg. Staring at the repulsive sight of his severed limb, a cold expression settled on his face before he pulled the thin quilt over it.She still didn't know that she and he wouldn't be attending the same school.
Pei Chuan couldn't sleep. He took out his phone and pulled up a map of City C online. Between No. 3 High School and No. 6 High School, there was a ten-minute drive—close yet distant.
The length on the phone screen was less than a finger joint, yet in reality, it represented a cold and cruel distance.
He turned off his phone, closed his eyes, and forced himself to fall asleep.
~
In August, during the hottest part of summer, Zhao Zhilan and Zhao Xiu returned from playing mahjong and let out a heavy sigh.
Bei Licai had been looking after Bei Jun all day and was completely worn out by the boy. Seeing Zhao Zhilan return, he quickly shoved their son into her arms.
Once in his mother's embrace, Bei Jun stopped causing trouble and became well-behaved, which only made Bei Licai more frustrated.
Zhao Zhilan, however, didn't notice the tension between father and son. She said, "While playing cards today, I unexpectedly learned something else. Zhao Xiu told me that a couple of days ago after work, she went shopping and saw Officer Pei with another woman. They were walking arm in arm, acting very intimate. The woman looked to be in her mid-thirties and was quite presentable."
Just as Bei Yao pushed open her bedroom door, she overheard this conversation and froze.
In her memories, Bei Yao had long known that Pei Haobin would eventually find a stepmother for Pei Chuan, but she never expected that Pei Haobin and Jiang Wenjuan's divorce would happen so late, while his remarriage would come so soon.
In the living room, Zhao Zhilan continued, "What kind of tragedy is this? If Pei Chuan finds out that his parents have just divorced and are already starting new families, that child will probably be devastated."
Even Bei Licai, who usually remained neutral and acted as a peacemaker, sighed this time.
Indeed, this situation would be hard for anyone to bear, let alone a teenager.
"Zhao Xiu told me that Officer Pei used to be solely dedicated to his career and rarely paid attention to his family. But after narrowly escaping death, he's come to realize the importance of family. That's why..." She suddenly stopped upon seeing Bei Yao at the doorway. "Yao Yao, you..."
After a moment's thought, she realized her daughter was old enough to hear such gossip. Zhao Zhilan put Bei Jun down and said to Bei Yao, "Yao Yao, when you have time, try to comfort Pei Chuan. That child is really pitiful."
Little Bei Jun, just over a year old and understanding nothing, toddled like a round ball toward his prettiest sister: "Sis!"
His voice was surprisingly loud. Only then did Bei Yao snap out of her daze. She hugged him briefly before returning to her room.
The small notebook containing her secrets lay dusty in a box.
Bei Yao blew off the dust and opened it again.
For the first time, she reflected on what it truly meant to her. No one could understand this feeling—her rebirth, with her mind trapped, forced her to grow up like an ordinary child. Those memories that accumulated year by year felt as if they had been forcibly imposed on her, often making Bei Yao question their reality. The small notebook was like a letter from her future self to her present self.
Nearly fifteen years had passed, and she still couldn't fully comprehend it.
She understood the part about treating her parents well.
But who was Huo Xu?
Pei Chuan was clearly a good person, so why did her future self call him a "devil"?
She had instinctively been kind to Pei Chuan, but with her childlike mind all along, she hadn't been capable of altering the course of his life.A man whose codename could be called "Devil"—what exactly had he done? Was it related to his current broken family?
Bei Yao told herself to stay calm.
She had always lived authentically, not constrained by the extra memories she possessed, nor had she become arrogant because of them. Her memories were fragmented and incomplete, so she could only take one step at a time.
However, Bei Yao never expected that Pei Chuan would give her such a "surprise" when school started.
~
By the end of August, Pei Haobin had already established a romantic relationship with Jin Xiaoqing.
Jin Xiaoqing said, "I have a daughter, one year younger than your son. She's quite obedient. If we really end up together in the future, she’ll have to live with us. Do you think your son will mind?"
Pei Haobin frowned with concern.
Yet the woman’s disappointed expression struck a chord in him. He said, "I will treat your daughter as if she were my own. Xiao Chuan has been lonely since he was young, and because of my profession, he lost both his legs. I hope you can be understanding toward him. I’ll talk to him about it." He held the woman’s hand and added, "Don’t worry. In the past, I neglected my family for the sake of my career, which led to the situation today. From now on, you and the children will be the most important people in my life."
The woman was charmed into laughter by his words. "Of course, I believe you."
Far away at home, Pei Chuan also laughed.
It was his first time smoking, holding a "Zhonghua" cigarette between his fingers. In the early 2000s, these were quite expensive, and the smoke made him cough uncontrollably.
By the time he finished listening to their conversation, he had already smoked three cigarettes.
He learned everything quickly, including smoking.
He didn’t feel as devastated as the first time he was abandoned. Instead, he calmly remotely disabled the program in his father’s phone. The screen of the phone in Pei Haobin’s pocket went dark.
Pei Chuan idly flicked his lighter.
He had once said that no lie could escape his notice, so why did his parents insist on testing him one by one?
This was the first time Pei Haobin had accompanied a woman to a coffee shop, but it wasn’t with his mother. Instead, he was gazing affectionately at another woman he claimed to have "fallen in love with at first sight."
Pei Chuan found it amusing, and he genuinely laughed.
Amid the swirling smoke, he tossed the cigarette butt and crushed it under his foot.
He thought to himself that from now on, he wouldn’t need a father, a mother, a family, or a lover. Life would be much easier that way. In the past, he had yearned for a family and tried to live like an ordinary child—not skipping grades, obeying his teachers. But he suddenly realized how ridiculous it all was. Who was he putting on this act for?
They would all leave eventually. Everything he cherished kept slipping away from him. No matter how tightly he held on, no matter how brilliant his intellect or how powerful his methods, he couldn’t keep any of it.
Supporting himself at fifteen would be difficult for most people, but for Pei Chuan, it was simple.
If he wanted to, he could even provide for his father in his old age. But the growing brutality and despair deep within him told him that not sending his father to his grave would be the greatest mercy he could offer.
Pei Chuan flicked his lighter again, the flame illuminating his cold eyes.
It was just as well, just as well that he was going to Third High School. Otherwise, Bei Yao would have been terrified. A girl like her, who loved to laugh yet was timid, had always despised people like him.
Such a well-behaved, good girl was destined to have no connection with him in this lifetime.
On September 1st, as if by tradition, it rained on the first day of school. Bei Yao held an umbrella, protecting her backpack, and called Pei Chuan: "Where are you? I’m at the bus stop, but I don’t see you."Pei Chuan sat cross-legged in a distant taxi, watching the slender and beautiful figure of the young girl from afar.
A light drizzle fell steadily, and countless passersby turned to look at her. Her delicate, gentle beauty seemed fragile and easily broken. He curled his lips into a smirk and laughed, "I lied to you. Are you stupid? Who the hell wants to go to Sixth High with you? Go by yourself if you want. I left long ago."
OpenNovel