During the hottest part of summer, Chen Hu carried a plate of frozen watermelon to Bei Yao’s home.
The chubby teenager was panting like a calf after climbing just three flights of stairs. He knocked on the door, and Bei Yao’s delicate little face appeared. She had just woken from her afternoon nap and was about to start on her homework.
Chen Hu’s already ruddy face flushed even redder. He said gruffly, "My dad’s factory handed out frozen watermelons, so he asked me to bring some for you to try."
"Thank you, Chen Hu." Bei Yao took the plate. "Come in and sit for a while. I made some ice jelly this morning—would you like to try it?"
Hearing there was ice jelly, Chen Hu didn’t hesitate and promptly settled on the sofa.
As Bei Yao went to fetch the ice jelly, Chen Hu suddenly spoke up, "Bei Yao, do you miss Pei Chuan?"
Bei Yao replied, "Of course I do."
Chen Hu said gloomily, "I miss Minmin too. You and Pei Chuan were so close when we were kids. Why did he stop contacting even you after growing up? Hmph, I always knew he was an ungrateful wolf cub."
Bei Yao handed him the ice jelly and smiled, "Yes, you’re right."
The grown-up Pei Chuan seemed completely unfamiliar, yet his eyes remained just as fierce and cold—truly like a wolf cub.
Chen Hu suddenly felt awkward. "I didn’t mean to speak ill of him."
As the years passed, the children from the old neighborhood had either moved away like Fang Minjun or left C City due to their parents’ job transfers. Everyone had gone their separate ways, and Chen Hu couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
Bei Yao turned on the fan for him.
None of the children in the neighborhood were bad at heart, and she understood that. Chen Hu had been immature as a child, but as he grew older, he no longer said hurtful things. Because of his size, he had endured a lot of ridicule and understood better than anyone what it felt like to have flaws.
Bei Yao’s family didn’t own a refrigerator that year. Her method of making ice jelly was to mix the ingredients and place the bowl in cold water. After a while, it would be ready and delicious.
Bei Yao transferred the frozen watermelon to her own plate and returned Chen Hu’s plate to him. Chen Hu happily finished a bowl of ice jelly and then trudged back downstairs.
At the bottom of the stairs, he ran into an unexpected person—Pei Chuan’s stepsister, Bai Yutong.
Bai Yutong was carrying a bottle of wine. Noticing the unwashed watermelon seeds on Chen Hu’s empty plate, she asked, "Did you bring watermelon to Bei Yao?"
Chen Hu grunted in reply, "Yeah."
Bai Yutong masked the glint in her eyes and joked, "You’re so good to her. When will you save a slice for me to try?"
Chen Hu frowned and said, "Wait here, then. I’ll go get some for you."
The watermelon wasn’t just for Bei Yao—he had given some to every childhood friend. Although Bei Yao had grown into an exceptionally beautiful young woman, Chen Hu didn’t favor her over the others. It was just that, like the other boys, he didn’t have much fondness for the newly arrived Aunt Cao Li or this scrawny Bai Yutong, so it never crossed his mind to share with her.
Without waiting for Bai Yutong’s response, he ran back to his own home.
Clutching her bottle of wine, Bai Yutong couldn’t suppress a surge of bitterness. She glanced in the direction of Bei Yao’s room, where a cluster of bright roses climbed and bloomed, and lush ivy covered the walls. Even the plants seemed to favor the beauty, stretching toward Bei Yao’s window as if peeking in.
Bai Yutong muttered under her breath, "Just a poor girl, that’s all."
Everyone in the neighborhood knew that Bei Yao’s family was struggling financially. Her uncle had caused trouble and accumulated a mountain of debt, and Zhao Zhilan had spent most of her savings filling that bottomless pit.
The wealthiest family in the neighborhood, however, was the Pei family.Her stepfather had been promoted to captain of the criminal police team this year. Although Pei Haobin hadn’t paid much attention to his family in the past, he was diligent and reliable at work, achieving many merits. His career had been steadily advancing, and now everyone who saw him had to address him as "Captain Pei."
Moreover, Pei Haobin had bought a house in the city center, waiting for the family to move in when they had time.
Pei Haobin had feelings for the neighborhood, but Bai Yutong felt none at all.
She had heard that the new house Uncle Pei bought was big and beautiful, with a garden and swimming pool in the community. She wished she could move there sooner.
And...
Bai Yutong curved her lips into a smile. Uncle Pei originally had a son—the first heir. Unfortunately, that stepbrother was disabled and never came home after starting high school. Now that Uncle Pei treated her and her mother so well, it would be best if that stepbrother never returned.
The Pei family was wealthy. In the past, she could only wear ugly and outdated dresses, but now her dresses were all pretty and elegant styles.
Compared to Bei Yao, who still occasionally wore her cousin’s old dresses, Bai Yutong felt infinitely more comfortable.
Under the scorching sun, sweat beaded on Bai Yutong’s forehead. She was inwardly furious—she wasn’t fair-skinned to begin with, how could she endure such sun exposure? She hid in the shade, not wanting to wait for that slice of watermelon, but why should Bei Yao, the prettiest girl, have it while she didn’t? The thought made Bai Yutong determined to wait for it.
But before Chen Hu returned, a tall and upright young man walked into the neighborhood entrance.
Bai Yutong’s gaze froze.
It was August, the sky an endless expanse of blue without a single cloud. The sunlight hung high, showering him entirely. The young man’s face was expressionless as he walked calmly with his hands in his pockets.
He wore a simple white shirt and black pants, yet in the sweltering heat of August, he seemed to be strolling through a desolate, lonely autumn.
His aura was exceptionally aloof, yet his youthful, handsome face made him appear even more resolute and striking.
It was the first time Bai Yutong had seen such a handsome boy in the neighborhood, and her gaze lingered on him in a daze.
The young man first glanced at the bare-branched plum tree at the neighborhood entrance, then slowly shifted his gaze to the window on the third floor opposite.
There, roses bloomed delicately, exuding a lingering, sweet fragrance like that of a young girl.
The bold green ivy crept up to her window, adding a touch of shy charm.
He withdrew his gaze and headed toward his own home.
Bai Yutong was stunned. She was wearing her prettiest dress, yet this young man hadn’t even glanced at her, as if she didn’t exist. Her face flushed with embarrassment, a mix of awe from her first sight of him and the shame of being ignored.
But she didn’t know him and had no reason to stop him. She could only watch helplessly as he went to her building.
Just then, Chen Hu came down with the cut watermelon: "Here."
He really only gave her one slice. Bai Yutong, who had waited over ten minutes, felt like vomiting blood inside. She cursed inwardly but forced a smile on her face: "Thank you." Then she took the watermelon and left.
Chen Hu couldn’t be bothered with her either and went to Li Da’s house to deliver the chilled watermelon.
~
When Bai Yutong pushed the door open, she saw the young man sitting on the sofa. She froze for a moment, then looked at her mother, who seemed somewhat flustered in the living room.
Cao Li’s face was filled with awkwardness and helplessness: "Please wait a bit longer, your father just went to work."
The young man replied indifferently: "Hmm."
He sat with his legs crossed and didn’t turn around even when he heard Bai Yutong return. Then he stood up and walked straight to his room.
Cao Li hurried after him a few steps: "Hey, you..." but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to say it.Bai Yutong instinctively responded, "That's my room!"
The young man finally reacted. He turned his head, his thin lips curling slightly: "Yours?"
Bai Yutong felt inexplicably uneasy, but she still said, "It's mine now. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to go in?"
Pei Chuan wanted to light a cigarette.
But remembering the purpose of his return, he only said coldly, "Move out. Immediately."
Even if Bai Yutong were foolish, she understood that this was the stepbrother she had never met. She glanced in shock at his legs, her gaze unabashedly direct. Cao Li, being more experienced and emotionally intelligent, scolded in a low voice, "Tongtong!"
Bai Yutong snapped back to reality, placed the wine on the table, and stopped looking at Pei Chuan.
Cao Li said, "Sorry, Pei... Pei Chuan. Your aunt and your father thought you wouldn't be coming back to live here. That room has good lighting, so..."
Everyone understood what she meant.
The apartment layout was three bedrooms and one living room.
One master bedroom belonged to Pei Haobin, one used to be Pei Chuan's, and the one with poor lighting had been turned into a storage room.
Instead of staying in the storage room, Bai Yutong had moved into Pei Chuan's original well-lit bedroom.
Seeing the young man's expressionless face, Cao Li said awkwardly, "Sorry, we didn't think it through properly. It's not realistic to have Tongtong move out right now. How about moving in the evening?" By then, Pei Haobin would be back, and facing his own son wouldn't be so awkward.
Pei Chuan let out a light scoff: "Fine."
He didn't open that door but instead opened the front door and left the house.
He absolutely had to reclaim that room.
That place faced her room—it was the closest spot to her.
Yet he had... abandoned that place for a year. A year without seeing the roses bloom, without the lush ivy.
~
Seeing Pei Chuan leave, Bai Yutong immediately complained, "Mom, I don't want to live in the storage room."
Cao Li glared at her: "Shut up. Do you know what should and shouldn't be said? After all, he is your Uncle Pei's biological son."
"But I'm the one who's been taking care of him this past year!"
"And you're the one who's benefited from it!" Cao Li said sharply. "If you want a better life in the Pei family in the future, listen to me!"
Bai Yutong was frightened and fell silent. Compared to an insignificant room, she cherished a life free from worries about food and clothing. She was truly terrified of being poor.
But Cao Li thought further ahead—whether the room could be exchanged was still a question. Pei Haobin might not necessarily give the room to his son. After all, who knew what that disappearing kid had been up to this past year?
Pei Chuan had told his family he was going to study at No. 6 High School, but when Pei Haobin went to look for him there, he couldn't find him.
The next day, he received a text message: "I've left. Don't worry about me."
He was gone for a year.
Pei Haobin followed the clues his son left and searched everywhere, eventually finding a plane ticket to Q City. Only then did Pei Haobin have to give up.
In the vast sea of people in China, where could one find a young man with no fixed whereabouts? Although Pei Haobin had initially been unable to sleep at night, tossing and turning with worry, over time, he began to feel resentment toward Pei Chuan. To abandon his family so easily—such a cold-blooded, heartless person, how could he be expected to be filial?
Bai Yutong recovered and asked, "Mom, where did he come from? Why did he suddenly come back?"
"How should I know?""Mom, how did he survive this past year without taking any money or having any living expenses?" Bai Yutong trailed off under her mother's gaze, swallowing the word "cripple" before continuing her question.
Cao Li also frowned: "Probably by working odd jobs."
Bai Yutong couldn't help feeling a trace of disdain. No wonder Pei Chuan had returned wearing that ordinary white shirt - he must have been so poor he had no choice but to come back.
Having worked odd jobs herself, Bai Yutong knew how difficult child labor could be. Her hands remained dry and rough to this day, developing ugly chilblains every winter from washing and carrying dishes. Thinking of Pei Chuan living at the bottom rung of society for over a year, she felt disgusted by her initial admiration upon seeing him.
How could she have been impressed by someone like that?
Probably this stepbrother who had "dropped out" early would have to depend on her stepfather for the rest of his life.
The thought irritated her. With another mouth to feed at home, and possibly having to support him in the future, Bai Yutong felt deeply uncomfortable.
~
Pei Chuan leaned against the lush ivy-covered wall.
His despicable self had ultimately chosen this wretched path.
He would seize that one-in-ten-thousand possibility.
Pei Chuan made a phone call, and a low voice answered: "It's done."
Pei Chuan responded with a quiet "Mm."
His thumb stroked the phone absently. He remembered the fable of the farmer and the snake from childhood textbooks - how the farmer saved the snake, only for the snake to repay kindness with betrayal, attempting to devour its savior.
Now he was that venomous snake, flicking its tongue and baring its fangs.
Preparing to commit the worst deeds imaginable.
Bei Yao, if someday you discover that every meeting, every moment together, every parting was all part of my carefully calculated scheme... Even if you cannot love me, please don't hate me, okay?
He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall beneath her apartment.
The August sun blazed fiercely, but this wall faced the sunlight, allowing the ivy to flourish so beautifully. The residents had never considered removing it because the lush ivy created such a magnificent landscape.
Sweat trickled down Pei Chuan's black hair, soaking his cheap shirt, but he paid it no mind.
When night fell, the show would begin.
He hadn't seen Pei Haobin for a year. Perhaps he was born to be cold-blooded, for this year had eroded all his expectations toward his father.
More than that, he worried about Bei Yao's reaction.
~
Zhao Zhilan returned home in high spirits. At dinner, she cleared her throat solemnly and announced: "After all these years, our stingy clothing company has finally given out benefits!"
After 2003, their garment factory had transformed into a company, and Zhao Zhilan had become a small supervisor in the design department.
Bei Yao took a bite of eggplant, watching her excited mother curiously.
Zhao Zhilan proudly produced an invitation ticket from her pocket: "Who would have thought the garment factory could be so generous! They must have recognized how much profit we brought the company last year."
Bei Yao took it and examined it closely - it was a free "Youth Summer Camp" experience ticket.
The scenery pictured looked beautiful, and the accommodations, transportation, and treatment all appeared excellent.
Zhao Zhlan said: "Very few people in the company received this benefit. Zhao Xiu was absolutely green with envy, but she can't say anything since my performance last year was better than hers. I heard registering for a seven-day summer camp normally costs over two thousand! That's even more expensive than traveling. Our Yao Yao has never participated in anything like this before - finally she gets the chance."
Bei Yao asked: "Do I have to go?""Why not go!"
Bei Yao's almond-shaped eyes sparkled brightly: "Since Mom's reward is so valuable, why don't we sell this? It should fetch at least over a thousand."
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