Bei Yao was woken by the bus driver: "Wake up, young lady. You've reached your stop."
She opened her eyes to find they were exactly at the bus stop closest to her home, but the seat beside her was empty—no one was there.
"Uncle, where's the boy who was sitting next to me?"
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror: "Him? He got off long ago and asked me to wake you at this stop."
"Thank you." Bei Yao got off the bus. The night was hazy, and she felt a pang of loss—Pei Chuan had left again. She fished her phone from her pocket and dialed his number.
As the bus drove past her, the teenager in the very last row answered the call.
The driver couldn't help grumbling inwardly: Here he was, an old man, forced to lie to a young girl. The boy hadn't left at all—he'd just moved to the back row. Tsk, young people these days.
"Pei Chuan."
He responded softly, "Mm."
"Aren't you coming home with me?"
Pei Chuan looked back. Her solitary figure appeared lonely and desolate in the night. The bus accelerated slowly, but no matter how gradual, her form would eventually disappear from view.
He said, "I'm not going back."
Since I've stopped scheming against you, naturally I won't return.
Bei Yao's nose tingled with emotion—as if he'd just agreed, only to go back on his word again.
Pei Chuan said, "Go home quickly, and be careful."
He hung up and told the driver to stop the bus—he wanted to get off right there.
The driver couldn't restrain his anger: "Do you even know where this is? Buses aren't allowed to stop here!"
Pei Chuan insisted, "Stop the bus."
The driver fumed, "Be reasonable, student!" There was a stop just moments ago where you didn't get off, and now you want me to stop after only three minutes of driving!
Pei Chuan removed the safety hammer from beside the window.
Moments later, the driver halted the bus with a grim expression. Pei Chuan handed him all the cash from his wallet. The driver's face shifted again upon seeing the thick stack of bills—this unscheduled stop was definitely worth it.
When he looked back, the boy's figure had already vanished into the night.
~
In the chilly night, Bei Yao hung up the phone. The streetlights along this section were broken, so she walked close to the roadside trees.
An autumn breeze carried faint floral scents from the roadside. She hadn't worn a jacket when she went out, and along the pitch-black stretch, she hugged her arms as she made her way home.
After several steps, she glanced back—the path behind her was empty, with no one in sight.
Finally reaching a section with working streetlights, she breathed a sigh of relief and slowed her pace slightly. This route was actually very familiar to her; she'd walked it countless times during school days. Though the mountains, stones, and trees had changed over time, the direction home remained constant.
Yet she could still return home, while Pei Chuan no longer had one.
She remembered the distance shown by Cao Li and her daughter earlier, and her heart grew heavy. Staying in a household like that would make anyone miserable—that was why Pei Chuan had left again.
Pei Chuan lit a cigarette, following her from afar, and stubbed it out just before Bei Yao turned to look back. He watched her slender figure reach the illuminated area under the streetlights, observing from a distance as she turned the corner and entered the residential complex.
Only then did Pei Chuan leave. He walked back, leaned against the bus stop, flicked his lighter to life, and lit another cigarette between his lips.
Squinting into the boundless night, he saw not a single soul.
A scattering of cigarette ash lay at his feet—fortunately, it hadn't rained tonight.
Bei Yao knocked on the door, and Zhao Zhilan answered. The living room lights were brightly lit—it was almost 10 PM, yet neither Zhao Zhilan nor Bei Licai had gone to bed. Even little Bei Jun, who usually slept early, was watching wide-eyed from the sofa.
The moment Bei Yao entered, Zhao Zhilan asked anxiously, "Is Pei Chuan alright?"
Bei Yao replied softly, "He's fine."The couple both breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Zhilan rubbed her hands together, the usually straightforward and capable woman now appearing somewhat flustered: "It's our fault. We should have..." She gritted her teeth, "Ah, what's the use of saying more now? I'll go apologize to the Pei family tomorrow."
She truly felt guilty, her heart pounding with fear that something might have happened to Pei Chuan. By the time she realized what happened, she didn't even know which hospital he had gone to.
After all, he had saved Bei Jun - that child she had watched grow up. If something really happened to him, she would carry the guilt for life.
Beside her, Bei Licai also sighed in relief upon hearing this.
Four-year-old Bei Jun came over from the sofa. Though his voice was usually clear, it now carried the timid tone of someone who had made a mistake: "Sister, I'm sorry. I'll go apologize to Brother Pei Chuan tomorrow."
Bei Yao crouched down and gently patted the child's head: "I'm sorry, it's not your fault. It's sister's fault for taking my anger out on you. I hit you today - does it still hurt?"
Bei Jun wrapped his arms around her neck and shook his head vigorously.
Bei Yao's heart ached with sorrow. She eventually sent him off to bed. After this incident, Bei Jun had become much more obedient. He didn't even take his treasured little sword to bed tonight and went to sleep without needing Zhao Zhilan to coax him.
"That child..." Zhao Zhilan sighed, "If it weren't for him, our Bei Jun would probably have..."
Bei Licai understood too. He patted his wife's shoulder: "Don't dwell on it. Let's go thank them together tomorrow."
"When Juan'er left after the divorce that year, we knew he wasn't having it easy. All these years, we never showed him any care. And he's been calling me aunt all this time for nothing. Oh no, I should go to Officer Pei's house right now."
Bei Licai tried to stop her: "It's so late already. Let's buy some gifts tomorrow and then..."
Bei Yao said: "He didn't come back."
Both parents looked at Bei Yao, who said softly: "Pei Chuan didn't go home. He went to stay somewhere else."
Zhao Zhilan thought to herself that they, as neighbors, must have hurt Pei Chuan's feelings today too. She said: "Pei Chuan is still so young. Being out on his own for so long must be really hard. Yao Yao, you know which school he goes to, right? Bring him some things tomorrow."
This time, Bei Yao didn't refuse. She nodded: "Okay."
In the residential unit across the street on the fourth floor.
Pei Haobin had returned home long ago. Cao Li, seeing his dark expression, said anxiously: "I don't know if he's okay or not. Both Tongtong and I tried to stop him but couldn't."
Bai Yutong quickly nodded in agreement. Actually, she thought to herself: He hasn't come back this late - could something really have happened to him out there? I heard rabies is really scary. Good thing he ran off outside. That Bei Yao followed him too - how reckless.
However, Bai Yutong didn't dare share these speculations with Pei Haobin. As her mother said, no matter what, Pei Chuan was still Uncle Pei's biological son. If something happened to him, Uncle Pei would be deeply upset.
Pei Haobin said: "I'll go look for him again."
Cao Li stopped him: "Haobin, where would you look at this hour? The city hospital is so far from our home. Besides, you're alone and don't know which hospital he went to. By the time you get there, it'll be midnight. Why don't you ask your colleagues to help search tomorrow during work hours, okay?"
Pei Haobin knew she was right. He slumped down on the sofa in defeat.
Pei Haobin had nightmares all night.In the dream, Pei Chuan appeared as he did at birth, fair and delicate like carved jade. While other children were babbling at one year old, he could already recite poetry. Back then, Pei Chuan was the pride of Jiang Wenjuan and Pei Haobin, and the couple lived a blissful life.
But in the blink of an eye, those severed legs were placed in a box, blood gradually congealing. As he held the box, it felt as if a string in his mind suddenly snapped.
That year, the nation bestowed many condolences and medals representing honor.
Tearfully gazing at those medals and tokens of sympathy, he jolted awake in the night.
~
On Monday, Bei Yao went to school.
No. 6 High School held its flag-raising ceremony in the morning, and students filed downstairs one after another.
Bei Yao put on her blue school uniform jacket over a simple cotton T-shirt. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, the slightly curled ends resting on her shoulders as she walked downstairs with her classmates.
As far as the eye could see, students of No. 6 High School in their uniforms filled the view, each shoulder bearing a dolphin emblem. The sea of matching outfits was quite pleasing to the eye, but the crowded stairs made descending difficult.
Chen Feifei said, "All this squeezing has shaken off my sleepiness."
Bei Yao clutched the money Zhao Zhilan had given her, tucked inside a red envelope in her pocket, afraid it might get lost in the crowd.
Wu Mo caught up from behind and linked arms with Chen Feifei: "You didn’t tell anyone about that, right?"
"That" naturally referred to her "online romance." Chen Feifei was annoyed that Wu Mo would suspect them of gossiping and huffed, "No."
Bei Yao didn’t immediately recall what they were referring to, but seeing Wu Mo’s earnest gaze, she shook her head.
Wu Mo breathed a sigh of relief, and they made their way down to the assembly area on the playground.
Burdened with her thoughts, Wu Mo steeled herself and approached Bei Yao: "Last time you said that person mentioned by Pei—Pei Chuan was bad. Do you know Pei Chuan?"
Bei Yao nodded.
Wu Mo said casually, "Oh, that day at 'Allure World,' he helped me out of a tight spot. I wanted to thank him."
Before Bei Yao could respond, Chen Feifei pulled her away.
Chen Feifei said, "If you want to thank him, go ahead. What does it have to do with our Bei Yao? She’s not close to him."
Chen Feifei’s movement was so abrupt that people around them turned to look.
Wu Mo’s face darkened: "Chen Feifei, what do you mean by that?"
Chen Feifei retorted, "Nothing much. Pei Chuan’s reputation isn’t great anyway, and he’s so 'famous'—you could ask anyone in our school and find out. Why insist on asking Bei Yao?"
Wu Mo fell silent, bypassed them, and walked away.
As everyone lined up, Bei Yao suddenly asked, "Feifei, do you know which class Pei Chuan is in?"
Chen Feifei nearly jumped. She turned and looked at Bei Yao with a frustrated expression: "No way, are you really going to ask for Wu Mo? Let me tell you, she’s changed a lot since that 'online romance.' Don’t get involved in her business." She remembered to whisper the words "online romance."
Bei Yao smiled: "No, I’m not asking for her. I also have something to thank Pei Chuan for."
"You, you, you…" Chen Feifei was exasperated. "He doesn’t seem like a good person either. Fine, fine. I heard he’s in Class 9. Since he advanced, that would be Class 9, Grade 2."
"Thank you." Bei Yao felt a pang of guilt—she truly didn’t even know which class Pei Chuan was in.
"Don’t tell Wu Mo."
Bei Yao’s almond-shaped eyes curved as she whispered back, "I won’t."No. 6 High School didn’t restrict students after school hours, so Bei Yao easily left the campus.
The bus between No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 High Schools arrived every five minutes, and she boarded almost immediately upon arrival.
Soon, the bus stopped at No. 3 High School. Bei Yao had visited once before with Shi Tian, and No. 3 High had also just dismissed classes.
After asking for directions, Bei Yao made her way to the door of Class 9, Grade 11.
No. 3 High was much stricter, with students on duty diligently sweeping the floors. Someone looked up and saw Bei Yao, their gaze freezing for a second.
At that moment, the evening glow framed her figure. Dressed in a blue-and-white school uniform, her eyes shimmered as she searched for someone, a subtle, indescribable radiance in their depths.
So... so beautiful.
The girl sweeping the floor blushed instantly. She nudged the girl beside her, and soon, another person was staring in awe.
"Excuse me, is Pei Chuan from your class here?"
The girl stammered, "He’s... ah, no, he’s not. Are you looking for him? He’s probably at the biggest restaurant outside the school, the one with the game arcade upstairs."
The girl was adorable, and Bei Yao couldn’t help but give her a gentle smile.
After Bei Yao walked away, the excited girl pinched her companion. "It’s her! The girl who danced last time. The alliance school belle recognized by No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 High Schools!"
Her companion nearly choked. "Let go! What alliance school belle?"
"The prettiest girl across No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 High Schools—that’s the alliance school belle! She’s so gorgeous, my god. And she’s not even wearing makeup—way prettier than Wei Wan from our class, oh my god!"
"Careful, or Wei Wan will beat you up!"
~
At the largest restaurant outside No. 3 High, Pei Chuan sat with his legs crossed, smoking.
Jin Ziyang was treating, and Ji Wei was crying by the window.
Jin Ziyang laughed heartily, "Wei Ge, hey, Wei Ge, stop crying! A real man sheds blood, not tears."
Ji Wei wiped his glasses while sobbing, "I don’t want to talk to you."
Jin Ziyang was nearly hysterical with laughter, and even Pei Chuan’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Ji Wei really had it rough. That afternoon, No. 3 High had released exam scores. Jin Ziyang had blindly guessed his way to 38 points in English, while Ji Wei, who had studied seriously, scored 37. The result nearly made Ji Wei cry himself unconscious.
To make matters worse, Jin Ziyang, that troublemaker, had brought all three test papers with him.
Pei Chuan scored 53, Zheng Hang 46, and Jin Ziyang 38. He deliberately waved them in front of Ji Wei, who burst into tears again.
Jin Ziyang: "Hahahahaha!" His new girlfriend covered her mouth, laughing beside him.
Feeling sorry for Ji Wei, who always did four sets of homework, Zheng Hang picked up his own test paper and folded it into a paper airplane.
"Wei Ge, grades are just a paper airplane away." Zheng Hang finished folding it and tossed it out the window.
The airplane soared in the autumn breeze before gently landing in a young girl’s arms. She froze momentarily.
Zheng Hang looked down, and the girl raised her eyes.
A delicate, porcelain-like face met his gaze—eight times more enchanting than Wei Wan’s. Her clear eyes resembled a lake rippling with autumn leaves, making Zheng Hang’s heart skip a beat. He turned back, "Chuan Ge, that..." He thought for a long moment but realized he didn’t know the name of No. 6 High’s school belle.
During the last summer camp, Zheng Hang had only had eyes for Wei Wan, and they hadn’t crossed paths in the jungle.
He stammered for a while, his face flushing slightly.
The girl had already come upstairs.
The wooden floor creaked, and the second floor carried a faint scent of bamboo. Pei Chuan was caught off guard as his gaze met her almond-shaped eyes. His right hand dropped, and he discreetly stubbed out his cigarette under the table.The two failing test papers were piled on the table. Leaning against the doorframe, she called out softly, "Pei Chuan."
Her voice was clear and sweet, gentle like the March breeze, so captivating that even the perpetually clueless Jin Ziyang couldn't help turning his head.
The whole room full of rowdy boys fell silent under her bright, gentle gaze.
"Is this yours?" She picked up a paper airplane, its wing bearing a glaring red "46."
Pei Chuan pressed his lips together. He reached for a ceramic cup and covered the score on his own spread-out test paper.
He had only completed a small portion of this exam. He wouldn't let it happen again.
He stood up and took the paper airplane from her small hand. "Let's go."
She followed behind him as Pei Chuan led her upstairs.
Jin Ziyang's girlfriend asked, "Who is she?"
Jin Ziyang lifted her chin with a finger. "The campus belle of Sixth High School. Beautiful, isn't she?"
"Does Young Master Pei like her?"
Jin Ziyang grew intensely curious, and even Zheng Hang looked up. "What makes you say that?"
The girl smiled as she moved the ceramic cup aside, revealing a casually written, blazing red "53" on the paper beneath.
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