Love for You

Tu Li asked curiously, "Really? When?"

"One was a university classmate, the other I met after starting work. Combined, we dated for over three years."

Chen Yi, smoking nearby, suddenly interjected with a cold gaze, "Why did you break up? What was the problem?"

Tu Li playfully pushed Chen Yi, "Why are you reacting so strongly? Are you planning to break someone's legs?"

Miao Jing spoke unhurriedly, "The university classmate was from a provincial capital in the north. After graduation, his family arranged a job for him there. I didn’t want to follow him, so we broke up. As for the boyfriend I met at work, his parents were university professors with many demands, so I ended it as well."

Of the two boyfriends, one was the most outstanding among those who pursued her, and the other was someone she had put effort into winning over. They had proper relationships, filled with romance and tender moments. Miao Jing was the one who initiated the breakups. She detached herself quickly, showing little distress, and ended things cleanly.

"If it's over, it's over. It's no big deal," Tu Li comforted her. "There are plenty of good men in Tengcheng. It shouldn’t be hard to find another."

Miao Jing wiped her fingers clean and smiled faintly, her eyes clear and bright. "I’ve never really worried about it. There are hundreds of male engineers at the company, many of whom are single. Finding someone shouldn’t be difficult."

"True. Take your time and pick a good one. We can all help you vet them."

Chapter 8: A Premonition That Something Bad Would Happen

Chen Yi didn’t come to find Miao Jing until three days later.

Miao Jing had been suffering from insomnia, heart palpitations, and weak legs, her face pale. Afraid to leave the dagger in the dormitory, she kept it bound to her body at all times, using stomach pain as an excuse—a common ailment among girls entering adolescence. By chance, her homeroom teacher instructed her to rest in the dormitory or classroom, and her roommates helped bring her meals and water. Miao Jing stayed still, hiding like a quail for several days.

On her way back to the dormitory alone one evening, Chen Yi caught her and gave her a meaningful look. Understanding, Miao Jing followed him at a distance. They walked one after the other to the sports field, where there was a vacant plot overgrown with weeds, perfect for hiding.

Chen Yi had spent the past few days being interrogated and punished in the principal’s office. Feigning innocence, he managed to avoid concrete evidence, leaving the school administrators half-convinced before they released him. He swaggered out of the office, returned to class, and played the part of a well-behaved student.

Miao Jing stopped behind a thick patch of weeds, where a small clearing was hidden. Chen Yi pressed a hand to the back of her head, forcing her to crouch down. He then circled the area before returning, and the two faced each other in the dim light, their features barely visible.

"Where is it?"

The dagger was bound to her abdomen under her loose school uniform. Trembling with fear, Miao Jing retrieved it and handed it to him with a slight shake. In the faint light, her slender wrist looked as pale as snow. As he took it, the dagger was warm, heated by her body temperature, and carried the clean scent of a girl. Chen Yi weighed it in his hand, his dark brows and eyes sparkling with a smile.

"Thanks."

The young girl in front of him pressed her pale lips together, silent. Her brow was marked with exhaustion, devoid of any sparkle—clearly, she was terrified.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yi reached into his back pocket and pulled out two red bills, offering them to her. "Take this and buy some food. If it’s not enough, ask me for more."

Miao Jing didn’t reach out, her face still ashen. Her lips quivered as she murmured softly, "Are... are you going to fight?""Why do you care so much?" He tilted his chin with a roguish defiance, his tone wary. "Mind your own business."

She hadn't intended to meddle. Miao Jing rose slowly, supporting herself on her knees, and turned to leave.

"Don't want the money anymore?"

No. She shook her head with a dazed expression, hunched over to push aside the weeds, eager to escape this secluded, desolate spot. Chen Yi tucked the items inside his clothes and straightened up, snorting coldly, "Suit yourself."

They walked one after the other, with only the faint glow from the stadium lights illuminating the path. Miao Jing couldn't see her footing clearly, tentatively stepping forward with uncertain strides. Chen Yi brushed aside the weeds near her, passed her, and took the lead ahead, his shoulders hunched as if deliberately shielding her behind him.

After a few steps, he trampled the weeds underfoot, curled his lips disdainfully, and muttered under his breath, "This stuff is imported. I could resell it for a decent amount... Who asked you to bring money? Stirring up trouble for no reason..."

Miao Jing was slightly taken aback.

He walked swiftly and soon vanished from sight. Standing at the edge of the playground, Miao Jing scratched her slightly sweaty neck. Grass seeds stuck to her face, causing an persistent, itchy discomfort. She turned and headed in the opposite direction from him, trudging slowly back to the dormitory. Collapsing onto her bed, she blinked her lashes, let out a slow, deep sigh, and curled up to sleep.

For a long time after that, she and Chen Yi had no interaction. But on the day of dormitory inspections, Chen Yi loudly called her "little sister" in front of all the boys, and their relationship gradually spread. Some asked if she was Chen Yi's cousin or sworn sister, while older girls approached her, specifically asking her to deliver love letters or make connections. Miao Jing, overwhelmed by the nuisance, shook her head and pretended to be mute. Once, when a few ninth-grade girls surrounded her with questions, Chen Yi happened to glance over. His expression cold, he strode over, his jaw tight, and swept a fierce glare over the group. Grabbing Miao Jing by the shoulder, he dragged her back to the classroom like handling a chick. After that... Chen Yi went on to acknowledge over a dozen sworn sisters in school, until the campus was filled with girls calling him "brother."

Miao Jing, the inexplicably emerged sister, suddenly fell out of favor.

With only a few months left until the high school entrance exam, Chen Yi was confined to school by Lao Li, not allowed to skip classes, and attendance was enforced during evening self-study. Occasionally, they crossed paths on campus. He would pass by with a group, expressionless and playing it cool—broad-shouldered, long-legged, walking with an air of confidence. Miao Jing would step aside slightly, bowing her head meekly, though some still glanced at her twice.

"This junior girl looks familiar. Have we seen her before?"

"That's Yi Ge's sister. What are you thinking?"

Chen Yi kicked out. "Watch where you're going! You looking where you shouldn't? Do you even want your eyes anymore?"

"Yi, Yi Ge... which sister is this one? How many 'good sisters' do you actually have?"

"None of your damn business."

That June, the high school entrance exam results came out. Chen Yi's scores, while not enough for the top municipal key school, passed the threshold for the district key school. Lao Li breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the results and repeatedly urged Chen Yi to study hard, follow the right path, and avoid straying. Life is long, he reminded him, and his future had only just begun.