Тhe man wаs eventuаllу сhаsеd аway bу security. Wei Qingyue stооd therе watсhing until thе mаn disаpреаrеd intо the distаnce befоrе buying wаter and returning tо the spоrts field.
It was аlrеаdу lаtе sрring, with warm breеzеs cаrrуing thе scеnt of flоwеrs. The wеаther hаd been clеar and plеаsаnt thesе past few dауs, thе air fаintlу stirrеd bу а hiddеn currеnt оf warmth. Wеi Qingyuе was somеonе whо tоlerаtеd соld but not heat. Whilе everyone еlse was still weаring long sleеves, hе hаd alrеady switched to a white short-sleeved shirt. The veins on his arms bulged as he twisted open the bottle cap. He had grown taller again.
In the crowd, Jiang Du was easy to spot—she was the most delicate and frail-looking one. Amid the chaos between classes, Wei Qingyue called out to her. Everyone was walking back in small groups. Jiang Du turned around, her face pale and bloodless.
She seemed a bit nervous, standing stiffly in place. Wei Qingyue was always more natural and at ease than her. He got straight to the point: "There's something I want to ask you."
Are you my homeroom teacher? Jiang Du silently protested in her mind. Truthfully, she was overjoyed, but her face remained composed. "What is it?" she asked.
"Where are your parents?" Wei Qingyue was indeed direct.
Jiang Du was taken aback for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know. My grandparents never talk about them, and I've never met them."
Wei Qingyue wore an incredulous expression. He wondered if Jiang Du might have been an abandoned baby picked up by the elderly. The thought flashed through his mind, but he said, "Do you remember that middle-aged man we saw at the bookstore? The one we ran into when it was raining that time. Do you remember?"
The details were too disturbing, so Wei Qingyue didn't mention them. Jiang Du's expression made it clear she knew who he was talking about. "I remember. A while ago, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Liu Xiaole, and I saw him at school. Liu Xiaole said he was a pervert and told us to be careful."
Wei Qingyue thought for a moment and decided not to repeat everything the man had said, afraid it might scare her. But just the fact that the man knew her name was enough to shock Jiang Du. Her expression was like fine dust scattering chaotically under the sunlight.
"How could he know my name? I don't even know him."
Wei Qingyue didn't know either, but his mind was crystal clear. "The school bulletin board and honor roll often display students' names. With so many people, it's unlikely he was specifically targeting you. You haven't been featured alone on the bulletin board, so the chances of being noticed are slim. First, report it to the school. Then, tell your family when you go home this weekend." He frowned. "That man had needle marks on his arm. I suspect he might be a drug user. It wouldn't be surprising if he did something illegal."
Drug use... a term she had only heard in childhood legal education programs suddenly reached her ears. Jiang Du's face turned as pale as snow.
"Don't be afraid. I'll walk you home this weekend. On Sunday evening, have your grandpa bring you back for self-study. In the meantime, be careful." Wei Qingyue gave her a slight smile and handed her the water.
Jiang Du hugged the water tightly, no longer afraid. Thin and frail, she pursed her lips into a shy curve. "I take the bus near the school. There are Mei Zhong students heading in the same direction."
"Wait for me at the school gate after class. Once you see me, we'll walk to the bus stop one after the other, but we won't sit together." Wei Qingyue smiled, then paused. "Why are you always avoiding suspicion with me? Aren't we already friends?"
Jiang Du lowered her head to look at her toes, resisting the urge to tie her shoelaces. "No, it's just... I feel it's not quite right. I'm afraid people might talk about me.""What were they saying about you? If anything, they were probably saying Wei Qingyue is chasing Jiang Du, right?" He blurted it out so naturally, then seemed to realize it wasn't entirely appropriate and quickly covered it up, "Just kidding. See you after school this weekend."
On the playground, Jiang Du stood alone for a while, holding the water bottle, before slowly making her way back. The water had warmed in her arms.
Time ticked by, second by second, until Friday evening arrived. The sky blazed with a vast stretch of sunset clouds, rolling upward in a riot of colors. Jiang Du deliberately avoided the busiest ten minutes, carrying her bag as she stepped out. From a distance, she immediately spotted the tall figure of Wei Qingyue, his backpack slung over one shoulder, hanging loosely.
As she approached, Wei Qingyue gave her a silent smile as a greeting. Jiang Du glanced at him briefly, her expression almost blank as she walked past him.
Amused, Wei Qingyue followed behind her, truly walking one after the other. At the bus stop, they pretended not to know each other.
When the bus arrived, a crowd of laughing, chattering students pushed their way on. Jiang Du hated squeezing through crowds and always tried to be polite. Wei Qingyue, standing behind her, couldn't stand it any longer. If they didn't get on now, they'd have to wait for the next bus. He simply pushed her from behind, urging her forward. Jiang Du glanced back at him, but he lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.
Of course, there were no seats left on the bus. Shoulders brushed against shoulders, backs nudged backs. Jiang Du habitually held onto the railing near the back door, while Wei Qingyue stood right behind her, gripping a handle. His backpack slipped slightly on his shoulder, bumping against her elbow. With each slight sway of his body, it brushed against her elbow again and again.
Jiang Du didn't move, aware of how close Wei Qingyue was. She didn't remind him that his backpack kept bumping into her.
All around her were noisy conversations, yet she felt the world was quiet, like the depths of the ocean.
The bus stopped at station after station. Gradually, the number of students dwindled, while the adults on board remained silent, watching the neon lights flicker red and green outside. Their expressions were numb and weary, worldly-wise yet unable to understand what the chattering teenagers had to be so happy about. Nor did they know that on such an ordinary bus, a heart could flutter to such an extent because of one person.
Wei Qingyue remained standing right behind her, Jiang Du thought silently. He wasn't the top student, nor was he the school heartthrob all the girls gushed over as "so handsome." She never joined in the fervent discussions about him, nor did she ever show the slightest interest in him. He was just Wei Qingyue, slowly growing in her heart alone, his roots spreading, his branches flourishing, gradually taking root in her entire world—even if he was merely passing through Mei Zhong and would soon be heading far away.
It felt both real and dreamlike. Hadn't he said they were already friends? Their friendship was ambiguous, and precisely because it wasn't clear-cut, she could harbor a little bit of beautiful fantasy.
One stop before her home, all the students had gotten off, and many adults had disembarked as well, leaving empty seats. Wei Qingyue tugged on the hood of her pink sweatshirt, signaling for her to sit down.
The plastic bag rustled loudly, as if startling someone from a dream. Jiang Du rarely carried a backpack, so the bag from the clothing store had become her makeshift school bag.
Once again, she was sitting next to Wei Qingyue. It felt as though the memory of that winter break hadn't fully faded, and now another surprise had arrived unexpectedly. She was even a little afraid—afraid she might use up all her good luck at once, leaving her with nothing to rely on in the future.Wei Qingyue didn't speak. He sat on the outer seat of the two connected chairs, one leg habitually crossed over the knee of the other, arms folded, lost in thought.
That was just fine. Jiang Du didn't speak either. She turned her head toward the open window. The bustling world stretched out before her—towering buildings nearby, skyscrapers in the distance, everywhere bathed in a kaleidoscope of lights that enveloped the entire city.
A constant stream of sounds poured in through the window: the thumping beats from shops, the laughter of young girls, the curses of taxi drivers, and the rumbling of speeding cars—all lively and vibrant, merging into a vigorous river flowing through the city, just like every other night.
Outside was such tangible, real life, yet she liked Wei Qingyue, liked a boy... Suddenly, her shoulder was nudged, and Wei Qingyue snapped her out of her reverie:
"Is this the stop?"
They got off the bus.
After passing through a bustling night market about a hundred meters long, they reached the residential complex where Jiang Du lived.
The cherry blossoms in the complex were in full bloom. Under the lights, they looked like clusters of snow-white dumplings, though in daylight they appeared faintly pink. Petals fluttered against her face like dancing butterflies. Jiang Du waved her hand to block them and, imitating her grandma's polite manner, said:
"Wei Qingyue, why don't you stay for dinner at our place before leaving?"
Wei Qingyue didn't hesitate at all. He simply said, "Sure."
Now it was Jiang Du's turn to be taken aback. She had never brought a boy home before, nor had she ever expected someone to actually accept such an invitation. Shouldn't he have said, "No, no, it's fine"?
She hadn't warned her grandparents in advance, and there was no way to tell Wei Qingyue, "I was just being polite." Jiang Du forced a smile and said, "Our place isn't very big." As she spoke, she walked toward the building unit with a conflicted expression, wondering how she would explain things to her grandpa once the door opened.
"Is there some special meaning to that?" Wei Qingyue adjusted his backpack.
Jiang Du raised her eyebrows. "Hmm?"
He frowned slightly. "You told me your place isn't very big. What did you mean by that?"
"Nothing, really," Jiang Du said, backing down. After a moment's thought, she added, "I just meant, don't laugh. I heard from other classmates that you live in one of those really upscale complexes."
"Upscale, my ass. Don't listen to their nonsense," Wei Qingyue said, his tone turning sharp and disdainful. He was like a young, untamed beast, unrestrained and driven by instinct, venting his pent-up frustrations in that moment.
This made Jiang Du feel awkward. She glanced at him, grateful that they had entered the stairwell so she could stomp her feet to mask her discomfort. The motion-activated light flickered on.
She knocked firmly on the door and said, "Grandma, it's me."
Voices came from inside. When the door opened, Grandma's smile slowly faded into surprise. "Sweetheart, who is this...?"
Jiang Du put on her best act, pushing her acting skills to the limit. "A classmate. This is Wei Qingyue, the one who always ranks first in our school exams. He walked me home, and since no one would be cooking for him at his place, I invited him to have dinner with us."
Her words carried multiple layers of meaning. Jiang Du wasn't sure if Grandma understood, but she hoped that at the dinner table, Grandma wouldn't ask Wei Qingyue about his parents.
"Oh... Well then, come on in, dear," Grandma warmly invited him in, though she was genuinely surprised and couldn't quite figure out why Jiang Du had suddenly been escorted home by a male classmate."The food is almost ready, go wash your hands, we can eat soon. Baobao, show your classmate where to wash up." Grandma handed Wei Qingyue a pair of slippers for him to change into, then turned and went into the kitchen, probably to say something to Grandpa who was busy inside.
Jiang Du led Wei Qingyue to the bathroom. She pointed and said shyly, "You can wash your hands here."
Every inch of the air was thick with awkwardness, yet Wei Qingyue seemed unaffected. He washed his hands, pulled out a few tissues to dry them, and tossed them into the trash. After briefly glancing around the room, he turned and sat down at the dining table.
"Wait here, I'll go check inside," Jiang Du quickly said before slipping into the kitchen.
The kitchen was small, and with three people now inside, it felt cramped.
"There's been a creep near the school gate lately, so my male classmate just happened to walk me home," Jiang Du explained stiffly, unconsciously tugging at her sweatshirt. "Please don’t ask him about his parents later. He has a really bad relationship with them. Just ask about school stuff."
Grandpa was ladling soup and glanced over with a smile, saying, "So Jiang Du is already bringing her boyfriend home? I heard he’s the top student at school."
"Grandpa, what are you saying?" Jiang Du was horrified, her face flushing bright red. "He’ll get upset if he hears that."
"What’s wrong? My granddaughter is pretty, sensible, and a perfect match for the top student." Grandpa had a cheerful personality and didn’t mind joking around. Jiang Du shot him a reproachful look and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, Wei Qingyue won’t stay for dinner."
"Alright, alright, I won’t say another word."
Grandma also gave the old man a stern look and said, "Don’t go spouting nonsense to the kid. He’s the top student—how could someone so focused on studies be dating early? Our Baobao isn’t that kind of kid either."
For some reason, Grandma seemed particularly displeased with Grandpa’s behavior at that moment, her tone carrying a clear note of irritation.
Her words struck a nerve in Jiang Du’s already tense state. She rolled up her sleeves and began helping to serve the dishes.
True to form, Grandma stuck to the safest topics. She looked Wei Qingyue over while serving him food and said, "Don’t be shy, dear. Eat up—it’s all home-cooked. You’re both good classmates. Feel free to come over anytime. Jiang Du should learn from you. Being the top student at Mei Zhong means you’re really smart."
Wei Qingyue smiled faintly. "Jiang Du is smart too. I often can’t beat her in Chinese."
"Oh, she’s a bit unbalanced in her subjects. You must excel in every subject—otherwise, how could you be number one? Top students are always high-IQ kids. Jiang Du isn’t that smart." Grandma was pleased to hear Wei Qingyue praise Jiang Du but still felt the need to modestly downplay her granddaughter’s abilities.
Grandpa’s conversation with Wei Qingyue was more specific. He asked Wei Qingyue what major he planned to study and whether his grades were good enough to secure a spot at Tsinghua University. Wei Qingyue replied:
"I’m going abroad. I don’t plan to attend university in China."
Grandpa’s expression instantly turned somewhat subtle. He felt that with such excellent grades, one should naturally contribute to the country. If someone went abroad and ended up serving foreigners instead, it would be a waste of the nation’s efforts in nurturing talent.
Afraid that Grandpa might say something that would make Wei Qingyue uncomfortable, Jiang Du awkwardly changed the subject, telling Grandpa, "The fish soup today is especially delicious."
Wei Qingyue glanced at her, smiled thoughtfully, and said, "It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a delicious meal. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma."Grandpa was the kind of old man who took great pride in his cooking skills. Hearing Wei Qingyue say this, he perked up and launched into a lengthy discourse on the intricacies of cooking. Grandma, listening from beneath the table, gave him a gentle kick and said softly, "How many kids are really interested in cooking? As long as it tastes good, that's enough. You old man talk too much, never mind whether the child wants to hear it or not."
Grandpa heeded Grandma's advice and toned it down a bit, simply urging Wei Qingyue to eat as much as he liked.
Wei Qingyue kept smiling as he held his chopsticks, glancing over at Jiang Du. The girl hardly spoke, quietly and gracefully eating her food.
This was Jiang Du's home and her family. For a brief moment, he felt a sense of detachment—was every classmate's home more or less like this?
Since they were students, the rest of the conversation revolved entirely around academics. The elderly couple asked him whether the competition in the science experimental class was particularly intense, whether all the classmates were exceptionally smart, whether the teachers were assigned differently from regular classes... They asked almost everything they were curious about.
By the end, even Jiang Du felt a little embarrassed.
After the meal, it was usually Jiang Du's job to clear the table while Grandpa mopped the floor. But today was an exception—the elderly couple asked her to walk Wei Qingyue to the entrance of the residential complex.
Grandpa and Grandma stood at the door, repeatedly reminding Wei Qingyue to be careful on his way home. They insisted on watching the two youngsters go downstairs before finally closing the door.
Jiang Du had forgotten to change her shoes and was still wearing her winter slippers—fluffy and warm.
As they walked through the complex, they could look up and see the lights shining from thousands of households. Jiang Du's home was just one of those countless lights, nothing particularly special.
Yet, as Wei Qingyue glanced upward, a clear thought suddenly surfaced in his mind:
No one had ever left a light on for him, waiting for him to come home. Among these thousands of lights, not a single one truly belonged to him. Where his light was, he didn't know.
"Did you eat enough?" Jiang Du was still a bit reserved. Even now, she didn't quite understand how all of this had happened—Wei Qingyue coming to her home for a meal.
Upon closer reflection, there wasn't anything particularly special about it. She had eaten at Wang Jingjing's house before, and Wang Jingjing had even gone to a male classmate's home for his birthday party back in middle school.
Wei Qingyue didn't answer. Instead, he quietly asked Jiang Du, "Since seventh grade, I've been receiving love letters. I know many girls like me. Guess, what do they like about me? Is it because I have good grades, or because they heard my family is wealthy, or maybe because girls think I'm good-looking? Tell me, if they saw me beaten by my father until I couldn't get up, like a dog, would they still think I'm handsome? Would they still like me?"
Jiang Du was momentarily speechless. An emotion, like a tide, surged powerfully and relentlessly, crashing against her chest again and again. Her eyes stung from his words.
"It's your father who treated you poorly, not your fault. Don't say you're like a dog. You," she said, her chest rising and falling slightly as she tried to meet his gaze, "you're better than most of us. No matter how hard we study, none of us can achieve what you have. Really, that's a fact your father can't erase."
She didn't know how to comfort him properly, her words rushed and her voice trembling. But she made sure to look him in the eyes, showing at least respect and sincerity.
Wei Qingyue, however, smiled—a smile that was hard to decipher. "You're really interesting, Jiang Du."Jiang Du looked at him sheepishly, truly unable to tell whether Wei Qingyue had actually been upset earlier, because now he was smiling with an expression that seemed genuinely indifferent.
The night market street was brightly lit, faintly bustling, the lively atmosphere seemingly condensed in the air above the city, drifting over, spreading in all directions, even reaching the layers of dark clouds.
Wei Qingyue wasn’t really accustomed to those smells—the scents of the night market. He said, “You’ve already repaid the favor you owed me.”
Jiang Du looked at him, puzzled.
“I walked you home, and you invited me to stay for dinner. We’re even now. I don’t like owing others favors—it’s too much trouble.”
He explained lightly. Jiang Du felt a bit disappointed and said softly, “There’s no need to keep such a strict tally. At the very least, we’re alumni from the same school.”
Unconsciously, they walked out of the residential area. Jiang Du pulled a banknote from her pocket and handed it to him. Wei Qingyue smiled, “What are you doing?”
“You had to spend money on a taxi because you walked me home.”
“Didn’t you just say there’s no need to keep such a strict tally?” Wei Qingyue always had a way with words. He gently pushed the money back. “You should ask your grandpa about your parents. Talk to him. That man might have just gotten your name from somewhere, but you still need to be careful.” He gave a slight smirk. “If your grandpa can’t pick you up, I can always walk you home.”
Jiang Du hadn’t given the creepy man a second thought. Instead, her nose suddenly stung because of his last words.
She lowered her head, looking at her long shadow on the ground, and whispered, “But you can’t always walk me home.”
“How do you know I can’t?” Wei Qingyue said with a half-smile, hoisting his backpack. He glanced at the taxi approaching in the distance. “I have to go. You should head back.”
Jiang Du gave a soft “mm” in response. She watched him get into the car. Wei Qingyue, with his long legs, settled into the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and rolled down the window halfway. He saw Jiang Du still standing there. He didn’t move, didn’t wave goodbye—he just looked at her.
And Jiang Du, after the car drove away, remained standing, as if she could stand alone forever in that spot, watching him.
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