Cen Jin sat in the car, staring absently at the school motto stone tablet not far away. Soon, a tall figure came running through the twilight.
She squinted to make out who it was—sure enough, it was Li Wu.
Was it her imagination, or had he grown a bit taller in just these few days apart?
But the most noticeable change was the aura he carried. During his first couple of days here, he had been low-spirited, withdrawn, struggling to adapt. Now, he seemed much better—no longer so tense, with a vibrant youthful energy that could be sensed from afar.
He hardly seemed different from the other high school boys trickling out of the campus.
Cen Jin’s eyes curved into a smile as she flashed her headlights twice to catch his attention.
The young man paused mid-stride, slowing down. He looked toward the car, his eyes dark and bright.
Cen Jin rolled down the passenger window and waved at him.
All traces of excitement were promptly reined in. Li Wu pressed his lips together and walked over.
He stopped outside, breathing slightly heavily, his chest rising and falling as he stared at her without blinking.
Cen Jin frowned. "Get in."
Snapping out of his daze, Li Wu pulled the door open and got inside.
A rich, savory aroma filled the car, and he couldn’t help but twitch his nose.
"Haven’t had dinner yet, have you?" Cen Jin didn’t start the engine right away. Instead, she picked up a cup of oden from the cup holder and handed it to him. "Bought it from the convenience store next door. Have this to tide you over."
Li Wu took it and asked, "Have you eaten?"
This was the first time since they’d met that he had asked her a question in return. Surprised, Cen Jin teased, "What, are you offering to treat me?"
Li Wu faltered slightly, his gaze drifting away as he fell silent.
Seeing him revert to his old reserved self, Cen Jin dropped the teasing. "I’m not hungry. Finish what’s in there first, and then we’ll see about where to go for a proper meal."
"Mm." Li Wu obediently speared a meatball with the fork and put it in his mouth.
As he raised his hand, his electronic watch peeked out from under his sleeve, flashing briefly in Cen Jin’s line of sight.
Noticing it, she asked cheerfully, "Is the watch working well?"
Eager to reply, Li Wu hurriedly shifted the meatball to the side of his cheek and mumbled, "It’s good."
His cheek bulged comically, giving him a silly kind of cuteness that made Cen Jin want to laugh. "Go on, eat."
The young man began chewing earnestly.
Cen Jin realized that watching Li Wu eat was somehow even more… satisfying than watching those mukbang videos? If such a comparison could be made. After all, mukbang streams always had an unavoidable degree of exaggeration and commercial flair, but Li Wu was different—he was sincere, even reverent, in the way he ate.
While she was lost in thought, the boy glanced sideways at her. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before he turned his head away.
Though the gesture was subtle and barely noticeable, Cen Jin caught it clearly. She smiled understandingly. "Alright, you eat. I won’t watch."
She turned away and began fiddling with her phone, checking messages on WeChat. The screen cast a soft glow on her fair face.
Out of the corner of his eye, Li Wu stole a glance at her, then quietly raised a hand to rub his slightly warm earlobe.
After Li Wu finished eating, the car set off.
Cen Jin turned her attention to his studies. "So, how are classes? Are they difficult?"
"Not too bad," Li Wu answered honestly. He wasn’t trying to pretend he was doing better than he was—he had been working hard to catch up. Though he was behind in some subjects, the gap wasn’t insurmountable. As long as he put in extra time to review, he could keep up without much trouble.
Cen Jin asked again, "What about the teachers?"
"They’re better than the ones at my old school."
"Well, obviously."
"…"
Li Wu had no rebuttal—it really was an obvious thing to say.
"Have you run into Teacher Qi these past few days?"
Li Wu said, "I saw him once during a break.""Did you greet him?"
"Yeah." Li Wu's tone was slightly airy. For the past week, he had mostly kept to himself in the classroom, and even when he went out, he avoided eye contact with others. It was only when Teacher Qi recognized him face-to-face that he responded.
"How about dorm life? Your roommate seems decent," Cen Jin was still bothered by the dormitory conditions from the day they moved in. "It's fine to be friends, but don't let yourself be influenced—you still need to keep clean."
At this, Cen Jin couldn't help but recall her first visit to Li Wu's home two years ago.
The house was bare, with almost no furnishings, but it was kept remarkably tidy. Li Wu's grandfather was also well cared for, with no dirt visible on his face. Li Wu had brought two bowls of plain water, and his nails were clean and neatly trimmed—something quite rare among the children they had visited. When poverty reaches a certain level, people often have no time or concern for such things, but Li Wu was different. Even in difficult circumstances, he maintained his own principles and dignity.
These details surfaced in her mind, surprising Cen Jin, who hadn't thought she would remember them.
After all, that day, she had been mentally and physically resistant, remaining silent the entire time, let alone touching that bowl of water.
Thinking of this, she glanced again at Li Wu's fingers holding the Oden cup—slender, bony, and with nails still meticulously trimmed.
Cen Jin sighed deeply with emotion, her tone softening. "If there's anything at school that makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me."
Li Wu said, "Okay."
"And if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you should tell me too, remind me, alright?" she said, as if making a pact.
Li Wu fell silent.
"So there is?" Cen Jin glanced sideways, not surprised by his reaction. In some matters, she did tend to push aggressively.
After a brief mental blank, Li Wu said, "No."
There should have been—at some point, he had felt resistance, even fought back, but now he couldn't remember any of it.
Cen Jin chuckled lightly. "Trying to flatter me?"
"..."
"But," she couldn't resist patting herself on the back, "you're lucky to have met me."
Li Wu gave a soft "Mm," his lips curling faintly in the dim light.
Cen Jin felt a long-lost sense of ease. "What do you want to eat later?"
She added, "I know you're not picky, but there must be something you've really wanted to try, something you've craved since childhood."
Li Wu stayed silent, reverting to his usual reserved demeanor.
Cen Jin shot him a look, knowing she wouldn't get a word out of him. While waiting at a red light, she pulled up a food app on her phone.
Without looking away, she handed him the phone with one hand. "There are restaurants on here. Swipe through them yourself, and if you like one, just tap it and show me."
Li Wu took the phone but didn't immediately follow her instructions.
Cen Jin raised an eyebrow. "This time, the choice is yours."
Li Wu was taken aback for a moment, glancing at her briefly.
Seeing he still hadn't moved, Cen Jin changed her approach. "I have decision fatigue. Please help me out."
Finally, Li Wu began swiping through the screen.
"Talking to a kid is exhausting," Cen Jin exhaled, as if finally getting a breath of oxygen.
"..."
After pausing for a moment on the screen, Li Wu tentatively voiced an objection: "You can just decide..."
"I don't want to," the woman replied quickly.
"..."
Talking to an adult is exhausting.
—
The place Li Wu eventually chose was a homely restaurant—affordable, not located on the prime commercial streets, but a small, unassuming eatery tucked away in an alley.
Cen Jin double-checked: "Are you sure? This one?"
She had expected him to pick a place like KFC or McDonald's, somewhere that would satisfy a child's sense of holiday celebration.
Li Wu nodded."Okay." She turned on the navigation.
The restaurant wasn’t too remote, but after parking, they still had to walk a stretch of cobblestone path.
The ambiance was better than Cen Jin had imagined. Though small, the place was thoughtfully decorated, blending a lively atmosphere with a warm, human touch.
After the dishes were served, Cen Jin took a bite, her eyes lighting up as she praised, "You really know how to pick a place."
Li Wu rubbed his nose awkwardly.
It was partly effort, partly luck. He had chosen more carefully than for an exam, filtering by price, location, and reviews before settling on this restaurant. But until Cen Jin approved, he had been uneasy.
Fortunately, she seemed to like it. Li Wu glanced up slightly, watching for more of her reactions.
Unexpectedly, she happened to look back at him and, picking up a large piece of meat, dropped it into his bowl.
"Eat," Cen Jin tilted her chin.
Li Wu hurriedly put it in his mouth, chewing absentmindedly.
"Not good?" Her sharp eyes caught his distraction as she picked up another bite to try herself. "This meat is pretty well-cooked."
Li Wu forced a nod.
Cen Jin noticed a crate of drinks in the corner. "Want some soda?"
Boys all love this stuff—she’d been through it; she knew.
Li Wu shook his head.
"..." Cen Jin pressed her lips together and called out, "Boss, get me a bottle of Sprite."
"Just one? You..." The woman behind the counter glanced at them, pausing briefly. "We also have beer and Wanglaoji herbal tea. Want any?"
Cen Jin shot a look at Li Wu. "It’s not for my brother."
The boy’s chopsticks paused mid-air.
The boss laughed. "We have it chilled too."
"Room temperature is fine."
After fetching the Sprite, the boss came over to their table, deftly popping the cap open against the edge of the wooden table.
Bubbles fizzed up inside the bottle, releasing a sweet aroma.
Cen Jin took it, inserted a straw, set it aside, and didn’t touch it.
Only after the boss turned away did she push the soda bottle next to Li Wu’s elbow, then went back to eating her own food. Her expression was unreadable, even carrying a hint of calm composure.
After a moment, Li Wu pulled the Sprite over, took a sip, and felt refreshed. His head lowered, and he suddenly chuckled softly to himself, as if laughing at his own behavior.
Cen Jin curled her lips, barely holding back a smile. "I thought you didn’t want any?"
"Didn’t want you to spend extra," Li Wu said seriously.
"It’s just a few bucks," Cen Jin brushed it off. "Did you have it when you were little?"
"Yeah."
"Still tastes the same?"
"Mhm."
…
—
After returning home and settling Li Wu in the study to do his homework, Cen Jin went back to her bedroom, sprawling out on the bed, feeling completely relaxed.
The frustrations from work had vanished—it really helped to shift your focus.
Cen Jin picked up her phone and saw a new WeChat message.
She tapped it open—it was a reply from her mom.
Mom: Your dad said you’re quitting your job?
Sent just three minutes ago.
Cen Jin quickly sat up to reply: Yes.
She deliberately put on a cutesy tone: You’re not mad at me anymore?
Her mom, too lazy to type, sent a voice message, still sounding annoyed: "What’s the use of being mad? Would you listen if I were?"
Cen Jin agreed: Yeah, listening is out of the question. Could never listen, not in this lifetime.
Her cheeky reply made Cen’s Mother laugh instead of staying angry, letting bygones be bygones: "How’s the kid doing now?"
Cen Jin simply called her back: "Thanks to Dad, he’s in school now. Since it’s the weekend, I brought him over to my place. It’s too pitiful leaving him alone at school.""You're just too soft-hearted," Mother seemed to recall past events: "Wu Fu's conditions weren't that great to begin with, yet you insisted on marrying him. Now look, you're the first one to get kicked out."
"What are you talking about? I left on my own accord," Cen Jin objected to her mother's description.
"What about the house? Such a nice place can't just be given to him for free. Our family paid for most of the down payment and renovation costs. How long has he even been paying the mortgage?"
"We'll discuss it later. I've been busy with work these days, and he probably hasn't had time to deal with this either. I've already deleted him on WeChat."
"How old are you, still deleting contacts—" Cen's mother couldn't understand, then sternly warned: "Get a lawyer to help you keep an eye on things. You need to be smarter about this too, don't let yourself get confused again."
"I know." Cen Jin was growing irritated. She had just put this matter aside, only to have her mother drag it back and force her to face it again.
All these complicated details and trivial matters in marriage were utterly exhausting.
She changed the subject: "Mom, you know what? I've had a new realization these past few days."
"What now," Cen's mother said dismissively, "where do you get all these realizations?"
"Being a mother isn't easy," Cen Jin clicked her tongue. "I only realized this after spending time with that child from Shengzhou."
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