As soon as his words fell, Cen Jin was momentarily stunned: "Busy with what?"
Li Wu was still being deliberately mysterious: "I don't know."
Cen Jin directly swatted his back with her handbag, and not lightly either.
Having been inexplicably hit, Li Wu pretended to dodge, his smile deepening: "Alright, alright. I did well on the exam."
Hearing the satisfactory answer, her heart, which had been suspended for days, finally settled. Cen Jin's face brightened: "Good, then I'll wait for your good news."
They walked together toward the nearby parking lot, flanked by a continuous stream of students and parents.
"Li Wu!" a sudden call came from behind.
Both Li Wu and Cen Jin turned around to see a boy with black-framed glasses sprinting over, skidding to a halt in front of them.
Li Wu raised an eyebrow: "Cheng Rui?"
Cheng Rui was panting heavily: "I knew it was you just from your back!"
He then looked at Cen Jin and greeted respectfully: "Hello, sister!"
Cen Jin nodded, smiling warmly: "Hello."
Cheng Rui, always smooth-tongued, didn't hesitate to use his good friend as a stepping stone for flattery: "You're so beautiful and striking, sister. If I hadn't noticed you first, I wouldn't have even seen Li Wu standing next to you."
No one dislikes hearing compliments. Cen Jin laughed: "Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself."
Li Wu's gaze darkened slightly as he interrupted: "Which exam room were you in?"
Cheng Rui said: "Room 24. You?"
Li Wu replied: "26."
Cheng Rui exclaimed in surprise: "We were only separated by one classroom! Let me get some of your exam luck."
He then reached out and began rubbing and scratching Li Wu's clothes vigorously.
Li Wu, being ticklish, hunched his shoulders and dodged, his face turning red from restraint.
Watching the two lively boys, Cen Jin shook her head in amusement.
Once the boys had finished their antics, they finally settled down.
Li Wu asked: "Where are your parents?"
Cheng Rui gestured with his chin: "I wanted bubble tea, so my mom went to buy it for me."
Cen Jin followed his gaze and asked Li Wu: "Do you want bubble tea?"
Li Wu shook his head.
Cheng Rui looked at them enviously, murmuring: "If only I had a sister like that..." Then he asked Li Wu: "Do you have any plans for the summer? Remember to look me up. We barely talked all year in senior high—I've missed you so much."
Li Wu nodded: "Alright."
"You have to find me!" Cheng Rui glanced back, probably spotting his mother emerging from the shop: "I've got to go."
"Mm."
Watching Cheng Rui leave, Cen Jin asked: "Is he your best friend since coming to Yi High School?"
Li Wu replied: "You could say that."
Cen Jin said: "I quite like him."
Li Wu paused: "Because he's good with words?"
Cen Jin thought for a moment: "He just seems like the kind of boy who's easy to get along with."
"Oh," he responded quietly.
Their shoulders aligned as they walked at a steady pace through the dappled light filtering through the trees. Li Wu suddenly spoke up: "Am I easy to get along with?"
"You?" Cen Jin let out a cold laugh: "You're the most difficult person I've ever met."
"Really?" Her answer wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was still disheartening.
Cen Jin retorted without hesitation: "You have no idea how awkward you were when you first arrived. Every time I talked to you, my head would ache terribly."
Li Wu protested: "I've gotten better since then, haven't I?"
Cen Jin didn't deny it this time: "Yes."
She was unstinting in her praise: "Now you're tall, handsome, well-behaved, and academically excellent—the perfect little brother in every sister's eyes." Li Wu's heart swelled with joy, and he couldn't help but break into a smile: "Oh.""Perfect little brother," Cen Jin warmly invited: "Whatever you want to eat, just say it. Your sister's treating today."
―
Cen Jin took him to a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere was tranquil, with soft yellow lighting and bamboo screens partitioning the booths, perfectly preserving the privacy between diners.
While the white-robed chef sliced fish nearby, Cen Jin poured Li Wu a small cup of milky-white cloudy sake: "Try it, the alcohol content isn't high."
Li Wu took it and took a small sip.
Cen Jin asked: "How is it, newly legal adult finally allowed to touch alcohol?"
"..." Li Wu took another taste: "Has a bit of fruity aroma."
"Mm, what else?"
He struggled for a while before honestly describing his impression: "Like fermented glutinous rice."
Cen Jin laughed, deciding not to press him further. She lowered her head to eat the appetizer in front of her and changed the subject: "Have you decided on your college applications?"
Li Wu paused: "Not yet."
"Didn't some schools contact you early?" Cen Jin remembered him mentioning it.
Li Wu: "Yes."
Cen Jin propped her chin: "None that you really want to go to?"
"Not exactly, I just haven't decided yet," he asked her: "Where did you go to university?"
"Right here in Yishi," Mentioning her alma mater, Cen Jin felt inexplicably proud: "Yishi University's School of Journalism. Our department is the best in the country."
Li Wu looked thoughtful.
Cen Jin asked: "Has Yishi University contacted you?"
Li Wu nodded: "They did. They wanted me to take their early entrance exam. If I pass, I just need to reach the first-tier cutoff in the gaokao to attend."
Cen Jin blinked twice in surprise: "That impressive?"
"Mm."
The self-proclaimed former top student felt somewhat challenged, forcing a stiff smile: "You didn't agree because you look down on Yishi University?" Li Wu said: "No."
Cen Jin ignored his denial: "But if I were you, I'd also choose a better school to meet more outstanding people."
Li Wu looked at her for a moment, lowered his eyes briefly, then spoke with difficulty: "If I go to Beijing, I might rarely come home afterward."
Cen Jin's eyes widened slightly, completely agreeing with his statement: "Of course, who keeps running home after starting university?"
She suddenly realized: "Are you reluctant to leave me?" Li Wu's brow furrowed, his nose seized by intense soreness, forcing him to quickly lower his head.
Seeing him like this, Cen Jin also felt uncomfortable.
Her eyes grew slightly warm, but she maintained her elder sister tone, comforting him gently: "Ah, everyone goes through this. We all have to grow up and spread our wings eventually. It's not like you're never coming back."
"Remember how I only asked you to aim for a 211 university, but you far exceeded expectations? That shows your potential needs broader horizons to develop," She envisioned his future, trying to lift his spirits: "I don't know if you plan to study physics, but I looked it up recently - Peking University has the best physics program in China. I have a friend from my study abroad days who went to PKU, now hired back as a professor. If you're interested, I could ask for you."
Cen Jin methodically comforted him, unaware that every word she spoke felt like violently pushing someone whose limbs were stiff and painful, unable to move.
Extremely agitated, Li Wu began stuffing sushi from the small plate into his mouth almost ventingly: "Not needed for now."""Eat slower," Cen Jin noticed his unsettled state and, concerned about triggering post-exam anxiety, changed the subject with a nod. "I'm just giving suggestions anyway. You still have twenty days to think it over."
―
Over the next two days, Cen Jin went to work as usual while Li Wu busied himself at home—cleaning, jogging, playing with Cen Jin's fitness ring. It seemed only intense, sweat-drenching activities could temporarily distract him from the anxiety of facing a major life decision.
Studying had become mechanical for him, and now that he'd relaxed, he felt utterly adrift, suddenly unsure how to occupy himself.
He hadn't estimated his scores either—the moment he left the exam hall, he'd already known the outcome.
In the class group chat, everyone was complaining about this year's science comprehensive exam being excessively difficult, but Li Wu remained indifferent. To him, no matter how unpredictable the questions seemed, the science exam was like a transparent plane he could see through at a glance.
Teacher Qi privately messaged him on QQ asking if he'd estimated his scores.
Li Wu replied: No.
Teacher Qi said: Why not? I've asked all the top ten in class, only you haven't.
Li Wu asked: How are they doing?
Teacher Qi said: Same as always.
Li Wu cleverly responded: Then so am I.
Teacher Qi laughed and scolded: You rascal.
Li Wu's lips quirked slightly too.
On the afternoon of June 10th, Cen Jin took time off work to accompany Li Wu back to school to pack his belongings.
The early summer sunlight was intense, heating the ground until it steamed. By the time they reached the boys' dormitory, a faint pink had spread across Cen Jin's cheeks.
Li Wu glanced down at her and went to turn on the air conditioner.
He then closed the windows and door. Cen Jin's gaze followed him as she carefully scanned the entire dorm room. She hadn't visited since he changed dorms.
Sure enough, Li Wu's desk and bed remained the neatest in the room.
The desktop was spotless, textbooks in the bookstand arranged vertically by size, the blanket on the cooling mat folded into a perfect square with symmetrical corners—as if he'd just moved in an hour ago.
Li Wu returned and pulled out his chair: "Sit here and wait for me."
Cen Jin remained standing: "Don't you need my help?"
She wore a white sleeveless dress that day, the skirt falling past her knees like a half-closed gardenia.
Li Wu glanced at her outfit: "No."
"So I'm just your chauffeur today?"
"..." Li Wu paused, then said: "Then you can pack the books on the desk."
Cen Jin nodded and began pulling out the textbooks one by one. The boy's books were well-preserved, as tidy as his test papers, but their title pages felt soft and worn from frequent use.
The lanky youth removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed in two swift movements. His movements were agile, the ankles below his pant cuffs lean and distinct, so pale they were almost dazzling.
Yes, very pale—otherwise Cen Jin wouldn't have noticed.
She sounded surprised: "Li Wu, your legs are this white?"
"Ah?" Li Wu was removing the cooling mat, confused by her sudden attention to this detail.
Cen Jin recalled: "Last year you didn't seem this pale."
A memory belonging only to them suddenly surfaced. Li Wu's hands stilled, and he mumbled "Oh" before continuing to arrange the mat, his face warming.
As Li Wu removed the pillowcase, Cen Jin neatly stacked his textbooks and problem sets with meticulous order.
Satisfied with her newly built "book forts," Cen Jin brushed her hands and asked: "Are there any more books in your drawer?"
Li Wu froze abruptly.
A white flash seemed to strike him, his mind roaring as if exploded.The sound of a drawer sliding open came from below, followed by the creak of a bed board. Li Wu, panicked, scrambled to the edge of the guardrail, his heart racing wildly.
At the same moment, Cen Jin’s hand, which had been pulling the drawer halfway out, froze in place.
In her narrow field of vision, she saw herself—or, more accurately, a photo of herself.
The photo was not unfamiliar, but it was old enough—a work ID photo she had taken two years ago when she started her job.
It was placed right in the middle of the drawer, stark against the all-white background, making it particularly conspicuous.
Staring at it for a moment, Cen Jin reached out slowly, almost disbelievingly, and picked it up, confirming it was real and not an illusion.
It was this action that plunged Li Wu into utter despair.
He squeezed his thin eyelids shut, sat back with a thud, and wished he could vanish on the spot.
Cen Jin’s brow furrowed slightly. She took a deep breath, placed the two-inch photo on top of the highest stack of books on the desk, and then lifted her gaze to find Li Wu on the upper bunk.
From her angle, she couldn’t get a clear view of him or gauge his current state. She took two steps back and finally caught sight of his face.
The young man sat sideways, motionless, his jaw tight, avoiding any eye contact as if stubbornly and absurdly hiding behind a nonexistent shield.
His hands were clenched so tightly they turned white, his chest heaving violently—his reaction so intense it laid everything bare.
The entire dormitory was as silent as the dead, with only the soft hum of the air conditioner breaking the stillness.
Cen Jin stared up at him for a moment, then averted her gaze.
She bit her lower lip briefly before looking up again and tossing out four cold words: "Come down and talk."
—
The young man remained motionless, utterly paralyzed, his limbs frozen stiff.
A few seconds later, he seemed to break free from the ice and began to move. But his movements were disjointed, his mind in turmoil, and he nearly missed a step on the ladder. Li Wu steadied himself quickly, his senses returning to his body as he leaped down and stopped in front of the woman, his entire demeanor subdued.
He stole a glance at the photo—placed at the highest point of the desk as if publicly shaming him.
As if empathizing with it, shame churned in Li Wu’s chest, and he felt so mortified he could hardly breathe.
He frowned, lowering his eyes in embarrassment, his expression growing increasingly somber, even tinged with a hint of hurt.
Cen Jin’s expression was equally stern, but she was far bolder.
At the very least, in this confrontation, she dared to look directly at him. She glanced at the young man’s slender feet on the floor tiles and said, "Put your shoes on first."
Li Wu’s gaze wavered. He glanced at her briefly before quickly looking away, crouching down to put on his shoes.
When he straightened up again, Cen Jin cut straight to the point: "Where did you get the photo?"
Li Wu’s long eyelashes trembled slightly as he desperately avoided her sharp scrutiny. Unable to lie, the veins on his temples bulged. "I took it myself."
As if someone had hit pause, silence and stillness fell between them.
After a moment, Cen Jin pressed her lips together tightly and continued, "When?"
"Two years ago, November 22nd, at night." Li Wu remembered that day clearly—the day his secret garden was born. But the words came out haltingly, his throat so tight it was painful. He paused after every two or three words, as if he had forgotten how to speak.
"What did you take my photo for?" The night he mentioned held no trace in Cen Jin’s memory, but she could guess the answer.
Yet, for some reason, she suddenly felt afraid to face it, even clinging to a sliver of hope.She meant that if—if he could provide a barely passable reason to muddle through, she could also follow the steps down, turning a blind eye from then on.
After all, once this holiday ended, he would leave for university, and she would continue with her life. The ties between them would be largely severed by time and distance.
High pressure brought extraordinary calmness. Cen Jin never imagined that in just two short minutes, she could mentally sort out such a chaotic and thorny situation.
Now, she handed him the key, hoping he would be sensible and take the initiative to close this door that should never have been opened.
But the next moment, the young man before her abruptly lifted his gaze, staring straight at her. His eyes held a sharp, desperate brightness, as if pleading for help, yet exuding an overwhelming intensity.
"I like you," he said.
Cen Jin's heart raced at the tremor in his voice, and without hesitation, he repeated, "Sister, I've liked you for a long time."
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