The power of food is formidable. That night, the city's atmosphere no longer felt distant; it became as soothing as spices in chicken, allowing Li Wu to fall asleep contentedly.
But the latter half of the night wasn't as pleasant. His stomach, accustomed to rough fare, couldn't withstand the Meat Bombardment of a full family bucket, and his trips to the bathroom rapidly increased.
Cen Jin, a light sleeper, noticed his discomfort. Without asking questions, she prepared a glass of water and a pill, placing them on the coffee table for him to take with water.
Li Wu responded with a flushed face. When he emerged again, the living room was empty.
He bent over to take the medicine, drank the entire glass of warm water, and returned to his room dejectedly, pondering how to thank and apologize to Cen Jin tomorrow.
Yet his heart remained adrift, soft like the bedding beneath him.
For the first time since his grandfather passed away, he felt relaxed—transformed from mud in a depression to a wisp of cloud, even though the surroundings were entirely unfamiliar, as if in a dream.
But it didn't matter if it was a dream.
At least he dared to dream of such things, didn't he?
Li Wu closed his eyes drowsily.
When he woke again, the room was still pitch black, indistinguishable between day and night.
Li Wu immediately rolled out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and hurried out of the room.
Cen Jin was eating breakfast in the living room. After waking up, she had communicated with her father about the matter and laid out her plans one by one.
Her father was quite approving and supportive, promptly taking action and saying he could give her a reply by the afternoon.
Hearing the guest bedroom door creak, Cen Jin looked over and smiled gently. "You're awake."
Li Wu nodded slightly. The events of last night left him somewhat ashamed, completely unable to meet Cen Jin's gaze.
"Come sit," she insisted, reminding him of it. "I ordered congee for you—it's good for your stomach."
Li Wu sat wordlessly across from her.
Cen Jin uncovered the congee bowl. "Does your stomach still hurt?"
Li Wu quickly shook his head.
Cen Jin smiled faintly and handed him a spoon. "I was careless, ordering so much for you. How could your stomach handle it?"
"...It's not that," Li Wu struggled to speak. "I ate too much."
Cen Jin scooped out a Shrimp Wonton, blew on it, and without looking up said, "Eat more if you can. You need to put on some weight—you're so thin."
Li Wu also scooped some congee into his mouth.
The congee had a hint of citrus fragrance, melting on the tongue, thoroughly stewed. He immediately took a second spoonful.
The woman across from him fell silent. Li Wu glanced up to find her watching him, eyes curved in a smile.
Bathed in light, she was outlined in a soft, glowing halo.
Li Wu uncomfortably set down his spoon, letting it sink into the congee.
Cen Jin blinked in confusion. "Why did you stop eating?" Then, understanding dawning, she smiled. "Is it because I'm watching you?"
Li Wu wanted to say no, but well, it was and it wasn't.
Cen Jin explained, "I actually enjoy watching you eat... or rather, it's satisfying..." As if she had taken in a distant cousin with no one to rely on, finding some self-worth in ensuring he was well-fed and clothed. "I won't watch anymore. Eat properly, have more. I ordered two portions, and there's more if it's not enough."
Li Wu immediately buried his head in the congee. Cen Jin curled her lips slightly and lowered her eyes to finish her wontons.
They didn't disturb each other, and the dining table was exceptionally peaceful.
Cen Jin didn't have much of an appetite, covering the paper bag after eating half and pushing the packaging aside.
She opened WeChat. Her father hadn't sent any messages yet—she wondered how things were progressing.
Switching to the work group chat, she unblocked it. WeChat, silent for days, suddenly buzzed with life and energy.Cen Jin scrolled up with her thumb, browsing through messages she had neglected for several days. Wu Fu's username flashed repeatedly amidst the conversations where he chatted cheerfully with colleagues, steadily advancing project plans.
The upheaval in their marriage seemed nothing more than a light scratch to him, leaving no trace behind.
Her fingertip paused, then tapped to view Wu Fu's profile. He had already changed his avatar—no longer the matching profile picture they once shared. His social media feed hadn't been updated for over half a month either.
Staring at his blank status, Cen Jin's thoughts gradually drifted, her gaze shifting to her own fingernails. She hadn't done her manicure for days, and the edges of her nail beds had become patchy, much like their neglected relationship—only realizing the damage when large pieces had already painfully peeled away.
Emotions welling up, her eyelashes trembled faintly like delicate flowers quivering in the wind.
Remembering there was a child sitting across from her, she didn't want to show too much of her negative state.
She quickly lifted her eyes back to Li Wu. The teenager was still eating porridge, just porridge, even though three enticingly colorful side dishes were arranged before him, untouched by his chopsticks.
Cen Jin said, "Have some side dishes too. Plain porridge is tasteless."
Li Wu looked at her: "The porridge is sweet."
His eyes were sincere and honest. Cen Jin hadn't seen such eyes in a long time—so clear, so bright, evoking many touching images: stars, polished mirrors, snow-covered mountain streams, halos on pine branches... None of these had anything to do with his experiences. Misfortune seemed to have purified and baptized these eyes.
"Who did you inherit your eyes from? Your mother?" she guessed.
Li Wu gave an "mm" of acknowledgment.
Cen Jin said, "She must have been very beautiful."
Li Wu said, "I don't remember clearly." His parents left behind no photographs, and his mother's face had been worn away by time, growing blurry in his memory.
Unintentionally touching a sore spot, Cen Jin said, "Sorry, I was just making conversation."
"It's nothing," Li Wu's expression remained neutral: "It's fine."
He repeated it, though the second time it was unclear who he was speaking to.
Cen Jin watched him quietly: "Li Wu, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, tell me. Treat me as family, okay?"
Li Wu paused, then nodded while speaking: "But I'll still pay you back."
He'd said this several times, each with the same determination.
"That's entirely up to you, but your top priority now is studying," Cen Jin sighed inwardly: "Don't worry about repaying money now. Wait until you're earning yourself."
Deliberately joking to lighten the mood, she said: "Do I look very old? Like I can't afford to wait?"
The teenager's lips suddenly quirked, two dimples fleeting at the corners of his mouth.
Cen Jin noticed and attempted to tease him further, pretending to be angry: "Still laughing?"
"Not old," Li Wu said softly.
Cen Jin didn't catch it: "What did you say?"
Li Wu fell silent, lowering his eyes to eat his porridge.
Cen Jin didn't press him, propping her chin to continue looking at her phone. The screen still showed Wu Fu's WeChat profile. But this interruption had completely dispersed her earlier melancholy. Li Wu had pulled her back again.
She tapped to exit the page. Simultaneously, a new message caught her eye.
Dad: Daughter, all settled. Taking him to Yi High School at 3 pm.
Dad: This is Teacher Qi's number, 13XXXXXXXX. Remember to contact him before going.Cen Jin immediately felt refreshed and replied with a "Silly Salute" emoji, asking: "What documents are needed from his previous school?"
Cen's Father: "Should I call you? Is now a good time?"
Cen Jin quickly declined: "No, the kid is with me. I don’t want him to hear this."
Cen's Father said: "That’s considerate."
He then replied: "Old Qi said he’s already contacted Nongxi. There’s no rush with the paperwork. Take him over this afternoon to have a look. If the kid is really promising, he can join the class in the next couple of days. We can’t delay his studies."
Cen Jin: "Yes, you’ve thought it through thoroughly. Truly worthy of being my dad."
Cen's Father: "Of course."
However, he changed his tone: "Placing him directly in the honors class might be tricky. Old Qi said the teaching standards at rural high schools can’t compare to Yi High School. Dropping him straight into an advanced class might be too much to handle. It’s better to let him adjust in a regular class first. If his grades are truly good and he improves quickly, transferring before senior year wouldn’t be too late."
Cen Jin thought for a moment: "Right, that’s better."
Cen's Father said: "You can get moving now. If you have any ideas, just talk to Old Qi. He and I go way back; he won’t brush you off."
Cen Jin showered him with a stream of gratitude and praise, leaving her father pleased and content.
Finally, the old man stopped chatting and went back to his work. She put down her phone and said to Li Wu, "Eat up."
Li Wu looked up at her.
Feeling lighthearted, Cen Jin cleared her throat and announced, "Come with me to Yi High School this afternoon to register."
Li Wu nearly choked, completely caught off guard by the speed. Last night, he thought Cen Jin was just casually mentioning an ideal scenario, but in just one night, she had already opened the door for him.
Used to hardship, when everything went unexpectedly smoothly, he felt ungrounded, afraid that everything before him was unreal.
Cen Jin noticed his daze and encouraged him, "Don’t worry, you’ll definitely continue your studies. As long as you stay grounded, hard work won’t let you down."
Li Wu’s nose twitched. He gritted his teeth, put down his spoon, and thanked her earnestly, "Thank you."
"You’re welcome." Cen Jin smiled.
—
In the afternoon, Cen Jin changed into a simple square-neck dress that reached her knees, making her look elegant yet dignified.
After tying her hair into a low ponytail, she walked to Li Wu’s door.
The teenager was half-crouched inside, packing his backpack. He wore a dark blue shirt and faded jeans, with a gray backpack that clearly had seen better days, showing signs of mending.
But she didn’t point it out directly, thinking only that she must replace everything with new items before he moved into the school dormitory.
She genuinely felt a sense of raising a child, and surprisingly, she didn’t mind it. On the contrary, she found it enjoyable.
Or maybe it wasn’t exactly the feeling of raising a child—after all, clothes make the man. A new start deserved a new look, didn’t it?
Lost in her thoughts, Cen Jin didn’t notice when Li Wu had come to stand in front of her.
She was blocking the doorway, making it hard for him to leave.
She was spacing out, and he didn’t want to interrupt.
Cen Jin finally snapped back to reality and looked up at the teenager’s calm face.
She quickly lowered her crossed arms and examined Li Wu up close. Though his clothes weren’t impressive, he was tall and carried himself well, without the hunched posture common among city kids who overuse electronics—a definite plus.
Cen Jin asked, "Have you sorted through your test papers?"
Li Wu: "Yes."
Cen Jin: "Just bring the ones with good scores. No need to take all of them."
"..." Li Wu said, "I brought them all."Cen Jin paused: "Silly, take out all the ones below one hundred twenty."
Li Wu immediately took off his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out that stack of handouts again.
They were meticulously organized, without a single curled edge or folded corner.
Regardless of high or low scores, they were all cherished by their owner.
Cen Jin suddenly felt a pang of guilt: "Forget it, let's bring them all."
Li Wu: "?"
"Good or bad, they're all you—this feels more authentic," she said offhandedly, tucking her hair behind her ear and deliberately avoiding his confused gaze.
Li Wu put them back.
"Let's go," she said, watching him shoulder his backpack as if donning armor. Her heartbeat quickened, and she inexplicably felt a sense of duty, like seeing a young warrior off to battle. "We're heading to school."
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