Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lu Nian's initial reaction was an adamant belief that Qin Si could not attend Thirteen Middle School.

She had a premonition that if she failed to prevent Qin Si from making this choice, his life trajectory would mirror the original narrative: a life of solitude, devoid of love and familial ties, consumed by vengeance, spiraling into darkness and paranoia, culminating in an early death before the age of twenty-nine.

She wasn't sure to what extent she could alter the course of events, but as of now, she was determined to exert every effort to guide him back onto the right path.

Thus, she feigned ignorance, insisting, "Why not consider the attached middle school? Isn't it the natural progression for most? The school truly offers excellent opportunities..." She passionately enumerated the merits of the attached school, emphasizing the significance of good teachers, "Having experienced teachers during your high school years is vital! No matter how intelligent you are, self-study can't compare to guided instruction."

The boy remained calm, responding simply with, "Hmm."

Lu Nian spoke until her throat was parched, "... What does 'Hmm' mean???"

Qin Si casually mentioned, "The tuition is too expensive."

Lu Nian raised her voice, "You shouldn't be bothered by these!"

"If you consider it as owing money to my family, you can keep a record of it and pay it back later," she said, locking eyes with the boy. Her voice diminished as she continued, seemingly pitiful with a slight sniffle, "If you don't want to borrow from my family, you can borrow from me. Of course, the kind that involves interest. I'll be sure to collect the debt in the future."

Qin Si remained silent. He didn't know what to respond with.

Studying has always been quite

easy

for him. However, saying that he doesn't put in any effort wouldn't be right. To him, studying is very important. Therefore, no matter where he goes, he won't give up on his education.

But, he no longer wants to stay with the Lu family. He has pondered a lot these days. Since early on, when he endured humiliation and torment at the Lu's, every cell in his body screamed for him to leave as soon as possible. One day, he vowed to reciprocate all the wrongdoings he suffered there, twofold.

Yet, when given such an opportunity, he hesitated.

He could have easily severed ties with the Lu family, and with her.

He detested this side of himself, yet was unable to control it. The conflict between two emotions tore at him daily, leaving him sleepless at night, drowned in profound self-loathing.

Qin Si remained silent.

Lu Nian knew that his silence meant he wasn't intending to change his mind. Although Qin Si seemed aloof and unapproachable, he was surprisingly honest in front of her, hardly lying about such matters.

Becoming slightly desperate, she asked directly, "If you're not choosing the affiliated school, then where do you plan to apply?"

Qin Si still didn't respond.

Somewhat petulantly, she said, "Fine, wherever you choose to apply, I'll follow suit, since I graduate a year later than you." She didn't believe he would still choose to go to those notorious schools with her following him.

The boy stopped in his tracks, "Are you joking?"

Lu Nian replied, "Have I ever lied to you? If you don't choose the affiliated school, I'll follow you."

She was serious, forcing him into a corner, leaving him no choice but to follow the path she laid out for him.

The boy's eyelashes quivered as he looked at her squarely, his voice icy, "Are you threatening me? You are a privileged young lady, who can whimsically decide where to go. Do you think you can coerce me into doing something with this? Do you think I care?"

Lu Nian was hurt by his words, her face turning pale.

All this time, she thought she and Qin Si could at least be considered friends. Unexpectedly, in his eyes, was there no difference between her now and when they first met? Back then, she could endure his cold and sarcastic remarks, but now, it felt like a sharp jab to her heart.

The moment the words slipped from his mouth, Qin Si regretted it.

However, at this moment, the inexplicable irritation and confusion firmly restrained him, preventing him from uttering any words of concession or regret.

Since childhood, he had been an orphan, devoid of familial bonds or friendships, unsure how to approach others or how to retract the sharp edges that adorned him.

At this moment, it was unclear whose face was paler, Lu Nian's or Qin Si's. He moved his lips slightly, muttering inaudible syllables, unable to articulate any words before she turned silently and ran away.

For the first time, their encounter ended on a discordant note.

Graduation exams were in June and school preferences needed to be declared in May. For the majority transitioning from elementary to junior high, their parents decided on their school choices, leaving them without a say. However, in Qin Si's case, the Lu family would not interfere, granting him full authority over his decision.

He completed the form, handing it in silently without the slightest hesitation, a development he found oddly miraculous.

The last image of her speaking, her demeanor as she fled, and her tear-brimmed eyes, incessantly haunted him, refusing to fade away.

He harbored regrets.

For the first time in his life, Qin Si felt regret. The harsh words that had left his mouth could not be taken back. Raised in an environment devoid of parental love, subjected to physical abuse and humiliation, hunger, and cold, his heart had become as cold and hard as stone. Yet, none of those hardships compared to the anguish he felt when looking into her tearful eyes.

When Qin Si was filling out the form, he initially thought that she was the one forcing his hand.

However, as he penned the final character, he tragically realized that his hand flowed smoothly across the paper, his heart betraying his will, leading him down a path of no return.

Junior students were released earlier. When Lu Nian returned to school to collect her end-of-term report card, she paused at the freshly posted graduation honor roll. Her eyes instantly found Qin Si’s name prominently displayed at the top, indicating his admission to Ancheng Attached Middle School.

Her eyelashes fluttered but she said nothing, leaving as she had come.

Yet, that summer, two more events unfolded.

Due to campus expansion, from that year onward, Ancheng Attached Middle School separated the elementary and middle school sections. The elementary section remained at the remote original location, while the middle school moved to a new campus about an hour's drive away.

“I will be boarding there,” he informed her before leaving.

He had never sought her out proactively before. This single time, the message was not a request or a plea for discussion, but more of a notification.

Lu Nian said nothing, and he did the same, distancing himself after delivering his message.

Moving to the boarding facilities and leaving the Lu household, his path seemed to align with two-thirds of the trajectory from the original story. However, the school he chose to attend had changed.

So, had things truly changed, or remained the same?

Lu Nian pondered, somewhat lost in her thoughts.

The attic room became vacant.

Sometimes, as Lu Nian strolled in the garden, she could see the dark curtains of the upper room, forever drawn, never to be pulled back again.

That year, she didn't encounter Qin Si anymore.

At last, signs of adolescence began to appear in her. She grew taller, her thirteen-year-old frame slowly losing its childlike aspect, gradually unfolding into youthful curves, no longer resembling a small doll.

Her features, naturally beautiful, had been previously overshadowed by her youth and frail health. Now, as she blossomed, her beauty, though still tender, hinted at the exquisite allure she would possess in the future.

On the day Lu Nian reported to the first grade of junior high, Lu Zhihong, unusually, postponed his work commitments, declaring, “I will drive you to school.”

Lu Nian managed to secure her admission into the affiliated high school on her own merits, not through familial connections. Despite having little expectations from his daughter all these years, Lu Zhihong found himself unusually elated at this moment.

"Make sure to keep a close eye on Nian Nian, Yang Yang," Lu Zhihong instructed, "inform us immediately if anything happens."

Lu Nian's health improved slightly this year, yet she remained considerably more frail than the average person, necessitating ongoing meticulous care.

Lu Yang was seventeen this year, attending his junior year at the affiliated high school.

Lu Nian sat in the back seat, her hand propping up her cheek, passively agreeing with a word while absorbing the scenery outside the window.

"Isn't there one more at the affiliated school? Yang Yang is a bit too far away," He Tian remarked lazily, "After supporting him for so many years, isn't it time he contributes something?"

It took a moment for Lu Zhihong to realize who He Tian was referring to.

Qin Si drastically differed from what he had envisioned - an obedient, articulate, and capable child who could assist Nian Nian without overshadowing her. Unfortunately, Qin Si seemed to be anything but obedient and agreeable.

He eventually grew disappointed and abandoned this expectation, neglecting him over the years and leaving him to fend for himself. After all, financially supporting a child was not a burden for the wealthy Lu family.

"I heard that the boy is doing well academically," He Tian mentioned, "Why not have him tutor Nian Nian? Otherwise, what's the point in financially supporting someone who contributes nothing? Our money doesn't just fall from the sky."

Lu Zhihong nodded, "Nian Nian can try to get in touch with him later."

It remains to be seen whether the child's solitary and wayward temperament has softened over the years.

Lu Nian pressed her lips together tightly, remaining silent.

In truth, Qin Si's tuition and living expenses for the past year had been deducted from her account. Although she knew Qin Si was reluctant to owe the Lu family, he never used that money. She wondered how he managed to secure those funds.

Suddenly, she recalled her first encounter with Qin Si - the young boy wearing thin clothing in the winter, his hands and ear tips red from the cold, yet displaying a silent and stubborn demeanor. She remembered their final argument, and her nose tingled inexplicably with a hint of sourness.

He resents you.

She sniffled and thought, maybe it's better to keep her distance from now on, to merely watch over him from afar without making any attempts to get closer.

Lu Zhihong was acquainted with the school director, who personally greeted them and assured them that Lu Nian would be placed in the experimental class and receive meticulous care.

In September, amidst the refreshing autumn breeze, the new campus looked stunning, adorned with fragrant camphor trees scattering a gentle woody fragrance in the air. Carrying her nearly empty backpack, she walked through the new school grounds, prepared to locate her classroom with the help of a map.

Perhaps she lingered too long at the entrance sign. As she was about to leave, a girl's voice came from behind, "Classmate, are you also in class 1101?"

"I'm also in 1101," the girl exclaimed joyfully, "How about we go together? I'm not too familiar with the way yet."

The girl appeared adorable and was dressed neatly and elegantly, sporting a fluffy bun hairstyle. She seemed to belong to the category of cute young girls who hadn't quite grown up yet: delicate and petite with a soft speaking voice, her whole demeanor exhibited no signs of aggression, instantly invoking a sense of closeness.

Lu Nian nodded, "Mhm."

She was somewhat directionally challenged, struggling to remember routes.

Unfortunately, Gu Yayan seemed to lack a sense of direction as well. Together, they circled the school grounds several times without finding their classroom. Luckily, it was only the reporting day, or they would have been late on their very first day.

"Let's ask for directions," suggested Gu Yayan, pointing towards the figure ahead, "I think he might be a senior student here at our school."

The wind seemed to have loosened one end of the banner that welcomed new students, which was hung across the school grounds; someone was on a ladder trying to fix it.

It was a figure of a young man dressed in the white short-sleeved uniform of the school, tall and slender. The uniform billowed slightly in the wind, accentuating the delicate and lean nature of the youth, evident in the way his back was straight but waist narrow.

"Excuse me," began Gu Yayan, "Could you guide us to the western building? We're new here and seem to have lost our way."

The young man didn't seem bothered by her interruption. He finished securing the banner before descending the ladder. Gu Yayan sensed an indefinable quality about him, a mixture of aloofness yet not entirely so, blended with many other characteristics uncommon in boys their age.

His gaze bypassed her, focusing on something - or someone - behind her.

Lu Nian was standing idly by the roadside, amusing herself by kicking little stones. She glanced towards them briefly before withdrawing her gaze.

At this age, boys change day by day. She was preoccupied and didn't scrutinize him carefully, which made it seem as if she didn't recognize him at all upon initial glance.

The moment she met those silent eyes, Lu Nian's mind seemed to buzz loudly.

Author's note: Both kids have grown up a bit more. The most rebellious phase for our character "Four Four" has probably passed. Their growth will accelerate and the romantic line is approaching fast.

Nian Nian: I don't want to deal with you right now.

Four Four: ... (.) Being tsundere.

Pursuing the spouse.

Even the crematorium seems unusually — exhilarating! (Not really)