Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The summer heat intensified as the college entrance examination drew nearer.

Lu Nian didn't actually want to interfere with his decisions. Qin Si was almost sixteen now, and it wasn't possible for her family to confine him forever. She knew Qin Si had always wanted to leave their home and live a life of freedom. Given her experiences from three years ago, she no longer wished to intervene unnecessarily.

Furthermore, the recent demeanor of Lu Zhihong had been causing her subtle distress. Since that dinner, Lu Zhihong had approached her twice to inquire about Qin Si's current situation and his school preferences.

Lu Nian said softly, "I haven't been in touch with him for a long time, we are not close."

Lu Zhihong frowned slightly, "You need to be more extroverted. These essential social interactions are necessary."

If she couldn't even communicate with a child who had no parents, how could she cope with complex social interactions in the future?

Lu Nian remained silent, quietly continuing her meal.

Even as she grew up, no longer as pale as in her childhood, the young girl still possessed a skin as white as snow, her face finely sculpted and delicate. She was in her growing phase, and yet remained incredibly slender. With eyes resembling autumnal waters, she appeared delicate and timid, making it difficult for Lu Zhihong to be harsh with her.

He was aging, feeling a significant decline in his vitality in recent years, a stark contrast to his earlier vitality. But Lu Nian didn't seem to be a suitable successor for the family business. Over the years, Lu Zhihong had realized this and regretted it countless times. But what could be done now?

After dinner, Lu Nian mentioned she had homework to do and obediently returned to her room.

Seeing Lu Zhihong's frustrated demeanor, He Tian remarked, "A few days ago, Dr. Zhao called. He mentioned a new technique available in the US, do you want to give it a try?"

The woman still held the same seductive charm as years ago, her tone, however, held a hint of sarcasm. Lu Zhihong, well-maintained for his age, appeared much younger than he was, emanating a gentle and cultured aura.

"It's pointless," Lu Zhihong stated, the room filled with cold air, yet sweat beaded at his temples. He irritably loosened his shirt collar, "Going would be a futile endeavor. If you want to go, go by yourself."

"In a few years, Nian Nian will be an adult," he said, "yet she still seems like a child. The daughter of the Su family, who is about her age, is far more mature and composed."

He Tian remarked casually, "Of course, there are differences between individuals."

She looked up at Lu Zhihong who was pacing restlessly in the living room, a sly smile curved on her red lips, suddenly chuckled, "If it had been Lu Zhuo who returned back then, I presume you would have half as many concerns now..."

Lu Zhihong interrupted her, his voice booming, "They are all my children, what difference does it make who returns?"

He Tian raised an eyebrow, realizing she had touched a sore point, and chose not to continue.

After all, in this lifetime, Lu Zhihong could only count on Lu Nian as his bloodline. She watched coldly, a trace of mockery flickering in her eyes.

If he had known the situation today back then, he probably would have done everything, even risking his life, to bring Lu Zhuo back, dead or alive.

Zhang Qiuping was about to enter the room to place a fruit plate, overhearing the conversation at the door, she didn't dare to breathe and quickly retreated.

Fortunately, the young mistress had returned to her room. It seemed that every so often, the master and mistress would have a disagreement over this matter.

But how adorable was the young master back in the days, a wonderful child, just vanished like that.

She sighed silently.

Lu Nian returned to her room, shut the door, and collapsed onto the bed, retreating to her own little world where the persistent tension finally dissipated.

If... to tell the truth.

She feared that Lu Zhihong would try to interfere with Qin Si through her.

After all, one could argue that the Qin Si from the original story was ruined by the people of the Lu family. Now that he had finally reached this age safely and without showing any signs of deviation, she hoped Qin Si could maintain this state.

However, since their falling out, she hadn't heard from him in a long time.

Lu Nian regretfully returned the gift box to Zheng Miaoxuan.

A disappointed Zheng Miaoxuan asked, "Did he say anything?"

Recalling her argument with Qin Si, Lu Nian wasn't sure how to respond to Zheng Miaoxuan and didn't want to lie, so she told the truth, "He... I'm sorry, I might have upset him at the time, dragging you into this."

After hearing this, Zheng Miaoxuan seemed less disappointed. She put away the gift and said, "It's alright, Nian Nian, thank you for helping me. Next time, I'll go find him myself. He should continue to attend our high school, right?"

Lu Nian shook her head silently.

She wondered why now, every time they met, it seemed to end in disagreement. Lu Nian felt a bit weary, reminiscing about when they first met, how adorable Qin Si was back then, how she could see through him, and how she could tolerate his minor temper issues. Now, she felt like she was drifting further and further away from Qin Si.

During the middle school entrance exams, their school was used as an examination venue, granting everyone a short three-day vacation, which made everyone very happy.

Lu Yang was now eighteen years old, had just completed his college entrance exams earlier in June, and after wandering around for a while, returned to An City. He took up a casual summer internship at Lu family's company. Lu Zhihong held him in high regard, but since he had just graduated from high school, there wasn't much he could do at the company. Therefore, looking after Lu Nian became part of his daily routine.

"You guys have a holiday tomorrow, right?"

On this sweltering day, to arrange the examination rooms in advance, they were given a half-day off in the afternoon. The middle school entrance exam was imminent the next day, and many parents were picking up their children outside. In a couple of days, the scene of parents accompanying their kids to the exams would surely be even more bustling.

Lu Yang said, "You should stay indoors for the next couple of days; it's too hot outside, and I worry it might be too much for your fragile constitution."

Lu Nian nodded silently.

For she knew, whatever she said to Lu Yang now, it was highly probable that he might relay it to Lu Zhihong at the first opportunity.

As the final middle school exams approached, the sweltering heat showed no signs of abating.

Carrying his backpack on one shoulder, Qin Si walked out alone amidst the thick crowd of people seeing off the examinees.

The young man stood tall, his handsome face and the slightly indifferent expression on it being very distinctive and easy to recognize.

"Qin Si!"

A little girl in a white dress stood across the street waving at him, her small face reddened from the sun.

He had not anticipated Lu Nian would come.

Even more, he hadn't expected her to... be dressed like this.

Lu Nian seldom wore dresses; the soft beige dress that barely reached her knees accentuated the emerging gracefulness in her, making it particularly noticeable. Her little face was sun-kissed, her eyelashes curved, rendering her exceptionally lively.

He turned away, unwilling to dwell on the sight, increasing the distance between them yet again.

Lu Nian asked, "Are you unhappy that I came?"

Of course, he was unhappy; he didn't even spare her a glance.

Qin Si remained silent and walked into a convenience store.

Lu Nian's cheek suddenly felt a refreshing coolness as she pulled a cold drink can from the fridge, finding the sensation against her face extremely comforting. She squinted her eyes, "So cool."

He stayed quiet, being careful not to let his fingers touch her cheek.

"I have something for you," he said after a moment, then asked tersely, "Do you have time now?"

Lu Nian uttered a surprised "Eh", "If it's not too far, sure. If I don't return home by six, Lu Yang will probably start incessantly calling me or come directly to drag me home."

Unsure which part of her statement slightly stung him, the young man paused momentarily before resuming his normal pace.

He brought her to a small bar, one that Lu Nian recognized as the one owned by Ming Ge, where Qin Si had once stayed.

He didn't let her approach the bar, asking her to wait for him at the park opposite. Bored, Lu Nian sat on a park bench, casually swinging her slender legs back and forth. Accustomed to behaving like a little girl and rarely wearing dresses to school in recent years, she remained quite unaware.

Unexpectedly, after not swinging for long, something suddenly fell onto her lap.

It was Qin Si's school jacket, overly large and hastily thrown onto her legs.

Before Lu Nian could react, the young man had already walked away quickly without saying a word.

Shortly after, he returned with a stack of papers. As he approached, Lu Nian looked at the stack curiously, "What's this? Test papers?"

"During the years I've been living at the Lu residence," he paused for a moment, choosing not to say 'your house' but using 'the Lu residence' instead, "I've accumulated costs for room, board, tuition... plus some additional expenses, and interest."

On the white A4 paper, rows upon rows of numbers were printed, leaving her dizzy with their density, detailing every year's income and expenditures, as well as interest accrued, summed up in a final total.

"Your household should have a record of this as well; you can verify it when you go home."

"I'm a little short right now, but within the next year, I can repay it all," he said, his gaze downward, his expression inscrutable, "I'll wire it directly to your account at that time."

The fees for private schooling were exceptionally high, and the Lu's residence was in a prime location where land was gold. Just considering the tuition and accommodation costs, the amount was not something a sixteen-year-old could easily bear alone.

At this moment, Lu Nian was completely stunned, staring at him blankly, unable to utter a single word.

The handwriting of the young man was just like his demeanor - as cold and sharp as a blade, displaying the amount owed, followed by a cold signature at the end.

Amongst the details, she saw several charges that stung her eyes to witness.

They were the costs of gifts she had secretly given him over the years, gifts she had thought he accepted with joy, making her happy for a long time.

Now, was this his way of severing all ties with her?

“You won’t return anymore, will you?” The girl’s soft fingers gripped the edge of the paper tightly, crumpling it, as she silently looked up at him.

The young man remained silent for a long while before shaking his head, “No.”

Lu Nian lowered her head, “I knew from the start that you didn’t like me.”

The young man remained silent.

He looked at her, his deep-black pupils reflecting her image, which was becoming increasingly beautiful, causing his heart to ache a bit more with each glance.

They were very close, perhaps for the first and last time.

In the end, Qin Si couldn't say anything. What could he say? The last remnants of his pride and dignity prevented him from speaking out.

In a low voice, Lu Nian said, “But, I always thought, at the very least, we were friends.”

Memories of their time together came flooding back. When they first met, she was just a sickly little girl, left alone in her room, cherishing the good times they had as playmates.

Friends...

He remembered the hardships of his childhood, the memories that were too painful to recall - what she knew, and what she didn’t.

She could never fathom the experiences he had endured. Even now, his life remained a desperate struggle, forever rushing forward without a moment to breathe. In contrast, she had always been pampered, a young mistress accustomed to luxury.

Even his living expenses, every single item and cost, were provided by her family.

Did he even have the right?

He had been berated as a bastard and worse during his childhood, encountering countless humiliations and indignities. Qin Si didn't care about any of that, but in front of this one person, he refused to show any trace of his despondency.

The young man was beginning to recognize the naive feelings budding within him. Given his prideful and extreme nature, his fierce adolescent sense of self-respect vehemently resisted acknowledging these feelings. He busied himself with study and part-time jobs, working late into the night without rest, as if repaying this debt would fundamentally change his status, erasing those memories and expunging the strange emotions brewing within him.

After a long while, Lu Nian's hand slowly clenched, holding the IOU note tightly within her grasp, she lowered her head, “I understand your intention now.”

She walked further and further away, her figure disappearing in the glow of the setting sun.

He didn't pursue her, just as he hadn't at any other time before.

When Qin Si left the park, he didn’t know how long he had been standing there. The moon had risen high in the sky, its cold rays casting a silvery glow on his still somewhat frail shoulders, bathing him in a moonlight that resembled flowing water.

Mingge seldom saw Qin Si in this state; he was too mature for his age, seemingly capable of handling anything without needing any help. Mingge often forgot that he was still just a teenager in his teens when interacting with him.

"You've been pushing yourself so hard recently; go get some rest now," Mingge patted him on the shoulder, unable to hold back any longer, "if you're considering making some quick money..."

These days, he had to juggle his studies and several part-time jobs he found outside. There weren't many decent jobs available for students of his age, most were extremely taxing. Additionally, he managed the accounts of Mingge's small bar, sometimes not sleeping until two or three in the morning, only to rush to school for early morning studies at six or seven.

Qin Si grew up rapidly, forcing himself to the brink during this period, visibly losing a lot of weight. Mingge suspected that he was in urgent need of money and offered to lend him some, but Qin Si stubbornly refused. At times, his obstinacy was utterly unreasonable, leaving Mingge at a loss on how to deal with him.

Qin Si shook his head.

She didn't want him to engage in those activities. Since childhood, he had always had the subtle feeling that she feared he would "go bad". Although he never considered himself good, deep down he felt fundamentally flawed. However, he was willing to maintain a facade of conventional decency for her to witness.

The young man said softly, "I've completed a task."

Seeing his state, Mingge remarked, "Everyone makes mistakes at times."

"You are still too young."

As sensitive and proud as Qin Si was, since Mingge met him, he seemed never to show any emotions, responding to everything with indifference, let alone admitting any wrongdoing.

But now, for the first time, the young man's eyes were filled with confusion.

He had so little to begin with, how many mistakes could he afford to make... Moreover, did he truly make a mistake?

"You, young man... will surely become a significant figure in the future," Mingge said, somewhat tipsy, "Why bother about the present moment?"

By then, there would be nothing he couldn't have.

Midnight was the peak time at the bar, with its usual night after night of revelry, deafening music, and the smell of alcohol. He sat in a corner, seemingly completely isolated from the world, immersed in his own universe.

The young man's slightly long fringe hung down, and the white smoke enveloped his refined and distinct face. For the first time in his life, he looked so dejected and unrestrained.

Alcohol numbed his brain, and his emotions, like beasts breaking free from their cages, were no longer under the control of rationality.

I want to be with you, I want you by my side.

I... don't dislike you at all.

He murmured, "Don't leave me."

Author's note: Nian Nian: Dare to say that in front of me?

Little Forty-four: ...

Actually, Little Forty-four is quite naive; it's okay if you don't resent him, Nian Nian doesn't mind at all. (However, being overly prideful, he takes everything related to He Nian Nian very seriously.)

Forty-four's pursuit-of-wife crematorium is a real crematorium.

Making a tsundere, thin-skinned, and romantically pure man pursue his wife... Unfortunately, you've offended your future wife (by mistake), you have to chase her no matter what.