Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Xu Meng’s hair stood on end the moment she saw who had arrived.

Standing opposite were Sun Miao and Han Cheng.

Sun Miao and Han Cheng were now engaged, with the family’s blessing. Han Cheng had even brought it up with his relatives, expressing his wish to formalize the engagement with Sun Miao after the New Year. He also hoped the family could use their connections during next year’s autumn recruitment to help Sun Miao secure a job.

Recently, Sun Miao had warmed up to him a little, and the two often went out for breakfast together. Afterward, Han Cheng would drop her off at school before heading to work.

But in the past couple of days, Sun Miao had grown distant again. It wasn’t hard to guess—it was because Han Jiming had returned.

So when Han Cheng saw Han Jiming with a girl, he initially thought he was mistaken. He stared for a long time before confirming it was indeed Han Jiming. Delighted, he greeted him, even adopting the tone of an elder brother: "So this is why you left so early in the morning—taking a girl out for breakfast. Is this your girlfriend?"

Han Jiming disliked discussing such matters with Han Cheng.

Instead of answering directly, he gave a slight nod, as a mere acknowledgment.

To Han Cheng and Sun Miao, this was tantamount to confirmation.

Han Cheng, for his part, was quite pleased.

He knew little about Xu Meng, but Sun Miao often brought her up in front of him. After Feng Yanwen had come to their home seeking Jiang Huiqi’s help and Han Cheng happened to witness it, Sun Miao had filled him in on Xu Meng—especially emphasizing her relationship with Han Jiming.

Hadn’t the family always praised Han Jiming for being sensible? Yet here he was, dating someone from such a modest background. His aunt would never approve.

Just mentioning it to his aunt had made her furious. Using the excuse that their grandfather was seriously ill and wanted to see him, she had had Han Jiming sent to Singapore. He had been gone for over a month without contact.

And yet, Han Jiming hadn’t changed. He had only just returned yesterday, hadn’t even gone home, and had already rushed off to see this girl.

Who knew how the family would react when they found out?

But Han Cheng’s perspective had shifted. He no longer wanted to see them separated—in fact, he almost hoped Han Jiming would stay with her.

After all, with Xu Meng’s background, Han Jiming would face a lifetime of challenges if he chose her.

Han Cheng, orphaned at a young age, had already drifted from the core of the Han family. But the Hans were a prestigious scholarly family in Beijing’s elite circles. Their grandfather and great-grandfather had both achieved the rank of imperial scholar, and the old man himself had been a progressive student who studied abroad in his youth. Now a distinguished scholar, he had translated and authored countless works. With keen foresight, he had secured the copyrights early on, ensuring the Han family a steady stream of income and endless resources as long as he lived.

Han Cheng was more than happy to see Han Jiming with Xu Meng. Sun Miao, however, was another story.

Her gaze bore into the two of them, as if her stare could bore through Xu Meng.

The men of the Han family were all incurable romantics.

Han Jiming was like this, and so was Han Cheng.

Even knowing that most of Sun Miao’s heart belonged to Han Jiming, Han Cheng—ever the loyal fool—didn’t mind. Unrequited love was like a carrot dangling just out of reach, all the more enticing.

Han Cheng tugged at Sun Miao’s sleeve. "Your school’s already on break. Why are you still going?"

Sun Miao’s gaze, undisguised, lingered in the direction Han Jiming had left. She managed a weak smile. "It’s because of an unfinished project with my professor. If I don’t maintain a good relationship now, he might make things difficult for me during job assignments. Then I’ll really be in trouble."

As if the earlier scene had never happened, the two stepped into the bun shop together.

The juicy buns here were famous, and coming even a little late meant long waits.

Sun Miao frowned. "Why’s the line so long today?"

Han Cheng chuckled. "Do you realize what time of year it is? Students are on winter break—they’re all out eating. Too bad for us working people, though. My office stays open until Lunar New Year’s Eve. How long will your professor’s project take? If you’re free, want to catch a concert together?"

Sun Miao's eyes lit up, her tone turning eager: "You can get tickets?"

There's a very famous Taiwanese star holding a concert recently, and snagging his tickets would be a real status booster.

Right now, concert tickets are incredibly hard to buy.

Han Cheng said smugly: "Know who you’re dating? I have a classmate in the ticketing business—I’ll ask him to send over two tickets. But if you don’t want to go, never mind. I don’t want to waste a favor."

Meaning if Sun Miao didn’t go, he wouldn’t either.

Sun Miao’s previously gloomy mood was instantly lifted by the excitement of seeing the concert. She enthusiastically clung to Han Cheng’s arm: "Then you better keep your word—you have to get those tickets..."

Han Cheng perked up too: "Sure, as long as you want to go, I’ll make it happen."

————

After leaving the breakfast shop, Han Jiming took Xu Meng on an aimless stroll.

They wandered to Beihai Park, where the ice rink was already open, crowded with people having fun. Han Jiming got playful, and he was glued to the spot.

Xu Meng had heard that everyone in the Han family could skate—Han Lingling had even practiced speed skating as a child before quitting in high school.

Han Jiming pointed at a girl and said, "You were just like that when you were little—so clumsy. No matter how much I taught you, you just couldn’t get it. Did you ever learn later?"

Several spots in the city opened for outdoor ice skating, but the most famous were here and the rink at Shichahai. Back then, there weren’t many places to go, and the closest to the Han family was Beihai Park’s rink. Come winter, it was packed. Even those without skates found ways to have fun. Xu Meng loved going there as a kid.

If you couldn’t afford skates, you made do. Feng Yanwu had made her a leather pad—someone could pull her around on it.

Back then, Xu Meng mostly played with kids like Chen Hu from the alley. No shortage of kids pulled her around, and some even fought over who got to play with her.

It wasn’t until later that Xu Meng got her own pair of skates.

Even though they were secondhand, she treasured them.

"I couldn’t afford skates when I was little—nothing like you guys, who could hit the ice the moment winter came. My first pair was given to me by Han Lingling." Xu Meng shot back: "It wasn’t that I couldn’t learn—I just never had the chance. But I still haven’t learned. I stopped going after that. Mom banned me."

She never had money for skates.

Later, Han Lingling somehow found an old pair for her, though they were too big. Still, Xu Meng loved skating—she stuffed cotton inside to make them fit and barely managed to stay upright, though her balance was terrible.

Besides, she didn’t start learning until fifth grade—older kids have worse balance.

Wearing those oversized skates, Xu Meng was happy all winter.

Then came that incident where she fell through the ice. After that, Feng Yanwen was vehemently opposed to skating—she’d rather Xu Meng stayed home all winter than let her play on the ice. So Xu Meng never went back.

The girl Han Jiming pointed at wobbled like a newborn deer, looking comical.

Xu Meng protested: "I wasn’t like that."

Han Jiming turned, propped against the railing, a smile in his eyes: "So, can you skate now?"

Poking the bruise, Xu Meng sulked: "No!"

Han Jiming's eyes crinkled with amusement: "Then let me know when you’re free—I’ll teach you."

Xu Meng almost said she didn’t have skates, but it felt like she was hinting for a gift. Instead, she figured her timing, planning to ask Han Lingling to go buy skates with her—Han Lingling had skated since childhood and knew all about the equipment.

So they made plans for their next skating trip.

Xu Meng was really tempted by what Han Jiming said, mainly because the skaters outside were also very appealing to her. She sneaked off to find Han Lingling.

Han Lingling always went out in the afternoons, and Xu Meng ran into her right on the street.

"Wait, you wanna skate?" Han Lingling had recently been looking for a skating partner. Her usual skating buddy, Jiang Nan, was away in Beidaihe with his family, and her uncle, who had just returned from abroad, was swamped with work lately. She hadn’t found anyone to hang out with lately. "I went to look for you, but your mom said you were out. If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve stayed home."

Xu Meng thought to herself, *No way I’m going to your place—what if I bump into your uncle?*

She’d rather have Han Lingling go with her to buy skates than ask Han Jiming—who knew how he’d take it?

Xu Meng said, "I want to learn—"

Han Lingling was thrilled. "Yeah, go for it! But since you’re a beginner, maybe try an old pair first."

She’d done speed skating before but quit when she couldn’t go pro.

But she still had her skates.

Xu Meng didn’t mind using secondhand ones. "Who knows how many people have worn those rental skates. If it’s free, why complain? But if you’re not using them, that’s even better. If you still need yours, I wouldn’t dare take them."

Han Lingling then told Xu Meng to come over and try them on.

When they got to Han’s place, no one else was home—Han Jiming and the rest of the family were all out.

Han Lingling dug through her stuff and pulled out several pairs of old skates. "Most of these were bought when I was learning speed skating. They’re way better than store-bought ones. I figured your feet are small, so I picked out sizes 35 to 38. Look at this pair—it’s practically new. I can’t wear ’em anymore, but they’d be perfect for you. It’d be a shame to leave them sitting in the cabinet."

After much deliberation, she picked out the best pair.

She eyed Xu Meng’s feet enviously—small feet just look better in shoes.

Xu Meng compared them. "These are brand new, right? You’re really just giving them to me? Not saving them for someone?"

The skates were practically unused—it’d be a waste not to wear them.

Han Lingling waved her on. "Try ’em. Giving them to you counts as giving them away. My cousin took a pair in size 37 the other day, but these wouldn’t fit her, or else they’d have been gone already."

Xu Meng slipped them on. "They fit perfectly."

Han Lingling was delighted. "If they fit, take them. At least they’ll have a good home now."

She looked really pleased.

That was just Han Lingling’s personality—if she liked you, she wouldn’t hold back, but if she didn’t, she’d be very particular. Knowing her temperament, Xu Meng politely thanked her and accepted the skates.

She stuffed them into a cloth tote, and the two left the courtyard together.

Because Xu Meng had been busy lately, they hadn’t studied together over winter break. Still, Xu Meng reminded her, "You know where I live. Hit me up if you’re free, and if you have any questions, you can always drop by to ask. Once the college entrance exams are over, we’ll hang out more."

This winter break, none of Han Lingling’s close friends had stayed in Beijing, leaving her feeling quite lonely.

Even when she went to look for Xu Meng, she was rarely home.

Han Lingling asked, "Are you never home during the day? I went to find you a few times but never ran into you."

The neighbors weren’t exactly chatty either.

Xu Meng told her about her mom’s shop. "Sometimes I work at the hot pot restaurant, sometimes at my mom’s training center. Oh, by the way, did you try the hot pot base I gave you last time? Did you like it?"

Han Lingling nodded eagerly. "So good! You made this yourself? I looked everywhere but couldn’t find that kind sold anywhere."

Xu Meng put away the ice skates: "If you like them, I can grab more from the store later."

As they chatted, they headed outside.

Just as they reached the second gate, they ran into Jiang Huiqi.

This semester, Han Lingling had performed quite well in her exams, so Jiang Huiqi was in a good mood. When she saw Xu Meng, her eyes crinkled with a smile: "Xu Meng, it's been so long since you came to visit. I've been crazy busy lately. How's your mother doing these days?"

Xu Meng stepped forward: "Hello, Aunt Jiang. My mom started a training class during the winter break."

Jiang Huiqi nodded: "You're such a good kid. You should come by more often. Since Lingling became friends with you, she's become much more diligent. She finally got over an 80 in English this term. I was just thinking I should thank your mother properly."

Xu Meng: "No need to thank her. My mom is a teacher—it's what she does."

Jiang Huiqi smiled: "This semester has been exhausting. I told Lingling to take a good rest. You two should get together when you can."

Since they weren’t in the same age group, they mostly talked about school. Xu Meng understood that Jiang Huiqi liked her because her friendship with Han Lingling was beneficial for studies—not necessarily because she genuinely valued her. Naturally, Xu Meng didn’t share heartfelt words either, sticking to pleasantries until they ran out of things to say.

Xu Meng: "Aunt Jiang, I have to go now."

Han Lingling held her arm: "Let me walk you out."

Just then, Sun Miao and Han Cheng entered together. Seeing Xu Meng at the Han residence, they paused in surprise. Sun Miao immediately put on a bright smile and greeted Xu Meng like everything was normal: "I was just wondering why you hadn’t visited in so long, and here you are today."

She glanced at the bag and caught sight of the ice skates inside, recognizing them as a pair Han Lingling had bought before.

Kids grow up fast, and Han Lingling had hit a growth spurt where clothes and shoes became unwearable in no time. Those skates, though technically hers, had never touched ice—they were practically new. And nothing Han Lingling owned was ever subpar. Sun Miao had often taken Han Lingling’s unworn clothes for herself, but she hadn’t managed to get her hands on these skates. Now, Xu Meng had gotten them instead.

Sun Miao’s smile didn’t waver: "Oh, Lingling, you gave these skates to Xu Meng? They’re really nice—I remember you never even wore them once. That’s really sweet of you."

If she hadn’t mentioned it, Jiang Huiqi might not have noticed.

Han Lingling puffed her cheeks, annoyed at Sun Miao’s meddling, especially in front of her mother.

"Mom, those skates were way too small for me. They fit Xu Meng perfectly. I thought it’d be a waste to leave them unused, so I gave them to her. You’re not mad, are you?" Han Lingling put on an aggrieved expression: "Do I need someone else’s permission to give away my own things?"

She was clearly hinting that Sun Miao was butting in.