“Ah, I see!” Yang Haoran finally understood. So something had happened that morning that he hadn’t known about.
“Bro, why do you look unhappy? Isn’t it great that Mom and Dad are getting along better?” Yang Mengyao peered at her brother’s face, puzzled.
“Oh, I am happy. I just didn’t expect Dad to be whispering cheesy sweet nothings.”
Yang Haoran forced a smile.
“Today is Mom and Dad’s wedding anniversary. He wanted to apologize to her. Didn’t he tell you?” Yang Mengyao hurried to catch up with her brother’s steps, chatting as they walked.
Her face lit up with a smile at the topic, as if she couldn’t wait to see it play out.
“He did mention it. I’m all for it. Mom and Dad have been cold to each other for years. It’s about time they made up.”
Yang Haoran spoke words that didn’t match his true feelings.
“Yep! From the look on Mom’s face this morning, it’s a good start. Dad should win her over tonight.”
Yang Mengyao spoke with full confidence. “Then our whole family can go on that National Day holiday trip together. Dad already promised. Bro, aren’t you excited?”
Yang Haoran gazed at the hopeful sparkle in Yaoyao’s eyes and suddenly fell silent. Yes, in the past, he had dreamed of the family traveling together too. But things were different now. He… Yang Haoran couldn’t answer—or rather, he didn’t want to utter words that went against his heart. It was painful enough as it was. He changed the subject. “Yaoyao, how are things going between you and Shaowan?”
“Why bring her up all of a sudden?”
Yaoyao pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Shaowan’s great. We have a lot in common. She’s not as aloof in person as she seems in class. We’re basically besties now.”
Yang Haoran was stunned. “That fast?”
“What did you expect? When girls click, we get close quick. But we can fall out just as fast too. It all depends on how we get along.”
Yang Mengyao explained.
Yang Haoran chuckled wryly. “You’re pretty clear-headed about it.”
Yaoyao rolled her eyes at her brother and pouted. “Didn’t you used to call me ‘big boobs, no brains’?”
“Sorry! My Yaoyao’s not just busty—she’s soft… and fair…”
“You shameless perv! Shut up!”
Yaoyao’s cheeks flushed red. She chased after her brother, swinging at him playfully. Yang Haoran dodged with a laugh. As they chased and evaded each other, their joyful banter echoed through the air, carried farther and farther by the breeze until it faded away.
…
Once they arrived at school, Yang Haoran felt an indescribable awkwardness around Zhou Shiwen. Last night’s trio of shocking conversations was still fresh in his mind. If outsiders ever heard those outrageous words, it would shatter their worldviews.
Zhou Shiwen felt uneasy too, but he quickly adjusted—probably because he needed a favor from Yang Haoran. His attitude turned noticeably warmer and more proactive.
Influenced by Shiwen’s demeanor, Yang Haoran pretended to have forgotten last night entirely. They chatted casually as if nothing had happened.
Still, some things went without saying. Both of them understood that perfectly.
Wei Ming didn’t notice anything off between them. He was the chattiest of the three—a classic case of repressed energy bubbling over.
During class, Yang Haoran’s name came up far more often for questions. Professor Li must have said something, because the teachers were giving him “special attention.”
Or rather, the teachers were only half-believing what Professor Li had told them. How could a former slacker—the kid who dragged down the class average—suddenly transform into a prodigy?
Homeroom Teacher Gu Qingying targeted him the most blatantly. In one class alone, she called on him seven or eight times. Even the classmates noticed and figured he’d done something wrong to earn her ire.
Luckily, Yang Haoran now had real skills to back it up. He handled every question with effortless ease.
He earned admiring looks from all the teachers—a novel experience for him.
When you’ve been away from someone for three days, you should look at them with fresh eyes. He’d given them all a lesson.
The ripple effect even reached the slackers in other classes taught by the same teachers. Those instructors softened their attitudes toward them a bit.
Later, when word of his feats spread among the slackers by word of mouth, Yang Haoran became the poster boy for their redemption arcs. His name was starting to make waves around campus.
Yang Haoran kept an eye on Shaowan and Yaoyao. He was thrilled to see the two girls growing closer.
During music class, they even swapped seats with their deskmates to sit together, whispering and giggling about who-knows-what.
The music teacher didn’t care. Music and PE were basically free periods for the students to unwind.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye. After school that afternoon, Yang Haoran and Yang Mengyao hopped on the bus and headed straight home without delay.
On the bus, Dad called specially to hurry the siblings along.
Yang Haoran could tell Dad had been planning this for a while. He’d just waited for this special day to put it into action.
Thinking of S Girl’s proposed plan, Yang Haoran felt a pang of reluctance. But compared to losing Mom, it was far more unbearable.
When they reached the front door, Dad opened it to welcome them.
“You’re back! Good work. Your mom’s running a bit late. Come on in.”
Yang Haoran took in Dad’s sharp suit and tie, his hair neatly combed, a beaming smile on his face, and a vibrant bouquet cradled in his hands.
This might be the happiest Dad had been in ages, Yang Haoran thought quietly.
Inside the house, Yang Haoran glanced around and saw that everything had been beautifully decorated. Strings of little fairy lights draped like vines across the walls, weaving through the entire living room.
Dad had done it all himself. It was clear he’d poured his heart into it, doing everything he could to win Mom back.
The setup was thoughtful. Even with the lights off, Yang Haoran could imagine how romantic it would look once they flickered to life.
Dad usually came off as a refined intellectual, but he clearly knew how to set the mood.
Yaoyao gaped in surprise at the decorations, then beamed. “Dad, Mom’s definitely gonna forgive you. Then we can all go on that happy family trip!”
“Good girl. Daddy’s counting on your good luck.”
Yang Wenfu smiled warmly at his sweet, sensible daughter, his spirits lifting even higher. “Yaoyao, Haoran—if you two get in trouble and Mom scolds you, Dad’s got your back.”
At that, Yaoyao glanced at her brother. She knew the comment was aimed at him—he was the one who always ticked Mom off and got an earful.
Yang Haoran gave an awkward smile but said nothing.
Seeing the family in harmony like this only confirmed for Yang Wenfu that his decision to apologize was right. This was what a home should be—not the cold coexistence under one roof that he and Ruoxi had endured for so long.
