Chapter 13

The distance between them was too close.

In that moment, Lu Chenyu caught a rush of scents.

It was the bergamot fragrance wafting from Wen Feixi’s body, crisp and clear like the morning mist.

Dust, leaves, and sweat.

Wen Feixi’s eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, like gems that could captivate the soul. Fresh from exertion, her porcelain skin flushed with a soft pink tint, making her a true vision of beauty amid peach blossoms.

Lu Chenyu’s face suddenly burned. Her heart pounded erratically.

She turned away awkwardly and noticed that a crowd had gathered outside the tennis court at some unknown point.

Everyone watched them eagerly.

Lu Chenyu pressed her lips together, feeling unaccustomed to the attention in that instant.

“Wear it or don’t,” Wen Feixi said expressionlessly as she walked out.

At that moment, Lu Chenyu spotted several boys clustered at the tennis court’s entrance, each holding a bottle of water. She blinked in surprise.

Some clutched sports drinks, others held frosty bottles of Sprite, and a few even carried milk teas. They shared one thing in common: none of the drinks had been opened, and all their gazes were fixed intently on the people in the court.

Then Lu Chenyu watched as Wen Feixi was surrounded.

Wen Feixi stood in the middle of the throng, a standard smile playing on her lips as the boys eagerly offered her their waters, asking if she wanted a drink.

The light in Lu Chenyu’s eyes slowly dimmed.

The faint fondness she’d felt from fighting side by side with Wen Feixi just moments ago vanished into thin air.

She had almost forgotten.

Wen Feixi was the type who could light up any room she entered. With just a crook of her finger, countless boys would throw themselves into the fire for her.

Lu Chenyu’s face grew cold as she kept an eye on Wen Feixi’s movements. Yet she saw Wen Feixi raise her hand, stopping the others from thrusting more drinks toward her.

Wen Feixi parted the crowd and walked out.

Lu Chenyu blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected Wen Feixi to turn down all those boys vying for her attention.

“Drink mine.” Tang Yimo handed her a fresh orange multi: “The vending machine in the classroom seems broken. There’s still music class later—you won’t have time to grab any.”

Wen Feixi replied, “I can’t drink cold water during my period.”

The two conversed right behind Lu Chenyu, and Wen Feixi’s clear, soft voice flowed word for word into her ears.

Lu Chenyu’s steps faltered involuntarily.

She happened to be holding a thermos flask. Lu Chenyu was always cautious at school. She never left her backpack in the classroom, not even during PE—she kept it on her back to ensure all her valuables stayed within sight.

Pens, notebooks—those were valuables to her.

And right then, her backpack held a thermos filled with hot water she’d drawn from the dorm at noon.

As Lu Chenyu sipped, the water in her mouth suddenly felt scalding.

Just then, a gust of wind brushed past her side as Wen Feixi hurried up.

“Classmate Lu~”

Lu Chenyu instinctively straightened her back. Wen Feixi stood beside her, those bright eyes fixed on her cup: “Can I have a sip?”

Lu Chenyu hesitated.

In the past, she would have refused Wen Feixi’s request outright.

But Wen Feixi had helped her repeatedly over the past few days.

Lu Chenyu’s gaze drifted to Wen Feixi’s neck again.

That beautiful throat bore five clear finger marks.

Guilt nearly overwhelmed her. Worst case, she’d wash the cup later. She handed over the flask.

She had just drunk from it, leaving an obvious wet spot on the rim.

Lu Chenyu watched as Wen Feixi rotated the rim casually, then pressed her lips right to the spot Lu Chenyu had used.

In that instant, it was like thunder crashing beside her ear.

Lu Chenyu froze on the spot.

At this age, a girl’s thoughts were always sensitive.

She had once overheard her dorm mate Jiang Chang teasing that sharing a cup was like an indirect kiss.

Lu Chenyu’s face inevitably heated up. A “You…” stuck in her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

No one else noticed. If she voiced her thoughts, wouldn’t everyone turn their attention to it? Besides, Wen Feixi didn’t seem to realize. It wasn’t intentional.

Sunlight slanted through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the gray concrete path.

Wen Feixi had put her school uniform back on at some point. She tilted her head back, sipping slowly. Lu Chenyu could see the slender movement of her throat against the pale curve of her neck.

Lu Chenyu felt like thorns pricking her back. She endured until Wen Feixi finished, snatched back the cup, and fled the scene.

Wen Feixi watched her retreating back, her eyes curving faintly. She licked her lips absently.

“It’s Friday today. Qu Lao mentioned the other day that evening self-study would be a movie screening. Want to grab a group dinner later?” Tang Yimo clapped her on the shoulder. “To celebrate you… outshining all the other girls with a total victory.”

Wen Feixi checked her phone.

Six missed calls. The contact was labeled “YZ.”

She hadn’t picked up during the match.

“Probably not.” Wen Feixi’s gaze cooled slightly as she pocketed the phone. “If there’s a second round later, I’ll find you.”

“Sigh, alright then. Remember to answer your calls.”

Wen Feixi glanced idly at her phone, then said suddenly, “What’s that group? Pull me in.”

“Huh?”

“The one you mentioned where Chen Shaocuan said he wants to chase Lu Chenyu.”

Tang Yimo gave her an odd look, then added Wen Feixi to the group chat.

The moment Wen Feixi joined, the chat exploded. The group was full of slackers who barely studied, phones glued to their hands even during class.

: 【What? New person in the group?】

: 【Welcome, welcome!】

: 【Monthly Exam Survivors Alliance gains another comrade~】

Tang Yimo: 【This is Wen Feixi.】

The group went silent.

【Wrong group, big shot?】

Wen Feixi looked down, typing expressionlessly.

【Chen Shaocuan, you just made a girl from our class cry.】

【School rule number ten: Students are strictly prohibited from persistently harassing others on campus through words, physical contact, or any other means without consent, especially harassment targeting female students. I recorded your earlier behavior. If you harass her again, I’ll report it to the academic affairs office.】

【Reply immediately if you see this.】

It took a long while before Chen Shaocuan replied shakily.

【Sorry TT, I didn’t mean to.】

–

That evening, Wen Feixi returned home. She kicked off her shoes in the entryway and headed inside.

Her family’s apartment was a sprawling luxury unit in the heart of River City. Stepping into the living room revealed sleek European minimalist decor, the floors so clean they mirrored her reflection.

The coffee table was covered in framed certificates, trophies neatly arrayed on the bookshelves. There were photos too.

Wen Feixi paused before one frame, her narrow phoenix eyes lowering as she stared quietly at the person in the photo.

“Serene River Primary School Class 3 Group Photo.”

Her gaze settled on the girl standing at the far right of the front row.

Under the sunlight, the girl had woven her soft, jet-black hair into braids, a backpack slung over her shoulders. Her amber eyes gazed at the camera, clear and bright.

Beneath the photo, blue ink read: “Class 3 of Grade 6 gratefully thanks Uncle Wen Yanxiu for his sponsorship.”

Through the massive glass windows, she could see the city lights twinkling, and in the distance, a grand bridge spanned the surging river, traffic flowing ceaselessly across it.

The house was very quiet. Wen Feixi opened the fridge and pulled out a soda, unscrewing the cap to take a sip.

A voice sounded unexpectedly behind her: “Drinking soda late at night isn’t good for you.”

Wen Feixi turned to find the man standing there.

He was in his early forties, dressed in a casual shirt, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. In the dim light, he exuded a gentle, jade-like warmth.

Wen Feixi arched a brow, returned the soda to the fridge, and smiled: “Got it, Dad.”

Wen Yanxiu approached, loosening his tie: “A small cup of warm milk before bed helps you relax and improves sleep quality.”

“I just had Auntie Chen heat it to 45 degrees Celsius.” He took a boxed milk from the warmer, patted Wen Feixi’s shoulder lightly: “Sleep well tonight. You’ve got equestrian lessons tomorrow morning and tutoring in the afternoon.”

Wen Feixi took the milk cup stone-faced and walked to her room under his gaze.

“By the way,” the man called after her suddenly.

“There’s an important international robotics competition next year. I’d like you to enter, but your teammates need to handle hardware, controls, and algorithms competently.” Wen Yanxiu continued, “A strong showing there would greatly boost your chances for top overseas engineering schools.”

Wen Feixi paused mid-step.

Wen Yanxiu asked, “Got a team lined up?”

Wen Feixi replied slowly, “Yes, someone in mind.”

Wen Yanxiu nodded: “Good. I look forward to it.”

As she closed the door, Wen Feixi glanced toward the long corridor by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the spacious entryway.

Warm yellow tube lights cast mottled shadows along it. A figure shuffled unevenly toward her—the young man who had been in the car’s back seat that day.

He was in his twenties, his features somewhat resembling Wen Feixi’s, but his face seemed frozen in a twisted expression, mouth and nose contorted stiffly, neck tilted, gait lurching.

Wen Feixi watched impassively for two beats, then shut the door and locked it.

The desk was cluttered with components.

Servos.

Encoders.

Rows of pins on breadboards.

Labeled resistors and capacitors.

Wen Feixi tied her hair into a casual ponytail, eyes downcast as she silently disassembled a cubic robot. She used tweezers to secure a loose connection, then grabbed a multimeter to check the voltage swiftly.

She opened her computer next, fingers flying across the keyboard to code a segment.

After uploading, an indicator light blinked steadily on the screen.

The broken machine was fixed.

Wen Feixi shut down the computer, propped her chin on her hand, and stared at the milk cup, her thoughts drifting far away.

She remembered that summer at twelve, when she first arrived in the countryside. She hated it.

Her father wanted her to experience life, to become a perfect all-rounded young miss. But that wasn’t her desire.

To her, everything rural was filthy.

Wen Feixi refused to touch anything or go outside. She spent her days sullenly in her room, scrolling on her phone. She still recalled the room’s layout: creaky wooden floors, two beds against the walls, white mosquito nets draping from above.

One was hers; the other belonged to Lu Chenyu.

Lu Chenyu had been a poverty-stricken student her father sponsored—top of her class, same age as Wen Feixi, with honest parents. That’s why Father had placed her in the mountain home of the Lu Family.

In her bad mood, Wen Feixi ignored everyone. Lu Chenyu brought meals up from downstairs daily, placing them carefully outside her bed curtains. At night, she fetched foot-washing water. After Wen Feixi soaked her feet, Lu Chenyu would roll up her pants, sit on the bed’s edge, and use the same water.

One day, the long-ignored Lu Chenyu peered over the bed edge, timidly mentioning that the neighbors had a goat and its milk was delicious.

Wen Feixi didn’t respond.

Perhaps the little girl thought goat milk was the world’s best drink and might cheer her up. The next day, Lu Chenyu returned from next door with a full bottle of it.

A big bottle.

She had filled a used Master Kong green tea plastic bottle to the brim for her.

The act shocked Wen Feixi at the time.

Who reused an empty Master Kong plastic bottle like that?

Lu Chenyu insisted she’d washed it many times, but Wen Feixi still couldn’t stomach it.

She left it untouched. On the fourth day, Lu Chenyu opened and drank it herself.

Seeing the girl’s eyes redden with disappointment softened something in Wen Feixi. She took a sip too.

The goat milk had soured.

Night had deepened.

Wen Feixi turned off the light and lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The room was silent, save for the wall clock’s steady ticks.

Sleeplessness gripped her.

Wen Feixi’s chest rose and fell. Her hand clenched slightly at her side.

She rolled over, fingers tracing the bedsheet as she murmured, “Lu Chenyu…”

–

Early Sunday morning, Lu Chenyu rose at dawn.

Ms. Song had already left. The house was quiet, faint breakfast vendor calls echoing from East Gate Alley.

Lu Chenyu washed up and sat at her desk to do homework.

Her battered old MP3 sat on the table. With headphones on, she clicked play.

The device was ancient, holding only five tracks—all pure harmonica instrumentals. Lu Chenyu had listened to each countless times.

Now, she played her favorite: “Childhood Memory” on harmonica.

This physics test paper was tough, packed with challenging extension questions. She struggled through them.

Her cousin Song Yuemin’s exercise book had been invaluable—an “Advanced Breakthrough Practice Question Book” from her external tutoring. It brimmed with insightful examples. But those were single-use tutoring materials, precious to Lu Chenyu.

Too bad it was gone now…

By noon, voices grew lively in the alley below.

Lu Chenyu stood, yanked off her headphones, and quickly pulled Wen Feixi’s school uniform from her bag.

She had washed it in the dorm that day for Wen Feixi, but after drying, it looked wrinkled—not nearly as sharp as when it hung on Wen Feixi’s frame.

Lu Chenyu descended the stairs. Grandma Sun was tending flowers in the courtyard on the first floor.

Lu Chenyu approached: “Auntie Sun, could I borrow your iron?”

Grandma Sun smiled: “Of course.”

Lu Chenyu was well-behaved. She rarely spoke much, but always greeted elders politely. Everyone liked her.

She and her mother, Ms. Song, had moved to East Gate Alley just last year.

River City was a big place, and locals often discriminated against newcomers. To ease Ms. Song’s burden, Lu Chenyu had tutored Grandma Sun’s daughter upon arrival.

She had dragged the girl from dead last in her class to mid-pack.

Feeling indebted, Grandma Sun occasionally shared treats and warmed to Ms. Song.

That was how the mother-daughter pair integrated into the community.

No one in East Gate Alley could imagine that Ms. Song, a taciturn woman from the mountains, had borne such a poised, brilliant daughter as Lu Chenyu.

And she was a study tyrant to boot.

Lu Chenyu ironed the uniform smooth, eliminating every wrinkle, before carefully bagging it.