Everyone had been playing volleyball for over an hour, and they were all exhausted.
Wen Feixi headed to the vending machine and bought a bottle of mineral water. She was just about to twist off the cap when Lu Chenyu reached out and pressed her hand down. “You can’t drink ice-cold water,” she said seriously.
Wen Feixi paused. “…”
Lu Chenyu pressed her lips together and slowly pulled a thermos from her backpack, handing it over.
Tang Yimo burst out laughing. “Hahaha!”
Bai Xian blinked at her. “What’s so funny?”
Tang Yimo grinned. “I’m laughing at how someone’s so badass out in the world, but turns out she’s totally henpecked.”
Bai Xian looked utterly confused. “Who?”
Tang Yimo sighed. “Forget it, I’m not explaining it to a straight girl like you.”
Wen Feixi gazed at Lu Chenyu, a mix of amusement and exasperation in her eyes. She made a show of twisting the cap on her mineral water bottle, but Lu Chenyu snatched it away with firm resolve. “Hot water.”
Wen Feixi had no choice but to take a sip from the thermos.
She took one sip, then another.
Lu Chenyu nodded in satisfaction.
Suddenly, a voice called out from a distance.
“Little Fish! Little Fish, time to head home!” Song Yuemin shouted.
Lu Chenyu whipped her head around. To her surprise, just beyond the iron fence nearby stood Ms. Song and Song Yuemin. Ms. Song stared at her, her face a storm of complicated emotions. Her aunt stood beside them, her expression oddly sour for some reason.
Lu Chenyu froze for a moment.
Fortunately, she had already packed her things and grabbed her backpack when they left the classroom earlier. She said her goodbyes to the group, hoisted her bag, and walked over.
Someone suddenly tugged at her clothes.
Lu Chenyu turned around.
“Clothes,” Wen Feixi said.
Only then did Lu Chenyu remember she had forgotten her jacket. She hurried back to the volleyball net, snatched the coat she had hung there, and slipped it on.
Wen Feixi reached out and gently zipped it up for her. “The days and nights have a big temperature swing lately. Don’t catch a cold.”
As she spoke, her narrow phoenix eyes lifted slightly, gazing at Lu Chenyu with gentle warmth. Fresh from the exercise, Lu Chenyu’s face glistened with sweat, and the arm holding her backpack tensed, revealing the sleek lines of lean muscle. Under the sunset, her tall figure exuded an elegant beauty. Those amber peach-blossom eyes shone clear and bright.
Lu Chenyu nodded. “Mm.”
Wen Feixi smiled softly. “See you.”
Lu Chenyu couldn’t help but smile back. “See you.”
Song Yuemin’s father was already waiting for them in East Gate Alley.
Song Shu had found herself a husband named Zhu Wei, and together they had Song Yuemin—and a younger son named Zhu Chen, whom the whole family doted on.
Zhu Wei had some rare free time today and suggested taking the family to River City’s fanciest spot, the Jinming Palace Banquet Restaurant. They all piled into his BMW parked by the roadside.
Zhu Chen, who was only five, sat strapped into his booster seat.
The moment he spotted Song Shu, he lit up with excitement. “Mommy!”
Song Shu kissed his chubby cheek and pulled him into her lap. “Sweetie, have you been waiting long?”
Zhu Chen grinned cheekily, his eyes darting over to Lu Chenyu. He stretched out his arms. “I want Lulu Sis to hold me!”
Lu Chenyu felt a pang of unease and deliberately chose the window seat, keeping as much distance as possible from him.
She didn’t like close contact with people.
Song Shu patted him. “Aw, your Lu Sis is all grown up now. She doesn’t want to play with you anymore.”
Zhu Chen shot Lu Chenyu a playful glance.
As he drove, Uncle Zhu asked Lu Chenyu about her studies.
She answered each question methodically and with clear logic.
They soon pulled up to the Jinming Hotel entrance. Lu Chenyu peered through the car window at the grand building before her, her thoughts drifting.
The last time she had come here was for Wen Feixi’s birthday banquet.
Something terrible had happened then, and she had developed a real dislike for the place.
Zhu Wei noticed her expression and assumed the girl had never been to such a fancy spot before and was intimidated. He chuckled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Little Deer. Just eat whatever you like—relax.”
“Yue Min, you come here often. Head up to the second floor and order for us,” he instructed.
Song Yuemin glanced at Lu Chenyu, looking like she wanted to say something but held back. She turned and headed upstairs.
Song Shu, carrying her five-year-old son, grabbed the bowls and utensils he would need. Then she went to the back of the car, popped the trunk, and revealed a bag of drinks along with several packs of smokes and booze. “Little Deer, I bought drinks for you all. Could you grab them? And these cigarettes and liquor too.”
Ms. Song watched from the side, a flicker of displeasure in her heart. She wanted to help Lu Chenyu carry them but worried Song Shu would make some snide remark like, “She’s so grown up, and her mom still has to help her?” In the end, she stayed silent.
Lu Chenyu said nothing and simply picked up the booze and cigarettes.
They were heavy, and the thin handles dug painfully into her slender fingers.
Zhu Wei worked at an IT company with a decent monthly salary, so he frequented places like this.
The Jinming Hotel was River City’s longstanding luxury establishment, boasting thirty-two floors. The second floor housed the main dining hall, the third had private rooms, the fourth conference spaces, and the upper levels were guest rooms. They settled into the opulent main hall now, where tables were spaced generously apart. It wasn’t noisy, and there weren’t many patrons.
Lu Chenyu stared for a moment at the world-famous painting on the wall nearby—rumored to be worth over six figures—before lowering her head and lighting up the smartwatch on her wrist.
She had walked a lot today and played volleyball besides. The screen displayed her step count, exercise duration, and calories burned.
She froze.
Beneath it, the Break-time Friend Finder notification read: Your friend 【Closed Moon Shy Flower】 is 15 meters away.
Ms. Song had never been to a place like this. She watched the staff bustling about with a slightly uneasy expression.
Song Shu’s family, by contrast, acted utterly at ease, as if they owned the place.
“How’s work been for you lately, brother-in-law?” Ms. Song ventured.
Zhu Wei smiled. “Busy with projects, but the boss treats me well.”
Song Shu beamed with pride. “He’s really popular at the company. The boss thinks highly of him. Just the other day, he even lent him his car. You’ve seen a Maserati, right?”
Ms. Song felt awkward.
Maserati? Of course she hadn’t.
Zhu Wei waved it off with a laugh. “Don’t overhype me. I’ve still got a lot to learn on the job.”
Song Shu’s gaze swept over Song Yuemin and Lu Chenyu at the table.
Song Yuemin was dressed impeccably, like a little princess, while Lu Chenyu wore an old school uniform—with Song Yuemin’s name still scrawled on the hem, no less. Her skirt was a hand-me-down from Song Yuemin too, as was her backpack. Even the plain black hair tie was a cheap fifty-cent kind.
Song Shu felt a surge of smug satisfaction. She smiled and asked, “Little Deer, you’ve never been to a place like this before, have you?”
In her heart, Lu Chenyu thought, Actually, I have.
She just hadn’t made it inside that time.
Out loud, she said, “No.”
Zhu Chen, being young and a boy, couldn’t sit still. No sooner had he been placed in his booster seat than he hopped down and glued himself to Lu Chenyu’s side, peering up at her with a cheeky grin.
“Lulu Sis, play with me!”
Song Shu suddenly noticed the doll hanging from Lu Chenyu’s backpack.
“Who gave you that?” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled and asked.
Everything Lu Chenyu owned technically came from their family. This doll stood out oddly.
Lu Chenyu paused. “A friend.”
“Boyfriend?” Song Shu pressed.
Lu Chenyu shook her head. “Just a friend.”
Song Shu nodded. “Oh. It’s cute. Give it to Chenchen? You’re too old for that stuff anyway.”
Song Yuemin frowned. “Mom, don’t do that.”
Zhu Chen hadn’t noticed the doll before, but now his attention snapped to it. “McDonald’s! It’s wearing McDonald’s clothes! Lulu Sis, I want it!”
Lu Chenyu pressed her lips together and clutched the doll tightly.
Ms. Song cleared her throat awkwardly. “Lulu, be good.”
After all, they had accepted so much from Song Shu’s family over the years. In a situation like this, there was no way they could refuse.
Silence fell over the table as all eyes turned to Lu Chenyu.
After a long pause, she murmured, “No.”
Song Shu sighed. “Sigh, sometimes you try to be nice to people, and they don’t appreciate it. Whatever, Chenchen, come here. Mom will take you to Pop Mart later and buy whatever you want. It’s not like we can’t afford it.”
Zhu Chen looked put out. “But I’ve never seen a Labubu dressed like McDonald’s!”
Lu Chenyu lowered her eyes, tuning out her aunt’s passive-aggressive barb.
Zhu Wei’s phone rang suddenly. After a brief exchange, he beckoned to Lu Chenyu. “Little Deer, I know the manager here. He’s free now, so I’ll go say hi. Bring that bag—we need to drop it off. Come with me.”
Only then did Lu Chenyu realize the booze and cigarettes from the car were a gift for the Jinming Hotel manager.
She hefted the heavy bag again and followed Zhu Wei out.
They reached a staff room at the end of the third-floor corridor, where Zhu Wei told her to wait outside.
Lu Chenyu stood by the door, holding the items.
Laughter from the men chatting drifted out of the office.
She listened, feeling a wave of dejection.
While Uncle Zhu’s family had helped them materially, every interaction with him left her feeling more like she was being ordered around from on high.
It made her start to dislike all men like him.
She would never marry one.
The rebellious thought startled her, and her fingers tightened unconsciously.
The booze and cigarettes grew heavy in her grip, so she switched hands.
Suddenly, the door to a private room down the corridor swung open.
Lu Chenyu blinked in surprise. A familiar figure emerged.
The woman had softly curling long hair that draped gently over her shoulders. She wore a tailored black blouse with sleeves rolled up to reveal her slender forearms, the collar slightly open.
Lu Chenyu hesitated. “Xue Sis.”
Xue Yi turned at the unexpected call of her name. Spotting Lu Chenyu, she paused in surprise.
“Little Deer, what are you doing here? Talk about fate!” Xue Yi’s eyes widened as she smiled and approached.
“Family dinner,” Lu Chenyu said hesitantly. “What brings you here?”
Xue Yi drew closer, studying her carefully. “My company just opened a new branch in River City. I’m here handling some business.”
The woman’s gaze fell to Lu Chenyu’s hands.
Her fingers were red where the bag handles had dug in.
Xue Yi frowned and turned to her assistant. “Help her with that.”
The assistant hurried over and took the bag from Lu Chenyu.
Stunned, Lu Chenyu started to say thanks—but then Xue Yi pulled a hair tie from her pocket like a magician.
It was pretty, with a pale pink satin ribbon at the end.
Xue Yi gathered Lu Chenyu’s hair and tied it up.
Lu Chenyu’s hair was already beautiful, and with the ribbon, her stunning features stood out even more. The soft pink brought out her red lips and white teeth.
Xue Yi gazed at the girl, her maternal instincts melting.
This was a thousand reasons to want a daughter—girls were always so adorable, impossible not to dress up.
Something occurred to Xue Yi then, and her expression dimmed. Her heart ached.
Her own daughter was right there in River City, yet seeing her was easier said than done.
