Lu Chenyu rode the bus all the way home. She grabbed a few items of clothing that Ms. Song had requested and headed back downstairs.
The car that had brought her home was still parked there, its headlights illuminating the strands of rain in sharp clarity.
Xiao Fang stepped out from the vehicle, holding a large black umbrella. She opened the car door for Lu Chenyu.
Lu Chenyu froze for a moment before murmuring a quick thank you and climbing inside.
The car sped toward the station.
The rain had cleared the roads of most traffic, allowing them to arrive without delay.
The station buzzed under brilliant lights, packed with throngs of people. With the end of the year approaching, it teemed with migrant workers lugging massive burlap sacks and office workers rushing home. Lu Chenyu spotted Ms. Song right away—the woman sat slumped in a chair, her face etched with exhaustion and chilled to the bone.
Lu Chenyu hurried over, her brows furrowed as she asked in a sharp, icy tone, “What exactly happened to Little Yan?”
Ms. Song replied, “I don’t know the details. Her dad said she was at school when someone pushed her on the stairs. She tumbled right down, and her head struck something hard. They rushed her to the hospital, and she’s still unconscious.”
Lu Chenyu’s frown deepened.
“Who did this to her?”
Ms. Song sniffled through her sobs. “It was those same girls from junior high. There’s only one school near Little Sea Trench, and most of the students there are locals who moved up from the middle school.”
Lu Chenyu trembled with rage. Just then, she noticed a girl approaching with a paper cup in hand. The girl handed the steaming cup to Ms. Song.
Lu Chenyu blinked in surprise.
It was Xie Ting.
Xie Ting had a backpack slung over her shoulder, her ink-black hair tied back in a ponytail. She stood taller than Lu Chenyu, her body toned from years of regular exercise. Even in the biting winter cold, she wore only a thin jacket.
“Lulu, I’m truly sorry to hear about this,” Xie Ting said with a frown. “I was here at the station waiting for a ride to pick up my mom. I never expected to run into Auntie.”
Ms. Song clutched the paper cup, her weary face tinged with guilt. “What happened between you and Lulu back then—I misunderstood everything. I’m sorry. You’re a good kid, Xiao Xie.”
Xie Ting waved it off quickly. “It’s fine, Auntie. That’s all in the past.”
The two of them fell into conversation, while Lu Chenyu remained silent, her mind consumed by worry for her sister.
Xie Ting fetched another cup of hot water and passed it to Lu Chenyu.
“Drink this to warm yourself up. It’s so cold out there—you could catch a cold,” she said with a gentle smile.
Lu Chenyu accepted it with a nod of thanks.
Xiao Fang had parked the car by then and entered the station. Spotting Ms. Song beside Lu Chenyu, she hurried over with a friendly smile. “Big Sis, why don’t you come with me? The Young Miss heard about your situation and asked me to give you a ride.”
Ms. Song stared blankly, glancing instinctively at Lu Chenyu.
“Thanks to Wen Feixi, but we’ve already bought our tickets,” Lu Chenyu said hastily. “No need for the ride.”
Xiao Fang looked troubled, but Lu Chenyu pressed her lips together firmly, refusing to budge. She even insisted on handing over the fare for the earlier trip—more than fifty yuan shoved directly into Xiao Fang’s hands.
Xiao Fang stood there dumbfounded.
Did this count as failing her mission?
Would the Young Miss be upset later?
Xiao Fang felt like the sky was falling.
Once Xiao Fang had left, Ms. Song turned to Lu Chenyu in confusion. “If Young Miss Wen offered to drive you to Serene River, why turn her down?”
Lu Chenyu’s expression remained cool, her voice flat. “Mom, do you think that’s a free ride? We’d owe her a favor—and we’d have to pay it back eventually.”
Ms. Song considered that and sighed. Their family already owed the Wen family far too much. For all her calculating ways, she wasn’t a heartless person. Little Yan’s sudden accident stirred a quiet self-reproach in her heart.
It was because she’d left Little Yan back in Little Sea Trench that this had happened. She’d even sold several yaks from home to buy supplements for Lu Chenyu, but they hadn’t done much good—her health hadn’t improved, and her grades hadn’t budged either. Lately, Ms. Song had started wondering if she’d made a mistake. She’d seen posts in WeChat groups where other parents called those supplements a scam. Now she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d messed up, leaving the family strapped for cash when Little Yan needed medical care.
The rain pounded harder, turning the world outside the window into a hazy blur. Lu Chenyu stared out, her thoughts a tangled mess as she pondered their return trip. Xie Ting settled beside her, close enough that Lu Chenyu could feel the warmth of her body and the firm, lean muscles of her legs, sculpted from years of training.
Lu Chenyu remembered how Xie Ting had always made her feel safe. Back in elementary school, she’d chased off the boys who bullied her with those same slender arms.
Xie Ting turned her head to gaze at the girl beside her.
Under the harsh fluorescent lights, Lu Chenyu’s face looked ghostly pale.
Suddenly, Xie Ting held something out.
Lu Chenyu blinked.
It was a small lollipop wrapped in fluorescent paper, carrying a fresh orange scent.
“Don’t worry,” Xie Ting said. “Little Yan’s such a kind and sweet girl—she’ll pull through. Heaven helps the good ones.”
“Worrying won’t change anything. Just wait for Auntie’s update.”
Lu Chenyu popped the candy into her mouth and managed a weak smile.
Xie Ting smiled back. “Once Auntie boards her bus, you can ride back with my family.”
“Fourth High School has makeup classes tomorrow, right? It’s on my way.”
Lu Chenyu hesitated. “No need…”
“It’s no trouble, Lulu,” Xie Ting interrupted, linking her arm affectionately through Lu Chenyu’s. “We’ve been apart for so long, but in my heart, you’re still my best friend.”
Lu Chenyu ended up riding back to the dorm with Xie Ting.
It was nine-thirty at night, right when evening self-study ended and everyone returned to their rooms. The dorm echoed with noisy chatter and the girls’ playful shouts drifting down the hallway.
Lu Chenyu felt utterly drained.
Early November in River City brought a sharp chill, and with no dinner in her stomach, she was both freezing and ravenous.
Head bowed, she was about to head inside for a shower when something on the desk caught her eye.
Lu Chenyu paused.
Chu Nanzhi emerged from the bathroom. “Wenwen stopped by earlier. She left this on your desk.”
A lunchbox sat there. When Lu Chenyu opened it, the food inside was still warm—the same dishes they’d ordered for dinner, plus crabmeat and peeled shrimp.
Wen Feixi had packed up everything from the restaurant and brought it all the way here.
She didn’t even live on campus, yet she’d made a special trip for this…
Guilt twisted in Lu Chenyu’s chest. She pulled out her smartwatch and sent Wen Feixi a message.
【Thanks.】
The reply took ages to arrive. Lu Chenyu finished eating, took a shower, and checked the watch the moment she got back.
Still nothing.
Chatting with Wen Feixi through devices always gave her a sense of security—replies came almost instantly, no matter the hour. But not this time…
Lu Chenyu pressed her lips together, climbed into bed, and flipped through her exercise book while sneaking glances at the watch.
It wasn’t until lights-out that Wen Feixi’s message finally trickled in.
Closed Moon Shy Flower: 【Back in the dorm?】
Lu Chenyu: 【Yes.】
Wen Feixi: 【.】
Lu Chenyu: “…”
For some reason, Wen Feixi’s tone felt distant.
Closed Moon Shy Flower: 【Errand fee.】
Lu Chenyu sent a “?”.
Wen Feixi figured that after going all that way to deliver restaurant food to the dorm, she deserved a delivery fee, right?
Lu Chenyu caught on and quickly transferred ten yuan.
Closed Moon Shy Flower: 【?】
Wen Feixi didn’t accept it, and their chat went completely quiet.
Lu Chenyu couldn’t shake the feeling that Wen Feixi was upset.
Lying in bed, her mind racing with worries about her sister, she barely slept a wink.
The next morning, faint dark circles shadowed Lu Chenyu’s eyes.
“Little Fish, what’s wrong? You seem so out of it.”
Jiang Chang had called her name twice with no response. “Little Fish? You okay?”
“Sorry,” Lu Chenyu said. “My little sister’s been sick lately. What were you saying?”
“Oh? Is it bad?”
“It’s okay.”
“She’ll get through it.”
Lu Chenyu clenched her fist unconsciously. With no firsthand account—just Ms. Song’s vague description—her anxiety gnawed at her.
Ms. Song had gone to Serene River last night, but there were still no updates.
How was Little Yan holding up?
Had she woken yet?
At her age, Lu Chenyu never saw death as some distant specter. She remembered the boy next door from when she was five—the one she used to play with—who’d fallen into a pit latrine and drowned. The fear had haunted her for days.
It was Saturday, but they still had makeup classes.
Wen Feixi arrived early. Lu Chenyu glanced up at her instinctively.
Wen Feixi’s expression was cool and detached; she didn’t spare Lu Chenyu a look.
They didn’t exchange a single word all day. Lu Chenyu had no idea why Wen Feixi was suddenly angry, and she lacked the energy to ask.
After afternoon classes, Lu Chenyu slumped exhausted over her desk, staring at her watch for messages from Ms. Song.
Mom: 【Lulu, Little Yan’s fine here. Don’t worry too much. Focus on studying—she’ll be happy if you do. No need to fret!】
Lu Chenyu’s heart burned with impatience. She pressed Ms. Song repeatedly for details, but got nothing concrete—just pleas not to worry.
Her brows drooped low.
She switched off the watch.
Wen Feixi, who had been doing homework beside her, turned suddenly. “Want to go see your sister?”
Lu Chenyu froze.
Senior-year makeup classes ran through Saturday. Students went home for a day, returning Sunday night.
That left them a full day and night.
Lu Chenyu sat dazed in the car Wen Feixi had arranged.
It wasn’t a Wen family vehicle—it was one Wen Feixi had chartered.
Before they set off, Wen Feixi handed Lu Chenyu a pack of motion sickness pills.
Lu Chenyu hadn’t realized she still remembered her carsickness.
The pills sent her into a deep sleep; already running on fumes, she slumbered heavily as the car jostled along.
Three and a half hours later, they reached Serene River.
After the fall, Lu Fuyan had been rushed straight to the local hospital. Lu Chenyu dashed inside, inquired at the front desk about her sister’s room, and hurried to the ward.
Ms. Song wasn’t there—likely off grabbing a meal.
Lu Fuyan lay still on the bed, hooked up to an IV.
Her face was paler than usual, a bandage wrapped around her forehead. Her breathing came steady and even, her hair fanned across the pillow.
The room gleamed white, thick with the scent of antiseptic.
A nurse entered to check on things and paused upon seeing Lu Chenyu. “Are you her…?”
“I’m her sister,” Lu Chenyu said.
The nurse glanced at the school uniforms on Lu Chenyu and Wen Feixi, nodded, and explained Lu Fuyan’s condition. “No danger to her life—don’t worry. The mild intracranial hemorrhage and concussion should resolve within twenty-four hours, and she’ll wake up.”
Lu Chenyu listened, her nose stinging.
Ms. Song returned from downstairs with food and froze at the sight of them. “I told you to study at school! What are you doing here?” she said, a touch of anger in her voice.
Before she could say more, Wen Feixi interjected softly, “We’ll stay just one night and go.”
Ms. Song looked worn out herself. For all her neglect in raising her youngest, it didn’t mean she didn’t love her—she ached for Lu Fuyan too.
Lu Chenyu murmured, “I’ll head to the school tomorrow.”
The girls were minors, but if the school learned of their actions, there would be punishments. Beyond that, Lu Chenyu could report them to the authorities. She intended to do everything in her power for her sister.
“I’ll go with you,” Wen Feixi said.
Lu Chenyu shot her a grateful look, then noticed something on the bedside table.
She paused.
It was a crumpled sketchbook.
Ms. Song explained, “They found this clutched in Little Yan’s hand when they discovered her—we picked it up too. Sigh, this child never studies. She’s always doodling away…”
Wen Feixi frowned slightly and picked up the sketchbook to flip through it.
Lu Fuyan had real talent. No one had ever taught her to draw, yet she’d filled the pages with pencil sketches—portraits one moment, landscapes the next. The book—what should have been a sketchpad—was battered and yellowed, more like a humble draft pad.
Lu Chenyu stayed at the hospital to look after Lu Fuyan, sending Ms. Song home to rest.
She glanced hesitantly at Wen Feixi. “You and Mom should go rest.”
Wen Feixi wrung out a towel and gently wiped Lu Fuyan’s forehead. “No need. I’ll stay with you.”
The two of them spent the night in the ward.
In the early hours of dawn, Lu Fuyan stirred awake. Lu Chenyu bolted upright from the bedside chair, hovering anxiously. Though awake, her little sister’s awareness was foggy. She glanced at Lu Chenyu, whispered “Sis,” and drifted back into deep sleep.
The nurse assured them it was normal—even after the coma lifted, full clarity and stability could take days to a week.
Only then did Lu Chenyu relax.
At eight in the morning, Ms. Song arrived with breakfast to relieve her.
Stepping out of the hospital, the frigid air wrapped around them like a vise.
November in Serene River was colder than River City, the wind slicing through to the bone. They’d rushed here in their school uniforms, without coats.
Lu Chenyu coughed from the chill, and Wen Feixi let out several sneezes.
Back in the car, Lu Chenyu couldn’t hold back. Her nose tingled, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
“My little sister’s always been such a good kid. I never imagined…”
Wen Feixi watched her with furrowed brows. Seeing the tears trace down the girl’s pale cheeks filled her with heartache and sorrow; any lingering anger from the day before evaporated. She pulled Lu Chenyu into her arms, patting her back gently. Then she took out her phone, opened an account, and showed it to her.
Lu Chenyu blinked, puzzled. It was a public WeChat account.
“It’s a fund set up by an organization, specifically for talented young people,” Wen Feixi explained. “Once Little Yan recovers, we can take her to apply.”
Lu Chenyu’s gaze locked onto the screen.
【Dreams Set Sail Education Fund: Comprehensive support for students from low-income families with artistic talents.】
“Thank you,” Lu Chenyu whispered, lips pressed tight.
“Don’t thank me. Little Yan’s a girl with real talent,” Wen Feixi said.
Lu Chenyu suddenly recalled Wen Feixi’s care the night before—the chartered car, the long journey to visit Lu Fuyan together. She looked up. Wen Feixi sat by the window, exhaustion plain on her face, her nose reddened from the cold.
“Why are you so good to her?” Lu Chenyu asked.
Wen Feixi fell silent for a moment. Lu Chenyu glanced up at her. Their eyes met. The car’s heater blasted warm air, fogging the windows with a thin mist.
Held in Wen Feixi’s embrace, Lu Chenyu breathed in the pleasant scent of the other girl. The soft fabric of her school uniform brushed her cheek, a little ticklish but comforting.
“Because she’s Lulu’s sister,” Wen Feixi said softly, wiping the tears from her face. “In my heart, I treat her like a little sister too.”
