Chapter 91

Lu Chenyu heard Wen Feixi’s words and froze in place.

In an instant, questions flooded her mind like a tidal wave, and her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.

What Wen Feixi had just said…

Wasn’t that basically the same as eloping?

Lu Chenyu quickly glanced at Wen Feixi, then hastily looked away.

Wen Feixi had been born with a golden spoon in her mouth. Like the dream child of countless families, she was an outstanding student—beautiful, confident, and noble, like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.

Was she really willing to abandon all of that and leave with her?

Perhaps the prayers that day at the temple had worked their magic. Lu Chenyu learned from Ms. Song that Xiao Yan’s condition had improved slightly—her headaches weren’t as severe anymore, and her sleep had gotten better.

Lu Chenyu was overjoyed.

New Year’s had come and gone, and winter break arrived in a flash.

The first semester of senior year had wrapped up amid everyone’s early “Happy New Year!” greetings to one another.

This year’s Lunar New Year fell early, but senior year students still had to make up an extra week of classes to go over the final exam papers before the real holiday began.

The schedule Wen Feixi had shown Lu Chenyu that day wasn’t a joke. Right after finals ended—before the teachers even started reviewing the papers—she had hurried off from school.

After all, she had several events lined up overseas, and abroad, there was no such thing as New Year’s. Everything carried on as usual.

Lu Chenyu turned her head and gazed at Wen Feixi’s empty seat. A hollow ache opened up inside her.

An inexplicable sense of loss welled up, gradually spreading through her entire body.

Lost in a daze, Lu Chenyu unconsciously reached out and ran her fingers over Wen Feixi’s neat and tidy desk.

“Classmate Lu Chenyu, what are you doing?” The biology teacher was a young woman who loved to joke around. Midway through her lecture, she spotted her star pupil Lu Chenyu spacing out for the first time ever and couldn’t resist teasing, “Soul not following your body the moment she leaves? Why not grab your bag and chase after her now? You might still catch up.”

The words had barely left her mouth when the whole class burst into laughter.

Lu Chenyu’s ears turned visibly red, her entire face burning hot.

Tang Yimo laughed the hardest. While giggling, she secretly messaged Wen Feixi.

【Wen, after you left, Little Deer got sick.】

Wen Feixi was probably busy; Tang Yimo’s message went unanswered for a long time. She was used to it by now and kept typing cheerfully.

Tang Yimo: 【Do you know what kind of sickness?】

【Lovesickness.】

…

A week flew by, and winter break officially began. Lu Chenyu slung her backpack over her shoulder, dragged her suitcase, and headed home.

East Gate Alley was a place brimming with everyday life.

With winter break underway, the alley was full of kids riding bikes. Every household door was adorned with spring couplets and the character for “fortune,” left wide open, with the smell of cooking smoke wafting out.

“Little Deer, out of school?” Auntie Wang grabbed Lu Chenyu and smiled. “Happy New Year! You’ve been working hard lately. Here, have this flatbread.”

Lu Chenyu blinked in surprise and hurriedly thanked her. In the blink of an eye, more kindhearted neighbors came out. Lu Chenyu and Ms. Song had lived here for two years now, and both adults and kids adored the quiet, pretty girl. Soon, the alley rang with children’s bright cries of “Big Sis!”

Before long, Lu Chenyu’s hands were stuffed with several bags of snacks and flatbreads.

Sweating buckets, she hauled her bags upstairs and pushed open the door to an empty house.

Ms. Song had been staying in Little Sea Trench with Lu Fuyan lately, so no one was home. Lu Chenyu rarely came back, and a thin layer of dust coated the furniture.

She plopped down on the sofa and made two of Auntie Wang’s flatbreads her lunch.

Lu Chenyu had already bought her ticket back to Serene River.

From there, she’d transfer to get to Little Sea Trench.

While packing, she suddenly remembered what Wen Feixi had said at West Mountain Market on New Year’s Eve.

If she came to pick her up, Wen Feixi would abandon everything and run away with her.

Lu Chenyu unconsciously gripped her ticket tighter.

She warned herself not to overthink it—Wen Feixi loved to joke around. This was probably just another one of her quips.

She kept packing.

Once her luggage was ready, she should have headed straight to the bus station, but her feet didn’t take her there.

Instead, she wandered aimlessly down the street until, as if drawn by some unseen force, she found herself in front of Bos Education Building.

It was New Year’s Eve eve, and the streets were nearly deserted. The tall, imposing building loomed before her, every floor lit up with bright white lights.

Through the glass, Lu Chenyu could see students hunched over exams by the windows.

Wen Feixi had shown her the winter break schedule that day, and Lu Chenyu’s memory was sharp—she’d memorized every detail after one look.

She knew that today, Wen Feixi was supposed to be here for tutoring.

Like a woman possessed, Lu Chenyu stood at the building’s entrance, letting the cold wind whip her face, her finger joints aching from the chill.

Just as she convinced herself Wen Feixi wouldn’t come out, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

Lu Chenyu’s pupils contracted sharply, her heart racing in an instant.

It was Wen Feixi.

Wen Feixi emerged in a thick coat, backpack slung over her shoulder, surrounded by a group of people.

They were all girls dressed in fine clothes, clearly from wealthy families. Wen Feixi was in the middle, everyone chatting and laughing around her as she nodded and smiled occasionally.

Dressed in an old jacket and standing in the shadows, Lu Chenyu watched the brilliant lights spilling from the building behind Wen Feixi. She felt like they belonged to two entirely different worlds.

A sleek black luxury sedan pulled up at the curb, the door opening slowly. A driver in a suit stepped out to greet Wen Feixi.

Lost in thought, Lu Chenyu suddenly felt Wen Feixi’s gaze lock onto hers—perhaps she’d sensed it.

Her heart clenched, pounding wildly.

She didn’t want to step out and embarrass Wen Feixi in front of everyone, so she turned to leave.

That’s when excited squeals erupted from the group of girls. Wen Feixi, backpack bouncing, jogged over.

Lu Chenyu stood stunned as Wen Feixi stopped beside her, flashing a smile. “You came?”

Her tone was so casual, without a hint of surprise, as if this were the most natural thing in the world—as if Lu Chenyu waiting here for her was only to be expected.

Staring into Wen Feixi’s eyes, a flood of memories rushed through Lu Chenyu’s mind.

She remembered that summer at twelve, pedaling her bike with Wen Feixi on the back seat, arms gently around her waist.

Late nights lying together in bed, white mosquito netting draped overhead, sharing earbuds—Wen Feixi’s cheek brushing hers as she turned her head.

Her birthday, in Wen Feixi’s quiet room, that kiss and confession.

New Year’s fireworks.

Lu Chenyu stood there dumbly, heart thundering, a massive buzz echoing in her ears. Finally, she mustered her courage, reached out, and clasped Wen Feixi’s hand, fingers intertwining.

Pulling Wen Feixi along, Lu Chenyu ran off into the distance, as if freeing her from the cage of her home.

The girls’ shrieks grew louder, passersby on the street turned to stare, but Lu Chenyu didn’t look back. They ran until they were both gasping for breath and had to stop.

Lu Chenyu glanced at Wen Feixi.

She carried nothing but her backpack, hands shoved in her coat pockets.

Lu Chenyu bit her lip, a pang of regret hitting her. “You didn’t bring anything…”

Under the neon lights, Lu Chenyu’s pale face flushed faintly—perhaps from the run—her soft black hair tousled and messy.

Wen Feixi smiled, stepping closer. She reached up and tucked a stray lock behind Lu Chenyu’s ear. “It’s fine. I’m happy just being with Lulu.”

Before Lu Chenyu could recover, Wen Feixi pulled her into a tight embrace.

It was a soft, warm hug.

Their bodies pressed together, sharing heat that felt especially comforting in the quiet winter night.

Suddenly, Lu Chenyu felt no regret at all for doing this.

Wen Feixi had truly done as she’d said and left with her.

At the thought, the corners of Lu Chenyu’s lips curved up, a soft smile lighting her eyes.

“So… when are you going home? Where do you want to go?” Lu Chenyu asked.

Wen Feixi paused, then hesitated. “I want to go with you. Is that okay?”

“Wherever you go, I’ll go.”

Lu Chenyu’s heart melted into a puddle of warmth.

“How about you come back to Little Sea Trench with me?” The words slipped out, and she immediately regretted them. She knew she couldn’t take Wen Feixi there. If Wen Yanxiu found out his daughter was missing, the driver would lead him straight to her.

Ms. Song would surely tell Wen Yanxiu if Wen Feixi stayed at the house.

Lu Chenyu thought for a moment and came up with a plan.

She bought Wen Feixi a bus ticket, and the two boarded together.

The bus was headed to Serene River. Sitting beside Wen Feixi, Lu Chenyu caught the faint, crisp scent of finger citron on the girl and felt a little dazed.

She’d originally planned to go home alone, but now Wen Feixi was by her side.

It was evening now. As the bus left the highway toll booth, River City’s glittering nightscape faded away, replaced by the warm lights of farmhouses dotting the roadside fields—peaceful and serene.

Wen Yanxiu undoubtedly loved Wen Feixi. Lu Chenyu’s thoughts drifted. But that love, stretched over years, had twisted into something deformed and oppressive, suffocating.

A sour ache twisted in Lu Chenyu’s chest.

In the end, she and Wen Feixi were two of a kind, bound by shared misfortune.

She wanted to fight for Wen Feixi’s freedom, yet feared dragging her into even more trouble.

With Lu Fuyan’s illness stretching the family finances thin, Lu Chenyu had given all her hard-earned savings to Ms. Song. Now she had just over a hundred yuan left.

After the tickets, only ninety remained. How could ninety yuan last through New Year’s?

She had a place to stay in mind, but the conditions were crude. Lu Chenyu worried anew whether Wen Feixi could handle it.

She mentally tallied her options.

The bus rocked along as Wen Feixi leaned back, scrolling on her phone.

Suddenly, it vibrated.

Wen Feixi glanced at the screen, then tugged lightly at Lu Chenyu’s sleeve.

Lu Chenyu looked up blankly.

Wen Feixi held up her phone. On the screen was a text message.

Lu Chenyu saw it was a bank alert: account frozen. More notifications poured in.

“My bank card’s been frozen,” Wen Feixi said.

“…What happened?” Lu Chenyu asked.

“No idea.” Wen Feixi smiled offhandedly. “Maybe Dad’s mad about me running away.”

Her eyes dimmed slightly. In the end, she was still just a powerless kid. Lu Chenyu’s arrival had caught her completely off guard; she hadn’t prepared a backup plan.

Now they were truly penniless.

The bus pressed on, arriving in Serene River—over four hundred kilometers away—at nine-thirty that night.

As they got off, Wen Feixi’s phone rang. It was Wen Yanxiu.

He already knew about her sudden departure.

Furious that she’d missed an evening banquet, his voice boomed through the speaker, stern and scolding. Lu Chenyu could hear every word of his angry roar from beside her.

Wen Feixi responded calmly.

Lu Chenyu gripped her hand tightly, heart pounding with anxiety.

After hanging up, Wen Feixi looked up at Lu Chenyu’s uncertain expression and chuckled.

“You still have a chance.”

“Hm?”

Wen Feixi crossed her arms and winked. “Hand me over or keep running with me—your choice?”

Lu Chenyu paused, then laughed and scolded, “What are you talking about…”

“Sending you back would cost another ticket. No way.”

Wen Feixi reached to pinch her cheek; Lu Chenyu pursed her lips, grinning as she dodged.

It was freezing, deep in the heart of winter, and snow was falling in Serene River City.

The streets bustled with city folk from nearby areas coming for tourism. In the city center’s trendy ancient town, the bars were packed, colorful lights spilling out, rock music thumping even from the street.

The ground was blanketed in thick white snow.

Their footsteps crunched as they walked—cold and hungry.

Lu Chenyu eyed Wen Feixi’s reddened nose tip, that inexplicable pang of heartache surging again.

This girl should have been basking in admiration at a glamorous, warm banquet hall. Instead, she was broke and homeless on the streets with her. Despite the ache, Lu Chenyu’s heart felt sweetly content.

She couldn’t tell if it was selfishness or some dark corner of her soul.

“We’ll take the bus now—it’ll be another twenty minutes…” Lu Chenyu murmured.

Wen Feixi nodded, swinging their joined hands gently. Lu Chenyu saw the trust in her eyes.

The way Wen Feixi looked at her was so soft, as if to say:

I’ve put everything in Classmate Lu’s hands.