Chapter 20: Number One in the World [20] Part 2

“No, no ‘think.’ I do like Big Sis.” Shu Heng repeated firmly. “I like you a lot. I’m very sure of my feelings.”

Li Jianwei: “You should know I’m six years older than you.”

“Mm, I know.” Shu Heng nodded.

Li Jianwei: “If we date, I’ll be the one leading this relationship. You might suffer due to your lack of experience, so be mentally prepared.”

Shu Heng kept nodding. “Mm-hmm, I understand.”

“I have a very strong possessiveness toward my possessions. The longer we’re together, the less chance you’ll have of leaving my side.” Li Jianwei dropped her smile, her expression turning somewhat serious.

“I need to warn you: once you’re with me, there’s no chance for regrets.”

Li Jianwei wasn’t joking. She valued Shu Heng’s future achievements highly.

For talent that had entered her bowl, Li Jianwei wouldn’t let her slip away.

Even if one day in the future Shu Heng regretted it and found another object that stirred her heart, Li Jianwei would not allow her to leave. Even if it meant using some underhanded methods, she would lock Shu Heng by her side forever.

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!” Shu Heng nodded repeatedly, practically wearing her eager approval on her face.

Li Jianwei almost wanted to laugh. Little Cabbage didn’t seem to realize what she had meant to express.

But that didn’t matter. She only gave this opportunity once. Regardless of whether Little Cabbage understood or not, she had already missed her chance to refuse.

“Alright, I approve your application.” A smile reappeared on Li Jianwei’s face. “Little girlfriend, if you don’t drink up soon, your snow-top drink will turn into snow mist.”

“G-Good, okay. I’ll drink it right now.” After saying that, Shu Heng pursed her lips tightly and took forceful sips, trying to make the smile on her face look a bit more reserved.

But no matter how hard Shu Heng tried, she couldn’t suppress the upturned corners of her mouth. In the end, she even let out two silly giggles and puffed out two rings of white mist.

Hehe, Sister just called me her little girlfriend! Sister’s willing to be with me! My confession succeeded! Awoo!

The word “happy” wasn’t enough to describe the emotions surging in Shu Heng’s heart. If not for the restraints of reason holding her back, Shu Heng would have rushed out of the car and howled on the street, letting the whole world know she had an amazing girlfriend.

Obviously, such intense excitement couldn’t be soothed by finishing one cup of milk tea.

She tossed aside the empty cup in her hand and immediately grabbed her girlfriend’s hand, slipping their ten interlocked fingers into her pocket.

“Sister, want to stroll around nearby? A bit further ahead is my alma mater, No. 1 Middle School.” Shu Heng’s voice brimmed with irrepressible joy. “I’m on good terms with the gate guard. A quick hello and I can take you inside for a tour.”

“Sure, but before that, let’s buy you a scarf first?” Li Jianwei said with a smile. “Your nose has turned bright red from the cold.”

“Then you get one too, Sister.” Shu Heng was like a clingy little puppy now, desperately trying to build connections with Li Jianwei. “Let’s get the same style, the same color!”

Li Jianwei naturally wouldn’t refuse such a small request. In the end, not only did they pick out red scarves, but they also added matching beige knit hats.

Just as Shu Heng had said, the security guard at the gate guard station knew her well. He recognized her at a glance and, upon hearing she wanted to bring a friend back for a visit, waved them through without a word.

“Watch out for the slippery roads. If it’s too cold, come sit here and enjoy the AC.” The gate guard auntie said with a beaming smile.

“You come back to school often?” Li Jianwei asked curiously. By her calculations, Shu Heng had graduated more than four years ago, yet the guard had still recognized her instantly.

Shu Heng slowly shook her head. “No, but back when I was in school, there was a time when Aunt Wang took good care of me and let me hang out in the security room to enjoy the AC.”

“Aunt Wang’s daughter was attending a nearby junior high at the time. Sometimes she’d come to the gate guard station to do her homework. If we ran into each other, I’d tutor her a bit. We got along pretty well.”

Li Jianwei slowed her steps. “Was that during the first semester of your senior year?”

“Mm.” Shu Heng looked down at the tips of her shoes, then lifted her head with a bright smile. “The security room was nice and warm, and super quiet too—no interruptions.”

“True. Usually, the troublemakers steer clear of security guards, afraid of getting caught.” Li Jianwei played along.

Shu Heng didn’t bring it up again, and neither did Li Jianwei. They lightly glossed over the topic.

“Sister, actually, there’s another reason.” Shu Heng quickened her pace, then stopped in front of the honor wall with a brilliant smile. “Ta-da! This is it. I got into Hua University by placing in the provincial top fifty, and my name’s still up here.”

Shu Heng’s gaokao score had indeed been third in the county, but if you only counted raw scores, she was solidly first.

No. 1 Middle School wouldn’t pass up a chance to promote itself, so the plaque described her as raw score county first, overall provincial top fifty.

“The first and second place students were from No. 2 Middle School. One was a martyr’s child, the other from an ethnic minority. They were amazing too, but they didn’t apply to Hua University.”

Shu Heng racked her brain to recall. “One went to a military academy, the other to Peking University, I think. If you’d gone to No. 2 Middle School, you probably could’ve seen their names and photos too.”

“They were all outstanding people. We even took photos together when we received our scholarships.”

No. 1 Middle School had been built a long time ago, and parts of the campus looked a bit dated. The newer areas, like the experimental building, had been added later. The computer labs and library had all been relocated there.

Gazing at the once-familiar scenes, a flood of images surged through Shu Heng’s mind, igniting her desire to share. She even started chattering nonstop, determined to tell Li Jianwei every fond memory from every corner.

Li Jianwei listened patiently, thoroughly enjoying it.

After all, only with sufficient trust and regard would someone feel an endless urge to share.

Shu Heng was laying everything bare before her. All Li Jianwei needed to do wasn’t critique or point fingers—just listen and observe, then accept it all.

After circling the school once, the parched Shu Heng finally realized she’d been talking too much. “Sister, did you go to a private high school?”

“It was a private school, I guess. From what you’ve described, it was a bit like your county’s No. 2 Middle School.” Li Jianwei explained. “Most students there were prepping for study abroad, so the curriculum and exams were aligned with foreign standards, very different from traditional domestic schools.”

“My high school life wasn’t all that different from yours—in fact, it was even less eventful.”

“I didn’t live on campus. School was just a place to absorb knowledge for me. My schedule wasn’t as packed as yours, but my after-school life was a bit richer.”

Shu Heng pulled Li Jianwei to sit in a small pavilion, pressing close to her side. “Sister, did you have extra study tasks at home after school?”

“Mm, some study tasks that Mom arranged for me.” Li Jianwei said. She occasionally attended meetings at the company just to sit in.

When she mentioned her mom, an incredibly gentle look came over Li Jianwei’s face. “On weekends, Mom would always take me out for a fixed outing—kind of like the ‘special forces tourism’ that’s popular online. We never stayed long in one spot.”

“Mom always said the world is huge, so she had to hurry and show me more of it.”

Mother Li had only had the one child, Li Jianwei, and she cherished her daughter deeply. You could even tell from the company name: See the Subtle to Know the Whole. It was obvious they were one and the same.

Shu Heng tightened her grip on the hand in her pocket. She had looked up Li Jianwei’s profile on Baidu many times and knew that Mother Li had passed away in an accident six years ago.

“Sister, I can go traveling with you on weekends too. We can do road trips—I’ll learn to drive as soon as I get back.” Shu Heng promised earnestly.

“Sure, but just learning to drive won’t cut it. Might as well get your pilot’s license too.” Li Jianwei said with a smile. She showed no trace of sadness at the mention of her mom. “Planes are faster. In the same amount of time, you can go even farther.”

“Okay, I’ll work hard at it.” Shu Heng agreed without hesitation. As long as it was something her sister needed, she was willing to learn anything.

–

The long-awaited heavy snow continued for a good while. Even by the time the two returned to the residential complex from the supermarket, laden with ingredients, tiny snowflakes were still drifting in the air.

The raw and cooked foods were packed into separate shopping bags. Li Jianwei and Shu Heng each carried one, which didn’t stop them from holding hands as they climbed the stairs.

After unlocking the security door with the key, faint voices drifted out from inside, causing Shu Heng’s hand on the doorknob to hesitate for a moment.

There were other people at home? Had one of Mom’s friends come to pay a New Year’s visit?

As the door swung open, the answer revealed itself.

There were indeed other people inside, but they weren’t Mom’s friends. They were two people Shu Heng never wanted to see: her nominal uncle and cousin.

“Yo, Little Shu and your friend are back? Out and about on a snowy day like this?” The uncle stood up to greet them, his gaze turning fawning when it landed on Li Jianwei.

“Come on in and sit. Have some hot tea to warm up.” The uncle said, then shot a look at his own son.

The cousin got up reluctantly, went to the kitchen, poured a cup of plain boiled water, and brought it back. He extended it toward Li Jianwei. “Here, water for you.”

“Sister, don’t you have work to handle? Go to my room and get busy first. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” Shu Heng used her body to block the cousin and tugged Li Jianwei toward the inside.

Li Jianwei gave a soft hum. She only nodded to Shu’s mother in greeting, sparing not a single glance for the other two.

“Haha, looks like she’s not thirsty yet. Just leave it there.” The uncle awkwardly covered for them with self-talk and pulled his son back down to sit.

Shu Heng closed the bedroom door. Her gaze toward the two turned icy. “Uncle, didn’t you tell me not to come to your house? So why did you show up here today of your own accord?”

“Have you forgotten what you said, or are you ignoring my personal wishes and treating me like a resource to introduce to someone as a match?”

“Kid, how can you talk like that? That’s not what I meant at all. Don’t go around slandering me.” The uncle explained in a panic. He clearly hadn’t expected Shu Heng to be so direct.

In his impression, Shu Heng had always been mild-tempered around them, not like today—like a firecracker that exploded at a touch.

Shu’s mother, who had been kept in the dark, paused in surprise. Then she unhesitatingly sided with her daughter. “Little Shu has always been such a good, sensible girl. How could she spout nonsense? What have you been doing to the child behind my back? She’s still so young!”

“Sis, what could I possibly do? I just wanted Xiao Feng to drive them to see a movie, that’s all.” The uncle said. He felt deeply wronged.

He’d only wanted to play matchmaker for a pair of young people around the same age. If it didn’t work out, fine—no need to make a federal case out of it, right?

“Mom, he’s lying. He also… wanted to introduce Sister Li to some total stranger we’d never even met.” Shu Heng said solemnly. “That was so disrespectful. They were incredibly rude—Sister got really angry about it.”

“Mom, Sister’s a guest we invited home for New Year’s. She should be here having a happy time, not running into something this outrageous.”

Shu Heng knew her mom’s personality well. She always went soft for blood relatives. Even if they leeched off her like parasites, she couldn’t bring herself to cut ties completely.