Chapter 47

The day after Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhou Yanzhou flew back to Beijing in the morning.

Aside from her maternal uncle, Chen Xi had no other relatives in Xiping, so she did not need to spend a lot of time making New Year visits.

Her uncle’s wife had a large extended family, and her uncle invited Chen Xi to join them, but she found excuses to decline them one by one.

On the eighth day of the lunar new year, Zhou Yanzhou, who had vanished for a few days, suddenly sent Chen Xi a digital red envelope.

At that moment, Chen Xi had just finished washing her hair, damp strands draped over her shoulders. Before she had the chance to dry them with a towel, she heard a faint vibration.

Disregarding her hair, she instinctively rushed to the bedside, fished her phone out from beneath the pillow, and checked the notification.

Tencent had launched WeChat in 2011 and popularized it by 2013. Chen Xi downloaded WeChat at the very end of 2013, and the WeChat red envelope feature had just been introduced on January 27, 2014.

Only days had passed since the launch of the red envelope function when Zhou Yanzhou sent her a New Year greeting gift online. Staring at the red envelope in the chat box, Chen Xi was momentarily at a loss as to how to handle it.

Perhaps growing tired of waiting for Chen Xi to claim the money, Zhou Yanzhou personally called to urge her to collect it, claiming the amount was small and merely for good luck.

Only then did Chen Xi accept the red envelope. The sum was modest, exactly two hundred yuan. Looking back, it was the cheapest gift Zhou Yanzhou had ever given her, yet it remained her absolute favorite.

Because his attached note read: "Happy New Year, little brat." Back then, Chen Xi’s primary social platform was QQ, and she was unaccustomed to WeChat; had it not been for Zhou Yanzhou, she never would have downloaded the application.

Yet Zhou Yanzhou had been using WeChat for business since that time, while QQ had already become a tearful relic of the past.

Chen Xi’s contacts list contained only Zhou Yanzhou. She frequently browsed his Moments, though months would pass without a single post, making the feature seem entirely ornamental.

He was lazy; his WeChat display name was simply the letter "z," and his profile picture was a random landscape photo plucked from the internet.

During several sleepless nights, Chen Xi had stared blankly at that cold profile picture, her imagination running wild.

The background noise on Zhou Yanzhou’s end sounded chaotic, with many people speaking. On two occasions, someone called out his name, and Zhou Yanzhou, holding his phone, answered impatiently: "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Chen Xi sat on the bed, droplets of water from the tips of her hair sending a chill down her arm. Ignoring the discomfort, she held the phone close, listening intently to the sounds coming through the earpiece.

Two minutes later, Zhou Yanzhou walked over to a secluded corner, glanced at the screen, which indicated the call was still active, and frowned as he asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Chen Xi kicked off her slippers, crossed her legs on the bed, and replied in a small voice, "Aren't you busy?"

Zhou Yanzhou let out a soft "mhm" and explained, "Jiang Chi rented a campsite on short notice. We're setting up a barbecue now, and we'll soak in the hot springs later."

At this, Zhou Yanzhou paused for a moment, offering a flimsy excuse for his disappearance over the past few days: "I've been busy entertaining visiting guests the last few days. I only managed to carve out some time today."

Chen Xi could not tell whether she felt happy or distressed. For days, she had guarded her phone like a sentinel, terrified of missing a single message from him.

Regrettably, every vibration of the device had only brought disappointment.

Biting her lip, her voice sounded somewhat strained: "Zhou Yanzhou, Happy New Year."

Zhou Yanzhou’s expression froze. Truth be told, he harbored a trace of apprehension toward Chen Xi—especially after watching the fireworks that day, when she had caught him completely off guard with a kiss. Lowering his gaze, he had only seen her staring up at him with infatuated almond-shaped eyes.

In that instant, his mind had gone blank.

By the time he recovered his wits, only the word "absurd" echoed in his head. He could neither act as a purely virtuous man nor claim to be an unmitigated villain. Yet, he possessed just enough conscience to deter him from casually stepping across that forbidden boundary.

Consequently, he had booked a ticket and fled back to Beijing at the crack of dawn, desperate to put as much distance between them as possible.

Yet when he finally resolved to leave, a glance at the sincere, innocent text messages filling his screen had softened his heart once more.

That was why he had casually sent a red envelope to test her attitude.

Who could have guessed that hours would pass without anyone claiming it? It was then Zhou Yanzhou realized two whole days had elapsed since his previous message.

Had she decided to give up? Or was she too disillusioned to bother with him anymore?

At the mere thought of this possibility, Zhou Yanzhou dialed the sequence of numbers etched into his memory without a second thought.

The moment the call connected, hearing the familiar female voice across the airwaves allowed the anxiety churning in his chest to finally subside.

His sole thought at that moment was: Thank goodness she hasn't blocked me.

After a long silence, Zhou Yanzhou regained his composure and replied with feigned indifference: "Happy New Year."

With the customary New Year greetings exchanged, the conversation stalled into a stalemate, neither speaking.

Jiang Chi finished grilling the mutton skewers and urged everyone to eat them while hot, distributing a few to each person. Noticing the absence of Zhou Yanzhou, Jiang Chi swept his gaze around before spotting him beneath the flowering crabapple tree.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bro, the skewers are ready! Get over here!"

Zhou Yanzhou, currently searching for an excuse to terminate the call, heard the summons, reined in his emotions, and said apologetically, "Let's leave it here for now. They're calling me."

Chen Xi bit down hard on her lip. Before he could disconnect, she asked with restrained desperation: "Zhou Yanzhou, are you afraid I'll cling to you?"

Zhou Yanzhou’s expression faltered. He reached out, plucked a deep green leaf, and rubbed it between his fingertips. The corners of his mouth twitched upward as he retorted with deadpan seriousness: "If I were afraid, would I have bothered making this call?"

Chen Xi took a deep breath, her tone exposing her insecurity and resentment: "How should I know! You're always fickle and capricious, utterly lacking in credibility!"

Zhou Yanzhou let out a helpless chuckle, tossed the leaf aside, and a flicker of mild annoyance surfaced on his face: "Chen Xi, you're sounding unreasonable."

Chen Xi’s heart tightened. She instinctively held her breath, waiting for him to continue.

Zhou Yanzhou had no desire to bicker with a child, yet he could not swallow his pride either.

He could not fathom how he had managed to appear so despicable in her eyes.

Could everything he had done be considered entirely fake?

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. Bobbing his Adam's apple, his voice cooled involuntarily: "If that's what you think, then there's no need for us to talk."

"Hang up."

Chen Xi listened to the words that felt perilously close to a complete severance of ties, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

Covering her mouth, her gaze locked onto the screen, waiting for the other end to disconnect.

After receiving no response for a prolonged moment, Zhou Yanzhou ended the call with a blank expression.

With the line dead, Zhou Yanzhou emerged from beneath the crabapple tree with a dark face.

Seeing him return, Jiang Chi hastily invited him to eat the mutton skewers.

Ignoring him, Zhou Yanzhou strode over to the barbecue station and kicked over several folding chairs, his entire demeanor broadcasting the words: "Do not disturb."

Too frightened to speak, Jiang Chi crept over to Meng Xianzhi’s side and muttered under his breath, "What's wrong with him?"

Observing the man's gloomy expression and recalling the phone call from a few minutes prior, Meng Xianzhi roughly guessed the situation.

Even so, he had not expected a sixteen-year-old girl capable of throwing Zhou Yanzhou so thoroughly off balance.

Back when Guan Yue had gone to great lengths to throw herself at Zhou Yanzhou, he had remained utterly indifferent, barely regarding her as a person at all.

Could he actually have fallen for her?

The mere thought made Meng Xianzhi’s scalp tingle. Men of their background were born to lives of effortless privilege, accustomed to acting on every whim—yet when critical interests came into play, they found themselves bound by invisible chains, stripped of true freedom of choice.

Let alone involving an underage girl?

Wasn't that pushing someone straight into a pit of fire?

Long accustomed to official circles, Meng Xianzhi wore a refined aura, framing his advice with circumspection.

Approaching Zhou Yanzhou, he surveyed him from head to toe before offering counsel: "When it's time to sever ties, do so decisively to avoid future chaos."

"You wouldn't want a repeat of the Guan Yue situation, would you?"

With a stony expression, Zhou Yanzhou raised his eyes to gaze toward the southwest, lost in thought.

At length, he reined in his emotions and stated flatly, "I'd like to see if she really thinks she can turn the world upside down."

Upon hearing this, Meng Xianzhi knew the man had absorbed not a single word.

Sighing in resignation, he murmured, "Leave room for maneuvering in all things. Don't go too far."

Deaf to the warning, Zhou Yanzhou lifted his chin and offered a joking remark: "Old Meng, do you think I can keep her in line?"

Meng Xianzhi: "..."

Time flew by. Once the Spring Festival concluded, winter break came to an end.

On the third day of the new semester, the head teacher suddenly led a female student into the classroom.

The rowdy room instantly quieted down as the students' gazes converged on the newcomer.

Directing the girl to the podium, the teacher introduced her with a gentle smile: "This is our new transfer student, Xie Wei, who just transferred from Hefei."

With that, the teacher turned to Xie Wei, inviting her to introduce herself.

Xie Wei offered a shy smile to the teacher, stood at the center of the podium, swept her gaze across the classroom, and introduced herself with quiet confidence: "Hello everyone, my name is Xie Wei, and I previously studied at Hefei No. 1 High School. Due to my father's job relocation, I've transferred to Xiping No. 1 High School. I hope that over the next year and a half, we can work hard together and strive to enter our dream universities."

Sporting a low ponytail and single-lidded eyes, the girl stood around one hundred and seventy centimeters tall. Dressed in a plain athletic tracksuit, she gave an impression of boundless energy and approachability.

The teacher assigned Xie Wei to the vacant seat directly behind Chen Xi. Its previous occupant, a student lagging behind academically, had suffered from severe depression due to academic pressure; fearing a breakdown, her parents had chosen to let her take a year off from school.

Chen Xi watched as Xie Wei walked slowly toward her, bypassed her desk, and pulled out the chair behind her.

The metal legs scraped against the concrete floor with a harsh screech, causing Chen Xi to instinctively furrow her brow.

A notorious gossip, Zhu Qing glanced sideways at Xie Wei before leaning into Chen Xi's ear to murmur, "The new transfer student looks like she has great grades. Xixi, you've got competition."

Chen Xi offered a gentle smile. "It doesn't matter. Our goal is the college entrance examination—crossing the narrow log bridge alongside millions of others. That's where the real competition lies."

Zhu Qing blinked and gave Chen Xi a thumbs-up. "Your ideological awareness is sky-high."

Chen Xi: "..."

After class, the teacher specifically approached Chen Xi, asking her to accompany Xie Wei to the administrative office to collect her textbooks.

Chen Xi nodded in agreement, flashing a friendly smile back at Xie Wei.

The moment the teacher left, Xie Wei tapped Chen Xi lightly on the shoulder and asked with apparent sincerity, "Classmate, what's your name? Could you trouble yourself to show me where to get my books?"

Setting down her pen, Chen Xi rose and replied, "I'm Chen Xi."

Adding a prompt, she said, "Let's go. I'll take you to get your books."

Walking side by side down the corridor, they passed the Science Class 1. Upon spotting Chen Xi, He Xu's friends immediately broke into wolf whistles and hollered He Xu's name, behaving much like a troop of unevolved monkeys.

Having grown accustomed to such spectacles, Chen Xi no longer felt her initial embarrassment, passing by the noisy area with complete composure.

Xie Wei cast a curious glance at the unflappable Chen Xi. Just past the corner of the science classroom, Xie Wei asked, "That He Xu and you..."

Hearing this, Chen Xi halted her steps. Meeting Xie Wei's inquisitive gaze, the corners of her lips curved upward as she shook her head. "They're just joking. Don't take it seriously."

Sensing Chen Xi's reluctance to elaborate, Xie Wei pressed no further.

After collecting the books, Chen Xi headed toward the English teacher's office on an errand, parting ways with Xie Wei at the entrance of the administration building.

During the final examinations of the previous semester, Chen Xi had scored only 105 points in English. Furious, the English teacher had summoned her to the office at the start of the term to demand an explanation.

Having spent the entire winter break with her mind tethered entirely to Zhou Yanzhou, Chen Xi had long since forgotten the exam questions. Standing with lowered head beside the teacher's desk, she radiated hesitation.

Gazing at Chen Xi's silent, bowed posture, the teacher expressed utter exasperation: "I held high hopes for you when you went to Beijing for the competition, yet you didn't even bring home a consolation prize."

"Chen Xi, do you harbor some resentment toward me? Out of all the subjects, your English performance is abysmal."

"You ranked second in the grade for the finals, didn't you? You missed first place by a mere two points, yet the top student scored 145 in English. If you had performed even slightly better in English, first place would have been yours without a doubt."

"There's a year and a half left until the college entrance exam. I suggest you get your act together."

Chen Xi moved her lips soundlessly, twisting her fingers together, utterly at a loss for words.

She had known all along that she was runner-up once again. Whenever she secured first place, her English scores had never dragged her down.

Having apparently exhausted the teacher's patience, she was dismissed with a cold expression.

Walking out of the office in a daze, Chen Xi collided directly with He Xu, who was delivering a roster.

Colliding at the corner, He Xu noticed Chen Xi's absent-minded expression and, connecting it to her final exam results, readily guessed the cause.

Clutching a sheet of A4 paper, he offered a casual greeting: "Did a new transfer student arrive in your class?"

Still trapped in a low emotional trough, Chen Xi let out a dazed "Ah." Meeting He Xu's gentle, puppy-dog eyes, she collected herself and nodded hastily. "Yeah... transferred from Hefei No. 1 High School."

Repeating the words "Hefei No. 1 High School," He Xu mused thoughtfully, "I've heard Hefei No. 1 is a key high school in Anhui. Anyone who gets in must have exceptional grades. This transfer student should be quite formidable."

Having just received a severe reprimand, Chen Xi could muster no enthusiasm. Forcing a weak smile, she replied distractedly, "Maybe so."

He Xu parted his lips, wanting to offer words of comfort, yet fearing he might wound Chen Xi's pride. In the end, he could only offer a dry, "Do your best."

Murmuring a faint acknowledgment, Chen Xi stepped around him and returned to the classroom with her head bowed.

He Xu's assessment proved accurate; Xie Wei's academic prowess was formidable indeed.

When the first monthly examination concluded, Xie Wei swept into first place. The former top student dropped to second, while the perennial runner-up, Chen Xi, plummeted all the way to fifth place.

The release of the rankings shocked teachers and students alike. The school was astounded not only by the newcomer securing second place, but even more so by Chen Xi's dramatic drop to fifth.

Although she remained in the top ten of the grade, it fell far short of the high expectations routinely placed upon her.

Upon learning her scores, Chen Xi felt a shock greater than anyone else's. She could hardly believe she had fallen so hard.

The head teacher and subject instructors took turns summoning her for talks, uniformly characterizing her performance as highly abnormal.

Chen Xi kept her head lower with each successive meeting, nearly suffocating under the pressure.

When the monthly break finally arrived, she felt as though she had been brought back to life—much like a fish deprived of oxygen for too long, suddenly tossed back into churning water, frantically gulping for air.

Parting ways with Zhu Qing at the school gates, Zhu Qing boarded the head teacher's car while Chen Xi walked toward the bus stop.

There, she unexpectedly ran into Xie Wei, who greeted her warmly. Halting her steps, Chen Xi turned to meet Xie Wei's amicable gaze.

Licking her lips and clutching the straps of her backpack, Chen Xi asked stiffly, "Are you taking the bus too?"

Lifting her wrist to check the time, Xie Wei peered down the main road and shook her head. "My dad is picking me up."

"Where do you live? We could hang out and grab milk tea this weekend."

Blinking, Chen Xi murmured her address.

Recalling the monthly exam, Xie Wei offered an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. I honestly didn't expect to perform this well."

"I never cracked the top spot back at Hefei No. 1; I always hovered around the top twenty, and my personal best was second place."

At the mention of exams, Chen Xi lost all ability to speak.

Offering an awkward smile, she tugged at the hem of her shirt and feigned magnanimity. "This has nothing to do with you; it's my own problem. Besides, you're genuinely talented."

Xie Wei opened her mouth to speak further, but caught sight of a car parked not far away. A flash of delight crossed her face as she hurriedly bade Chen Xi farewell. "Let's catch up later; my dad is here."

With that, she hoisted her backpack and trotted eagerly across the street.

Following Xie Wei's retreating figure, Chen Xi froze the moment she spotted the Beijing-licensed Mercedes parked diagonally across the road.

Ever since their unpleasant parting on the eighth day of the lunar new year, nearly two months had passed without a word, text, or call from Zhou Yanzhou.

He had vanished from her world entirely, leaving behind absolute silence.

Witnessing Xie Wei stepping unhesitatingly into that Mercedes brought a sudden burning sensation to Chen Xi's nose.

Biting her lip to suppress the urge to cry, she turned and boarded the No. 5 bus.

Aboard the swaying, stuttering vehicle, Chen Xi sat in the rearmost row, her body trembling as her mind fixated on the relationship between Xie Wei and Zhou Yanzhou.

At last, casting aside all pride and self-respect, she fished her neglected phone from the depths of her schoolbag, powered it up, opened WeChat, and tapped out a torrent of angry words to Zhou Yanzhou: *Where on earth are you? What right do you have to ignore me when you were the one who approached me first? I hate you to death. If you don't want to deal with me, don't ever look for me again.*

*I never want to see you again!*

Message sent successfully. Chen Xi lowered her head as tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.

The bus lurked forward, halting and starting erratically, while Chen Xi stared with numb expression at the passengers crowding the aisle.

When her stop finally arrived and the bus came to a steady halt, Chen Xi stood up and pushed her way out with difficulty.

No sooner had she stepped off the vehicle than her phone buzzed with a reply from Zhou Yanzhou:

*Okay.*

Staring at that single word, Chen Xi felt as though a mass of cotton had been shoved into her chest, creating an agonizing ache.

So, did this mean he truly wanted nothing more to do with her?