Dad bandaged my hand and gave me a gentle nudge. "Go on out, no need to help. I can handle it, Dad's fine."
I shook my head. "It's just a small scratch, it's nothing. Dad, she finally came back after so long, why did you have to go and provoke her?"
My dad sighed wearily, "Your mom was truly being unreasonable. Don't take what she said to heart."
"I'm used to it by now... Anyway, Dad, I'm thinking of going to Yunda University with Yuansu tomorrow. She’s dropping some things off for her dad and said she could give me a tour of the campus."
"Oh, right, you changed your top choice to Yunda. If you want to go, then go. Be safe on the road, and I’ll give you some money in a bit."
"Hehe, thanks, Dad." I asked again, "Did you return the money to Brother Juyan yet?"
"I don't know what’s going on between your elder sister and him right now, so let’s just leave it for the time being. Otherwise, it would look like we’re rushing them to break up."
"Alright."
Dinner was the mint-flavored braised noodles my mom had requested, but she was in a huff and refused to eat.
Fine by me. None of us were in the mood to coddle her, so we just left a portion in the fridge for later.
In the middle of the night, I was drifting in and out of sleep when I vaguely heard the microwave humming.
I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Such a difficult woman—she wouldn't eat the fresh meal, but insisted on eating the leftovers.
The next morning, Yuansu and I met at the high-speed rail station and headed to Yuncheng.
Yuncheng is a coastal tourist city. I’d been there a few times before, and just this summer, I went there for a barbecue with the Yan Family and spent a night by the sea.
However, this was my first time actually stepping inside Yunda University.
Professor Yuan was busy with his graduate and postgraduate students on Saturday; he was nowhere to be seen.
Yuansu tossed her suitcase into her father’s office, and once we were out, she waved her faculty card and declared she was going to show me a good time.
We first took the campus shuttle for a loop, then snapped photos like crazy in the library, which had a view of the sea. After touring the university history museum, it was exactly lunchtime, so we headed to the faculty canteen, which had the best food on campus.
Just as I sat down with my tray, my phone rang.
I glanced at the caller ID and answered, surprised. "Hello, Brother Juyan? Did you need something?"
His voice came through, as cool and deep as ever. "Your aunt said you went to Yunda to look around. When are you heading home?"
"I'm with Yuansu; we'll probably leave around two or three in the afternoon. Why do you ask?"
He said, "I'm in Yuncheng on business. Call me when you're leaving, and I'll come pick you both up."
"No, no, that’s not necessary. You keep busy; we can just take the high-speed rail..."
"That's all. Goodbye."
I put my phone down, thinking my mom was such a busybody.
She must have been wanting to see her son-in-law again, and since she couldn't find any other excuse, she used me as her pawn.
What was even more speechless was that Juyan actually agreed.
I really didn't want to see him again; it was so awkward.
Because I rarely mentioned my elder sister at school, this was the first time Yuansu had heard the name Juyan.
She asked curiously, "Who is this guy?"
I said, "My sister’s boyfriend. He’s in Yuncheng too, and he said he’d come pick us up this afternoon. Should we take his car back?"
Yuansu had no objections. "OK! It saves me the train fare. Hey, Lian'ou, what does your sister’s boyfriend look like? Do you have any photos?"
"He's alright-looking, I guess. I don't have any photos. Just don't mention my sister when you see him; things are a bit complicated between them lately."
Yuansu asked, "Did they have a fight?"
"I don't understand their business either." I lowered my head and bit into a fish ball. "Hey, this is delicious!"
"Let me try." Yuansu snatched a fish ball and couldn't stop praising it either. "It’s way better than what my mom makes."
I asked her, "Can we get takeout from here? I want to bring a few things home for my parents to try. I’ll pay."
Yuansu said boldly, "What are you paying for! I said I’d show you a good time, so we’re obviously putting it on my dad’s card. I’m packing some up to take back too—I’ll be eating this for dinner."
"Thanks, you rich tycoon Beibei!"
"Beibei your head."
After lunch, we waited for a good while in the office, but her father didn't return. A senior student came over and told us, "Professor Yuan is working on experimental data for a new project. It’ll take at least three more hours, so he said you should head back first."
"Thank you, Senior." Yuansu looked at me. "I guess we can have your brother-in-law pick us up now."
"We worked so hard to get here; are you sure you don't want to see your dad?"
"Nah, his lab has too many stuffy rules, and I don't have the patience to listen to him nag." Yuansu patted my shoulder. "Let’s just enjoy ourselves around campus; we’ve already gotten our money's worth today."
"Alright."
Twenty minutes after I made the call, Juyan arrived at the school gate. He rolled down the window and called out, "Lianhe."
When Yuansu saw him and his car, her jaw dropped in surprise. "Is that your brother-in-law? Oh my god, why didn't you tell me he drives a G-Wagon?"
I was confused. "What G-Wagon? Isn't that a Mercedes?"
Yuansu gave me a look like I was an idiot, then shoved all the takeout bags into my hands and excitedly ran over to open the front passenger door. "Hello, Brother-in-law! I’m Lianhe’s friend, Yuansu. Thanks for coming to get us. I get motion sickness, can I sit here?"
Juyan said, "Please."
Yuansu hopped in, shut the door, and urged me, "Hurry up! They don't let people park at the school gate."
I followed after her. "Coming, coming..."
Motion sickness?
She doesn't have motion sickness in the slightest.
I greeted Juyan, and he gave a curt "Hm."
The heat was on in the car, and within moments, it was filled with the aroma of the faculty canteen food.
Yuansu said shamelessly to Juyan, "Brother-in-law, these things were all packed up by Lian'ou. It’s making your car smell, so sorry about that. If you want to blame anyone, blame her."
I was in the back seat, "...?"
You packed just as much as I did!
Fortunately, Juyan said, "It’s fine."
Yuansu kept up a stream of compliments: "Brother-in-law, you're so nice! You're handsome and your car is cool too! I can't believe I got to ride in a G-Wagon; I feel so honored! By the way, what brings you to Yuncheng?"
Juyan was a man of few words, but he answered when asked: "My family is from here. I came back to visit."
Huh, so he’s actually from Yuncheng.
Yuansu said, "Oh, what a coincidence! Lian'ou wants to apply to Yunda, so she won't be a stranger to this place in the future."
Juyan asked without turning his head, "Not going to the Imperial Capital anymore?"
How did he know about the Imperial Capital?
It must have been my mom or sister who told him.
I said, "It’s too cold and too far away. Yunda is fine."
Juyan said, "Is Yan Luo also applying to Yunda with you?"
I waved my hand. "No way, that would be a waste of his talents. He is..."
I glanced at Yuansu, then decided to say it anyway: "Actually, he’s planning to study abroad in America."
The previously joyful Yuansu went quiet all of a sudden.
She didn't say another word for the rest of the ride.
Juyan dropped Yuansu off at her home first. She muttered a thank you and got out.
I hurried to catch up and handed her the takeout bags. "You forgot these."
Yuansu took them and asked, "You changed your application to Yunda because Yan Luo is going abroad, right?"
I lowered my head. "Yeah... he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so I didn't mention it at school. I'm sorry."
"Who else knows about this?"
"I think it’s just the three of us. I only found out not long ago myself."
Once she heard that, Yuansu’s mood improved. "Hmph, I guess you’re a real friend for not waiting until he actually left the country to tell me."
Thank goodness, she wasn't angry.
I took the liberty of nudging her. "That’s because we’re best friends."
"Psh." She shook the bags in her hand. Although she looked more spirited, her voice was still soft. "I’m going in, bye."
I said, "Don't tell anyone else."
"Obviously, idiot!"
That sounded like her usual feisty self.
When I got back to the car, I was about to open the back door, but Juyan opened the passenger door instead and said, "Sit in the front."
I said, "Okay."
It was just the two of us in the car, so it would be awkward regardless of where I sat. Sitting in the front was actually more natural.
On the way, I said to him, "Brother Juyan, stop answering my mom’s calls. She’s always asking you to do this and that; you can just say no..."
He suddenly asked, "What happened to your hand?"
"My hand?" I looked down. "I cut it while chopping vegetables yesterday."
"Is it serious? Should we go to the hospital?"
"It’s just a small wound, not worth a hospital trip. A bandage is fine."
I thought about the conversation I’d just been cut off from, and was about to continue urging him not to let my mom boss him around, when he asked again, "What about your neck?"
My neck?
Oh, that was from when my eldest cousin grabbed me. It had been so long, I was touched he still remembered.
I said, "It healed ages ago, thanks for worrying about me. Brother Juyan, the police haven't recovered the bracelet yet, but once they do, I will return it to you..."
Before I could finish, the car suddenly accelerated.
Juyan pursed his thin lips and slammed his foot on the gas. The once steady Mercedes instantly changed its nature, switching lanes one after another and roaring past seven or eight cars ahead.
The speed quickly exceeded the city limit and kept rising.
I gripped my seatbelt tightly.
He was unhappy.
And fair enough. I’d ignored his feelings time and again, repeatedly returning the gift he’d carefully chosen. If I were him, I’d be upset too.
But that bracelet was too expensive; I would feel burdened if I accepted it.
Seeing the speed camera zone ahead, he showed no signs of slowing down and kept driving forward with a cold face. I hurriedly reminded him, "Brother Juyan, slow down. If we get snapped, you’ll get a ticket..."
He was unmoved.
White flashes from speed cameras blinked overhead one after another; there was no escaping a ticket now.
The scenery outside the window blurred by, the whole car was roaring, and the navigation system’s warnings were sounding incessantly.
I had never been in a car moving this fast, and my fear of a fine quickly turned into fear for my own life. My voice trembled as I spoke: "Slow down, it’s too dangerous..."
The roar of the engine drowned out my voice.
Juyan kept accelerating, and he had even veered off the navigation route. The car’s overspeed and off-route warnings blared one after another.
I was scared—truly scared.
His expression was calm as usual, but his behavior was no different from a madman’s. It felt as if he was determined to carry me along until he drove straight into hell.
I couldn't stand this madness any longer. I grabbed his arm and screamed, "Stop driving! I’m scared!"
The car finally came to a stop.
I sat in my seat, trembling, watching Juyan slumped over the steering wheel, his shoulders heaving violently. For the first time, I felt that it wasn't me who was "sick," but possibly this guy.
No matter how angry he was, he couldn't just speed to 180 km/h with me in the city!
I didn't want to die. I still had the college entrance exam, I still wanted to go to America, and I still had a whole life left to live!
I wanted to unbuckle my seatbelt and get off this crazy ride, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Juyan heard the sound of the buckle and sat up slowly, reaching over to help me unfasten it.
I didn't even dare to look at his face. As soon as the seatbelt came off, I scrambled out of the car.
The cold wind hit my face, giving me a surreal sense of having survived a disaster. A taxi happened to be coming up behind us, so I didn't care about the fare and hailed it immediately. "Driver! Quick, Xinan Residential Area!"
The driver saw me getting out of Juyan’s car and let out a sour "Whoa." "Young lady, fighting with your boyfriend? Can't even bear to sit in a G-Wagon anymore?"
I hadn't recovered from the shock, tears were streaming down my face, and my voice was shrill and hollow. "He is not my boyfriend!"
Sit in his car again?
I don't have a death wish!
The driver clicked his tongue twice, even more convinced that we were just a bickering couple.
I couldn't be bothered to explain.
The taxi drove steadily. Sitting in the back seat, watching the meter tick upward, I finally began to calm down.
Fortunately, Yuansu had gotten off early. If we’d gotten into a car accident—she was the only daughter in her family—how could my family answer to hers!
Brother Juyan was usually calm, restrained, and performed perfectly. He never lost his temper; he was so good he was practically like a mannequin.
Today, he’d pulled this out of nowhere, and only then did I feel some sign of life in him, but I also felt like I’d seen another side of him—a side hidden deep down—an entirely different, dark, and crazy side.
I wondered if my sister had ever seen him like this.
Whether she had or not, it was for the best that they’d broken up. I had a feeling that if a man like this lost his temper, it would be terrifying, and he might even be abusive.
My sister was so delicate; she definitely couldn't handle him.
Before getting home, I washed my face at a public tap to make sure my parents wouldn't notice anything.
Juyan had terrified me, but I didn't want to snitch on him.
As soon as I got home, my mom greeted me happily. "You're back... Hey, where's Juyan?"
I said, "He... he dropped me off at the entrance of the residential area and left."
My mom immediately looked dejected and turned back to the sofa. "That boy, honestly. I wanted him to stay for dinner."
Oh, right, the takeout I’d packed at Yunda was left in his car.
Let it be forgotten. What’s a bit of food? My life is more important.
My dad’s voice came from the kitchen: "If Juyan isn't coming, then we won't make so many dishes. What time is Xiao Xun coming over?"
My mom said, "Around four o'clock."
"Alright, the ingredients are all prepped; we'll stir-fry them when she gets back."
I walked into the kitchen and watched my dad hobbling back and forth with his cane. I couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. "Dad, stop working so hard. Go out and rest. Do these need to go in the fridge? I’ll do it."
"Alright, Lianhe is such a good girl." Dad had chopped up a lot of vegetables; he was truly tired and leaned against the counter to rest his injured leg. "How was Yunda today?"
"It was great. Yuansu showed me all around, and she used her dad’s card to treat me to lunch at the canteen. Yunda’s food is so good... Alright, let’s go out. I’ll show you the photos we took."
We sat on the sofa looking at the photos. My mom leaned in too, looked at a few, and said begrudgingly, "Although it’s not as good as Xiao Xun’s university, it’s alright. If you can actually get into Yunda steadily, I’ll be relieved."
It was a rare moment of harmony in our house. Having just been terrified earlier, I couldn't help but want to lean against her. "Mom..."
"Don't lean on me! You’ve been out all day, you’re covered in germs. You're filthy!"
"..."
Fine, that’s my mom.
I stood up dejectedly and went to my room to change.
Nearing four o'clock, Mom called my sister.
When my sister heard that Juyan wasn't coming, she said she wouldn't come either.
After putting down the phone, Mom sighed. "Once a girl is grown, she’s no longer yours to keep! Even if Juyan isn't coming, she should still come back to visit; I miss her."
I was in my room working on practice papers, and hearing this, I really wanted to tell my sister about Juyan taking me for that crazy ride, so she wouldn't get too deeply involved.
But that would require mentioning the jade bracelet.
I’d previously told her I’d returned it, and she’d always believed that our eldest cousin was arrested for stealing the Celestial Maiden Necklace.
If she found out the bracelet was stolen while in my possession, she’d start suspecting the nature of our relationship again.
And besides...
I didn't want to badmouth Juyan.
Once was enough.
Everyone has negative emotions. Perhaps he’d been in a bad mood lately, or had accumulated stress at work and just wanted to speed to let it out, and I just happened to be in the passenger seat.
My sister was an adult, too; she had her own judgment. I’d leave it to her to see what kind of person Juyan was. It was better for others to stay out of it.
The following week, the results for the second mock exam came out.
I’d improved, but not enough to get into Yunda.
Halfway through evening study on Thursday, Old Ban called me out. He said he’d already spoken to my dad, and that he was coming over for a home visit.
So, the two of us headed home together.
When we arrived, my dad had already prepared a table of small dishes and cooked seafood porridge, telling Old Ban to have some to warm up.
Old Ban demurred for a moment, but I served him a bowl of porridge and put it in his hands. He smelled the aroma and stopped being polite, sitting down to say, "Don't just watch me, eat with me!"
And so, the home visit turned into a late-night dinner.
Old Ban said that my foundation was solid, but my performance was too unstable. Although I’d improved both times, I couldn't let my guard down. The school had just held the 100-day countdown rally; from here on out, it was the final sprint, and my family needed to ensure they didn't negatively impact my mood.
I sat beside him, nodding repeatedly, subconsciously glancing at my mom across the table.
My mom glared at me, and I quickly lowered my head to drink my porridge.
Old Ban then complimented them, saying they cooked well and provided good nutrition, and that my complexion and energy were much better than students who only ate at the canteen.
My dad smiled shyly. "We don't have many skills; this is all we can do for our child."
Old Ban said, "Being able to put this spread on the table is already amazing. After all, your health is your capital for studying!"
My mom, who never cooked, didn't get any praise and said, somewhat unconvinced, "My eldest daughter wasn't raised as delicately as Lianhe, but her grades are much better."
Old Ban said, "Your eldest daughter is Lianxun, right?"
My mom was delighted. "You know her?"
"Of course! That girl is amazing. Although she didn't attend our high school, there aren't many students from a small town like ours who can get into a 'Double First-Class' university in the Imperial Capital! Her name is also very unique. When Lianhe was first placed in my class, I guessed they might be sisters. I checked the records, and it turned out to be true. It really is a kind of fate!"
My mom was beaming. "Our Xiao Xun is very low-maintenance. We barely had to worry about her growing up; she was completely self-disciplined. Unlike Lianhe, who I have to watch over every single day, and her grades still go up and down, up and down... She’s nothing but a headache..."
Old Ban offered a few more compliments and shifted the topic back to me. "Lianhe’s goal is Yunda. While it might not be a 'Double First-Class' university, it’s still a key national institution. If she keeps pushing with her current momentum, passing the cutoff score will be no problem at all. You don't need to put too much pressure on her; just encourage her more, and the child will know how to study on her own..."
My dad nodded, and my mom curled her lip.
I went to refill Old Ban’s bowl.
After the home visit ended, I saw Old Ban out and then washed up and lay in bed.
I couldn't really sleep.
I pulled out the photos I’d taken at Yunda and scrolled through them one by one.
I thought my second mock results were pretty good, but I was still twenty or thirty points away from Yunda’s previous cutoff scores.
Although Old Ban said passing the line would be no problem, there was less than a hundred days left. Could I really do it?
I put my phone down and patted my face hard.
Since the specialized practice was so useful, I’d keep doing it. There were still a dozen more weekly tests, monthly tests, and the third mock exam to go. I wasn't asking to reach the sky in a single bound; I could at least improve a little bit each time, right?
I had to eat at the Yunda canteen with my own student ID!
Thinking of Yunda’s fish balls and steamed meat patties, I suddenly remembered the takeout bag I’d left in Juyan’s car.
Since that day, he’d been very quiet. No explanation, no apology.
I didn't know why he’d suddenly started speeding, how he’d gotten back after I left, how much he’d been fined, or if his license had been revoked...
I pulled the blanket up.
None of my business.
Stop thinking about it! Sleep!