Chen Ye carried his things, feeling a bit nervous as he knocked on the door of Luo Hongli’s home.
Luo Shanhe had come home early from work and assumed it was a neighbor dropping off more good food. Such is the way of neighborly relations. When he opened the door, he was met by a young man he didn’t recognize.
Chen Ye was also taken aback. Was this Luo Hongli’s father? Once he regained his composure, he immediately greeted him, "Hello, Uncle. I’m a classmate of your daughter. My name is Chen Ye."
Luo Shanhe paused for a moment before quickly stepping aside. "Oh, do come in! Why bring gifts? You’re too kind. More bean curd?" He recalled the grandmother who had brought food over that one night.
Chen Ye entered the living room just in time to see Luo Hongli busy in the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and trimming vegetables, looking every bit the image of a virtuous wife and mother. Nice!
Luo Hongli had assumed Chen Ye would wait for her by the door; a quick stir-fry would only take ten minutes. She hadn’t realized her father was home early. She was shocked that he had actually come inside! Just like that!
Chen Ye raised his eyebrows at her. As Luo Shanhe locked the door and walked toward them, she turned around, her face flushing red with embarrassment.
"Hongli, your classmate is here. Stop working; I’ll handle the stir-fry in a bit. It’s my fault, too—I forgot to tell you yesterday."
Seeing Luo Shanhe reach for a cup to pour him some water, Chen Ye quickly stood up. "Uncle, please don’t trouble yourself. I’m just here to pick up my classmate. We agreed she would come to my house to help my younger sister with her studies."
Luo Hongli turned back, shocked. *A younger sister? Not you?*
Luo Shanhe looked at his daughter, puzzled. "Didn’t you tell me you were going to Zhang Bing’s house to study tonight?"
Realizing she had been caught, Luo Hongli stammered, "Dad, I... I was afraid you wouldn’t agree, so I just..."
Seeing her distress, Chen Ye immediately realized she had lied to her family. "Uncle, the thing is, my younger sister’s grades aren’t great, and she was probably worried you wouldn’t approve of her going out so late. Did she lie to you?"
Luo Shanhe took a deep breath. "Hongli, you should have just told your father the truth. Why would you lie to me?"
Luo Hongli hung her head, nervously picking at the celery leaves until she was nearly shredding the stalks.
Chen Ye quickly intervened to smooth things over. "Uncle, since you’re home, why not let her go with me? We can get her back early. My home is also here in Chuanbei—do you know Chen’s Mahjong Hall? My dad runs it."
"That’s your family’s place?"
"Yes, yes. My dad’s name is Chen Jianguo. Don’t worry, I will make sure she gets home safely."
Luo Shanhe nodded. "Then go ahead. Hongli, when you’re at someone else’s house, don’t cause any trouble, you hear? And what grade is your younger sister in, if she needs tutoring?"
Chen Ye smiled faintly. "First year of middle school. She just started and is having a bit of trouble keeping up."
"Luo, why don’t you wait for me by the door? I need to have a quick word with your uncle."
Once she had her father’s permission, Luo Hongli went into a bedroom, likely to tell her mother. Luo Shanhe found it a bit strange. What could this young man want to say to him in private?
Chen Ye pulled an envelope from his backpack containing ten thousand yuan. He had brought it with him after leaving Wuxiang Studio that night, along with the nine thousand-plus in daily earnings.
"Uncle, this is a small gesture from my parents, and it also covers the tutoring fee for Luo."
Luo Shanhe took the envelope, and his hands shook when he felt the thickness of it—it was at least ten thousand yuan! "Xiao Chen, this... this is too much. No, no, we can’t take this. Luo helping your sister is just classmates helping each other. This is as much as my salary for two years. I can’t..."
Chen Ye glanced toward the bedroom. "Uncle, please don’t refuse. My parents have the utmost respect for a man like you. With your wife’s condition, some people might have walked away long ago, but you’ve held this family together. If I didn’t have a good relationship with your daughter, I wouldn’t know about your situation, would I?"
"Are you reassured now? I really am a good kid, and my parents really did ask me to give this to you. If I take it back, I won’t be able to explain it to them. Even if you don’t think of yourself, think of your wife’s health. Let her stay with your daughter for a while longer."
Something in his words touched Luo Shanhe. A man from Shancheng in his forties, he covered his face and wiped his eyes.
"Uncle, I’m leaving now. I’ll come to visit you and your wife again soon." Chen Ye left quickly. This was no time to linger—he couldn’t stand there and watch his future father-in-law cry in front of him.
Luo Hongli leaned against the railing outside their home, looking down. The night in Shancheng was truly beautiful. Yet, why was her life like this? Why did her mother have to suffer from that illness? How she wished she could be like her best friend, Zhang Bing, living a carefree life every day.
"Silly, what are you thinking about?"
Luo Hongli pouted and turned around. "You’re the silly one! A big dummy! You... what did you say to my dad?"
Chen Ye flashed a grin. "Guess? If you guess right, I’ll give you a reward. Anything I can manage."
Luo Hongli scoffed. "I don’t want it. Chen Ye, your brain turns so fast, why don’t you use it for your studies? Tutoring your 'sister'—I can’t believe you actually said that."
Chen Ye’s face flushed slightly. "That’s called thinking on my feet. What would you know? Let’s go."
"Chen Ye, is there really no one home? Are your parents really at the shop? I... I’m a bit shy with strangers..."
***
At Xingfu Jiayuan Community.
Chen Yue stared at the table full of dishes, drooling. "Mom, can I taste a chicken leg to see if it’s gone bad?"
Ye Shuangrong rolled her eyes. "There are only two legs, and the guest hasn’t even arrived. Where are your manners, Chen Yue?"
Chen Yue grumbled, "Oh, please. It’s just the top student in my brother’s class. I’m the top student in my class too! We’re both top students, so why can’t I eat first?"
Chen Jianguo sipped his tea and looked at his wife. "Just let her eat. They might be here any second, and it won’t taste good if it gets cold."
"You shut your mouth! You go to school and let some tigress scratch you up! Chen Jianguo, you really are..."
*Click.*
Chen Ye opened the door and walked in, only to see his mother with her hands on her hips. Damn, the atmosphere wasn’t great. Whenever his mom stood like that, she was either lecturing his dad or his sister.
Ye Shuangrong saw Chen Ye enter alone. Where was the boy with the tragic backstory?
Luo Hongli timidly poked her head out, clutching her old pink-and-white schoolbag. Her face was bright red. Chen Ye, that big liar! He had tricked her again! There wasn’t "no one home"—the whole house was full of people!
As soon as she saw Luo Hongli, Ye Shuangrong cleared her throat, smoothed her clothes, and changed her tone to something much gentler. "What a beautiful young girl! Come in, come in! Xiao Ye, you too, why didn’t you tell us sooner that it was a classmate who is a girl?"
Chen Yue pouted, looking at Luo Hongli and thinking, *She is pretty. And why is she so tall? My brother is 1.8 meters tall, and she’s already reaching his shoulder.*
Chen Jianguo nearly spat out his tea. *Oh no.* He had dealt with Su Lili’s parents that morning, and now his son had brought another girl home, and this one was even prettier.
Luo Hongli nervously clasped her hands together. "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle. Hello, little sister."
Just then, her stomach let out a loud, traitorous growl. Her face turned bright red, clear down to her neck.
Chen Ye quickly interjected, "I’m starving! My stomach is protesting. Mom, you don’t know how unlucky I was today..."
Standing so close, how could Ye Shuangrong have missed it? It was obviously the girl who was hungry. She smiled warmly and pulled Luo Hongli to the table. "Eat, eat. Don’t mind us; try it and see if you like it. I made it all myself."
"Have a chicken leg."
"Try the steamed pork; it’s not too fatty. Have a bite, dear."
Half an hour later, Luo Hongli held her stomach and shook her head. "Auntie, I... I really can’t eat anymore. Um, I’d better start helping Chen Ye with his studies."
Chen Ye led her into his room with a smirk. Surely, this family dinner had left a deep impression on her.
Outside the door, Chen Jianguo and Ye Shuangrong were pressing their ears against the wood to listen. Chen Yue pulled at the corner of her mouth in disdain. "You two are being a bit unethical, you know."
"Shut up!"
"Shut up!"
*Click.*
Chen Ye pushed the door open, intending to grab some fruit and pour two glasses of water. As everyone knows, studying in a bedroom takes a lot of moisture! If you’re studying English, it doesn’t just take moisture; it takes physical effort, too.
"Dad, Mom, what are you two doing?"
Ye Shuangrong looked a bit awkward. "Nothing, nothing. Xiao Ye, you and this girl, ahem..."
Chen Ye shook his head. "Mom, you’re overthinking it. Just classmates. Nothing messy going on."
As he pushed the door back open, a muffled "Ah!" came from inside the room. Don’t tell him Luo Hongli had been listening at the door too? Seeing her covering her mouth, he knew he was right.
"Dad, Mom, it’s fine. She just bumped her knee on the corner of the desk. You guys should go to sleep early."
Hours later, Luo Hongli came out to use the restroom. Chen Yue was in the living room watching TV. She looked at her in surprise. "Sister-in-law, why is your mouth swollen?"