Pei Chen looked at the middle-aged woman in front of him, momentarily stunned, and his brows immediately furrowed.
Gong Qinxin walked up to him and met Pei Chen’s gaze, speaking softly, “Pei Chen, it’s been a year since I last saw you, and you’ve grown taller.”
Pei Chen’s whole body tensed, and he stared coldly at her.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s the New Year, of course I came back to see you. I came straight here after getting off the plane.”
Gong Qinxin noticed the young girl standing beside Pei Chen. She had just witnessed the interaction between Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi, and with a faint smile, she asked, “Is this Xiao Pei’s classmate? What’s your name?”
Liang Zhiyi moved her lips slightly and nodded politely. “Hello, Auntie. My name is Liang Zhiyi. I’m Pei Chen’s friend.”
“Hello…” Gong Qinxin smiled. “I just heard you talking about going out for a meal. I haven’t eaten either. How about Auntie treats you both to dinner?”
Liang Zhiyi hesitated for a moment.
Gong Qinxin looked at Pei Chen with anticipation. “Son, how about letting Mom take you out for a meal? You can eat whatever you want. I know a really great place that serves high-end cuisine, and it’s at—”
Pei Chen’s voice was icy:
“That’s not necessary.”
The young man grabbed Liang Zhiyi by the wrist and led her away.
Gong Qinxin stood in place, the smile on her face slowly fading.
Elsewhere.
The two walked out of the community.
Liang Zhiyi noticed the deeply darkened expression on Pei Chen’s face and remembered what she’d heard earlier that afternoon from Pei Yongxia about Pei Chen’s mother. It made her heart ache.
After a few seconds, her fingers moved slightly.
As Pei Chen walked, he suddenly felt a gentle hand holding his.
It seemed to carry a comforting force.
His eyelashes trembled.
The girl said nothing, quietly holding his hand.
As they reached the entrance of the community, Liang Zhiyi looked up at him. “Pei Chen, are you okay?”
The young man lowered his gaze slightly. “I’m fine.”
She smiled at him. “Pei Chen, even if you’re not okay, it’s all right. I’ll stay by your side.”
Pei Chen heard her words and met her starry eyes, his turbulent emotions slowly calming down.
He softened his tone and asked her, “What do you want to eat?”
She smiled, “I’m not familiar with this area. You take me to a place you think is good.”
Pei Chen mentioned a nearby stone pot fish restaurant with a good reputation. Liang Zhiyi agreed, so he took her there.
Feeling the girl still holding his hand, Pei Chen pressed his lips together, ultimately unwilling to let go.
They arrived at the restaurant, found a seat by the window, and after ordering, Liang Zhiyi took out her phone to show him some photos, happily sharing stories from her recent trip.
Pei Chen watched her chatter like a little sparrow, a gentle warmth gradually surfacing in his heart.
Finally, Liang Zhiyi picked a few of her best selfies and sent them to him, proudly saying, “Pei Chen, you need to keep these photos of such a cute girl safe. Look at them when you miss me.”
“…”
“I don’t have the habit of looking at people’s photos.”
She pouted, “If you don’t save them, don’t regret it later when I stop sending them to you.”
Just then, Pei Chen’s phone vibrated, and a notification of a 500-yuan transfer popped up: [Your mom is treating your classmate to a meal. Accept it—Gong Qinxin]
Liang Zhiyi casually glanced at his phone and saw several transfer notifications, but it seemed Pei Chen hadn’t accepted any of them, nor had he responded to any messages.
Seeing his less-than-pleased expression, she guessed, “Did Auntie contact you?”
Pei Chen turned off the phone screen, “It’s nothing.”
“Pei Chen, don’t be upset over this. Your mom came back to see you because she cares about you.”
Pei Chen lowered his eyelashes, a hint of self-mockery in his eyes.
He would rather Gong Qinxin completely forget about him, sever all ties with his life, than endure this kind of torturous concern.
The fish was served, and Liang Zhiyi changed the topic. “By the way, Pei Chen, did you see the school’s notice? We’re going to have seven extra classes starting on the eighth day of the lunar new year. Do they have to torture us like this?”
This upcoming semester would have a tight schedule with little time, and considering the need to start preparing early for the college entrance exams, their second year of high school would begin with extra classes.
Pei Chen responded calmly, “It’s fine.”
He’d get to see her sooner.
She let out a light hum, “As expected, a super student like you loves studying. But in the next semester, I will definitely score better than you. This time, I was only three points behind you in the finals. Did you see that? The gap is getting smaller and smaller. Maybe next time I’ll surpass you.”
He nodded lightly, “Looking forward to it.”
Seeing his indifferent expression, as if he didn’t take her seriously, Liang Zhiyi puffed up her cheeks in frustration. “I’m not talking to you anymore.”
Pei Chen: “?”
Seeing her focused on eating the fish, he gently reminded her, “Eat slowly, watch out for the small bones.”
She ignored him.
Pei Chen couldn’t help but smile helplessly and softly coaxed her, “I think you’re very smart. It’s only a matter of time before you outscore me.”
She pressed her lips together, “Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
She muttered proudly, “Alright, then I’ll work even harder.”
He just smiled.
After a while, they finished their meal, and Liang Zhiyi insisted on paying the bill.
She said she couldn’t let him pay every time, especially since he had bought her a gift. Otherwise, she would feel too embarrassed to go out for meals with him.
Pei Chen had no choice but to agree.
When they left the restaurant, it was already dark. Liang Zhiyi said she would take the subway home, and Pei Chen offered to accompany her.
At the entrance of the subway station, the girl, holding the gift box, looked up at the boy with bright and lively eyes. “Pei Chen, I’m heading home now.”
Pei Chen suppressed his reluctance and said softly, “Alright, take your time on the way, and send me a message when you get home.”
“Okay, you’re so worried about me.”
She started walking, but after a few seconds, she turned around and saw that Pei Chen was still standing there, watching her.
A mischievous smile flashed across her face. Suddenly, she turned and ran back to him, stood on tiptoe, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Pei Chen froze, stunned.
Amidst the bustling crowd, it was as if all sounds had faded away.
The young girl met his gaze, her lips curved into a smile, her eyes bright like the stars:
“Pei Chen, remember to think of me.”
She waved at him and walked into the subway station.
Even after the girl disappeared from his sight, Pei Chen’s heart was pounding, the heat spreading outward from his chest.
Just a moment ago.
He had forcibly suppressed the strong urge to pull her into his arms.
After a long while, Pei Chen calmed his emotions and turned to walk home.
The streetlights formed a continuous line, decorating the night.
At that moment, Pei Chen didn’t know how much he would regret not hugging her tonight.
°°°
The night deepened.
Elsewhere, at the Pei family’s home.
Gong Qinxin sat on the sofa, and Pei Yongxia poured her a cup of tea, awkwardly saying, “Have some water.”
“Mm, thank you.”
She looked at Pei Yongxia, “How is your health? Have you continued with your rehabilitation?”
Gong Qinxin occasionally contacted Pei Yongxia but only came back once a year during the New Year to see their son.
The man shook his head, “Same as always. This wheelchair will be my companion for life. How have you been lately?”
He noticed that Gong Qinxin was dressed elegantly and looked well-maintained, as youthful as she was back then, while he had started to go gray at the temples.
He sighed, feeling that it was right for her to leave him back then. At least she didn’t have to suffer as much.
Gong Qinxin smiled bitterly, “I’ve been fine. I’m doing some investing on my own now, so I don’t have to worry about my livelihood. But being a stepmother means I have to deal with others’ attitudes.”
Gong Qinxin had remarried a wealthy businessman, who had a son from his previous marriage around the same age as Pei Chen. Over the years, that child had never grown close to her. On good terms, he would call her “Auntie.”
Gong Qinxin glanced around the room and sighed, “How could you let Pei Chen live in a place like this? This house is old. Why don’t I get you a new place? That way, your son can…”
“That’s enough. Stop talking about it. Pei Chen wouldn’t agree.”
Gong Qinxin was at a loss for words for a moment, so she changed the subject, asking, “How has our son been lately?”
“He’s doing well, studying hard.”
“I just saw him downstairs with a girl. She seemed pretty well-behaved.”
“Was it Zhiyi?” Pei Yongxia mentioned a few things about Liang Zhiyi, and after listening, Gong Qinxin nodded. “I can tell our son really likes that girl.”
Pei Yongxia actually knew as well, but he was worried that Pei Chen might be shy, so he didn’t say anything: “By the way, Pei Chen participated in a basketball tournament a while ago and won the championship.”
“Is his leg okay now?”
“There was a bit of a relapse due to a collision during the game, but he’s fine now.”
Gong Qinxin had always wanted to pay for her son to have surgery, but Pei Chen consistently refused, which left her feeling quite distressed.
She sighed softly, “Yongxia, all these years, I’ve let our son down, and I’ve let you down too. I’ve always felt guilty. Now that our son sees me as an enemy, I feel especially heartbroken…”
Pei Yongxia, seeing her like this, softened: “I’ll talk to Pei Chen more. It’s possible he’s just going through a rebellious phase.”
As they were talking, there was a knock on the door.
Gong Qinxin saw who had returned. “Pei Chen…”
Pei Chen saw her at home and his expression darkened: “Why are you here?”
“I… I was just chatting with your dad. Have you eaten?”
Pei Chen lowered his head as he changed his shoes, not responding. Gong Qinxin walked up to him and asked hopefully, “Pei Chen, I’m going back to your grandma’s house for New Year’s Eve. How about you come home with me this year to celebrate?”
Gong Qinxin looked to Pei Yongxia for help, and he also said, “Why don’t you go spend New Year’s with your mom? It’s rare for her to come back.”
“It’s been ten years, and it’s always just been me and Dad for New Year’s. No one else.”
Pei Chen lifted his head, meeting Gong Qinxin’s gaze indifferently. “If you have nothing else, you can leave now.”
Gong Qinxin’s smile froze on her face.
In the end, seeing that Pei Chen still wasn’t willing to engage with her, she finally said, “Pei Chen, I bought you some things. They’re all in your room. I’ll be leaving now.”
After Gong Qinxin left, Pei Yongxia said to his son, “Your mom comes back once a year just to see you. Even if you don’t like her, don’t ignore her like that…”
Pei Chen lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly:
“Dad, she insisted on divorcing you back then. Why do you still speak up for her?”
Pei Yongxia was silent for a moment before he spoke softly: “What happened between her and me is in the past. She’s still your mother, and a lot of things back then were beyond her control.”
Beyond her control…
Pei Chen let out a cold laugh but held back from saying anything more.
Pei Yongxia changed the topic, “Did Zhiyi go home? Why don’t you take her out for a meal?”
“Mm, I just sent her to the subway station.”
Pei Yongxia pointed at a few gift boxes on the coffee table and smiled, “These were brought over by Zhiyi. She said they were New Year’s gifts for our family. This child is so thoughtful…”
Pei Chen felt a bit weak at hearing his father praise her so much. “Dad, do you like her a lot?”
“Of course, this child is so pretty, well-behaved, and sensible. Her personality is really endearing,” Pei Yongxia laughed. “Usually, apart from Xiao Wang and a few people from the community, no one really chats with me. But this afternoon, she came over and kept me company for a long time.”
Pei Chen smiled faintly at his father’s words.
Indeed, it seemed that no one could dislike Liang Zhiyi.
“By the way, I took a look at the New Year’s gifts from Zhiyi’s family. They don’t look cheap at all. Is her family’s financial situation pretty good? It seems like she went to a lot of trouble…”
Pei Chen paused for a moment. “Her dad works at a company. Her family is quite wealthy.”
Pei Yongxia was a bit surprised. “Even though they’re wealthy, it doesn’t feel right just to receive gifts without giving anything in return. We should send something back.”
Pei Chen thought the same. “I’ll buy some New Year’s gifts to send over in the next couple of days.”
Better than just relying on the subsidy from their family, or the basketball tournament prize money from a while ago.
After finishing the conversation with his father, Pei Chen returned to his room and saw a lot of bags on the table.
They were all clothes and shoes worth thousands, which he couldn’t afford at all.
It felt like charity.
Pei Chen didn’t even take them out; he just placed all the bags in the corner of his room.
He sat down at the desk, remembering seeing Gong Qinxin tonight, and his heart sank again as he closed his eyes.
He still clearly remembered his mother insisting on leaving home with her suitcase, and he stood at the door, holding back tears as he glared at her, “If you leave, I will never consider you my mother again.”
He wanted to use a threatening tone to make her stay, but Gong Qinxin left anyway.
He watched her retreating figure without looking back, biting his lip tightly as tears fell one by one.