The second half of her sentence was spoken so softly that the noise of the fireworks and firecrackers drowned it out.
With tears in her eyes, the girl said, “Pei Chen, do you remember when I said I wanted to make a wish for the New Year?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s make another wish together. They say that if you wish with a sincere heart, it will come true.”
Liang Zhiyi closed her eyes.
She wished that the boy she liked would always be safe and healthy, that he could get his leg treated soon, that he would be happy every day, and that he would bravely pursue the things he loved.
Even if she couldn’t be by his side.
A tear slipped down from the corner of her eye.
She opened her eyes and softly asked him, “Pei Chen, did you make your wish?”
On the other end, with his eyes closed, he responded hoarsely.
The girl, afraid he would hear the tremor in her voice, quickly found an excuse, saying she was tired, and ended the call.
On the other end of the line, Pei Chen silently watched as his screen gradually dimmed.
He remembered the wish he had made on New Year’s Eve. He had hoped that the girl could always be a happy little princess and that she would meet a boy who was truly right for her, someone who could love her well.
But just now, his wish had changed:
He wished that he could be with her.
She had said that if you make a wish with a sincere heart, it would come true.
In that moment, he suddenly wanted to be selfish. Even if there was only a slight chance, he wanted to wish, just once, that she could belong to him.
°°°
On the first day of the New Year, Liang Zhiyi and Liang Tongzhou were taken by their parents to visit their grandparents in a nearby city, as well as various other relatives. They didn’t return until the third day.
On the morning of the fourth day, Ji Fei’er learned from Liang Zhiyi that she was going to transfer schools and, in shock, quickly rushed over to the Liang household.
In the bedroom, the girl leaned against the bed while Ji Fei’er sat in front of her, listening to her story, completely stunned:
“So you agreed to your parents’ decision?”
“There was no room for negotiation.”
She explained that while she could usually get her way by throwing a tantrum, her parents would always indulge her. But once Liang Tianming made up his mind, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t resist.
The girl lowered her head, her nose tingling with sadness. “I wish I had just secretly liked Pei Chen…”
Even if Pei Chen had never known.
At least she could still see him every day.
Ji Fei’er hugged her tightly, feeling sorry for her. “If you were going to have a secret crush, would you still be the bold and outspoken Liang Zhiyi?”
She felt sad. “I finally got to be in the same class with you for half a year, and now you’re transferring again. You say you’re sad because you won’t see Pei Chen, but aren’t you sad about leaving me too?”
Liang Zhiyi managed a tearful smile and hugged her back. “Of course I know you’re my best friend for life. Even if we don’t see each other often, our relationship won’t change…”
“So you’re afraid things might change between you and Pei Chen?”
The girl remained silent.
In truth, part of her sadness stemmed from the impending separation, but another part of it was worry—worry that after a year and a half apart, he might forget about her, or that they might miss their chance together.
Time and distance are like sharp blades, capable of ruthlessly destroying many things that seem unbreakable. And at their young age, feelings can change so easily.
Ji Fei’er sighed, “Actually, if you think about it differently, you could see this as giving yourselves a year and a half to test your feelings for each other, and to see if Pei Chen’s feelings are just as strong. If you both remain steadfast, you’ll definitely end up together in the end.”
Liang Zhiyi kept her head down, not saying a word.
The main issue was that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the result of such a test…
In the end, Ji Fei’er comforted her for a long time, and Liang Zhiyi’s mood gradually improved. At noon, the girl invited Ji Fei’er to stay for lunch, but Ji Fei’er said she had to go home since relatives were visiting.
“When are you going to Province W?”
“…Tomorrow.”
She needed to go to her new school to handle some paperwork, and there were many things to take care of.
“So soon? I definitely have to see you off tomorrow.”
Liang Zhiyi nodded and quietly said, “Right… But don’t tell Pei Chen just yet.”
She still hadn’t figured out how to break the news to him.
Ji Fei’er agreed, and as she was leaving the room, she saw Liang Tongzhou leaning against the doorframe, his dark hair and strong brows giving him a bold, unrestrained appearance.
The boy lifted his eyelids and glanced at her.
Ji Fei’er walked up to him. “Take good care of your sister for me. I think she’ll be sad for a while.”
“I know.”
Ji Fei’er smiled at him, “Make sure to study hard next semester, okay? Don’t get too caught up in having fun.”
Liang Tongzhou lazily responded.
“Alright, I’m off then.”
As she was about to leave, the boy suddenly straightened up and blocked her path.
They stood very close to each other.
Ji Fei’er caught a whiff of the fresh scent on him, and her heart skipped a beat. She looked up, meeting Liang Tongzhou’s gaze.
She froze for a moment, hearing his deep voice: “Accept my friend request.”
“Oh, okay.”
She arched her brows with a smile, “Why? Are you afraid I won’t accept it?”
He curved his lips slightly and said in a low voice, “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Hearing this, Ji Fei’er’s heart skipped a beat. Liang Tongzhou continued to look at her calmly, “Otherwise, my sister will worry about you too.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be just fine.”
After Ji Fei’er left, Liang Zhiyi emerged from her room and went to find her father in the study.
“Dad, when are we leaving tomorrow?”
“At eight in the morning. You should pack your things tonight.”
Liang Zhiyi lowered her eyes. “Dad, I want to go see Pei Chen tonight. I want to say goodbye to him. Is that okay?”
Liang Tianming looked at her. “Alright.”
That afternoon, Pei Chen went out to work his part-time job while Pei Yongxia prepared the day’s meals.
Pei Yongxia put the fish and shrimp, which he had asked the neighbor to buy from the market that morning, into the fridge. He glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.
After a while, there was a knock at the door.
Pei Yongxia responded, wiping his wet hands, and moved his wheelchair from the kitchen to the door. When he opened it, he saw Gong Qinxin standing outside.
“Yongxia—”
“Hey…”
The woman entered, carrying a lot of things. “Today is your son’s lunar birthday, so I thought I’d spend it with you both.”
Pei Yongxia nodded, “Pei Chen is out. He said he’s working part-time at the library and won’t be back until evening.”
Gong Qinxin frowned, “Why does he still need to work part-time?”
She couldn’t understand why Pei Chen would rather work than accept her money.
After coming inside, Gong Qinxin placed the cake and ingredients she had bought on the dining table. Pei Yongxia mentioned that he remembered it was Pei Chen’s birthday but hadn’t told him, planning to surprise his son when he got home.
Gong Qinxin rolled up her sleeves and said she would help with the preparations.
As they worked together, Gong Qinxin noticed a few boxes of expensive supplements and asked in surprise, “Did you buy these?”
“No, they were a gift from that girl, Zhiyi, the one you met the other day.”
“Is that girl’s family really that wealthy?”
Pei Yongxia briefly explained the situation of Liang Zhiyi’s family. When Gong Qinxin heard the surname Liang and that they owned a company, something clicked in her mind. “Wait a minute, isn’t this girl the daughter of the Liang Group? No wonder her name sounded so familiar…”
Gong Qinxin’s current husband was also in business, and she herself dabbled in investments. Who in Lincheng didn’t know about the Liang Group? A few years ago, she had even attended a gala hosted by the Liang Group and had heard that the chairman had a beloved daughter named Zhiyi.
When Pei Yongxia mentioned that Pei Chen had been unhappy lately, Gong Qinxin immediately understood. “You may not realize just how big the Liang Group is, but if that girl is really the daughter of the Liang family, then she and Pei Chen…”
She left the rest of the sentence unsaid.
Pei Yongxia sighed, “You know how strong Pei Chen’s sense of pride is. I can see he’s struggling, but there’s nothing much I can give him.”
Gong Qinxin’s eyes flickered with a thought.
But if her son were with her, things would be different.
She could provide Pei Chen with a better life.
Currently, she had little standing in her new family, and her stepson ignored her. Her current husband wasn’t opposed to her bringing Pei Chen to live with them. If Pei Chen could get along with his stepfather, she could secure a better share of the inheritance for him in the future, rather than letting the other child take it all.
She pretended to be sad and said, “Yongxia, I feel so much guilt towards my son after all these years. I still want to take care of him myself…”
Pei Yongxia was stunned for a moment and then said quietly, “If our son were with you, I’d feel at ease…”
Out of love, he wanted Pei Chen to stay with him, but he didn’t want to burden him with a difficult life.
As they continued preparing dinner, Pei Yongxia sent a message to Pei Chen in the evening, asking him to come home early after his part-time job.
Over an hour later, the sky had darkened.
Pei Chen finished his work at the bookstore, saw his father’s message, and rode his bike home.
As he approached the entrance to his neighborhood, Pei Chen noticed a boy gently wrapping a scarf around a girl. The two then held hands, their faces glowing with happiness.
His gaze faltered slightly.
The image of Liang Zhiyi holding his hand a few days ago and looking up at him flashed in his mind.
After a moment, he lowered his eyes, which were tinged with bitterness, and rode his bike home.
When he reached his apartment, he opened the door and heard voices coming from the kitchen.
He walked in, and Gong Qinxin, seeing him, greeted him warmly, “Son, you’re back.”
Pei Chen looked at Gong Qinxin, who was wearing an apron and holding a spatula. For a moment, he was disoriented, as if he had returned to a time when the three of them were still together.
But after two seconds, his eyes turned cold.
“Why are you here again?”
Gong Qinxin paused slightly, then smiled, “Today is your lunar birthday, did you forget? Mom wanted to come and celebrate it with you.”
Pei Chen never really remembered his own birthday.
To him, it was just another day, nothing worth celebrating.
The whole day had passed without him realizing it was his lunar birthday. Since he hadn’t told anyone, no one had wished him a happy birthday.
Pei Yongxia encouraged him, “Son, your mom took time out of her busy day to be here. Let’s have a meal together, okay?”
Seeing the hopeful look in his father’s eyes, Pei Chen lowered his gaze, put down his backpack, and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.
The three of them sat down at the dinner table. Pei Yongxia smiled as he placed a bowl of longevity noodles in front of Pei Chen. “Here, birthday boy, have some noodles first. Remember, the noodles shouldn’t break.”
Pei Chen picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the noodles.
Pei Yongxia then served him some sweet and sour ribs. “Try this—it’s still the same recipe, right?”
When he was a child, Pei Chen’s favorite dish was his father’s sweet and sour ribs. He used to beg and pester his father to make them, and every time he had this dish, he was filled with joy.
After his father became disabled, Pei Chen grew more mature and never asked his father to make it again.
As he tasted the familiar flavor, Pei Chen nodded, “Dad, you should eat too.”