Candy
The noodles in the pot had turned slightly pale. Chi Yue scooped them out and divided them into three bowls, then fried three eggs. He added a splash of soy sauce and vinegar to each bowl, leaving out the chili for the smallest bowl, which he garnished with seaweed and a few drops of olive oil.
The house was still in disarray, and this was the best meal he could manage under the circumstances. The dining table, left by the previous owner, was a rustic wooden square, showing signs of age. Chi Yue set the table, and just then, the door clicked open as the mother and daughter entered.
Chi Ruirui bounced in, throwing herself at Chi Yue and hugging his leg. He patted her gently, “Go wash your hands.”
Three people, three bowls of noodles. The previous owner had installed warm lighting in the dining room. Although the living room still had some unpacked luggage scattered around, the quiet space and the night breeze blowing in from the balcony lent a cozy atmosphere. Xu Chan had nearly finished eating, and she hesitated before speaking.
“Your uncle has almost sorted out your school. Ningcheng No. 2 High School. He says it’s about the same as Shaojiang No. 1 High School, a good school.”
Chi Yue had finished eating as well. He took a napkin and wiped the sweat from Chi Ruirui’s forehead as she slowly sipped her soup, murmuring an acknowledgment without looking up.
As he raised his hand to wipe Chi Ruirui’s sweat, the scar on Chi Yue’s right arm became clearly visible to Xu Chan. She took a deep breath and couldn’t help but ask, “Shouldn’t you have that injury looked at again?”
Chi Yue replied quickly this time, “No need.”
Xu Chan opened her mouth to persuade him further but knew her son’s character too well. After a few attempts, she finally said softly, “This really is the last time, Xiao Yue. We’ve moved now, things will get better.”
Chi Yue exhaled deeply—last time, things will get better.
This was their family’s version of “since we’re here” or “it’s the holidays,” a nice-sounding but ultimately empty phrase.
He wanted to say that this was probably the umpteenth “last time” she’d mentioned, and that she couldn’t guarantee anything, so why keep saying it?
But seeing Xu Chan’s slightly reddened eyes, he refrained from questioning her words and instead asked, “What about Chi Ruirui?”
Hearing her name, Chi Ruirui looked up.
“She’s seven now, she should be starting elementary school.”
“…We might have to take some time to find her school.”
Xu Chan looked worried, “Transitioning from kindergarten to elementary is tricky. We had her enrolled in Shaojiang, but now we need to transfer her records, redo the health check, residency, and household registration documents. And her health—”
She stopped abruptly.
In the sudden silence, Chi Yue nodded, his expression unchanged. “Got it. You go to work. I’ll handle these for her.”
Xu Chan nodded, saying nothing more, and turned to look at Chi Ruirui with Chi Yue. Chi Ruirui finished her last sip of soup, set down her bowl, and carefully folded a napkin into a small square to wipe her mouth before speaking.
“It’s okay, Mom. My brother and I will take care of it.”
Xu Chan and Chi Yue couldn’t help but smile. Chi Yue tapped the table in front of her twice, “Chi Ruirui, do you want to go to elementary school?”
Chi Ruirui hesitated, then asked, “Is it like kindergarten?”
“Pretty much. You’ll have lots of friends to play with.”
Chi Ruirui thought for a moment and nodded, “I want to go to elementary school, but—”
She looked up at Chi Yue, a bit wistfully, “I hope the new classmates are braver. I’m worried I might scare them again. I made my kindergarten classmates cry before. But it’s okay, if they feel scared or weird, I’ll wear long sleeves and a jacket.”
Her words caused a slight pause in the room. Xu Chan glanced at Chi Yue, a bit flustered, and spoke first, “Yes, we’ll wear long sleeves, wear jackets. It won’t be long, winter is coming soon—”
“No need.”
Chi Yue looked at Chi Ruirui and answered steadily, “You wear whatever you want.”
“If anyone is scared or thinks it’s weird, just tell your brother.”
Chi Ruirui seemed to relax a little and nodded vigorously, “Okay.”
Xu Chan watched the siblings, turned away to wipe her eyes, then quickly turned back. Chi Yue pretended not to notice, lowering his head and starting to clear the table.
At seven in the evening, just as Chi Yue finished tidying the kitchen, his phone began to beep with an electronic “beep beep” sound. The screen displayed the alarm name—Time to brew medicine for Chi Ruirui.
At precisely seven, he used a small clay pot to simmer various herbs, some familiar, some not, over a low flame for two hours until they became a full bowl of liquid.
Chi Ruirui had been frail as a child, constantly falling ill, relying on various herbal concoctions. She was used to it, downing a bowl without flinching. After finishing the last sip, she placed the bowl in front of Chi Yue and held out her hand.
Chi Yue reached into his bag, pulling out a small tin of candy, only to find it empty.
Damn. Chi Yue cursed softly.
With all the chaos of moving, he had forgotten to restock the candy for the first time. Chi Ruirui was still looking at him expectantly. He patted her head, “Can I give you two tomorrow?”
Chi Ruirui continued to look at him. Chi Yue shook the tin, “It’s empty. I’ll buy more tomorrow.”
The little girl understood, a hint of disappointment in her eyes, yet she nodded understandingly, “It’s okay, you’ve been busy these days, I know.” She thought for a moment, then reached into the small pocket on the side of her dress, pulling out a small packet of colorful candies. She unwrapped one for herself and offered another to Chi Yue.
Chi Yue accepted it, a rich milk candy.
He tossed the candy into his mouth, biting into it as the overly sweet flavor slowly melted. He asked, “Who gave it to you?”
Chi Ruirui, chewing on her candy, mumbled, “The boy upstairs.”
Chi Yue immediately thought of the boy from upstairs.
“Don’t accept things from strangers,” Chi Yue said, “especially food.”
Chi Ruirui asked, “Is he a bad person?”
“…” Chi Yue thought back to the face he saw upstairs earlier, “Probably not, but you never know with others.”
Chi Ruirui nodded obediently, speaking with complete trust, “I’m not afraid, I have my brother.”
Chi Yue flicked her forehead lightly. From the bathroom, Xu Chan called for Chi Ruirui to take a bath and get ready for bed. The little girl handed the entire packet of candy to Chi Yue and skipped off to the bathroom. Chi Yue reminded her, “Slow down.”
The previous tenant had only taken their personal belongings, leaving the larger furniture behind. On the balcony, there was even a bamboo lounge chair, its wood darkened and oiled, which Xu Chan had cleaned thoroughly. Chi Yue sat cross-legged on it, leaning back to gaze at the night outside the balcony.
It wasn’t as hot in the evening. The osmanthus tree in the yard emitted a faint fragrance, not overpowering. Somewhere, a parent was helping a child with homework, repeating “What’s six times nine?” three times, each time sounding more weary. Chi Yue withdrew his gaze, noticing the ivy from upstairs hanging down to the second-floor balcony, swaying in the night breeze.
Chi Yue watched for a while, recalling what Chi Ruirui had said about the boy on the second floor.
From the moment he got out of the car, he felt someone watching him. From unloading the car to entering the building, to coming out to pay the driver… it seemed like the gaze left for two minutes, then returned.
Chi Yue found it a bit annoying, but not unbearable. It was only when he was drinking water that he glanced up to warn the person.
That glance surprised him—it wasn’t the nosy busybody he had imagined, but a boy about his age, wearing a white T-shirt and shorts, half his body peeking out from the lush ivy. His hair was a bit long in front, revealing a face that remained fresh and cool even in the sweltering heat, so pale that Chi Yue suspected it might be translucent.
But no matter how good-looking, being stared at was still irritating. Chi Yue glared at him for two seconds, not responding to his greeting.
It was quite rude, Chi Yue knew. But he was in a mediocre mood, and he had become hypersensitive to the curious stares of neighbors—he had seen too many before, usually accompanied by a series of supposedly hushed “tsk tsk tsk,” followed by a pitying yet condescending “Poor kid from that family.”
This boy was different. He seemed genuinely curious, wanting to see who had moved in downstairs.
But Chi Yue felt no obligation to satisfy his curiosity.
Chi Yue checked his phone, finding his social media apps quiet. His move had been so rushed that his former classmates probably didn’t know he had transferred schools. Even if they did, no one would contact him. Only his former homeroom teacher had sent and then retracted several messages, leaving just one: If you have any problems, feel free to contact me.
She was a young teacher, fresh out of college, with a strong sense of responsibility. She had even visited his home once when he missed school for a few days—just once, and it must have left quite an impression on her career.
Chi Yue didn’t know how to respond. After pondering for a while, he simply closed the chat. The bathroom was quiet now, with Xu Chan and Chi Ruirui having finished their routines and returned to the master bedroom. He quickly took a shower and returned to his room, turning off the lights and getting into bed.
The luggage was all from Shaojiang, and the bedding still smelled faintly of laundry detergent. But the subtle scent of osmanthus wafting through the screen reminded him he was indeed in a new city.
This place was 271 kilometers from Shaojiang, a three-hour drive on the highway, a brand new and unfamiliar city where no one knew him. It was his first night in this new city.
With that thought, Chi Yue suddenly relaxed completely, like a weary traveler finding a rest stop. The exhaustion from moving hit him all at once, and though it was still early, he felt a drowsiness that made it hard to keep his eyes open.
Chi Yue pulled the blanket over his head and fell asleep.
Perhaps because he was so tired, the second alarm didn’t wake him, and when he got up, it was already nine o’clock.
Xu Chan and Chi Ruirui were still asleep. Chi Yue didn’t disturb them, washed up, and went out to buy breakfast.
Having only arrived in the neighborhood yesterday, he hadn’t had much chance to explore this still somewhat unfamiliar area. He turned left, following the sidewalk based on his memory from the day before.
The weather was cool in the early morning, not yet hot. The street trees on both sides were lush, their leaves already turning yellow. The shops lining the street were a mix of clinics, pharmacies, convenience stores, barbershops, restaurants, and various other businesses. Most of the signs looked a bit old, and at this hour, most were still closed.
Old ladies gathered on the roadside, chatting and selling vegetables. The greens, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers looked fresh and vibrant. Someone was pushing a tricycle selling breakfast, a stack of steamers polished to a shine, releasing steam into the cool, damp morning air.
The old district wasn’t crowded, far less bustling than the commercial street, giving it a somewhat desolate feel.
The breakfast stand’s sign advertised buns, fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, and various porridges. The selection seemed plentiful. Chi Yue glanced over it.
“Three egg pancakes and three bowls of tofu pudding, to go.”
The woman at the stand, wearing a bright yellow apron, deftly heated the pan to make pancakes. “Tofu pudding’s sold out, handsome.”
Chi Yue hesitated for two seconds, staring at the sign, then changed his order, “Three bowls of millet porridge.”
“Oh dear, millet porridge is sold out too.” The woman chuckled, like she was scolding her own child, “Get up earlier next time.”
“…Okay.” Chi Yue nodded, “What do you have left?”
The woman lifted the lid of a thermal container and peeked inside, “Pork offal porridge, pumpkin porridge. If you like savory, go for the pork offal. If you prefer sweet, then—”
“Pumpkin porridge, three bowls.” Chi Yue answered immediately.
“Alright.”
She began scooping the porridge into takeout containers. Just as she filled two bowls, a voice sounded behind Chi Yue, a bit hoarse, as if the speaker wasn’t fully awake.
“Two trays of steamed dumplings and three bowls of pumpkin porridge, to go.”
Chi Yue instinctively turned his head to look, seeing a face in a hoodie and jeans, still quite pale without the ivy backdrop.
Jiang Xu was cherishing his limited vacation time, having stayed up late gaming until two in the morning. Early in the morning, his mom had sent him out to buy breakfast, and he was still in a daze. He met Chi Yue’s gaze but didn’t react.
Oh, the rude new neighbor from yesterday.
He instinctively wanted to greet him.
But figured the guy wouldn’t respond.
He was already annoyed at being up so early.
Jiang Xu looked away.
The woman pointed at Chi Yue, her loud voice drawing both their attention back, “Pumpkin porridge’s all gone, this handsome guy bought the last of it.”
She gestured toward Chi Yue, then turned to Jiang Xu, “Get up earlier next time.”
Chi Yue: …That sounds familiar.
“How about pork offal porridge?” the woman asked. “We still have that.”
“…” Jiang Xu visibly frowned.
Jiang Xu was a traitor to the local Ningcheng palate, disliking savory porridge, and never eating animal innards. The thought of porridge cooked with heart, liver, intestines, and lungs was enough to send him running, making it hard to convince himself to say yes.
He hesitated, not responding, and turned to see if there were other breakfast options nearby. But it was indeed a bit late, and most other stalls had already packed up, leaving only this one still steaming.
As he turned, Chi Yue was watching him out of the corner of his eye.
There was no other reason; Chi Yue just found the obvious, conflicted expression on Jiang Xu’s face amusing. How could someone show such a face over missing out on breakfast?
Even pickier than Chi Ruirui, Chi Yue thought.
Thinking of Chi Ruirui, Chi Yue remembered the milk candy from last night. The packet was still by his bedside, and Chi Yue glanced at Jiang Xu again.
The boy was looking around for new options, his neck facing Chi Yue, appearing almost like white jade in the morning sun, reminiscent of the candy Chi Yue had eaten last night.
On a whim, Chi Yue thought, fine, for the sake of that packet of milk candy.
Jiang Xu was still debating whether to head to the snack shop across the street for some lean meatballs, or maybe wontons. But it would take a while, and he really didn’t want something so greasy first thing in the morning…
The person beside him suddenly reached out, tapping the takeout container of pumpkin porridge.
“I don’t want it anymore,” Chi Yue said, “Switch it for the other one.”