Another day had passed.
After finishing two English practice papers, Meng Luobai went downstairs to get some fresh air.
Zhuoyuan Villa District was a garden-style residential area with excellent landscaping, featuring two small gardens and an artificial lake. Walking out of the small garden at her doorstep, she arrived at the property management office.
As it happened, a property management auntie came out to take out the trash. Meng Luobai took the initiative to approach her and strike up a conversation. "Auntie, I just moved in. Can delivery drivers enter our neighborhood?"
Hearing her voice, the woman looked up at her and said politely, "Delivery vehicles are not allowed inside our community. You can register at the property management office. Once your delivery arrives, we'll receive it on your behalf, and the butler will deliver it to the parcel locker. Then you can pick it up right at your doorstep. Which villa number are you?"
Meng Luobai thought for a moment. "Ninety… six."
The woman smiled and asked, "Did you get it wrong? Zhuoyuan only has eighty-eight units."
"Did I get it wrong? Anyway, it's near the artificial lake, and the next-door neighbor is a little boy, about ten years old, named Lu Jin. He lives with his mother."
"Oh, I know which one you mean. That's number 76," the woman said. "I know the boy you're talking about, but that's not his mother."
"It's not?…"
…
After staying at the property management office for a while, Meng Luobai returned to find Sangsang and Meng Luoyu playing in the backyard. She asked, "Do you want to have afternoon tea with your sister?"
Sangsang obediently said, "Mom said we can't drink tea yet."
Meng Luoyu, afraid that her favorite afternoon tea session might fall through, quickly said, "Sister, will there be milk tea?"
Meng Luobai raised an eyebrow and made a shushing gesture.
Half an hour later, the three of them retrieved the milk tea and cake they had ordered from the parcel locker. The two little girls each held a cup of milk tea, hopping and skipping along beside Meng Luobai.
Sangsang glanced at the cake and the extra cups of milk tea in Meng Luobai's hands. "Sister, did you buy these for brother?"
"Mhm, you'll bring them up to him in a bit."
"Okay." Sangsang obediently replied. "Then what about the other cup? Mom and Dad aren't home."
Meng Luobai said, "There's a boy about your age living next door. Should we invite him too?"
"I saw him yesterday," Meng Luoyu said. "But his mom is really fierce. She kept yanking him around."
Meng Luobai was silent for a moment. "Then will you two go invite him?"
Meng Luoyu and Sangsang said in unison, "Okay!"
Just as they finished speaking, a Rolls-Royce pulled up at the entrance of the neighboring villa. Moments later, the rear door opened. The woman got out first, then turned back and called to the person inside, "Hurry up and get out."
Immediately after, a fluffy little head appeared at the car door. The little boy jumped out of the car clutching his backpack. Being still quite young, his body wobbled slightly as he jumped down with his backpack in his arms. He swayed, and before he could steady himself, the woman pulled him along. "Hurry up."
Meng Luobai walked out from her doorway and greeted them. "Just getting back from class?"
The woman glanced at her and the two little girls behind her, then gave a faint tug at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah."
"My name is Meng Luoyu, and she's Sangsang." Meng Luoyu had already walked over to the boy. "What's your name?"
The boy's expression was indifferent. Clutching his backpack, he looked at Meng Luoyu and said, "Lu Jin."
"Lu Jin? That's a nice name." Meng Luoyu had always been a social butterfly since childhood, inviting him like a little adult, "Would you like to join us for afternoon tea?"
Lu Jin lightly lifted his gaze toward Meng Luobai, but before he could speak, the woman beside him immediately said, "No!"
The sudden loud voice made the children look at her. She realized she had overreacted and forced a smile, telling Meng Luoyu, "No, kids. A-Jin still needs to go back and practice piano."
Meng Luoyu frowned and said, "Didn't he just come back from tutoring? Can't he rest for a bit?"
"Let the kids play together for a while." Meng Luobai pulled out her phone from beside her. "The day before yesterday, after my mom delivered the cake to your place, she was a bit worried about the kids having allergies, so she asked the villa manager for Mr. Ling's contact info. Let me ask Mr. Ling."
Hearing that Meng Luobai had the contact information, the woman's expression visibly stiffened. "No need, Miss Meng." She bent down to ask Lu Jin, "A-Jin, do you want to go play with them?"
Lu Jin's eyes were fixed on Meng Luobai as he gave a nod without any expression.
The woman forced a faint smile with stiff lips. "Then just half an hour~ We still need to practice piano before dinner."
Meng Luobai led the three children into the house. Sangsang ran upstairs to deliver milk tea to Sang Shu, while the three of them went to the small table in front of the back courtyard entrance.
Meng Luoyu handed the other cup of milk tea to Lu Jin and asked him, "Did you make your mom angry? Why is she so fierce?"
Lu Jin said coldly, "She's not my mom. She's that man's mistress."
Meng Luobai went to the property manager and discreetly inquired about the neighbors. The Lu father and son had moved into Zhuoyuan four years ago, along with a butler who looked after the little boy and two nannies.
The woman had moved in just before Labor Day this year. The property manager sister said, "She greeted everyone as soon as she arrived—warm and attentive. His father barely stayed here for a few days, so we all thought she was his father's newly married wife, and the child finally had a mother to take care of him." With that, the manager sister shook her head. "Sigh…"
Meng Luoyu sipped her milk tea and asked, "What's a mistress?"
Lu Jin's little face was cold, and he said nothing.
Meng Luobai patted Meng Luoyu's head. "Go grab some plates so we can share the cake."
"Okay." Meng Luoyu put down her milk tea, hopped off the chair, and ran toward the kitchen.
Meng Luobai opened the milk tea in front of Lu Jin. "When does your dad come back from his business trip?"
The ten-year-old child had a youthful face but a cold demeanor, his thin lips pressed together. "He's not coming back."
Meng Luobai let out a soft sigh. Tough situation.
That day, seeing how poorly the woman treated him, combined with his overly cold little face, she had been momentarily curious enough to ask the villa manager about the neighbors. Now it seemed the child's father didn't care much about him either.
Meng Luobai carefully chose her words, afraid of meddling in others' affairs yet also worried about giving the child too much hope. "So, are you going to keep living with this auntie?"
Lu Jin remained silent. The boy's eyes were beautiful—pale glass-colored pupils, like thin ice holding light.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Meng Luobai asked gently again, "How long has it been since you saw your dad? Do you remember his phone number? Do you need—"
Lu Jin looked at her, the pale glassy light carrying a chill. "Don't meddle in my business. Butler Xu will be back next month."
"Sis!" At that moment, Meng Luoyu and Sangsang each returned with plates in hand. Meng Luobai blinked—had she just been warned by this little brat?
The two young girls handed the plates to Lu Jin and her, urging, "Sis, hurry and share the ice cream cake."
Meng Luobai: "Okay."
Lu Jin didn't touch the milk tea, but he was interested in the ice cream cake. He picked up a spoon and took a small, delicate bite.
Meng Luoyu was a little chatterbox. Sitting on the stool, she started chatting with Lu Jin, "How old are you?"
"…Ten."
Meng Luoyu: "So you're about to start fifth grade too?"
Lu Jin ate his ice cream cake, "…Seventh grade."
Meng Luoyu said in disbelief, "But you're ten!"
Lu Jin lifted his eyelids slightly. "I skipped a grade."
Meng Luoyu: "What a liar! The teacher said you can't skip grades now!"
Meng Luobai pulled at Meng Luoyu, "Why are you so loud? It just means Lu Jin is good at his studies."
Meng Luoyu said, "Can you be better at studying than Sangsang? She's always been first in class."
Sangsang said shyly, "It's not like I've always been first…"
Meng Luobai pressed down on Meng Luoyu's head, "Why are you so worried about this? Think about your own grades first."
Meng Luoyu was a kid whose head ached at the mention of studying, so she pretended to go talk to Sangsang instead.
Meng Luobai watched Lu Jin quietly eating his cake, his face carrying a coldness that didn't match his age.
Living with that person's lover… It didn't sound like something a child would say. It meant he was aware of his situation—was that why he didn't want to call his father?
Just as Meng Luobai was thinking this, a pair of glassy-colored eyes suddenly met her gaze. She was caught off guard for a moment. "Finished? I'll cut you another piece."
"No need." Lu Jin put down his spoon and replied. "I'm going back."
Meng Luobai: "Don't you want to play a little longer?"
Lu Jin neatly arranged the utensils and stood up from his seat. "No."
As the two were about to walk out of the villa's entrance, Meng Luobai spoke up anyway, "Do you need to call Butler Xu?"
Lu Jin: "There's a phone at my house."
"…" Meng Luobai tugged at her lips. "Well, if you ever want cake again, you can come find me."
Lu Jin lifted his eyelids, his glassy-colored eyes void of any emotion. After a brief pause, he said again, "Thank you."
It was a very soft 'thank you'—Meng Luobai almost didn't hear it. She pressed her lips together. The kid was actually quite polite. She pretended not to hear and asked with a smile, "What did you say?"
Lu Jin ignored her, opened the door, and walked out into the yard.
Because of this first meeting, every time Meng Luobai went out and saw Lu Jin afterward, she would take the initiative to greet him. But that cool, delicate little face remained indifferent, and most of the time he'd just glance at her.
Whenever that happened, Meng Luobai would chase after him and tease him with a few words. Finally, one day, he said, "Meng Luobai, stop bothering me."
Meng Luobai let out a soft laugh. "I'm starting school tomorrow. You won't even have the chance to have me bother you anymore."
Lu Jin silently looked at her, saying nothing.
"I thought we were friends by now." During this period, she'd often invited Lu Jin over to her house for snacks, though eight out of ten times she was turned down. Meng Luobai glanced toward the villa. "When did you say Butler Xu is coming back?"
Lu Jin stood on the steps, brows slightly furrowed, long lashes lifted, his face full of coldness. "Next week."
Meng Luobai handed him a sticky note. "This is my number. Call me if you miss me."
Lu Jin glanced down at the note but didn't take it, nor did he speak.
That beautiful, still youthful face gradually merged with the reflection in the car window. A voice sounded from the seat beside her. "Feeling sleepy?"
Meng Luobai had been staring blankly at the window, lost in thought. At the sound of the voice, she looked toward the driver's seat. Lu Jin… no, Ling Sui. He wore a runway-style white shirt with an extremely soft texture, the collar loosely open, dipping down just slightly to reveal a small patch of pale, clean collarbone—not deliberate, but carrying a restrained sensuality.
The rushing wind from outside seeped through the window, which was rolled down an inch, pushing his stray bangs back and lending the silhouette beneath the white shirt a composed yet fervent masculine air.
Meng Luobai suddenly froze.
The tall, boyishly slender figure in her memory had been gradually reshaped since the moment they met. Whether it was the tall, bewitching, languidly seductive man in the manor, or the man before her now with relaxed shoulders and a subdued presence, neither was the cool, proud, aloof youth he used to be.
Meng Luobai let out a soft breath. Caught up in her sudden wave of reflection, she momentarily forgot to answer whatever Ling Sui had asked her. It wasn't until his inquiring gaze probed toward her.
Meng Luobai pressed her temple. "I'm a bit tired. What did you just say?"
Hearing her words, Ling Sui rolled up the window beside her. "Then rest for a while. We'll be home in about ten minutes."
Meng Luobai wasn't actually sleepy—she just had nothing to say. She closed her eyes and remained silent until the car stopped at the entrance of her building. She thanked him softly, picked up the medical kit, and stepped out of the car. Before she had taken two steps, she saw that Ling Sui had also gotten out, closed the car door, and was looking up at the building.
Meng Luobai followed his gaze, glanced up at the building, then walked over to stand across from him. "Drive safely on your way back. Goodbye."
She was just turning around when she heard Ling Sui call her name. "Meng Luobai."
Meng Luobai stopped and looked back at him.
Ling Sui lowered his gaze to check the time. 3:23.
Seeing that he hadn't spoken, Meng Luobai asked, "Is there something else?"
No matter how urgent the words were, this wasn't the right time. Ling Sui lowered his eyes almost imperceptibly, then looked at her and said, "Rest well."
The summer night breeze was gentle, drifting by lazily. The soft white shirt was lifted at one corner by the wind, the collar hanging loosely open. Meng Luobai's gaze inadvertently drifted downward—beneath his collarbone, on the pale skin, a faint red scratch lay half-hidden.
The chaotic image of a man and woman in the manor, along with the wounds on Ling Sui's body, suddenly flashed through Meng Luobai's mind.
"…You rest well too." Meng Luobai hesitated before adding, "You have injuries. You should avoid smoking, avoid alcohol, avoid—" She lifted her eyes, finishing a beat late, "—carnal indulgence."
The moment she said it, Meng Luobai suddenly realized—they hadn't seen each other in seven years, and they were barely more than strangers who had once crossed paths. Was it overstepping to remind him of something so private?
"Carnal indulgence?" Ling Sui's brow arched almost imperceptibly, a hint of allure at the corner of his eyes, clearly puzzled. "What carnal indulgence do I need to avoid?"
"…Doctor's orders." Meng Luobai quickly added, "A doctor's recommendation. After all, you have injuries."
"It's nothing serious. However, I am young," Ling Sui's lips curved slightly, the soft collar of his robes fluttering in the wind, the skin at his chest pale and cold, his glass-colored eyes growing all the more intense in the night. "I'll reserve that suggestion."
"…"
Meng Luobai pressed her lips together stiffly. In the end, she had said too much.