Rong Ting spent the whole night hoping that Ran Jiu would forget what had happened that evening.
She woke up early the next morning with dark circles under her eyes and headed to class. Distracted throughout the day, she took incomplete notes during her major courses and performed poorly in volleyball class, ending up with red, sore wrists and a fall that left a bruise on her knee by midday.
She wasn’t particularly delicate, but after spending the afternoon in the library under the chilly air conditioning, the spots where she’d been injured seemed to ache even more whether it was her imagination or not, she couldn’t tell. Especially when walking, she felt a constant pulling sensation.
Unable to bear the discomfort, she went to the campus clinic to get some ointment for bruises and applied it after dinner.
In the afternoon, she spent a long time working on assignments in the study room when her mother called. The background noise was chaotic, and her mother’s voice strained to break through the clamor: “Xiao Ting? Can you hear me?”
Rong Ting quietly stepped out of the study room, covering the microphone with her hand. “Yes.”
“So, I’ve gotten in touch with your fourth uncle—the one you saw at your grandma’s house during the New Year. Remember him?”
Rong Ting frowned, trying to recall. She had a vague impression.
Her grandmother had four children—all boys except for her mother. She often interacted with her eldest and second uncles, but her mother had mentioned that her fourth uncle had left home in his teens to make a living in the capital and eventually settled there. He only returned occasionally during the New Year and was usually very busy, but he always kept an eye on family matters.
The relationships among her mother’s generation of relatives were quite close. Rong Ting had always had a faint impression of her fourth uncle, until she saw him again at her grandmother’s dinner table this past New Year.
He had returned alone—his wife had passed away from cancer a few years earlier. He had been raising his daughter by himself while working hard in the capital and had since built up some assets.
In her memory, he was a gentle and unassuming man.
Her mother’s voice grew urgent: “Fourth Uncle heard you’re at U University and has been asking about you. Your cousin isn’t doing well in her studies, so he’d like you to help tutor her in your free time.”
Pausing at the important part, her tone brightened with excitement: “Also, Fourth Uncle said you could stay at his place if you want. It’s a big villa with a room just for you, and it’s not far from your school.”
“When I told him you were sharing an apartment with someone, he scolded me for not asking him for help. He said you’re too soft-hearted and worried you might get taken advantage of.”
“Once these three months are up, why don’t you move to your fourth uncle’s place?”
Rong Ting’s mind went blank. She had only been living here for a month, but she already felt incredibly comfortable. She had a strong intuition that it would be hard for her to find another place that felt as safe.
Yet her mother’s suggestion made perfect sense, and for a moment, she couldn’t think of any reason to object.
Her mother continued rapid-fire: “Oh, and Fourth Uncle said he’ll take you and your cousin Yuanyuan out for dinner tonight. He’ll pick you up from your school this afternoon. I gave him your WeChat—remember to accept his request. I have a meeting now, so I’ll hang up.”
Listening to the dial tone, Rong Ting felt a sense of loss as she closed the call screen. Sure enough, there was a new WeChat friend request.
She added a note and accepted. Fourth Uncle’s nickname was simply his name, Chen Da, and his profile picture was very typical of an older person—a lush forest in the background with him standing in front, holding a little girl around three or four years old.
He quickly sent a message: 【Xiao Ting, this is Fourth Uncle.】
Rong Ting replied: 【Yes, hello Fourth Uncle. Mom told me.】
The other party sent a voice message. Rong Ting clicked to listen, and the person spoke with a distinct local accent from their hometown, which sounded quite familiar.
【Do you have classes this afternoon? I’ll be passing by your school around four o’clock. I’ll pick you up, and we can spend some time at my place. Your cousin is there too. Then we’ll go out for dinner in the evening.】
Rong Ting indeed had no other classes in the afternoon. She had originally planned to stay a bit longer in the study room, but to make things convenient for her fourth uncle, she agreed.
A little past four in the afternoon, she received a voice message from her fourth uncle and hurried out through the east gate to catch the car.
The gray-blue BMW was modest yet eye-catching. She glanced at the person in the passenger seat—it matched the man who had returned during the New Year.
He seemed to have lost even more weight since the New Year, but his spirits were high. He was wearing an old-fashioned blue-and-white striped short-sleeved T-shirt and suit pants.
“You must be Tingting,” Chen Da said warmly, stepping out to open the car door for her. His eyes were kind. “You seem to have grown even taller since the New Year. Come on, get in.”
Rong Ting smiled shyly. In truth, she hadn’t grown much since starting university, but relatives often used this phrase to praise her—clumsy yet affectionate.
The air conditioning in the car was turned up high, making it quite cool. Combined with the smooth traffic, they arrived at her fourth uncle’s house in just over ten minutes. The area was filled with detached villas, each with its own designated parking space.
Suddenly stepping into such a luxurious environment, Rong Ting felt a bit flustered. Her fourth uncle, however, remained calm. He parked the car casually and opened the door for her.
She smiled and thanked him. Chen Da motioned for her to follow him, introducing the surroundings as they walked. “See, the environment here is quite nice. Ayuan also attends a junior high school nearby. She’s in her third year now.”
He sighed slightly at this. “But her grades aren’t as good as yours. Your mom told me you’re tutoring in Beijing. Why don’t you just stay at your fourth uncle’s place? You could teach Yuan some study methods, huh? I’ll give both of you the same amount of pocket money each month.”
Rong Ting chuckled softly. The feeling was hard to describe.
Suddenly having such an enthusiastic relative who assured her that money wasn’t an issue warmed her heart. It added a layer of security, but she didn’t accept the offer outright, treating it as a joke instead as she continued following him.
An aunt stood at the door. After confirming her identity, she hurried to fetch new slippers. Rong Ting felt overwhelmed by the gesture but insisted on using disposable ones instead.
A girl ran downstairs. It was clear she had been well cared for—her cheeks rosy, her eyes bright and sparkling. She was nearly as tall as Rong Ting and looked at her curiously.
Chen Da introduced them. “Ayuan, let me introduce you. This is your cousin from your third aunt’s family. She’s an excellent student—she got into the Chinese Department of U University two years ago. Impressive, right?”
Chen Baiyuan clapped politely. “Very impressive.”
“So make sure to learn from your cousin, okay?”
Chen Baiyuan nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. “Got it.”
Chen Da patted her. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself to your cousin?”
She wrinkled her nose, seemingly displeased at being directed. “Alright, you go ahead. I’m not a primary school student.”
Chen Baiyuan had a lively personality, clearly well-protected and comfortable speaking her mind. Once Chen Da left, she opened up even more, sharing everything about herself.
As Rong Ting accompanied her cousin upstairs, she listened attentively.
“Hello, cousin. I’m Chen Baiyuan. You can call me Yuan or Ayuan.”
“I occasionally follow celebrities, dabble in the world of anime, and enjoy both animation and traditional Chinese-style music circles. I also like playing pool and golf. If you’re studying Chinese, maybe you could help me write some lyrics sometime.”
Rong Ting couldn’t help but laugh at her grown-up tone and the way she so casually shared personal details.
Chen Baiyuan heard the laughter and gave a sly smile. “There’s another secret—even my dad doesn’t know.”
“What is it?” Rong Ting was momentarily caught off guard by her serious expression.
Satisfied with the reaction, Chen Baiyuan slowly revealed, “I like girls.”