On Monday morning, Cheng Simian finished getting ready and prepared to head out.
When she reached the entrance, she saw Su Xianyan arriving as well and casually asked, “Heading to the office?”
“Mm.” Su Xianyan glanced at her. “I’ll drop you off on the way.”
“Great!” There was nothing better than a free ride.
After putting on her shoes, Cheng Simian stood aside waiting. As Su Xianyan opened the door halfway, he suddenly turned back to look at her. “Cheng Simian.”
“Huh?”
“Fix your clothes.”
Cheng Simian quickly looked herself over. The buttons were fastened, the skirt was neat—nothing seemed wrong. She raised her head at him, confused.
Su Xianyan said calmly, “Pull your skirt down a bit. And straighten your tie—don’t just let it hang there.”
“…Huh?”
Without changing his expression, Su Xianyan continued, “If I remember correctly, your school uniform isn’t supposed to look like this. The skirt should go past the knees, right?”
Cheng Simian coughed awkwardly. She hadn’t expected him to notice. “The school version is ugly. I secretly altered it. See? I even made the shirt smaller.”
Of course Su Xianyan knew the uniform had been altered—he noticed it the first time he drove her to school. He just hadn’t said anything. But today the weather was a bit cold, and seeing her standing outside with bare legs made him frown and remind her.
“Don’t alter it like that again.”
Cheng Simian pouted. “But it looks better…”
When she noticed Su Xianyan’s gaze sharpen slightly, she immediately shook her head. “I won’t do it again!”
Su Xianyan dropped her off at the school gate and then left.
Since she hadn’t eaten breakfast, Cheng Simian planned to buy something at the entrance.
“Cheng Simian!”
She turned around and saw Su Jianan getting out of a luxury car. There were plenty of wealthy students at this school, and fancy cars weren’t uncommon—but someone like Su Jianan, good-looking and stepping out of an especially extravagant car, naturally drew attention.
“Morning.” Cheng Simian greeted him briefly and then turned to buy breakfast.
“What are you buying?”
“Breakfast. I didn’t eat.”
“I’ve got food. I’ll give you some.”
“No need. I feel like having jianbing guozi this morning.” Cheng Simian looked utterly blissful. “And it has to be the insanely spicy kind.”
“Huh?” Su Jianan stared at the items on the street stall, utterly confused. “This is it?”
“Yeah. You’ve never had it?”
“No…”
Cheng Simian glanced at him. “I hadn’t either, at first. Then I tried it once and got completely hooked. So—want to give it a try?”
Su Jianan hesitated, then turned back to look at the steward standing by the car, holding his backpack. Lowering his voice, he said, “I want to try.”
“…If you’re trying it, then try it. Why are you being so sneaky?”
A trace of gloom flashed across Su Jianan’s face. “My family doesn’t let me eat food from outside casually.”
Cheng Simian fell silent for a moment. She glanced at the stern middle-aged man by the car, then turned back to the stall owner. “Make two of the same.”
“Coming right up!”
She said to Su Jianan, “I’ll take them inside first. I’ll give you yours once we get to the classroom.”
Su Jianan broke into a delighted smile. “Thank you.”
Cheng Simian gave him a few sidelong glances. “Hey… you should smile less…”
“Huh?” Su Jianan didn’t hear her clearly.
“Never mind.” Cheng Simian paid the vendor. What she had wanted to say was that his smile was just too clean and handsome—those girls standing nearby had been staring at him like wolves eyeing a little lamb.
After they returned to school, Su Jianan ate the very first jianbing guozi of his life.
The two of them stood at the end of the corridor, hissing and panting from the spiciness. Cheng Simian loved this kind of extreme heat—her eyes were practically tearing up, but it felt incredibly satisfying.
It was Su Jianan’s first time eating something with so much chili. He didn’t particularly like spicy food, but watching how exhilarated Cheng Simian looked, he suddenly felt that the heat wasn’t so bad after all.
“Finished? Class is about to start.” Cheng Simian said, baring her teeth from the burn.
Su Jianan hurriedly nodded and threw the leftovers into the trash.
Cheng Simian turned and walked toward the classroom.
“Cheng Simian.”
“What?”
“Wipe your face.”
She turned back and saw Su Jianan holding a gray square handkerchief.
“…You actually carry a handkerchief when you go out?”
Su Jianan smiled. “You’re tearing up. You should wipe it.”
Cheng Simian accepted it anyway. “Thanks.”
At lunchtime, Fu Ziwen took out the lunch she had brought from home.
“You brought food today?” Cheng Simian propped her chin on her hand. “Doesn’t that mean no one’s coming with me to lunch?”
“You can eat with me,” Fu Ziwen said.
“Forget it. There’s not enough for two. I’ll go buy something.” Just as she stood up, Su Jianan, who was seated in front of them, turned around. “I have a lot of lunch. We can eat together.”
Fu Ziwen’s eyes lit up. “Sure, sure!”
Cheng Simian glanced at his desk. “You brought lunch? Where is it?”
“It’s already downstairs.”
Three minutes later, Cheng Simian saw the same middle-aged man from earlier walk in, carrying a large box.
“Uncle Chen, just put it there,” Su Jianan said.
The man nodded. “Young master, Madam instructed that I must watch you finish your medicine.”
Su Jianan pressed his lips together, glanced at Cheng Simian, then said, “Okay.”
The man opened the box and took out medicine and a thermos from a side pouch. Su Jianan accepted them and swallowed the medicine as if he were already used to it.
“All right, Uncle Chen. I’m going to eat now. You can wait outside.”
“Yes.”
After the man left, several classmates who hadn’t gone out to eat yet cast curious looks their way. Su Jianan, however, seemed completely unaware. He carried the lunch box over to Cheng Simian’s desk, turned his chair around, and said, “You two eat together.”
Fu Ziwen picked up some food without ceremony. “Mmm… this is really good.”
“If you like it, eat more,” Su Jianan said with a smile. “Cheng Simian, you should eat too.”
Cheng Simian shot him a look. “Chopsticks.”
“Oh—right.” Su Jianan quickly handed her his chopsticks. “I’ll use a fork.”
When they were nearly finished eating, Cheng Simian’s phone vibrated.
She pulled it out of her desk drawer, and when she saw the name on the screen, her face instantly lit up. “Hello.”
“Class is over, right? Have you eaten?” Su Xianyan’s voice came through the phone.
“Just finished. What’s up?”
“Come to the school gate for a moment. My car’s parked under the tree on the left.”
“Oh, okay!” Cheng Simian dropped her chopsticks and said to the two still eating, “I’m heading to the school gate.”
Fu Ziwen asked, “Whose call was that? Why are you in such a hurry?”
Cheng Simian raised an eyebrow at her. “My uncle’s… friend.”
Fu Ziwen immediately understood. “Oh~”
Cheng Simian left in high spirits. Su Jianan asked in confusion, “Why is she so happy?”
Fu Ziwen giggled. “Because a super handsome guy came to see her.”
Su Jianan froze. “Huh?”
“No, I’m just kidding. It’s her uncle’s friend—probably something important.”
“Her uncle?”
“Yeah. Simian lives with her uncle.”
Su Jianan asked, “What about her parents?”
“They’re divorced—ah…” Fu Ziwen covered her mouth. “I—I said too much. Just pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Su Jianan nodded slowly.
So her parents were divorced.
Cheng Simian dashed to the school gate as fast as she could. Spotting Su Xianyan’s car, she hurried over.
Su Xianyan rolled down the window and looked at her, slightly out of breath, with resignation. “I’m not going anywhere. You didn’t have to rush.”
Cheng Simian replied as if it were only natural, “I wanted to see you sooner.”
Su Xianyan paused slightly.
Cheng Simian didn’t notice and smiled as she asked, “So, what did you want to see me about?”
“Here—this is for you.”
Su Xianyan looked away from her eyes, turned around, and took a small bag from the passenger seat to hand to her.
Cheng Simian opened it, glanced inside, then looked up at him in confusion. “Medicine?”
“Mhm.”
“Why are you giving me medicine?”
“I won’t be at home for the next few days. If your stomach hurts too badly, remember to take it.”
It took Cheng Simian a moment to process this. The only thing she caught was he won’t be at home.
“Then… when are you coming back?”
Seeing how nervous she looked, Su Xianyan couldn’t help reaching out to ruffle her hair. “Depends on the situation.”
“Oh…” Cheng Simian frowned. “Wait—why would I need medicine? Stomach pain?”
Su Xianyan sighed. This girl really never remembered her own matters.
She paused, then suddenly it clicked. Stomach pain, medicine… In four days, it would be time for her period. Su Xianyan had probably seen her go pale from the pain too many times, so he’d even prepared medicine for her.
He actually remembered her menstrual cycle.
“So… this is for that?” she asked.
Su Xianyan tacitly acknowledged it.
Cheng Simian scratched her head. “Oh. I… I got it.”
“And one more thing—give me your phone.”
She obediently handed it over.
After entering a number, Su Xianyan returned it to her. “This is the phone number of a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Go see him after class. I’ve already spoken to him—he’ll tell you what to do.”
“Huh? I have to take Chinese medicine?”
“Unless you want to keep suffering like you’re dying every time,” Su Xianyan said disapprovingly. “Once your body’s properly regulated, the pain will naturally ease.”
“Mmm…”
“You must go. Got it? I’ll call the doctor to check.”
Cheng Simian responded with a helpless sigh, then snapped into a mock military salute. “Yes, sir. I’ll definitely go.”
After school, Su Jianan returned home.
“You’re back, young master,” the housekeeper said as she took his schoolbag. “Tired from school? Come, have a glass of juice first.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Su Jianan took the juice and sat down on the living room sofa. Just then, footsteps sounded from the staircase. He turned and saw Su Xianyan coming downstairs.
Su Jianan quickly set the juice aside and stood up. “Brother—you’re home?”
Su Xianyan glanced at him, his gaze pausing on the school uniform he was wearing. “You’re attending high school here?”
Su Xianyan rarely initiated conversation with him. Su Jianan’s face lit up as he nodded. “Mom agreed to let me attend high school. I wanted to go myself, so I enrolled not long ago.”
Su Xianyan nodded. He had only asked because he’d unexpectedly noticed that Su Jianan was wearing the same uniform as Cheng Simian’s—so he was attending that school.
“Brother, want some juice?” Su Jianan asked.
“No need.”
Su Xianyan sat down on the sofa and casually picked up a magazine to read.
Seeing this, Su Jianan didn’t dare say anything more.