Evening fell, and it was finally time to head home.
Since Sui Yue and Sheng Yitang boarded at the school, they had already dashed back to the dorms to stake their claim on the showers. Meanwhile, Shen Leqing was helping me pack my schoolbag, waiting to walk home together.
The campus was lined with plane trees. The golden glow of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground.
Shen Leqing and I walked side by side. She seemed to be in a fantastic mood, skipping along and humming a tune under her breath. Suddenly, she gasped in awe, quickly pulling out her phone to snap a picture.
I looked in the direction she was pointing, but aside from the sunset and the trees, there wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary.
“The sunset is gorgeous today. Looks like tomorrow’s going to be another beautiful day,” she said.
I nodded. “Yeah, it really is.”
After taking the photo, she turned to me. “By the way, how are you getting home? Do you want my driver to give you a lift?”
“No, it’s fine,” I replied, waving my hands. “My place is really close…just a five-minute walk.”
She didn’t push it. She just nodded and fell silent, though I could tell she was trying her best to keep the conversation going.
A few steps outside the school gates, a black sedan parked by the curb caught my eye. It was noticeably sleeker and more luxurious than the other cars around it.
“My driver’s here, I’m heading off!” Shen Leqing pointed to the luxury car, waving goodbye as she walked over.
I smiled and waved back, watching her get into the backseat before the car smoothly pulled away.
Walking home alone, I took my usual route down Lilac Street. I instinctively glanced toward Zhang Youning’s dessert shop, and sure enough, there she was.
This time, she spotted me too. Her face lit up, and she waved enthusiastically, gesturing for me to come over.
As soon as I approached, she grabbed my hand and pulled me straight into the back kitchen. While I was still wondering what was going on, she pulled a chocolate mousse from the cabinet and handed it to me with an expectant look.
Turns out, she had made a new recipe and was waiting for me to be her taste tester.
I took the cake and sat down at the small table in the workspace. She sat across from me, propping her chin in her hands, her eyes bright with anticipation as she watched me take a bite.
The cake was delicious. After the first bite, I gave her a big thumbs-up.
Beaming, she returned the thumbs-up, signed rapidly for a moment, and then retrieved another slice of matcha mousse and a passion fruit drink from the fridge.
Handing the treats over, she pulled out a notepad and pen, writing down: “I’m glad you like it! I made these specifically for you, just waiting for you to drop by.”
Flustered, I quickly typed back on my phone: “Oh, you shouldn’t have! That’s way too much trouble.”
She read it and shook her head, writing: “It’s no trouble at all. I’ve tried all the new items, and they’re good. You were my very first customer, so of course I have to treat you well.”
Moved by her sweetness, I leaned in and gave her a warm hug, showering her with compliments. During the hug, I caught sight of the red hair tie in her hair, which reminded me of the one I had bought during lunch. I immediately started rummaging through my bag and pulled it out.
She didn’t quite get it at first. She looked at my outstretched hand, hesitating to take it. I pushed it a bit closer. With a look of doubt, she pointed to herself. I nodded and simply pressed it into her palm.
She looked over the hair tie, a knowing smile spreading across her face, and signed thank you.
Right away, she took off her old hair tie, put on the one I gave her, and dashed over to the glass window to check herself out. She turned back to me excitedly, pointing to her head.
I smiled and used sign language to tell her she looked beautiful. She was thrilled, twirling around to admire it. Talk about the ultimate hype queen.
For some reason, I just felt that red accessories suited Zhang Youning perfectly.
“You look amazing with a red hair tie,” I typed to compliment her.
The moment she read the message, her expression froze, turning oddly strained. My heart dropped, thinking I had said something wrong. But a second later, she was back to normal, giving me a sweet smile and signing, “Thank you for the compliment.”
I sat back down to finish my cake while she turned around to tidy up the counter. I could feel a subtle shift in the air. I had no idea what I had done wrong, so I just kept eating my cake, stealing glances to gauge her mood.
Once I finished the dessert and drink, she came over to clear the dishes. Feeling a bit awkward standing there, I tapped her shoulder and typed: “The desserts were amazing! But I still have homework to finish, and it’s getting dark, so I should head home.”
She read it and nodded, walking me all the way to the door. She signed a quick sentence that went right over my head, so she took my phone and typed it out instead.
“Come to my shop every day after school and be my official taste tester for new recipes.”
I was overwhelmed with joy. Didn’t this mean free, delicious desserts every single day? Who would say no to that? I agreed instantly. After locking in our little deal, I waved goodbye and left, completely satisfied.
I had only taken a few steps when a tuxedo cat darted out of the alley, zipping past my feet like a bullet. Before I could recover from the shock, a ginger cat shot past right on its heels. They bolted into Zhang Youning’s shop one after the other. It clicked then…these must be the two cats she had told me about, Wuxue and Jinhu.
I hadn’t looked closely last time, but seeing them now, their size definitely lived up to the rumors. With coats like that and bellies that big, they looked nothing like strays. I didn’t linger on them for too long and kept walking.
Back in my apartment complex, the courtyard where the neighborhood elders usually gathered to gossip was completely deserted. Instead, the sounds of clattering pots and pans drifted from the kitchen windows, accompanied by the rich aromas of dinner.
Stir-fried pork with green peppers, tomato and scrambled eggs, shredded pork in garlic sauce… It smelled incredible, making my own stomach growl.
I took the elevator up. The moment the doors slid open, a child’s piercing wail echoed down the hallway. It was earth-shattering, loud enough to wake the dead, and sounded incredibly distressed. Curious, I looked around and realized the noise was coming from the auntie’s apartment next door. The kid was crying their eyes out, yet there wasn’t a single peep from an adult.
I initially wanted to mind my own business, but the crying sounded profoundly abnormal. Out of concern, I decided to go check it out.
I knocked three times. No answer. Listening closely, I couldn’t even hear footsteps inside. I knocked twice more, and after what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened.
“Oh, it’s you. Knocking so urgently… is something the matter?”
The auntie’s face was dark and unsettling at first, but the moment she realized it was me, a warm, gentle smile instantly masked her expression, and her tone softened.
Sensing that something was deeply off, but knowing I couldn’t let her suspect anything, I forced a polite smile. “It’s nothing. I just heard a child crying so bitterly and worried no one was home, so I wanted to make sure everything was okay. Since you’re here, I’m glad it’s fine.”
She glanced back into the apartment, then quickly smiled at me again while stealthily narrowing the gap of the door. Strangely, the moment the words left my mouth, the child stopped crying altogether…not even a single sob could be heard.
I tried to discreetly tilt my head to look inside as I spoke, but she kept subtly blocking my line of sight. Laughing it off nervously, she explained, “Oh, that’s just my grandson. My daughter brought him over to visit a couple of days ago. She’s out right now, and the little one is so young… I haven’t handled a baby in ages, so I panicked. That’s why he was crying like that.”
“Ah, I see,” I said with a nod. “As long as everything’s okay. I’ll head out then.”
After exchanging a few more words, I calmly walked to my own door, went inside, and made sure to lock it securely behind me.
Something was wrong with that woman. And with that child.
I had a feeling that if I had kept poking my nose into her business, I might not have made it out alive. But I couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet; maybe it really was a coincidence. Besides, as an underage girl whose parents were rarely around, taking reckless action was too risky. It was best not to poke the hornet’s nest for now.
I pushed the thoughts aside. Time to figure out dinner.
Cooking wasn’t exactly my forte. Aside from washing veggies and peeling potatoes behind my mother in my past life, I had barely stepped foot in a kitchen. But with all the online tutorials and recipes available these days, even a total novice could mimic their way to a decent meal. Plus, as a certified genius with a high IQ, how hard could it be? I felt pretty confident.
Well… never mind. Scratch that.
Having zero concept of what “a pinch” or “season to taste” actually meant for my first real cooking attempt, I completely overdid the seasonings. The meat turned out pitch black, incredibly salty, and slightly bitter.
Splendid. A single dish had managed to capture every bad flavor imaginable.
Forget it. I scrubbed the pan and ordered takeout instead.
While waiting for the delivery, I remembered the milk candies Zhang Youning had given me. Unable to resist, I inhaled the rest of them.
Out of nowhere, a message popped up from my mom. She said her mission was over and she’d be coming home soon…and she was going to take me to pick out a kitten. I was thrilled. Channeling Wen Ling’s usual cheerful energy, I bombarded her with texts sharing everything that had been happening at school. Unfortunately, she seemed wrapped up in work; after a couple of brief replies, she went silent again.
After finishing my food and wrapping up my homework, boredom set in. I flopped onto my bed to scroll through my phone. The short videos were mind-numbing…either mindless web novel adaptations, cheesy CEO mini-dramas, or rage-baiting videos designed to stir up controversy. There was always a crowd of people picking fights in the comments over absolutely nothing, completely ruining the mood.
Midway through a video, my doorbell suddenly rang.
Scratching my damp, half-dry hair, I walked over to the door and asked who it was. No reply. I raised my voice and asked again. Still nothing. Instead, the knocking grew louder and more aggressive.
Instant panic. There was no way I was opening that door. Grabbing a random iron rod leaning against the shoe rack Lord knows why it was even there…I gripped it tightly, staring fixedly at the door. The door didn’t have a peephole, so I couldn’t see what was happening outside. I could only listen as the banging became increasingly frantic, each thud sending my heart racing faster.
After a terrifyingly long time, the noise finally stopped. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, a sharp ding from my phone made me jump out of my skin.
“Are you not home? I’m knocking but no one is answering. Did I get the wrong door?” followed by a photo of my front door.
I facepalmed. Undoing the layers of locks, I pulled Zhang Youning inside.
She was still typing away on her phone and looked completely dazed as I dragged her into the apartment. Blinking in confusion, she held out a beautifully crafted little box to me.
I quickly typed out: “You scared the life out of me! It’s the middle of the night, and instead of saying anything, you just keep pounding on the door like you’re trying to break it down. I was literally about to call the cops.”
Realization finally dawned on her, and she bowed deeply to apologize.
To prevent another heart attack in the future, we came up with a secret, rhythmic knock just for us.