After hanging up, it wasn’t long before Professor Yuan sent over the phone number.
Xing Yu glanced at it once and memorized it. After saving it to his contacts, he dialed Professor Yu’s number.
“Hello, Professor Yu.”
“Who is this?”
“This is Xing Yu, from A University’s Finance Department.”
Yu Qian paused for a moment upon hearing this. “Oh, Xing Yu. What brings you to me?”
Xing Yu sounded a little surprised. “Professor Yu, you still remember me.”
Yu Qian laughed. “Who at A University doesn’t know you, Xing Yu? Have you come back?”
Xing Yu: “Yes, I just returned not long ago. I’d like to visit you—are you free tomorrow?”
“Weekend morning. I’ve got classes these few days.”
“Alright.”
Wen Yao collected the dried clothes from the balcony and walked into the bedroom. Seeing her daughter still drawing, she placed the clothes on the bed and said while folding them, “Xinxin, it’s nine o’clock. Time to sleep.”
Without even looking up, Wen Xin replied, “Mom, I’ll sleep soon—just a little more.”
As Wen Yao picked up her daughter’s coat, her phone rang. She took it out and saw it was Teacher Yu calling.
“Teacher Yu.”
“Wen Yao, Xing Yu has come back.”
Hearing Xing Yu’s name, Wen Yao froze for a long moment.
After Xing Yu left back then, no one really knew where he had gone.
Some classmates said he went abroad to study. Others said he went to find the beautiful woman who came looking for him that day.
There were also those who said he had deliberately disappeared—just to dump her.
Yu Qian continued, “He just called me. Wen Yao, have you ever thought about telling him about Xinxin…?”
Wen Yao wasn’t someone who liked interrupting others, especially elders.
But she knew what her teacher was going to say, and instinctively cut her off. “Teacher Yu, I haven’t. I hope you won’t mention me in front of him, and don’t bring up Xinxin either. I’m living well now—I don’t want anyone to disturb my life.”
After taking a leave from school, Wen Yao had canceled all her accounts, even her phone number.
She hadn’t contacted any of her university classmates since, nor did she want to.
“And if he asks?” Yu Qian knew Xing Yu wouldn’t come without a reason. If he suddenly reached out, it must be for something.
“Even if he asks, don’t tell him.” Thinking of running into Xing Yu at the café, Wen Yao added, “If he presses further, just say I went abroad.”
Hearing how firm her tone was, Yu Qian didn’t try to persuade her further.
“Alright, I understand.”
Holding her phone, Wen Yao sat on the bed. Five years had passed, yet just hearing his name still made her flustered and uneasy.
Five years ago—
As usual, Wen Yao went to Xing Yu’s dorm to look for him.
On the way there, even the wind felt sweet.
Xing Yu had returned from military service and continued his studies, living in a single dorm room.
When she reached the door, it was slightly ajar, and noisy chatter came from inside.
“Senior, who was that beauty who came looking for you just now? She’s really gorgeous.”
“I saw her too—prettier than the campus belle.”
“Only someone like that suits Senior. That country bumpkin Wen Yao should look in the mirror—how is she worthy of him?”
“That fat girl—how could my brother possibly like her? Bro, you’re just playing around, right?”
“Of course. You think I’d marry her? After graduation, I won’t have any contact with her.”
The voice—low and hoarse from smoking—was one Wen Yao knew all too well.
Her tears slipped uncontrollably from her eyes, falling onto the back of her hand.
Only after everyone left did Wen Yao step out from the corner. She pushed open the dorm door and walked in, seeing Xing Yu sitting in a chair, smoking.
When he saw her enter, he crushed the cigarette in his hand. “Lock the door.”
Wen Yao knew exactly what he meant.
Even knowing he was just playing with her, she still obediently locked the door.
The heavy curtains were already drawn, blocking most of the light, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.
All she remembered was that day—Xing Yu seemed tireless, pressing her down for a long time.
Just when Wen Yao tried to pretend that nothing had happened, she received a message from Xing Yu.
“I’m bored of this. Let’s break up.”
She practically ran to his dorm, only to find it already emptied—as if no one had ever lived there.
In truth, she had always known—
She and Xing Yu belonged to different worlds.
He came from a prominent and powerful family.
They were never meant to be together.
And that day, she had clearly heard his answer—
He was just playing.
After graduation, he wouldn’t contact her again.
She still pretended not to hear it.
But with only a month left until graduation, why had he suddenly left?
“Country bumpkin, you’re here to see my brother, right?”
“Do you know why my brother didn’t reject you?”
Wen Yao looked at Qin Chao, confusion in her eyes.
Qin Chao sneered. “A girl throwing herself at him—who would refuse?”
Wen Yao’s face turned deathly pale. At that moment, all the blood in her body seemed to freeze. Her fingers clenched the hem of her dress so tightly that her palm bled, yet she didn’t even notice.
“How dare you give my brother those cheap gifts? He already threw them away. If you want them, go dig them out of the trash downstairs.”
Wen Yao thought of the scarf she had painstakingly knitted stitch by stitch, and the belt she had saved up for over two months of part-time work, living frugally.
Knowing he liked to smoke, she had worked during the summer to buy him a lighter.
She only hoped that every time he smoked, seeing that lighter would remind him of her.
He threw them all away?
Wen Yao suddenly remembered—she had never seen him use that lighter.
He must have despised it all along.
“Mommy, look at my drawing.”
Wen Yao was pulled back to reality by her daughter’s voice. She looked at Xinxin, who was holding up her drawing. It showed an adult holding a child’s hand, with sunflowers on the right and a sun in the top left corner.
The teacher from her hobby class had said Xinxin had a talent for drawing.
At just four years old, being able to draw like this was indeed impressive.
Wen Xin pointed at the adult in the drawing. “This is Mommy. Mommy is holding my hand.”
Wen Yao couldn’t help but praise her. “Xinxin did such a great job.”
Wen Xin looked down at her drawing. “Tomorrow, I’ll draw Daddy too.”
When Wen Yao heard her daughter mention “Daddy” again, she froze.
Right now, Xinxin was still young—she could be fooled.
But what about when she grew older?
The lie would fall apart on its own.
Maybe Teacher Yu was right. For Xinxin’s sake, she should consider finding a suitable man to be her father.
While she was still young and didn’t understand much.
After thinking it through, she no longer resisted the idea of blind dates.
On the weekend morning, Wen Yao received a call from her hometown.
“Wen Yao, your grandmother is sick. Come back quickly.”
After hanging up, her mind went blank, thoughts spiraling uncontrollably.
No… that couldn’t be. Grandma had always been in good health.
She walked into the bedroom and looked at Wen Xin, who was still asleep. Bringing her back to the hometown wouldn’t be convenient.
She dialed Teacher Yu’s number. “Teacher Yu, my grandmother is sick. I need to go back for a while. Are you free this weekend to take care of Xinxin for a couple of days?”
“Of course! I really like Xinxin. Just leave her with me.”
“Thank you, Teacher Yu. I’ll bring her over shortly.”
After hanging up, Wen Yao woke her daughter.
“Xinxin, wake up. I’ll take you to Grandma Yu’s place later.”
Wen Xin rubbed her eyes. “Really? I miss Grandma Yu so much.”
“Mm. Mommy needs to go back to our hometown. You have to behave at Grandma Yu’s, okay?” Wen Yao said while helping her get dressed.
Xinxin actually already knew how to pick and wear her own clothes, but since they were in a hurry, Wen Yao helped her.
“Mommy, I’ll be good! I’ll even help Grandma Yu wipe the table.”
“Mm, Xinxin is such a good and sensible girl.”
After breakfast, Wen Yao carried her bag and held her daughter as they boarded the bus.
When they arrived at Huating Community, she led her daughter off.
There was still some distance from the bus stop to the entrance, so they had to walk.
Suddenly, an electric scooter swerved from behind and hit Wen Yao’s leg. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, scraping her hands.
Fortunately, Wen Xin, who was on the inside, didn’t fall.
The scooter driver, afraid of having to pay compensation, sped off without looking back.
A black Cayenne stopped by the roadside. The car door opened, and Xing Yu stepped out. He glanced at the fleeing scooter’s license plate before walking over.
“Where are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Wen Yao’s body stiffened. That voice… Xing Yu?
She didn’t even dare lift her head. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
Wen Xin looked up at the man in front of her for a long moment, her eyes full of hope as she asked,
“Are you my dad?”