A little after ten the next morning, Li Jiajia was still sleeping soundly in bed. He Qi, fully dressed and ready, slung a small bag over her shoulder.
In the elevator, she kept messaging someone. The reply was that they would come to pick her up. He Qi, pleasantly surprised, confirmed that it wasn’t inconvenient and gave her address.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she spotted a familiar silhouette in the lobby. Unsure, she observed through the glass for a moment.
He wore a long black down jacket, hands in his pockets, seemingly lost in thought, stirring fallen leaves and pebbles on the ground with his foot.
His tall figure swayed slightly. When a small part of his side profile appeared, He Qi recognized him and felt a twinge of frustration.
She stepped out and stopped two or three paces away, calling his name: “Fang Yi.”
Fang Yi turned immediately, surprised to see her at this hour. His eyes, like a startled fawn, looked at her helplessly: “Sister…”
He Qi nodded and asked directly: “What are you doing here?”
Fang Yi stared at her for a moment, hands clasped behind his back, as if unable to answer, hesitating. Then he asked: “Sister, did you get the message I sent?”
He meant the simple greeting she had received the previous night, checking if she and Li Jiajia had gotten home safely.
He Qi hadn’t replied.
Now, she seemed hesitant too, lowering her gaze and adjusting her bag strap. Her voice softened: “Yes… I got it.”
With confirmation, both had thoughts of their own. Fang Yi pursed his lips and briefly looked away: “So you forgot to reply?”
“You came all the way here this early just to ask that?” He Qi didn’t want to answer, steering the conversation back: “What are you doing here?”
Fang Yi sensed her avoidance, nodded slowly, then met her gaze, as if mustering courage: “I’m worried about you.”
He Qi sighed, looking away and brushing her hair back.
The small gestures of impatience made Fang Yi anxious. His hands, still behind his back, fidgeted, yet he didn’t back down.
Her phone buzzed twice, seemingly a reminder. She calmed herself and said: “I have something to do today. Go home first, and next time, don’t just show up without telling me.”
She turned to leave, but Fang Yi suddenly grabbed her, calling out: “He Qi.”
In her memory, this seemed to be the first time Fang Yi had called her by her full name. She stopped and gestured with her eyes, asking, “What else do you want to say?”
But Fang Yi asked an entirely unexpected question: “You broke up, right?”
He Qi froze at the words, yanked her wrist back, turned to face him, slightly frowning, carefully studying his face. A few seconds later, she said seriously: “Why are you asking that?”
Fang Yi persisted, speaking as if stating a fact: “You’re single now.”
He Qi’s expression grew sterner, almost scolding: “Whether I’m single or not has nothing to do with you.”
“It has to do with me.”
“He Qi!” She interrupted, twitching her mouth, unsure what to say.
Fang Yi continued stubbornly: “Whether you’re single has to do with me.”
After being confronted by two men in the same place in just a few hours, He Qi almost wondered if she had offended some cosmic rule.
She glanced toward the community exit, patiently explaining: “I do have urgent matters today. Calm down and then decide whether we need to discuss this.”
“I’m calm,” Fang Yi replied decisively. “Before coming here, I seriously thought: if you are single now…”
It was almost predictable what he would do under that assumption.
He Qi had to cut him off again, using sharper words to warn him to retreat:
“Does it really make a difference to you, Fang Yi?” she said indifferently, resigned. “When I had a boyfriend, did you ever restrain yourself?”
Fang Yi looked slightly shocked, as if he understood her implied reproach. He nodded honestly: “I restrained myself.”
Then catching the loophole in her words, he added: “So now you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Whether she still had a boyfriend was a matter only between her and Chen Jin, and didn’t require Fang Yi to know.
He Qi felt a headache coming and repeated: “It has nothing to do with you.”
Yet Fang Yi seemed strangely pleased, almost making He Qi think she had agreed.
“I’m going to pursue you, sister.”
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying?” He Qi felt helpless, like speaking to someone who didn’t speak the same language.
Fang Yi just smiled at her foolishly.
She brushed her hair back, checked her phone—another message said the person would arrive in two minutes.
She wanted to make it clear to Fang Yi, taking on a stern, elder-like tone: “Fang Yi, you’ve never been in a relationship, right? Don’t waste time on someone like me. Go meet new people, seriously.”
Fang Yi didn’t seem bothered, asking: “Sister, do you have lots of relationship experience? You can’t predict who’s possible or impossible.”
He Qi, frustrated, raised her hands, then let them drop on her thighs with a helpless thump.
She couldn’t make him understand.
In terms of romantic experience, she had length, but not quantity.
He Qi bit her lip, still thinking of how to get Fang Yi to give up this impossible relationship. Fang Yi, however, continued: “Sister, I seriously thought about it. You said you don’t believe in marriage—I can accept that. My parents are very open-minded…”
Good grief, someone not even of legal marriage age was telling her this.
He Qi raised her hand to stop him, feeling utterly absurd: “This isn’t your concern. I’m not going to enter a relationship with you. I don’t like you. Can you understand that, Fang Yi?”
Fang Yi finally showed a slightly pained expression, blinking, raising his eyebrows, and letting out a long breath, looking like he had already comforted himself internally.
“I understand, but I like you,” he said, his eyes revealing fearless sincerity. “Can we have lunch together?”
He Qi closed her eyes, not wanting to say anything cruel. Just then, her phone vibrated—a voice call.
The call came at just the right moment to rescue her. She firmly refused: “No, I have something to do at noon.”
She answered and walked out of the neighborhood, with Fang Yi following beside her. He asked, “Then tonight? I’ll come pick you up.”
She replied politely, agreeing to whatever was said on the other end, then hung up and turned to Fang Yi: “Even if there’s nothing, it still can’t happen.”
Fang Yi fell silent, his mind shifting to other plans, and walked alongside her.
“Why are you following me?” He Qi asked irritably.
“I also need to leave the neighborhood,” Fang Yi answered honestly. “I drank last night, took a taxi here this morning, and now need to take a taxi back.”
He Qi felt a mix of exasperation at both of them. When they reached the neighborhood gate, she saw a white Volvo, the driver noticing her as well, poking their head out to greet her.
He Qi waved with a smile, intending to say goodbye to Fang Yi, but hesitated due to the earlier incident. Fang Yi, sensing her intent, spoke first: “Go ahead, sister. I’ll message you tonight.”
He Qi ignored the latter half of his sentence, nodded, and walked toward the white car, getting into the passenger seat.
The person picking her up was a real estate agent—He Qi had decided to rent a place.
The idea had formed a few days ago, but she only put it into action last night.
After college, she’d found a surprisingly reliable agent who had made renting much easier. Fortunately, she had kept that agent’s contact and even recommended them to a few colleagues, so she reached out.
This morning, the agent quickly replied, still working in real estate. Coincidentally, a client scheduled for a noon viewing had canceled, so if He Qi was free, the agent could take her to see the available listings.
He Qi couldn’t have been happier.
“Ye, bought a car?” she greeted the agent, whose surname was Ye, after getting in.
Ye skillfully drove onto the main road. “Yes, got it last year. Not bad, right?”
He Qi nodded. “Lucky for your clients. Back then, you were riding an electric bike to show me apartments.”
Ye laughed warmly at the memory, then, out of habit, asked, “You’re living in this neighborhood now? Rent must be expensive.”
“No,” He Qi said. “A friend’s place. I’m staying temporarily.”
“The one who just saw you off?”
He Qi realized she meant Fang Yi and shook her head. “No.”
“Oh,” Ye stopped herself, glancing out the window. “This neighborhood sure has fancy cars—Cayennes, BMWs…”
He Qi glanced along Ye’s line of sight but didn’t catch the license plate before they drove past.
House hunting was exhausting, but Ye was transparent about the pros and cons of each place, sparing He Qi from the usual battles with shady agents.
They had lunch at a roadside noodle shop, one bowl each, then spent the afternoon visiting apartments, checking nearly all the places that fit He Qi’s requirements.
He Qi had her eye on one place. Since she had little luggage at Li Jiajia’s, moving in would be easy—one suitcase could cover her essentials.
She promised Ye she’d discuss it with her friend that evening and give an answer the next day.
When Li Jiajia woke up in the afternoon and found He Qi wasn’t home, she sent a couple of messages asking, and He Qi only said she had errands, keeping the details vague to avoid Li Jiajia showing up unexpectedly.
Carrying dinner for two on her way home, He Qi planned to confess in person.
“Renting a place?” Li Jiajia spat out a shrimp shell and protested loudly. “Do you have so much money you don’t know what to do with it? Or am I making you uncomfortable at my place? Tell me, I’ll fix it!”
He Qi had expected this reaction and pleaded nicely: “No discomfort. This way, we can switch between the two places. I stay at yours for a couple of days, you stay at mine for a couple of days.”
Li Jiajia didn’t believe her. “Tell me the truth—is it because Chen Jin keeps coming over and you feel awkward?”
“A little,” He Qi admitted, making a tiny gesture with her fingers. “But mainly, I want a place of my own. Do you understand?”
“I don’t get it. Isn’t living anywhere the same?” Li Jiajia shook her head, half-joking. “Then I’ll give you this apartment. Consider it me living at your place.”
He Qi laughed, ruffling her hair. “Of course, you wouldn’t understand. Anyway, I’ve already picked it. Once I pack, I can sign the contract tomorrow and move in. Having rent pressure might even motivate me to focus more on my writing.”
Li Jiajia pouted and poked her waist. “You just act first and report later. I see, you have too much savings!”
He Qi jumped up, holding her bowl, dodging to the opposite side. “If I had enough savings, I’d just buy a place! Anyway, when I see Chen Jin next, just tell him I moved. Don’t tell him where I live.”
Li Jiajia sighed, shaking her head. “You’re obviously avoiding him.”
He Qi didn’t want to explain that, remembering another frustrating event from this morning, and quietly told Li Jiajia while poking at her rice: “Fang Yi confessed to me downstairs this morning.”
Li Jiajia froze for two seconds, dropping her chopsticks, then screamed loudly, “What did I tell you! I said it the first time you two met!”
He Qi closed her eyes, blocking Li Jiajia’s gossiping stare.
This news was actually expected by Li Jiajia, so after a brief surprise, she analyzed rationally: “But you’re not interested in Fang Yi, right?”
He Qi nodded glumly. “No.”
Li Jiajia, influenced by her, pondered, worried: “Still, it’s annoying. He seems like the type who won’t give up easily, and you still have Chen Jin to deal with.”
He Qi, hit at the heart of her troubles, smiled bitterly.
Her phone lit up just then. She picked it up—Fang Yi had sent a message. She skimmed it, unsure if she should reply.
“What does he even like about me?” she asked, flipping the phone back onto the table and rubbing her face. “I’m seven—or eight—years older than him, right?”
“Love at first sight!” Li Jiajia teased, laughing. “September, late autumn, bar, a stunning first encounter.”
He Qi slapped her shoulder, annoyed: “You know I don’t believe that. How many times have I met him? How often have we really hung out? It’s only been two months.”
“Hey, you and Chen Jin were only together in your freshman year, right?” Li Jiajia called out her double standard. “Or just met during a match. How long could you have spent together? Want me to do the math?”
He Qi opened her mouth to refute but realized it was pointless and quietly complained: “Are you speaking for Fang Yi?”
Li Jiajia widened her eyes, baffled. She had been discussing objectively and only trying to remind He Qi of her double standard. Didn’t expect the accusation to be thrown back at her.
Li Jiajia looked up, in a tone of “You’re hopeless”: “Actually, it’s you trying to defend Chen Jin in your heart.”