The man got out of the car. He was tall and slender, with refined features, wearing an off-white shirt and crisp dark trousers, with thin metal-framed glasses. He had a pair of exceptionally well-composed eyes—his brows neither thick nor fierce—exuding an air of scholarly elegance.
Yin Li unconsciously placed her hand over her chest, her heart beating faster. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she couldn’t help being drawn to Zhao Xiujie’s clean, gentle, and refined appearance.
Zhao Xiujie walked over, glanced at Li Hanting beside her, and nodded in greeting. His speech was unhurried. “I called the unit, but Mom didn’t answer. Then I remembered she had the day off today. I wasn’t supposed to arrive for a few more days, but my unit sent a telegram—they need me back a few days early.”
So that was it. Yin Li had thought maybe, after her dream, she’d changed the course of events before she’d even done anything.
Zhao Xiujie had a habit of looking at people directly and openly, without evasion—especially at Yin Li, whom he hadn’t seen in years. A few years had passed, but she was still the same: delicate and a little timid, though even prettier than before. There was some unfamiliarity between them now, but that was alright. There would be plenty of time ahead.
Yin Li felt guilty, so of course she didn’t dare look at him too much. “Mom and Dad are at the library. You should go find her. I’m going to get lunch.”
Only then did Zhao Xiujie turn his attention to Li Hanting beside her. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure? I haven’t eaten yet either—shall we go together?”
Yin Li did not want to have lunch with him. If Aunt Li found out that her son, right after returning to the country, had gone to eat with his stepsister instead of seeing his own mother first, what would that look like? She needed to shut down that possibility entirely!
Besides, Li Hanting didn’t have that much money. How would it look for the two of them to go eat at his expense? She quickly refused. “This is my good friend, Brother. You should go say hello to Mom. She’ll be so happy to see you.”
She refused firmly, so Zhao Xiujie didn’t insist on tagging along. He took out a wallet from his bag, his fingers skimming over foreign exchange certificates as he pulled out several “Great Unity” notes—ten-yuan bills—along with some fives, twos, and ones. He folded them neatly and handed them over. “Go eat. Get something good.”
Zhao Xiujie had given her money before. Yin Li instinctively reached out, a “Thanks, Brother” already forming on her lips, when Li Hanting, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. “Much obliged, but no need.”
His tone wasn’t exactly warm, nor was it particularly emotional. “We have money.”
Blocked by his words, Yin Li withdrew her fair little hand, looking a bit sheepish.
“Alright, then. Just come back early. You owe me a welcome-home meal, remember?” Zhao Xiujie didn’t press further. He smiled and reminded her.
“Got it, Brother.”
Watching the two of them walk away—the man tall and imposing, the girl petite and delicate—they didn’t look mismatched at all standing side by side. Just now, they’d both been facing the same direction…
Zhao Xiujie stood there for a moment before finally entering the library.
At noon, as nearby workers took their lunch breaks, the Red Star Canteen gradually filled with people.
Yin Li wore a knee-length skirt, her braids neatly combed. The moment she walked in, heads turned. She had been adorable since childhood—pure and lovely as jade—so she was long accustomed to admiring looks and felt not the slightest discomfort.
But Li Hanting, standing beside her, pressed his lips together and radiated a cold aura that made people afraid to stare too long.
“Sit here. I’ll order the food.” Li Hanting found her a spot near a fan.
Yin Li obediently agreed. She always felt happy when it was time to eat. The aroma of food wafted in waves, and several cold dishes were displayed in the glass counter—just looking at them made her mouth water.
She watched Li Hanting walk toward the large menu board on the wall—a blackboard listing dish names and prices in chalk.
Braised Pork: 0.35 yuan
Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs: 0.45 yuan
Tomato Scrambled Eggs: 0.18 yuan
Green Pepper Pork Slices: 0.28 yuan
Green Vegetables with Tofu: 0.08 yuan
Rice: 0.05 yuan per liang (50g)
Beer: 0.15 yuan per glass
“Chef, I’ll have one order of braised pork, one sweet and sour pork ribs, one tomato scrambled eggs, and two liang of rice.”
That order almost added up to a full day’s wages for an ordinary worker. The people around instinctively glanced at Li Hanting.
He didn’t seem to care at all. He pulled a leather wallet from his pants pocket and calmly counted out just over one yuan.
The cook serving the food gave him a look, then ladled a heaping spoonful of braised pork onto his enamel plate. “Treating the young lady to a meal again? Hope it doesn’t all go down the drain, eh?”
Li Hanting smiled but didn’t reply. When he gave something, how could he ever allow it to go down the drain?
He carried the tray back to their table. “Hungry? Eat up.”
Yin Li saw that everything was her favorite. Still, she acted a little coy. “Eating so much meat—I’m going to get fat.”
She wasn’t the slender, willowy type. Her bones were small, but her flesh was soft and full. Lately, she’d been feeling tight under her arms and across her chest. Some of her old clothes no longer fit right.
Li Hanting looked her over, watching her pinkish-white fingers grip the chopsticks. What he was thinking about was the feeling of holding her in his arms back in the library. Even if it had only been a moment, it was enough to make up for the unbearable emptiness of the days they hadn’t seen each other.
Yin Li had no idea that in the darkness, he had nearly lost control, wanting nothing more than to devour her whole.
And that stepbrother of hers… A faint glint flashed in Li Hanting’s eyes.
Afraid of scaring her, he spoke gently. “Where are you fat? I think you’re just right. Thin people have nothing to fall back on when they get sick. Look at you—you’re bouncing with energy.”
With one sentence, he set her mind at ease, and she began eating contentedly. Then he casually shifted the topic. “Was that your brother just now? You’ve never mentioned him. He seems quite cultured and refined.”
Yin Li didn’t like eating vegetables, and this meal was all her favorites. “You eat too! Yeah, that’s my brother. He’s really gentle and has always been so good to me.”
That wasn’t a lie. Zhao Xiujie truly was a kind person, and he had always treated her well. It was just that in her dream, she hadn’t known how to maintain proper boundaries.
Hearing her talk about Zhao Xiujie with such brightness in her eyes, Li Hanting kept a smile on his face, but his gaze turned cold.
If Yin Li had looked up at that moment, she would have seen his sinister, beast-like stare fixed intently on her.
She buried her head in her meal, eating earnestly. But her eyes were bigger than her stomach, and in the end, she didn’t finish much.
Li Hanting hadn’t taken a single bite. The moment she put down her chopsticks, he unceremoniously ate everything she’d left behind.
Yin Li didn’t find anything strange about it. They’d done this before. It would be such a waste to throw out perfectly good food.
“Want to go for a walk?” Li Hanting knew she had a habit of strolling after meals.
Sure enough, Yin Li—afraid that sitting still after eating would make her gain weight, not to mention that a full stomach made her drowsy—happily agreed.
“Going for a walk” really meant walking her home. She wasn’t planning to go back to the library in the afternoon.
Walking back from here, the shortcut went through an alley. She wouldn’t dare take that route alone. But with Li Hanting—tall and imposing—by her side, she felt an inexplicable sense of safety.
“Li Li.” Just as they were almost there, he took her hand. He wasn’t using force, yet she couldn’t pull free.
Yin Li stopped. “What’s wrong?”