After Meng Huaijin saw Shu Wan home, he changed clothes and went out.
Shu Wan was a transfer student, and she’d only been at the school for a little over a month. She knew the names of everyone in her class, but the only person she was close enough to go shopping or grab a meal with was her deskmate, Lu Siqi.
Shu Wan finished dinner alone and cleaned up afterward. Just as she was about to call Lu Siqi, another call came in.
She saw the name on the screen and hung up without a second thought.
A moment later, the phone rang again. It was the same number.
After this happened three times, Shu Wan finally answered just as the fourth call was about to ring out.
She said nothing. The person on the other end spoke first. “Wanwan, it’s me. Zhou Ze.”
Of course she knew. She hadn’t deleted his number. Still, she didn’t say a word.
“I came to see you, Wanwan. I’m in North City now.”
Shu Wan paused, surprised. “What did you come to North City for? Aren’t you afraid your parents will beat you until your legs are broken?”
Zhou Ze sounded as though he was hurrying somewhere. She could hear suitcase wheels rolling over the phone. “Can we talk in person?”
Shu Wan nearly blurted out an answer. She stopped herself and said with forced composure, “We’d better not meet. You should go back.”
There was a pause on the other end. Then he sighed. “I know you’re angry and upset that we haven’t been in touch these past few months, but there was nothing we could do.”
“If I didn’t miss you, I wouldn’t have risked being disowned to come find you. Anyway, I’m already here. I’m not going back without seeing you.”
“…”
Disowned, really? Shu Wan’s lips curved slightly. In the end, she asked, “Where are you? Send me your location.”
“I just left the airport and was about to get a taxi. I don’t know North City well. Why don’t you pick somewhere, and we’ll meet there?”
Shu Wan checked the time. It was seven in the evening, and she had three hours left before Meng Huaijin’s curfew.
After roughly estimating the travel time, she chose a meeting spot in a pedestrian street not too far from home. There were plenty of places to stay and eat nearby.
Shu Wan put on her coat and took a taxi there. The ride took twenty minutes, and she waited another twenty before she spotted Zhou Ze, wearing a backpack and pulling a suitcase.
The young man had on a black hoodie and a baseball cap. Standing by a bus stop with one hand in his pocket, he waved to her. “Wanwan.”
They hadn’t seen each other for nearly four months. He seemed to have grown taller again, and his features looked more defined.
Shu Wan walked over and instinctively glanced behind him.
Zhou Ze knew what she was looking for. He ruffled the top of her head. “Don’t bother looking. Bai Fei has something going on at home, so she couldn’t come this time.”
The girl slapped his hand away and lowered her eyes. “Oh.”
“Don’t be disappointed. When she heard I was coming, she asked me to bring you lots of presents.” Zhou Ze glanced around as he spoke.
Shu Wan gave him a faint smile, turned, and led him into a restaurant run by people from the south.
Zhou Ze looked her up and down for a while, then remarked, “You’ve grown taller, too. And your standard of living doesn’t seem any different from before. Looks like your uncle’s been taking good care of you.”
Mentioning her uncle made Shu Wan check the time again.
She invited Zhou Ze to sit and scanned the code on her phone so he could order. He barely looked at it before pushing the phone back to her. “Just order what you like. I’m fine with anything.”
From kindergarten through primary school, middle school, and high school, they’d either gone to the same school or been in the same class. They’d known each other for more than ten years, so Shu Wan didn’t stand on ceremony. She promptly ordered her favorite dishes.
Only after ordering did she take a proper look at Zhou Ze.
Honestly, she’d never imagined he would come to North City to see her.
Now that he was here, Shu Wan was genuinely happy—and deeply moved, from the bottom of her heart.
After all, until now, she’d been convinced she couldn’t keep anyone in her life. Not her own family, not the friends she’d grown up playing with. In the end, it seemed they all left her.
“Does your mother know?” she asked.
Zhou Ze shook his head, then nodded. “I told her I was going on a trip. She can probably guess, though.”
“And you still said you might be disowned?”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll be disowned as soon as I get back.”
Shu Wan rolled her eyes at him, then fell silent.
The young man studied her for a moment before saying earnestly, “Don’t be sad, Wanwan. We’ll always be here.”
Shu Wan lowered her eyes and fiddled with her teacup, muttering, “Men are all liars.”
“Where did you learn that?” Zhou Ze asked, surprised.
She’d first used the phrase to describe her uncle. Now she used it to describe all men.
He continued, “I mean it. Where are you planning to go to college? Here in North City? I’ll apply here, too.”
The waiter brought out the food. It was all vegetarian except for one meat dish, which Shu Wan had ordered specifically for Zhou Ze.
He glanced at the dishes in front of her, then quietly asked the waiter to take away the meat dish. He lowered his head and ate vegetarian food with her.
“We’ll see how I do on the exams.” Shu Wan had barely spoken by the time they were halfway through the meal. “It depends on what score I get.”
“What place did you get in your class on the latest unified exam?” Zhou Ze asked.
“Third in my class, sixth in the grade,” Shu Wan replied evenly.
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s impressive! Did your uncle hire you a tutor?”
“Heh. He’s my tutor himself.”
“Then he must be pretty good!” Zhou Ze asked, “Is he strict with you?”
Strict didn’t begin to cover it. He was extremely strict!
Thinking of that face, Shu Wan checked the time again. It was already past nine. She quickly put down her chopsticks and asked, “Are you done eating? If you are, let’s go. I’ll book you a hotel.”
“I’m done,” Zhou Ze said, waving a hand. “How could I let you book a hotel for me? I’ve already got one, nearby.”
Shu Wan checked the location on his phone. It really was close enough to walk.
“Are you free tomorrow? Be my tour guide?” Zhou Ze asked casually as they walked.
“I don’t know this area very well myself,” Shu Wan said honestly. “Let’s look at a map together tomorrow.”
He smiled. “Sounds good.”
Zhou Ze was every inch the rich kid. He’d booked a five-star hotel.
Shu Wan walked him to the front desk. With the time for Meng Huaijin’s curfew drawing closer, she hurriedly told Zhou Ze, “I’ll take you to the Great Wall tomorrow,” then left in a rush.
“Your presents! I brought you presents!” Zhou Ze called after her from the lobby.
The girl flagged down a car at the roadside and waved to tell him she’d pick them up another day.
Who could have guessed she’d get stuck in traffic? Shu Wan arrived home a full half hour late!
By the time she breathlessly opened the door, Meng Huaijin was already home.
.
The man sat in an armchair beneath the balcony. Behind him, high-rises stood in rows, their lights casting a broad swath of dim illumination. His tall, slender figure seemed to dissolve into it, by turns bright and shadowed, handsome and sharp-edged.
Their eyes met. Shu Wan lost herself for several seconds before managing a smile. “You’re home.”
Meng Huaijin didn’t answer. He separated his hands, which had been clasped together on his knees, and tapped the watch on his wrist.
“There was traffic. I got the driver’s number. If you don’t believe me, you can call and ask.”
Shu Wan poured herself a glass of warm water and gulped it down. She noticed the takeout he’d brought back, opened the box, and stuffed a piece of kelp sushi into her mouth.
“Out with a classmate?” Meng Huaijin asked, eyeing her bulging cheeks.
Shu Wan nodded.
“A girl?”
She took another strategic sip of water. “My deskmate, Lu Siqi. You’ve met her.”
Last time, she’d shed only a couple of tears because she was heartbroken over the end of a friendship, and he’d asked if it was a boyfriend.
Now, her friend really had come to see her, but Shu Wan didn’t dare tell the truth. In adults’ eyes, men and women couldn’t have a purely platonic friendship.
Fortunately, Meng Huaijin didn’t press her. He reminded her not to eat too much at night, then went into his bedroom.
Not long afterward, the sound of rushing water came from inside. He was taking a shower.
The girl’s long lashes fluttered a few times. She quickly put the unfinished food in the fridge and left the living room.
The next day, Chief Meng, who also had the day off, unexpectedly showed Shu Wan some mercy and asked, “Is there anywhere you want to go?”
Normally, she would have jumped at the chance. But not this time. Zhou Ze had risked being disowned to come see her. If she left him on his own without a word, she’d be a terrible friend.
“I made plans to climb the Great Wall with a classmate,” Shu Wan said, meeting Meng Huaijin’s eyes and trying her hardest to look natural.
The man gave a quiet “Mm” and reminded her to be careful.
That evening, after taking a wrong turn while looking for the exit at the scenic site, they had to go a long way around. As a result, Shu Wan got home twenty minutes late.
Meng Huaijin wasn’t as unruffled as he’d been the night before. He watched the girl for a moment, then asked in a cool voice, “Shu Wan, what happened this time?”
She told him the truth: she’d taken a wrong turn while looking for the exit at the scenic site. She simply left out that Zhou Ze had been the one with her.
On the second and third days, Shu Wan got home right on time, but Meng Huaijin’s expression grew colder by the day.
Then, on the fourth day, she had to pick up the presents Zhou Ze had brought her from South City. Before going home, Shu Wan went with him to the hotel.
When the hotel receptionist saw her about to take the elevator with a young man, she politely reminded her, “Miss, if you’re checking in, we’ll need to see your ID.”
“I’m not staying here,” Shu Wan clarified.
The receptionist clearly didn’t believe her. Plenty of couples came to get a room, and the women always said the same thing. Then they would somehow slip into a room.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but it’s our policy. Everyone staying here has to provide ID,” the receptionist continued with a smile.
“She’s just coming up to pick something up,” Zhou Ze explained.
The receptionist had seen this sort of thing countless times and handled it smoothly. “I’m sorry, Huang Xing, but we need to register your guest. If your girlfriend doesn’t have her ID with her, her ID number will do.”
“I have it, I have it.” Shu Wan didn’t have time to argue, much less explain. Her ID happened to be in her bag, so she pulled it out and handed it to the receptionist.
“Shu Wan.” A deep, commanding voice suddenly rang through the air.
Shu Wan’s pupils contracted. Her heart leapt straight into her throat. In an instant, she felt as if she’d been plunged into an icy wasteland, cold enough to make her stammer.
She hastily pulled back the hand holding out her ID and turned stiffly to look. Tense and on reflex, she blurted, “W-we didn’t do anything!”
Meng Huaijin narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze, cold as a frozen pool, lingered meaningfully on her and Zhou Ze, who was standing beside her checking into the hotel. The chill in his eyes was intimidating, like a razor-sharp sword plunged straight into her heart, leaving her breathless.