He should have replied with a thank you, both emotionally and logically.

Fang Yongnian picked up his phone, then put it down again.

If he truly had a clear conscience, he wouldn’t need to avoid her so completely. Because, to put it bluntly, it was only a one-sided pursuit from the girl. Although Lu Yixin was rather reckless, sometimes making him look quite awkward, it wasn’t to the point where he needed to avoid her like this.

The problem was, he didn’t have a completely clear conscience.

That moment when she, trembling, had grabbed his sleeve on the day they parted—was frozen in his memory.

That bowl of noodles had been outside the plan.

So he had to be even more cautious, to prevent too many unplanned things from happening, to prevent himself from being moved and developing emotions that shouldn’t exist.

For instance, worrying about why her “goodnight” last night had sounded so desolate.

Fang Yongnian opened his laptop again, stared at the computer screen for a long time, and then irritably threw his phone— which hadn’t lit up again—into the drawer.

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧ 

“Yongnian…”

The next day at noon, when Fang Yongnian was having lunch, Lu Boyuan came into his office with a tray in hand, his expression hesitant.

Fang Yongnian looked up.

The lunch prepared by the company every day was arranged by him personally, and the dishes were always good, though he often missed mealtime.

No matter how good a meal was, once sealed in a plastic container for an hour, it would lose all its taste.

He closed his laptop and glanced at the food on Lu Boyuan’s tray.

Missed it again…

“Do you have time tonight?” Lu Boyuan asked hesitantly.

Fang Yongnian frowned slightly. “What’s the matter?”

Earlier this year, the company had recruited a batch of interns. Lu Boyuan couldn’t stand how the younger generation preferred talking over doing and had already lost his temper several times.

Fang Yongnian had been thinking that only a few among them were truly diligent. The rest, they’d just have to hire replacements for.

He, too, couldn’t stand those who chattered endlessly yet shrank back when it came to real work.

“Yixin’s coming over tonight.” Lu Boyuan frowned. “But a shipment of excipients is arriving today. I need to oversee it.”

Because of Fang Yongnian’s insistence, the generic drugs they developed always used excipients supplied by professional pharmaceutical companies. They even further examined the technical parameters and compatibility between the excipients and the formulations.

This kind of matter, Fang Yongnian never felt at ease leaving to anyone but Lu Boyuan.

“I’ll handle it. You can leave work early tonight.” Fang Yongnian waved his hand dismissively, as though unconcerned.

But inwardly, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt. It wasn’t the weekend, and Lu Yixin’s college entrance exam was fast approaching—why would she be coming to Huating at this time?

And recalling her desolate “goodnight” last night…

“What’s she coming to Huating for at this hour?” he couldn’t help but ask aloud.

“Isn’t it because of her good friend Zheng Ranran…” Lu Boyuan shook his head irritably. “Adults dragging children into their messes, what a sin.”

Fang Yongnian: “?”

“It’s like this…” Since the topic was already opened, Lu Boyuan simply set his tray down. “I was originally planning to have you pick Yixin up.”

“Zheng Ranran’s mother remarried. I don’t know what she said to Zheng Ranran, but the girl ran away from home.”

Lu Boyuan didn’t usually concern himself with children’s affairs. He pieced together fragments he’d heard from Liu Miqing, the story broken and incomplete.

“This incident hit Yixin pretty hard. She cried the whole night yesterday. She only knows that Zheng Ranran must have come to Huating, but she’s not sure exactly where she went.”

“You know how my wife handles these things. She said at times like this, instead of forcing Yixin to study, it’s better to let her come to Huating and look for Zheng Ranran. Maybe if the two girls meet, everything will sort itself out.”

“But I…” Lu Boyuan scratched his head. “I’m just not good at coaxing kids.”

A girl like Lu Yixin probably needed comfort right now, but he felt that his presence wouldn’t help. If anything, it might make her cry harder.

“If you’re free, help me accompany her to look for Zheng Ranran.” Lu Boyuan took a folded paper from his pocket. “My wife said Zheng Ranran might be at this address.”

It was an address in the center of Huating City, supposedly where Zheng Ranran’s father lived.

Fang Yongnian didn’t take the paper.

“Do me a favor.” Lu Boyuan knew what he was asking was a bit much, but after shamelessly dragging Fang Yongnian into helping for eight years—acting like his personal babysitter—he figured one more time didn’t matter. “You’re better at coaxing kids than I am.”

Fang Yongnian: “……”

He truly didn’t know what to say to Lu Boyuan. And equally speechless, he couldn’t find a proper reason to refuse.

He couldn’t exactly say, your daughter has feelings for me that she shouldn’t.

With Lu Boyuan’s temper, if he said that, he might get thrown out of the office.

He took the slip of paper and sighed inwardly.

He should have softened a little yesterday and given her a call. He still couldn’t understand how she’d remembered his birthday, even in such a situation.

He himself had already forgotten when his birthday was.

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧ 

Lu Yixin came by high-speed train. After school in the afternoon, she went straight to the station and arrived in Huating a little after six in the evening.

Head down, she was swept along by the crowd at the station exit. While passing through the corridor, someone from behind bumped into her, pushing her forward a few steps. She nearly fell but was caught by a kind stranger who grabbed her arm and steadied her.

“Thank you.” The girl’s nose was still red. She looked up at the person who’d helped her, and her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

After almost a year apart, Fang Yongnian was standing right in front of her, expressionless, looking down at her.

Lu Yixin froze, not daring to move.

Fang Yongnian pulled her slightly to the side, away from the next wave of people. Turning his body, he took her pink backpack from her shoulders.

He gave it a light shake, frowning.

A heavy bag—a proper senior-year student’s bag.

“I… I can carry it myself.” Lu Yixin was still in a daze but didn’t want to trouble him with such a heavy load.

Was he waiting for her?

Had he been waiting long?

If he stood too long… his legs might get numb…

“Let’s eat first.” Fang Yongnian slung her pink backpack over his own shoulder and walked straight toward the parking lot.

It had been a year since they last met.

She seemed to have grown a little taller, a little thinner, though the baby fat on her face still remained.

He had recognized her from afar at the station exit, recognized her too quickly, and even silently chastised himself for it for a few seconds.

It seemed he was moving farther and farther away from a clear conscience. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Fasten your seatbelt.”

One command from him, one obedient movement from her.

Still as silly as a year ago.

Only now, she seemed a lot more timid. Even when she looked at him, she only dared to steal glances. A year older, and she had finally learned the meaning of propriety.

Fang Yongnian couldn’t tell whether he should be happy or unhappy about it.

He only felt a bit melancholic.

Perhaps he wouldn’t even need time to fade things out, this girl would quietly fade away on her own. After all, the affection of youth was usually for youth’s sake alone.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked while driving.

Good. This way, he wouldn’t have to exhaust himself avoiding her anymore.

Lu Yixin sneaked another glance at him.

It really was him…

She wasn’t dreaming.

Her heart was beating so fast she almost forgot why she had come to Huating in the first place.

“You…” she took a small, quiet breath, “why are you still wearing that same shirt?”

It was nearly worn out from washing.

Her father said the company was doing well, so why was he still so frugal?

A trace of amusement flickered in Fang Yongnian’s eyes. This was such a familiar way for her to start a conversation.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked again.

Huating had plenty of good food. When he had the rare bit of leisure, he would sometimes go alone. And during those times, he would always think of Lu Yixin.

Meals for two always tasted better than meals for one.

“Anything’s fine.” Lu Yixin’s reply was as compliant as ever. “But I want to find Ranran first.”

Her best friend Zheng Ranran had disappeared without a word. She and the troublemaker from the neighboring class had searched almost frantically, only to learn that Zheng Ranran had run away to Huating.

She said she wouldn’t take the college entrance exam anymore.

She hadn’t discussed it with anyone, just decided her future on her own.

She said she didn’t want to be a “good kid” anymore.

No matter how good she was, her parents would never praise her.

So she thought, maybe if she became a “bad kid,” they would finally notice her.

She used to tease her for being lovestruck, but when faced with her own troubles, she wasn’t any wiser herself.

She had cried all night yesterday. Coming to Huating today, she hadn’t expected to run into Fang Yongnian at all.

She sneaked a look at the rearview mirror and was startled by her own disheveled reflection.

Quickly, she pulled out a hair tie from her hand and gathered her messy hair into a ponytail.

As she tied it up, she still kept stealing glances at Fang Yongnian.

He seemed… even more handsome now.

Gone was the lazy air he used to have back at the pharmacy. Now he looked composed, serious, even a little authoritative.

So handsome…

“There’s traffic near where she’s staying. We’ll eat first, then go.” Fang Yongnian drove out of the underground parking lot and glanced sideways at her.

Right at that moment, he caught her biting on the elastic band and secretly peeking at him, her eyes glimmering like stars.

Fang Yongnian: “……”

Girls really did change as they grew up, she was getting prettier and prettier.

“Your dad’s working late tonight.” He turned his head back, calmly arranging her schedule.

“After we see Ranran, I’ll take you to your dorm. Tomorrow morning, I’ll drive you back to Hecheng.”

No need to take the high-speed train again, too crowded.

It had been a year since he last went to Hecheng anyway. He should probably visit Zheng Fei and collect his dividends.

Lu Yixin quietly tidied her hair.

When Fang Yongnian saw she didn’t speak, he turned on the car radio himself.

A year apart—after all, things had grown unfamiliar.

If it were before, she would’ve already started chattering about Zheng Ranran by now, or shamelessly inching closer to him.

But now she really was a young lady—sitting properly in the passenger seat, hands and feet neatly placed.

The well-behaved Lu Yixin listened to the radio and turned her head toward the window.

Her hands, resting by her side, clenched and loosened again.

Unfortunately, the radio was playing a sentimental song. The lyrics were long, all about youth.

She squeezed her fists hard, but it didn’t help. She still… couldn’t hold it in.

She sniffled softly and turned her head more dramatically toward the window.

“…Lu Yixin?” Fang Yongnian thought if she twisted her neck any further, it might break.

What’s going on with her?

Lu Yixin turned back, sniffling—her face covered in tears.

“I thought…” the girl, tear-streaked and trembling, bit her lip, trying hard not to sob aloud, “I thought… you didn’t want me anymore.”

That one sentence seemed to take all her strength.

And then she couldn’t hold back any longer—she burst into loud, unrestrained tears.