Lu Yixin had imagined Fang Yongnian’s girlfriend before.

Like all fangirls, in her heart, no one could be worthy of Fang Yongnian—including herself.

But if she had to assign him a girlfriend, then that girlfriend should at least be gentle, with long hair, slender, and have a smile that could infect Fang Yongnian.

She must be able to cook, have eating habits similar to the picky Fang Yongnian’s, have a good temper and talk a lot, and though she should earn money, she must still have plenty of time to stay at home.

At the very, very least—she had to be ten times better than Lu Yixin herself.

Yet now, in the chilly early March night, with dew thick in the air, she was shivering as she hid among the flower bushes across the street, peeking and craning her neck. When she finally saw the so-called “girlfriend” her mother mentioned—the one Fang Yongnian supposedly fancied—she was completely dumbfounded.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t someone who judged people by their looks, nor was she particularly obsessed with appearances.

But…

Lu Yixin took a deep breath.

The door of Yimin Pharmacy faced the road, and through the posters advertising medicine, she could clearly see all the furnishings inside.

There were indeed two people in the pharmacy—a man and a woman.

The man was Fang Yongnian.

The woman looked nearly fifty, wore glasses, had ear-length short hair… and was an auntie.

Lu Yixin pulled out the lip tint from her pocket.

With the determination of a warrior cutting off her own arm, she rubbed her eyes fiercely. After making sure they were red, she applied the tint along her lower lash line without even using a mirror.

“I’m going to buy medicine.” She stood up brimming with murderous intent and stormed toward the pharmacy without a backward glance.

Zheng Ranran only managed to grab at the air left behind by Lu Yixin’s departure.

She made a grasping motion in the air, then waved her hand.

She knew Lu Yixin wouldn’t just take one look and leave.

Unless the other woman was truly as beautiful as a fairy—so much that Lu Yixin would feel inferior from head to toe—otherwise, this battle was inevitable.

Zheng Ranran pulled out a tissue, blew her nose, then crouched and shuffled a few steps forward.

She should’ve brought binoculars.

The girl, wrapped in her cotton coat, pouted in frustration.

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧

The door of Yimin Pharmacy had a welcome bell, the same kind convenience stores used. It was a birthday gift Lu Yixin had bought for Fang Yongnian after saving her pocket money for a long time.

She pushed open that door aggressively, and amidst the mechanical ding-dong sound, she locked eyes with the two adults inside the pharmacy.

She chickened out, just a little.

Lu Yixin rubbed her eyes and straightened her back.

“I’m here to buy medicine.” She stiffened her neck, maintaining her fierce demeanor.

She couldn’t back down! This was supposed to be his date? That woman looked even older than her own mom!

Fang Yongnian stayed silent.

It was Wednesday. Right now was supposed to be evening study time, Lu Yixin shouldn’t even be at the pharmacy.

She was wearing her school uniform under her coat, with a bright red scarf around her neck that made her eyes look even redder—the kind of red that was obviously painted on. When she had rubbed her eyes earlier, she’d smeared it all over her face.

Skipping class?

Skipping class and wearing makeup?

“This is… Lu Boyuan’s daughter?” The third person in the room suddenly spoke while the other two stayed silent, her tone full of pleasant surprise. “She’s grown so much? She looks exactly like Lu Boyuan!”

You look exactly like my dad!

In her battle mode, Lu Yixin mentally cursed heaven and earth without distinction. She rubbed her eyes again—the lip tint from earlier had accidentally gotten into her eyes, and now they were watering nonstop without needing any more rubbing.

“What is that, eyeshadow or something?” The aunt couldn’t help but laugh, pulling out a tissue and handing it to Lu Yixin. “Stop rubbing, it’s all smudged over your face.”

I’ll smudge it all over your face!

Lu Yixin finished roaring silently in her heart, then quietly accepted the tissue.

“My surname is Zhang. I’m your father’s colleague.” Aunt Zhang looked at her and smiled kindly.

“Thank you, Aunt Zhang.” Cowardly Lu Yixin thanked her while wanting to strangle herself.

Uncle and Aunt, wasn’t that basically a couple?

Disgusting!

“You’re so sweet.” Aunt Zhang smiled, then turned to Fang Yongnian. “Lu Boyuan’s daughter is already this big, and you still don’t even have a girlfriend?”

What does it have to do with you whether he has one or not!

After cursing in her heart, Lu Yixin froze—and finally realized something was off.

Wait a second—what was going on here?

Weren’t they supposed to be on a date?

Fang Yongnian smiled and, with an easy, self-deprecating tone, said, “Someone like me shouldn’t go around bringing trouble to others.”

He was completely using the tone one would use when speaking to an elder.

Lu Yixin’s mouth stayed open, unable to close.

“Nonsense!” Aunt Zhang glared at Fang Yongnian. “Among Professor Wu’s students, you’re the one I think most highly of.”

Fang Yongnian only smiled—polite, yet distant.

Still not understanding the situation, Lu Yixin rubbed her eyes again and used Aunt Zhang’s tissue to wipe her face.

“I’ve delivered the message,” Aunt Zhang said, putting on her coat and picking up her bag, clearly about to leave. “Think it over carefully.”

Fang Yongnian nodded, his hands hanging straight at his sides in a very respectful posture.

Lu Yixin found it strange and couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.

Sensing her gaze, Fang Yongnian turned his head slightly and looked at her expressionlessly.

Lu Yixin: “…”

She immediately averted her eyes, instantly more cowardly than ever.

“Don’t lose heart.” As Aunt Zhang left, she patted Fang Yongnian’s shoulder. “You’re still young, the road ahead is long. There’s no need to walk yourself into a dead end.”

Fang Yongnian smiled faintly again and nodded once more.

Lu Yixin thought that this time, his smile looked even more distant.

Aunt Zhang looked at him for a long moment, then finally sighed. She handed Lu Yixin another pack of tissues, smiled, and left.

The pharmacy’s ding-dong welcome bell chimed again. This time, only the two of them remained inside.

Lu Yixin gave an awkward laugh, clutching the pack of tissues in her hand as she fumbled for something to say. “I don’t know why Aunt Zhang keeps giving me tissues.”

Fang Yongnian took out his phone, switched to the front camera, and tossed it to her. “See for yourself.”

He seemed to be in a very bad mood…

Lu Yixin obediently looked at the screen.

Normally, when black eyeliner smudges, it gives the classic panda-eye effect. But when one uses red lip tint around the eyes and it smudges—then it basically turns into a full-on Sadako look, the kind of vengeful ghost that died unjustly and now bleeds from all seven orifices.

“What medicine are you buying?” Fang Yongnian pulled two wet wipes from the counter and handed them to her.

Lu Yixin hurriedly wiped her face, but for a moment didn’t know how to explain that her original excuse for barging in was to buy medicine for conjunctivitis.

Now the “conjunctivitis” had been wiped clean away…

“I… came to get a lunch box.” She finally squeezed out a reason.

Fang Yongnian crossed his arms, unmoved. “You skipped class to get a lunch box? Your family ran out of bowls?”

Lu Yixin: “…”

Fine. Fang Yongnian was clearly in a terrible mood, and she had walked straight into the firing line.

“That Aunt Zhang…” She forcibly swallowed back the words ‘wasn’t she your blind date?’, and changed direction mid-sentence. “She’s my dad’s colleague?”

“My teacher from graduate school.” Fang Yongnian leaned slightly against the counter, still keeping his arms crossed.

So her dad had introduced Fang Yongnian to his former teacher?

How… depressing…

“She… seems quite old.” Every word Lu Yixin spoke felt like torture.

Something about the situation didn’t feel right, yet she couldn’t believe her mother would use such an easily exposed excuse to lie to her.

Fang Yongnian frowned slightly, not answering her strange question.

Lu Yixin swallowed hard.

Her breathing began to feel constricted again.

Every time Fang Yongnian silently looked at her like this, her heartbeat would suddenly speed up.

He was too thin.

And there was something odd about the shape of his right leg below the knee, leaning against the counter like that.

“I really did come for the lunch box.” Lu Yixin couldn’t bear the tension any longer. “We’re out of bowls at home!”

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold back, afraid she’d end up asking him whether that Aunt Zhang really was his blind date.

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself, that she’d want to step forward and hug him.

He was so thin. Just standing there, leaning slightly, made her want to hold him.

Especially tonight. Tonight, she had told Zheng Ranran that she couldn’t do it, that they shouldn’t skip class—and yet she had gathered all her courage just to catch a glimpse of that supposed blind date.

Fang Yongnian’s brow furrowed even deeper.

This girl was becoming more and more scatterbrained lately.

He’d had a lot on his plate these past few days. People sent by Lu Boyuan had been coming one after another, all elders he used to know. He had kept up polite smiles and formal manners for each of them, but the endless back and forth had left him irritated.

His mood was poor, and he had no patience to try and figure out the strange thoughts running through an eighteen-year-old girl’s head.

In the end, he didn’t ask anything. He straightened his posture, walked to the back of the pharmacy, and brought out her family’s lunch box. Inside were the salted pancakes her mother had sent over early that morning.

“You didn’t finish them?” Lu Yixin only now realized how stupid her excuse had been.

There was no way all those pancakes could have been eaten in a single day.

And she’d even skipped class to come here, how was she going to explain the lunch box to her mother later?

She was really a pig.

“If you haven’t finished them, I’ll just come back in a couple of days to get it,” Lu Yixin said, nearly tripping over her own words as she tried to flee. “I’m not in a hurry.”

“…” Fang Yongnian finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Are you sick? Do you need a beating?”

Skipping class, wearing makeup, spouting nonsense—there was no right way to deal with her.

“Mm!” Lu Yixin nodded stiffly. “That’s why I originally came to buy medicine.”

She had actually managed to circle back and patch up her earlier lie.

Fang Yongnian was momentarily speechless.

Having admitted she was “sick,” Lu Yixin felt oddly relieved. She decided to go all in: “I think I’ve just studied myself stupid.”

“I’m going home to rest first.”

“Good night, Uncle Fang!”

She backed away as she spoke, desperate to escape this place. The longer she stayed, the more embarrassed she felt.

Fang Yongnian reached out and grabbed the collar of her coat.

“Wait.” He ignored her startled, wide-eyed look. “I just happen to need to talk to you.”

Lu Yixin tilted her head out of the collar, her large eyes blinking up at him.

…Lu Boyuan’s daughter really was delicate and bright, not like Lu Boyuan at all.

That thought suddenly flashed through Fang Yongnian’s mind for no reason.

He released her coat and cleared his throat. “Don’t come to the pharmacy so often these days. If you need something, call me.”

Lu Yixin: “?”

Fang Yongnian coughed lightly.

He didn’t want her coming around because lately too many acquaintances had been dropping by. If word got out that he was spending too much time with Lu Boyuan’s daughter, it would sound… strange.

He might be a bit abnormal, but he didn’t want people to call him a pervert.

“The public security’s been bad lately,” he said offhandedly, coming up with a random excuse.

Lu Yixin: “??”

Fang Yongnian said nothing more and waved his hand, signaling that she could leave.

Lu Yixin, her face full of question marks, walked out of the pharmacy. Even when she got on her bike, she was still completely dazed.

That Aunt Zhang really couldn’t have been Fang Yongnian’s blind date, but her mom also couldn’t have possibly lied to her with such an easy-to-expose excuse.

And besides…

“Has the security really been bad lately?” Lu Yixin asked Zheng Ranran blankly.

Zheng Ranran, riding alongside her, gave her the same blank expression in return.

So… strange.

Why did both her mother and Fang Yongnian not want her showing up at the pharmacy?