Ding Xian looked back. In the dazzling light, she saw a young man leaning against the large green iron gate, arms crossed, a mocking smile on his lips as he looked at her. He was almost taller than the large iron gate, yet the way he antagonized her seemed childish no matter how she looked at it.

Ignoring him, she continued to walk forward.

From behind her, another voice called, "Hey."

Ding Xian walked on steadfastly.

"What's going on with you and Liu Xiaofeng?"

Zhou Siyue, arms still crossed, asked indifferently.

Ding Xian actually really wanted to turn back and ask him, 'Then what's going on with you and Yang Chunzi? Why aren't you talking to her?'

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but shake her head.

What did that even count as?

After taking a couple of overly dramatic steps, Ding Xian bumped into Zhou Zongtang. Zhou Zongtang had just gotten out of the car, holding Mrs. Zhou's hand, and called out to her, "Xianxian?"

Ding Xian suddenly looked up and met the kind and amiable gaze of the Zhou Family couple.

Mrs. Zhou quite liked this little girl; she hadn't seen her for a while since school started and missed her a bit.

"Are you here to find Siyue?"

Ding Xian subconsciously replied, "No, no, no... My mom asked me to bring you some furong cakes. I've already given the things to Zhou... Siyue."

Mrs. Zhou looked back and saw her son, like a door god, blocking the entrance. Assuming Zhou Siyue wasn't letting her in, she smiled and pulled Ding Xian over. "Come, come inside and sit for a bit."

"...No, no need."

Mrs. Zhou was gentle and soft-spoken, but her words carried weight and left no room for refusal. She pulled Ding Xian towards their front door, not minding her husband behind them.

'Really, there's no need,' Ding Xian complained inwardly, yet she couldn't bear to refuse the gentle Mrs. Zhou.

As they passed the gate.

The tall young man looked down at her, let out a soft scoff, and was the first to turn and enter.

Mrs. Zhou led Ding Xian to sit on the sofa and then instructed Zhou Siyue to pour water for Ding Xian.

Zhou Siyue poured a glass of water, then casually sat on the single sofa nearby and drank it himself.

"..."

"..."

Mrs. Zhou: "I told you to pour water for Xianxian."

Zhou Siyue leaned over to grab the remote control nearby, but Mrs. Zhou slapped his hand down. He looked helplessly at his mother, saw the sharp glint in Mrs. Zhou's eyes and the tendency for her to lose her temper, so he raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright, alright."

So he stood up, shuffled in his slippers to the kitchen to pour another glass of water, brought it to Ding Xian, bowed slightly, and said playfully, "Here you go, Young Miss."

"...Thank... thank you."

Zhou Siyue curved his lips into a smile: "You're welcome."

Not even two minutes later, Ding Xian put down her glass and said awkwardly, "Aunt Zhou, I... I should get going. I still have homework to finish."

Mrs. Zhou found it unbelievable: "Seven days! How can you still have homework unfinished?"

Ding Xian opened her mouth, but was interrupted by someone's cold laugh: "She was just busy playing, of course."

Ding Xian glared at him, and Mrs. Zhou also glared at him.

"I had something to do and went out of town, so it got delayed."

Mrs. Zhou nodded, not trying to keep her. "Then you should hurry back and do your homework. Auntie won't delay you any longer. School starts tomorrow, so don't be late. Go back quickly, I'll have Siyue see you out."

'No need, it's only a few steps.'

Just as Ding Xian was about to refuse, Zhou Siyue had already stood up and walked to the door to change his shoes. "I was just about to go out and find Jiang Chen anyway." After changing, he glanced at her. Seeing she hadn't moved, he impatiently tilted his head at her, "Come on."

The autumn wind was bleak, and the layered forests were dyed with color.

In the hutong's alley, two figures, one tall and one short, walked side by side. The setting sun hung obliquely behind the low buildings, casting a dense, slanting ray of light, creating dappled shadows.

Ding Xian lowered her head and pressed her lips together, her fingers gently twisting in front of her. She said, "You should go back."

Zhou Siyue was dressed in casual clothes, with a black jacket zipped all the way up to cover his chin. His hands were in his pockets. Seeming not to hear her words, he asked her lightly, "How many test papers do you still have left to do?"

Ding Xian looked distressed: "Four."

"..."

The next second, she received a flick on the forehead. "Didn't you know to bring your homework when you went out?"

Ding Xian winced in pain, rubbing the spot that had been flicked, and said with a bitter face, "I originally thought I'd be back in two days, but then something came up and it dragged on until the fifth day. Do you think I'm stupid? Who wants to bring homework when they go out?"

Zhou Siyue suddenly looked straight ahead and said, "I originally thought you were just foolish."

Ding Xian: "..."

"Now that I think about it..." He turned to look at her, his gaze inexplicably deeper and darker than usual. Ding Xian was almost drawn in by him, her whole being swept away by his teasing tone.

She only heard him resume his lazy tone: "You are definitely not just simply foolish."

A smile was still pressed at the corner of his lips.

'I'm such an idiot.'

'To actually still have expectations for you.'

Ding Xian stopped and kicked his tall back.

She quickened her pace, leaving him behind, and dropped a cold sentence: "I'm here, you can go back."

She hadn't walked two steps when someone grabbed her by the back of her collar and dragged her back.

Ding Xian was furious, displaying an expression of extreme anger, as if blowing her beard and glaring.

Another soft chuckle.

"Where are you going? Jiang Chen's house is up ahead; your house is back there."

Ding Xian suddenly realized with a shock that ever since she left the house, she had been walking in the opposite direction from him. Sure enough, whenever she encountered him, all her thought processes got tangled.

She turned around, still huffing, and walked back.

Zhou Siyue stopped her. "Wait for me for a bit."

'Why should I wait for you?'

Ding Xian ignored him and pushed him away.

He finally got angry. "Have you caused enough trouble?"

To put it this way, Zhou Siyue rarely got genuinely angry like this. Even when he was goofing around with Jiang Chen and the others, it was always with a playful scold and a laugh. Boys were thick-skinned and wouldn't hold grudges.

After spending so much time at school, he had a good reputation, everyone wanted to be friends with him, and most liked to joke around with him casually. However, some people couldn't stand him.

For example, He Xingwen.

He felt that Zhou Siyue was the type of person who liked to pretend to be playful in front of others, but secretly studied frantically at home to disguise himself as a genius student. Occasionally, when he couldn't stand it, he would subtly or openly mock him.

But he never seemed to get agitated with anyone; he would just smile calmly, treating people with extreme tolerance.

Yet, he was also extremely arrogant.

In the afternoon, the alley was quiet with few people coming and going. His roar echoed, swirling around Ding Xian's ears.

She had been tolerant since childhood and had little temper. Not to mention boys, even girls had never yelled at her like that. It instantly stunned her, and she just stood there foolishly.

"What exactly are you angry about?"

Zhou Siyue regained his composure and asked her, looking down.

Ding Xian looked at him, and the words 'I like you, you idiot' almost slipped out. She averted her gaze, forcing herself not to look into his clear eyes, they were too transparent.

Afraid of tainting them with her own thoughts.