The man was finally chased away by the security guard. Wei Qingyue stood there watching the whole time. In the end, he watched the man walk far away before buying some water and returning to the sports field.

It was already late spring. The wind was warm and flowers were fragrant. The weather had been fine and sunny for the past few days, with a faint warm current wafting through the air. Wei Qingyue was the type who could stand the cold but not the heat. While everyone else was still in long sleeves, he had long since switched to a white short-sleeved shirt. The blue veins on the boy's arm bulged as he twisted the bottle cap open. He had grown taller again.

In a crowd, it was easy to spot Jiang Du; she was the most frail-looking one. Wei Qingyue took advantage of the chaos after class to call out to her. Everyone was walking back in pairs and threes. Jiang Du turned around, her face pale and drained of color.

She was a little nervous, standing there stiffly. Wei Qingyue was always more natural and at ease than her. He was very direct: "I have something I want to ask you."

'Are you my class teacher?' Jiang Du resisted a little in her heart. Clearly, she was overjoyed, but on her face, she just had a very calm expression: "What is it?"

"What about your parents?" Wei Qingyue was indeed direct enough.

Jiang Du froze for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know. My grandparents never mention them, and I've never met them."

Wei Qingyue had an incredulous look on his face. He suspected, could Jiang Du be an abandoned baby found by the elderly couple? The thought flashed through his mind. He said, "Do you remember that middle-aged man we saw in the bookstore? You know, the one we ran into at the bookstore that rainy day, remember?"

The details were disgusting, so Wei Qingyue didn't mention them. Jiang Du's expression clearly showed she knew who he was talking about. "I remember. A while ago, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Liu Xiaole, and I saw him at school. Liu Xiaole said he was a pervert and told us to be careful."

Wei Qingyue thought for a moment and decided not to repeat everything the man had said, afraid of scaring her. But just the fact that the man knew her name was enough to leave Jiang Du looking horrified. Her expression was like fine dust tumbling chaotically in the sunlight:

"How could he know my name? I don't even know him."

Wei Qingyue didn't know, but his mind was crystal clear. "The school's public notice boards and honor rolls often post students' names, but with so many people, it's unlikely he'd be fixated on you. You haven't been featured on the bulletin board alone, so the probability of being noticed this way is very small. Report it to the school first, and then tell your family when you go home this weekend." He frowned. "That man had needle marks on his arm. I suspect he takes drugs. It wouldn't be surprising if he committed some illegal or criminal acts."

Takes drugs... a phrase she had only ever seen in legal education dramas as a child. Hearing it now, Jiang Du's face turned snow-white.

"Don't be afraid. I'll walk you home this weekend. On Sunday, have your grandpa bring you back for the evening study session. Be careful during this time." Wei Qingyue gave her a slight smile and pushed the water into her hands.

Jiang Du hugged the water bottle dazedly. She wasn't afraid anymore. Thin and slender, the corners of her lips curved into a shy arc. "I take the bus near the school. There are people from Mei Zhong who go in the same direction as me."

"Wait for me at the school gate after class. When you see me, we'll go to the bus stop one after the other. We won't sit together." Wei Qingyue smiled, then paused. "Why are you always trying to avoid suspicion with me? Aren't we already friends?"

Jiang Du lowered her head to look at her toes, resisting the urge to tie her shoelaces. "No, I just don't think it's right. I'm afraid of what others might say about me."

"Say what about you? If they say anything, it'll be 'Is Wei Qingyue pursuing Jiang Du?'" The words slipped out so naturally. After saying them, he seemed to realize they weren't quite appropriate and quickly covered it up. "I'm kidding. See you after school on the weekend."

On the sports field, Jiang Du stood alone for a while, hugging the water, before slowly walking back. The water had warmed up in her arms.

Time passed second by second. Finally, it was Friday evening. A vast sunset burned across the sky, rolling in with overflowing colors. Jiang Du deliberately avoided the busiest ten minutes, carrying her bag out. From a distance, she spotted the tall Wei Qingyue at a glance, his backpack slung over one shoulder, hanging diagonally.

As she got closer, Wei Qingyue smiled silently as a greeting. Jiang Du glanced at him quickly and walked past him with an almost expressionless face.

Amused, Wei Qingyue followed behind her. They really walked one after the other, and at the bus stop, they pretended not to know each other.

When boarding the bus, the laughing students all pushed and shoved. Jiang Du hated being squeezed and was always very polite. Wei Qingyue, behind her, couldn't stand watching anymore. If she didn't get on, they'd have to wait for the next bus. So, he simply pushed her from behind, squeezing her on. Jiang Du glanced back at him. He lowered his eyelashes, his face also expressionless.

Of course, there were no seats on the bus. Shoulders rubbed against shoulders, backs brushed against backs. Jiang Du was used to grabbing the rail near the back door. Wei Qingyue stood firmly behind her, holding onto a hand strap. His backpack had slipped a little from his shoulder, touching her elbow. With the slight swaying of his body, it tapped against her elbow again and again.

Jiang Du didn't move. She knew Wei Qingyue was very close to her. She didn't remind him, 'Your backpack keeps touching me'.

She was surrounded by noisy chatter, yet she felt the world was serene, like the depths of the ocean.

The bus stopped at one station after another. The students gradually thinned out, while the adults on the bus silently watched the red and green neon lights flicker on outside. Their expressions were numb and weary. With their world-weary attitude, they couldn't understand what the chattering teenagers had to be so happy about, nor could they know, on such an ordinary bus ride, to what extent a heart could flutter for a single person.

'Wei Qingyue is standing right behind me,' Jiang Du thought silently. He wasn't the top student, not some school heartthrob that girls swooned over and called "so handsome." She never joined others in heated discussions about his name, nor did she ever show the slightest bit of attention toward him. He was just Wei Qingyue, slowly growing in her heart alone, his roots spreading, his branches flourishing, gradually taking deep root in her entire world—even if he was just passing through Mei Zhong, soon to head off to a distant place.

It was so real, yet so dreamlike. He had said, "Aren't we already friends?" Their friendship was muddled and unclear. It was precisely because it wasn't clearly defined that she could allow herself a few beautiful thoughts.

When they were one stop away from her home, all the students had gotten off, and many of the adults had as well, freeing up some seats. Wei Qingyue tugged the hood of her pink sweatshirt, signaling for her to sit down.

The plastic bag rustled loudly, as if waking someone from a dream. Jiang Du didn't often carry a backpack; the bag from the clothing store had become her school bag.

She was sitting with Wei Qingyue again. It felt like she hadn't even finished savoring the time during winter break, and now another surprise had arrived unexpectedly. She was even a little afraid, afraid that she would use up all her good luck at once, leaving nothing for the future.

Wei Qingyue didn't speak. He sat on the outer seat of the two connected seats, one leg habitually crossed over the other knee, his arms folded, lost in thought.

This was good enough. Jiang Du also remained silent. She turned her head. The window was open. The bustling world rose up from the ground; there were tall buildings nearby and tall buildings in the distance. Colorful lights were everywhere, blanketing the entire city.

All sorts of sounds poured in continuously through the window: the tacky slow-rock music from shops, the laughter of young girls, the curses of taxi drivers, and the rumbling of speeding cars. Bustling and vibrant, they converged into a vigorous river flowing through the city. Every night was like this.

What a tangible life it was out there, yet she liked Wei Qingyue, liked a boy... Her shoulder was suddenly tapped. Wei Qingyue interrupted her wandering thoughts:

"Is this the stop?"

The two of them got off the bus.

After passing through a bustling night market for about a hundred meters, they reached the end of the street where Jiang Du's residential complex was located.

The cherry blossoms in the complex were in full bloom. Under the lights, they looked like snow-white clusters, though in the daytime they appeared faintly pink. Petals carried by the wind fluttered onto her face like dancing butterflies. Jiang Du waved her hand to block them and, imitating her grandma's polite way of speaking, said:

"Wei Qingyue, why don't you have dinner at my place before you go?"

Wei Qingyue wasn't polite about it at all. He directly said, "Okay."

Now it was Jiang Du's turn to be stunned. She had never brought a boy home before, nor had she ever imagined that someone would actually agree to such an invitation. Shouldn't he have said, "No, no, it's okay"?

She hadn't told her grandma and grandpa in advance, and she couldn't possibly tell Wei Qingyue, "I was just being polite." Jiang Du forced a smile and said, "My home isn't very big." As she spoke, she walked toward the apartment building with a conflicted expression, wondering how she would explain this to her grandpa after opening the door.

"Does that have some special meaning?" Wei Qingyue adjusted his backpack.

Jiang Du raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"

He frowned slightly. "You told me your home isn't very big. What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing." Jiang Du gave up, then after a thought, added, "I mean, don't laugh. I heard from other classmates that you live in one of those very high-end residential complexes."

"High-end my ass. You're listening to their bullshit." When Wei Qingyue said this, a hostile energy flared up in him, his tone contemptuous. He was like a young, untamed beast, uninhibited, venting his repressed feelings instinctively in that moment.

This made Jiang Du very awkward. She looked at him. Luckily, they were entering the building's hallway, so she could stomp her foot to cover up the awkwardness. The voice-activated light turned on.

She knocked on the door. "Grandma, it's me."

A voice came from inside. The door opened, and her grandma's smile slowly blossomed. "Sweetheart, this is..."

Jiang Du put on her best, most feigned casual tone. "A classmate. This is the classmate who always gets first place in our school's exams, Wei Qingyue. He walked me back, and there's no one to cook for him at home, so I invited him to have dinner at our place."

There were several layers of meaning in her words. Jiang Du didn't know if her grandma had understood. 'At the dinner table, please, please don't ask about Wei Qingyue's parents.'

"Oh... well then, come in, child, come in quickly." Her grandma greeted him enthusiastically. In truth, the old woman was very surprised and didn't quite understand why Jiang Du had suddenly been brought home by a male classmate.

"Dinner is almost ready. Wash your hands, and we can eat. Sweetheart, show your classmate where to wash his hands." Her grandma got a pair of slippers for Wei Qingyue and had him change into them, then turned and went into the kitchen, probably to say something to her grandpa who was busy inside.

Jiang Du led Wei Qingyue to the bathroom. She pointed and said shyly, "You can wash your hands here."

Every inch of the air was thick with awkwardness, but only Wei Qingyue seemed unaffected. He washed his hands, pulled out a few tissues to dry them, and threw them in the trash can. After a brief look at the apartment's furnishings, he turned and sat down at the dinner table.

"Wait here, I'll go take a look." Jiang Du quickly threw out the sentence and slipped into the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't big. With three people in it at once, it felt cramped.

"There's been a pervert near the school gate recently, so my classmate walked me back." Jiang Du explained dryly, unintentionally tugging at her sweatshirt. "Later, don't ask about his parents. He has a very bad relationship with them. You can only ask about schoolwork."

Her grandpa was ladling soup. He glanced over with smiling eyes and said, "So Jiang Du is already bringing boyfriends home? I hear he's even first place in the school."

"Grandpa, what are you talking about?" Jiang Du was aghast, her face flushing red with anxiety. "He'll get angry if he hears you."

"What's wrong? My granddaughter is pretty and sensible, a perfect match for the first-place student." Her grandpa had a cheerful personality and liked to joke. Jiang Du shot him a mock-annoyed glare and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, Wei Qingyue won't stay for dinner."

"Alright, alright, I won't say it, I won't say it."

Her grandma also glared at the old man. "Don't talk nonsense with the kid. He's first place. How could someone who studies so hard be in a puppy love relationship? Our sweetheart isn't that kind of child either."

For some reason, her grandma seemed particularly displeased with her grandpa's behavior at that moment, her tone carrying obvious unhappiness.

Those words struck a raw nerve with Jiang Du. She pushed up her sleeves and started helping to bring out the dishes.

As expected, her grandma stuck to the safest topics. She sized up Wei Qingyue, serving him food while saying, "Child, don't be a stranger. Eat more, it's all just home cooking. You two are good classmates. Come visit often when you have time. Jiang Du has to learn from you. To be able to get first place at Mei Zhong, you must be truly smart."

Wei Qingyue smiled faintly. "Jiang Du is also very smart. I often can't beat her in Chinese."

"Aiya, she's a bit unbalanced in her subjects. You must be good at every subject, otherwise, how could you be first? Those who can get first place are all children with high IQs. Jiang Du isn't that smart." Hearing Wei Qingyue praise Jiang Du made her grandma very happy, but she didn't forget to be modest on Jiang Du's behalf.

Her grandpa's conversation with Wei Qingyue was much more specific. He asked Wei Qingyue what major he planned to study and whether his grades could get him recommended to Tsinghua University. Wei Qingyue said:

"I'm going abroad. I don't plan to attend university in this country."

Her grandpa's expression immediately became a little strange. He felt that with such good grades, one should of course serve the motherland. If he went abroad and didn't come back, serving foreigners instead, then the country would have truly nurtured his talent for nothing.

Fearing her grandpa might say something to make Wei Qingyue uncomfortable, Jiang Du abruptly changed the subject, saying to her grandpa, "Today's fish soup is especially delicious."

Wei Qingyue glanced at her, smiled thoughtfully, and said, "It's been a long time since I've had such a delicious meal. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma."

Her grandpa was the type of old man who took great pride in his cooking skills. Hearing Wei Qingyue say this, his spirits lifted, and he launched into a long monologue about the art of cooking. His wife had to kick him under the table and say gently, "How many kids are interested in cooking? As long as it tastes good, that's enough. You old man, you talk too much, without even considering if the child wants to listen or not."

Her grandpa was very receptive to his wife's advice and toned it down a bit, just telling Wei Qingyue to eat as much as he wanted.

Wei Qingyue kept smiling as he held his chopsticks. He glanced again at Jiang Du. The girl barely spoke, just eating gracefully.

This was Jiang Du's home, and her family. He was lost in a daze for a moment. 'Are all my classmates' homes more or less like this?'

Since they were students, the rest of the conversation revolved entirely around school. The elderly couple asked him if the competition in the Science Experimental Class was particularly fierce, if the classmates were all very smart, if the teachers assigned were different from those in the regular classes... They asked about almost everything they were interested in.

By the end of all the questions, even Jiang Du felt embarrassed.

After dinner, it was usually Jiang Du's turn to clear the table and her grandpa's to mop the floor. Today was an exception. The elderly couple told her to walk Wei Qingyue to the complex gate downstairs.

Her grandma and grandpa stood at the door, repeatedly telling Wei Qingyue to be safe on his way home. They insisted on watching the two kids go downstairs before closing the door.

Jiang Du had forgotten to change her shoes and was still wearing her fluffy winter cotton slippers.

As the two walked through the residential complex, a glance up revealed the lights of thousands of households. Jiang Du's home was just one of these countless lamps, nothing special.

Despite this, as Wei Qingyue looked up, a clear thought leaped into his mind:

No one had ever left a light on for him, waiting for him to come home. Among these tens of thousands of lights, not a single one truly belonged to him. Where was his? He didn't know.

"Are you full?" Jiang Du was still a little reserved. Even now, she didn't know how any of this had happened. Wei Qingyue had come to her home for a meal.

When she thought about it carefully, it wasn't really anything special. She had eaten at Wang Jingjing's house, and Wang Jingjing had also gone to a male classmate's house for his birthday back in middle school.

Wei Qingyue didn't answer. Instead, he quietly asked Jiang Du, "I've been receiving love letters since the start of middle school. I know a lot of girls like me. What do you think they like about me? Is it because my grades are good, or because they heard my family is rich, or maybe because they think I'm handsome? Tell me, if they saw me being beaten by my dad until I couldn't get up, like a dog, would they still think I'm handsome? Would they still like me?"

Jiang Du was rendered speechless by the question. An emotion, like a tide, forcefully and relentlessly crashed against her chest, over and over again. His words made her eyes sting.

"It's your dad who treats you badly, it's not your fault. Don't say you're like a dog. You," her chest heaved slightly as she forced herself to look him in the eye, "you're more outstanding than most of us. No matter how much we study, we could never be like you. Really. That's a fact your dad can't erase."

She didn't know how to comfort him at that moment. The few hasty words she spoke came out in a trembling voice, because she needed to look into his eyes to show a basic level of respect and sincerity.

But Wei Qingyue laughed, an inscrutable laugh. "You're really interesting, Jiang Du."

Jiang Du looked at him sheepishly, unable to figure out if Wei Qingyue had been genuinely sad just now, because he was now smiling with a face full of indifference.

The night market was a street ablaze with lights, its faint clamor and lively atmosphere seeming to condense above the city, spreading out, reaching in all directions, capable of reaching even the layered dark clouds.

Wei Qingyue wasn't actually very used to those smells, the smells of the night market. He said, "You've already paid back the favor you owed me."

Jiang Du looked at him, confused.

"I walked you home, you treated me to dinner. We're even now. I don't like owing people favors. It's too much trouble."

He explained it so casually. Jiang Du felt a little disappointed. She said in a low voice, "There's no need to keep score like that. At the very least, we're schoolmates from the same school."

Before they knew it, they had walked out of the complex. Jiang Du took a banknote from her pocket and handed it to him. Wei Qingyue laughed. "What are you doing?"

"You only need to spend money on a taxi because you walked me home."

"Didn't we just say there's no need to keep score?" Wei Qingyue always had the upper hand in a verbal exchange. He gently pushed the money back. "You should really ask your grandpa about your parents, have a talk with him. That man might have just gotten your name from somewhere random, but you still need to be careful." The corner of his mouth twitched. "If it's inconvenient for your grandpa to pick you up, I can always walk you home."

Jiang Du hadn't been thinking about the perverted man at all. Her nose suddenly tingled, touched by his last words.

She lowered her head, looking at her own long shadow on the ground, and said softly, "But, you can't always walk me home."

"How do you know I can't?" Wei Qingyue hoisted his backpack with a half-smile, looking at a taxi approaching in the distance. "I have to go. You should head back."

Jiang Du hummed a soft "Mhm." She watched him get into the car. Wei Qingyue took a long stride and sat in the front passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt. The window was half-open. He saw Jiang Du was still standing there. He didn't move, didn't wave goodbye or anything. He just glanced at her.

And Jiang Du, long after the car had driven away, was still standing there, as if she could stand alone in one place forever, watching him.