Chapter 5

Outside, the sun beat down so fiercely that the road seemed to soften beneath it. At this hour, no customers came by, and Xu Junwen was slumped over, asleep, drooling almost onto the glass countertop.

Since yesterday, Xu Qingling hadn’t eaten a single bite. She grabbed a pack of instant noodles from the shelf, poured hot water, and sat down to eat.

Earlier, after her outburst, Wu Guifen finally called her son back to mind the shop. This just proved that being too agreeable only made one vulnerable—parents could always find a way to squeeze their children dry.

In her past life, she had been far too obedient. Back then, she was like a home-loving fledgling, worrying over her parents’ hard work. She helped out at home without taking a single cent in wages. After starting work at Yuanxing, she began sending money home bit by bit.

It wasn’t until her father, Xu Demao, passed away that Xu Qingling was abruptly awakened.

Xu Junwen opened his eyes and saw his sister with her finger bandaged, eating instant noodles in a rather awkward posture.

He rubbed his eyes. “Sis, what happened to your hand?”

“I fell,” Xu Qingling replied.

Junwen was easygoing and didn’t think much of it. He had been out playing these past few days. Hearing that his second sister had argued with their parents about school, he casually asked, “Sis, what did Mom and Dad say about your school? Did they agree?”

Xu Qingling shot him a cold glare. “I don’t care if they agree or not! Here’s my only rule: if I can’t study this year, then none of them will next year! If they don’t let me go, then their precious son won’t get to either!”

This younger brother wasn’t a bad person, but like many sons who had everything handed to them by their parents, he had no real accomplishments. In his previous life, after graduating high school, the family stuffed money into his hands for him to attend the Open University, majoring in TV production. Three years later, he couldn’t even operate a camera but still took over the family business upon graduation.

Wu Guifen clearly understood her son’s abilities and had arranged a wife for him from their old rural hometown.

Junwen found his sister acting strangely today; the way she looked at him unsettled him.

Bored, he turned on the small TV on the counter and half-watched it absentmindedly.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted across the street. A man and woman were struggling outside a mahjong parlor. Junwen stopped watching TV and poked his head out to gawk.

A striking middle-aged woman clutched the man’s pant leg desperately, tears streaming down her face. “You can’t leave! If you go, the debt collectors will come after us. What will your daughter and I do?”

The man looked refined, but a dark bruise near his eye made him appear disheveled. He kicked her away forcefully. “We’re already divorced. No matter how much they want to collect, they can’t come after you!”

Onlookers shook their heads sorrowfully. “You can’t touch gambling, man. He was a good teacher, but now he’s hiding from debts all day, abandoned his wife and kids.”

The snack shop owner sneered, “Who knows if their divorce is real or fake! Maybe they’re just fooling the debt collectors!”

A short man standing nearby grinned lewdly. “No matter how much debt Teacher Wan owes, he’s not worried. His wife and those three daughters of his are each more beautiful than the last...”

Among the crowd, Wan Yue’s tear-streaked face trembled as she stepped forward to pull at the middle-aged woman sitting on the ground. “Mom, let’s go home…”

Behind her stood a tall, dark-skinned young man who shielded her protectively like a fierce wolf guarding its prey. He shot the short man a glare and scowled as he chased the onlookers away. “What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a couple argue? Move along!”

The young man wore a buzz cut and a tight stretchy T-shirt, his tattooed arms marking him as someone from the rougher side of town.

With the village chief’s son speaking, no one dared linger for the spectacle. The noisy crowd reluctantly dispersed, and Wan Shupeng was pulled back home by his wife and daughter.

After the commotion, Xu Junwen turned around to see his sister still gnawing on a chicken leg bun and felt puzzled. She and Wan Yue were close friends—when did she become so indifferent to Wan Yue’s troubles?

“Sis, are Wan Yue’s parents really divorced or just pretending?”

Xu Qingling was ravenous; a whole cup of instant noodles hadn’t filled her, so she ate a bun afterward to satisfy her hunger. Wiping grease from her hands with a tissue, she said, “How should I know?”

Even if she did know, she wouldn’t say. She had no interest in the Wan family’s affairs.

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A blast of hot wind swept across as someone lifted the curtain and entered.

The young man who had just been helping Wan Yue shoo away onlookers came in, followed by a few underlings. He was bending over the freezer, selecting ice cream.

Seeing Wei Donglai enter, Xu Qingling didn’t even frown—a rarity.

In her previous life, because of her connection to Wan Yue, she had deeply disliked Wei Donglai and always showed a sour expression whenever she saw him.

Oak Tree Village was the largest urban village in Xun City. The Wei family was a dominating presence here, unmatched in wealth, power, and prestige. Wei Wenshan had three daughters before finally having his only son, Wei Donglai, whom he spoiled immensely. These years, the elder Wei was thinking of retirement, hoping to hand over the village chief’s seat to Wei Donglai, sending him to sharpen his skills under his older brothers, who were in the timber and construction businesses, and broadening his horizons.

The village gangs and the good students kept to themselves. Although Wei Donglai and Xu Qingling had been middle school classmates, she never spoke to him.

Wei Donglai and Wan Yue were an odd pair: one, the second-generation rich kid in the urban village, streetwise and rugged; the other, a top student in the Chinese department at Xun University. From any angle, they were mismatched.

Yet Wei Donglai had been pestering Wan Yue since middle school.

When Wan Yue said she planned to marry Wei Donglai, Xu Qingling was shocked and spent a long time trying to persuade her otherwise.

To this day, she remembered Wan Yue’s forced smile: “I have no choice. I owe him too much, so I have to marry him.”

Wan Yue’s university and graduate school expenses were all paid by Wei Donglai. Though he wasn’t highly educated himself, he supported her studies wholeheartedly, promising even to fund a doctorate.

Though Wan Yue completed her studies with his money, she never respected him. Later, as the Wei family business prospered, Wei Donglai became a successful, good-looking provider who treated her well. Half out of admiration and half out of gratitude, Wan Yue married him.

After marriage, she bore him a son. Soon after, the Wei family business collapsed, and Wei Donglai went to prison over financial troubles. Wan Yue chose to divorce him.

When Xu Qingling was fighting a divorce case with Shen Luan, she learned that the Wei family’s troubles were instigated by Shen Luan behind the scenes. He even arranged for Wan Yue to move next door to them.

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Wei Donglai bought a bag of ice cream and a few packs of cigarettes, then went to pay Xu Junwen.

The expensive Xun brand cigarettes were casually tossed to the underlings behind him, who eagerly discussed the recent street fight involving the Wan family couple.

The Wan sisters were the three beauties of Oak Tree Village, always acting high and mighty. Now, with their father drowning in tens of thousands of gambling debt and unable to return home, the three roses had fallen into the mud.

The young men chatted excitedly, spitting words of schadenfreude, as if the Wan sisters’ fall meant some gain for themselves.

Wei Donglai lifted his eyes slightly and cast a cold glance. “Even cigarettes can’t shut your mouths?”

The underlings immediately fell silent, suddenly remembering their boss’s ongoing pursuit of Wan Yue. They hurriedly smiled and said, “No, no, we’re just saying the Wan sisters are pitiful. Wan Yue got into Xun University, but her dad wouldn’t let her study…”

Wei Donglai bit down hard on the cigarette butt, scratching the back of his shaven head in frustration. He wanted to help Wan Yue financially, but she had to agree first.

Feng Bo, a tall and skinny man following him, sensing his bad mood, changed the subject and greeted Xu Qingling, “Our class is organizing a trip to Showtan Peak this Friday. Are you going?”

Feng Bo had been Xu Qingling and Wan Yue’s high school classmate. He hadn’t gotten into university and had been running around with Wei Donglai ever since.

Xu Qingling had no interest in such teenage group outings and refused without hesitation, “No.”

Feng Bo seemed unsurprised, sighed, and said, “I figured. If Shen Luan isn’t going, then you won’t go either. And if you don’t go, Wan Yue definitely won’t. I’ll be the only one from Oak Tree Village…”

His words reminded Xu Qingling that she hadn’t gone to Showtan Peak before because Shen Luan had family matters and couldn’t attend. If he didn’t go, she naturally wouldn’t bother.

But missing that graduation trip meant she lost the chance to start a business with Cao Siqing.

Cao Siqing was also an art student who had been admitted to the Oil Painting Department at Xun University. At school, besides Wan Yue, she was Xu Qingling’s closest friend.

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During the summer after the college entrance exams in her previous life, Cao Siqing painted murals and taught classes at the youth center, earning enough money to cover her first year’s tuition.

Later, Xu Qingling ran into Cao Siqing while shopping. By then, Xu was a junior staff member at Yuanxing, and Cao Siqing was already running a small advertising company. They exchanged contact information.

Cao Siqing told her that after the exams, she had wanted to open a studio with Xu Qingling but couldn’t reach her.

Xu Qingling had no interest in Showtan Peak but could visit Cao Siqing instead.

She immediately changed her mind and asked Feng Bo, “What time do we leave on Friday morning?”

Seeing her willingness, Feng Bo perked up. “Meet at school at eight. I’ll come knock on your door at seven-thirty.”

Xun City was about fifty to sixty kilometers from Showtan Peak. This time they planned to ride bicycles, and Feng Bo reminded her to pump up her tires the day before.

Wei Donglai finished paying for his items and impatiently said, “Let’s go!”

He didn’t care at all about these obedient students’ affairs, as long as Wan Yue wasn’t involved.

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At Xun City First Hospital, Zhang Ye stepped out of the ward, still dazed.

He had rushed to the construction site as soon as he got the news. The old man hadn’t used the Fu family’s connections but instead called on his former comrades from the military. One group dug frantically, while another searched every corner of the site. Finally, they found the barely breathing Mr. Shen behind a mound of dirt.

Shen was covered in dirt, and Zhang Ye smelled a faint metallic scent of blood. Shining his flashlight on Shen’s chest, he saw a large bloodstain and urgently called for help. “Mr. Shen is injured! Get him to City First Hospital immediately!”

The City First Hospital’s surgery department was the best in Xun City; his words rushed out before his brain caught up.

“Don’t panic!” Shen Anwu, who had been bowing his head, suddenly spoke. “It’s not my blood.”

His slightly reprimanding tone was music to Zhang Ye’s ears, easing his racing heart. He hurried over. “Mr. Shen, where are you hurt?”

Dozens of cars lined the street, their headlights illuminating the site like daylight.

Shen Anwu looked down at his white shirt, now stained beyond recognition, three buttons torn off, dotted with blood spots. The girl had called him “Shen Anwu” so familiarly, but he had no memory of her voice or appearance.

Was it all a dream?

If not for the hundred yuan bill still clutched in his hand—the money she had given him—he would have thought so. He remembered her voice, tinged with reluctance, as if it pained her to part with the money.

Besides his mother, no woman had ever given him money before. Holding the crisp bill, his palm broke out in a clammy sweat.

The irony of being saved by a frail young girl made Shen Anwu’s mind reel; her trembling lips flashed through his thoughts.

Why was she crying? Was she scared?

Seeing that Mr. Shen was alright, the anxiety and fear that Zhang Ye and his brothers had felt turned into anger. They glared at him with bloodshot eyes, but Shen Anwu slowly stood up and pointed to the ground. “Tie those shoelaces.”

Zhang Ye quickly helped him up and sent someone to fetch the shoes.

When he got the pair, he was stunned: plain white sneakers, the kind his middle school cousin wore.

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End of translation.