Boy, you've gone astray out there.

"Mom, which unit is our place in again?"

...

After hanging up on his mother, Chen Ze looked around at the neighborhood, which felt increasingly unfamiliar, and scanned the area for Unit 6.

He hadn't asked his mother for the location simply because he had forgotten; the truth was, he really wasn't familiar with it. He had gotten off the bus one stop early. If Xu Jiarou had been the one taking the bus, she would have waited until after the intersection to disembark, as that was the main entrance to the Anli Community.

The spot where they had said goodbye was the side gate. Xu Jiarou didn't usually take the side gate; after all, a community like this was quite large, almost like a small village. Though both were entrances, the distance to home varied, and choosing the wrong one meant a longer walk.

Coincidentally, the side gate of the Anli Community was directly across the street from the main gate of Beichen Huafu.

Beichen Huafu had been built in 2015. When Chen Ze first arrived in Jinmen, the property had just launched with an opening price of 30,000 per square meter. At the time, that price point had catapulted Beichen Huafu into the ranks of the surrounding luxury residential buildings. By 2020, the national housing market had plummeted, and Jinmen was no exception. Although the price had dipped to 21,000 by 2024, the quality of the development remained solid—from the 40% greenery to the facades, public landscapes, and facilities, even the main gate looked like it belonged to a villa complex.

True to the "Huafu" in its name, the community leaned toward a New Chinese style, filled with a modern yet solemn atmosphere, and the dry-hung granite facades looked quite natural.

Chen Ze hadn't really lived here much; he could count the times on one hand. The units had only been handed over last year. Whether it was the handover, the renovations, or the move itself, Chen Ze hadn't participated because he had been in the United States. By the time he returned to China and stayed for less than a week, his father had kicked him out in a fit of rage, and he had gone to Yanjing on his own. He had been working there when his family went bankrupt and the house was sold off. So, how could he be expected to remember the place? He hadn't even had the chance to register his fingerprints for the door lock.

"Press the elevator button, the one on the far right."

Stepping into the elevator cabin, still lined with protective wooden panels, it ascended automatically and soon reached the 16th floor.

He stepped out, but the corridor was empty. His excitement in the elevator had been for nothing. He recognized the home now; in the hallway to the right, a dark-toned, double-paneled steel security door stood slightly ajar.

The moment he closed the door, he heard the pitter-patter of small feet moving with great agility.

"Brother!"

Wearing pink and white lace tights, the three-year-old little princess stepped onto the bright, anti-slip gray marble tiles. She was dressed in her favorite pink and white princess dress, a beautiful bow in her hair. Her long, black hair draped over her shoulders, and her sweet, adorable smile was bright. Her eyes, like two crystal-clear gems, were filled with joy and innocence.

"Brother is back."

Seeing the little girl run over to hug his legs, Chen Ze scooped her up into his arms and asked with a smile, "Are you this happy?"

He had told himself he wouldn't be emotional upon returning, but a sense of sorrow was inevitable. He tilted his head back, suppressing the feeling.

"Mm-hmm, it's time to eat!"

In the little girl's eyes, he had only been gone for a few days, and she remained very close to him. She pointed her tiny finger toward the dining room.

As his fingertips brushed her delicate, porcelain-like face, he looked at his little sister—whom he had no real memory of—and smiled broadly.

***

It must have been late 2014. The couple had heard news from somewhere that the country was about to loosen the two-child policy. At the time, Chen Ze was in his second year of high school, a critical year for his study abroad plans. His mother, Su Meiqing, had even transferred her beauty salon to her sister-in-law to focus entirely on supporting him.

Su Meiqing only had a high school education, so her "support" was mostly a form of parental surveillance. Later, the couple discussed it: since they had the time, why not have another child? Su Meiqing had always wanted a daughter. With the policy change, her being under 40, the family's financial ability to raise another child, and the fact that keeping an eye on Chen Ze wasn't too taxing, everything aligned, and the little girl came along.

After Chen Suning was born, Chen Ze had naturally adored her, but then he went abroad, the family crisis hit, and he was left to struggle on his own in Yanjing. Before his rebirth, his sister Chen Suning had been nine, but in truth, he had almost no emotional bond with her. Blood ties were one thing, but how close could you be to someone you barely saw once a year?

His three-year-old sister was even more of a blur in Chen Ze's memory—so blurry that if he had met her on the street alone, he wouldn't have dared to recognize her. Although the little girl was delicate, pretty, and dressed in a stylish way that clearly set her apart from other children, the reborn Chen Ze truly didn't dare to claim her.

"Weren't you supposed to arrive at 11?"

"I ran into an old classmate on the way."

"A boy or a girl?"

Holding the little girl, Chen Ze looked at Su Wei, who was walking over from the sofa to interrogate him, and laughed helplessly. "A girl, happy now?"

The Su family seemed to have a gene for late births. The tall, thin man in front of him, wearing Adidas shorts and carrying himself with a somewhat casual air, was his uncle. Su Wei was 26 years old. That's right—if you counted by mental age, his uncle was the same age as him.

Su Wei was the third child in his family. Chen Ze originally had an older uncle, but he had died in an accident while working away from home when he was young; otherwise, it’s hard to say if Su Wei would even exist.

"Not bad, kid. You've picked up some bad habits out there."

Chen Ze ignored Su Wei, cradling his sister while looking around the modest apartment. He asked with curiosity, "Is Dad back?"

"Nope, he's out eating." Su Wei rubbed his stomach beneath his short-sleeved shirt and looked Chen Ze over, teasing, "As expected of someone who's lived in the States. These little sunglasses, this little shirt—you're different from before."

As he spoke, Su Wei reached out and took the sunglasses hanging from Chen Ze's pocket, examining them with curiosity. Su Wei wasn't sheltered, and Chen Ze knew he was just teasing him. He put his sister down and turned his head. "Did my dad say anything when you arrived?"

"Didn't say a word. Why?"

Su Wei shifted his gaze from the sunglasses to his nephew's face, but Chen Ze had already chased after the happy little girl.

"Mom, Brother is back!"

The little girl didn't wear shoes at home, her white feet pattering quickly as she reached the kitchen entrance.

Just then, a woman wearing an apron walked out carrying a plate. She saw the little girl and said gently, "Yes, yes, yes. Is Nuonuo happy?"

The little girl pressed her small finger against her smooth, chubby cheek, looked up, and said innocently, "Happy! Can we eat now?"

Su Meiqing chuckled, setting the plate down and looking up toward the dining table. "You wouldn't come back yesterday when you were supposed to."

Chen Ze looked at his mother—gentle yet unable to hide her impulsive, energetic nature—and didn't rush to reply, a smile lingering on his face.

Su Meiqing was tall, nearly 1.75 meters, which was considered quite statuesque for a woman in the North. She had a well-defined skull, rounded facial features, and a pair of slightly puffy, classic, and gentle "peach blossom" eyes. She looked a bit like the celebrity Zhu Zhu. While she wasn't as alluring or flawless as a star, she was certainly no slouch. Compared to six years later, Su Meiqing looked even younger and prettier now, her face constantly radiating happiness.

"Xinxin, how is work in Yanjing?" Su Meiqing asked as she set down the plate. Because he had only been gone for a week, there wasn't a sense of long-lost intimacy.

"It's alright."

Seeing his mother return to the kitchen and the little girl climbing onto a chair on her own, Chen Ze quickly stepped forward to steady her.

"If it doesn't feel right, come back to Jinmen. You're all alone in Yanjing, no friends or family to look out for you." Su Meiqing brought out two more dishes. She seemed to be trying to persuade Chen Ze, but she didn't dare be too blunt.

Chen Ze hadn't understood his mother's look at first, but then he realized what was happening. Parents are strange sometimes; they dote on you, but they can't bear to see you living comfortably while you're young. From a long-term perspective, "remembering bitterness to appreciate sweetness" isn't a bad thing, especially for a "rich kid" with family resources.

But the 20-year-old Chen Ze was a student. Who goes to work during summer break instead of having fun? Even if a family had money, no one in an ordinary household would want their child to work during the summer, right? The 20-year-old Chen Ze had naturally resisted, and when he realized he couldn't win against his parents, he had left for the north in a fit of pique.

So, in Su Meiqing's eyes, her son was still in a state of resentment. He had told her on the phone yesterday that he wasn't coming back, only to return the very next day.

"I came back this time because there's something I want to discuss with you both. Let's wait until Dad gets back."

At the dining table, Chen Ze looked at the dishes—most of which were his favorites—and took a bite of rice, offering his explanation.