31. Conversation

As early summer set in, the weather grew increasingly hot and the sheets on the countdown calendar to the college entrance examination grew thinner by the day. The students marked off the days with a nervous anticipation, each passing moment heightening their anxiety. Pei Huan was no exception. Staring at the towering stacks of test papers and exercise books on her desk and in her drawers, she constantly felt there was still so much left to learn.

Amidst the tense atmosphere of study, Pei Huan received a call from Lu Yinghuai’s mother, who wished to meet her. She wondered why such a prominent figure would suddenly want to see an ordinary high school student like herself, but sensing that the woman’s intentions were far from simple, Pei Huan deliberated for a long time before finally agreeing.

On Saturday afternoon, Pei Huan dressed and left the house, arriving at the café designated by Mrs. Lu. Just by standing outside, one could feel the understated luxury of the place. Pei Huan followed the waiter inside and stopped at a window seat, where Mrs. Lu was already waiting.

“Good afternoon, Auntie,” Pei Huan greeted politely.

Mrs. Lu unabashedly appraised Pei Huan with several scrutinizing glances before finally saying, “Sit down.”

After Pei Huan took her seat, Mrs. Lu seemed in no hurry to speak. She leisurely sipped her coffee, occasionally glancing at her phone to reply to messages, showing no intention of initiating conversation. Though Pei Huan’s heart was tense, she kept a calm facade.

At length, Mrs. Lu finished her own affairs and turned to Pei Huan with a casual glance. “You are Pei Huan?”

“I am,” Pei Huan replied seriously.

A few more seconds of silence passed before Mrs. Lu spoke again. “I’ve heard that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Yinghuai lately.”

“Not really. We just happen to see each other often,” Pei Huan answered, her tone steady.

Mrs. Lu’s probing gaze settled upon her, making Pei Huan’s hand unconsciously twist the fabric of her trousers, as though she were a fish laid out on the chopping board.

“After the college entrance exam, Yinghuai will go abroad directly. He won’t be taking the exam,” Mrs. Lu said, pausing before adding, “He’ll be going with Yuan Tao.”

That news struck Pei Huan like a bolt from the blue. For a moment, she couldn’t react, or even believe what she’d just heard.

“I don’t care what your current relationship with Yinghuai is,” Mrs. Lu continued, “but when the time comes, I hope you’ll have the decency to sever all contact with him. Don’t be a distraction. Someone as outstanding as him deserves better.”

Once Pei Huan regained her composure, she replied, “I would never become an obstacle on Yinghuai’s path to success.”

Mrs. Lu gave her an approving look. “I knew you were a smart girl. Someone as ordinary as you can offer Yinghuai nothing, and could even be a burden. I understand the hazy feelings of adolescence, and I won’t interfere for now,” her tone was mild but cold. “But once Yinghuai goes abroad, I don’t want you disturbing him ever again. Let’s pretend nothing ever happened between you two.”

Her words were sharp and unyielding. Pei Huan, after all, was just a high school student; faced with such aggressive pressure, she couldn’t think of a better way to respond.

Mrs. Lu seemed to relish Pei Huan’s discomfort. After a while, she finally spoke again. “I know this is harsh for you. Of course, I’m not offering you nothing in return.” She took out a check, slid it across the table with two fingers. “You may fill in whatever amount you wish. Consider this the Lu family’s compensation to you.”

Pei Huan stared blankly at the check for several seconds before asking a completely unrelated question. “When will Yinghuai be leaving?”

“At the end of summer break,” Mrs. Lu replied.

Pei Huan forced a smile. “I understand.”

Then she pushed the check back toward Mrs. Lu. “I won’t be accepting this. Otherwise, Yinghuai would hate me.”

Mrs. Lu studied her silently.

“But I have one request,” Pei Huan said, her tone serious.

“Go ahead,” Mrs. Lu replied.

“I hope to spend this summer with Yinghuai. After that, I will agree to any condition you set.”

Mrs. Lu naturally agreed. To refuse such a small request would make her seem petty. Once everything was said, Pei Huan could no longer maintain her composure. She stood, speaking rapidly: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left. Mrs. Lu watched Pei Huan’s hasty departure, sipped her coffee in a good mood, and only after a while did she leave as well.

Stepping out of the café, Pei Huan was instantly coated in sweat by the sudden heat. Her mood was a tangled mess. She found a convenience store, sat on the bench outside, and stared blankly into the distance, Mrs. Lu’s words echoing in her mind.

She had never paid much attention to Lu Yinghuai’s family circumstances. Seeing him living alone in such a grand villa, she’d only thought his family was wealthy. Not until today, upon meeting Mrs. Lu—the very woman she’d seen on financial magazines, the wife of the chairman of Minghan Group—did she realize just how deep Lu Yinghuai’s family fortune ran.

Families like theirs always cared about appropriate matches. To Mrs. Lu, someone like Yuan Tao was a suitable candidate, likely not far beneath the Lu family in status. The more Pei Huan thought about it, the more upset she became, taking deep breaths to keep her emotions from unraveling in public.

By the time she returned home, night had fallen. She ate dinner quietly and went upstairs. Pei Yan had long since noticed her odd mood. When Pei Huan went to her room, he was sitting at his desk, lost in thought. Seeing her, he leaned against the doorframe and asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Pei Huan could no longer hold back. With a choked voice, she called, “Brother.”

Pei Yan closed the door, pulled a chair to her side, and let her lean on him, letting her pour out all her pent-up emotions.

When she’d cried herself out, Pei Yan gently wiped her tears with a tissue. “Had a good cry? Can you tell me what happened now?”

Still hiccupping from crying so hard, Pei Huan recounted her entire meeting and conversation with Mrs. Lu. As Pei Yan listened, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper. “Does Yinghuai know?”

“No,” Pei Huan shook her head.

“Are you planning to tell him?” Pei Yan pressed.

“I promised I wouldn’t say anything,” Pei Huan shook her head again, sounding aggrieved.

Pei Yan let out a cold laugh. “Now you decide to be obedient.”

Pei Huan glared at him, her eyes still red. Pei Yan immediately surrendered.

“I trust you know what’s best. You’ve always been better at making decisions than I am,” Pei Yan said softly. “Even if you make a mistake, it’s alright. I’m always behind you. No matter what, your brother will have your back.”

Hearing these words, Pei Huan felt tears welling up again. “Brother…”

Tears started to fall once more. Pei Yan, half amused, half exasperated, wiped them away. “Why are you so fond of crying?”

That night, they talked for a long time. Pei Yan had always been Pei Huan’s anchor, the one she turned to whenever she was uncertain—just as she did now. He was an indispensable presence in her life.

As Pei Yan was about to leave, Pei Huan grabbed his hand. “Brother, am I a terrible person?”

“Why would you say that?” Pei Yan countered.

“I don’t know,” Pei Huan shook her head.

Pei Yan reached out to ruffle her hair. “Remember, you’re an amazing person. Always.”

After that night, Pei Huan hid all her bad feelings deep inside. Lu Yinghuai sensed something different about her, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had changed.

She seemed even more enthusiastic than before, always full of things to say. Clouds she’d seen in the sky, ants she’d noticed moving along the road—anything interesting, she’d pull Lu Yinghuai aside to talk about. He gradually grew accustomed to her warmth, never noticing the abnormality in her mood.

One day, Pei Huan took an apple from her drawer and nudged Lu Yinghuai. “Do you want an apple?”

“Yeah,” Lu Yinghuai replied.

Pei Huan split the apple in two, passing half to Lu Yinghuai. He took a bite, and she asked, “Is it sweet?”

“It’s sweet,” he answered.

After they finished, Tang Yue passed by, saw them eating, and teased, “Any for me?”

Pei Huan shot her a look. “Why are you joining the crowd?”

Tang Yue, ever the actress, clutched her heart in mock despair. “Really, Pei Huan? I’m your best friend and I can’t even get half an apple?”

Pei Huan watched her exaggerated performance in silence, then plucked a packet of chips from her drawer and shoved it at her, waving her off impatiently. “Go on, off with you.”

With her prize, Tang Yue grinned, said her goodbyes, and hummed a tune as she returned to her seat.

Soon, Li Xuan and Wang Xun came over for snacks as well. Pei Huan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then handed them treats from her drawer. One after another, more classmates approached, and before long, all the snacks she’d brought were gone. Pei Huan looked at her now-empty drawer, on the verge of tears. “My snacks…”

Lu Yinghuai watched her expression and smiled faintly. “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you later.”

“Really?” Pei Huan asked.

Lu Yinghuai nodded. Pei Huan quickly listed all her cravings, and when they returned from lunch, he indeed brought back a large bag of snacks—more than she’d even mentioned, with extras he’d chosen himself. Pei Huan sifted through the bag, surprised.

“You really bought so much.”

“I was worried it wouldn’t be enough for you,” Lu Yinghuai said.

Pei Huan unwrapped a candy and popped it in her mouth. After a few moments, Lu Yinghuai, watching her, finally spoke. “I’m going abroad after this semester ends.”

The moment he said it, the weight pressing on his heart was lifted, but tension soon replaced it. He didn’t know how Pei Huan would react.

She kept her expression unchanged, even smiling, “That’s wonderful.”

“Aren’t you… sad?” Lu Yinghuai asked.

“No,” Pei Huan shook her head. “It’s a great opportunity for you. I would never stand in the way of you becoming your best self.”

It was the answer he expected, yet he still felt a pang of inexplicable disappointment.

“Is that so?”

He lowered his gaze, hiding his emotions from view.