When Chen Mengrou woke up, her best friend by the bedside was still asleep, clearly exhausted from the wild out-of-province class reunion earlier that month.
She didn’t wake her companion, instead slipping quietly out of the covers, putting on her shoes, and pushing the door open without a sound.
Stepping out of the bedroom, she immediately spotted Jiang Chi in the living room, head bowed as he ate breakfast, along with the lavish spread laid out on the table.
Her future daughter-in-law was truly capable.
Thinking this, Chen Mengrou walked over, casually picked up a boiled corn cob, took a bite, then glanced around the kitchen as if searching for something.
When her search yielded nothing, she turned her gaze to the blue-eyed boy quietly sipping his millet porridge.
“A-Chi, where’s Chanchan? Did she go buy fried dough sticks? Honestly, there’s already more than enough here.”
“She went back,” Jiang Chi replied calmly between sips of porridge.
“Went back?”
Chen Mengrou was taken aback.
“Why didn’t you ask her to stay a few more days? A-Chi, I’m not scolding you, but you need to be more attentive, more enthusiastic with girls. Don’t just keep that cold face all day.”
“Look at Aunt Huang’s second son-around your age, yet he’s both a school tyrant and a kitchen whiz. This month, he even took his girlfriend on an out-of-province trip…”
Chen Mengrou prattled on incessantly.
“Mom.”
Jiang Chi interrupted her, lifting his head to meet her gaze.
“Have you read The Three-Body Problem? In Chapter 97, the Trisolaran listener asks Luo Ji, ‘The sun is about to set, yet your child isn’t afraid?’ And Luo Ji replies, ‘Of course she isn’t. She knows the sun will rise again tomorrow.’ “
“Why didn’t I stop her? Because I know she’ll still be there waiting for me tomorrow. Always waiting for me.”
Jiang Chi’s voice was steady, but beneath that unruffled surface, faint cracks formed in the ice within his heart, whispering like the wind.
Their eyes met in the air, and Chen Mengrou, who had been away from home for a month, suddenly noticed a slight upward curve on her son’s usually mask-covered, sun-deprived pale face.
At that moment, she realized her son had changed-no longer the self-conscious boy who used to shut himself away.
* * *
And what was the girl Jiang Chi missed so dearly doing at this very moment?
Ji Qingchan-no, Ji Yuenian—was incredibly busy, so much so that her legs were about to give out.
Returning to Secret Base No. 2, she changed back into her usual clothes and recharged the phone that belonged to “Ji Yuenian.”
Grabbing her own phone, she rushed to the airport, buying a suitcase along the way.
Near the airport, she stocked up on small gifts to pass off as souvenirs from her supposed out-of-province trip.
On the way, she downloaded plenty of scenic photos online and commissioned someone to photoshop her into them, fabricating evidence of her travels.
By evening, at the Spicy Girl Crayfish Restaurant, a waitress in a summer miniskirt hesitated near an outdoor table, debating whether to warn the ravenous-looking young man to slow down—such reckless eating would surely upset his stomach.
The short-haired, artistically inclined boy had already devoured ten pounds of crayfish and downed seven liters of iced beer, racking up a bill of over a thousand yuan-great for business.
But was it really wise to eat like this?
“Little sister! Another pound of crayfish and a cold beer, extra ice!”
The young man was thoroughly enjoying his drinks.
Then, he grabbed a bright red crayfish and stuffed it into his mouth, crunching loudly.
His enthusiasm resembled the ravenous hunger of a wolf devouring its prey in a TV drama.
The crayfish, stir-fried in rapeseed oil over high flames until their shells turned golden and slightly curled, exuded an intense aroma that lingered in the air.
The spicy, powder-coated meat burst with heat upon touching the tongue.
As he chewed, the cracked shells, the tender flesh inside, and the rich, numbing, salty-spicy juices swirled and danced in his mouth.
A gulp of ice-cold beer followed, the freezing liquid flooding his mouth.
The refreshing chill instantly filled every corner, colliding and exploding with the earlier spiciness on his tongue, creating an exhilarating sensation that made him sigh with satisfaction!
Ji Yuenian let out a contented burp! Though not someone who lived for spice, he certainly had a penchant for bold, intense flavors.
But during this past month at Jiang Chi’s place, it had been nothing but stir-fried cabbage and scrambled eggs with tomatoes utterly bland!
Eating like that every day had long since left his taste buds screaming for excitement!
So, after forging all the necessary arrangements, Ji Yuenian had eagerly rushed to this familiar spicy crayfish joint to indulge to his heart’s content.
Night had fallen, and a light drizzle had begun to fall unnoticed.
Yet, for Ji Yuenian, who was now pleasantly tipsy, it was an indescribable delight.
The fine raindrops pattered against his face, bringing a slight chill, but the coolness only made him feel more invigorated.
He staggered slightly as he walked, his body swaying precariously, yet his steps remained steady—no stumbling, no faltering—as if the drunkenness belonged to someone else.
In his daze, the image of that blue-eyed boy surfaced once more. Unlike his usual cold, silent demeanor, this time, it carried a hint of budding emotion beneath the icy exterior.
“Ji Qingchan, I don’t know if I’ve fallen for you yet. But if one day you were to disappear from my world, I’d be truly heartbroken.”
It sounded like a confession, a vow, or perhaps just a simple statement.
Yet, for Ji Yuenian, every time he recalled those words, every time he heard the faint cracks echoing from the depths of that cold, unapproachable heart, every time… he couldn’t help but burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face.
Just one month. It had taken him only one month to plant “Ji Qingchan” into Jiang Chi’s heart.
Now, all he had to do was wait for the “seed” to sprout, nourished by emotions like “longing,” “curiosity,” “yearning,” “reluctance,” and “love,” until it bore the fruit known as the “heart.”
“I can’t help but feel like I’ll pay for toying with someone’s emotions like this sooner or later.”
Wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Ji Yuenian doubled over in laughter again, laughing with abandon.
“But what else can I do?”
“I just can’t resist! Hahaha!!”
Even though he knew what he was doing was wrong, he couldn’t stop himself—just like sneaking a peek at adult films under the covers, skipping class to sneak into an internet café, or teasing an innocent boy and playing with his emotions…
All these forbidden thrills intoxicated Ji Yuenian, like an addiction he couldn’t shake, growing ever stronger!
He didn’t know what was happening to himself now.
Just one or two months ago, he was merely a domineering school bully who liked to mess around and seek amusement—at best, half a troublemaker.
But now… it was as if some essence etched into his very bones had been awakened, gradually taking over Ji Yuenian’s soul.
He just wanted to have fun.
He just wanted to deceive.
She just wanted to trick Jiang Chi’s heart into her hands, then cruelly dump him!
Make him weep in agony!!
Boom!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, instantly illuminating the night.
After laughing himself tired, Ji Yuenian leaned against a pillar outside a glass storefront, catching his breath. He narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the blinding white light.
Yet, he remained completely unaware that the reflection in the glass door behind him was no longer that of the usual domineering and flamboyant boy, but instead a tall, alluring woman with long hair.