Who can be impulsive and act on instinct?

  Lu Fei watched as Xin Chen and Lin Le Qing walked side by side, their silhouettes a perfect match. Lin Le Qing, who was tall with a camera bag slung over his shoulder, turned to Xin Chen and said something, then laughed happily. Lu Fei knew that her sister was watching her with a thoughtful expression, but she didn't plan on hiding her emotions.

  Until the two of them walked around the corner and got into a taxi, Lu Fei didn't turn back until then, looking at the bustling residential area in front of him. "The land acquisition cost for this project is not low, and there's also pressure from investors' capital. I think the Hawtian board of directors will definitely push for faster development. Sister, you have to remind them to let the demolition company handle it properly, don't just rush for speed and intensify conflicts and cause trouble."

  Lu nodded, "I know that our two families and the local roots are too deep. Haotian is also because of this, hesitating to enter this market, actually missing many business opportunities. If it weren't for Su Zhe's persistence a few years ago, department stores might not have settled in this place either, and the loss for the entire central region would be even greater."

  The sister and brother both have a clear and handsome appearance, their clothes, temperament and the crowd gathered here are really too different, someone has already noticed them, Lu doesn't want to cause trouble, hinting at him to leave.

  The two got on the road, not far from the car, wearing a seatbelt, turned his head and looked at him, "Lu Fei, have you really made up your mind? Breaking off an engagement and quitting a job are both big deals. Either one of them will require a clear explanation to Mom and Dad."

  "Sister, I've thought it through. About canceling the engagement, I've already discussed it with Ruo Ye when I got back from America. She just asked for a little more time for both sides to calm down, and I respect her opinion. I'll wait until she fully accepts before telling Mom and Dad." Lu Fei started the car. "As for work, I originally planned to finish the cooperation project with Hao Tian before resigning, but there are too many things going on at the company. As long as I'm in that position, I have to travel all over the place and sometimes even go to America for meetings. For now, I don't plan on going anywhere. Fortunately, the cooperation agreement has already been settled, and I've submitted my resignation letter. My boss will send a colleague soon to take over my work, and Hao Tian can continue completing this project."

  "Is it all because of Xin Chen?"

  Lu did not remain silent for a moment, and frankly said: "Yes, she will definitely leave as soon as she gets the demolition compensation. I can't take the risk of losing contact with her again, so I can only stay here to guard her."

  "But Xincheng this girl," Lu suddenly didn't know how to continue, "seems to be completely different from before."

  Nine years ago, in the deep autumn, Lu returned from England and announced her engagement to Su Jie, the general manager of Hengtian Group, after several meetings in Shenzhen. Both families were shocked at the same time, although they had known each other for generations and had arranged for the two to meet with the intention of matchmaking, but this speed was indeed too surprising.

  In response to his parents' questioning, Lu just smiled and said, "Don't you think it's unreasonable for me to still be single at 29? Su Jie is also someone you approve of, so let's just go with him."

  Lu Fei was shocked by the news, just like his parents. He knew Su Jie and Su Zhe brothers, but they didn't have a deep relationship. He couldn't understand why his sister decided to get married as soon as she returned home.

  The road is also smiling at his younger brother, "Love hurts too much. Fortunately, you are always more rational than me. I just think that maybe a marriage decided by reason and calmness will be more peaceful and long-lasting."

  Lu Fei looked at his sister's smile that didn't contain any joy and knew she had her own hidden pain, so he could only hold her hand.

  "There's nothing, if I could do it again, I would probably live the same life and make the same choices. Never mind that, mom said she asked her secretary to prepare study abroad materials for you, but you're not cooperative enough, delaying sending out the materials for a long time and still refusing to clearly say which school you choose."

  Lu Fei decided to confess to his sister, "Sis, I've fallen for a girl and want to stay here for graduate school, also to be with her. Now I don't know how to tell Mom and Dad."

  The road is a bit unexpected. "This reason, I really don't know if Dad and Mom will accept it. You're not unaware that they've always advocated for establishing a career before getting married. After all, you're only 21 years old."

  "But I really like her."

  "Why don't we invite her out for a meal and see what kind of girl she is? My sister can act as a mother figure."

  For more than a month, Lu Fei had no chance to meet with Xin Chen who lived in his grandparents' house, and it was not convenient for him to call Xin's home. Their contact was only occasional when Xin Chen called him from outside the school using an IC card phone. She always seemed listless, Lu Fei didn't know if it was because of too much homework or a depressed mood. He thought it would be good to ask Xin Di to bring Xin Chen out for dinner together, so that Xin Chen could relax.

  He called Xindi, and when Xindi heard that Luosi was back, she was overjoyed. She had always called Luosi "sister". The two used to be very close. "Okay, I'll head home right away with Xinchen. Today is Saturday, it's time for her to relax too. Poor thing, I don't know what kind of state my mom has restrained her in."

  Lu couldn't help but be surprised. "Lu Fei, you actually like Xindi's cousin? Xindi is only 20 years old, how old is her cousin?"

  She will be 17 years old in another month.

  Lu couldn't help but burst out laughing, "My god, this is too ridiculous! Lu Fei, I didn't expect you to like a young girl. I think you really can't tell your parents the truth, they won't be able to accept it. If you don't want to go abroad, just find another excuse."

  Two people went to the restaurant, Lu Fei suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at a billboard being installed across the street, with a shocked expression on his face. It was an advertisement for a private hospital, with a picture of a girl wearing a pink nurse's uniform and a nurse's hat, smiling brightly, with large advertising words saying: "Unspoken hidden pain, painless solution". The small print below indicated various early pregnancy tests, painless artificial abortion and other service items.

  That girl's dimples appeared and disappeared as she smiled sweetly, surprisingly it was Xin Chen.

  Lu Fei felt like he had swallowed a fly, his emotions churning in his chest, and his face turned pale. Lu Si followed his line of sight and looked at his expression, roughly guessing what was going on, and was also shocked. "Is this the girl? She's really pretty, but Uncle Xin and Auntie Li are so strict, they wouldn't let their niece shoot an ad like this, would they? This is terrible, now you can't tell mom about it even more, or she'll scold us to death."

  Lu Fei's face was calm and silent, and there were still many billboards with the same content along the way. The two arrived at the agreed restaurant, waited for a long time, and saw Xin Di rush in alone, "Lu is sister, Lu Fei, I'm late."

  "Where's Xiao Chen?"

  "Did you see those advertisements outside? She was scolded by my parents, they were furious. Xindi still had lingering fear, "I also got a good scolding along with her."

  Xin Di just found out about this when he got home. Facing his uncle and aunt's anger, Xin Chen didn't admit his mistake, "It was just an advertisement, at worst I won't go if he asks me to film another one in the future."

  "You're a girl and you should love yourself, how can you associate yourself with this... abortion advertisement?" Li Xiang's face turned white with anger.

  Xin Chen blinked her big eyes and said: "I don't know about contraception, and I don't want a child, so having an abortion is very common."

  Xin Kaiming also got angry, "The more you talk, the less it sounds like a good thing. Who taught you this?"

  "My dad bought me a book on physiology and hygiene a long time ago, telling me that I need to understand how to protect myself and can't..."

  "Shut up," Li Xiang suddenly shouted, turning to face Xin Di. "Aren't you leaving? Go now and don't stay here listening to this nonsense. Your account, I'll settle with you later."

  Xin Di understood that her mother was defending her chastity, a 21-year-old junior girl. In her mother's eyes, hearing topics like pregnancy and abortion made her avoid them far away. She couldn't help but laugh and get angry, and could only make eye contact with Xin Chen, indicating that she shouldn't argue with her parents anymore. Then, she sullenly went out to the restaurant.

  Lu said with a serious face: "Who introduced her to shoot this kind of advertisement? She is now in the third year of high school, studying day and night, how can she have time to go out and shoot this?"

  Xin Di scowled, "It's my fault for being careless in choosing friends. He's my classmate, introduced by Yan Xuhui last time when he helped me take photos for the clothing catalog. You met him that day too." As soon as she mentioned Yan Xuhui, her anger flared up. She took out her phone and dialed his number, starting to scold him loudly: "Yan something, I'm telling you not to have any ideas about my sister! How dare you coax her into shooting this kind of ad? What's on your mind?!"

  "Hey, Xīn Dí, I just recommended Xīn Chén and she's a total newbie. She finished shooting an ad in under an hour and the pay is pretty good too. It was just an ad, she was fully dressed, not revealing anything at all. And the client even asked if she'd be interested in shooting a lingerie ad, but I turned them down."

  Xin Di was so frightened that he took a cold breath, "Lingerie ad? Yan Xuhui, you dare to mention this to Chenzi, I'll skin you alive."

  "Hey, you're studying fashion design, can't you have some professionalism?"

  Xin Di didn't think much of the advertisement either, thinking that his parents' anger was a bit overblown. But now that trouble has been stirred up, he naturally finds Yan Xuhui detestable. "Stop spouting nonsense with me! She's a minor and can't just take on any advertisement, let alone an abortion one."

  "I didn't expect this either, big sister. I only heard that a hospital was going to film a pretty nurse for promotion, but it turns out they're mainly promoting painless abortion."

  "Xian Xu Hui, in short, you've already been blacklisted by my parents. Don't even think about coming to my house again, and don't dare look for Chenzi. If you disturb her before the college entrance exams, I'll cut ties with you, and that's being lenient."

  Xin Di hung up the phone with a helpless expression.

  Lu Fei gritted his teeth and remained silent. More than a month ago, Xin Di asked Xin Chen to model for her designs that were going to be entered into a competition, and she had asked Yan Xuhui to help with the photography, so he went along too.

  It was a sunny autumn Sunday afternoon, the shooting location was in front of an old building not far from Xinde's home. Xincheng put on makeup and changed clothes to walk out, several people on the scene held their breath when they saw her.

  Sexy, this unfamiliar word suddenly flooded into Lu Fei's mind, he was shocked and tried to hold back his restless heart, but when he turned around, he saw Yan Xuhui holding a SLR camera, directing Xin Chen to pose, his eyes fixed on her with unreserved admiration.

  Lu Fei couldn't distinguish the difference between that expression and ordinary enthusiasm, because when facing Yan Xiu Hui, he almost saw himself, clearly knowing that at this moment his own eyes had the same longing, even desire. This realization made him unable to calm down.

  Xin Di was busy arranging her clothes and holding a reflector, Xin Chen felt a bit annoyed at being fussed over, but thought it was more interesting than being stuck at home doing homework, so she cooperated very obediently.

  She leaned against the granite wall of the old house, her head slightly raised, and the autumn sunlight shone on her pale skin, from her chin to her neck was a delicate line, with every breath and heartbeat, there was a slight and captivating undulation at the collarbone.

  Lu Fei couldn't stand it anymore and told Xin Di that he had something urgent to attend to before hastily leaving.

  Later, Xin De handed over the album he made to Lu Fei. The thin book was not particularly exquisite in terms of paper quality and printing, but it had to be admitted that whether it was Xin De's design, Yan Xuhui's photography or Xin Chen's interpretation, they all showed quite a bit of creativity and standards. For a student, it was something he could show off with. He kept one copy and put it together with the portrait sketch that Xin De drew for Xin Chen before.

  Lu Fei wasn't pleased when Xin Di mentioned that Yan Xuhui had volunteered to give Xin Chen extra art lessons, but Xin Di said: "This guy is clever and knows how to handle the art exams. Now he's just teaching Chenzi a few quick tricks like drawing an apple. Since Chenzi's foundation isn't solid, it's true that she needs to learn some of these shortcut methods."

  He had nothing to say, and could only comfort himself that it was just half a year after all. But unexpectedly, Xin Chen actually made this advertisement under Yan Xuhui's persuasion.

  Xin Deli muttered: "It's already like this, what else can we do? The advertisement will be taken down when the period is over."

  "Xiao Di, Xiao Chen is still a student, with such advertisements plastered everywhere, what will people say about her, how will her classmates look at her, how can you think so simply?"

  Lu didn't often speak in such a heavy tone, Xindi stared at him blankly, "Hey, you sound just like my parents, it's not that serious, is it?!"

  The road was making a roundabout, "Forget it, let's see if there's a way to make up for it. After all, she's a minor, no parental signature, and the photo is being used in this way, should be able to ask for withdrawal, right?"

  Xin Kaiming did go to negotiate, but the advertising agency was very tough and didn't give in. Since there were no relevant laws that clearly stipulated this, Xin Kaiming and Li Xiang's couple didn't want to make a big deal out of it and attract more gossip. So these advertisements remained on the streets of the city until they expired and were slowly replaced, but by then it was already half a year later.

  Xin Chen was first severely criticized by his uncle and aunt, which had never happened before. Later, in school, her classmates were gossiping about her, making her feel a bit isolated and distant. The school authorities were also quite displeased, and the class teacher asked Xin Chen to bring her parents to school, so she had no choice but to ask her uncle to go.

  The vice principal who spoke to Xin Kai Ming was polite but firm, pointing out that the school had a strict academic atmosphere and a high graduation rate. Although Xin Chen's behavior did not appear to have violated any school rules on the surface, it was already extremely inconsistent with his identity as a student. For now, only a warning has been issued, and it is hoped that parents will strictly discipline and educate him. Poor Xin Kai Ming, as a leader of an organization, had always been strict and serious, but could only repeatedly nod in agreement, promising that this kind of thing would not happen again.

  Xin Chen had no idea that making a joke and earning a little over 800 yuan would cause such a big trouble. When her elders scolded her, she could only lower her head and listen; when her classmates made sarcastic remarks, she could only give a cold smile and ignore them. But when Lu Fei criticized her again, she had no patience to listen anymore.

  "You're all probably ashamed of me, I don't understand, it's just an advertisement, do you have to make such a big fuss? And even if it's embarrassing, it's my own face that's being embarrassed, is there anything written on the ad about who my relatives are, which school I attend, or who my girlfriend is?" Xin Chen said with eyes shining brighter than usual and in a fit of rage.

  "Xiao Chen, your attitude is wrong, I just said one sentence and you want to jump up."

  "I've apologized, I've admitted my mistake, and I've made amends. What more do you want me to do?"

  Lu Nian made an effort to calm down his tone, "Alright, Xiao Chen, let's just forget about this matter. In the future, if Yan Xuhui comes looking for you again over something like this, just ignore him."

  Xin Chen turned his head to one side, pursing his lips and remaining silent. Lu Fei was a bit angry, "Look at your recent grades, they're all over the place, just when you show some improvement, you immediately mess up again. If this continues, even if you participate in the art exam, your college entrance exam scores will be terrible. Have you ever thought about your future?"

  "Lu Fei, are you trying to teach me a lesson? I've said it before, I don't like studying, so don't use your standards to demand things from me."

  Lu Fei was at a loss for words, after a long while he sighed and said, "Xiao Chen, I'm going to take the postgraduate entrance exam soon, so I won't be able to come over these days. I'm not scolding you, but you should think about your future. You knew it during the middle school entrance exams, if you didn't do well, your uncle would worry about you, isn't the college entrance exam the same?"

  Xin Chen's eyes turned red, she had always only accepted smooth petting, but this time from home to school, she was under tremendous pressure, no matter how she pretended not to care, she was actually depressed. Seeing Lu Fei's tightly locked brows and frustrated expression, Xin Chen regretted it in her heart, but still stubbornly refused to back down.

  "Go back, it's cold, be careful not to catch a chill."

  She had an excuse to go out and buy something, so she couldn't stay outside for long. The two of them stood on the side of the road on a cold windy night, her hands and feet had been frozen for a while, but she didn't move. Lu Fei was helpless, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, only then did she burst into tears, sobbing and saying: "I won't go film any more commercials."

  "It's okay, it's okay, don't cry." He pressed her head against his chest, his chin resting on her hair, softly comforting her, "If you go back with puffy eyes later, your aunts will worry again."

  Lu didn't hug her shoulders, sending her to the yard outside, watching that slender figure walk in, a lonely shadow dragging behind her. She suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at him, against the light, unable to see her expression, but he knew she didn't smile at him as usual when saying goodbye. The north wind blew her braided ponytail to one side, her sleeves fluttering, looking thin and fragile. He had to control himself not to run over and hold her tightly.

  "Xiao Chen, go in quickly." His voice was low and muffled in the howling wind, she nodded, turned around and walked into the corridor.

  Lu Fei walked home with tears on her clothes, the cold wind erased that mark completely, but he really couldn't tell himself it was nothing.

  He wandered alone on the winter streets, not knowing how long he had walked, and stopped in front of an advertisement light box with Xin Chen's smile on it. The dim streetlight made him look innocent and provocative. He was very strict with himself, but he wasn't living in a vacuum, so he knew what this meant for men. Last time when he passed by with a classmate, the boy looked closely, then whistled and laughed: "It's exactly like uniform temptation!" He could only remain silent.

  It was indeed a temptation, he had to admit, and such a crude and direct temptation had already entered his dreams. His annoyance stemmed more from this, as he did not want his Xin Chen to become someone else's fantasy, but he was completely powerless to stop it.

  Lu Fei's mother had a serious talk with him, telling him that she and his father did not approve of him staying in the country to pursue further studies, especially not continuing his education locally. "Your father's new appointment will probably come down soon, after the New Year, he will go south to take office, I will definitely follow him too. The professional direction you have chosen should be further studied abroad, only then can it develop, we always thought that you consider problems very comprehensively and also have ambitions, how could you make such a decision?"

  He was speechless and could only say let me think about it again.

  Lu advised him, "Lu Fei, I'm not here to persuade you on behalf of your parents. But a girl under 17 is still developing her personality and has infinite possibilities in the future. If you start dating now, your mental development will be completely out of sync. Do you have common topics to discuss? Can she work together with you towards a certain goal? Not to mention all these advertisements, if your parents find out, it's simply hopeless."

  The road cannot be confused, indeed, the time spent with Xin Chen is very sweet, but the two people's personalities and handling of things are completely different. He doesn't know when this willful girl can grow up, nor does he know how to take responsibility for the future of the two people.

  What's more important is that he always has a plan for everything, and she became the only unplanned part of his life.

  "Her parents were not around, and Uncle Xin and Aunt Li did take good care of her, but she was still very lonely. If I didn't stay behind, I really wouldn't feel at ease."

  The road shook his head, "You think too much, Road. I was 18 when I went to Shanghai for school and 22 when I went to the UK. Studying abroad was my happiest and most carefree time. Now you're appearing as her boyfriend with a plan to be together forever, have you ever thought about how she feels? Maybe she needs space to grow up on her own, after all, no one can replace someone else's experiences."

  "Sister, I admit you're right, but I'm afraid that if I leave, she'll think our relationship is over. She's always been proud and probably can't accept it."

  The road looked into the distance, with a bewildered expression. "Young love is fragile, and even if you guard it every day, it's not necessarily secure. Even if you manage to hold on to it, you might discover that it's not what you wanted after all. To be honest, I still don't have a grasp of this thing called love even now. My advice to you is to continue with your studies and wait until both you and she can decide your own futures before saying anything."

  Lu Fei was in an unprecedented dilemma, but he still took the postgraduate entrance exam. By March when the results came out, he had passed the cut-off score of his own university, and several offers from foreign universities arrived one after another. His father formally received the appointment and prepared to take up a new position in the south. Before leaving, he talked to Lu Fei and asked him to decide immediately which foreign university to attend and start the procedures.

  Lu Jing was not a dictator at home, he had a close relationship with his children, but his authority did exist. Lu and Lu Fei never went through the rebellious phase that other kids did against their father, they always admired their wise and profound father.

  His father, busy with work and handing over tasks, put on a posture of having a heart-to-heart talk with Lu Fei, but Lu Fei couldn't speak his mind as usual. How could he tell his father, who was almost a workaholic and always had a complete plan and strong sense of responsibility for the future, that he liked a 17-year-old girl and wanted to stay in the local area to watch her grow up?

  Especially her photos are still hanging on the streets' artificial abortion hospital advertisements.

  Lu Fei stood outside the art exam venue waiting for Xin Chen. The weather was warm and cold, with tree branches revealing a hint of green, and small spring rain falling. He held a black umbrella and stood in the rain with other parents. Finally, when the exam ended, Xin Chen came out with the crowd, looking tired after a day of exams, but smiled happily when she saw him.

  He held an umbrella in one hand and her portfolio and toolbox in the other. She had both hands wrapped around his arm that was holding the umbrella, happily talking about the details of the exam.

  "Sketching from life, we're drawing half-length portraits including hands. The model is a man in his thirties, who looks strange but has no distinct features. Sigh, people like him are the hardest to draw."

  "The two quick sketches I drew are probably a bit too close to cartoons, they look quite funny even to myself."

  "I think I did pretty well on the color test, Yan Xuhui's still life quick drawing method is still quite useful."

  She mentioned Yan Xuhui in a completely normal tone, apparently not blaming him for the misfortune of taking selfies. Lu Fei glanced at her relaxed and radiant appearance after finishing the exam, deciding to put off serious topics for now, "Let's reward you, what do you want to eat? I'll take you there."

  "No way, I promised my uncle and aunt that I would go home after the exam, they will worry if it's late. I won't eat today, wait until I finish the college entrance exam and have summer vacation, then we can have fun together. Ah, Lu Fei, this time our school's mock exam went pretty well, I'll save up for now, and when the time comes, I'll reward you together."

  She was so obedient at this time, Lu Fei only felt bitter, really wanting to give up the sweet smile in his arms? He forced a smile and said: "What reward do you want, tell me."

  "When summer vacation comes, I want to go to the beach and have some fun. I've never seen the sea before, my dad always says he'll take me there, but he's always too busy." As soon as she mentioned her dad, her mood sank a little, and she lowered her head, kicking at the puddles on the road with her sneakers.

  Lu Fei handed her the phone, "Call your dad."

  Her father often calls her, and her uncle and aunt also encourage her to call her father. However, when they are around, she feels a bit constrained in her speech. Now, she quickly dials Xin Kaiyu's number, and their conversation is as fast-paced as ever, filled with laughter and giggles, causing her to burst out laughing from time to time.

  He stopped in his tracks, covering her with an umbrella, and she was saying something, but he didn't care, only gazing at this face that was radiant with joy. The weather was gloomy, the light dim, yet her smile was bright and captivating. He watched as her slightly pointed eyebrows rose, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering with each blink, occasionally scrunching up her nose in a funny expression before bursting into laughter again, revealing the dimple on her left cheek, her snow-white teeth glinting in the half-darkness. He was meticulously sketching every line on her face, every subtle expression, as if trying to engrave her into his heart.

  Xin Chen finally finished the phone call and handed the mobile phone back to him, but he didn't see him take it. "What's wrong, Lu Fei?"

  "Nothing." He came to himself from his daze, took over the phone that had been held tightly by her and was hot, "Xiao Chen, want to see the sea? If your dad agrees, I'll take you there during summer vacation."

  Xin Chen nodded vigorously and re-held his arm, "I'm going to apply for the graphic design major at J University, Lu Fei. Although it's not as good as the university you're attending, it's still okay, and it's close to your school."

  Lu Fei remained silent for a long time, Xin Chen shook his arm, feeling a bit guilty, "Lu Fei, my grades are probably only enough to get into J University at most, I..."

  He made an effort to calm down his emotions and looked at her gently, "It's also good to go to J University, work hard for the last few months."

  Xin Chen let out a sigh of relief, tiptoed, and under the cover of the umbrella, quickly kissed his lips. He kissed her back, deepening the kiss in the cold wind that made her mouth slightly chilly. The fine rain flew with the spring chill, the road was crowded with cars, the sound of car horns was loud, and the pedestrians on both sides were rushing to and fro, while the umbrella in his hand seemed to isolate them from the chaotic and changing world around them.

  Such sweetness and willingness to indulge, yet there's no way to make time stand still at this moment, or for this kiss to continue indefinitely. He can only gently let her go, hoarsely saying: "Go back, it's late."

  Watching Xin Chen walk into the yard, Lu Fei returned home. His father had already gone to the south for work, and his mother stayed behind to deal with some trivial daily chores, waiting for a transfer. She was chatting with her daughter in the living room. After dinner, he went back to his room and sat on the small sofa by the window, casually picking up a book to read. A while later, Lu Fei brought two cups of tea and walked in, sitting down beside him.

  "Haven't you made up your mind yet?" Seeing Lu Fei's hesitation, Lu sighed, "Don't drag it out any longer, Lu Fei. This is also for her own good. If Mom finds out about this, with her personality, she'll definitely call Li Xiang Auntie or Xin Uncle to discipline our niece. Wouldn't that hurt her even more?"

  "I'll handle this matter well, she still has several months before the college entrance exam, and now if I tell her, she definitely won't be able to accept it."

  Lu smiled wryly and shook her head. She had just returned from a trip to Hong Kong with Su Jie, and on her left hand was added a one-carat diamond ring in a classic style. With nothing better to do, she often turned the understated ring around her finger. "If you drag it out until the end, she'll hate you," Lu Fei advised, "I advise you to make things clear with her as soon as possible."

  Lu didn't say a word, and when he met Xin Chen, he had indeed planned to tell her about it. However, seeing how happy she was, he changed his mind. Of course, no matter when he said it, Xin Chen would never calmly accept it. If they had to part ways, all he could do was try to minimize the hurt he caused her.

  It was a day when Luo didn't have class in the afternoon, and he was looking up materials and writing his thesis in the library when his phone suddenly rang.

  "I'm outside your school, come out for a bit, Luo Fei." Xincheng only said this one sentence before hanging up the phone.

  Lu Fei was taken aback, this was the first time Xin Chen had come to his side of the river after school to find him. He put down his book and hastily came out, and indeed Xin Chen was standing alone outside the school gate. After several days of rain, the sky had just cleared up, and the morning sunlight felt warm and gentle. She was leaning against a public phone booth, idly kicking her backpack with one foot.

  "Xiao Chen, how did you get here? Don't you have school today?"

  "I played hooky."

  Lu didn't frown, "Why? Now should be the most tense time."

  Xin Chen pursed her lips tightly and stopped for a moment before asking in a low voice: "Lu Fei, is what Grandpa and Grandma said true?"

  "What did they say?"

  "They said you're going to study in America soon."

  Lu Fei was not surprised, but didn't know how Xin Kai Ming and his wife knew about this matter. However, after thinking again, the transfer procedures for her mother were handled by Li Xiang, so it's likely that her mother told her. "Xiao Chen, don't rush to get angry, this matter has not been finalized yet."

  "You plan on waiting until it's settled before telling me, right?"

  "It's not like that."

  "What's going on? Do I have to hear about you from other people's gossip? Lu Fei, what do you take me for?"

  "Xiao Chen, my family indeed requires me to study abroad. I hope to delay it, but if I must go now, it will only be for two or three years. I promise you, within three years at most, I will definitely return, or you can also work hard on your English and try to get to America."

  Xin Chen stood there in a daze, as if trying to digest his words. Lu Fei reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, just about to speak when she proactively leaned into him, looked up at him with her face close to his and whispered: "Is this goal the same as when you made me work hard to get into your university?"

  "Xiao Chen, three years have passed so quickly, and you're big enough now..."

  Xin Chen suddenly retreated, "I'm already big enough now, so please don't treat me like a kid and dangle a piece of candy in front of me to try hard to reach. There's no sugar worth my trying for three years, Lu Fei, I'll never meet your standards, can't get into the university you're reading at, let alone go to America."

  Xin Chen suddenly turned around and ran towards the opposite side of the road. Her movements were light and agile, like a small animal, and she dodged through the traffic with ease. A car screeched to a halt just inches from her, and Lu Fei's heart almost stopped beating as he watched her weave in and out of the cars. He ignored the driver's angry shouts and chased after her, grabbing hold of her backpack and pulling her into his arms. She struggled free twice but couldn't escape, so she lifted her leg and kicked him hard on the shin. Lu Fei winced in pain but didn't let go. "Stop struggling, little Chen," he said. "Just listen to what I have to say, okay?"

  She calmed down, tilted her head and looked at him, "What do you want to say?"

  Lu Fei found himself speechless under her clear and piercing gaze. At this moment, what stood between them was just a separation, and no matter how it was explained, the reason for the separation seemed pale and superfluous.

  Xin Chen suddenly grabbed his coat collar, looked up at him and said, "Don't go, Lu Fei, why not study here?"

  Her eyes were suddenly filled with tears, Lu Fei lowered his head, and he could clearly see his own face reflected in the shimmering tears in her eyes. He almost blurted out a "good", but he could only say hoarsely: "Sorry, Xiao Chen, I hope I can tell you frankly, good, I'll stay, but I couldn't. I'm afraid if I said it again and failed to keep my promise, it would be even worse."

  Xin Chen's fingers slowly loosened, "My dad was right, asking someone to stay is the stupidest thing. When I didn't say it was okay, you let go, I'm going back to school now."

  "I'll send you back." Lu Fei hailed a taxi, pushed her in and all the way, no matter what Lu Fei said, Xin Chen didn't utter a word or look at him. When they arrived at school, she hastily got out of the car and ran inside.

  Since then, Xin Chen never called Lu Fei again. Lu Fei had no choice but to call Xin Kai Ming's house, Li Xiang answered the phone and loudly called out to Xin Chen with a hint of surprise: "Xiao Chen, Lu Fei is looking for you." She came over to answer the phone, but only said coldly: "I'm doing my homework, don't call again." Then she hung up the phone with a bang.

  Lu didn't completely expect that she would be so resolute, leaving no room for maneuver. But then he thought again, if she had listened to his explanation seriously after the initial shock, showed complete understanding and unconditional acceptance, then she wouldn't have been Xin Chen anymore.

  The road chose a Saturday evening to go to Xin Kai Ming's house, laughing and saying that he wanted to take Xin Chen out for a spin. Li Xiang naturally agreed. She took the bewildered Xin Chen to the hotel and asked for her opinion, but she didn't look at the menu and ordered a Fresh Fruit Flambe. Entering a five-star hotel and eating Haagen-Dazs, which was not formally sold in local stores at that time, she did not have the usual curiosity of ordinary little girls.

  "Have you been here before?"

  "My dad brought me here before." Xinkaiyu has almost taken his daughter to all the high-end hotels or restaurants with unique features in the city. He once joked that the reason for doing so is that his daughter will not be easily deceived by men only if she has experienced everything.

  "Xiao Chen, I'm looking for you. I want to talk about Lu Fei. He's been having a tough time lately. Every time he comes home, he locks himself in his room and won't come out."

  Xin Chen held the small spoon in her mouth, looked up at her, and this ungraceful movement made her look innocent and lovely. Lu couldn't help but sigh at the power of youth.

  "The road is my sister, I'm suffering just the same, but I still have to go to school, still have to do homework. I can't lock myself in my room and ignore everyone, I still have to pretend nothing's wrong in front of my elders."

  The road was a bit surprised, didn't expect her to block the conversation so quickly. The road understood that she couldn't be coaxed with the tone used for little kids, "Little Chen, are you unwilling for him to leave here and go to America to study?"

  Xin Chen said succinctly, "Yes."

  "But he's still under 22 years old and you're just 17, have you ever thought about what will happen in the future?"

  "I didn't think too far ahead, you've thought of the future entirely, will the future be as you wish? I only know that now he's by my side, I'm happy."

  "If going out to study is beneficial for both of your futures, wouldn't you be willing to let him go? Three years isn't a very long time."

  "I met Lu Fei when I was 14, and it's been three years now. These three years have been very happy for me, and I guess they've been happy for him too. If he thinks it's not worth staying for such happiness, then I won't cling to him, I promised my dad that I wouldn't cling to anyone."

  "The situation is like this, Xiao Chen. Our parents have very high expectations of us. I also went abroad to study after graduating from university. Lu Fei doesn't want you to leave now because he thinks that since your parents are not around, if he leaves too, you will be very lonely. But..."

  "If the road is just pitiful for me, then it's not necessary." Xincheng rudely interrupted her, with tears welling up in his eyes, but stubbornly opened them wide, "My dad loves me very much, and my uncle and aunt are also very good to me, I'm not an orphan."

  The road is embarrassing, she has been in a state of confusion for the past few days, and decided to find Xin Chen to talk about it. She wants to try to induce her to accept reality, so that Lu Fei can leave with peace of mind. At this time, however, she feels that continuing this conversation is simply taking advantage of a child, but she cannot not finish what she has to say. "Don't misunderstand, little Chen, Lu Fei certainly likes you very much, otherwise he wouldn't have taken the postgraduate exam and wanted to stay in the local area. But my parents have been asking him to study abroad for a long time, and they won't accept him falling in love so early. He is very conflicted, if you have faith in him, you should support him in making up his mind. I completely understand my brother's character, as long as he makes a promise, he will definitely keep it. By then, you'll be almost 21 years old and can fully decide your own life, what do you think?"

  "The road is your sister, you want me to go tell him: Lu Fei, study hard, I'll wait for you here, right?" Xin Chen shook his head, "No, I won't say that. You have faith in him, but I don't. I don't want anyone's promise, I want him by my side. If he wants to leave, then it's over between us. He can choose, either me or going abroad, whatever he wants."

  Lu was taken aback by her overbearing attitude, "By forcing him to make a decision like this, he'll either go against his parents' wishes or yours. Either way, he won't be happy."

  "My dad once told me that if you like someone, don't force them to make a decision. But if he likes me, he shouldn't force me to make a decision either. My decision is, I won't cling to anyone, nor will I wait for anyone."

  "Xiao Chen, when I was your age, I also liked a boy. When I was 18, I went to Shanghai for college and he went to Beijing. At that time, communication wasn't as convenient as it is now, we couldn't wait to write letters every day, and as soon as we had a break, we rushed back home to see each other. Guess what happened later?"

  Xin Chen blinked his big eyes and looked at her, "You probably didn't come after us."

  The road was stunned, "How did you know?"

  "You want to give an example to convince me, of course you have to give one that is 18 years old and has no feelings afterwards."

  The road is lost in thought, and can't help but look at her with new eyes. "You child, haha, indeed, when we meet again, we feel like strangers to each other. The person in front of us is completely different from the one in our memories and letters." Later, the letters became fewer and farther between, and before long, they lost contact altogether.

  Xin Chen laughed for the first time, "Lu is your sister, you want to tell me that at my age, feelings can't be taken seriously, everyone will meet other people in the future, what was thought to be important before will become unimportant later, right? But isn't it more so that I should insist on being together? I think if you and that boy were together from the start, you wouldn't have become strangers so easily."

  The road was silent, looking at the girl in front of her with a straight face and a bitter smile. "Even if we're together, it's possible to become strangers too. Xiao Chen, I guess today I'll have to tell you my entire love story. When I was studying abroad, I met someone I liked and we fell in love. After graduation, I refused to listen to my dad and return to China, just wanting to be with him...". She stopped, this was a secret she had never told anyone before, but somehow she found herself talking about it to this girl. She smiled wistfully, stroking the ring on her left hand's ring finger, unable to continue for a moment.

  "Was it your dad who insisted that you return home and you had no choice but to be separated?" Xincheng asked out of curiosity.

  "No, it wasn't that dramatic. My dad was strict, but not that fierce. Anyway, I stayed there and worked for three years until we became a bit estranged... then..." She shrugged and held out her left hand to Xincheng, "I came back and decided to marry someone else."

  Xin Chen only took a glance at the diamond ring, and to this obvious concept, "But you must have happy times. I don't know how long I will like Lu Fei, nor do I know how long Lu Fei will like me. If one day he doesn't like me, or if I don't like him, I can accept it. But when we mutually like each other and are not together, I think that's the stupidest thing."

  "You don't care about what my parents think, right?"

  "What they think has nothing to do with me."

  The road was speechless, and continued to talk, he would be confused by the child's simple yet powerful logic, and could only sigh again, "I didn't expect you to have so many ideas, think about it carefully, Xiao Chen, I won't say much. The road is indeed something that must be decided on one's own. But I can honestly say that under current circumstances, my parents would absolutely not accept the reason for him staying behind, and he probably couldn't ignore his parents' opinions like you do."

  The road was sending Xin Chen back home, and Li Xiang and Xin Kai Ming were chatting: "Just took Little Chen to eat something, the little girl is very interesting. Next month I'm getting married, Uncle Xin and Auntie Li if you have time, please come to my wedding." She turned her head to look at Xin Chen, who was also looking over here, and finally showed a hint of panic and pleading in his eyes, but stubbornly turned his head away immediately.

  Later, Luo Si never saw Xin Chen again. When she got married, Xin Kai Ming was busy with work and couldn't attend, so Xin Di accompanied their mother to the south to attend the wedding and served as her bridesmaid.

  The road is lined with pearl white satin wedding dress made in Hong Kong, simple and noble style. Xin Di helped her tidy up the hem of her skirt, sincerely praising: "Luosi sister, too beautiful! The design of a famous family is really different, it makes my heart itch."

  "Xiao Di, have you regretted getting married?"

  Xin Di burst out laughing, "Marrying someone? No way, I'm not interested. I'd rather make wedding dress design my career path."

  Lu did not knock on the door and came in, reporting that the groom's procession had arrived. Xin Di excitedly rushed out to watch the commotion, leaving only two people in the room. They exchanged a glance in the mirror, Lu knew that her brother, who had just spoken with their father, had already made up his mind. She could only stretch out her hand wearing a long white silk glove to gently pat his hand, deliberately ignoring her brother's furrowed brow.

  Who can be impulsive? The two siblings set out on their own paths that day, with Lu Fei deciding to study abroad, while she became the wife of a man eight years her senior, whom she had only met a few times. No matter how hesitant they were before, at this moment, they could only move forward.

  Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye. The girl standing on the road in front of her was wearing a gray T-shirt with an abstract human head print, light blue washed denim skirt, and flat-heeled sandals. Her hair was tied up in small braids, and she had a large white backpack on her back. She looked clean and refreshing, dressed in a common summer outfit for local girls. Her expression was calm and peaceful, without any ripples or surprises, just like the last time they met, calling her "Lù Shì Jiě Jie" (Sister Lù Shì) with a polite but distant tone, which was far from the memory of that girl who had a bit of wildness and instability.

  "She has changed a lot." Lu Fei grasped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead, "Sister, I hope this time I can handle my own affairs myself."

  "Judging from his tone, it seems I overthought things seven years ago."

  "No, I don't blame you, it's just that I wasn't firm enough. At that time, I was also an adult, but I didn't consider that she was still a child."

  "I actually liked her," Luo said with a gentle smile. "So brave and direct. Heh, now that I think about it, probably only when we were young did we have the courage to be like that, to take on anyone and anything, even if the whole world was against us."

  But being an enemy of the whole world must come at a great cost. Lu Fei thought bitterly as he gazed out at the road ahead, bathed in the warm sunlight. Xin Chen now faced him calmly, without a hint of evasion; she had probably learned to coexist peacefully with all the unpleasantness in this world, but it was hard to imagine how difficult that process must have been for her.

  "But do you think you've figured it out? Lu Fei, who is it that you love - the little girl from your memories or the Xin Chen in front of you now? Do you really understand her as she is today? The disillusionment born from understanding can be a terrible thing. If I were you, I'd rather preserve some beautiful memories."

  "You're not me, sister, no matter what Xiaochen becomes, in my heart, she's still her."

  "I'm not you," Luo smiled, "you've been rational since young, whereas I, your sister, have always been a bit lost in fantasies. Who would have thought that now, I must face my life with reason, while you decide to let yourself drown in emotions."

  Lu Fei's expression was slightly dazed, "I just realized, I've never tried to indulge myself all my life. Even in those happy days in the past, I had all sorts of considerations, and as a result, it ended up like this today. Before everything is too late, I have to give myself an opportunity."

  "So you're really braver than me, Lu Fei. You know? Seven years ago, in the first few days of our wedding, I also wanted to grab my passport and run away, but in the end, I didn't dare to do so."

  Lu Fei couldn't help but feel surprised, he knew that Lu was married to his brother-in-law Su Jie in a flash marriage, but their relationship after marriage was good. In the second year of winter, Lu gave birth to an adorable girl, and later did not become a full-time wife at home, but instead took charge of the development business of Huatian Group, doing extremely well, it can be said that both family and career were successful. Unexpectedly, his sister had been wandering around before getting married, and he was trapped in the pain of making choices at that time, completely unaware of his sister's concerns.

  Noticing his expression, Lu smiled and said, "Yes, I'm terrible. When I agreed to Su Jie's proposal, I thought I had forgotten about the past. But when it came down to it, I hesitated again. If I wasn't afraid of not being able to face my parents in the future, I would have probably just bought a ticket and left. In the end, we still got married, and after having our baby, holding her in my arms, I don't know whether to laugh at or congratulate myself on my cowardice."

  Lu Fei didn't sleep. On the last day of last year, it was already late at night, he shut down his computer and went back to the bedroom, only to find that Ji Ruoluo hadn't slept yet, leaning against the headboard staring at her laptop, smiling while looking at their good friend's wedding photos uploaded on her blog. Seeing him come in, she pulled him over to take a look together, and sighed: "Lu Fei, I really like this style of wedding dress, back when we were roommates, we even said we wanted to have our weddings at the same time, who would have thought that she beat me to it."

  This wasn't the first time she had given him a subtle hint, and his mother had also mentioned to him more than once that "he should consider personal issues now". Facing her eyes full of eagerness, he was momentarily distracted, then smiled, "Without a formal proposal, you won't mind, will you?"

  Ji Ruozhe pushed open his laptop and jumped up to tightly hug him. Looking at her ecstatic expression, he thought, okay, let's just do it this way.

  Their scheduled wedding date was early September this year, and if in May this year, he had not seen Xin Chen's photo on the wall of Lin Leqing's dormitory, then he would also be on the eve of his wedding now, perhaps like his sister that year, with uncertainty, but could only continue.