Lu Yuyao’s hometown, Liancheng New Village, was located a fair distance away, somewhere on the far outskirts of Lotus City.
It would take about 30 minutes by bus.
It wasn’t actually that far.
Jiang Ling was conflicted.
She had originally planned to spend the National Day holiday working as a Game Companion and writing.
Since long holidays were hard to come by, she didn’t want to waste it.
“Come back with me,” Lu Yuyao said.
“My grandparents haven’t met you yet, and they told me to bring you home so they could see you.”
Lu Yuyao wasn’t just being polite.
A while ago, Jiang Ling had overheard her taking a call in the living room.
It seemed her grandmother was asking when she would be home and had mentioned wanting to see Jiang Ling as well.
After all, she was basically part of the Lu Family now.
Hearing Lu Yuyao say that made Jiang Ling feel a bit nervous.
This sudden “meeting the family” aspect was far too abrupt.
She needed to prepare.
Fortunately, there was still one week left before National Day.
“I suppose I can. But shouldn’t you take Chenxi Sister back to see them too?”
Jiang Ling hadn’t forgotten about Fang Chenxi sitting beside them.
In the Original Book, Lu Yuyao had brought Fang Chenxi back with her for National Day, while Jiang Ling had stayed home, having looked down on the countryside.
“As if I need you to tell me,” Lu Yuyao said with a roll of her eyes before looking at Fang Chenxi with a smile.
“Chenxi Sister will definitely be coming back too, right? Grandma hasn’t seen you in a long time.”
Fang Chenxi, however, looked troubled.
She hesitated and did not immediately agree.
Noticing something was wrong, Lu Yuyao asked, “Is something the matter, Chenxi Sister?”
Jiang Ling also looked at her in surprise.
The Original Book hadn’t mentioned Fang Chenxi having other business at this time.
Even if she did, what could be more important than accompanying Lu Yuyao?
After all, hadn’t Fang Chenxi returned to Lotus City specifically for her?
Fang Chenxi nodded and said slowly, “My family has arranged some things, so I won’t be able to go back with you.”
Fang Chenxi’s brow furrowed, her delicate face clouded with distress.
It seemed the family matters she mentioned were quite bothersome.
“Oh… that’s such a shame. It’s okay, we’ll go together next time when there’s a chance.”
Lu Yuyao looked disappointed, but she didn’t seem too heartbroken.
Turning to Jiang Ling, she said with a bright smile, “Then I guess it’s just the two of us going back this time.”
Jiang Ling was stunned.
‘Wait, the plot was rewritten just like that?’
Fang Chenxi’s eyes were downcast.
Images of the intimacy between Lu Yuyao and Jiang Ling flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but overthink.
That was an unconscious gesture from Lu Yuyao; that level of natural familiarity couldn’t be faked.
Fang Chenxi could vaguely guess how the two interacted at home.
They were likely just as close in private.
She looked at Lu Yuyao with a complicated gaze.
In her previous life, she and Lu Yuyao had never been like this.
Was she jealous?
Was she jealous that Lu Yuyao could be so intimate with Jiang Ling, while Jiang Ling chose to reject her own attempts at closeness?
It didn’t seem that way.
Fang Chenxi stared at the slender finger Lu Yuyao had just nipped.
Jiang Ling was still peeling shrimp, but this time she put one directly into her own mouth.
The finger that had touched Lu Yuyao’s lips was now touching Jiang Ling’s own.
Yet Jiang Ling herself didn’t seem to care.
A spark seemed to ignite in Fang Chenxi’s eyes.
She was jealous—driven nearly mad with it.
***
Inside a spacious living room.
“Qingyan, do you want to go back to the old house with Dad for National Day?”
Ji Hai asked softly, his tone carrying a hint of sycophancy.
Ji Qingyan didn’t even think before refusing.
“I’m not going.”
As she thought of that place filled with arguments and hypocrisy, a look of disgust appeared on her beautiful face.
Her cold voice carried a sense of finality.
A flicker of sadness crossed Ji Hai’s face, but he quickly composed himself.
He opened his mouth as if to persuade her further, but remembering how much Ji Qingyan hated his nagging, he ultimately remained silent.
Ji Hai sighed.
“Then Dad will send you some more allowance. I’m going back to the old house for the holiday, so take care of yourself for these few days.”
To an outsider, these would sound like the words of a doting father.
But in Ji Qingyan’s eyes, he was merely hypocritical and disgusting.
She rose from the sofa and headed toward her bedroom.
“I don’t need it. I have money.”
That was all she said before closing the bedroom door, the crisp sound echoing through the living room.
Ji Hai was left alone.
He fell silent and reached into his pocket, wanting to pull out a cigarette and light it, but then he remembered his daughter hated the smell of smoke in the house.
He shoved the half-exposed cigarette pack back into his pocket.
“Sigh…”
***
Ji Qingyan’s bedroom was very simple.
Unlike most girls, it wasn’t filled with pink decor or plushies; instead, it was permeated with the scent of books.
Ji Qingyan loved to read, so her bedroom featured a massive bookshelf that took up nearly half a wall.
Rows upon rows of neatly arranged books filled the shelves, all of them titles she enjoyed.
Nearby, a desk held brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
When the mood struck her, Ji Qingyan would practice her calligraphy to cultivate her mind.
Ji Qingyan stood by the window.
At this moment, she didn’t feel like reading or writing.
She suddenly found herself envious of the intimacy she had seen between Jiang Ling and Lu Yuyao earlier that day.
That was the kind of family bond she yearned for.
“Cousin…”
Ji Qingyan’s long fingers traced the glass.
She murmured softly to herself as the night temperature dropped, the chill from the glass seeping into her and stinging her heart like ice.
Only her mother had truly loved her, but her mother was gone now.
A hint of sorrow flickered in her cold eyes.
She had long since grown accustomed to this feeling; it was just that seeing Jiang Ling and Lu Yuyao had brought the memories back to the surface.
But she suddenly had so much she wanted to say to her mother.
‘Mom, I’ve made a good friend lately. A very, very good friend. She cares about me and my feelings. I really want to introduce her to you.’
Crystal tears slid down her cheeks.
Ji Qingyan’s voice grew choked with emotion.
***
The time before a holiday was always filled with joy.
There was a saying that the last few classes before a break were the most memorable.
Moreover, National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival coincided this year, making for a seven-day break that left everyone even more excited.
The atmosphere in the classroom was restless.
The Discipline Monitor had shouted for silence several times, but the noise level only dropped slightly.
“Since you’re all so happy, how about I assign some extra worksheets?”
The final period was Teacher Xu’s class.
She had heard the commotion from the hallway, and upon entering, she issued a threat with a fake smile.
The classroom instantly became silent.
A long holiday meant a mountain of homework.
There were already more worksheets for the six subjects than they could possibly finish; any more would lead to a genuine mental breakdown.
Though it was quiet, Teacher Xu knew that for the final period, many students were physically present but mentally miles away.
She simply turned the lesson into a self-study period to give the students more time to work on their assignments.
She had been a student once, too.
Did she not know whether they would actually do their homework once they got home?
“Fang Chenxi, are you really not coming back to the old house with us?”
Jiang Ling glanced at the podium, and seeing Teacher Xu busy with her head down, she whispered the question to Fang Chenxi.
“Why? Do you want me to go that badly?”
Fang Chenxi looked at her with a half-smile.
Jiang Ling curled her lip and muttered under her breath, “Didn’t you come to Lotus City specifically for Lu Yuyao? Now you’re choosing not to go back with her. What’s your goal?”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing. If you’re not going, you’re not going. It’s just a shame that I’ll have your wonderful sister all to myself this time.”
Jiang Ling teased her, secretly watching Fang Chenxi’s reaction.
However, her expression remained calm, leaving Jiang Ling unable to tell what she was thinking.
“There you go saying strange things again… When you come back, remember to bring some of Grandma’s fried Lotus Root Pancakes. I haven’t had them in a long time and I’ve been craving them.”
Jiang Ling muttered an agreement.
“Just talking nonsense,” Jiang Ling grumbled quietly, though Fang Chenxi heard her clearly.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go back with them.
However, she couldn’t break free from her family’s arrangements.
In her previous life, she would have had a reason to persuade herself—it was for Lu Yuyao’s sake.
Now, Fang Chenxi could only offer a bitter smile.