The next morning, Chen Yansen found Song Yuncheng already in the hotel restaurant. She sat by the window in her patched pink down jacket, a half-eaten fried dough stick in her hand, her suitcase at her feet. Her hair was in a fluffy high ponytail.
He got his breakfast and joined her. "You're early. What time's your train?"
"9:30," she said, not meeting his eyes.
"Arrival time in Lucheng?"
"I… didn't notice."
Chen Yansen smiled. "You know, when people lie, their expressions change. It's an instinct."
Song Yuncheng took a sip of milk. "Really?" She changed the subject. "Are you heading back to school?"
"I'm going to Lujiang."
Her eyes lit up before she could stop them. "You're going to Lujiang too?"
"Yeah. To take a certain unlucky person home," he said, watching her.
"I was going to try my luck at the long-distance bus station," she mumbled, not wanting to rely on him. Getting closer felt dangerous.
"Tickets are impossible this time of year. University holiday rush."
At 9:30, they were in his car, speeding onto the highway.
"Play some music," he said.
It took her ten minutes to connect to the Bluetooth. Scrolling through her playlist, nothing seemed to fit him. She finally selected "Luzhou Moon."
As a child, I stole light through a hole in the wall…
To her surprise, Chen Yansen hummed along, his voice low. She'd almost forgotten he was a '90s kid too, just a year older. This was a side of him she'd never seen.
No, she corrected herself, remembering the ridiculous pattern on his underwear. That didn't fit his polished image either.
Her cheeks warmed. She leaned back, watching the world blur past. You're so pathetic. He just beckoned, and you jumped in. Weren't you going to just see him as a boss?
An hour ago, a strange force had pushed her into this passenger seat.
Is it because you like him?
She stole a glance. His profile was sharp. The girls who liked him in their journalism class alone could form a team.
He's a scoundrel. Besides Meng Jie, he only ever picks on me. Always looking for the next best thing.
Her mind churned, her face coloring.
Chen Yansen drove straight through to Nanjing. After a quick lunch, they were back on the road.
By 3 PM, they turned off the highway. An hour on provincial roads, then onto bumpy rural paths, using field ridges to pass oncoming tractors.
The winter sun offered no warmth. A bitter wind scattered dead leaves.
"Going home to see your parents?" Chen Yansen asked.
"No." She paused. "My brother."
"He must be working by now?"
"My brother… can't graduate." A flicker of guilt passed her eyes.
"Failed his classes?"
"He got a scholarship every year. Never failed a course." She forced a smile.
Chen Yansen chuckled. I never failed either. His professors had been persuaded to change his failing grades to 60s. He didn't pry further. He was interested in her, not her family drama.
Minutes later, he stopped beside a spacious two-story house with a large yard. It was bigger than his own place. So much for his assumption that her frugality meant utter poverty.
"Want to come in for some water?" she asked, though she seemed hesitant.
"Dinner would be better," he said, already grabbing his bag from the trunk and walking in like he owned the place.
"Chen Yansen, wait!" She jogged after him.
Inside, they nearly collided with a woman in her thirties. "Who are you?" the woman asked, frowning.
"Auntie, I'm back." Song Yuncheng stepped out from behind him.
"Xiao Chengzi! Your uncle was worried you couldn't get a ticket!" The aunt beamed, pulling her into a hug. "And this is…?"
"He's my—"
Chen Yansen stepped forward with a smile. "Hello, Auntie. I'm Xiao Chengzi's boyfriend, Chen Yansen. Just call me Xiao Chen."
"Chen Yansen! Don't talk nonsense!" Song Yuncheng stood on her toes, trying to cover his mouth. Only family called her that nickname!
"Auntie, Xiao Chengzi is just shy," he explained smoothly.
"Oh, I'm not old-fashioned! Having a boyfriend is wonderful! Come in, Xiao Chen, sit down!" The aunt bustled off to make tea.
"Why did you say that? Now she believes it!" Song Yuncheng kicked his shin.
"You confessed. I said yes. That makes it official, doesn't it?" He grinned.
Just then, a tall, slender young man emerged from a bedroom. His face brightened. "Little Orange! You're back! Play Ludo with me!" His voice had an odd cadence, but his smile was pure and innocent.
"Brother!" Song Yuncheng forgot her anger and rushed to her suitcase, pulling out toys and workbooks. "I brought these for you."
The aunt placed tea in front of Chen Yansen. "You've noticed, haven't you? There's something wrong with Little Orange's brother." She pointed gently to her own head.
"An illness?"
"She didn't tell you?" The aunt sighed, deciding honesty was best if he was here. "When Little Orange was in her second year of high school, an electrical fire broke out at night. We found her outside the door. Her brother, Yunnuo, carried her out first. He went back in for their parents… inhaled too much toxic gas. Toxic encephalopathy. His mind is like a child's now."
"And her parents?"
"Couldn't be saved."
Chen Yansen looked at Song Yunnuo. His face was clean, clothes neat. The aunt had clearly cared for them well.
"Xiao Chengzi is a good kid. Started working part-time in her second year. But her boss is a jerk—works her to the bone, no time to eat," the aunt complained.
Chen Yansen smiled wryly. Every family had its struggles. Song Yuncheng's uncle drove a truck; they had two kids of their own. She would never be a burden.
With her parents gone and her brother like this, it was a miracle she'd made it to any university at all.
"I'm telling you this so you understand what you're getting into," the aunt said solemnly. "If you can't accept this burden—a lifetime of caring for an extra person—tell her now. Don't break her heart later."
"I understand," Chen Yansen said softly, then waved Song Yuncheng over.
"Brother, play by yourself for a bit," she coaxed before walking over.
"I'll go pick up the kids from school," the aunt said, giving them space.
Song Yuncheng watched her brother, who was now engrossed in his board game. "I haven't thought about dating. Or marriage. My brother saved my life. I have to take care of him."
"He wouldn't want this life for you," Chen Yansen said firmly.
"Then what life should I have?" Her voice trembled, eyes glistening.
"It doesn't have to be like this. Help me build this business. In a year or two, I'll make sure you have millions saved."
This time, there was no offer to be a "part-time girlfriend." He was mean, but he wasn't a monster.
"Zhang Yifeng only made fifty thousand last month. How can I make millions in two years?" A warmth spread in her chest, but it was hard to believe.
"You're my first employee," he said, a determined glint in his eye. "If you can't even make money, who will follow me in the future?"