NOVPUBYan and Zhu Jue returned to their hometown, Ning City, in mid-August.
Though the two had wisely avoided taking a taxi during the peak tourist season, the subway ride home was still packed with people…
Especially in such a crowded space, the unfortunate mix of odors in the train car nearly made Yan faint on the spot.
Unlike Bin City, summers in Ning City were usually dry and scorching, but this year, the northern rains had become more frequent, raising the humidity in the air.
Still, the temperature and humidity were far more bearable than in Bin City.
After arriving home, Yan took a shower, changed clothes, and lay in bed for a while before finally feeling refreshed.
Since everyone knew the two were coming back today, Da Bao and Xiao Bao had rushed home. With the new school term approaching, the adults were swamped with tasks, so dinner was just the two young adults and the two teenagers.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao noticed Yan seemed unusually listless.
"Big sis, what’s wrong with you?"
Yan weakly waved her hand from the couch. "Nothing much, just exhausted from all the recent busyness."
Mostly mentally exhausted.
Yan considered herself and Zhu Jue to be highly energetic people, but even they were worn out by the sheer volume of recent events.
Hmm, this condition was like Zhu Jue’s occasional mood swings—something Yan experienced now and then, usually triggered by the constant chaos caused by the high-achievers around her. All she needed was a few quiet, drama-free days to rest properly.
Yan rested her head on Zhu Jue’s lap as he massaged her temples, while Da Bao went to wash some fruit.
"Big sis, your roommate’s family really has top-quality fruit, and there’s so much variety in summer."
"The peaches, pears, and grapes we bought recently are all delicious."
Yan hummed in agreement with her eyes half-closed. She had access to these fruits at school too—though Yi Zhi was rarely in the dorm, the deliveries never stopped.
Still, Yan couldn’t help but wonder—peach and pear trees were quite large, and grapevines needed trellises. When had Yi Zhi’s farm expanded so much? Had she leased an orchard to grow her own seeds?
The thought flitted through her mind, but Yan quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on her exclusive massage service.
Everyone had their own lives, and they were all busy with their own affairs. There was no need to pry into others’ business.
Lately, everyone had been occupied, and messages in the group chat often went unanswered for a while, sometimes with replies that didn’t quite connect. But that was just the norm for adult life—everyone doing their own thing.
Xiao Bao chattered away in Yan’s ear about recent happenings, and Yan occasionally hummed to show she was listening.
"Da Bao’s been chatting with a girl a lot lately."
The moment Xiao Bao said this, Yan’s eyes flew open, and Zhu Jue looked up simultaneously—both turning their attention to Tan Da Bao, who was sitting on the floor typing rapidly on his phone, seemingly oblivious to his sister’s words.
Yan exchanged a glance with Zhu Jue and immediately sat up. This sounded like a development.
Was Da Bao in an early romance?!
"What’s going on?" Yan shot Xiao Bao a look, signaling they should retreat to the bedroom for a private sisterly chat.
Once inside, Yan shut the door behind them, her curiosity burning.
"What girl? From your school? Same class? Also in the gifted program? Please don’t tell me it’s an upperclassman?"
Yan fired off a rapid series of questions, making Xiao Bao giggle.
"She’s a new student this year—our age but skipped grades to enter university."
Yan blinked. "Wait, this year’s freshman? But the science academy hasn’t even started yet. Is this an online romance?"
Xiao Bao shook her head. "Nope. He met her during the post-college-entrance-exam recruitment battle."
Mentioning the annual war between top universities to snatch top-scoring students—especially the fierce rivalry between Ning University and Bin University, complete with yearly battle strategies—Yan couldn’t help but recall last year’s drama. Back then, she and Zhu Jue had stubbornly chosen Bin University, and she’d heard the Ning U admissions team had tearfully pleaded with their parents for ages.
Yan rubbed her chin. "From exam results until now, that’s barely two months."
"Yep," Xiao Bao nodded.
"But my brother’s really interested in her. He keeps messaging her random stuff, but she doesn’t seem to respond much."
Oh-ho!
Hearing this, Yan’s interest only grew.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao were only three years younger than her and Zhu Jue—17 by Chinese reckoning, 16 in actual age.
Hmm, they hadn’t shown any signs of adolescence before, but this seemed like the perfect age for first crushes.
Yan waited for Xiao Bao to continue, but the two just stared at each other.
"That’s all, sis. He won’t tell me anything else," Xiao Bao said helplessly, spreading her hands.
This kind of gossip was the most frustrating—just a tiny tease, then nothing!
Especially since Da Bao was clearly keeping secrets from his own sister!
Yan and Xiao Bao returned to the living room, where Da Bao was still texting while half-heartedly chatting with Zhu Jue.
Now, the three of them surrounded him, and Tan Da Bao finally looked up.
"Da Bao, minors shouldn’t be dating too early," Yan said with exaggerated solemnity.
Da Bao’s eyes narrowed, instantly locking onto his sister.
At the same time, he reflexively retorted, "Big sis, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones."
Yan blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Da Bao admitted it! He really is in an early romance!"
She’d only been testing the waters, but his defensive reply said it all.
"Relax, we’re not unreasonable guardians," Yan said, shaking her head.
"Just know your limits," Zhu Jue added calmly.
Tan Da Bao pressed his lips together. Damn it, he’d been tricked.
"I’m not actually dating anyone yet," he insisted.
"She’s too busy to reply much." The young man lowered his gaze to his phone.
Yan straightened on the couch. "So, this early romance hasn’t even started? Well, it hasn’t been that long since you met."
"The road ahead is long and arduous. Good luck," Zhu Jue said mildly.
Hearing his older siblings’ remarks, Tan Da Bao slumped in defeat.
"What’s the girl’s name? What does she like? Do you have any clues? We can help you strategize."
"If you can’t figure out what girls think, that’s what me and Xiao Bao are here for," Yan said, rubbing her hands together.
After all, if their family’s pig was going out to chase cabbages, they ought to at least make sure he was presentable first.
"Wen Xin—like ‘the literary mind and the carving of dragons.’ She’s been really busy, working multiple part-time jobs all summer. Takes her ages to reply." Tan Da Bao scratched his head.
"I just… I think she’s interesting, that’s all," he mumbled.
In front of the older siblings he trusted, Tan Da Bao finally opened up about his feelings.
"So, our admissions team was at a hotel, and we booked a banquet hall to host a dinner for this year's students to chat and exchange information."
"A server accidentally spilled wine on my clothes. She offered to have them dry-cleaned, but I said it wasn’t necessary. Then some other students from our school who happened to pass by recognized her—it was Wen Xin, their school’s prodigy who skipped grades. She explained she was working a summer job and was worried the calls and messages she’d received might be fake, so she came to the banquet hall to check things out."
Da Bao’s description was straightforward, and Yan couldn’t help but tease him.
"I feel like this should’ve been a dramatic scene, but the way you tell it is so dry!"
"Shocking! Summer job worker spills wine on clothes—turns out she’s the top-scoring college entrant!" Xiao Bao chimed in, her tone exaggerated like a short video voiceover.
"Now that sounds like a much more interesting story," Zhu Jue added.
Da Bao stared at them, unamused.
"What happened after that?" Yan pressed.
"Nothing much, really. It’s not like I only had one set of clothes—I changed and that was it. I took the chance to recruit her into the admissions team."
"Later, after she confirmed she was coming to our school, we exchanged contact info. That’s when I realized Wen Xin is actually a really fascinating person. According to her classmates, her grades were terrible when she first started high school, but by her second year, she slowly climbed her way up, overtaking everyone until she was way ahead. On weekends and holidays, she also took on tons of part-time jobs."
Yan pondered for a moment. "So you find her interesting because of her underdog story? You’re drawn to her comeback?"
"No, no," Da Bao shook his head immediately.
"She’s the kind of person with boundless energy—she loves trying all sorts of things. Just this summer, I’ve seen her take on day jobs as a barista, florist assistant, bubble tea maker, courier, DJ at a bar, and even an extra in films. Plus, she has tons of hobbies—boxing, dancing, playing the violin."
"With Wen Xin’s grades, if she just wanted to earn money, she could’ve sold her notes or tutored for high rates, not to mention the scholarships. But she does all these jobs because she genuinely enjoys trying and experiencing new things. A lot of our classmates have parents who restrict them from doing anything—they can’t even take care of themselves, just study all day. Some are too proud to do these kinds of jobs. That’s why I think she’s amazing—so independent, so bold, doing whatever she wants."
"She’s just so full of life!" Da Bao concluded, his eyes sparkling.
Yan rubbed his chin. "So, to summarize—you’ve never met someone so refreshingly unpretentious."
"Woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention," Xiao Bao teased in a dramatic voice.
Tan Da Bao’s expression instantly froze. "Stop talking like that, sis! I’m getting goosebumps! It’s way too embarrassing!"
"Besides, I haven’t even caught her attention yet!"
Yan gave him a pitying look. Young man, you’ve got a long road ahead.
Since things were still up in the air, Yan and Zhu Jue hadn’t seen any photos of this "Wen Xin" yet, and it wasn’t their place to gossip about her.
Yan, Zhu Jue, and Xiao Bao offered Da Bao their moral support. Whether this budding puppy love would blossom or be nipped in the bud remained to be seen.
But unexpectedly, the very next day after returning home, while eating at a mall, they ran into Wen Xin herself.
And especially—
When Yan saw the words "[Life Online Game]" floating above her head, he couldn’t help but think, Wow.
A new aura—first time seeing this! It looks so interesting.
Wen Xin really isn’t an ordinary person!
