Are you very familiar with them?

Xia Yuwei was sitting at the dining table, waiting for Xin Xin to come out, when suddenly the doorbell rang. So early in the morning—could it be the landlord coming for next quarter’s rent?

She called out, “Who is it?” as she reached down to open the door.

Lu Yichen stood outside, one hand resting on the doorframe, his head leaning against it, his posture slanted as though he had been waiting a long time and was growing impatient.

“Why are you living here too?” he asked carelessly, stepping inside with his long legs, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

Xia Yuwei followed behind, almost reaching out to grab his arm to make him leave, but he was already ahead of her.

Lu Yichen walked in, glancing around with a slight frown, as if displeased by the surroundings.

Xia Yuwei caught up, lowered her voice in front of him, full of reproach and discontent. “Lu Yichen, what are you doing here?!”

“I fail to see what that has to do with you. I’m here to see Xin Xin,” Lu Yichen replied, making his way to the dining table. He glanced over, then chose the seat Xia Yuwei usually occupied.

She always had just one fried egg and a glass of orange juice for breakfast—a habit so longstanding it was obvious which plate belonged to her.

“Yichen, can I beg you not to make a scene…” Xia Yuwei sat down across from him, unconsciously biting her lip, her unease all too apparent.

She hadn’t gotten over last night’s fright, and now, barely awake, he burst in again like a storm, leaving her brow tightly furrowed, unable to take it all in. It felt as if a dark cloud had settled between her brows, throbbing faintly.

She didn’t know when Xin Xin had returned last night, nor had Xin Xin come to her. She hadn’t even had a chance to advise her, and here was Lu Yichen at their door first thing this morning.

Who knew how long, how deeply they had talked, for Xin Xin to so easily give him her address. It seemed she really had underestimated his charm…

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stared at her coldly. “Are we that close?”

In the bathroom, Xin Xin had already heard the doorbell, but she’d been brushing her teeth and hadn’t been able to answer. After rinsing, she washed her face and called through the door, “Yuwei darling, who is it?”

The voices outside were low, and she couldn’t make out what was said, but she could tell it was a man, which filled her with anticipation.

Xia Yuwei, frustrated, didn’t respond. Lu Yichen stood up, walked toward Xin Xin’s direction, and stopped near the bathroom door. “It’s me, Lu Yichen. I came to pick you up for school. Didn’t we agree yesterday…”

“Oh! I’ll be ready in a minute!” Xin Xin’s cheerful voice mingled with the sound of running water from inside.

Xia Yuwei sat in Xin Xin’s seat, watching the two talk through the door, as if they were already close, and suddenly felt like an outsider. She couldn’t understand how Xin Xin had gotten involved with a boy younger than herself.

She moved back to her own seat, cut off a piece of fried egg with her knife and fork and put it in her mouth, then took a sip of orange juice.

Suddenly, she lost her appetite, set everything down, and went straight into her bedroom.