Qiao Liuyue had no idea that while she was away, Dong Jiaoyan and Xie Linchuan had gotten into a fight.
She was busy with volunteer activities.
That Saturday, they returned to the nursing home once again.
It was still Chu Xubai leading the group. This time, when the nursing home director saw them, the smile on their face was noticeably more genuine.
Qiao Liuyue again paired up with Chu Xubai, and the two of them went to visit Professor Zhang.
He was the elderly man with Alzheimer's who had almost wandered off alone last time and had mistakenly recognized Qiao Liuyue as his daughter.
Fortunately, when they reached his room today,
Professor Zhang was sitting obediently on his bed, holding a pen and paper, doodling away at something.
The director spoke up: "Professor Zhang, those young people who came last time are here to see you again!"
Professor Zhang was in good spirits today. He looked up upon hearing this.
Catching sight of Chu Xubai and Qiao Liuyue, he gave them a warm, kindly smile.
He waved them over, saying:
"The little ones are here! Come, sit over here, sit over here."
Then he got up and walked toward the cabinet, as if looking for something.
Chu Xubai stepped forward and said gently, "Grandpa Zhang, please sit down. We're just here to check on you, no need to fuss."
But Professor Zhang had already pulled out a big handful of snacks and candies from the cabinet, placing them on the table by the bed. He pointed at them and said:
"Go on, eat up. Kids all love something sweet."
Chu Xubai was about to decline, but Qiao Liuyue tugged at his sleeve.
Then she unwrapped a soft candy from the table, popped it into her mouth, and said to Professor Zhang with a smile, "Grandpa, this candy is delicious."
Hearing that, Professor Zhang beamed from ear to ear and let out a warm, hearty chuckle.
"Glad you like it, glad you like it. Have some more."
Chu Xubai also obediently peeled open a candy for himself.
Professor Zhang was in high spirits. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and resumed his drawing.
Qiao Liuyue glanced over and noticed that what he was sketching was the likeness of a young woman. Her smile faltered for a moment. Could that be his daughter who was abducted?
Professor Zhang spoke up: "How's my drawing?"
Chu Xubai and Qiao Liuyue said in unison: "Very good."
Professor Zhang chuckled at that, modest yet proud, and sighed: "Back then, my little girl was about to leave home. My wife said she'd take her to the train station. I said, no need to see her off. She's grown up now, off to university. She should learn to manage on her own."
"Of course, I was so confident back then. But who would've thought that farewell would be the last time I ever saw her."
He lowered his eyes and said, "I've been so sure of myself all my life. Always thought... always thought everything I did was right! Later, I learned that sometimes accidents come faster than you ever imagine."
"So, kids, never believe that time is endless."
"If there's something wonderful around you, something worth holding onto, act on it right away. Don't leave yourself with regrets."
Chu Xubai nodded thoughtfully at these words.
He responded, "You're right, Grandpa."
Qiao Liuyue nodded along as well.
Professor Zhang laughed again and pointed at the other snacks on the table. "Oh dear, I don't want to bring you two to tears. Come on, have something to eat."
Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside the door.
The director poked their head back in.
"Professor Zhang, you're in for a full house today. Your Little Yuan is here to see you!"
"Huh? Little Yuan?" Professor Zhang's eyes lit up with surprise.
Little Yuan, who was that?
Chu Xubai and Qiao Liuyue were puzzled.
Then a familiar figure appeared before them.
Zheng Qingyuan was dressed today in a crisp dark gray hoodie with beige joggers, a matching sports headband tied across his forehead. He looked youthful and energetic.
Honestly, he looked even more like a college kid than Chu Xubai, who actually was one.
"Old Zhang! I've come to see you!" Zheng Qingyuan's tone was cheerful. Suddenly, his gaze swept past Qiao Liuyue, paused for a beat, and his voice turned delighted.
"What are you doing here too?"
Professor Zhang looked at Zheng Qingyuan, then at Qiao Liuyue, and chuckled: "You two know each other?"
Zheng Qingyuan laughed. "Yeah, we know each other. She's my neighbor's little sister."
Hearing that, Chu Xubai shot Zheng Qingyuan a wary glance, guarded.
Qiao Liuyue, meanwhile, shook her head slightly with a look of mild exasperation.
How come everywhere he went, he kept calling her "neighbor sister" or "neighbor brother"? Say it enough times and it started sounding almost real.
But Professor Zhang narrowed his eyes at him, sizing him up, then shook his head.
He scolded with a smile:
"You little rascal! That line might fool some other old man, but not me! If she were truly your neighbor's sister, there's no way I wouldn't know her."
Qiao Liuyue asked curiously: "Zheng Qingyuan, are you Professor Zhang's grandson?"
Zheng Qingyuan explained: "Not by blood, but just like a grandson. When I was little, my parents were always busy with business, so they'd just drop me off at Old Zhang's place next door."
So Professor Zhang was really Zheng Qingyuan's neighbor grandfather.
No wonder he didn't buy the whole "neighbor sister" story.
With Zheng Qingyuan joining in, the group cracked jokes and bantered, filling Professor Zhang with laughter. In no time, the atmosphere in the room became lively and warm.
As they were leaving, Professor Zhang sighed: "It's been so long since I had this much fun. If you have time, come see this old man more often."
"Of course, I know you young folks have work and studies to deal with. No need to force yourselves to come over."
Zheng Qingyuan said playfully: "Old Zhang, don't you worry. I'll definitely come around a lot. You know my job isn't exactly a serious one. I just clock in and clock out every day. What's that compared to the joy of keeping you company?"
Professor Zhang burst into laughter, pointing at him.
"You sneaky kid, always smooth with your words!"
After the nursing home activity wrapped up, Qiao Liuyue was about to head back with Chu Xubai on the school bus.
Suddenly, Zheng Qingyuan jogged up to catch them.
"Liuyue, wait up!"
"What's up?" Qiao Liuyue asked, puzzled.
Chu Xubai subtly stepped in front of the two of them, saying: "The Young Volunteers Association event is over. Is there anything else you need, Mr. Zheng?"
Seeing how wary he was, Zheng Qingyuan quickly waved his hands. "Relax, I'm not a bad guy!"
"Besides, we already know each other." He winked, pointed to himself, and said: "I'm Shadow in the Wind."
Then he pointed at Chu Xubai, "And you're Big Hammer Crushes You."
Chu Xubai's face showed a look of disbelief when he heard this.
He looked up and down at the laid-back, easygoing young man before him. Judging by age alone, he was probably a few years older than them, but his vibe was exactly like the fun-loving, goofing-off college guys around campus.
"You're Shadow in the Wind?!" He couldn't believe it.
Zheng Qingyuan hummed in confirmation, then added: "Want me to call you on WeChat right now to prove it?"
"No need."
Chu Xubai now believed him. The wariness in his expression faded, and a trace of a smile appeared in his eyes. He said: "What a coincidence. Turns out we're all familiar faces."
"Exactly!" Zheng Qingyuan nodded emphatically.
Then he tilted his head, looked at Qiao Liuyue with a hopeful expression, and said: "Neighbor sister, we've known each other for so long, but I've never been to your campus. How about I tag along on your school bus?"
