(Eleven and Thirteen Years Old)
The moment the bell rang for the last class on Children's Day morning, the boy sitting in the back row immediately slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood up.
His classmates around him turned to look, whispering among themselves.
"Where's Xie Suizhi going? Isn't he coming to class this afternoon?"
"I heard he took sick leave."
"Sick leave on Children's Day? He doesn’t look sick."
"Well, he’s got top grades. Teachers let him get away with anything."
"Talking about Xie Suizhi behind his back? You guys must have too much free time. Aren’t you scared of him?"
The whispers instantly died down.
At thirteen, boys and girls were just starting to grow into their features, but Xie Suizhi had clearly outgrown most of his peers—not only in height but also in looks. His once delicate features had sharpened into a striking, almost intimidating handsomeness.
Add to that his aloof demeanor and refusal to let anyone get close, plus the fact that he’d taken on five older bullies single-handedly when he first started middle school, and his name had become legendary in the school.
But since his grades were impeccable, teachers turned a blind eye to most things—as long as he didn’t cross the line, he could do whatever he wanted.
Even if they knew his "sick leave" today was fake, no one called him out on it.
Xie Suizhi checked the time as he walked out of the school gates. The performance probably hadn’t started yet—he needed to go home first and get the Children’s Day gift ready for his kid.
She had been practicing for this performance for days, saying it was her last Children’s Day in elementary school and she wanted it to be perfect.
By now, Xie Suizhi had accepted that no matter how many cardboard boxes and bottles he collected, he’d never be able to attend the same school as her. But he was doing his best—studying hard, keeping his grades up, just so he could see her every day.
But now that he was in middle school and she was still in elementary, their schedules didn’t align. No matter how hard he tried, he could only see her once a week.
And that was already torture for him.
Today would be the second time this week. He had to make the most of it.
After grabbing the gift and stuffing it into his backpack, Xie Suizhi skipped lunch, settling for a quick bread roll before hopping onto his bike and heading toward her school.
The bike was a secondhand one he’d saved up for—just so he could get to her faster after school.
Sometimes, he even rode over at noon, though she usually napped during lunch break, so even if he went, he rarely got to see her. At most, he’d circle the school gates a few times.
But barely two minutes into his ride, a group of guys blocked his path.
Xie Suizhi glanced at them, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Brave of you to come out alone at this hour," the leader sneered. "You know you shouldn’t walk dark alleys by yourself, right? We’ve been waiting for you for a while."
Xie Suizhi was beyond tired of this.
Ever since starting middle school, whether it was classmates or older students, there was always some group of guys with too much time on their hands picking fights with him. It wasted so much of his time—sometimes he even got hurt and had to skip seeing his kid because he didn’t want her to worry.
Especially today.
"Even the star student fakes sick days, huh?" The guy smirked when Xie Suizhi didn’t answer. "What, you celebrating Children’s Day too? No mom or dad to celebrate with—who’s gonna give you gifts?"
Xie Suizhi wordlessly leaned his bike against the wall, setting his backpack down gently on top.
Then he turned, impatience flashing in his eyes. "I’m in a hurry. All of you at once."
The sheer audacity of it sent the older boys into a rage. They’d hated him since the first day of seventh grade—just because he was good-looking and got good grades, all the girls their age couldn’t take their eyes off him.
And the worst part? He acted like he couldn’t be bothered with anyone, which only fueled the middle schoolers’ frustration, making them desperate to knock him down a peg.
But going at him alone never worked—this kid fought like a wild animal, with terrifying strength.
Today, though, they’d gotten a tip-off and brought enough guys to corner him. No way he was getting out of this unscathed.
"Fine, all at once it is." The guys rolled up their sleeves and charged. "Let’s see how tough you act after this."
Xie Suizhi really was in a hurry. If he wasted too much time here, he’d miss his kid’s performance.
The thought made his expression darken. His gaze swept the area before snatching up a wooden stick nearby.
There were more of them this time, and they were dead set on making him suffer. They surrounded him tightly, and in the chaos, Xie Suizhi took a few hits to his face and arms—but he didn’t even flinch, retaliating with brutal precision.
Just as more of them closed in, Xie Suizhi’s grip tightened on the stick, his eyes turning colder—
Then, out of nowhere, a figure darted in from behind him. One of the guys—a heavyset one—was sent flying with a single kick.
Xie Suizhi paused, glancing sideways to see a tall, lean guy in a white button-up and black slacks. His movements were clean, practiced—clearly trained.
The newcomer, who stood a full head taller than Xie Suizhi, swung his backpack like a weapon, knocking into the group. Within minutes, the tide of the fight had turned.
Seeing the situation, the bullies scrambled to their feet and bolted.
Xie Suizhi looked up at the guy, who still had his back to him. "Thanks."
The guy turned around, revealing a pair of black-framed glasses that gave him a studious, model-student vibe.
Xie Suizhi’s eyes narrowed slightly in recognition—but he wasn’t surprised.
Without another word, he grabbed his bike, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and started to leave.
"Wait." The guy’s long arm blocked his path. Warm eyes scanned him up and down. "You’re hurt."
Xie Suizhi replied flatly, "Doesn’t matter."
"You need something?"
The guy hesitated. "I—"
Xie Suizhi cut him off bluntly. "If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have been following me."
He’d noticed a while ago—someone had been tailing him recently.
But he couldn’t be bothered wasting energy on unimportant things. He had too much to do—saving money, seeing his kid.
When the guy didn’t answer, Xie Suizhi stepped onto his bike pedal. "I’m in a hurry."
"Hey—!" The guy had a bike too. In a few strides, he was on it, pedaling after Xie Suizhi without another word.
Xie Suizhi had noticed the school emblem on the other person’s shirt early on—it was the same one as his kid’s—so he didn’t bother addressing whether this guy intended to follow him the whole way.
But the other person clearly wasn’t the type to stay silent if unasked. After trailing him halfway, the boy frowned and said, “Didn’t you call in sick? This isn’t the way to the hospital.”
In fact, it looked more like the route to his school.
Xie Suizhi didn’t answer.
Perhaps sensing his reluctance to respond, the boy pedaled his bike closer and added, “Let me take you to see a doctor first.”
Xie Suizhi sidestepped him. “If you’re going to follow me, then keep quiet.”
“Hey, you—” The boy sighed in exasperation. “What kind of attitude is this?”
Seeing that Xie Suizhi wasn’t in terrible shape, the boy could probably guess where he was headed. Today was the elementary school’s Children’s Day performance, starting at 1:30 PM.
Xie Suizhi often hung around with that little girl from the elementary division, so it made sense he’d want to go now.
“I’m Jiang Yan.” Thanks to their height difference, Jiang Yan easily matched Xie Suizhi’s pace, walking alongside him. “You want to get into our school, right? I’ll take you in.”
Xie Suizhi finally spared him a glance.
He did need to get inside, but since outsiders weren’t allowed, he’d long since scouted a secluded spot to climb the wall—thanks to years of collecting cardboard scraps in the area.
“I can even get you into the school auditorium,” Jiang Yan offered.
Xie Suizhi squeezed the brakes, planting one foot on the ground as he silently studied him.
“I’m not some creep,” Jiang Yan said, pointing at his own lip. “But are you sure you want your little friend to see the cut on your face?”
Five minutes later, Xie Suizhi’s split lip had been disinfected and covered with a floral-patterned bandage.
He stared at his reflection in the pharmacy’s window, swallowing his irritation again and again.
In contrast, Jiang Yan seemed thoroughly pleased with his current appearance. “Kids should look like kids. That cartoon one was cute—why didn’t you like it?”
This guy was seriously talkative.
If not for needing him to get into the auditorium, Xie Suizhi would’ve ignored this stalker who bore an uncanny resemblance to him.
Then a black face mask was handed to him. Jiang Yan grinned. “Here, put this on too. Kids your age probably think black masks are cool—I sure did back in the day.”
Xie Suizhi took the mask, put it on, and remounted his bike.
By the time Jiang Yan turned around, the kid was already far ahead.
So rebellious.
After observing him for so long, Jiang Yan had noticed one thing: Xie Suizhi only acted like a child around that little girl. The rest of the time, he carried himself like some jaded adult.
Who was he trying to fool?
“Wait up!” Jiang Yan pedaled after him.
With Jiang Yan leading the way, the school guard didn’t even question Xie Suizhi’s presence before letting them both in.
As Jiang Yan continued to hover nearby, Xie Suizhi finally asked, “Don’t you have class?”
“You faked being sick to skip. Why can’t I?” Jiang Yan shot back without hesitation. “Besides, who says 17-year-olds can’t celebrate Children’s Day? I’m still a minor.”
Xie Suizhi: “…”
The elementary school’s performance had already begun. Xie Suizhi had planned to watch from a distance, waiting to give his gift after the little girl’s act.
But Jiang Yan surprised him by producing a spare uniform and ushering him straight into the auditorium, securing them front-row seats.
A few middle and high schoolers had also come to watch, so they didn’t stand out—except for the fact that Jiang Yan and Xie Suizhi looked strikingly similar.
Jiang Yan was well-connected, chatting effortlessly with students and teachers alike.
When a few classmates noticed Xie Suizhi, they couldn’t resist asking, “Jiang Yan, who’s this?”
“Him? My little brother.” Jiang Yan smirked. “Do we look alike?”
The others scrutinized them before nodding approvingly. “Yeah, never knew you had a brother.”
In reality, Xie Suizhi’s face was half-hidden behind the mask—who could possibly tell? But that didn’t stop them from humoring Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan grinned. “Gotta protect him. Can’t let just anyone see his face.”
The group laughed.
Beside him, Xie Suizhi bristled at the word “brother,” but leaving now would mean losing his prime viewing spot. So he swallowed his annoyance.
He might be young, but he wasn’t naive.
The neighbors who’d once ignored him hadn’t suddenly grown kind. He knew why he was being helped—so he could go further, so he could keep seeing his little girl. And so, he chose to overlook these questions, just as he’d ignored the fact that someone had been following him for a while.
The old man downstairs often told him: Don’t take life too seriously, or you’ll exhaust yourself.
As a child, Xie Suizhi hadn’t understood. But as he grew older, he grasped it earlier than most.
Like now, piecing together the truth from Jiang Yan’s hints—knowing full well the words were meant for him. But as long as he stayed silent, no one would realize he understood.
Soon, familiar music filled the auditorium.
For the past month, his little girl had been humming this tune whenever they met. Xie Suizhi knew it by heart.
Her class was performing a choral piece, with her as the lead singer. Dressed in a white princess gown and a tiny diamond tiara, the baby fat had gradually faded from her face over seven years, her frame stretching taller.
She truly looked like a pristine little princess.
Yet who would guess that this princess spent every weekend curled up with him in the dingy scrap yard, whispering secrets in their grubby hideout?
That uniqueness, that secrecy—it filled Xie Suizhi with warmth. Over the years, it had even eased the strange emptiness inside him. Just knowing their bond was irreplaceable made his chest swell, as if stuffed with cotton—soft and overflowing.
The crisp voice of a girl singing lingered in the ears, and the warmth in her eyes and the curve of her lips seemed everlasting. Xie Suizhi had captured her entirely in his phone, adding her to the little iron box filled with red flowers as his newest treasure.
As the song ended, the children on stage began to file down one by one. This time, they exited near Xie Suizhi’s side.
Little Le Qing, the lead singer, was the last to leave. Her sister had promised to watch her performance today, so once it was over, her gaze instinctively searched for the spot her sister had mentioned—and sure enough, there she was, sitting right in the center with a camera in hand.
Little Le Qing immediately raised her hand and waved. But as she shifted her gaze, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
So familiar that her footsteps faltered for a moment. She blinked in surprise.
Staring more intently, she became even more certain—it was Suizhi-gege. Though he wore a mask and different clothes, his build and eyes were unmistakable.
But why was Suizhi-gege wearing a school uniform and sitting here?
She had wanted to show him the recording of her performance later.
Though puzzled, Little Le Qing still beamed and excitedly waved at him.
"No wonder you like her so much," Jiang Yan remarked beside him, sounding wistful. "I wish I had a little sister at home."
Xie Suizhi replied coolly, "She’s my sister."
"What’s the difference?" Jiang Yan said matter-of-factly. "You’re my little brother, so your sister is my sister by default."
Xie Suizhi frowned and turned to him, enunciating each word: "I am not your little brother."
Jiang Yan’s smile didn’t waver. He merely lowered his gaze slightly, as if wanting to reach out but hesitating before withdrawing his hand.
"You’re not my little brother," Jiang Yan conceded breezily. "I’m your older brother."
Xie Suizhi had no patience for word games. He needed to hurry outside to wait for the kid and give her his gift as soon as she emerged.
"Come with me," Jiang Yan stood up. "Everyone’s going to flood out the main hall entrance—no one will even notice you."
This time, he led Xie Suizhi to the back door, but someone was already waiting there when they arrived.
Xie Suizhi recognized the girl—they’d crossed paths occasionally and exchanged a few words before.
His little one adored this sister, so he always greeted her politely whenever they met.
As the two approached, Le Yang, who had been leaning against the wall flipping through her camera, happened to glance up. Her eyes lingered on Jiang Yan’s face for a brief moment, a flicker of confusion passing through them, before shifting to the other person.
Her tone was tentative. "Xie Suizhi?"
Xie Suizhi nodded. "Yang-jie."
"What’s with the getup?" Le Yang straightened up, amused. "Afraid someone will recognize you skipping class?"
Xie Suizhi tugged at his mask. "I have a cold."
"Better not let the little one find out, or she’ll start crying again." Le Yang handed him the camera. "Want to see the photos I took earlier?"
She didn’t need to ask why Xie Suizhi was here. She never interfered with her sister’s wishes or friendships.
Besides, she didn’t dislike Xie Suizhi. In some ways, he reminded her of herself and her sister in the past.
"Thanks." Xie Suizhi took the camera. The screen was filled with shots of Le Qing—not just today’s performance but candid moments of her playing at home.
Every photo brimmed with life.
It was as if he’d been allowed a glimpse into her world.
Jiang Yan’s gaze lingered on Le Yang for half a second, thoughtful.
Then he pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures of Xie Suizhi without warning.
The sudden shutter clicks made the other two look up. Xie Suizhi glared at him. "What are you doing?"
"Other people’s sisters take photos of their siblings," Jiang Yan said innocently. "I want pictures of my little brother too."
"I told you, I’m not your little brother!"
"Mm." Jiang Yan nodded agreeably. "Then I’ll be your older brother. You don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to. It’s fine."
You might be fine with it.
But you’re such a bastard.
Le Yang studied the two of them. She’d noticed their resemblance right away, but she hadn’t known they were brothers. Her sister had never mentioned Xie Suizhi having family.
So where had this brother come from? And as a high school student at their school, he must come from a well-off family.
How had Xie Suizhi gotten involved with someone like that?
If that were the case, the past few years wouldn’t have been so hard for him.
The three stood in silence, each lost in their thoughts, until a small head peeked out from behind them.
Little Le Qing, still wearing her glittering tiara, beamed. "Jie-jie!"
Le Yang turned. "You’re done?"
"Mm!" Little Le Qing stepped forward, her dress swaying, and noticed the other two. "Suizhi-gege!"
Xie Suizhi ignored Jiang Yan and pulled out the carefully protected Children’s Day gift from his backpack, handing it to her. "You did great."
He’d even tied a ribbon around it—apparently little girls liked that sort of thing.
It was the first time this straight-laced guy had ever done something so frilly.
Every year, Little Le Qing received a Children’s Day gift from Suizhi-gege. Though she wasn’t surprised, she was still delighted. She accepted it with both hands, her voice even sweeter than when she’d been singing. "Thank you, gege!"
"Suizhi-gege, why are you here today?" she asked.
Xie Suizhi: "I had some free time."
The two other truants beside him fell silent.
Well, exposing one would mean exposing all three.
None of them had wanted to miss Little Le Qing’s last Children’s Day performance. Even though she loved performing year-round, this one was special.
Classes could wait!
"That’s perfect," Little Le Qing said. "Jie-jie and I already planned to wait for Suizhi-gege after school so we could all go have fun together. Let’s go this afternoon!"
Xie Suizhi: "Okay."
Jiang Yan, who had been ignored the whole time, cleared his throat lightly. "Ahem."
Little Le Qing finally noticed the stranger and turned to him. "Huh?"
A gege who looked a lot like Suizhi-gege.
"Is this Suizhi-gege’s friend?"
"I’m your Suizhi-gege’s older brother," Jiang Yan cut in before Xie Suizhi could respond.
Xie Suizhi gritted his teeth. "Jiang Yan."
"Don’t be mad. The more the merrier, right?" Jiang Yan grinned. "Suizhi’s told me so much about you—how adorable and sweet his little sister is. I’ve been wanting to meet you."
They’d only just spoken for the first time today! Since when had Xie Suizhi ever said that?
Xie Suizhi was tempted to throw hands with Jiang Yan right then and there.
Unexpectedly, it was Le Yang who spoke up. "Let’s all go together."
Since it was the older sister speaking, Little Le Qing and Xie Suizhi naturally had no grounds to argue.
The two younger children might have been unfamiliar with Jiang Yan, but Le Yang, who was already in middle school, had some impression of him. This senior was exemplary in both character and academics—there wasn’t a single person in the middle school or above who didn’t know him.
Moreover, she felt that Jiang Yan wouldn’t skip class without reason just to approach two kids.
Out of the four of them, only one had a legitimate afternoon off, while the other three strode out of the school gates with unshakable confidence.
Little Le Qing very naturally climbed onto the back seat of Suizhi-gege’s bicycle. She always loved sitting there whenever they rode back to the courtyard together.
On the other side, Le Yang and Jiang Yan stood awkwardly facing each other.
Jiang Yan began considering whether he should just call his driver. It wasn’t that he didn’t dare to ride with her—it was just that, apart from himself, the other three seemed far too delicate. If any of them got hurt from a fall, it wouldn’t be good.
But before he could act on the thought, Le Yang moved.
She was wearing the school’s casual uniform pants, and with one long stride, she swung her leg over his bike.
"I’ll ride you," she said.
Jiang Yan: "..."
"Jiejie is really good at biking," Little Le Qing chimed in, her arms wrapped around Suizhi-gege’s waist as she tilted her head to look at them. "I’ve ridden with her in the garden lots of times! Jiang-gege, you should get on too."
Le Yang raised a brow. "I haven’t ridden outside in a while, and I’m itching for it. Hop on."
Jiang Yan, feeling like a duck being forced onto a perch, only realized something was off after he’d climbed onto the bike.
Why wasn’t he riding with his younger brother while the two sisters rode together?
"You mean Xie Suizhi?" Le Yang’s tone was lazily amused. "He only lets Qingbao touch him."
Jiang Yan: "..."
Fair enough.
Places meant for kids on Children’s Day were always crowded and expensive, so Little Le Qing had long since discussed with her sister that they’d go to the riverside instead, where they could also watch fireworks in the evening.
Le Yang was competitive by nature, especially when it came to sports, and the moment they hit the road, she couldn’t resist racing the person beside her. The four of them found a quieter path.
Little Le Qing, wearing a skirt, wasn’t in a position to join, so she took on the role of referee.
Since she wasn’t interested, Xie Suizhi also had no desire to compete. He handed his bike over to Jiang Yan, letting the two of them race instead.
Once the other two had ridden off, Little Le Qing, whose excitement had been bubbling over, finally turned back and beckoned for Suizhi-gege to lean down.
For some reason, over the past two years, Suizhi-gege had shot up in height, and she now had to stand on tiptoe just to reach the top of his head, while she herself hadn’t grown nearly as tall.
Without hesitation, Xie Suizhi bent down—only for his little girl to reach up and touch his face.
He instinctively flinched back, but Little Le Qing grabbed his hand firmly. "No hiding."
Xie Suizhi lowered his gaze. "I have a cold."
"Liar," Little Le Qing said seriously. "When gege has a cold, he’s clingy. Today, gege isn’t clingy at all."
Xie Suizhi was speechless.
Over the past few years, he had indeed fallen ill a few times, and each time, she had been by his side.
When he was sick, his self-control plummeted, and he often couldn’t suppress his instincts, leaving him no choice but to let her hold his hand more.
While he was lost in thought, Little Le Qing had already pulled down his mask, revealing the cut at the corner of his lips.
"Did someone bully you again?" she asked, puffing up her cheeks in anger.
Xie Suizhi didn’t want her to worry, so he turned his face slightly to hide the injury. "I chased them off."
But Little Le Qing wasn’t reassured. This was the first time she’d seen him hurt—before, he’d never gotten injured. She frowned. "Gege, from now on, wait for me at school every day. I’ll come pick you up."
In the past, it had always been him coming to find her. Now, it was her turn to protect him.
"I’ve already celebrated my last Children’s Day," she declared. "I’m not a little kid anymore."
Xie Suizhi couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his gaze lingering on the sparkling little tiara atop her head. "Mm, not a kid anymore."
"But I’ll take care of myself from now on," he said. "You don’t need to worry. Just focus on growing up well."
Little Le Qing crossed her arms and studied the cut on his lips. "Suizhi-gege, this band-aid isn’t one you bought yourself, right? It’s really cute."
Xie Suizhi: "..."
"Oh," Little Le Qing realized. "It was from Jiang-gege, the one who’s always so nice. Will you two become family someday?"
Xie Suizhi’s eyes dimmed slightly. "You’re my only family."
But Little Le Qing felt that Jiang-gege seemed to care a lot about Suizhi-gege—otherwise, why would he give him such an adorable band-aid?
"Do you want me to become family with him?" Xie Suizhi asked.
Little Le Qing shook her head, then nodded.
"I want you to have more relatives—people who treat you really, really well," she said earnestly. "But if you don’t like it, that’s okay too. I’ll still be your family."
She wanted Suizhi-gege to have more people who cared for him.
Xie Suizhi was silent for a long moment before finally saying, "I don’t know him well."
So he couldn’t say whether he liked or disliked him.
Though, perhaps he owed him a favor.
"Making friends takes time," Little Le Qing said. She’d never seen Suizhi-gege with anyone else before. "We’ll take it slow!"
Xie Suizhi smiled. "Okay."
The fireworks show was set to begin at eight, and the crowd around them gradually thickened.
The four teenagers huddled close together, the two taller ones shielding the younger girls in front to keep them from being jostled.
At eight sharp, the fireworks lit up the sky. Under the brilliant explosions and the kaleidoscope of colors, their faces were bathed in a soft, warm glow.
Little Le Qing, clutching her camera, snapped photo after photo, her cheers louder than anyone else’s. "Wow!"
In a brief lull between bursts, she turned back and shouted, "I’ll set off fireworks for you all too! The prettiest ones ever!"
The diamonds in her hair glittered, and her princess dress made her look almost ethereal—as if she might slip away at any moment.
As he grew older, Xie Suizhi was beginning to understand why his grandfather had once said that some people weren’t so easy to meet.
Beyond their own determination to see each other, there was still a vast chasm between him and his little girl—one he’d have to work incredibly hard to cross.
He wanted her to have everything she desired. He wanted to set off countless fireworks just for her.
As long as it made her happy.
It was late by the time the fireworks ended, and Little Le Qing and Le Yang were picked up by the bodyguards who’d been trailing them all along.
Xie Suizhi mounted his bicycle, glancing at Jiang Yan who was still leisurely trailing behind him, silently questioning his presence.
"I skipped class today," Jiang Yan said with shameless candor. "I'll get a beating if I go home. Can I crash at your place for the night?"
Xie Suizhi studied him quietly for a few seconds. "You have something to tell me, don't you?"
Jiang Yan paused, then laughed. "See? We really are family. You're just as sharp as I am."
If he hadn’t accidentally spotted Xie Suizhi hanging out with Le Qing at the school gate, Jiang Yan would never have realized there was someone in this world who resembled him so much.
So he’d secretly followed Xie Suizhi for a long time—until he was absolutely certain this person was his younger brother.
Right now, Jiang Yan was still young at heart, unburdened by complicated hesitations. All he wanted was to have a brother by his side in that cold, unwelcoming home, someone to walk forward with, just like Le Qing and her sister did.
"If you're not ready to hear it, we can talk another time," Jiang Yan conceded. "But I really will get beaten if I go back today."
Xie Suizhi asked, "Why did you skip class?"
Jiang Yan shrugged. "Because you took a sick day first."
If he hadn’t known this kid might be left alone while sick, he wouldn’t have risked skipping school.
But he hadn’t expected his little brother to be so much harder to approach than he’d imagined—too prickly, too guarded.
Jiang Yan braced himself for yet another rejection and was already scrambling for another excuse when he suddenly heard Xie Suizhi say, "You sleep on the floor."
For a moment, Jiang Yan was stunned. Then, with a soft chuckle, he nodded. "Yeah, that works too."
