Yan Yuan watched her walk farther and farther down the road. In the distance, the beam of a flashlight was there to meet her; it was probably Auntie Lin or Uncle Su.
He rubbed his brow, feeling somewhat regretful.
What was he, anyway?
Nothing more than a toad.
“Let not the heart’s spring bloom alongside the flowers; each inch of longing brings an inch of ashes.”
It would be better if Linlin remained his little sister for the rest of his life. He shouldn’t have allowed his feelings to run wild just now and frightened the young girl.
Su Li suddenly kicked his legs, interrupting Yan Yuan’s wandering thoughts.
Yan Yuan still had to return to the capital to deal with his graduation and work. After his grandfather was buried, he went to Lin Zhilan’s home to say goodbye.
Seeing that Yan Yuan had lost more than ten pounds, Lin Zhilan felt a pang of distress. She blinked and asked about his plans for the future. “Have you found out where you’ll be assigned after graduation?”
“I might stay at the university and teach.”
Yan Yuan hadn’t intended to do that before, but he had changed his mind. Things at the university were relatively simple, and he no longer wanted to keep struggling and making waves. For now, he only wanted to find himself something to do.
Lin Zhilan nodded.
In the original book, Yan Yuan and Jiang Chengzhou had never gone to college, and Yan Yuan’s grandfather had passed away long ago. The two of them had started setting up street stalls and earning money while they were still very young.
The policies had only been relaxed a few years earlier, and setting up a stall was still not considered a respectable or proper career.
As the saying went: state-owned enterprises first, collective enterprises second, and private business was neither here nor there.
In the book, people called Yan Yuan and Jiang Chengzhou speculators and good-for-nothings. Lin Zhilan knew how the economy would develop, and that going into business was a very promising path.
But Yan Yuan currently had a good university education and excellent grades. If he stayed on as a teacher, perhaps eventually becoming a professor, his future would still be bright.
Lin Zhilan knew that he was a clever child. As long as he had his own ideas, that was enough.
She handed him the things she had prepared. “These are for you. This bag is for you to eat on the train, and this one contains dried goods. If you have trouble getting food at school, go to Grandma Xu and Grandpa Su. I’ve already spoken to them.”
Yan Yuan agreed to everything without standing on ceremony.
Su Lang patted him on the shoulder. “Take good care of yourself. Chengzhou is in the capital too, so you two can look out for each other. Come back together for the New Year.”
Yan Yuan no longer had any family. Lin Zhilan and Su Lang had watched him grow up. What Su Lang meant was that the island would always have a place where Yan Yuan could return and reunite with them.
Yan Yuan understood. His voice hoarse, he said, “I know. Thank you, Uncle Su. Thank you, Auntie Lin.”
Linlin and Su Li watched him with worry in their eyes.
Yan Yuan curved his lips into a smile. He was still the same gentle big brother as before. “Linlin, work hard at your studies. Chengzhou and I will be waiting for you in the capital next year. And Li Li, behave yourself and listen to your parents at home.”
Linlin and Su Li agreed. The family accompanied him all the way to the dock before parting ways.
A month later, Yan Yuan sent a package back from the capital. One of the heaviest packages was specifically marked as being for Linlin.
Su Li did not receive one, and he spoke with a trace of sourness. “I even shared a bed with Brother Yuan for so long, but he only sent something to Sister. He didn’t send me anything.”
Linlin opened the package, took out a stack of study materials and notes, and laid them in front of Su Li. “Do you still want something?”
“No… Thank you.”
His Brother Yuan really was the best!
Su Lang remained annoyed after Su Li had called him an old man.
Whenever it was time for Lin Zhilan to apply her facial cream at night, he would come over and sniff her.
Lin Zhilan glared at him. “What are you doing?”
“Does this stuff actually work?”
“Heh.” Lin Zhilan laughed and gave him a haughty, aloof look. She turned her face to the side and held it up for him to inspect. “Take a good look for yourself. Does it work?”
The skin on Lin Zhilan’s face was still firm and smooth, with a warm, porcelain-like whiteness. It was clear, delicate, and flawless.
Su Lang watched his wife’s smug yet charming expression. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he was about to lean in when a loud knock sounded at the door.
Lin Zhilan pushed his face away with one hand. “Go answer the door.”
Su Lang resigned himself to getting up and opening it.
It wasn’t Su Li, but Linlin, her hair loose around her shoulders.
Su Lang quickly forced a smile onto his face. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Dad.” Linlin greeted him, then walked straight around him and went to Lin Zhilan’s side. She wrapped her arms around her mother from behind. “Mom, I’m scared.”
“What happened?” Lin Zhilan gently stroked her daughter’s arm. “Did you have a nightmare?”
“Mm.” Linlin hugged Lin Zhilan tightly. “I want Mom to sleep with me.”
Lin Zhilan’s heart melted at once. She stood up. “Come on. Mom will sleep with you.”
Behind them, Su Lang mouthed, “If you leave, I’ll have nightmares.”
Lin Zhilan shot him an amused sideways glance, then put an arm around her daughter and led her out.
Su Lang watched them enter the room and close the door. He immediately sat down in front of Lin Zhilan’s vanity. Without the slightest hesitation, he scooped up a spoonful of her beauty cream and smeared it all over his face.
He glanced at himself in the mirror.
“Old man… Hmph!”
In the room across the hall, Linlin was curled up in Lin Zhilan’s arms, her eyes closed again.
She held on very tightly, looking completely insecure. Lin Zhilan gently patted her back and asked, “What did you dream about? Why were you so frightened?”
Linlin didn’t answer. She clutched her mother’s arm even harder. “Mom, you have to stay with me forever and ever.”
Lin Zhilan smiled. “That won’t do. When you go to college next year, Mom can’t possibly follow you to school, can she?”
Linlin pouted. “Then you have to stay alive forever and ever. You’re not allowed to die.”
The death of Yan Yuan’s grandfather had still left a shadow in the young girl’s heart.
She loved her mother so, so much that she couldn’t imagine one day losing her.
Lin Zhilan stroked her daughter’s little face. “All right. Mom won’t die. I’ll live long enough to become an old demon and keep you company. How does that sound?”
“Good.” Linlin smiled. If her mother became a demon, that would be wonderful too.
At home, Linlin always showed her childish side. She knew that her parents loved her dearly and would indulge her, and that knowledge gave her confidence.
Her parents liked it when she acted spoiled, and she was happy to do so.
But once she was at school, Linlin became the cool and aloof girl she was known to be.
She had been the top student in her grade for years and was a favorite of all her teachers. There wasn’t a single person in the entire middle school who didn’t know her.
Now it was the final semester, and all the senior students were nervously preparing for their exams.
Linlin always finished the homework assigned by her teachers ahead of time, then worked through the exercises sent from the capital by her second uncle and Yan Yuan.
Sitting toward the back of the classroom, Linlin kept her back perfectly straight. Her black hair was simply tied into a neat ponytail with a hair tie. Her profile was fair and delicate, and the sunlight filtering through the window fell across her face, giving it the soft luster of polished jade.
Whenever the boys passed by her desk, they couldn’t help slowing down, yet none of them dared to speak to her.
The girls envied her intelligence and beauty, but they couldn’t help keeping their distance.
In truth, Linlin was not aloof. But when a girl was outstanding to such an extreme degree, the people around her would automatically keep their distance.
