Chapter 13 : Interlude: Their Parting Ways

“Seriously! Do you have to eat instant noodles right in front of me?!”

“Mu Ziqing, we’ve got a P.E. test this afternoon. Don’t push yourself.”

Punching the sharp-tongued guy, Ye Qingshu huffed and stuffed her burnt beef into her mouth.

…Bitter.

Drooping her head sadly, she let out a long sigh.

“It’s all because Yushu was making a fuss beside me. I forgot to turn off the heat.”

“Don’t blame Yushu for your own mistake.”

Hmph!

Punching Zhu Hanqi even harder than before, Ye Qingshu turned her face away as he whined, “Why’s this one even worse?!”

She was the one who dragged him into her home, but soon enough, both her mom and Yushu liked Zhu Hanqi even more than her.

Whether it was the sincere, shy boy from their childhood or the one who gradually shielded himself with self-deprecation and dark humor, in her mom’s eyes, he was the “son” she’d watched grow up—resilient yet fragile.

As for Yushu, who used to toddle after her calling “Where’s big sister?” now her most frequent question was, “Didn’t Hanqi-ge come with you?”

To that kid, compared to the overly mature Mu Ziqing or her scatterbrained sister, Zhu Hanqi was probably both a brother and the father she’d never met.

Though this childish admiration made Ye Qingshu feel a bit complicated.

Mostly because Zhu Hanqi always favored Yushu!

“Stop eating. It’s really inedible.”

Zhu Hanqi reached out, gesturing for her to hand over the lunchbox.

“Mind your own business. I made it, I’ll eat it. No wasting. Hmph.”

Ye Qingshu grumbled.

“You two have no appreciation. Countless guys in our class—no, our school—would kill to eat my cooking! You’re totally clueless about your blessings!”

After entering middle school—or really, even in late elementary—things weren’t like childhood anymore, where everyone played together without hierarchy.

Family background, looks, grades, talents… Kids barely stepping into puberty quickly learned the adult world’s way of sorting people.

As a strikingly beautiful girl, Ye Qingshu, even without paying much attention, naturally knew she was at the top of the girls’ pyramid.

This fed the vanity that swelled with the onset of puberty, bringing her immense satisfaction.

Whenever this topic came up, Mu Ziqing, also at the top, would smile silently, while Zhu Hanqi would mutter a quip.

“They want your food, sure, but not to be your lab rat.”

“Dumb Hanqi! What’d you say?!”

Pinching Zhu Hanqi’s arm, she watched him dodge and beg for mercy.

Ye Qingshu thought this life would carry on through middle school.

Until that P.E. class.

“—Wow, it’s second-year Yang Xinwei!”

“That jump shot was so cool! He’s good at everything, right?”

“Yeah, I heard he plays tennis too! A sport our class boys probably don’t even know the rules for~ That’s, like, an aristocratic sport~”

“Ugh, why are all the hot guys in other classes? Our class is full of duds.”

“Mu Ziqing’s okay, though. He’s got potential—probably gonna be a heartthrob later~”

“Isn’t he super close with Ye Qingshu? Her childhood friend? No chance for us…”

Zhu Hanqi, that idiot, can’t even catch that ball.

Ignoring the girls’ chatter, Ye Qingshu kept sneaking glances at Zhu Hanqi’s badminton game.

Idiot, another missed serve. She smirked to herself.

Dumb, dumb Hanqi~

She’d tease him after school.

Until she heard her name in the girls’ talk, snapping her back to reality.

“…What? Why’re we talking about me?”

“We’re jealous! You’ve got such a cute face and the only decent guy in class as your childhood friend.”

“Zhu…” About to blurt his name, Ye Qingshu caught herself, realizing they meant someone else. “Mu Ziqing? Oh, he’s just a bookworm.”

“Ugh, that carefree tone is so annoying! Damn you, you oblivious little princess!!”

Though the other girls “attacked” her, Ye Qingshu beamed. Their playful jealousy made her smug.

“You’re Ye Qingshu, right? I’ve heard of you.”

A male voice from behind silenced the giggling girls, followed by exaggerated squeals.

“Eek!! Yang-Yang Xinwei-senpai!!”

“Haha, hey there.”

The boy called Yang Xinwei waved casually at the girls, then looked at Ye Qingshu with intense eyes.

“I heard you’re good at sports. Some of my second-year friends are starting a tennis group, and we’ve registered it with the school—but there aren’t many here who play.”

“I think you’d be great. Wanna come try it out?”

“Uh… I don’t really know much about it…”

The girls’ burning stares, which she’d enjoyed moments ago, now felt stifling.

Ye Qingshu gave a forced smile, but the boy didn’t back off, speaking gently.

“No one knows at first. You’ll get into it. Your physique and form are perfect for tennis. Give it a shot?”

“Dumb Qingshu! This is Yang Xinwei-senpai’s invite! You know he turned down that ballet girl from Class 1 who begged him to teach her? Why’re you spacing out?!”

“Yeah, and his friends are, like, the hottest, smartest people in school!”

“Go, go, go—for us, please!!”

Ye Qingshu sighed softly.

“Seriously…”

A shuttlecock landed by her feet.

“…Huh?”

“Big Dummy Shu! Pick it up and toss it back!”

Turning, she saw Zhu Hanqi waving at their group.

“Speaking of, isn’t Zhu Hanqi her childhood friend too?”

“Oh, that unlucky guy whose parents both passed away?”

“Yeah, our teacher once grilled him about why no one came to parent-teacher meetings until the homeroom teacher stepped in to explain.”

“Kinda harsh, but isn’t he, like, the only name on his family registry?”

“Wow, he seems close with Ye Qingshu too, right? Didn’t her mom pick up his stuff at that parent-teacher meeting?”

The surrounding chatter reached the girl’s ears clearly.

No, that’s not it!

Me and him! We’re just—

Zhu Hanqi, he’s not—

What shook her resolve the most was Yang Xinwei’s half-smirking expression and his puzzled question.

“You’re friends with a guy like him too?”

…

So Ye Qingshu glanced at the lone shuttlecock on the ground.

It had fallen from the air, its feathers too broken to fly.

She looked at Zhu Hanqi.

Over the years, that once-sincere, pure boy had learned to shield himself with self-deprecating jokes and dark humor, facing malice with a carefree attitude.

But his eyes, looking at her, were still as pure as ever.

He tilted his head, his expression shifting from confusion to panic.

Like a child abandoned in the rain.

“Ye Qingshu…?”

Perhaps sensing something off with his childhood friend, he didn’t use their usual nickname but called her full name.

Turning away, Ye Qingshu ignored the fallen shuttlecock and the bewildered boy.

“He’s just someone I’ve known since we were kids because we live next door.”

Lowering her head, she answered the senior’s question and left with the group.