Wen Yu watched Fu Yuhan enter that house.
He walked around the small building in a circle, and when passing by a certain window, he saw Zhou Xiangyan’s shadow.
He raised an eyebrow.
No wonder Fu Yuhan had reacted that way on the bus. This person…
Wen Yu didn’t know his name and could only judge from the color of the shoulder line on his school uniform that he was a new first-year student at Third High.
The good news was that Zhou Xiangyan looked decent. Good-looking people always had a stronger presence among new students. Wen Yu planned to inquire about him at school the next day.
Just as he was about to walk around some more, his phone suddenly rang. He answered: “Hello?”
“Hello? Third.” The voice on the other end was noisy, and the speaker had an unusually loud voice. “Come play tonight, there’s an activity.”
Wen Yu took two steps to the side, avoiding the window area. His gaze remained fixed on that small building as he smiled slightly: “Didn’t you say this year you’d let me focus on college entrance exams and wouldn’t call me to play?”
“Hey, isn’t it because Qiangzi came back? The brothers have to give him a welcome party, right?” the other side said. “Anyway, you have to come tonight! It’s settled—bro’s treating, same old place. The boss said there’s ‘good stuff’ recently.”
“No matter how good it is, I can’t hook up.” Wen Yu laughed. “I’m chasing someone, bro. Having a one-night stand would be too undignified.”
“You’ve been chasing that person for two years and still haven’t gotten them? You should let yourself get some action, then you’d know what it means that once you get to home base, they’re yours.”
Wen Yu just smiled without speaking.
The person on the other end said some more random things, and he responded to each one. After a 20-minute call, when he hung up, Wen Yu looked at the small building and sighed.
Indeed, people shouldn’t do bad things.
Every night at home with nothing to do, but as soon as he started stalking someone, people called him out. This was probably heaven condemning him.
To go out and play, he’d at least need to go home and change clothes. Wen Yu looked at the time and had to leave.
–
Zhou Ruoyan changed into house slippers at the entrance and walked in, smiling when she saw him: “Xiao Han? You’re here.”
“Hello, Auntie.” Fu Yuhan nodded to her.
“Want some fruit? I bought some watermelon.”
“No thanks,” Fu Yuhan glanced at Fu Xuecheng, “I should head back soon.”
“Leaving so soon? Won’t you stay for dinner?”
“Mm, I just came to discuss something.” Fu Yuhan lowered his eyes.
Although the decoration style inside was familiar, once Zhou Ruoyan arrived, that sense of “this isn’t my home” suddenly became very strong.
“What is it?” Zhou Ruoyan went to the kitchen to wash her hands, then sat down at the table and said to Fu Xuecheng, “Xiao Han came last week too, but when I asked what it was about, he wouldn’t say.”
“He’s a senior now, right? He wants to take the art student exam.” Fu Xuecheng said, “We were just talking about studying abroad.”
Zhou Ruoyan was stunned: “Studying art abroad would cost quite a bit, wouldn’t it? Isn’t the company…”
“Hey, the child is still here, why bring that up?”
Fu Yuhan lifted his eyelids, pressed his lips together, and asked: “Is there some difficulty?”
“You’re old enough now, I won’t hide it from you.” Zhou Ruoyan was straightforward and said directly, “Your father’s company has had some cash flow problems recently, and we’re still trying to figure out a solution. If you want to study abroad, he’ll need to see if there are enough savings.”
“…I don’t necessarily have to go, I’m just considering it.”
The year his parents separated, Fu Yuhan was still young. Compared to his father who worked away from home year-round, he was more familiar with his mother, so he chose his mother in court.
Perhaps due to some guilt, or pride, or other reasons, he rarely came to bother his father over the years, especially after Fu Xuecheng remarried.
This time, coming to ask for money for art training classes had already taken him two weeks of psychological preparation. Having his father’s difficulties bluntly exposed by his stepmother, Fu Yuhan suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of shame.
His father was actually very good to him, but he always seemed to be doing things that wronged him.
He shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have brought this up.
“Anyway, I’ll go back and ask my mom first… about what you just mentioned.” Fu Yuhan stood up and glanced at Fu Xuecheng. “Then I’ll… I’ll head back today. Goodbye, Dad. Auntie, also… goodbye.”
“At least stay for dinner.” Zhou Ruoyan was still trying to keep him.
“No need.” Fu Yuhan shook his head. “I need to go home and study.”
If Wen Yu heard this, he’d definitely mock him for such a low-level excuse. Unfortunately, Fu Yuhan’s mind was too chaotic at the time to think of a better excuse.
Fortunately, his father wasn’t clear about his situation at school.
Fu Yuhan practically fled in panic.
It wasn’t until he reached the intersection that his large, hurried steps slowed down and gradually stopped.
The green light turned red. Fu Yuhan stood at the intersection, lost in thought.
His father had encountered some trouble, financially.
At this time, asking him for a large sum seemed inappropriate.
But asking He Yan… Fu Yuhan frowned.
Not to mention that household expenses had always been high due to his sister’s illness, but He Yan was the type of person who would sell his old paintings as waste… would she really agree to let him attend art classes?
Asking parents really made one feel cornered.
It might be better to rely on himself.
The red light went out, the green light came on. By the time he crossed this intersection, Fu Yuhan had already opened a job search website on his phone and started looking for part-time work.
–
Once the person left, Fu Xuecheng frowned: “Why did you have to tell the child all that? The child wants to study—would I really be so stingy as to not give a penny?”
“If the child wants tutoring or to buy practice books, I absolutely wouldn’t object.” Zhou Ruoyan looked at him and sighed. “You might not know this, but many high school students nowadays don’t study properly at school, and when it’s time for college, they rely on family connections to send them abroad, thinking they can easily get a diploma. Little do they know it’s even harder to get by once they’re out there than when they were domestic. Of course, I’m not saying Xiao Han is bad, but the fact is you really don’t understand him, do you? Why did he suddenly propose learning art in his senior year—is it genuine interest or avoiding the college entrance exam? Have you looked into any of this?”
“I just chatted with him about some things.” Fu Xuecheng said.
“Alright, assuming he genuinely likes it.” Zhou Ruoyan asked back, “Xuecheng, you haven’t given He Yan less money each year. Third High’s tuition isn’t expensive at all. When Xiao Han first came, I noticed the shoes by the door weren’t even half as expensive as Xiangyan’s shoes, and those are boys’ shoes… Where do you think He Yan spent the money?”
“I asked about that too.” Mentioning this, Fu Xuecheng’s expression wasn’t good. “Xiao Han probably doesn’t know.”
“The college entrance exam is a major life event.” Zhou Ruoyan looked at him. “I think you need to arrange to meet with He Yan and talk.”
“You don’t object?”
“I said, for the child’s sake, I don’t object. But—” she changed her tone, “I hope you can also consider me and Xiangyan, and our child.”
“…”
Fu Xuecheng frowned: “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Zhou Ruoyan said, “I’m pregnant.”
–
Part-time jobs weren’t easy to find. Nine out of ten listings on local job websites were scams, and the remaining one was “seeking typists.”
Fu Yuhan had tried looking before. The only reliable job was working at the art supply store owner’s place. But the art supply store needed someone to work weekday daytime shifts, and he didn’t have the time, so he had to give up.
He browsed the job website all the way home, but by the time he got back, he still hadn’t found a single job other than typist positions.
Although this was somewhat expected… Fu Yuhan was a bit disappointed as he took out his keys to open the door.
“I’m back…”
Fu Yuhan’s voice caught in his throat—He Yan had just come out of his sister’s room and made a shushing gesture at him.
“Quiet! Xiaolu just fell asleep.”
“Why is she sleeping at this hour?” Fu Yuhan glanced at the wall clock, which showed 17:52.
“Your third aunt and her son came over this afternoon.” He Yan said. “Her son is about the same age as Xiaolu, so he played with her for a while. You know your sister’s condition… she doesn’t have many friends to play with, and she accidentally got too tired.”
“Third aunt’s… son?” Fu Yuhan dug up some unpleasant memories, “You mean that little brat who came four years ago and took away a pair of my shoes?”
“Those shoes didn’t fit you anymore anyway, so what’s wrong with giving them to your little brother?” He Yan said. “Calling him a little brat—you’re just petty.”
Whether they fit or not, those were shoes Fu Xuecheng had bought him as a child. Fu Yuhan had kept them as a memento, but they were snatched away by a spoiled kid.
A pair of old shoes he couldn’t wear—he couldn’t even say the word “memento” out loud because it felt pretentious. As a result, he hadn’t seen those shoes for four years.
And this was considered him being petty. He suspected his mother had brain problems.
Fu Yuhan held back his anger as he entered his room, put down his bag, and sat in his chair in a daze.
However, when his gaze swept across the bookshelf, he shot up with a “whoosh.”
“Mom???” Fu Yuhan ran out of his room. “Did that little brat take my Gundam model?”
“What model?” He Yan didn’t understand.
“The plastic figure I had on my bookshelf.”
“That Transformer?” He Yan nodded. “Your little brother said he liked it, so I let him take it home.”
Fu Yuhan: “…”
“Why are you making such an ugly face? It’s just a toy. How old are you now? Besides, it’s not worth much money.” He Yan patted him. “Alright, come help with cooking since you’re free.”
Damn.
Cook my ass.
Fu Yuhan’s face darkened as he went back to his room, stuffed his keys, change, phone, and charger into his bag, then opened his closet to grab two t-shirts and stuff them in before striding toward the door.
“Fu Yuhan, where are you going? Are you eating dinner or not!” He Yan rushed to the doorway and shouted loudly.
“Not eating!” Fu Yuhan was so angry he was full.
Third aunt’s family lived quite far away. Normally, Fu Yuhan would have taken a taxi long ago. But having just looked through a bunch of part-time jobs with no results today, the little money left in his pocket suddenly seemed precious.
He grudgingly got on a bus and got himself stuck like a bomb during rush hour.
Then he went to third aunt’s house and exploded.
Third aunt was He Yan’s younger sister who liked to take advantage of small benefits, and her son was the same way.
Fu Yuhan’s room had many things his father had bought him before his parents divorced. Fu Xuecheng was wealthy and never shortchanged his son materially back then.
Some things were already out of production, like that Gundam.
This wasn’t the first time the little brat had taken things from Fu Yuhan’s room. Both third aunt and his mother He Yan spoiled the child, but Fu Yuhan didn’t want to indulge him.
Moreover, that Gundam—being out of production was one thing, but another was that the current Fu Yuhan could no longer afford new Gundam models. Having such a precious item taken away nearly drove Fu Yuhan crazy.
And his remaining sanity completely snapped when he saw his cousin had broken the Gundam.
##
