“I’m not Chen Yuan…”

Chen Yuan pinched the clip on his mask, covering himself even more tightly.

“Chen Yuan, what’s wrong? Do you have some unspeakable secret?”

Li Wei looked at Chen Yuan, completely puzzled as to why he wouldn't admit it.

“I really am not Chen Yuan…”

Chen Yuan thought it might be because of the school uniform he was wearing, so he argued, “You probably think I'm Chen Yuan because I'm wearing Eleventh High School's uniform and I look a bit like him. But, I'm really not.”

“…” Li Wei looked at the person in front of her, and no matter how she examined him, this person was Chen Yuan. But he stubbornly refused to admit it, so she asked, "That Chen Yuan... I mean, the student who isn't Chen Yuan, why are you here?"

"Just taking a walk. I used to come here often."

Chen Yuan wasn’t wrong about that. He had come here a few times before he met Xin Yu.

“Indeed, the scenery here is quite good, and it's quiet,” Li Wei nodded in agreement.

“Then, are you here to relax too?” Chen Yuan asked, concerned.

“Originally, I was here to relax, but now…” Looking at herself, drenched, Li Wei smiled. “No matter what, thank you anyway. Although it was a misunderstanding, your heart was in the right place, Chen Yuan.”

“Although I’m not Chen Yuan, you’re welcome.”

Li Wei: “…”

What a hard mouth.

Isn't this the face of the guy who did push-ups in front of the whole school that day?

Your picture's on the wall of fame too.

You even went up on stage when the police came to the school to give a safety lecture.

How could you possibly have the delusion that someone from Eleventh High wouldn't recognize you?

So, even a genius like this can be so naive.

“Alright, I’m leaving,” Chen Yuan said, planning to leave.

“I’m leaving too,” Li Wei waved.

However, just as the two were about to part ways, Chen Yuan saw Li Wei shivering in the cold wind, her teeth chattering, and asked, “How far is your home from here?”

“Maybe ten minutes' walk.”

“Then, why don’t you take a taxi? Otherwise, you’ll definitely catch a cold.”

“… Ah, it’s okay.”

Li Wei smiled politely and declined.

Then, she walked towards the side of the road.

At that moment, Chen Yuan suddenly noticed a crucial point.

Why would she wear her school uniform even when she wasn't going to school?

If you're not going to school, shouldn't you wear whatever's comfortable?

Chen Yuan seemed to understand why she didn't want to take a taxi.

He, too, had become a little bourgeois, ignorant of the people's suffering.

So, he walked straight over and stopped Li Wei. “I’m calling a taxi. Come with me, I’ll give you a ride back.”

“Really, it’s not necessary. I can just walk back…”

“It’s the same price whether I take one person or two,” Chen Yuan said.

And Li Wei thought, that was indeed the case.

Besides, if she walked back, the cold wind would blow for those ten minutes, and she would definitely catch a cold.

Taking medicine and getting injections after catching a cold would be more expensive than taking a taxi.

“Alright then, thank you, Chen… not Yuan,” Li Wei said.

Chen Bu Yuan had even come out. (Bu means not).

That was just Chen Fang.

And so, the two waited for a taxi by the side of the road.

Just then, a gust of wind blew over, brushing against Li Wei's wet school pants, making her feel like an ice popsicle, stiff and unyielding.

This kind of penetrating magical attack was much more powerful than ordinary cold wind.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan took off his school uniform and handed it over.

“…Thank you.”

Logically speaking, Li Wei should refuse.

But it was too cold, and she really couldn't bear it.

So, after taking the clothes, she tied them around her waist, covering her lower body.

That made her feel a little better.

Then, she looked at Chen Yuan, who was wearing a shirt and a wool sweater.

“Do I look younger now?”

Chen Yuan, looking at the road and preparing to hail a taxi, asked casually.

“Huh? Why do you say that?” Li Wei asked, puzzled.

“I’m freezing like an old man, so I’m definitely younger.” (The word “sunzi” can mean both grandson and a shivering old man).

“…” Li Wei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. Chen Yuan had a sense of humor.

Fortunately, the taxi finally came.

Then, Chen Yuan quickly raised his hand.

And so, the taxi stopped, Chen Yuan got into the passenger seat, and Li Wei sat in the back.

Just like the rumors said, he knew how to keep his distance.

Although he was very popular with girls, he never had any scandals with them.

This was different from the campus heartthrobs of other schools.

A very serious person.

Aside from scaring herself into falling into the water, he definitely did a good deed today.

Even if this good deed had the suspicion of being a staged event…

A while later, the taxi arrived at her apartment building.

“I’m here,” Li Wei said.

“Okay, pull over for a second,” Chen Yuan said to the driver.

Then, Li Wei untied the school uniform from around her waist, but as she prepared to give it to Chen Yuan, she realized that because she was soaking wet, Chen Yuan's uniform was also completely saturated.

Wearing it would definitely be very cold.

“Is your home… ahead?” Li Wei asked as the taxi pulled over.

“Ah… I have to turn around,” Chen Yuan said.

“Ah? Isn’t that the opposite direction?”

There was no such thing as giving someone a ride when it was in the opposite direction.

“It’s okay, give me the clothes,” Chen Yuan reached out his hand.

“Since it’s the opposite direction, why don’t you just get out here?” Li Wei asked hesitantly, holding the clothes.

“Alright, thanks for the ride,” Chen Yuan said to the driver.

Chen Yuan thought Li Wei had something to say, so he didn’t refuse.

The two got out of the car in front of a row of old apartment buildings.

“I was thinking that if it takes you a long time to get back, I could wait a bit and dry your clothes for you, and give them to you later.”

Chen Yuan was already frozen, and he couldn't wear the clothes in that condition. He would probably catch a cold.

That's what Li Wei thought.

“Alright, thanks,” Chen Yuan said with a smile.

“Then why don’t you…” Saying this, she looked back at the dilapidated apartment building, and then stopped talking.

“It’s okay, I’ll just stay here,” Chen Yuan said.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” With that, Li Wei took the clothes and entered the dark stairwell of the apartment building, then went up to the third floor on the clanging iron stairs.

She opened the door to a very narrow studio apartment. The room was dimly lit, and the first thing you saw was a double bed and a hard desk next to the bed, with piles of materials underneath.

The semi-open kitchen and a bathroom with a glass door facing the bed were all very close together, with no sense of layout at all.

Li Wei changed her clothes, turned on a small electric heater, and held Chen Yuan's clothes over it, slowly warming them up.

After a few minutes, only a sleeve was dry.

So, she put down the clothes and went to the window, looking down. She found that Chen Yuan looked a little younger again.

Wearing only a sweater in this weather was indeed…

A bit foolish.

But that wasn't Li Wei's opinion. It was how people who passed by Chen Yuan were looking at him.

And he was probably a little shy, almost pulling his mask up to cover his whole face…

No wonder he didn't want to admit he was Chen Yuan; he was so concerned about his image.

He probably thought it was embarrassing to be scared into the water earlier.

Looking at the surprisingly simple Chen Yuan, Li Wei wanted to wave him up, but then she looked back at her humble abode…

After hesitating, she shouted to Chen Yuan, "Chen… not Yuan, come on up."

At that moment, Chen Yuan looked up and waved his hand. "It's okay, just shake the clothes down when you've dried them."

“It'll take a long time, come upstairs and warm up!” Li Wei shouted.

And probably because he was really freezing, Chen Yuan didn't refuse any further and went upstairs.

Li Wei stood at the door in advance, and after he came upstairs, she led Chen Yuan in.

And at the moment he entered the door, she observed his expression…

However, his expression didn't change at all. After entering, he sat directly on a small stool, put his hands on the small heater to warm up, and complained, "The people here are quite enthusiastic; they're all looking at me."

“It’s hard not to pay attention to someone shivering in the cold wind in a single sweater in the middle of winter.”

And it was even more curious because the person doing this was a handsome young man.

While Chen Yuan was warming himself up, he also activated his Heart's Voice.

There wasn't much information, but he roughly understood that she was slightly embarrassed for her own distressed appearance.

But fortunately, his reaction made her feel a little more comfortable.

It was a studio apartment, which looked like it could only accommodate two people, and there were some old people's clothes and belongings inside.

So, Chen Yuan judged that she lived with her grandmother.

Then where were her parents?

It seemed he hadn't guessed wrong; the thought of jumping into the river was caused by family problems.

Wait, she didn't want to jump into the river?

Shut up you Chen Yuan hater, she was saved by me!

“You live so far away, why were you by the river at this hour? Didn't you go to school?” Chen Yuan asked curiously.

“Ah, I haven’t been to school for a few days,” Li Wei said.

“Then when are you going?”

“Hmm…” Li Wei casually said while helping Chen Yuan dry his clothes, “Tomorrow, I guess.”

“Tomorrow is Sunday.”

“Oh, Sunday… I’ve kind of lost track of time… Then the day after tomorrow,” Li Wei said with a smile.

“Do you live at school or commute?” Chen Yuan asked.

“I commute.”

Living at school was definitely more convenient, but the dormitory fee was a thousand yuan per semester, which was two thousand a year.

If she lived with her grandmother, she could save that money.

Plus, living with her grandmother would make it easier to take care of her…

No, there was actually no other reason. The embarrassing and realistic reason was just money.

In fact, the school knew about her situation, so at the time of enrollment, they directly waived three years of tuition and miscellaneous fees.

Eleventh High School was still very humane.

At that time, she was still unknown and showed no potential to reach the You Zi line (elite student).

If it were now, she could go to Principal He Hongtao, and probably even the accommodation and food expenses would be waived, because she had a certain chance to win a Hua Qing Ji Bei (elite university) place for the school.

But…

She didn’t know how to say these things.

In addition, she was completely unfamiliar with Principal He Hongtao and had never spoken to him once, so she didn't know what kind of person he was.

Therefore, she was thinking of just enduring it.

She’d talk about it when she couldn't endure it anymore.

Now that she thought about it, her grandmother was truly great.

Raising her by collecting scraps, making sure she had a hot meal every day, with oil and meat in the dishes so she wouldn't be malnourished, and even finding money to buy her so many learning materials.

And because she had someone she wanted to repay, she studied extra hard, even though her talent wasn't that strong. She just wanted to get into the best university, earn a lot of money, and give her grandmother a good life.

But now, it seemed that a certain line had been broken.

Her tense nerves had relaxed.

She had actually done this after not looking at a book for five days.

Too decadent.

She heard that only college students did this.

“Then what will you do after your grandmother is gone?” Chen Yuan suddenly asked.

“… How did you know?” Li Wei was a little surprised.

How did he know?

Also, did he know who she was?

“I’m good friends with 47 and the others, so I asked a bit.”

“47… Hu Siqi ah.” Saying this, Li Wei looked at Chen Yuan and asked nervously, “Why did you ask her that?”

Could it be that he was looking for her because of this, and that she was saved was not a coincidence?

But, why?

Why would someone like Chen Yuan look for her?

It was surprising enough that he even recognized her.

Chen Yuan thought about it and explained, “Because I ran into you, so I asked casually. It’s mainly about the promotional video; I still have a scene to film with you. It's not troublesome, but that cameraman is always taking up my free time, which is affecting my studies.”

“I see.”

Li Wei understood and then asked, “But the person filming the promotional video with me is Chen Yuan.”

“…”

Chen Yuan slowly took off his mask, put it in his pocket, and revealed, “You guessed it, I am Chen Yuan.”

Li Wei: “…”

The least suspenseful episode.

“But I really did run into you by chance today, and then I recognized you as that Li Wei on the wall of fame,” Chen Yuan said frankly, since things had already gone this far.

“Ah, is that so…”

Li Wei understood when he said that.

But, it was still a bit unexpected.

She, Li Wei, was remembered by that Chen Yuan.

“Actually, if you tell He Hongtao about your situation, the school will definitely help you,” Chen Yuan said.

“The school knows my situation, and my homeroom teacher knew when my grandmother passed away. Since they didn't talk to me about it proactively, the school should have its own considerations…” Li Wei said.

“You have to ask proactively, you can’t wait passively. I asked proactively and got what I wanted.”

“Ah? What did you proactively ask for?” Li Wei asked curiously.

“From now until graduation, and even tuition fees for university, and it includes my girlfriend’s as well. The school said they would pay for it,” Chen Yuan said.

“They’re even covering your girlfriend’s?” Li Wei was shocked.

“When you get to this level of achievement, you have a bit of privilege,” Chen Yuan said.

“Can I pretend I have a boyfriend, and then get double the amount?” Li Wei asked seriously.

“…” Chen Yuan was stumped by this question. “You’re more greedy than I thought.”

Then, Li Wei smiled and handed the dried clothes to Chen Yuan. "I was just kidding. I'm already grateful to have my share."

“Then come find me on Monday, and I’ll take you to see He Hongtao.” When Chen Yuan saw Li Wei, he thought of another girl who was very similar – Xin Yu.

Therefore, he really wanted to help her.

He would feel better if she were better off.

“Okay, thank you.”

Li Wei nodded shallowly with gratitude, and then hugged her legs, buried her head in her knees, and after a long time, said somewhat dejectedly, "How can the difference between men be so great?"

“Why are you sighing like that?”

After Chen Yuan asked, Li Wei bit her lip, stared at the light of the electric heater, and murmured, "The first time you met me, you were willing to help me find the school to get money. I haven't seen my dad in years, and when he came back after grandma died, he didn't even say a few words to me before leaving, and he even took grandma's savings book."

“Your dad is really not a…”

Chen Yuan couldn't help but say halfway through, pursed his lips, lowered his head, thought for a moment, and comforted, "With our grades, the income after graduation should be pretty good. The darkness before dawn will eventually slowly dissipate."

“Yeah, it'll be good once we get through it,” Li Wei also encouraged herself.

She knew that the future would be good.

But at this moment, she still couldn't help but feel dejected.

Especially since a family member who had always been there and would never abandon her like them was gone, she couldn't even imagine who she would share her achievements with in the future.

Think positive Li Wei, if you get better, those two relatives, the so-called ‘parents,’ might come back to your side.

Then I’ll have parents again, right?

Heh.

Li Wei didn't know what to do.

A gloomy past, a difficult present, a future with no expectations…

It seemed like she wouldn't be happy in any timeline.

But she felt even more sorry for her grandmother, whose life was much harder than her own, and who hadn't even lived the good life she wanted her to have.

If only she had known, when her grandmother wanted to celebrate her birthday, she shouldn't have said no to the cake and delicious food to save money.

That way, at least her grandmother would have had many happy memories in her life.

Instead of like this now.

The world really was a hell.

“Then, besides that savings book that your dad took, didn't your grandmother leave you anything else?” Chen Yuan asked, concerned.

“Grandma died of overwork. When I came back, she had already stopped breathing. I don't know what she left…”

Li Wei judged because she found a few hundred yuan in cash at home. “And since grandma collected scraps, she probably didn’t save much money.”

That’s what she said, but Chen Yuan, after listening to the Heart’s Voice, felt that those few hundred yuan were definitely not enough for Li Wei to live on.

Perhaps, the old lady had some other savings.

Thinking this, Chen Yuan activated Item Finding Superpower.

Looking for the item: One hundred yuan banknote.

Then, above the bed board, in an iron box, there was a roll of glowing banknotes…

“I think old people like to put things under the quilt; maybe you can look there.”

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, he prepared to get up and leave.

At that moment, Li Wei got up as if she suddenly thought of something and lifted the quilt, preparing to lift the thin mattress…

Because she was having some difficulty lifting it, Chen Yuan asked, “Do you want me to help?”

“I saw grandma move the mattress before. I said I’d help, but she said no, so I didn’t move it.”

Li Wei said to herself, then looked at Chen Yuan.

And Chen Yuan nodded and helped her move it together.

And so, they really found an iron biscuit tin underneath.

Fortunately, Grandma hid it well, otherwise, it would have been taken away by her dad.

After getting the iron box, Li Wei opened it, and then saw a roll of crumpled red banknotes, about two or three thousand yuan, tied with a rubber band.

And next to the banknotes, there was a rather delicate red medium-sized drawstring bag.

Looking at it, Li Wei picked up her grandmother's keepsake with a trembling right hand.

Slowly, she opened the bag and poured the contents into the iron box.

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

One by one, golden good-luck beads fell into the iron box, making a crisp sound.

There were eight in total, falling into the biscuit tin.

Then, there was also a roll of invoices tied with a rubber band, which fell out of the bag and lay quietly in the iron box.

Chen Yuan was very curious, but Li Wei, with a blank expression, leaned against the bed, sitting on the cold floor.

So, he picked up the roll of invoices and took off the rubber band.

1.01g of solid gold good luck bead, gold price 256 yuan/g, processing fee 23 yuan.

This should be the gold price from eight or nine years ago; it was really cheap.

Gold was still a safe investment.

Then, Chen Yuan continued to look.

He found that each year, each invoice represented a good luck bead, and the years were all different.

So…

Thinking this, Chen Yuan carefully observed the dates.

All the good luck beads…

The dates were all December 5th.

“Is your birthday…”

Just as Chen Yuan raised his head to ask, he saw Li Wei sitting on the cold floor, biting her lip with grievance, her eyes all red, like a stingy child, unwilling to share her toys with anyone, tightly hugging the iron box in her arms…

(End of this chapter)