Chapter 5: Brushing Past You, Yet Never Meeting

The spring breeze brushed past, causing the leaves on the campus trees to dance. Flowers in the small garden were in full bloom, casting their fragrance into the air, while birds chirped as if eager to join the students in their lessons.

"Sheng Yan, are you going to play ball this weekend?"

Sheng Yan shook his head. "Not this time. I have to pick up my sister and brother tomorrow. Let's schedule a game another time, Jiang You."

The boy named Jiang You sighed. "Alright, looks like I'll be stuck at home tomorrow."

Boys walked with their arms around each other's shoulders, chatting about games, while girls strolled hand-in-hand, discussing celebrities and the protagonists of their novels. The sunlight washed over them, warming their hearts.

Sheng Yan and Jiang You arrived at the municipal library. An elderly man with hair as white as frost, wearing spectacles and simple attire, called out to Sheng Yan in a raspy voice.

"Little Yan, you're here. Not going home for dinner today?"

Sheng Yan nodded. "I'm going home for dinner, Grandpa Xia. I'll just help you organize the books for a while first."

Grandpa Xia kept praising him for being such a good boy.

The boys, dressed in their blue and white school uniforms, wove between the bookshelves. The library closed at six, and by the time they finished organizing, it was already 5:30.

"Goodbye, Grandpa Xia, we’re heading home!"

Standing at the bottom of the steps, they waved to the old man before setting off on their way home. The sunset glow spilled across the road. It was the height of evening rush hour, and after standing at the entrance for a while, they couldn't hail a taxi.

"Sheng Yan, we can't get a cab. Should I call my driver?"

Sheng Yan thought for a moment. "That works, but he’ll probably get stuck in traffic on the way here."

Jiang You sighed. "Forget it. Let’s hang out at the mall for a bit. Help me pick out two gifts for Minmin and Jia Yu."

"Sure, but you'll have to give them the gifts yourself. They aren't arriving at the airport until this afternoon; you can come with me to pick them up."

Sheng Yan draped an arm over Jiang You’s shoulder, using his other hand to search for the nearest mall on his phone.

"There's one ten minutes away. Shall we walk?"

"Let's go!"

The boys walked along the sunset-drenched road, discussing what would make suitable gifts.

"Do Minmin and Jia Yu still like the same things?"

Sheng Yan nodded. "Yes, though my sister has been into BJD dolls lately."

Sheng Minmin was the only girl of her generation in the family, the little princess favored by all the Sheng elders. Yet, she wasn't spoiled or arrogant, unlike other wealthy heiresses. She tended to lose interest in things quickly, with the sole exception of painting, which she had stuck with since childhood. This trip back home marked the end of her studies, and she was preparing to hold an art exhibition.

Sheng Jia Yu shared Sheng Yan’s love for musical instruments, but as the eldest son, he couldn't simply chase his dreams. He was destined to inherit the family business, and this return was specifically to take over the Sheng Group.

"Sheng Yan, what are you planning to buy?"

"Art supplies for my sister, and a drum kit for my brother."

"Then I’ll buy a BJD doll and a bass guitar!"

Sheng Yan glanced at his navigation. "We're here. Let's go in."

Before them stood a four-story mall that had recently opened in City A. It was compact but comprehensive, much like a local version of Yiwu. Most musical instrument shops were on the first floor, as some gear was difficult to transport upstairs.

"Sheng Yan, what color bass do you think I should get?"

"Dark blue or black. My brother would definitely like those."

Sheng Yan didn't look up, his eyes fixed on a message on his phone.

Jiang You noticed this and asked, "Chatting with her?"

Sheng Yan gave a soft "mm" and tucked his phone into his pocket.

The "she" in Jiang You’s words was Sheng Yan’s childhood sweetheart, Su Zhanying, a girl plagued by poor health. She had been born with a congenital heart condition and had moved to Europe for treatment four years ago. They were childhood sweethearts, and Sheng Yan’s feelings for her were no secret in their circle, though the girl herself seemed oblivious.

"Jiang You, I have a bad feeling about something."

Sheng Yan had noticed that the tone of his recent chats with Su Zhanying felt strange. Her voice didn't sound like her; it lacked her usual cheerfulness and seemed somewhat lifeless lately.

Jiang You rested his right hand on Sheng Yan’s shoulder, joking, "You’re not worried about your exam results, are you? Don't stress, you’re the academic prodigy of Chongde Academy."

Sheng Yan laughed. "Let's go. Are we still buying gifts or not?"

By the time they finished shopping, the rush hour had passed. They called a driver to pick them up. Their homes were right next to each other, so once they returned and finished dinner, they met in Sheng Yan’s study to wrap the gifts.

Jiang You lay on the floor in a sprawl, groaning, "Why is a bass so hard to wrap! What are you going to do about your brother's drum kit?"

Sheng Yan pulled his hand, urging him up. "The drum kit is already taken care of. It's been placed in my brother's music room."

"Ah, you betrayed me! You wrap the rest yourself! I’m going to go play with your Swatch watch."

"Get back here, or tomorrow you'll see your junior high Chinese score of 17 on the campus wall."

Jiang You, who had only just stepped out of the room, retreated. "I’ve reconsidered. How could I let my brother wrap these gifts alone?"

An hour later, the gifts were wrapped. The floor was a mess, and the two boys lay on the ground, abandoning all pretense of image. After a short rest, they cleaned up the debris.

"Little You, Little Yan, open the door. Have some fruit," Mrs. Sheng called from outside.

Sheng Yan opened the door and took the plate. "Mom, I’ll take it."

Seeing the fine sweat on the boys' temples, Mrs. Sheng asked softly, "Why are you two sweating? Do you have a fever? Lean down, let me check."

"Mom, we don't have a fever, it's just from cleaning up." Sheng Yan said this but leaned down anyway. Mrs. Sheng touched her hand to his forehead, confirmed he was fine, and relaxed. As she was leaving, she glanced at the wrapped gifts behind Jiang You. "Gifts for Minmin and Jia Yu?"

Both boys nodded.

Mrs. Sheng didn't press further and left, though Sheng Yan didn't forget to remind her to get her beauty sleep.

After she left, the boys chatted for a while, played with the Swatch, and then went to Sheng Yan’s bedroom to sleep. Jiang You had already told his parents, so he stayed over.

The next day, sunlight streamed through the windows into the bedroom. The room was decorated in cool tones; in one corner stood the boys' musical instruments, and next to them was a bookshelf filled with music theory books and classics. As the sun hit the room, the coldness vanished, replaced by a sense of warmth.

"Wake up, Jiang You. If you don't get up now, the sun will be scorching your backside."

Sheng Yan, dressed in black pajamas, got out of bed, pulled back the curtains, and called to him. The sunlight hit Jiang You’s eyes, making him uncomfortable, and he reached up to shield them.

"I'm up, Young Master Sheng. Can we not wake up this early next time? It's only eight o'clock."

Jiang You had two biological clocks. On school days, he woke up naturally at six, but on weekends, no matter how early he went to bed, he wouldn't rise until noon. Being forced awake by Sheng Yan made him grumpy.

"Are you wearing my clothes, or going home to change?"

Jiang You sat up. "Wearing yours. I don't want to go back."

"Fine. I'll grab you something. There are fresh toiletries in the guest room; go wash up and come back to change."

Jiang You gave an "OK" sign and headed to the guest room. While he was gone, Sheng Yan picked out a grey hoodie and a black hooded windbreaker for him, and a white hoodie with a blue embroidered baseball jacket for himself.

When Jiang You returned, Sheng Yan was already dressed. Seeing this, Jiang You quickly changed into the clothes provided. Both boys, already possessing a natural youthful aura, looked even more vibrant in these outfits.

"Let's go eat breakfast. My sister and the others arrive at 1:30 PM."

"Alright."

Downstairs, Sheng’s parents were already eating. Seeing them looking so youthful, Mrs. Sheng teased, "Not going to school today, why are you two dressed so like teenagers?"

Sheng Yan and Jiang You just smiled and sat down. Breakfast at the Sheng household was simple as always—a sandwich and a glass of milk.

Since it was the weekend, the Sheng Group was closed, so Mr. Sheng planned to take his wife and son to the airport to pick up the older children. The family lived in Luhu Lake Shore Residence, a villa district developed in recent years with convenient transport and nearby malls. Their home, closest to the artificial lake, was the most beautiful and expensive. The only drawback was its distance from the airport.

After breakfast, it was 8:30. Mr. Sheng drove his family and Jiang You to the airport. By the time they arrived, it was time for a meal, so they grabbed a bite at a fast-food joint before heading to the arrivals gate to wait for Sheng Minmin and Sheng Jia Yu.

"Brother, walk faster!" Shi Song pulled at Shi Jingcheng, urging him on.

The girl's voice reached the ears of the boy in front. He looked back, feeling she looked familiar but unable to place her.

"Oh, stop it. Su Yi isn't going to run away, don't be so anxious."

Su Yi was Shi Jingcheng’s good friend, someone who had grown up with them. He was now a popular professional e-sports player. He had snuck back to City A after a tournament, which was why there were only six people at the arrivals gate.

"Mom, Dad, Little Yan, Little You!" A cheerful voice rang out from the arrivals area—it was Sheng Minmin.

Sheng Jia Yu tapped her head with his knuckles. "How old are you? Be steady."

Mr. Sheng, standing by the railing, got anxious. "Jia Yu, how can you hit your sister!"

"Dad, I didn't hit her," Sheng Jia Yu explained, dragging his suitcase with a sigh.

"I saw it with my own eyes, don't try to argue."

"Fine, I won't argue with you, old man."

Sheng Yan took Sheng Minmin’s luggage, leaving her with only a small bag, and mentioned the gifts waiting at home.

After the Sheng family left, only the Shi siblings remained. Su Yi hadn't come out yet, and they were wondering if he had taken the VIP exit when, a second later, he appeared, walking straight into the light.

Su Yi tossed his suitcase to Shi Jingcheng and reached out to ruffle Shi Song’s hair, but Shi Jingcheng blocked him.

"An'an specifically washed her hair today. If you mess it up, she'll be angry."

Shi Song nodded. She had indeed washed it and didn't want to ruin the effort. Su Yi pulled his hand back. "Alright, alright. I'm starving. What are we eating? Airplane food is terrible."

"Let's go to L'Estia. The others should be there already."

L'Estia was a high-end Chinese restaurant that required reservations days in advance. Even with money, you weren't guaranteed a table. Shi Jingcheng and his friends had booked a private room days ago.

"Fine."

The three took the elevator to the underground parking lot and drove to L'Estia. On the way, Shi Song and Su Yi chatted, with Shi Jingcheng occasionally chiming in.

They arrived at 2:00 PM. After parking, Shi Jingcheng led them to find Xu Jinyi and the others. They had booked the "Magnolia" room on the third floor. In the language of flowers, the magnolia symbolized an everlasting friendship, which suited them perfectly.

"Oh, look who's back from abroad!"

As Su Yi pushed the door open, the people inside teased him. The Shi siblings smiled at each other.

"You're not doing too bad yourself, Heng'an. I saw you on the trending lists this morning. How come you didn't prepare a signed copy of your new book for us, Mr. Great Author?"

Pu Heng'an, whom Su Yi addressed, was a suspense novelist. He had studied finance in college, and none of his friends had expected him to become a writer, but he was doing quite well for himself now.

"Alright, let's eat. An'an hasn't had lunch yet!" Shi Jingcheng found a seat for Shi Song.

Hearing that she hadn't eaten, the others stopped reminiscing and began to eat and talk about their recent lives. Somehow, the topic turned to Shi Song.

"An'an, how does it feel being in high school now?" asked Xu Donglin, a high school math teacher.

"It's okay, but I'm not great at the sciences," Shi Song answered obediently.

"Don't worry. Except for Su Yi, we're all science majors here. We can help you."

Shi Song shook her head. "No need, Brother Donglin. I'm studying liberal arts, and I’ve already found someone to tutor me in math."

"That kid from the Shen family?"

Shi Song remained silent, and Xu Donglin took it as a confirmation.

"Don't look for him. He's not even as good as Sheng Yan in his class. Why don't you come to me or ask Sheng Yan to explain math to you on the weekends?"

When Xu Donglin mentioned Sheng Yan, Shi Song froze for a second. No one noticed, but she thought to herself: *How can the second-place student compare to the first?*

"I won't trouble student Sheng. I'll come to you on the weekend, Brother Donglin."

Xu Donglin nodded. "Alright."