Late October, Hangzhou turned cold. As night fell, the air in the rain was a little damp and sticky.
The car stopped, and Fang Nanzhi got out of the back seat, standing obediently by.
"Mom, give me the books. I'll carry them in."
The car trunk opened, and her parents hastily took out the items inside.
Today, after finishing the school transfer procedures, they went to the shopping mall, where Zhao Liyun had bought her a lot of things.
Clothes, shoes, and skincare products from big cities that she had never seen before now filled the car trunk.
"No, no, it's raining. Mom, hurry inside. You and Dad can just get them."
Fang Nanzhi walked away without looking back. Taking advantage of Zhao Liyun's inattention, she ran to the side and picked up a stack of books.
Zhao Liyun: "This girl... So many things, aren't they heavy?"
"Not heavy," Fang Nanzhi replied in a low voice. She walked to the door and carefully stretched out an index finger to unlock the new door.
This was her fifth day living in this beautiful, large villa; her new fingerprint had been registered just yesterday. She had never encountered this type of door in her hometown, and this was the first time she had unlocked it herself.
At this moment, seeing the door click open, she still felt a sense of novelty.
The hired auntie was cooking dinner inside. Zhao Liyun hastily put down the items in her hands and turned to go into the kitchen.
Today, the family wanted to invite their next-door neighbors over for dinner; Zhao Liyun had mentioned this to Fang Nanzhi in the car earlier.
"Organize your books for school tomorrow, then put away the new clothes. Later, when Aunt Huang's family arrives, you should come down a bit early."
"Okay," Fang Nanzhi replied. She carried the books she had received at school today upstairs and returned to her room. After putting the books away, she took out the outfit she had bought with her father and put on her handbag.
The newly bought clothes were spread all over the bed. Fang Nanzhi lowered her gaze, looking at them, and took a deep breath.
These clothes came in various colors: beige, light blue, light pink... Not long ago, Zhao Liyun had happily and enthusiastically bought these feminine items for her.
But in truth, she rarely wore clothes in such colors before.
She only liked to wear black.
Because black didn't clearly expose her figure, it didn't cling tightly enough to reveal those hateful rolls of flesh, nor would it fully expose her less-than-slender thighs.
Although she knew she didn't look good in any clothes, black made her feel safe.
But she didn't say these words to Zhao Liyun. Because she didn't want her mother to think she was picky right after arriving, and she didn't want to spoil her mother's enthusiasm for her.
Fang Nanzhi pursed her lips slightly and carefully hung the clothes in the wardrobe.
Just then, her phone rang. She answered it, and an elderly voice spoke.
"Liuliu, how's the new school? Are you doing okay?" Liuliu was her nickname, and on the other end of the phone was her grandmother, thousands of kilometers away.
When she was little, her family was poor, her parents went to work far away, and she was a left-behind child, growing up with her grandparents.
As far as she could remember, she had always lived in a small inland town; kindergarten, elementary school, middle school... she had experienced it all there.
In her memory, her parents could only return during the Lunar New Year, staying for a few short days before hastily leaving again.
When she was little, she always looked forward to the days her parents came home for Lunar New Year, but due to infrequent contact with them, they gradually grew distant, no matter how much she yearned for reunion.
However, she still loved her parents and had never blamed them for this.
Because she knew it was all unavoidable; life was very difficult for them out there, from earning money to just getting by, and they couldn't take her with them because she needed to go to school.
Grandma often said everything would be fine.
Fang Nan Zhi always believed that, so she always studied hard. She wanted to get into a good school, find a good job later, and lessen her family's burden.
But what neither she nor Grandma expected was that "everything would be fine" would come so quickly and suddenly.
Their lives had undergone a major change a year ago.
Dad had always bought lottery tickets, and that year, he got lucky, winning an incredibly large prize.
It was a sum of money they couldn't have imagined; it directly changed the fate of their entire family.
The house she lived in with her grandparents in the countryside was quickly torn down and rebuilt into a large house, and many clothes and daily necessities were sent back by her parents.
Their lives in the small town suddenly became very good, and everyone there was extremely envious.
Initially, her parents had planned to move her from the small town to Hangzhou for school, but because she was then in a crucial period of ninth grade, with graduation exams approaching, they decided to discuss it later.
Later, when it was time to choose a high school, they discovered that household registration (hukou) was a major issue. Public schools in Hangzhou did not accept students from other provinces. Dad spent a lot of money and tried many methods, finally managing to get her into a high-quality private school near their home.
Because too much time had been spent in between, by the time she enrolled, tenth grade had already started for a month. Fortunately, to prevent any issues, while still in the countryside, Grandma had told her to read through the tenth-grade curriculum, so she was able to keep up.
“The new school is really good, and it's huge! The sports field there is even bigger than our whole school back home… Grandma, I'm doing fine. How about you? How's your health? Are you taking your medicine on time?” On the other end of the line, Grandma chuckled: “I'm fine, I'm taking my medicine. Don't you worry.”
“Okay, that's good then. Mom said I can come back to visit you during the break.” Grandma said: “You've only been gone a few days and you're already thinking of coming back? Focus on your studies, don't think about other things too much.”
In just one short year, from poverty to wealth.
In a matter of days, from a small town to a bustling metropolis.
Too fast.
So fast that Fang Nan Zhi couldn't adapt in time. Lying awake at midnight, she often felt everything was unbelievable. She had been here for several days, but she still felt this place was unfamiliar, and she always missed Grandma.
“…I know.”
“Where are your parents?”
Fang Nan Zhi: “They're downstairs. Mom said she invited some neighbors over for dinner today, and she's cooking… Do you want to talk to them, Grandma?” “No, don't bother, they're busy. Liu Liu, just take good care of yourself.”
“Okay.”
“I'm hanging up now.”
“Grandma…”
Beep, beep ——
The phone went dead. Grandma didn't hear what she was about to say; she hung up very quickly.
Fang Nan Zhi sighed softly, swallowing the slightly insincere “I miss you, Grandma” she was about to say.
When she went downstairs, Zhao Liyun was still cooking in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Auntie Huang from next door arrived.
Auntie Huang's name was Huang Yuru. From her parents' words, Fang Nan Zhi learned that their next-door neighbors were no ordinary people. Unlike her family's 'rags-to-riches' story, their family had been wealthy for generations, and their family business was very large.
Her mother, Zhao Liyun, met Huang Yuzhu by chance. At that time, she had only recently moved in. As Zhao Liyun was walking in the neighborhood, she accidentally discovered someone had fainted ahead of her. Being a kind person, she quickly called 120. Afterwards, she accompanied the person with the doctors, waiting in the hospital corridor until the person's family arrived before quietly leaving.
Later, Zhao Liyun learned that the person she had taken to the hospital that day was none other than her next-door neighbor. Her neighbor, Huang Yuzhu, had a weak heart and had suddenly fallen ill and fainted while out for a walk.
Because Zhao Liyun had saved Huang Yuzhu's life, and the two lived close by and frequently interacted, they became good friends.
"You're here! Come in, come in, here are the slippers." Zhao Liyun emerged from the kitchen, warmly welcoming Huang Yuzhu into the house.
Fang Nanzhi stood to the side, softly greeting her.
Huang Yuzhu handed her a bag: "Liuliu, this school bag is a gift from Auntie. You're starting at a new school tomorrow, so Auntie wishes you a happy time there." Fang Nanzhi didn't dare accept it, looking towards Zhao Liyun.
Zhao Liyun quickly said, "You're too kind! Why did you buy something for the child? I'm so embarrassed." Huang Yuzhu replied, "Embarrassed about what? I wanted to give it. Liuliu, take it, or Auntie will be unhappy."
In the end, the bag still ended up in Fang Nanzhi's hands.
It must have been a very expensive backpack. She didn't know the brand, but she could feel it, because it looked very beautiful.
Just like Auntie Huang.
Auntie Huang was around 40, but she looked as if she were 30. She was different from her mother; Zhao Liyun had endured hardship to reach a better life, while Auntie Huang lived a life of ease and comfort.
Although she lived in luxury, Auntie was very gentle, not at all condescending or arrogant.
"Why did you come alone? Where are the children?" Zhao Liyun asked after they had settled in the living room.
"They're still at home. I called them earlier, and the two younger ones said they were in the middle of a game and would come after they finished. The eldest just got back from outside and will come over after changing clothes. Oh, these kids never stop worrying me. Only Liuliu is well-behaved, both adorable and obedient."
"No, no, your three children are also very well-behaved."
The two women chatted for a long time, while Fang Nanzhi sat beside them, waiting quietly.
Her mother was bringing out the food from the dining room.
"We've been talking for a while, why aren't the children here yet? I'll go check on them." Huang Yuzhu felt embarrassed that her children were late for dinner at someone else's house, so she stood up, intending to go call them.
"It's fine, it's fine. The food isn't even fully prepared yet, is it? How about this, let Liuliu go." Zhao Liyun turned to look at Fang Nanzhi, who was idle, and gently said, "Go next door and call them over, dear."
Suddenly called by name, Fang Nanzhi snapped out of her own world and looked up.
"That works," Huang Yuzhu said. "It's perfect, as the children are both classmates and neighbors. Liuliu hasn't been here long, so she should get to know more people."
"Exactly, exactly," Zhao Liyun encouraged. "Liuliu, go on."
The villas had private gates and yards, and the two houses were only separated by a road.
Outside, there was still a light drizzle and thick fog. When she left the gate, Fang Nanzhi forgot her umbrella, but she didn't mind the light rain; after all, it was very close.
For other reasons, she felt a little nervous inside.
Two days ago, she had accidentally met Aunt Huang's three children at their doorstep. Aunt Huang had introduced them at the time: the eldest son was Xu Yuanhe, two years her senior, a 12th-grader at Quanhua District Experimental School. The remaining twins were her age, 10th-graders at Quanhua District School.
She didn't know how to socialize with her peers, and what's more, they were all stunningly beautiful.
Now, suddenly being sent alone to invite the three of them, she felt very awkward.
After arriving at their backyard, Fang Nanzhi pushed the gate open and entered. She walked up a few steps and stood before the main door.
She took a deep breath, mentally rehearsing what to say.
"Excuse me, are you done? My mother would like to invite you all over for dinner." It felt strange, though...
They might not even remember who she was; after all, it had only been a brief encounter that day.
Fang Nanzhi frowned. She should still introduce herself first.
"Hello, I'm Fang Nanzhi from next door. Dinner's ready, you can come over to eat." Hmm... Aunt Huang had already called ahead, so they would definitely understand if she said this.
Fang Nanzhi raised her hand, preparing to press the doorbell, but her fingertip slowly hesitated, not touching it.
How strange. For others, this was a simple task, but for her, it became incredibly difficult.
After several more tens of seconds of hesitation, she finally gathered enough courage. But just as she was about to press the doorbell, the door suddenly opened by itself.
More accurately, someone opened the door from the inside.
Fang Nanzhi was slightly startled, immediately lowered her hand, and quickly rehearsed the words she wanted to say several times in her head.
However, as soon as she saw the person standing in the doorway, those words suddenly caught in her throat.
Having been in Hangzhou for several days now, Fang Nanzhi had always felt that this place was a different world. Houses, streets, schools, shopping malls... everything was magnificent and splendid, completely different from where she had lived as a child.
She had spent these past few days in a haze of uncertainty and anxiety, and when she saw the person before her, the feeling of unreality and loneliness in her heart seemed to reach its peak.
Were even the people living in this city so beautiful?
The person before her was not Aunt Huang's child.
He was wearing the Quanhua District Experimental School uniform: black pants, a black and white jacket, with the Quanhua District School logo on his right chest.
Tall and handsome, the light from inside the room cast his facial features into shadow, making them even more breathtakingly beautiful. His eyes were unusually deep.
When he looked down, she saw his thick eyelashes and a fleeting surprise in his eyes.
"Who are you looking for?" He probably hadn't expected a stranger to be standing at the door.
Fang Nanzhi's heart suddenly pounded. She quickly averted her gaze from him and habitually lowered her eyes.
Not Xu Yuanhe, nor the twins, so who was he...?
"I, I came to call them for dinner. Who are you?" Only after asking did she realize how impolite she sounded. Fang Nanzhi immediately added, "I'm looking for the people who live here, I'm from next door... They're having dinner at my place tonight; my mother and Aunt Huang told me to come call them."
The person before her paused for a moment, then understood. He said, "Then wait a moment, they're about to come down." Because she was looking down, she couldn't see his face, but she felt that he was looking at her when he spoke. She could also hear his voice coming from above her head, slightly deep but clear, and very pleasant to listen to.
Normally, she even considered her own appearance to be plain. She easily felt embarrassed, self-conscious, and inferior when she encountered beautiful people.
She couldn't be like the beautiful, lively girls who, after being amazed by his beauty, would confidently approach him to make friends. All she wanted was to immediately retreat into her shell.
Phương Nam Chi's ears burned.
She suddenly wanted to run.
"It's a bit cold outside, you should wait inside," he suddenly said.
Phương Nam Chi immediately shook her head. "Oh no, I can't. Or perhaps you could just tell them for me... I'll head back first."
She didn't know where she'd found the courage to "order" someone else, but the words were already out; she couldn't take them back.
She clenched her hands, quickly turned, and started down the stairs.
But unexpectedly, the stairs were a bit slippery from the rain. She was in such a hurry that she missed a step, and with a *thump*, she instantly landed on the stair!
It didn't hurt much.
But the sound was too loud.
In that instant, Phương Nam Chi felt her heart grow cold.