Chapter Thirty-Three — Meddling in Other People’s Affairs

Tang Dai, Tang Chao? Tang Dynasty, Tang Court. Two names with the same meaning; perhaps their connection should have been obvious all along.

The Tang Chao before her had changed out of his school uniform, as if shedding his youthful naivety. He always looked mature for his age; when Yi Shu stood beside him, it was as if they were peers.

He was so tall that Yi Shu had to tilt her head to look up at him.

“I barely know your sister, and as for you, we’re hardly acquainted,” Yi Shu lifted her chin, her gaze sharp. “If you have nothing further to say, then I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait a moment.” Yi Shu halted her steps. “Do you think you and Xu Shixi are a good match?”

Yes. Were they truly suited for each other? Yi Shu found herself lost in doubt. They didn’t share many common topics; they were simply two people in love, loving each other.

“There’s no such thing as being a good match or not. What matters most is whether two people like each other.” Yi Shu responded stubbornly.

“If love alone is enough for dating, what about marriage?” Tang Chao’s eyelids slowly closed and opened, his long lashes fluttering gently. “Marriage concerns two families.” A fleeting shadow of melancholy passed through his eyes.

“So you mean as long as the social status matches, even without love, people could muddle through life together?” Yi Shu scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “I don’t know what kind of environment you grew up in, but our values are worlds apart. If you think my leaving would make Shixi end up with Tang Dai, you’re underestimating him. Tell me, how old are you, classmate? You’ve only just come of age; do you even know what love means? Love isn’t about wishful thinking, it isn’t about deciding what’s right or wrong by yourself. It concerns only two people, and no one else.”

Tang Chao listened intently. At some point, someone else had said something similar to him.

Su Yishu—a girl who appeared fragile but was strong within, tinged with both insecurity and confidence. At this moment, Tang Chao felt a surge of emotion. He had always thought his sister Tang Dai was the most intelligent and perfect woman in the world, never imagining there was another so different.

Yi Shu opened the door, walked in calmly, then closed it behind her; every movement was natural, fluid. Just before the door shut, her gaze lingered briefly in the narrow gap.

This boy who had once bullied her younger brother was now standing up for his sister. Perhaps, in his heart, family was just as important.

Anyone who values emotion must have a soft heart.

It seemed all her previous prejudices toward him faded away in an instant.

He was, after all, a nineteen-year-old boy.

Just like Yi Hui.

Nineteen—the age when introversion, extroversion, docility, rebelliousness, gentleness, and darkness are all hurdles to cross from one stage to the next.

“Wait!”

The door, about to close, was suddenly pushed open.

Yi Shu staggered backward, nearly falling.

“Are you planning to hit me?” she blurted out. Yet a strange thought flashed through her mind; she was almost certain he wouldn’t hurt her.

When she had taken the battered Yi Hui to the hospital for examination, the doctor said it was only superficial injuries—a bit of ointment and he’d recover in a week. Perhaps she had been too emotional at the time, losing the calm needed to observe and analyze.

“I never hit women,” Tang Chao replied, almost childishly.

“So you only bully the weak?” Yi Shu’s words were pointed.

“Let’s not talk about that.” Tang Chao changed the subject, refusing to follow her line of questioning. He entered the room as if he owned it, quickly scanning the surroundings and layout. “Is there any water in your house? It’s so hot, and I’ve talked so much—I’m parched.”

Seeing him like this, Yi Shu thought he was just a big kid—a child refusing to admit his immaturity, pretending to be grown-up.

“There’s only plain water.”

Yi Shu turned over a glass on the table, picked up the kettle with her right hand, and poured him half a cup.

He took it and drank it all in one go.

“Why is it lukewarm?”

“The water was boiled this morning—it hasn’t cooled completely yet.” Yi Shu picked up another glass and slowly poured a third of it along the rim.

“Why not drink something cold in this heat?” Tang Chao suddenly felt sweat beading and dripping down his face and neck, soaking into his body. “And the air conditioner isn’t on, either.”

“Cold drinks aren’t good for the body.” Yi Shu set down her glass. “The air conditioner’s broken; here, there’s a fan.”

Tang Chao could hardly believe it—how could someone, in this day and age, endure a summer with just a fan?

In the corner stood Yi Hui’s foldable bed. A dark green blanket was neatly folded at the head, weighed down by a pillow with a cartoon cat print. His pajamas, also with a cartoon pattern, hung on the bed rail.

He really was like a child.

Tang Chao finished his water, holding the glass, his gaze wandering. In this unfamiliar space, with unfamiliar people, he felt out of place. Staying any longer would be improper. Besides, Yi Shu had no intention of keeping him.

An accidental, awkward, and improbable encounter.

Perhaps Yi Shu and the others had no idea that this meeting was quietly reshaping the trajectory of several young lives.

Yi Shu yawned, walked to the bathroom, washed her face, and returned to her bedroom. She turned on the fan and lazily took a nap. The sweat that had collected on her back evaporated in the breeze, leaving her unusually cool.

Like the gentle winds of those days.

When Xu Shixi’s message arrived, Yi Shu was tidying the living room. She and Yi Hui were busy from morning till night, leaving the housework neglected.

—I’m downstairs at your building.

Yi Shu was surprised. Why didn’t Shixi come straight up? Wasn’t he supposed to be in Rong City, dealing with the Happy City project? Why had he returned ahead of schedule?

“Why aren’t you coming upstairs?” Yi Shu descended the last flight of stairs, rounded the corner, and saw Shixi standing beneath the light at the entrance. The old, battered lamp was covered in dense cobwebs, and a moth circled it clockwise.

The yellow glow softened his features; the night breeze had dispelled the day’s heat. He was dressed in a black suit, the top button of his shirt undone, revealing youthful male skin. The light summer jacket was draped over his right arm.

Like a young wife welcoming her husband home.

Nearby, groups of middle-aged and elderly women, fifty or sixty years old, were gathering in the central plaza of the neighborhood for their daily square dance. They danced for hours, tireless.

“Let me take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Shixi took Yi Shu’s hand, walking briskly toward the Yue’an Road subway entrance.

It was hard to catch a cab near the neighborhood—sometimes you’d wait half the day without seeing one. Ride-hailing apps were almost useless; the nearest cars were more than ten kilometers away, and no drivers would take the order.

Most residents had their own transportation—electric scooters, bicycles. Workplaces were nearby, so taxis weren’t necessary. With fares so high, it was better to take the subway or bus.

Yue’an Road was a main thoroughfare running through all of Cloud City, its western edge bordering Rong City’s Jingjiang Road, stretching right to the center of Rong City.

From Jinlan Community, where Yi Shu lived, it was less than a kilometer north to the subway entrance.

In the past, when Shixi went to Rong City, he had to drive to the suburbs to Cloud City North Station, then take the high-speed train to Rong City East Station—also in the suburbs. Driving on the highway often meant traffic jams. Now, with the cross-city subway, he could arrive punctually in an hour.

“Weren’t you in Rong City?” Yi Shu asked as she passed through the security checkpoint. “Is the Happy City project settled?”

“Not yet,” Shixi replied, catching up from behind. “I have to go back early tomorrow.”

“So you came back today especially because—?”

“To see you.”

To see me? Yi Shu wondered if she’d misheard, repeating it silently in disbelief. She wanted to see him every day, every moment, every minute, every second—he was unforgettable, her thoughts ran wild. But he was always so busy, either handling paperwork or negotiating deals. More than once, when she called, she could hear the hustle of business conversations in the background and had to hang up, disappointed. After all, she wasn’t an employee of Xunyuan; frequent visits drew criticism. Moreover, Tang Dai, parachuted in from above, lingered there, making every encounter tense.

In the subway car, passengers traveling between the two cities were packed together, pushing Yi Shu to the center by the doors.

There wasn’t even a handrail. Yi Shu was jostled from side to side.

“Hold onto me.”

Shixi pulled her hand onto his shoulder.

Her cheeks flushed hot.

Yi Shu wondered—after all this time together, after hugging, holding hands, and kissing, why did every intimate gesture still make her heart race?