Everything returned to the starting point, as if nothing had ever begun.
Su Jingming’s memories of that October autumn felt like a dream, a blurred sketch where even that person’s face was gradually fading.
The cold winter was both long and fleeting. The relationship between Su Jingming and Su Qicheng didn’t dissolve with time; instead, like the freezing weather, it remained icy and without cracks. However, Su Qicheng began spending more time at home. Like a normal father, he started showing concern for Su Jingming’s studies and daily life.
A pause button had been pressed between Su Jingming and Wen Yan. Their last interaction remained frozen on that November night; neither had contacted the other since. Even at school, they did nothing more than offer a slight nod of acknowledgment, returning to the way they were at the very beginning.
At first, Su Jingming was deeply unaccustomed to the sudden absence of a person in his life. To stop himself from caring about certain things and certain people, he poured all his energy into his studies. It wasn't until after a monthly exam—where the gap between his score and Wen Yan’s was only a few points—that Su Jingming felt a sense of reality, an indescribable sort of grounding.
Ren Wei had no idea why he had suddenly started studying like a madman, locking himself away in another world. Except for during class, when one could see a "normal" Su Jingming, he was like a completely different person.
Only Su Jingming knew in his heart that he was excelling at his elective course in "Avoidance."
Even now, Su Jingming didn't know exactly what he was avoiding. He didn't dare look at Wen Yan, he didn't dare look at Zhang Jia, and he didn't even dare face anyone who might see through him.
He was suddenly very afraid—so afraid that he felt panicked and out of control.
It seemed that only by acting this way could Su Jingming find a small piece of his true self again.
As the end of the semester approached, Su Qicheng specifically took a few days off to help his son recover. Knowing how hard he was studying, he made an effort to cook various light, nourishing meals.
Su Jingming had to admit that during this period, Su Qicheng truly looked like a father.
He, however, didn't quite feel like a son.
One day, just after finishing dinner, Su Jingming went to clear the dishes as usual, but Su Qicheng stopped him first. "I'll handle these. Go back to your room and rest. The final exams are coming up; you need to look after your health."
Su Jingming looked up briefly and gave a quiet "okay" in response.
Back in his room, Su Jingming lay on his bed scrolling through his phone. He opened WeChat; the person pinned at the very top had never sent a new message.
Su Jingming hadn't taken the initiative to send one either.
It was like a kite string that had snapped mid-air; no matter what, the ends couldn't be tied back together.
Su Jingming lowered his gaze but eventually opened the pinned chat and slowly scrolled upward. These records were a key, unlocking the shackles of his memory as the story of that October autumn slowly surfaced in his mind.
The way he had looked when he proactively added him on WeChat.
The way he had pestered him, saying he wanted to get to know him.
The way he had given him the Ultraman figure.
The way he had held him as they fell down the stairs.
His eyes always held a galaxy of stars, filled with a gentleness that made it impossible to look away.
Though they had only spent a month together, Su Jingming felt as if they had known each other for a very long time, leaving a deep mark on his life.
When he scrolled to the very beginning, Su Jingming’s eyes grew hot. He let out a long, heavy breath and tossed the phone aside. The lights in the room were off; the glow from the buildings opposite reflected on his window, casting the shadows of the streetlights outside.
Su Jingming ran his hands through his hair forcefully. When he picked up his phone again, he unpinned the chat that had remained stagnant since November.
In an instant, that message box was submerged beneath countless group chats, leaving no trace behind. No one would ever know that someone had once occupied the top slot of his WeChat.
The beginning of all growth is a secret known to no one. For instance, when Su Jingming took first place in the final exams, others were far more excited than he was. Everyone assumed that in this short period, Su Jingming must have eaten some brain-boosting supplements or completed some high-level practice exams.
On the day they went back to school to get their results, Su Jingming was completely surrounded by his classmates.
"Su Jingming, did you go to secret tutoring? Which cram school was it? That's incredible!"
Su Jingming replied, "I didn't go to tutoring."
He thought seriously about the meals Su Qicheng had made for him lately. "I guess I ate a lot of tofu and pork ribs recently."
"What practice problems were you doing? Were they super high-level and difficult?"
"I didn't do anything special. Just some books I picked up randomly from the bookstore."
The final conclusion was simply that Su Jingming was a genius.
When Ren Wei learned that Su Jingming had outscored Wen Yan, he couldn't stop grinning. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was the one who took first place.
"Can you stop smiling so creepily?" Su Jingming finally managed to break away from the crowd. Facing Ren Wei’s look of profound relief—which looked remarkably like an old father watching his son finally succeed—made him feel quite annoyed.
Ren Wei slapped Su Jingming hard on the shoulder. "You're amazing, Brother Ming! Even if it's only a two-point difference, being able to knock Wen Yan off his pedestal... this lowly one truly admires you. And it's not just me; half the class admires you, not to mention the rest of the grade."
Su Jingming wasn't actually that happy about getting first place. On the contrary, he felt a bit dejected. In his heart, this first place felt unearned, more like something Wen Yan had gifted to him.
Su Jingming glanced around the medium-sized classroom but failed to find that person’s figure.
It was as if the moment the final exams ended, the man had simply evaporated.
Su Jingming stood up, just about to head out to look around, when Song Yifei walked into the classroom.
"Good, you're here. I was looking for you." Song Yifei entered with practiced ease and pulled Su Jingming out to the long corridor.
During this time, Su Jingming hadn't had much contact with Song Yifei. Song Yifei had invited him out for barbecue a few times, but he had refused every time.
"What do you need?"
Song Yifei scratched his head. "It's like this: Wen Yan has something to do and can't make it today. There's a parent-teacher meeting for Wen Miao in a bit. Could you go and attend it for him?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. Their parents are always out of town, and I couldn't find anyone else, so I had to come to you."
Su Jingming looked up. "Can't you go?"
Song Yifei shook his head. "I didn't do so well on my exams this time. My mom is waiting for me at the school gate."
"Then Wen Yan, he..." Su Jingming wanted to ask what Wen Yan was busy with, but the words died in his throat. After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, "Fine. Which school is his sister at, and which class?"
Holding the address and class info Song Yifei had given him, Su Jingming stood hesitantly at the door of Class 4, Grade 9.
"Excuse me, please move aside."
Before Su Jingming could move, someone bumped into him from behind.
"Aiya, I told you to move, why are you just—"
Su Jingming turned around. Wen Miao was wearing a white down jacket with her hair in a high ponytail and... a short skirt?
Overall, she radiated the unique, vibrant youthfulness of her age.
"Brother Jingming?!" Wen Miao looked at him in confusion. "Why are you wearing glasses again? You're way more handsome without them. Hurry, take them off and let my classmates see how handsome you are."
As she spoke, Wen Miao actually reached out to try and take Su Jingming’s glasses off.
Su Jingming was slightly startled, but he cooperatively leaned down a bit to let her remove them.
Wen Miao muttered, "You don't need to lean down. You're not as tall as my brother anyway."
"..."
Su Jingming coughed awkwardly. "Your brother and Song Yifei are busy. I'm here to attend the parent-teacher meeting for you. Is that okay?"
Wen Miao raised an eyebrow, her face lighting up with joy. "Of course! I couldn't ask for more."
Half an hour later, Su Jingming finally understood why Wen Miao had made that face. Looking at Wen Miao’s exam papers, he felt a headache coming on. He even began to doubt if Wen Miao and Wen Yan were actually siblings.
Wen Yan’s grades were, needless to say, excellent. Wen Miao’s grades, however, were mediocre at best—bordering on terrible.
Su Jingming flipped through the papers. She had missed nearly all the basic questions, let alone the difficult ones. Su Jingming began to imagine what kind of expression Wen Yan would make if he saw these papers.
The homeroom teacher on stage was talking incessantly, but Su Jingming didn't hear a word. It wasn't until the meeting was nearing its end that he snapped back to reality.
"Is Wen Miao’s guardian here? Could you please stay behind for a moment?"
Suddenly called upon, Su Jingming looked at the teacher on the podium with a confused expression.
Once the meeting dispersed, Su Jingming waited until the other parents had mostly left before approaching the teacher.
Wen Miao’s homeroom teacher was a young woman, seemingly in her early twenties and recently graduated.
"You are Wen Miao’s..."
"...I'm her brother," Su Jingming coughed.
The teacher nodded. "I know you. I heard you're the top student in your grade at your school."
"..." This time, he actually was.
The teacher continued, "Logically, with a brother like you, her grades shouldn't be this poor. I'm not sure if you've noticed her state of mind lately. This child is very smart, but she lacks self-discipline in her studies and needs supervision. Children in puberty are often confused, and it's easy for 'young love' to occur. Has Wen Miao been acting strangely lately?"
Su Jingming finally understood. After all that, the teacher thought Wen Miao was in a "puppy love" relationship, causing her grades to slip.
His gaze drifted toward the classroom door. Wen Miao was peeking in secretly, mouthing the words: *Save me.*
Su Jingming sighed silently. He looked up into the teacher’s eyes. "Teacher, you've misunderstood. Our parents have been away lately, and as her brother, I've been busy with my own studies. It was my oversight. Rest assured, Wen Miao isn't involved in any 'young love.' As for her academic progress, I'll keep a close eye on it and make sure she returns to her previous level next semester."
As for what Wen Miao’s "previous level" actually was, Su Jingming had no idea.
Hearing this answer from Su Jingming, the teacher felt relieved. "After all, the high school entrance exam is coming up. I hope you can supervise and assist her more outside of class. Wen Miao is a good student; there's still time."
On the way home, Wen Miao let out a sigh of relief. "Brother Jingming, thank goodness it was you. If it had been my brother, I'd be dead for sure."
Su Jingming’s expression shifted slightly. "I think you're dead when you get home anyway."
Wen Miao let out an "Ah!" "Brother Jingming, you wouldn't tell my brother, would you?"
Su Jingming gave her a lazy glance, his eyes clearly asking: *Do you really think you can hide it?*
"If my brother finds out I did this badly, he'll definitely lock me in the house and lecture me on problems every single day."
When Wen Miao was dejected, her features bore a slight resemblance to Wen Yan’s. Su Jingming dazed out for a moment, almost mistaking her for him.
"It's only right for your brother to tutor you. Logically, your grades shouldn't have dropped this much. Are you really in a 'young love' relationship?" Su Jingming asked in the tone of an older brother, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Young love? How could I? My brother would break the guy's legs." Wen Miao exhaled a puff of milky-white mist that vanished instantly. "Brother Jingming, have you ever been in a 'young love' relationship?"
Su Jingming was silent for a moment. "No."
"Makes sense. Looking at how much you love studying, you really don't seem the type." Wen Miao rubbed her face with her hands. Suddenly, a thought struck her. "My brother is the one in a 'young love' relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been pushed down to second place by you."
***
