Wen Yan was in a relationship?
Su Jingming was momentarily stunned. On second thought, it wasn't surprising. Wen Yan was exceptional, after all; it was only natural that many girls liked him. He had personally overheard more girls than he could count on both hands expressing their desire to confess to Wen Yan.
Wen Miao didn't notice Su Jingming’s internal shift. "Brother Jingming, have you seen that girl?"
"No."
"I have," Wen Miao said, narrowing her eyes as she recalled. "She’s tall and thin. Based on her figure alone, they actually look quite good together."
Hearing Wen Miao speak with such certainty only made Su Jingming feel more unsettled. As they reached the Wen residence, Wen Miao invited him up for a bit, but Su Jingming declined in a flat voice.
Wen Miao raised an eyebrow. Su Jingming’s retreating figure looked a bit lonely. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she called Song Yifei. "Song Yifei, I’m literally putting my life on the line for this."
Finals had just ended, and Song Yifei was sitting at his desk reviewing. "Don't worry. If your brother tries to hit you, I’ll definitely take the blow for you."
Wen Miao talked as she headed upstairs. "My brother wouldn't have the heart to hit me. I just told Brother Jingming that my brother is in a relationship. I actually felt a bit bad—you should have seen the look of disappointment on his face."
"How disappointed was he? You’re making me want to see it for myself," Song Yifei said with a playful laugh.
"A bit like an abandoned puppy on the side of the street. Does that help you understand?" Wen Miao found the most fitting description possible for Su Jingming. "I’m almost at the door, I’ve got to go."
Wen Miao hesitated at the front door for a long while. Just as she was about to pull out her keys, the door opened from the inside.
Wen Yan was dressed in simple loungewear. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked in a raspy voice, "How were your grades?"
Wen Miao put on a look of surprise. "How’s your stomach? Why are you opening the door for me? Were you waiting right here the whole time?"
Wen Miao helped Wen Yan inside. For some time now, Wen Yan’s stomach issues had been recurring. He’d had this minor ailment for a while but never took proper care of himself.
After helping Wen Yan to the sofa, Wen Miao stood across from him. "Look at your face; it’s terrifying. It’s a good thing I didn't ask Brother Jingming to come up, or seeing you like this—would you have scared him to death, or would he have scared you?"
At the mention of Su Jingming’s name, Wen Yan’s fingers resting at his side trembled slightly. He looked up. "Su Jingming brought you home?"
"Yeah." Wen Miao walked toward the kitchen as she spoke. "Song Yifei’s final grades were too bad, so he couldn't come to the parent-teacher meeting. I asked Brother Jingming instead."
In a place where Wen Miao couldn't see, Wen Yan lowered his head. He suddenly remembered the exams a few days ago, when Su Jingming had been sitting behind him. After the exams ended, he had desperately wanted to grab Su Jingming and ask him something.
*What exactly happened to us?*
Every time he looked into Su Jingming’s eyes, Wen Yan found himself unable to say a word.
Indeed, what had happened to them?
Why had they suddenly become such strangers?
For the first time, Wen Yan felt he didn't understand Su Jingming well enough. Even though he had approached him in the beginning specifically to get to know him.
One month was too short; it wasn't enough for him to understand what kind of world existed inside Su Jingming’s heart.
Wen Miao came out with a glass of warm water and some medicine. She sat beside Wen Yan and watched him take it. Only then did she ask in a low voice, "Brother, are you two..."
Before she could finish, Wen Yan stared into her eyes. "Let me see your exam papers and report card."
"..." *I’m here worrying about your love life, and you’re still thinking about my grades?*
Wen Miao sluggishly retrieved her report card and papers from the entryway. Wen Yan’s expression shifted as he slowly looked through them.
The siblings sat in silence for a full ten minutes.
Wen Yan rubbed his temples. "Did Su Jingming not say anything about these grades?"
"He did! And he refused to help me hide them." Wen Miao felt a bit annoyed at the thought. "Don't you think it would've been nice if he’d helped me cover it up?"
Wen Yan gave her a flat look, his expression identical to Su Jingming’s.
Wen Miao swallowed hard. *I thought my humor could save me.*
Wen Yan’s head began to ache. He pointed at the papers on the coffee table, preparing to give Wen Miao a lecture.
"Miao Miao, sit down first. Listen to me..." Just as he started, the phone on the coffee table vibrated several times in a row.
Wen Miao peeked over. "Brother, you have a WeChat message."
Wen Yan said sternly, "I know. Sit properly, don't move."
Wen Miao sat obediently on the sofa, keeping a significant distance from Wen Yan while carefully observing his every move. Wen Yan opened WeChat. It was a message from the person who hadn't messaged him in nearly two months.
**Salted Egg:** Wen Miao’s foundation shouldn't be that bad. I promised the teacher she would return to her original level next semester.
**Salted Egg:** It’s normal for girls this age to be distracted by play. One exam doesn't represent everything.
**Salted Egg:** Don't be too hard on her.
After returning home, Su Jingming still couldn't stop worrying about Wen Miao’s situation. In the end, he bit the bullet and sent these messages to Wen Yan. Even though they were perfectly normal words, Su Jingming’s heart rate accelerated the moment he sent them, and he couldn't calm it down.
About a minute later, a reply came from the other side.
**Wen Yan:** I understand. Thank you for attending the parent-teacher meeting for Wen Miao.
Su Jingming pursed his lips, his eyes turning deep and heavy. His finger hovered in the air as he typed out a string of words.
*I heard you’re in a relationship. Why didn't you tell me? Are we even friends?*
Su Jingming stared at this paragraph for a long time but didn't send it. He deleted it and typed again.
*You’re in a relationship? Which class is the girl from?*
Deleted again.
After a moment of silence, Su Jingming typed two words.
**Salted Egg:** It’s nothing.
For the first time, Su Jingming felt the sensation of having a grievance he couldn't voice. He had already let down his guard in front of Wen Yan, yet in the end, things were no different than before.
Su Jingming regretted his own avoidance.
He had clearly followed his feelings, but those feelings were making him incredibly miserable.
Wen Yan stared at the WeChat interface for a long time. The "typing..." prompt had long since disappeared from the other side.
Wen Miao was sitting on pins and needles, unable to get a response from Wen Yan for ages. She guessed her brother must be chatting with Su Jingming! She stealthily pulled her phone from her pocket and found Song Yifei to report the situation.
**It’s Miao Miao:** My brother is chatting with Su Jingming!
Song Yifei replied instantly. **S:** Good news! Good news! Good news!
Wen Miao criticized Song Yifei in her head while her hands kept typing.
**It’s Miao Miao:** Do you think Brother Jingming will ask about my brother’s "relationship"?
**S:** Maybe, maybe not. Based on what I know of Su Jingming, he’s both arrogant and repressed. He definitely won't ask.
**It’s Miao Miao:** Do you have Brother Jingming’s WeChat? How about you add some fuel to the fire?
**S:** I don't have it. I’ll ask around.
**S:** But coming back to it, don't you think it’s weird that your brother likes guys? And you’re worrying about this all day? If your parents find out you had a hand in this later, aren't you afraid they’ll skin you?
**It’s Miao Miao:** What’s wrong with me happily shipping them? Besides, it’s not easy for someone like my brother to like someone. Shouldn't I, as his sister, give him a hand?
For the first time, Song Yifei saw Wen Miao in a different light.
Wen Miao had been the one to approach Song Yifei. She had been very direct, asking him, "Do you know my brother likes guys?"
Song Yifei had nearly jumped up and slapped himself.
"Looking at you, you must know," Wen Miao had said. "And you know the guy, too. Su Jingming."
Song Yifei felt that having a smart sister really wasn't a good thing.
"My brother and Brother Jingming haven't been in touch lately. He’s been so gloomy since he got home; it’s terrifying. Did they have a fight and break up, or what happened?"
Wen Miao’s analysis was so spot on that even Song Yifei couldn't help but give her a thumbs up.
"They didn't fight or break up. They haven't even started, so where would that kind of drama come from?" Song Yifei rubbed his nose. "They just need a spark to light the fire."
And so, the two began their unknown plan. Song Yifei also selectively ignored the harsh words he had once said to Wen Yan: *"If I help you again, I'm a dumbass."*
Song Yifei was quite happy to be that dumbass. For the sake of his best friend’s happiness, what was being a dumbass once?
*I’m just too damn loyal!*
Wen Yan looked up and saw Wen Miao chatting enthusiastically with someone. He coughed lightly, startling Wen Miao so much she nearly dropped her phone.
"..." Wen Yan took a pen from the table and quickly circled several problems on Wen Miao’s exam paper. "You shouldn't have gotten these wrong. I’ll find the key concepts for you in a bit. You’ll keep doing them until you understand."
Just as Wen Miao had predicted, before the Lunar New Year, she was locked at home every day by Wen Yan to study, study, and study. It was an endless cycle of learning.
She wanted to vomit when she saw math, felt dizzy at physics, and became illiterate when faced with chemistry.
Wen Yan was very patient. No matter how much Wen Miao struggled to understand a problem, he would find a way to explain it to her slowly. Eventually, Wen Miao understood even if she didn't want to. She stopped making mistakes on the foundational problems and would slowly work through the complex ones herself. Although she couldn't achieve a hundred percent accuracy, at least she was willing to try.
Wen Yan was very satisfied with this.
On the day before New Year’s Eve, Mr. and Mrs. Wen arrived from out of town. When Wen Miao’s grades were mentioned, Wen Yan stepped in to smooth things over. "Her grades are average. If she works hard, she can still get into No. 2 High School."
Mr. and Mrs. Wen trusted Wen Yan’s words implicitly. Mrs. Wen patted the back of Wen Miao’s hand. "You need to listen to your brother. If you don't know something, ask."
It was a rare chance for Wen Miao to act spoiled with her parents. She leaned against her mother’s shoulder and said softly, "Mom, I know. It’s just that my brother is a total demon when it comes to this. Look at the dark circles under my eyes. I haven't been on break for long, but I’ve finished all my homework, and I’ve lost my beauty sleep."
Hearing this, Mrs. Wen looked closely at Wen Miao. There was indeed a faint layer of dark circles under her eyes. Just as she was about to tell Wen Yan not to be too strict, Wen Yan shot a flat look toward Wen Miao. Wen Miao immediately changed her tune: "Mom, actually, I love studying. My brother explains things better than the teachers at school."
Mr. Wen was off to the side playing chess with Wen Yan. He was so at ease with Wen Yan that it made them, as parents who were away all year, seem quite incompetent.
The company had become busier over the years, and the time they spent with their two children had dwindled. Yet the children never complained, and Wen Yan had taken excellent care of his sister.
Thinking of this, Mr. Wen’s hand paused slightly. "School has been going well lately?"
"Yes." Wen Yan placed a chess piece. "I just dropped one rank in the exams."
He said this with a hint of a smile, causing even Mrs. Wen, who was talking nearby, to look over curiously.
"Someone surpassed you?" Mrs. Wen found it novel. Wen Yan had sat firmly in first place for so long; this was the first time she’d heard of him getting any other rank.
"It’s that classmate who came to see my brother last time, Su Jingming," Wen Miao said, taking a bite of watermelon. "Don't let that gloomy look of his fool you; he’s incredibly smart. He actually beat my brother."
Mr. Wen nodded. "I remember that boy. I heard later that he took care of you for a day during the training camp. He’s a good kid. How about we invite him over for dinner sometime?"
Wen Yan slowly looked up, his eyes becoming unfathomable. He curled his lips slightly. "Okay."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 咸蛋 | Salted Egg | Su Jingming's WeChat nickname. |
| 是妙妙呀 | It's Miao Miao | Wen Miao's WeChat nickname. |
| 二中 | No. 2 High School | A secondary school, likely a prestigious one in their area. |
| 年三十 | New Year's Eve | Specifically the 30th day of the 12th lunar month. |
| 磕CP | Shipping / To ship a CP | Slang for supporting a romantic pairing (Couple). |
| 闷骚 | Repressed / Men-sao | A person who appears cold or quiet on the outside but is passionate or "wild" on the inside. |
| 臭屁 | Arrogant / Cocky | Literally "stinky fart," used to describe someone who is full of themselves. |
