Saved, thanks for the treat.

The room was bright and spacious—Shen Nian couldn’t remember the last time he’d studied in here.

The last time he studied in his room was… well, the last time.

But studying with the AC on? Absolute bliss.

The town wasn’t very developed, so light pollution was minimal. The stars, invisible in the city, were clearly visible here. The moon no longer looked lonely.

Buzz, buzz.

His phone vibrated—Shen Yue was calling.

“Yeah?” Shen Nian capped his pen, flipped his test paper aside, and flopped onto the bed. The sheets carried the scent of sun-dried cotton, mixed with a hint of lavender. Comfortable. His voice softened.

“Wuuu, little bro, I miss you.”

“Uh, cut the act. What’s up?”

“Just… feeling kinda lonely. The house feels so empty.” Shen Yue’s voice was sugary sweet. Shen Nian didn’t even need to think—his older sister was definitely binge-watching dramas in her room, probably in just her underwear, with a bag of chips dumped carelessly by the bed.

“Then come back. What’s the point of staying there alone?”

“I’ll wait till Mid-Autumn Festival…”

Going back to town meant no more food delivery. She’d have to take turns with Shen Nian doing chores—hanging laundry, cooking. Just thinking about it made her glad to be alone. Tomorrow, she’d invite her girlfriends out shopping.

Lazy as she was, she was still the older sister. She had to maintain some dignity.

“You barely go home. When you finally do, remember to help with the chores. Cook before Mom and Dad get back. Don’t piss them off, got it?”

“Pfft, as if I’m your personal servant.” Shen Nian rolled his eyes.

“Good, good. Mom and Dad had it rough back then. Before the farm got big, they were running around nonstop. Things only got better after Mom was pregnant with you. You were too young to remember, but when Mom had you, she almost—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s with the sob story?” Shen Nian cut her off.

“Heh, just behave yourself. Mom and Dad have so many white hairs now. Don’t act like a brat.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m hanging up. Lock the doors and windows before bed.”

“Mhm. I saw the pics Mom sent. Save some good food for me when I’m back. Bye, you little rascal.”

Beep—

Shen Nian plugged in his phone and sprawled on the bed, mind blissfully empty.

Just zoning out. Brain fried. Waiting for replies.

Nights in town weren’t as lively as the city’s. Half the streetlights were broken, and by late night, barely anyone was out.

So Mom almost didn’t make it when she had him? Shen Nian had never heard that before.

Respect.

Lady Luck—truly great. No further comment.

…

The next day, Shen Nian ambushed the rooster across the street, brushing his teeth before it could even crow.

At 4:30 AM, the town was empty except for street cleaners.

Back in middle school, he’d wake up this early just for the free breakfast—a bowl of rice noodles and a carton of student milk.

Life was so chill. Typical small-town youth.

While the street outside his house was quiet, the market area was packed.

Today was market day. Vendors were up early, setting up stalls selling everything—traditional herbs, snakebite remedies. Shen Nian used to love watching them handle snakes. Back when regulations were looser, some even displayed pythons in cages.

After a long jog, Shen Nian squeezed his calf muscles. Normally sedentary, he could actually see them firming up.

Exercise had become his outlet for pent-up energy.

Thanks to [Flicker Training], his workouts were way more efficient.

After all, exercise counted as leveling up.

Eight-pack abs, handmade. For Xia Yanchun to touch later.

On the way back, he grabbed some steamed buns.

At 8 AM, Chen Minyue stared at the buns on the table, baffled.

What kind of kid wakes up this early during a break? Unheard of.

She almost wondered if Shen Nian had pulled an all-nighter—something he’d done plenty of times before.

But he looked refreshed, no dark circles in sight. No mistakes meant no scolding.

“When did you sleep last night? Up so early.”

“Dunno. Early to bed, early to rise.” Shen Nian grinned. “Went for a run. My clothes are in the washer. Just showered. Gonna head upstairs now.”

“You exercised?”

“Yep. Sweat buckets.”

Wow. Her son had turned over a new leaf.

Wait, was that the right phrase? Eh, close enough.

After months apart, Shen Nian’s changes were staggering. Chen Minyue was surprised, happy, and curious.

Such a transformation had to stem from something big. For an 18-year-old, the most likely culprit? A crush.

Hmm… She hadn’t noticed him interacting much with Xia Yanchun next door. Was he keeping his distance because he liked someone else?

Well, hopefully he knew his limits.

Upstairs, Shen Nian leaned on the balcony, idly watching a hunched old lady fertilizing vegetables and the occasional tricycle passing by.

He was an honest kid. He missed Yanchun.

They’d gone home separately yesterday and hadn’t spoken since. Just a wall between them, yet it felt like worlds apart. He was here; she was there.

Glancing sideways, he could see familiar clothes drying on the neighboring balcony—the same little dress he’d clung to yesterday.

But with Uncle Xia and Aunt Wen home, he couldn’t just waltz over to see Xia Yanchun.

Might as well say good morning.

[Shen Nian]: (Good morning! If it’s not good, well, it’s still morning.jpg)

[You poked Xia Yanchun’s red envelope and said, “Hello, Mommy”]

[Shen Nian]: ??

Damn you, Yanchun.

Just a wall away, Xia Yanchun groggily sat up, stretching so hard her toes nearly cramped.

She’d slept early, exhausted from yesterday, and woke up refreshed after a solid eight hours.

After brushing her teeth and washing up, she flopped back onto the bed and finally noticed Shen Nian’s message.

Pfft—

The sheer catharsis of seeing those two question marks. Nothing like Shen Nian’s bafflement to start the day right.

Holding down the voice message button, she sent him three seconds of laughter.

[Xia Yanchun]: (Hahaha—honk honk honk!)

[Shen Nian]: Saved. Thanks for the meal. Gonna listen to this daily. I’ll even play it for the loli girl after break.

[Xia Yanchun]: ?

Her smile vanished. Whoever’s face it transferred to—good luck guessing.

Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's daily requests exceeding 3 million+, causing excessive server pressure, we now recommend switching to other providers' sources.