Poor girl's house

Chen Wei'er's home was located in a single-story residential area near the local market, a classic quadrangle courtyard. In the middle of the square-shaped courtyard was a small drainage ditch, surrounded by neighbors on all sides. There was no central heating or indoor bathroom—just the bare essentials.

In 1995, Songjiang City hadn't started large-scale development yet, so these quadrangle courtyards were common in flat housing areas. In winter, the drainage ditch in the courtyard would freeze, and the layers of ice would pile up, looking from afar like a small ice mountain.

"We can't afford an apartment; the fmaily doesn't have the means," Chen Wei'er said apologetically with a smile.

"It's fine. My grandma's house is a quadrangle courtyard just like this. I actually find it cozier than an apartment!" I said casually.

Chen Wei'er smiled gratefully. "Dad! Liu Lei is here!" she said, opening the door and calling inside.

"Oh, Wei'er, quickly bring him into the inner room. It's cold out!" came a man's voice, her father's.

I was about to change my shoes, but Chen Wei'er motioned for me to stop, and I remembered that houses like these were usually concrete-floored, so people didn't usually switch to slippers indoors.

Her home wasn't very big—two rooms, totaling about 40 square meters. The main room had a heated brick bed where her father lay resting. The small room was divided by plywood, likely giving Chen Wei'er and Chen Yong each half.

"Please, have a seat! Wei'er, get some fruit for our guest!" Her father made to sit up as he spoke.

"Uncle Chen, please, you should rest. Don't worry about me," I quickly stepped forward to keep him from getting up. I added, "Wei'er, you don't need to fuss; I don't need anything."

I was aware of their financial situation—buying fruit wasn't easy, and they likely saved it for her father's recovery. I didn't want to take that from him.

Seeing that I was insistent, Chen Wei'er didn't persist. She sat next to me by her father's bedside, and we chatted for a bit about his condition. From the current signs, there was no rejection reaction, and he was recovering well. He should be fully healed after the New Year. Seeing Chen Wei'er's happiness, I felt that the more than 200,000 yuan I had spent was absolutely worth it!

After a while, Chen Yong and Chen Wei'er's mother returned home together.

"Liu Lei is here!" Chen's mother greeted me warmly.

"Yes, Wei'er and I just got here too," I replied, taking the vegetables and meat from her hands.

"Our situation is what it is, and I'm sure you know by now. We spent all the money on Wei'er's father's treatment, so we can't take you to a restaurant. We'll just make a simple meal at home…" Chen's mother said apologetically.

"It's really no problem; I actually prefer homemade food!" I replied, although I inwardly cringed a bit. Just last night, Wu the Fat and I had spent over 4,000 yuan on a meal at a fancy restaurant—enough to feed a family like Chen Wei'er's for a whole year.

Chen Yong put the leftover candied haws outside to freeze, then came in to help his mother with the vegetables and rice.

"Auntie, let me help you," I said, standing up.

"Oh, no, no! Let Wei'er keep you company in here. Da Yong and I will handle everything!" Chen's mother waved her hand, insisting I stay.

"It's fine; let Wei'er keep Uncle company! I'll help with the cooking!" I said, following Chen's mother into the kitchen. Honestly, I hadn't eaten all day and was starving. Helping out would make things go faster.

"Let me handle this!" I took the fish from Chen's mother's hands and began scaling it with practiced ease.

Chen Yong looked at me, wide-eyed, wondering: This big-shot who spends money like water knows how to clean fish? That's surprising.

I noticed his curiosity and smiled as I explained, "I usually cook for myself." It was true; in my past life in Beijing, I often made my own meals.

Chen Yong nodded and didn't ask further, returning to his task of cleaning vegetables. Chen's mother plugged in the rice cooker and began making rice.

"Liu Lei, my sister seems to like you quite a bit!" After a while, Chen Yong whispered to me while his mother was distracted chopping vegetables.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, she brings you up whenever we're talking. I'm sure she has a place for you in her heart," Chen Yong said.

Hearing this, I felt a flash of excitement. With Chen Yong as my ally in this family, it would be hard not to win over Chen Wei'er!

"Da Yong! What nonsense are you spouting there! Have you forgotten about that matter?" Despite his low voice, Chen's mother, with her sharp hearing, overheard him and scolded him immediately.

"Oh," Chen Yong nodded, falling silent.

That matter? What matter? From her tone, it seemed that Chen's mother wasn't entirely on board with Chen Wei'er liking me. Could Chen Yong be hiding something from me? But I'd already spoken openly with him about my feelings for Chen Wei'er. I'd even told him I wouldn't interfere with her choice if she had someone else she liked, yet now? What's going on? Was there something else in play?

Meanwhile, in the inner room, Chen's father lay resting. Chen Wei'er, curious, picked up the paper bag I'd left by the sofa. What's in here? She hadn't seen me holding anything after school, so how had this bag appeared out of nowhere after our shopping trip?

Opening it carefully, she was momentarily stunned. Isn't this the same white outfit I tried on at the Lady's Boutique? How had it ended up here? Could he have bought it? But why? Was it for his girlfriend?

Or… could he have bought it just for me? another thought chimed in unexpectedly.

No way! she rationalized. Why would he buy me clothes? He's not my boyfriend!

But how do you know it's not for you? that inner voice teased. This outfit would look best on you, after all!

No, no, how can I even think that? Better put it back quickly before he notices! Her rational side took over once again.

Why not take a closer look? Just see if it's the one you tried on. The voice tempted her again.

Okay, fine. A peek won't hurt. Finally giving in to the voice, she gently lifted the outfit out of the bag, revealing the same size she'd tried on earlier. Could he really have bought it for me?

Touching the soft fabric, Chen Wei'er felt a thrill. This outfit is so expensive—700 yuan! I'm not even his girlfriend, so why would he do this? Then a thought hit her. Did he overhear my quiet wish earlier?

Flushed with embarrassment, Chen Wei'er wanted to hide. Just then, her mother called from the kitchen, "Wei'er, come help with the dishes!"

Snapping out of her daze, she quickly stuffed the outfit back into the bag, restored everything to its original place, and ran to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with this child? Why is her face so red? Is she running a fever?" Chen's mother asked, looking at her daughter in surprise.

"No... no, it's just a bit hot in here!" Chen Wei'er hurriedly explained, trying to calm herself down, hoping he wouldn't notice anything.

"Really? I actually feel a bit cold. Should I tell your brother to add less firewood?" Chen's mother asked.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Just make sure Dad doesn't get cold." Chen Wei'er waved her hand, insisting, although she wasn't actually feeling hot.

With my help, we quickly prepared a hearty dinner. Even Chen's mother couldn't stop praising my cooking skills, constantly telling Chen Yong to learn from me.

Chen Yong stood nearby, looking sour, clearly at a loss for words. I figured if I weren't their family's benefactor, he would have lost his temper with me by now.

During dinner, although I was treated like an honored guest, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. There was little conversation. I couldn't talk about Chen Wei'er or Chen Yong in front of Chen's parents, so throughout the meal, Chen's mother did most of the talking, thanking me and encouraging me to focus on my studies.

After dinner, seeing that it was getting late, I stood up to say goodbye to Chen's mother. Since Chen's father needed rest, Chen's mother didn't insist on keeping me any longer.

As I was leaving, I gave Chen Yong a subtle look. The guy caught on quickly and immediately said, "Wei'er, the path here is a bit tricky. Go ahead and see Liu Lei off, don't get lost!"

"Okay, sure." Chen Wei'er put on her down jacket and followed me out.

The moonlight cast our shadows on the path as we walked side by side. With few people around at this hour, Chen Wei'er didn't try to avoid talking.

"The review questions you helped me pick last time really worked! I scored more than 10 points higher in this month's test than last time," Chen Wei'er started the conversation.

"More than 10 points? What will the second-place student do now?" I asked in surprise.

"Heh, I only beat him by a little over 20 points. But before graduation, he won't catch up to me." Chen Wei'er said, a mix of pride and mischief in her voice.

Just over 20 points? Our school is full of talented students, and the scores on the yearly rankings are always tightly packed. Yet Chen Wei'er was ahead by over 20 points.

"Some people are ahead of the second-place by 33 points," Chen Wei'er suddenly turned to me and teased.

"I… was just guessing. How do you know that?" I asked. Of course, I had a special advantage—being reborn. But it seemed like Chen Wei'er was paying close attention to me.

"Heh, do you think I wouldn't know? I also know that second-place student is your girlfriend!" Chen Wei'er said with a grin.

"Are you sure you're not a spy sent by some rival organization to investigate me?" I pretended to be puzzled.

"Go to hell, who would be investigating you for no reason?" Chen Wei'er spat playfully.

"Wei'er…!" I suddenly stopped and called out to her.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Chen Wei'er turned around when she saw me stop.

"This is for you." I handed her the paper bag in my hand.

"Really for me?" Chen Wei'er's face lit up with joy upon hearing that.

"Do you know what it is?" I asked, noticing how happy she looked as if she already knew what was inside.

"I… I secretly peeked while you were in the kitchen." Chen Wei'er blushed as she admitted.

"Then why didn't you tell me you saw it?" I suddenly remembered her strange expression in the kitchen earlier. She really managed to hold back.

"I thought it was for your girlfriend," Chen Wei'er explained.

"Didn't you think it might be for you?" I gave her a teasing smile.

"I…" Chen Wei'er was so embarrassed she didn't know what to say.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Chen Wei'er looked up at me softly.

"I… do you really want to know?" I asked.

"Forget it, let's not talk about it, okay?" Chen Wei'er shook her head vigorously.

"Alright." We both fell into silence as we continued walking forward. Chen Wei'er walked ahead, holding the clothes in her arms, and I had no idea what she was thinking.

"Liu Lei." Suddenly, Chen Wei'er turned around and said to me, "Can you hug me?"

"What did you just say?" I froze for a moment. Did she just ask me to hug her? Did I hear that correctly?

Chen Wei'er gave a wry smile, shaking her head. "Nothing, I was just joking."

"Wei'er." I quickly walked up to her and pulled her into my arms.

To my surprise, Chen Wei'er didn't resist, but instead, she leaned into my embrace. I could clearly feel her rapid breathing.

"Wei'er, I…" I couldn't help but want to tell her what was on my mind.

"Don't say it, Liu Lei! Please, don't say it. You promised me earlier!" Chen Wei'er clung to me tightly.

"Okay." I nodded, quietly savoring the warmth she brought.

After a while, Chen Wei'er lifted her head. In the moonlight, I could see her beautiful face, now covered in tears.

"Liu Lei, you don't like me, do you?" Chen Wei'er asked.

"I…" I didn't know what to say.

"Hurry and tell me, say you don't like me!" Chen Wei'er urged, her voice full of urgency.

"Okay." I nodded.

Chen Wei'er let out a bitter smile, forcefully pushing me away before running towards her home.

What's going on with her? Why is she acting so strange all of a sudden? She clearly seems to like me, but now she wants me to tell her that I don't like her? What's really going on? Girls' minds are so difficult to understand. I helplessly watched as Chen Wei'er ran off into the distance, then took a taxi by myself at the intersection.

With red eyes, Chen Wei'er stumbled her way home and immediately retreated to her small room.

Her mother asked her what was wrong, but she simply replied that she was tired and wanted to rest early.

Chen Wei'er replayed the moment of the hug in her mind. It had been so warm, so comforting. Was this what love felt like? But such a feeling would never belong to her again. She was already promised to someone else, with no right to pursue her own happiness. To lean into the arms of someone she loved would be a luxury she could no longer afford.

She tried to comfort herself, thinking that having that moment, however brief, was enough. At least she wouldn't have any regrets in this life.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, tears began to fall once more. Quickly, she told herself in her heart: He's already told you he doesn't like you, so why are you still thinking about it? Right now, you should focus on studying and repay the person who paid for your father's treatment.

Chen Wei'er opened her closet and placed the set of clothes inside. She decided to let it remain as a beautiful memory in her life.

It was a first love that had never truly begun, yet was already coming to an end. This was the gift he had given her. Though she longed to wear it, she knew that if she did, it would be as if she was acknowledging the relationship.

That was something she could never allow. She no longer belonged to herself.