Chapter 2: A Small Interlude Before the School Transfer

Xia Qianzhi's bedroom had an unusually large window, and her favorite thing to do was gaze out of it. She and her mother lived in an old apartment building, so ancient that its exterior walls had begun to crumble.

It was the weekend, and as usual, she was staring blankly out the window. The sky was overcast, a fine drizzle drifting down. Spring was always a season of endless, gloomy rain. It had been raining for so many days now that she had forgotten the last time she'd seen the sun. The apartment was silent, save for the occasional soft clatter from the living room, where her mother, Xia Xinwei, was tidying something.

"Sigh…" A faint sigh came from the living room. A frown slowly creased Qianzhi's brow. She pulled her gaze back from the window and glanced up at the wall clock. It was already past four in the afternoon. The rain continued its ceaseless patter.

"Qianzhi?" Her mother's voice called from the living room.

"Mm," she answered softly.

"Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes."

"If you're done, you should go over to your father's place. This rain doesn't look like it's going to stop, and it'll be dark soon if you wait any longer."

Xia Qianzhi obediently agreed. She put on her jacket, casually tied her hair back, and grabbed an umbrella, ready to leave.

Xia Xinwei followed her to the door. "Will you be back for dinner?"

"I should be," Xia Qianzhi said.

"Then be careful on the road. Come back early, alright?" Xia Xinwei urged.

"I know."

Xia Qianzhi opened her umbrella and stood under a street sign, waiting for the bus. Pedestrians hurried along the street, but there were also couples, huddled intimately under a single umbrella, strolling through the rain. Watching them, a faint wistfulness bloomed, unbidden, in her heart.

Was this love? Having grown up in the shadow of being an illegitimate daughter, she had never dared to dream of or yearn for so-called love. From the moment she understood, she had learned from her mother's silence and the mockery and scorn in others' eyes that her family was different. And she was nothing more than an illegitimate child who couldn't be seen in the light of day.

Just then, the long-overdue bus finally appeared. She closed her umbrella and boarded. All the seats were taken, so she had to stand, holding onto a handrail. In the seat beside her, two girls about her age were animatedly discussing some boy. Bored, she turned her gaze to the window.

Time passed in the silent drizzle. Thirty minutes later, she got off at the last stop and walked up a quiet, grand road flanked by tall, verdant camphor trees that seemed to stretch on without end. She walked slowly. The wind was light, carrying a fine, chilling mist that brushed against her face. This area was filled with high-end villas, a place the public bus didn't service. The luxurious homes were nestled amongst the lush camphor trees. The road was nearly empty of pedestrians; occasionally, a few cars would glide past in silence. Compared to the noise and crowds of the city, it was another world.

A fiery red Porsche came speeding from the distance. It shot past Qianzhi, splashing her with water before disappearing at the end of the road. She frowned, silently taking out a tissue to wipe herself clean. That flashy sports car—she knew who it belonged to.

Standing before the gates of the Xing family estate, she reached out and pressed the doorbell. The housekeeper, Auntie Li, came to open it. "Miss Qianzhi, please come in."

Qianzhi nodded. "Thank you."

She followed Auntie Li through the garden and saw it at a glance—the fiery red Porsche, parked amongst a row of sedans, exceptionally conspicuous. "Auntie Li, is it busy today?" she asked.

"It's the young master's birthday party," Auntie Li said. "He's invited so many people—lots of his classmates from school, and some of his father's business associates. I'm about to run myself ragged."

*What unfortunate timing,* Qianzhi thought.

She stopped in the corridor of the main house. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see a scene of glamorous revelry within. She said to Auntie Li, "I won't go in. Could you please tell my father that I'm waiting for him in the study?"

Auntie Li agreed and went on her way.

She sat on the sofa in the study of Xing Shiyao—her father—and waited quietly. She didn't know why he had insisted she come, but now that she was here, her timing seemed poor. She wondered if he would even have time to see her.

The minutes ticked by. After half an hour, she finally saw her father appear in the study.

Qianzhi stood up and called out, "Father."

"Mm," Xing Shiyao grunted in acknowledgment, nodding for her to sit down.

He sat on the sofa opposite her. "How's your schoolwork been lately?"

"It's fine."

Nearing fifty, Xing Shiyao was a tall man who had kept himself in remarkably good shape. It was easy to see he must have been a handsome man in his youth.

"You'll be a senior next semester, won't you?"

"Yes."

"I've asked you here today to discuss your school transfer."

"Transfer?" She was stunned.

"I've already made arrangements with Haixin High School. You'll transfer there next semester."

"But I'll be in my final year next semester. The curriculum might be different, and I'll have to get used to a whole new environment. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"In terms of facilities or faculty, how can a public school possibly compare to a private one? No matter how you look at it, Haixin is the top choice. It has the highest university matriculation rate."

Seeing the resolve on Xing Shiyao's face, she knew there was no room for discussion. Qianzhi sighed silently. If this was the case, why make her come all this way? Couldn't he have just told her over the phone?

"Fine, then," Qianzhi said.

"Good." Xing Shiyao nodded, satisfied. "You're not in a hurry to leave, are you? Come downstairs with me for a bite to eat. I'll introduce you to Xing Tuo's friends. You'll all be classmates soon enough, anyway."

Of course. Her father had already thought of everything for her. No wonder he had insisted she come today. But she had no desire whatsoever to meet Xing Tuo's friends.

Xing Tuo. Her half-brother on their father's side. Her so-called "brother" was merely a few months younger than her.

"I promised my mother I'd be home for dinner."

Xing Shiyao frowned. "It's fine to eat here once in a while. It's a rare opportunity. I'll have Auntie Li call your mother."

She watched the indifference on his face as he spoke of her mother, and a wave of sorrow washed over her. Was this the man her mother had silently loved for eighteen years? For an irresponsible affair, for a half-hearted man, for a promise that could never be kept, she had wasted eighteen years of her youth. And did he have any feelings for her at all? Perhaps he once had, but they were like a castle built on sand, collapsing at the slightest touch of wind or rain. She had exhausted her youth, and what did she have to show for it in the end? Besides a daughter they shared, she had nothing. But he—he had money, fame, a career, a family, and status.

Eighteen years, for a woman, was a lifetime.

"Qianzhi?"

She came back to herself and found her father watching her.

"What were you thinking about? You were so lost in thought."

"Nothing. Let's go downstairs."

The moment she went downstairs with her father, he was pulled away by a friend. Qianzhi retreated to a quiet corner, silently observing everything at the party. It was only a birthday party, yet it was so lavish. It was another world, one far removed from her own.

"Brother, look. Is that Qianzhi?" On the other side of the hall, Xing Yun said to Xing Tuo.

Xing Tuo followed her gaze, his lips thinning with displeasure. Her? What was she doing here?

Xing Yun said, "Should we go over and say hello?"

Xing Tuo replied, "If you want to go, go by yourself. I'm not going."

"How can you be like that? She's our sister, after all."

Xing Tuo shot her an impatient glance. "Xing Yun, don't bother me. Get lost!"

Xing Yun was so incensed she was momentarily speechless.

"What's all this about sisters and brothers?" a clueless Shen Xinghao asked from the side.

Xing Tuo shot him a murderous glare. "Shut up!"

Shen Xinghao looked questioningly at Xing Yun. "Did I say something wrong?"

Xing Yun smiled. "It's nothing. Let's just ignore him! Why don't we go over there? I'll introduce you to someone."

Shen Xinghao glanced hesitantly at Xing Tuo, who seemed to be fuming. "Uh... is that a good idea?"

"Let's go." Xing Yun grabbed his arm and pulled him away, completely ignoring Xing Tuo's taut expression.

"Qianzhi!"

Qianzhi turned to see Xing Yun's broad, smiling face. At only sixteen, Xing Yun was already tall and slender. Her delicate features and naturally curly hair set off her dark, luminous eyes. It was just as the old poem said, she thought: *Her captivating glance brought forth a hundred charms.*

"When did you get here?" Xing Yun asked.

"A little while ago. Dad asked me to come talk about something."

"Oh, have you seen him then?" Xing Yun asked with concern.

"I have." She looked up at Xing Yun, who was a half-head taller than her, and smiled. "I haven't seen you in a few months, and it looks like you've grown again."

"You're one to talk! Why haven't you visited in so long?"

"I've been busy with school."

"Oh, right," Xing Yun said, finally remembering Shen Xinghao beside her. "Let me introduce you to a friend. This is Shen Xinghao. He's my brother's classmate." Then, to Shen Xinghao, she said, "This is Qianzhi. Mine and Tuo's sister."

Only then did Qianzhi notice the tall, handsome Shen Xinghao standing beside her. He smiled and extended a hand. "Hello."

She reached out and shook it. "Hello."

Shen Xinghao smiled. "I didn't realize Tuo had a sister."

"There's a lot you don't realize." A cold voice pierced right through to her eardrums. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. Xing Tuo, a crystal wine glass in hand, had appeared beside them at some point.

Xing Yun said, "Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

Xing Tuo's gaze, icy cold, fell on Qianzhi. "This is my house. I'll go wherever I please. Wouldn't you agree, *Sister* Xia Qianzhi?"

He bit down on the word "Xia" with particular force. Qianzhi bit her lip. She knew what he meant. He was reminding her that she didn't belong here. She knew he disliked her, and she felt no fondness for this so-called little brother of hers either—it had everything to do with his arrogant, domineering personality.

Still oblivious to the turbulent undercurrents between the two, Shen Xinghao asked innocently, "So, what else is there that I don't know?"

All Qianzhi wanted was to leave, and quickly. She couldn't stand another second in this place with Xing Tuo present. She had no desire to argue with him, not now. He was just a spoiled child. "Excuse me," she said, "I have to go." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked towards the main door. Xing Yun looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue. Shen Xinghao watched her retreating back, puzzled by her abrupt departure.

Xing Yun shot Xing Tuo an angry glare. "Brother, you're just..."

He was unconcerned. "Did I do something?"

The rain outside had stopped at some point. Qianzhi looked up at the dark, desolate sky and walked away without a backward glance. The brilliantly lit castle behind her did not belong to her. Alone, she retraced her steps, walking back to the place that was her home, her world.

When she got home, Xia Xinwei was watching television alone. "You're back?"

"Mm," she answered, changing into her slippers by the door.

Xia Xinwei stood up. "Did you eat dinner? Would you like a little something?"

Qianzhi looked at the hopeful expression on her mother's face and said, "Okay."

The food was brought out: a simple dish of scrambled eggs with tomato and a bowl of pork rib soup. Qianzhi sat down and ate slowly. Xia Xinwei sat at the other end of the table, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Did your father want to talk to you about something?"

"He told me about transferring schools."

Xia Xinwei froze. "Transferring? But why, all of a sudden...?"

"He said Haixin High School has a better college matriculation rate, so he wants me to transfer."

Xia Xinwei studied her daughter's calm face and asked cautiously, "And what did you say?"

"I had nothing to say."

"Well... if you don't want to, I can go talk to him..."

Qianzhi cut her off. "It doesn't matter to me. It's the same everywhere, isn't it?"

Xia Xinwei sighed. "Is it really?"

"Mm."

Night deepened. She switched on the warm floor lamp in her bedroom, pushed open the window, and saw that it had started to rain again. She gazed out at the myriad lights of the city, took out her harmonica, tested a few notes, and began to play that old song—"Home! Sweet Home!"

This was her home. It belonged to her.