#59

In the end, Le Ya didn’t meet Chen Yang before leaving school.

As she got into the car, the school bell rang just in time. Sitting inside, she watched the teaching building grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Her heart felt heavy.

That night, she went to the airport.

Le Yijian had specially put aside his work to accompany her. The airport was bustling with people—men and women alike. Le Ya didn’t go to the lounge but sat on a bench outside the waiting area, watching them come and go.

It wasn’t until boarding time.

Le Ya had already switched to her overseas SIM card. Her phone was dual-SIM, so both could be used. She had once considered switching to a single-SIM phone, but now she was glad she hadn’t.

Once the plane took off, she finally realized that she was truly leaving.

Seeing that she hadn’t spoken for a long time, Le Yijian assumed she was worried about her hearing treatment and reassured her: “The doctor will take care of everything.”

Le Ya snapped out of her daze, looking away from the window. “I know.”

She fell asleep on the plane and woke up just as they were about to land. In her groggy state, she realized that quite some time had passed.

Since there was only a three-hour time difference between Australia and China, not having to adjust to a new time zone was actually quite comfortable.

Still half-asleep, Le Ya was led by Le Yijian to a small villa. This place had been purchased after confirming the doctor’s arrangements—it wasn’t very large, but it was more than enough for one person to live in.

The villa came with a small garden, where the previous owner had planted all kinds of flowers. It was summer here, and the garden was full of life, with butterflies fluttering around.

As soon as Le Ya stepped inside, the scent of flowers filled her nose.

Le Yijian had business matters to attend to back in China, so he couldn’t stay here for long.

Le Ya understood this, but she still found it hard to accept that she would be living alone in a foreign country for an extended period.

When she first arrived, she struggled to adjust.

Le Yijian stayed with her for three days, then brought back a cheerful girl. “Dad has hired Liang Nuan for you. She’s studying part-time while attending university here, so if you have any questions, you can ask her.”

He had gone through several candidates before settling on Liang Nuan.

Liang Nuan smiled. “My schedule is pretty flexible. I’m usually here, so feel free to ask me anything. I’ve lived here for over three years.”

Le Ya obediently replied: “Okay.”

Before leaving, Le Yijian reminded her: “Next week, Dad will take you to see the doctor. For now, just relax and enjoy yourself.”

Liang Nuan had a lively personality, much like Xie Qingyu, but she knew far more. Every morning, she would take Le Ya out for walks.

She had mapped out all the nearby attractions that didn’t require much walking, letting Le Ya choose which ones to visit.

Liang Nuan also had a tall Caucasian boyfriend.

When Le Ya first saw him, she thought he was even taller than Chen Yang—though that was partly due to racial advantages.

Later, she learned that not everyone was as tall as Liang Nuan’s boyfriend. It turned out he was on the basketball team, which explained his height.

Le Ya often found herself unconsciously thinking of Chen Yang whenever she encountered something familiar.

One day, while at the supermarket, she spotted the same candy she used to buy—the sweet kind she had given to Chen Yang many times.

Liang Nuan, who had just finished shopping, noticed Le Ya standing motionless in front of the shelf. Thinking she might want to buy something, Liang Nuan walked over to ask.

That’s when she saw the young girl crying.

Liang Nuan was at a loss. Seeing that Le Ya wasn’t saying anything and was just silently shedding tears, she didn’t know what to do.

She was scared.

By the time Chen Yang returned to the classroom, it was already the next class.

Since he had left near the end of the previous lesson, the math teacher hadn’t made much of an issue about it, given Chen Yang’s status as a top student.

The other students in the class didn’t know what had happened, but the teacher’s earlier shouting had drawn their attention to Chen Yang.

Though the big shot always wore an expressionless face, this time he seemed unusually downcast. Though no one could pinpoint why they sensed such emotion.

Liang Qian and Zhao Mingri didn’t dare say much.

Liang Qian had already pieced together some information. Before, he had asked Xie Qingyu about it, and though she hesitated, he managed to guess most of it.

After pressing her for answers, the truth came out.

“Yes, Le Ya has gone abroad. She won’t be coming back to school for a while. She probably came to say goodbye just now.”

“For now, don’t mention Le Ya in front of Chen Yang. Try to minimize your presence around him. Don’t make things worse.”

Liang Qian wondered if he was usually that conspicuous.

And he thought maybe she had misinterpreted the word “goodbye.”

If he hadn’t suddenly turned his head, he wouldn’t have noticed Le Ya standing there. That kind of farewell was completely one-sided.

Liang Qian contemplated asking Chen Yang about it, but seeing his forbidding expression, he instinctively kept quiet.

It wasn’t until the third day that he finally realized something was off.

Three days later, it was time for the weekly test results. It was a mock exam within the class, and Chen Yang hadn’t attended morning reading. He arrived just as the bell rang for the start of class.

The moment he pushed open the door, Liang Qian was stunned.

Chen Yang looked terrible.

“How many days have you not slept?” Zhao Mingri exclaimed in shock. “Look at those dark circles under your eyes!”

They weren’t particularly deep, but they stood out compared to how he usually looked.

Chen Yang didn’t respond, pulling out his chair and sitting down. Only then did he casually answer their questions: “I sleep every day.”

A state where lying in bed didn’t equate to sleeping.

Liang Qian clearly didn’t believe him. “Brother Yang, you definitely don’t look like you’ve slept. I suspect you’ve been sneaking around doing something shady.”

Zhao Mingri pulled him back. “Why don’t you take a nap, Brother Yang?”

Chen Yang hummed in acknowledgment.

The next class was Chinese. The Chinese teacher talked endlessly about reading comprehension and classical texts, almost like a lullaby.

Chen Yang finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep during this time.

When he woke up, it was already the next class period. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and Liang Qian, seeing him awake, hurriedly pulled out a carton of breakfast milk from his desk drawer.

This was something Chen Yang had randomly placed in his desk a long time ago, forgotten during one cleanup session. Since Liang Qian hadn’t touched his desk drawer in ten days or so, he had completely forgotten about it until he found it just now.

Liang Qian handed it over: “This was something Le Ya gave you…”

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing what he was saying.

Zhao Mingri wanted to hit him beside him. Why bring up Le Ya now? Wasn’t this adding fuel to the fire?

A hand reached out and snatched the carton of milk from Liang Qian’s hand.

Chen Yang drank it all in one go. The icy liquid slid down his throat, chilling him to the core and instantly waking him up.

He tossed the empty carton and finally spoke: “I’m fine.”

His voice was a bit hoarse but still relatively normal.

Liang Qian and Zhao Mingri exchanged glances, not daring to ask too many questions. They decided to keep observing him. If anything seemed amiss, they’d rush him to the hospital immediately.

Fortunately, nothing changed.

Up until the end of the first mock exam, Chen Yang remained calm, reverting to his usual state. Everything proceeded as it always had.

When the results of the first mock exam were released, the homeroom teacher of Class 17 was overjoyed.

Chen Yang ranked first in the city.

Since the mock exams weren’t based on a unified provincial test paper, comparisons couldn’t extend to the entire province. For now, they could only bask in the glory of his score.

At this rate, securing the city’s top spot in the college entrance exam wouldn’t be a problem. If luck was on his side, he might even claim the provincial top spot.

If a school produced outstanding results in the college entrance exam, the education bureau would offer rewards. As for the homeroom teacher of the top scorer, the school would privately provide additional bonuses—sometimes even exceeding their salary.

The homeroom teacher of Class 17 pinned all her hopes on Chen Yang.

Time flew by. Not long after the first mock exam ended, winter break began. Senior Three students didn’t have many days off; less than two weeks after the New Year celebrations, they had to return to school. Every second was precious.

The very first second after midnight on New Year’s Eve, Chen Yang was flipping through test papers at his desk when his phone vibrated. A message popped up on WeChat.

“Happy New Year.”

It came from the avatar that hadn’t jumped to the top of his chat list in an entire month.

Chen Yang was both annoyed and amused, then stared blankly at the four words. In the end, he replied with a few words.

What else could he say besides “Happy New Year”?

The ungrateful little one hadn’t forgotten him.

Not long after school resumed, First High School held its hundred-day pledge ceremony.

The principal and various leaders took turns giving speeches, followed by successful graduates from the previous year sharing their experiences. Finally, the top three students of this year’s cohort delivered speeches.

When it was Chen Yang’s turn, the homeroom teacher of Class 17 said: “We can’t let him go up. If he does, it’ll be over. Do you really want to hear a speech with only a few words?”

Alright, the school leaders agreed.

There were only 100 days left until the college entrance exam.

Liang Qian and Zhao Mingri seemed to have been spurred on by something and started studying seriously, shocking the eyes out of the underperforming students sitting at the back of the class.

Their foundation was weak, so Chen Yang had to start explaining concepts from first-year high school.

However, they weren’t slow-witted; their comprehension was strong. By the weekly test in the first week, they scored several dozen points higher than usual. In the monthly exam at the end of March, their rankings improved by one or two hundred places.

Liang Qian’s father was delighted and gave him extra bonuses. To celebrate, Liang Qian treated everyone to hot pot again.

It was the same restaurant, but there were fewer people this time.

He called Xie Qingyu: “Are you really not coming?”

Xie Qingyu replied: “Big brother, I told you I don’t have time. Tonight is Le Ya’s birthday, and I’m going to celebrate it with Su Hui. I know you’ve made great progress—good job! Keep it up, mwah!”

With that, she hung up.

Liang Qian was stunned.

If she didn’t want to come, fine—but at least he got a virtual kiss.

As they left the hot pot restaurant, Liang Qian and Zhao Mingri walked side by side, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

Zhao Mingri sympathized: “I thought Xie Qingyu was already your girlfriend. Turns out you’re still stuck outside the circle. Poor thing.”

“No, I’m almost there!” Liang Qian had drunk some beer and was blushing as he said: “If she had come tonight, I would’ve confessed. But she’s celebrating Le Ya’s birthday instead—why doesn’t she celebrate mine!”

He spoke quickly, almost in an instant.

Suddenly, Chen Yang asked: “Whose birthday?”

Liang Qian shivered, snapping out of his daze. He stammered nervously: “Xie Qingyu said… it’s Le Ya’s birthday.”

He was so afraid of being hit.

Chen Yang asked in a low voice: “Tonight?”

Liang Qian nodded. “They said they’d wait for midnight, so it should be late tonight or tomorrow.”

Chen Yang didn’t respond.

It was deep into the night overseas.

Liang Nuan had received a call from Le Yijian a couple of days ago, so everything had been prepared in advance. She even asked her boyfriend to help set up a surprise.

Le Ya hadn’t undergone surgery yet.

Perhaps because it had been so long since the initial issue—ten years had caused the ear problem to stabilize—and new changes had occurred, the first two treatment plans hadn’t been approved. A third plan was currently under consideration.

If it passed, the surgery would take place immediately after the college entrance exam.

Overseas, birthdays were celebrated according to the local time zone. With only a three-hour difference, Australia would reach midnight first.

Le Yijian was still on the plane, so Liang Nuan had prepared everything. As the time approached, she took Le Ya out shopping.

Le Ya had no idea it was her birthday.

After half an hour of shopping, Liang Nuan pushed open the door to a store they had visited before, so Le Ya didn’t suspect anything.

The moment the door opened, the scene before Le Ya changed dramatically.

Everyone she had met recently was inside the store, wearing all sorts of hats and holding confetti cannons, which they sprayed everywhere. It was dazzlingly beautiful.

Le Yijian stood in the middle, dressed in fairy-tale-like clothing. Though he looked ridiculous, he wore a huge smile on his face. “Make a wish quickly!”

Le Ya was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality. Surrounded by surprises, she made a wish, blew out the candles, cut the cake…

In her daze, she forgot how many wishes she had made.

Her first loudly spoken wish, of course, was for her ears to get better. Later, she silently repeated it several times, and Chen Yang’s name also popped into her mind.

Liang Nuan and the others had prepared a party.

As the birthday girl, Le Ya received blessings from everyone. Sitting at the bar, she listened to the laughter and chatter around her, feeling happy.

Though she had just turned eighteen, she didn’t drink alcohol. A glass of juice had been specially prepared for her.

After an unknown amount of time, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

It was a call from Xie Qingyu. As soon as she answered, Xie Qingyu excitedly shouted: “Le Ya, quickly check the group chat! Hurry, hurry, right now!”

Le Ya responded: “Okay.”

In the group chat with three members, messages were flooding in, tagging her repeatedly.

Sunshine Beauty Su Hui: “@Le Ya Happy Birthday, Yueya!”

Silly Internet Friend Xie Qingyu: “@Le Ya Happy Birthday! My big baby is officially an adult today!”

Sunshine Beauty Su Hui: “@Le Ya Come and claim your birthday cake!”

Silly Internet Friend Xie Qingyu: “@Le Ya I’m so sad I can’t celebrate your birthday with you in person. I’ll definitely make it up to you later!”

Le Ya didn’t know when they had changed the group name. Just a few days ago, it had been normal, but now the prefixes were getting weirder and weirder.

The two of them spammed the WeChat group, sending countless cake emojis. Since they had classes the next day, they couldn’t come overseas to celebrate with her.

Le Ya tried to reply, but her messages were instantly buried.

She couldn’t keep up, so she decided to send a voice message instead. The background noise of the lively party music wasn’t very clear.

Xie Qingyu was still overly excited until she received a voice message and link from Liang Qian.

A few seconds later, Le Ya received a private message from Xie Qingyu: “Yueya, click on this link right now, immediately! Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

She attached a URL.

Le Ya thought they were being mysterious, preparing some kind of gift for her. Smiling, she tapped on the link with her finger.

Inside was a small game without a title that required downloading.

She clicked to download it.

The game had a cartoonish art style. Since it was her first time playing, after registering, the game guided her through everything step by step. All she had to do was swipe her fingers.

Along the way, there were many balloons. Popping them revealed various gifts, all of which went into her backpack.

There were a total of 17.

At the end was a huge gift box.

Le Ya used two fingers to untie the ribbon on top and then opened the box. Inside lay a tiny little figure.

She had expected to see the words “Happy Birthday,” but instead, two small figures appeared, holding hands and forming a heart.

Le Ya was confused.