When Shen You’an was leaving, Zhang Xiaoyu clung to her and cried like it was the end of the world.
To put it bluntly, it was as if she was more heartbroken than losing a loved one.
Aunt Guihua was busy stuffing the trunk with large bags of food and fresh vegetables.
Zhang Jian sighed helplessly, "Aunt, that’s enough—you’ve gone to so much trouble already."
"This is the beef jerky An’an loves. And in this bag, you’ll find some peach crisps..."
Aunt Guihua explained everything to Zhang Jian, one item at a time, as if lamenting that the trunk was simply too small to hold it all.
Standing to the side, Zhang Feifei, her eyes rimmed red, gazed at Shen You’an wistfully. She wanted to step forward but lacked the courage to be as brazen as Zhang Xiaoyu.
Shen You’an waved gently, "Feifei, come here."
Zhang Feifei obediently walked up to Shen You’an.
Shen You’an took out a slightly worn notebook from her backpack and handed it to Zhang Feifei.
"This is my notebook from the year I was in ninth grade. I hope it will be of some help to you."
Zhang Feifei looked at her in disbelief, "An’an, are you really giving this to me?"
Shen You’an smiled faintly, "Why? Don’t you want it?"
"Of course that’s not it."
Hugging the notebook tightly to her chest as though it were a great treasure, Zhang Feifei’s face was lit with unrestrained joy.
"Thank you, An’an! I promise I’ll work really hard."
After all, this was the notebook of a top scorer—how could she, of all people, deserve such a gift?
Zhang Feifei was so moved she was on the verge of tears.
Nearby, Zhang Xiaoyu cast a jealous glance at Zhang Feifei.
She wanted that top scorer’s notebook too.
Then again, An’an left her with an even more formidable "secret guide." Let this notebook be Zhang Feifei’s; after all, Feifei was a bit slow. Without An’an’s guidance, getting into Qingzhou would be next to impossible for her.
Shen You’an reached out to gently pat Zhang Feifei’s head, her gaze tender.
"Do you still remember what I told you?"
Zhang Feifei nodded fervently.
"I’ll be waiting for you in Qingzhou."
In the rearview mirror, a group of figures faded into tiny black dots, and then disappeared into the dust, leaving no trace behind.
Shen You’an redirected her gaze, reached into her backpack, and slowly put on her glasses.
Driving, Zhang Jian glanced at Shen You’an reflexively, furrowing his brow.
"An’an, once we’re back in Qingzhou, let me take you to get a set of contact lenses."
"Thank you, Uncle, but no need—I’m fine ."
"But without glasses, you look so much better..."
With the glasses on, Shen You’an seemed like a completely different person. The brightness in her eyes dimmed, and her whole demeanor became subdued.
This pained Zhang Jian greatly.
Shen You’an replied indifferently, "Troublesome."
With that, she pulled out her Bluetooth earphones, put them on, and tuned into an English radio station, closing her eyes.
Zhang Jian sighed helplessly.
After picking up Luo Wan and Luo Qian from Luo Village, they headed straight for Qingzhou.
By the time they arrived in Qingzhou, it was nearing noon. Shen You’an and Luo Wan were busy handling all the specialty items and food they had brought back, while Zhang Jian worked in the kitchen, preparing lunch.
Glancing toward the kitchen, Luo Wan whispered to Shen You’an, "An’an, what did the police ultimately decide about Zhou Qin? She won’t come back to cause trouble, will she?"
Shen You’an narrowed her eyes slightly, "Don’t worry, Aunt. Zhou Qin won’t be causing trouble again."
Luo Wan was a little puzzled by Shen You’an’s confidence, but she trusted her unconditionally.
"That’s good to hear. All I want is for her to divorce my brother as soon as possible and disappear from our lives forever."
Suddenly remembering something, Luo Wan asked, "An’an, I heard from my brother that you sent Tianci to Qingzhi Middle School. Don’t they have school breaks?"
Shen You’an curved her lips into a faint smile, "Qingzhi Middle School doesn’t."
"What? A school without any holidays? That must be so tough on the students."
"It’s the hardship he ought to face. Wouldn’t you agree, Aunt?"
Luo Wan nodded, "You’re right. I’ve heard Qingzhi Middle School is really impressive—especially in how they manage problematic students. A kid like Tianci needs to experience some hardship; otherwise, sooner or later, he’ll end up causing a major disaster and dragging my brother down with him."
Her dislike for Zhang Tianci was no less than her disdain for Zhou Qin. Still, he was just a child. If he could truly turn his life around, it’d be a blessing for the Zhang family.
After lunch, Shen You’an spent some time tutoring Luo Qian.
Then she handed him a set of practice papers.
"Two hours. Finish this before I get back."
Luo Qian didn’t say a word, quietly taking the test papers.
When Shen You’an left her bedroom, Luo Wan was sitting on the living room sofa, flipping between knitting a sweater and watching a soap opera.
Zhang Jian was taking a nap in one of the bedrooms.
At the entryway, Shen You’an changed into her shoes. Luo Wan called out, "An’an, heading out?"
"Aunt, I’m going to the library."
Luo Wan sighed with admiration. An’an was so hardworking. Even during the holidays, she headed to the library.
At the detention center, Zhou Qin emerged after serving her fifteen-day sentence, disheveled and unkempt.