In short, thanks to Ji Huaijin's frequent interruptions, Fang Lele had escaped disaster for the time being.
Soon, however, Cheng Yue received his acceptance letter and became so busy with medical examinations and training that he had no time to spare for him.
On his second night back in Capital City, the moon shone brightly.
Fang Lele huddled beneath the covers, his head turned toward the window as he stared out with open eyes.
The greatest advantage of the suburbs was the quiet, but at that moment, he wished desperately that he lived in the bustling city center.
He tried to banish his jumbled thoughts and force himself to sleep, but the instant he closed his eyes, certain dreadful images flooded his mind.
Fang Lele bit the corner of his blanket, scrunching up his face in frustration as he growled softly, "Stop thinking about it! Stop thinking about it! Aaargh, Fang Lele!"
But some memories would not stay away simply because he told them to.
Three days earlier, Sucheng basked in April's gentle spring sunshine, the entire city enveloped in a sea of flowers.
That day, Fang Lele had been granted a special reprieve for good behavior: a day off.
When he suddenly received the news over breakfast, Fang Lele leaped with joy.
"Yay! I can finally go out and have fun!"
Ms. Chen pressed the bouncing little rascal back into his seat, smiling so broadly that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showed. "I know, I know. Sit down before you choke."
Fang Lele calmly replied, "Okay," only to burst into laughter again a second later.
Of course, however happy he was, he had not forgotten that a day off was one thing; going out still required permission.
Clutching his backpack, Fang Lele cautiously edged over to