Chapter Summaries

After Chen Shi'an scored 723 on the midterms, Lin Meng Qiu arranged to take him to a haunted house, while Wen Zhixia planned a celebratory outing with him. As Wen Zhixia rode behind him, she asked about his plans to study humanities, and Chen Shi'an said he would stay in the science class for now.

• Lin Meng Qiu accepted that their tied math result meant she had to honor their haunted-house bet, and she and Chen Shi'an agreed to go the week after next.
• Wen Zhixia met Chen Shi'an after evening study, admired his midterm papers, and promised him dinner, a movie, and an amusement-park trip the following week.
• Wen Zhixia rode home behind Chen Shi'an and learned that Sister Wanyin would attend his parent-teacher meeting.
• Chen Shi'an told Wen Zhixia he would finish studying the science material before discussing humanities exams with Uncle Lin next semester, but he would not switch classes.
• Wen Zhixia felt Chen Shi'an's abs through his jacket pockets, and he told her to keep her hands to herself while he rode.

Chen Shi'an showed Li Wanyin his outstanding midterm results, then diagnosed the bathroom light and taught her the basics of playing the bamboo flute. The chapter ended with him remembering that the Class Monitor still had his uniform after he took first place from her.

• Li Wanyin welcomed Chen Shi'an home with noodles, and he showed her his midterm papers, scoring 723 out of 750.
• Chen Shi'an found that moisture had caused the old bathroom light to short-circuit and planned to buy a replacement.
• Li Wanyin told Chen Shi'an she had tried practicing the bamboo flute, so he taught her how to hold it and control her breath.
• Li Wanyin produced a clear sustained note and practiced changing its pitch with her fingering.
• Chen Shi'an remembered that the Class Monitor had washed his uniform and feared what she might do with it after he took first place.

Chen Shi'an retrieved his uniform from Lin Meng Qiu, then joined the top students for Honor Roll photos after placing first in the science track. Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia each gave him their previous photos, but he promised his next photo to Wen Zhixia, leaving Lin Meng Qiu frustrated.

• Chen Shi'an noticed his uniform smelled like Lin Meng Qiu, who admitted she had used it as an extra cover during the cold night and then took his breakfast milk.
• Chen Shi'an went to the academic affairs office with Lin Meng Qiu, Wen Zhixia, and the other top students to have Honor Roll photos taken as the science track's new first-place student.
• Chen Shi'an watched Lin Meng Qiu and Wen Zhixia take their photos, and Wen Zhixia gave him her previous Honor Roll photo in exchange for his next one.
• Lin Meng Qiu saw Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia return together from the restroom direction and hurriedly wiped water she had spilled onto his chair.
• Lin Meng Qiu gave Chen Shi'an her previous photo, but he told her he had already promised his next photo to Wen Zhixia.

After the midterm exams, Chen Shi'an agreed to help with the parent-teacher meeting and exchanged phone numbers with Lin Meng Qiu. As the meeting approached, Li Wanyin quit her job to run her milk tea stall full-time and prepared food to bring to Shi'an and his classmates.

• Chen Shi'an's strong midterm scores surprised the Science Comprehensive teachers, especially after his physics score rose from four to ninety-four.
• Qiu Yufu asked Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu to fill out the visitor registration form, and Chen Shi'an listed Li Wanyin as his attending older sister.
• Chen Shi'an volunteered to help with check-in at the parent-teacher meeting, and Lin Meng Qiu gave him her phone number to memorize.
• Li Wanyin finished handing over her work and left her company, planning to run her milk tea stall full-time on a strict schedule.
• Li Wanyin went shopping and cooked food to bring to Chen Shi'an, Zhizhi, and Lin Meng Qiu at school.

Chen Shi'an, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu shared lunch that Li Wanyin brought to school, then discussed the speeches they had to give at the next day's parent-teacher meeting. Chen Shi'an borrowed Wen Zhixia's study tips and persuaded Lin Meng Qiu to help him with his own, promising to treat them both to meals.

• Chen Shi'an and the two girls met Li Wanyin at the school gate, where she handed them lunch before returning to her milk tea stall.
• The three ate together in the cafeteria, where Lin Meng Qiu noticed Wen Zhixia playfully pressing her legs against Chen Shi'an's beneath the table.
• Wen Zhixia said she would speak as an outstanding student representative at the parent-teacher meeting, and Chen Shi'an asked her to share her prepared study tips.
• Chen Shi'an read Wen Zhixia's speech and said he would use her methods, promising to buy her a meal.
• Chen Shi'an asked Lin Meng Qiu to help him with science study tips, and she agreed after he promised to treat her too, but forbade him from using her father's meal card.

Chen Shi'an prepared pork belly to make cured meat and shared breakfast with Li Wanyin before they planned to attend his parent-teacher meeting and cycle around North City. On the way to school, Wen Zhixia’s mother caught her riding with both hands in Chen Shi'an’s pockets, leaving Wen Zhixia mortified.

• Chen Shi'an bought dozens of pounds of pork belly, seasoned it, and sealed it in buckets to marinate for cured meat.
• Li Wanyin joined Chen Shi'an for egg fried rice, and he invited her to cycle with him to North City after the parent-teacher meeting.
• Chen Shi'an told Li Wanyin that Teacher Liang had asked a parent to speak, then revealed he had suggested Uncle Lin speak instead.
• Wen Zhixia rode to school with Chen Shi'an and learned he planned to visit North City with Li Wanyin, though she could not join them because of family plans.
• Li Yilan spotted Wen Zhixia with her hands in Chen Shi'an’s pockets and greeted them, while Wen Zhixia pulled her hands away and blushed.

Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia arrived at school with Wen Zhixue and Li Yilan for the parent-teacher meeting, where their rankings drew attention from other parents. After Chen left to help in class, Li Yilan teased Wen Zhixia about how she had ridden on his bike and warned her not to get carried away.

• Chen Shi'an and Wen Zhixia met Wen Zhixue and Li Yilan at school, and Chen explained that he often cycled to school with Wen Zhixia.
• Wen Zhixue and Li Yilan saw Wen Zhixia ranked first in humanities and Chen Shi'an ranked first in science with 723 points on the Honor Roll.
• Wen Zhixia noticed that Lin Meng Qiu had worn the Bamboo Hairpin Chen Shi'an gave her and privately resented her smile beside her second-place ranking.
• Parents recognized Chen Shi'an from his Douyin videos and began to gather around him, so he excused himself to help in class.
• Li Yilan questioned Wen Zhixia about putting her hands in Chen Shi'an's jacket pockets, and Wen Zhixia insisted they were only innocent buddies.

Chen Shi'an decorated the classroom blackboard and helped prepare for the parent-teacher meeting, while Lin Meng Qiu accidentally drank from his milk bottle and then watched him drink from it. As the parents arrived, Li Wanyin and Principal Lin came to attend, and Lin Meng Qiu stopped her father to make him sign in.

• Chen Shi'an wrote a welcome message and drew elaborate flowers and sparrows on the blackboard, impressing Lin Meng Qiu and Qiu Yufu.
• Lin Meng Qiu accidentally sipped Chen Shi'an's milk, then blushed when he drank from the same bottle without realizing what had happened.
• Chen Shi'an, Qiu Yufu, and Lin Meng Qiu divided the preparations and welcomed parents as they began arriving for the meeting.
• Chen Shi'an served tea to the parents, who praised his grades and asked him to help their children.
• Li Wanyin arrived to attend the meeting for Chen Shi'an and spoke with Teacher Liang and Lin Meng Qiu.
• Principal Lin arrived, and Lin Meng Qiu blocked him at the entrance and pointed out that he needed to sign in.

Li Wanyin attended Chen Shi'an's parent-teacher meeting as his older sister, while Chen Shi'an earned public praise for his exam results and delivered a study-advice speech. Afterward, Lin Meng Qiu asked Chen Shi'an to spend the afternoon with her, but he had already planned to go cycling with Li Wanyin, leaving Lin Meng Qiu to reconsider joining them.

• Li Wanyin joined Class Five's parents' group and chatted with other parents while Lin Ming sat in Lin Meng Qiu's seat.
• Chen Shi'an and Qiu Yufu helped with the meeting, and Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu playfully took pictures of each other in the corridor.
• Old Liang praised Chen Shi'an for scoring 723 and ranking first among the science-track students, and he also commended Lin Meng Qiu and Qiu Yufu.
• Chen Shi'an gave the parents a speech about his study methods, drawing enthusiastic applause.
• Lin Meng Qiu invited Chen Shi'an to lunch and badminton, but he said he had plans to cycle with Li Wanyin and invited Lin Meng Qiu along.

After the parent-teacher meeting, Chen Shi'an, Lin Meng Qiu, and Wen Zhixia traded teasing over videos and secret photos while their parents met and chatted. With the other families heading home, Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin left together for lunch before their planned trip to North City's Ancient Town.

• Wen Zhixia watched Chen Shi'an's speech on Lin Meng Qiu's phone, then borrowed Lin Meng Qiu's phone to watch it and discovered her album was full of photos of Chen Shi'an.
• Chen Shi'an found a photo Wen Zhixia had secretly taken of his hand near a bicycle, and Wen Zhixia blushed and snatched back her phone.
• After the meeting ended, Li Wanyin tidied Chen Shi'an's desk while parents crowded around Chen Shi'an and Lin Meng Qiu with questions.
• Wen Zhixia's parents and Lin Meng Qiu's parents greeted each other, praised the girls, and met Li Wanyin, whom Wen Zhixia introduced as Chen Shi'an's housemate.
• The parents declined Lin Ming's lunch invitation and left with their daughters; Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin then set off together for lunch and their planned visit to North City's Ancient Town.

Chen Shi'an cycled with Li Wanyin to a family-run noodle shop, where they shared lunch and talked about cooking. Afterward, they set off together for Ancient Town in North City, with Li Wanyin happily holding him around the waist.

• Chen Shi'an carried Li Wanyin's bag and rode her out of school, while she sat sideways behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
• Chen Shi'an followed the scent of noodles to a small shop, where he and Li Wanyin ordered knife-cut noodles and chatted with the seventh-grade girl serving customers.
• Chen Shi'an watched the owner make noodles and learned his techniques, then shared tastes of both bowls with Li Wanyin.
• Fat Ink finally meowed for attention, and Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin gave the cat some food before Li Wanyin paid and bought water for their trip.
• Chen Shi'an mapped a cycling route to Ancient Town in North City and set off with Li Wanyin holding him around the waist, delighted by their closeness.

Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, and Black Cat cycled north through the countryside toward the Ancient Town in North City, enjoying the scenery and chatting with locals along the way. After visiting Suyang Village and receiving dried persimmons from an elderly resident, they reached the Ancient Town.

• Chen Shi'an sped down a hill with Li Wanyin on the bicycle, startling her before she admitted the ride had been exciting.
• Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin stopped by a stone bridge to rest, photograph Black Cat, and watch the stream.
• Chen Shi'an waited with Li Wanyin as a large flock of ducks crossed a village road, then continued cycling north with Black Cat on his shoulder.
• Chen Shi'an chatted with a hard-of-hearing elderly woman in Suyang Village, learned about its persimmons and the nearby Ancient Town, and accepted a bag of dried persimmons.
• Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin thanked the elderly woman and arrived at the Ancient Town in North City a little over ten minutes after leaving the village.

Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin explored Magpie Head Town, taking photos and enjoying local snacks before Chen Shi'an used the sugar-painting vendor's tools to create a lifelike portrait of her. Li Wanyin treasured the finished sugar painting, while the impressed crowd asked Chen Shi'an to make more.

• Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, and Fat Ink wandered through Magpie Head Town and stopped for dried persimmons, millet cakes, and chrysanthemum tea.
• Li Wanyin photographed Chen Shi'an at a vine-covered archway, and Chen Shi'an took pictures of her posing by an old wooden door.
• Li Wanyin asked a sugar-painting vendor to draw Chen Shi'an, but Chen Shi'an borrowed the tools and began making a portrait of Li Wanyin instead.
• Chen Shi'an skillfully finished a detailed sugar painting of Li Wanyin, impressing the vendor and attracting a crowd of onlookers.
• Li Wanyin refused to eat the sugar painting and said she would keep it, while the crowd asked Chen Shi'an to make paintings for them.

Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin returned from their outing and came across a ground-floor home for rent in their building. Chen Shi'an proposed that they move there together, and Li Wanyin happily agreed to view it.

• Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin rode home after exploring the Ancient Town, with Li Wanyin dozing on the bicycle behind him.
• They stopped at a shop to buy household supplies and discussed their shared expenses.
• Chen Shi'an noticed a rental advertisement for Room 101 in their building and asked the owner to show them the home.
• Li Wanyin anxiously asked whether Chen Shi'an wanted to stop living with her, and he reassured her that he wanted to keep sharing a home.
• Chen Shi'an suggested moving to the ground-floor home for its courtyard and easier access, and Li Wanyin agreed to view it and help Uncle Lin find a new tenant.

Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin inspected Guo's ground-floor apartment with a courtyard and negotiated a lease for two thousand yuan a month. They signed the contract and planned to prepare the apartment for their move while helping Lin Ming find someone to take over their current lease.

• Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin toured Room 101 with its owner, Uncle Guo, while Li Wanyin checked the utilities and drains.
• Li Wanyin pointed out the courtyard apartment's drawbacks and bargained with Uncle Guo, and Chen Shi'an proposed a rent of two thousand yuan a month.
• Li Wanyin signed a one-year lease, transferred the deposit and rent, and received the keys from Uncle Guo.
• Chen Shi'an sent Li Wanyin money for his share of the rent, deposit, and household expenses.
• Chen Shi'an told Lin Ming they planned to move and promised to help find someone to take over their current lease.
• Li Wanyin planned to clean and prepare the new apartment while Chen Shi'an went to class.

Chen Shi'an told Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu that he and Li Wanyin were moving to a first-floor apartment in Jiahe Residential Community, then invited Wen Zhixia to live in its spare room. After the three cleaned the apartment together, Wen Zhixia had to decline because her parents would not allow her to move.

• Wen Zhixia saw Li Wanyin's travel photos and rode with Chen Shi'an to evening study, where he explained that he and Li Wanyin were moving from the top floor to a first-floor apartment in Building One.
• Chen Shi'an gave Lin Meng Qiu snacks from the trip, and they passed notes about his move, his new courtyard, and her offer to help clean.
• After evening study, Wen Zhixia joined Chen Shi'an at the new apartment, where she and Li Wanyin helped him clean the kitchen, bathroom, and other rooms.
• Chen Shi'an showed Wen Zhixia the spare west bedroom and invited her to move in, but she said her parents would not agree.
• Wen Zhixia, Li Wanyin, and Fat Cat went to buy late-night snacks while Chen Shi'an stayed in the courtyard and considered setting up a protective formation.

As Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin prepared to move out of their old apartment, Chen Shi'an invited Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu to a final supper and help moving. On the way, the girls fought over a bicycle ride until Chen Shi'an pushed them both along at a run.

• Chen Shi'an and Li Wanyin finished preparing their downstairs home and planned to move out before the new tenants arrived.
• Chen Shi'an told Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu about the childhood-sweetheart couple renting their apartment, and they teased him about childhood sweethearts.
• Wen Zhixia claimed the bicycle's rear seat, but Lin Meng Qiu took the handlebars and tried to ride her; they wobbled into a planted strip.
• Wen Zhixia took over riding while Lin Meng Qiu sat behind her, and they crashed into the planted strip again before blaming each other.
• Chen Shi'an pushed both girls on the bicycle, then ran faster as Wen Zhixia laughed and Lin Meng Qiu begged him to slow down.

Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu moved the siblings’ belongings into their new ground-floor apartment and finished settling in late that night. Li Wanyin realized she had accidentally taken Chen Shi'an’s quilt, and Chen Shi'an noticed he had hers, leaving both of them flustered and messaging one another.

• Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu inspected Chen Shi'an’s newly furnished apartment and admired the prepared courtyard and meat smoker.
• Chen Shi'an cooked dinner while Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu helped pack his bedroom, then the group enjoyed a lavish last meal upstairs.
• Chen Shi'an, Li Wanyin, Wen Zhixia, and Lin Meng Qiu carried the siblings’ belongings downstairs and worked until ten to finish moving and cleaning.
• Li Wanyin made sweet potato soup for everyone, and Chen Shi'an later rode Wen Zhixia and Lin Meng Qiu home.
• Li Wanyin realized she had gone to bed with Chen Shi'an’s quilt, while Chen Shi'an found himself with hers and sent her a WeChat message.

Chen Shi'an prepared cured meat and breakfast before setting out with Wen Zhixia, who arrived dressed up for their outing. The two left together, teasing each other as they headed out.

• Chen Shi'an smoked half his cured meat and hung the rest to dry, while Fat Ink watched over it.
• Chen Shi'an made century egg and pork congee, and he and Li Wanyin ate breakfast together.
• Li Wanyin prepared to make up a day at her stall while Chen Shi'an finished smoking the meat.
• Wen Zhixia arrived dressed in a skirt and warm jacket, and Chen Shi'an complimented her appearance.
• Chen Shi'an stepped over the yard railing to join Wen Zhixia, and they set off for their outing.

Wen Zhixia and Chen Shi'an spent the day at an amusement park, where she braved a roller coaster and challenged him to bumper cars. After he caught her when she nearly fell into a nearby pool, the two were left close together.

• Wen Zhixia rode on the back of Chen Shi'an's bicycle and hid from her great-aunt as they headed to the amusement park.
• Wen Zhixia led Chen Shi'an onto the front row of the roller coaster and asked him to hold her hand when she grew nervous.
• Chen Shi'an reassured Wen Zhixia during the ride, but she screamed and scolded him as the coaster plunged downhill.
• Wen Zhixia and Chen Shi'an raced bumper cars, with Chen Shi'an eventually trapping her against the wall.
• Wen Zhixia playfully tried to bump into Chen Shi'an as they walked, but she stumbled toward a goldfish-fishing pool and he caught her.