Chapter 230: Chapter 230

The frost has arrived, and the deep autumn grows colder.

Shen You’an walked out of her bedroom. Luo Wan came out of the kitchen carrying a tray, and upon seeing Shen You’an, she immediately said, "An’an, hurry up and wash up for breakfast."

After speaking, she placed the tray on the dining table, quickly rubbed her hands together, and muttered, "What kind of lousy weather is this? It turns cold just like that."

Shen You’an finished washing up and came over. Zhang Jian and Luo Qian raised their heads, smiling as they looked at Shen You’an.

Luo Wan placed down the final plate of steamed egg custard, smiled, and gently ruffled Shen You’an’s hair. "In the blink of an eye, our dear An’an is already fifteen, growing into a young lady."

Luo Wan had woken up at four in the morning to start preparing, setting the table with a sumptuous breakfast full of food Shen You’an loved.

Ever since she was five years old, Shen You’an hadn’t been fond of celebrating her birthdays. Zhang Jian would quietly make a table of dishes she enjoyed eating to celebrate for her.

Luo Wan’s cooking skills surpassed Zhang Jian’s. Ever since she moved in, she had taken over all the meals while staying at home with nothing else to do.

Shen You’an smiled lightly. "Auntie, thank you for your hard work."

Luo Wan wiped her hands against her apron and gave a simple, sincere smile. "This little bit of effort is nothing compared to you students, who have to work your brains. That’s much harder."

Zhang Jian cleared his throat softly and asked gently, "An’an, can you come home a bit earlier tonight? Uncle will take you and Xiao Qian to the amusement park. There’s a lantern show and water performance tonight."

Nearby, Luo Qian’s eyes were filled with anticipation.

Shen You’an smiled and nodded. "Okay."

After breakfast, Shen You’an and Luo Qian headed out together.

While waiting for the elevator, Luo Qian fidgeted as he pulled a small box out of his backpack. After hesitating for a long while, he handed it to Shen You’an.

"Sis, happy birthday."

Shen You’an raised her brows and reached out to take it.

The box was homemade, but it was clear the maker had put a lot of effort into it—there was even a little bow tied on top.

Just as Shen You’an was about to open it, Luo Qian quickly said, "Don’t open it yet."

Shen You’an smiled and placed the box into her backpack. "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

The two of them took the elevator downstairs. Luo Qian pursed his lips and sneakily peeked at Shen You’an, but when Shen You’an looked back at him, he quickly withdrew his gaze.

"If you want to say something, just say it."

Luo Qian tightly gripped the straps of his backpack. "It’s nothing."

The two parted ways at the residential area’s gate. Shen You’an headed southward to take the subway to her high school, while Luo Qian walked northward for about 200 meters to the bus stop. He had to ride over ten stops to reach his school, Third Middle School.

Luo Qian waited for two minutes before the Route 12 bus pulled up to the stop. The bus was already packed with students, and the driver was shouting for them to move in further to make room for new passengers.

Luo Qian stepped forward into the bus, but something caught his eye, causing his pupils to constrict suddenly.

Without any hesitation, Luo Qian pushed through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed looks of surrounding passengers, and positioned himself in front of a girl.

The boy behind her reluctantly withdrew his hand, glaring at Luo Qian fiercely. He mouthed something, and Luo Qian understood by reading his lips.

What he said was: "You’re asking for it!"

Luo Qian pressed his lips together and used his actions to indicate his stance.

The girl, who was holding onto the handrail, swayed along with the bus’s movements, groggily teetering as if she hadn’t fully woken up.

At that moment, the driver slammed on the brakes, and the entire bus lurched forward with the momentum. The girl lost her grip on the handrail, and her body was about to be flung forward—a collision with the narrow iron pole in front would undoubtedly split her forehead open.

Luo Qian promptly reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her head from crashing into the pole.

The girl seemed to wake up a bit then, blinking her hazy eyes open.

What greeted her sight was the pale and slim face of the boy. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his cheeks, yet the most striking feature was his pair of jet-black eyes, glowing with unshakable determination.

"I feel like... you look familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before?"

The girl’s gaze drifted to his school uniform. Suddenly, she smiled. "Ah, turns out you’re a schoolmate."

Both of them were wearing the uniforms of Third Middle School.

Luo Qian released her and said flatly, "Hold on tight. Don’t fall again."

With that, he no longer looked at her, shifting his gaze directly toward the window.

The girl stared at him for a few seconds, then unexpectedly leaned closer and took one of his earbuds, placing it in her ear.

Luo Qian frowned. "What are you doing?"

The girl pouted in disappointment. "Why is it English?"

She returned the earbud to him after speaking.

Luo Qian moved slightly to the side, maintaining a proper distance from the girl as he looked out the window with an indifferent expression.

After what felt like ages, the bus reached the station. Luo Qian walked off with the flow of students getting off. This area was home to three middle schools and four high schools, so during the morning rush, the station was packed with students.