After shaking off his stalker An Baili as usual, Lu Li instinctively headed toward Chuanhai Girls’ Sports High School. He stood outside the gates, lost in thought for a moment—then suddenly remembered his sister had already left for the Six-Provinces Tournament. She was probably in Lingyue City by now.

He chuckled wryly and patted his head. Deep down, he clung to Zou Yameng like a fledgling to its mother. Psychologically, maybe it was an Oedipus complex. Or… a sister complex?

He declined an invitation from several female college students who seemed up to no good, boarded the bus, dropped two one-yuan bills into the fare box, and settled into the very back seat.

He liked sitting at the rear—high enough to overlook the whole bus, yet tucked away enough to feel nearly invisible. Sadly, adulthood had weakened his stamina. The stale mix of leather and engine oil now made every ride agony.

*Buzz…*

His phone vibrated. Lu Li unlocked it. A girl with a little horse avatar was messaging him on WeChat.

【Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse: Are you there? Are you there?】

【Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse: Heeey? Are you there?】

Lu Li smiled and changed her nickname to “Sister Yameng.”

【Lu Li: Not here, not here.】

Sister Yameng sent a pouting angry emoji, then a giant fist.

【Sister Yameng: I’ve been messaging you all day! Why no reply?!】

That familiar “checking-up” tone stunned him. He scrolled up—yep, a full day of “Are you there?”, “Bus is so boring,” “Hungry…”

He let out a soft laugh. Online, Sister Yameng was way livelier. Maybe the screen shielded her from real-life pressure.

【Lu Li: Couldn’t use phone at school. Replied the second I got out!】

【Sister Yameng: Fine, I forgive you~】

She sent a meme: a guy wearing a green hat, bold text reading *“Just pretend he went to practice his skills.”*

【Lu Li: Sis, where do you even get these silly memes?】

【Sister Yameng: Xiao Wen and the others sent them!】

【Sister Yameng: I’m in Lingyue City now~ Check my dinner!】

A photo popped up: three or four girls laughing around a sizzling barbecue grill. Caption: *“School’s treating us, haha!”*

Lu Li typed slowly.

【Lu Li: Looks delicious.】

…Yeah, right. He barely cared about food. He just wanted to see her happy. What girl isn’t a foodie, after all?

Silence stretched. Just as he thought she’d stepped away—

【Sister Yameng: I wish *you* were here eating it with me, Pear. It’s *sooo* good! We *have* to share barbecue someday!】

Lu Li didn’t notice the soft glow on his face. Sitting in the bus’s back row, he stared at Zou Yameng’s photo and grinned like a fool. This warmth—someone always thinking of him, missing him—felt like a kite soaring high, yet always tethered to a gentle harbor.

【Lu Li: We definitely will!】

She sent a string of drooling, grinning emojis. They oddly reminded him of that airheaded girl, Chu Jingyi.

【Sister Yameng: Home yet? Ate dinner? Send a pic—NO instant noodles!】

Back in nagging mode. Lu Li snapped a window view from the bus.

【Lu Li: Still on the bus. Not home.】

【Sister Yameng: Send *your* pic!】

【Lu Li: Why?】

【Sister Yameng: Wanna see my precious little brother~】

【Lu Li: So cheesy… Ew, nope.】

A furious Minion emoji exploded on screen.

【Sister Yameng: SEND. IT.】

Lu Li laughed—just as the driver called out: “Hey, handsome! Final stop!”

“Huh?” He blinked at the unfamiliar street. *Missed his stop? At his age?*

Flustered, he stepped off and walked back. Thankfully, the low-rent district wasn’t far. Thirty minutes later, home.

【Sister Yameng: Why no reply?】

【Sister Yameng: Are you there? (Pokes you)】

【Sister Yameng: Hello? Hello? #crying】

After slurping instant noodles, Lu Li reopened his phone, smiling wryly. *An Baili used to do this too—message bombs after a day apart, constant check-in calls.*

【Lu Li: Home now. Missed my stop. Too focused chatting with you, sis 😅】

【Sister Yameng: Hehe, go eat! Rest early—I’ll stop bothering you~】

【Lu Li: Okay.】

***

Meanwhile, in a Lingyue City hotel room, Zou Yameng lay on the double bed, grinning at her screen. She typed… deleted… typed… deleted.

Her roommate Zhou Wen groaned. “Yameng, who’s got you smiling like you won the lottery? You looked gloomy as a funeral on the bus!”

Zou Yameng’s cheeks flushed. “Just checking in with my little brother.”

“*Which* kind? Boyfriend or real brother?”

Zou Yameng hurled a pillow. “You talk too much!”

They tussled playfully, both drained from the long bus ride.

Later, Zou Yameng reopened WeChat, staring at the pear avatar. She didn’t want the chat to end. Just… knowing he was thinking of her was enough.

Zhou Wen peeked. “*Boyfriend*~ Look at that nickname!”

Zou Yameng clamped a hand over her mouth, face crimson. “Don’t say it!”

“Will too!”

“I’ll rip your mouth off!”

“Nyah nyah nyah~”

***

Homework done, the moon had just risen. Lu Li was a night owl—midnight sharpened his mind.

Day belonged to reason; night, to feeling. People grew tender, fragile after dark. Never make decisions late. *Especially* midnight online shopping. A lesson learned the hard way.

Right now, emotion surged. *If only I had a laptop…*

He browsed online. Cheapest decent rig? Over 7,000 yuan. Monitor extra.

Too steep. His 10,000-yuan savings—part-time wages, plus Yameng’s share—was their lifeline. Untouchable.

*What if a soft, rich sugar mama fed me…?*

The thought made Chu Jingyi’s clueless, angelic face flash in his mind. Beautiful, tall, fair, wildly wealthy, kind to a fault—the *perfect* easy mark.

*Hiss…*

*Lu Li. Snap out of it.*

He patted his cheeks. *Phew.* Close call. He wasn’t reborn to leech off others.

Glancing at the clock: early for him, bedtime for her.

He sent:

【Lu Li: Goodnight.】

Instant reply.

【Sister Yameng: Goodnight <3】

*Someone’s not sleeping…* He hesitated—wanted to chat, feared disturbing her. Screen darkened. Pen and paper emerged. Time to rewrite Chapter Two.

Unseen, in Lingyue City, Zou Yameng stared at the chat window. Four unsent words slowly vanished:

【Don’t want to sleep~】

She powered off the phone. *Pear has school tomorrow. I have warm-ups…*

But…

*I really, really miss Lu Li.*

Night hushed. Moonlight pooled softly beyond the glass. *After parting, my thoughts are only of you; though worlds apart, we share the same moon.*

Cradling that quiet longing, Zou Yameng drifted into sleep.