Li Yunlan knew she couldn't accompany Lin Xiaoxiao to the exam, so she did the next best thing—she prepared a mountain of food. There was braised chicken, hard-boiled eggs, steamed buns, and even fried meatballs and twist dough crackers—all things that could be eaten on the go.

She reminded Zhou Huaian, "In this cold, nothing will spoil. When you get there, find a canteen and heat up the buns for her."

Touched, Lin Xiaoxiao hugged her. "Mom, this is way too much. We'll never finish it all."

Li Yunlan just smiled. "Take your time. Whatever's left, bring back. It's cold out—it'll keep. Canteens only serve meals at set times. What will you do if you get hungry in the middle of the night? It's better to be prepared."

Lin Xiaoxiao had to admit she was right. Most small privately-run eateries closed after lunch, and state-owned restaurants shut their doors promptly by 8 p.m. Business hours were strict, and competition was nonexistent—mostly because customers were few and profits slim.

Early the next morning, Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Huaian boarded the unit's shuttle bus to the city. They brought a whole box of food, a travel bag of clothes, and two quilts.

The road was icy, and the bus moved slowly, chains clanking around its tires. They stopped at noon to rest, use the restroom, and have a bite to eat. By the time they reached the city, it was already dark.

They checked into the same military guesthouse they'd stayed in before. Thankfully, the room had heating. Although the radiator was only lukewarm, the room was comfortable enough.

Without even changing, Lin Xiaoxiao collapsed onto the bed, rubbing her lower back. "I'm exhausted. My back is killing me."

Zhou Huaian unpacked and changed the sheets with the ones Li Yunlan had packed.

The only thing Lin Xiaoxiao missed was having duvet covers. You either brought your own bedding or used the guesthouse's quilts—and she preferred her own.

Once he'd made the bed, Zhou Huaian sat beside her and gently massaged her back. "Are you hungry? The canteen probably still has beef noodles. Want to go?"

The idea of something warm and soupy sounded good. After washing her face, she went with him to eat.

They found only one beef noodle shop still open; every other canteen and restaurant had already closed. They didn't have much choice.

They ordered two bowls. Worried it might not be enough, Lin Xiaoxiao whispered, "I could eat two bowls myself. Should we get three?"

Considering her appetite lately, Zhou Huaian quietly changed the order to three large bowls.

Just as their noodles arrived, two more people walked in.

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced over and almost laughed. It was Chen Wei and Sun Ailing—what were the odds? Of all the people to run into on their first night in the city, it had to be the original Lin Xiaoxiao's ex-boyfriend and her so-called best friend.

Chen Wei and Sun Ailing were equally surprised to see her. They hesitated, then pretended not to notice and sat at another table.

Both looked upset, as if they'd just been arguing.

Lin Xiaoxiao had no fondness for either—especially given the original owner's history with them.

The thought of how that version of herself had acted—proud, rude, and reckless—made her wish she could teach them all a lesson.

Chen Wei seemed distracted by Lin Xiaoxiao's presence. He'd clearly hoped to talk things over with Sun Ailing over a meal, but now that was impossible.

Sun Ailing noticed him stealing glances and grew even angrier. She glared at him, her voice rising. "What are we going to do? This baby is yours. If you don't want to get married, fine—but don't blame me when I go to your parents."

Chen Wei turned dark with anger. "Have you no shame? You threw yourself at me. Can't you take a joke?"

Tears welled in Sun Ailing's eyes. "Chen Wei, it doesn't matter how much you stare—she's not yours. If you won't marry me, I'll kill myself."

"Go ahead," he shot back. "I don't care. I'm not marrying you. If you're not afraid of shaming your family, make a scene." With that, he stormed out.

Sun Ailing stayed behind, sobbing.

After a moment, her self-pity turned to fury. If her family found out she was pregnant out of wedlock, they'd disown her. And she blamed Lin Xiaoxiao for everything.

She turned and glared. "Happy now?"

Lin Xiaoxiao was baffled. These two had gotten themselves into this mess, yet refused to take responsibility. And Sun Ailing seemed to think that sleeping with a man and getting pregnant would force him to marry her. How pathetic.

She smiled faintly. "I'm not happy or unhappy. I'm just curious—how can you have so little self-respect? Getting pregnant before marriage?"

Sun Ailing slammed the table. "Who are you calling shameless?!"

"You," Lin Xiaoxiao replied calmly. "Are you proud of being an unmarried mother? Yelling in public like you've escaped a mental hospital?"

"Don't glare at me. Honestly, I hope you two end up together—that way you won't bother anyone else. But don't mess with me. I'm not as easy to push around as you think." With that, she turned away, done with the nonsense.

Sun Ailing stood fuming for a moment before running out.

Lin Xiaoxiao muttered to Zhou Huaian, "What is wrong with her? What does any of this have to do with me? And that guy—he looks like a scrawny chicken. How blind would I have to be to like someone like that?"

Zhou Huaian didn't respond. He simply pushed a bowl of noodles toward her. "Eat. The bathhouse will still be open after."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of a bath. Bathing in winter was a real challenge. She'd been heating a basin of water every three days for a quick sponge bath. Once a month, she went with Zhou Xiaoling to the unit's bathhouse—but it was never enough. A proper bath was better than a feast.

She devoured two large bowls of noodles and finished half of Zhou Huaian's broth. Only when she was completely full did she happily head back with him.

Over the next few days, Lin Xiaoxiao stayed in her room studying. In the evenings, she and Zhou Huaian had dinner at Lu Yuanda's home.

It'd been a while since they'd last met. Lu Yuanda was surprised to see her so heavily pregnant. "You're due soon? That's quite a belly."

His wife, Ruan Shuqin, agreed. "It looks like a boy. Is it almost time?"

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled, resting a hand on her stomach and holding up two fingers. "Not until after the New Year. There are two."