Luo Anran looked at Zhang Wanqing, who stood nearly a head taller than her. Up close, she was even more striking—slender and graceful like a fresh willow branch in spring.

Radiant and beautiful, she was exactly the kind of woman any man would be drawn to. Especially those eyes—slightly rounded at the corners, they held a touch of innocence and purity, as if untouched by the world.

Seeing that Luo Anran wasn't speaking, Zhang Wanqing frowned impatiently. "Do I know you? Why are you blocking my way?"

Luo Anran smiled. "My name is Luo Anran."

Zhang Wanqing looked puzzled. "What does your name have to do with me? I don't know you."

Luo Anran was slightly taken aback. "Didn't Zhou Xiaocheng ever mention me?"

Impatience flickered in Zhang Wanqing's eyes. "Why would he talk about you? Are you that important?"

The words, spoken so carelessly, struck a nerve. Luo Anran hadn't expected Zhang Wanqing to have no idea who she was. Her smile turned bitter. "I was once Zhou Xiaocheng's fiancée. We broke up because of a misunderstanding."

Zhang Wanqing thought she was insane. "What are you telling me for? What's it to me?"

Luo Anran pressed on. "Aren't you even the least bit curious?"

However emotionally unaware Zhang Wanqing might be, she understood now. She let out a scornful laugh. "Curious about what? About you, a thing of the past? Don't waste my time. If you've got what it takes, go make Zhou Xiaocheng marry you yourself."

Her expression cooled. "Now move aside."

What was wrong with this woman? Did she really think any of this mattered to her? Or that she and Zhou Xiaocheng were somehow connected?

After mentally cursing Luo Anran, Zhang Wanqing took her receipt and went to find the doctor.

Lin Xiaoxiao had started preparing for the new semester. Over the summer, she'd translated three novellas for a publishing house. She'd waived the right to credit, so the pay was better—180 yuan in total.

She planned to use the money to buy new clothes for the older members of the family and arranged to go shopping with Zhou Xiaoling on her day off.

Li Yunlan assumed Lin Xiaoxiao wanted new clothes for school and insisted on giving her money. "You should buy something nice to wear when term starts. See if there's any good-colored yarn too—Aunt Liyun and I have free time. We can knit sweaters for you."

They'd already made thin and thick sweaters for the three little ones. With time on their hands, they'd started knitting for the adults.

Lin Xiaoxiao was amazed by how fast people knitted here—a sweater could be finished in three or four days. Sometimes Zhou Liyun could knit a child's sweater in one evening.

She herself still hadn't managed to knit a full sweater.

Naturally, Lin Xiaoxiao refused the money. "I have enough. I'm just browsing—I might not even buy anything."

She absolutely wouldn't take Li Yunlan's money. What would be the point of buying gifts for the family otherwise?

After some back-and-forth, she and Zhou Xiaoling finally made it out of the house.

Zhou Xiaoling laughed. "You should've taken the money from my mom. Why refuse?"

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I couldn't. I hardly spend anything on the kids day-to-day, and I've never paid a thing for food. I don't even get a chance to spend your older brother's salary."

Zhou Xiaoling didn't see the big deal. "We're family—why keep accounts? But you know, you should knit him a sweater or make him shoes and mail them to him."

Lin Xiaoxiao looked hesitant. "We're not even sure if our letters are getting through, let alone clothes. They might not arrive."

Still, the idea stuck with her. She really wanted to knit Zhou Huai'an a sweater. The yarn she'd bought last time had eventually been taken over and finished by Li Yunlan.

Zhou Xiaoling sighed. "You know, my mom's been doing a lot better lately. Have you noticed she's not as confused? Before, if you asked her something, it'd take her ages to remember—if she remembered at all. Now she knows exactly what time each of the kids does everything. Do you think her condition could come back?"

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "It's hard to say. If she stays happy and can process things slowly on her own, she should be fine. The worry is if something upsets her too much."

Zhou Xiaoling sighed. "Let's hope nothing happens that gets her too worked up."

Lin Xiaoxiao thought about going shopping at Xidan and decided to ask Zhang Wanqing to join them. It'd been a few days since they'd seen her. But when they arrived, she wasn't home.

Zhou Xiaoling jiggled the lock on the door. "Guess she's been keeping busy."

They headed straight to the women's department store across from Xidan. To Lin Xiaoxiao's complete surprise, they ran into Lin Hongyan.

Now dressed in a water-red dress with black leather shoes and white socks—none of which looked cheap—Lin Hongyan seemed much more mature, unlike a typical sixteen-year-old.

Zhou Xiaoling spotted her too and nudged Lin Xiaoxiao. "Isn't that your sister? What's she still doing here? I thought she went back to the province."

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't sure either. "I haven't seen her in ages. No idea what she's up to now, but she looks like she's doing well."

Jobs were practically impossible to find outside the system. With hordes of educated youth returning to the cities, there were no positions to assign—let alone for someone like Lin Hongyan without even a local residence permit.

Given Li Jing's personality and the occasional disdainful comments she'd made about Cheng Mingyue, it was unlikely she'd treat Lin Hongyan so well—buying her dresses and leather shoes.

So where was Lin Hongyan getting the money?

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't need to think hard to guess Lin Hongyan wasn't up to any good in Beijing. Remembering that Cheng Mingzhong and Wang Da had been decent to her, she felt she ought to warn them.

If anything happened to Lin Hongyan, her biological father was sure to make trouble.

She glanced at Lin Hongyan, who was leaning over a counter looking at gold rings, then pulled Zhou Xiaoling away.

Zhou Xiaoling looked back as they walked. "Wow, she's young to be buying gold rings already."

Most ordinary families could only afford silver rings for weddings—yet this girl was already looking at gold. Unbelievable.

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. "Come on, it's her life. Not our business."

As they went upstairs, Zhou Xiaoling glanced back one more time—and froze. She tugged Lin Xiaoxiao's sleeve. "Xiaoxiao, look!"

Geng Aiguo was walking straight toward Lin Hongyan. The two stood together by the counter, talking about something.