Li Ran observed Chi Mo’s shadow.
Every time they passed under a streetlamp, his shadow shifted with the angle of the light.
The two walked side by side. No matter how the shadows changed, Li Ran’s figure was always enveloped and swallowed whole by Chi Mo’s.
They exited the gates of the old neighborhood and crossed to the affluent district opposite, navigating a wide road.
The streetlamps were spaced far apart.
The old neighborhood figured the rich side had money and should fill in the missing lamps on this stretch; the affluent district thought the other side should just be demolished—until then, they could stay poor.
The middle section of the road was darker than the rest.
As Li Ran and Chi Mo crossed, no shadows appeared on the pavement.
“…Is Mr. Shen at home?”
“Why would he be at my house?” Chi Mo countered, his brows furrowing slightly.
His tone was so sharp that Li Ran fell silent like a cicada in winter. “Oh.”
“Why bring him up all of a sudden?”
“Last time… he was there.”
Chi Mo’s face remained expressionless. “He’s not this time.”
“Oh.”
Li Ran wondered if dinner would just be him and Mr. Chi tonight.
That would feel so awkward.
This time, they approached slowly, giving Li Ran’s peripheral vision ample time to take in the surroundings.
His limited vocabulary could only muster “bright and magnificent,” but his mind raced endlessly. There was a world of difference between a kid from an ordinary family like him and this place.
“Chin up, chest out,” Chi Mo said.
The sidelong glance made Li Ran’s unknowingly hunched shoulders snap straight and tense.
Someone was home.
Two someones, in fact.
“Hey, hurry up! Can you do it or not? He’s almost back—have you found it or what?” An anxious woman’s voice urged someone on, as if saying she could do it herself if she had to.
“The study is the only place left. You dare go into his study?!” The man’s voice grew more frantic from the prodding, unwilling to admit defeat but desperate to find whatever it was.
The two descended the stairs together, pointing fingers and calling each other useless.
“Grandma?” The living room blazed with light. Li Ran stared at Cheng Ai Mei and Ye Ze, still dazed, and tentatively called out, “Grandpa?”
“Oh my goodness, old man, look who this is—it’s little Ran!” Cheng Ai Mei bounded downstairs with alarming speed. Li Ran watched in alarm, about to warn her to be careful, but she was already upon him. She grabbed his wrist and inspected him like a real grandmother with her grandson, checking if he’d lost weight or grown taller.
Finally, she exclaimed in surprise, “You’re actually friends with Chi Mo. You should have said so earlier, little Ran. If I’d known, I’d have invited you over for dinner ages ago. Look at this mess. With Chi Mo’s dogged personality, no one’s scared enough to marry him. I didn’t even dare introduce you two.”
Cheng Ai Mei shot Chi Mo a glare. “Who would’ve thought.”
Her teeth gritted slightly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Her old man chimed in from the side, “Exactly, who would’ve thought.”
“No… it’s not…” Li Ran wasn’t so bold as to call himself Chi Mo’s friend. They just saw each other daily, exchanged a few words, sent a couple messages.
Very ordinary.
If he really moved in and paid rent on time each month as Chi Mo said, they’d at best be landlord and tenant.
Even more ordinary.
But he hadn’t expected Cheng Ai Mei and Ye Ze to be Chi Mo’s grandparents. He was still in shock. The surnames didn’t match.
Maybe maternal grandparents?
“Done catching up?” Chi Mo’s large hand gripped Li Ran’s elbow, tugging him back gently but firmly from the duo’s enthusiasm. Without room for argument, he said, “Dinner.”
They had just settled at the table when Chi Mo handed Li Ran chopsticks without looking up. “What were you two looking for while I was picking up little Ran? Tell me.”
Oppressive tension swept through the dining room. Li Ran’s fingers curled slightly, gripping the chopsticks tight.
He didn’t dare make a sound.
If something hadn’t happened, the smart move was to pretend ignorance and avoid trouble. But Chi Mo insisted on dragging it into the open, unafraid of offending anyone.
Cheng Ai Mei glanced at Chi Mo and glared; then at Li Ran, all benevolence.
These two were friends, young people with no generation gap. Chi Mo had to listen to at least a word or two from Li Ran.
She said bluntly, “Little Ran, last time I told you we had a cold-faced dog king move in recently—the guy right next to you.”
“Your grandpa and I, at our age, want to play on our phones, tablets, computers now and then. You young folks love that stuff even more, can’t control yourselves. And he dares confiscate my phone—the latest model I just bought. Expensive! He took two of mine! I sneak-buy one on every trip, and he finds them every time when I get back. Isn’t that too much?”
“I didn’t buy a new phone this trip, Chi Mo, don’t look at me. Little Ran, you’re good friends with him. Tell him to give my phone back. I promise I won’t play until 3 a.m. anymore.”
Ye Ze, unwilling to stand alone, nodded vigorously alongside her. “Same here. I promise I’ll sleep whenever old Cheng does. Really.”
“Ah… me?” Li Ran, suddenly thrust into the role, nearly choked in shock and whispered incredulously.
A low cough caught in his throat.
As he spoke, his eyes cautiously flicked toward Chi Mo, not daring to overstep. Cheng Ai Mei, taking in the whole scene, thought, This isn’t good.
Chi Mo pushed a glass of water toward Li Ran.
“Take a couple sips.”
“Oh.”
Just as his hand closed around the glass, his phone buzzed twice in his school uniform pocket.
Except during class, when he silenced it, Li Ran kept his phone’s sound on all day, fearing his mom Bai Qingqing or dad Li Ang might need him.
He pulled out the phone, head bowed to sneak a peek at who it was, when a hand beside him condescendingly crooked two fingers and tapped the table.
Li Ran looked over.
The screen had lit up for a second before going dark again. He slid the phone from under the table onto the surface and pushed it over aggrievedly.
“No phones at dinner,” Chi Mo said as he confiscated it.
Li Ran obeyed. “…Oh.”
“Oh dear lord.” Cheng Ai Mei shook her head and slapped her forehead. “We’re doomed.”
Ye Ze: “Another useless one.”
Cheng Ai Mei: “Two old useless ones and a little useless one. Fine, let’s eat.” She switched to a perfectly polite tone, as if her heartfelt plea earlier hadn’t happened. “Chi Mo, Grandma was just joking with little Ran earlier. Don’t get mad and destroy my phone and tablet. They’re really expensive.”
Chi Mo was equally polite. “We’ll see.”
Ye Ze poked at his bowl with his chopsticks and muttered, “Middle-aged bullied by an old pervert, elderly by a young one. What a curse.”
“Oh, enough.” Cheng Ai Mei mockingly wiped her eyes. “It’s all tears.”
Chi Mo’s ears were sharp. He suggested, “After dinner, you can call my little uncle and tell him over the phone.”
The two retirees waved it off grandly. “No need for that. Haha.”
In this house, Chi Mo seemed like the boss—juniors bossing around elders, defying all norms. Yet Li Ran loved the vibe.
He could tell Grandma Cheng and Grandpa Ye pretended to complain about Chi Mo’s strictness, but deep down, they knew it was for their health and felt proud.
“In a couple days, little Ran moves in. Get along, no bickering,” Chi Mo said casually, like it was the most mundane thing.
As if he and the grandparents were kids to be placated.
Li Ran immediately looked up from his bowl.
…It was decided just like that?
Though at his doorstep earlier, he’d planned to refuse, Chi Mo’s mention of rent eased his mind. Rent was rent, wherever he found it.
A ready spot was even better…
As long as he paid, it wasn’t owing a favor.
…Right?
Decision made, Li Ran resolved to comply obediently. He shoveled the last bite into his mouth and nodded. “Okay.”
Cheng Ai Mei gasped softly. “Oh my!”
Ye Ze: “Wow!”
They accepted it without further comment, swiftly.
Cheng Ai Mei already liked Li Ran; now seeing Chi Mo arrange his stay, she beamed inwardly.
She’d already plotted to use him as a spy once he moved in, to track down her phone.
She never imagined Li Ran would become Chi Mo’s spy instead, watching her and old Ye—and excelling at it.
This house was unbearable even for a day!
After dinner, Chi Mo drove Li Ran home, returning his confiscated phone.
The message was from Qi Zhi.
Qi Zhi: [Desk mate, finals are soon, summer break’s over 40 days. Thought about where to go? Let’s plan something—I’ll cover all expenses.]
Li Ran replied: [Nowhere in mind. I’m working summer jobs.]
Come Monday after break, they’d discuss again. Qi Zhi slumped over his desk, whining, “You did summer jobs last year, now again? A’Dai, do you need money that bad? Just ask me, I’ll give it to you. Let’s go play. Staying home’s so boring—always dragged to these banquets. Annoying as hell.”
