Again?
They had just added each other’s contact info—why was the word “again” even necessary?
Li Ran couldn’t figure it out.
Of course, he didn’t dare ask.
Back home, he cooked some seaweed soup.
There were still over a dozen sushi rice balls in the fridge from the ones he’d made that morning. Li Ran took them out to thaw at room temperature, then cooled the seaweed soup once it was ready.
They paired perfectly.
One sip of soup, one rice ball— he chewed fast and swallowed fast, as if he hadn’t eaten in half a month. Not satisfied, he followed one sip with two rice balls stuffed into his mouth, both cheeks bulging out. His lips puckered up, the little dip in his upper lip perking prominently.
It had been a long time since Li Ran felt this excited. He’d thought he’d owed a huge sum, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
That “escaping death” thrill was the most intoxicating, and even Li Ran, who rarely had big emotional swings, couldn’t resist it.
He just owed Chi Mo a favor now…
A favor was always easier to repay than 100,000 yuan. Li Ran thought optimistically.
He could pay it back slowly.
The last two rice balls went into his mouth. He’d just started chewing when his phone rang, right on cue, before he could swallow.
Seeing the caller ID note, Li Ran hurriedly wiped his hands clean—the rice balls had been eaten by hand—and picked up without fully swallowing.
“—Dad.”
“You just ate dinner? Your voice is all muffled.” Every time Li Ang called Li Ran, his first words were always something random, as he nervously picked at his fingers. Sometimes he even needed someone nearby to remind him to get back on track.
Today, hearing his son’s voice clearly stuffed with food, the topic slipped out naturally, along with a wave of fatherly affection.
Li Ran picked up his bowl and finished the last sip of soup, embarrassed. “Mm.”
He set the bowl in the kitchen sink to wash after the call.
Li Ang said, “School lets out at six, and it’s almost eight-thirty now. Why’d you eat so late today?”
“I did some homework at school and got back late.” With the money settled and no 100,000-yuan debt hanging over him, there was no need to tell his parents. They had their own lives.
But Li Ran knew what Li Ang would say next and cut in preemptively. “I’ll come back early tomorrow. I know it’s not safe outside after dark.”
Li Ang chuckled, caught off guard, and said gently, “Alright.”
“You and Mom have both told me… I remember.” Li Ran said this very softly.
The father and son always called from home, in private quiet spaces, so Li Ang heard it crystal clear.
He called out, “Xiao Ran.”
“I’m listening, Dad.”
“Come eat at my place this week.”
Li Ran didn’t answer right away, as if he’d hit a snag.
“Ah, you already promised your mom you’d go to hers.” Li Ang understood.
“…Mm.” Li Ran didn’t want to make Li Ang sad, so he answered very lightly.
Better if he couldn’t be heard clearly.
But Li Ang heard it anyway. “Sigh, alright. Mom comes first.” There was no sarcasm in his tone—he truly considered her feelings. They’d been married for over a decade, after all, and he knew her temperament best. “I don’t want to make her mad.”
Li Ran deeply agreed about Mom’s temper and nodded emphatically. “Me neither.”
The next morning, Li Ran still didn’t get up early to buy groceries. There were only three eggs left: one for him, two for the Black Cat. He had to buy more tomorrow.
He could make do, but the Black Cat couldn’t. Without paying the “toll,” the irritable Black Impermanence would surely punch his pant leg again.
On the way to school, Li Ran ran into a woman. He immediately stepped aside like a little brother yielding to the big boss, bowing his head respectfully.
Li Ran didn’t know her name, but he knew they shared the same surname.
Two years ago, Miss Li had moved into the old neighborhood with her boyfriend of eight years. They’d chosen it because the houses were cheap, saving money for their own place sooner.
Over those two years, Miss Li and her boyfriend were cut from the same cloth—ambitious, working in perfect sync with bold moves. Add in their eight years of mutual support and struggle before that, plus these two, and finally, they’d opened their own shop. Business was booming.
Money in the bank; a city-center spot with a house perfect for two, bought outright; a car, also paid in full.
Soon, they’d move into the new place they’d earned together, and they’d agreed to marry before turning thirty.
Life had turned around completely—then her boyfriend cheated.
With a guy, no less.
A few days had passed since Li Ran had last seen Miss Li.
Her makeup was flawless, her demeanor sharp and spirited. That failed relationship from age eighteen to twenty-eight was just a bittersweet chapter to her—one she fully accepted, without denying all they’d invested in each other.
She looked forward now, living well.
Backtracking was for the heartbroken and time-wasters—Miss Li wasn’t about that.
Later, Li Ran learned the boyfriend had left her the house, car, and shop—walking away with nothing.
At least he acted like a man.
If he had that resolve, why cheat? Thinking of him with some stinky, hard-muscled guy made Li Ran uncomfortable.
Miss Li carried a new designer bag, chin high, chest out, her black-faced red-soled high heels clicking on the ground. As she passed Li Ran on her way to her car, she nodded and smiled at him.
“You’re a handsome little brother,” she said.
Li Ran wanted to smile back but couldn’t quite manage it. He was afraid his smile might come out wrong, and she’d click-clack over in those heels to slap him—just like she’d slapped the cheater.
This sister was fierce and cool as hell.
Lately, Li Ran had been arriving in class five minutes early.
The first day he’d shown up that early, Zhang Si couldn’t believe it. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly to confirm. After two years of betting with his desk mate, he’d finally seen Li Ran arrive ahead of schedule and started winning fifty cents.
Laughing uproariously, he praised Li Ran as a promising student while pretending to wipe away tears of joy.
Today, Li Ran entered early again.
“Hahahahaha…” Zhang Si slapped the desk in delight, grinning ear to ear, palm up toward his desk mate like a peasant who’d kicked over the landlord. “Pay up, pay up, hand it over!”
Zhang Youde fished fifty cents from his pocket with a pained expression, slapping it into Zhang Si’s hand. Feigning grievance, he scolded Li Ran. “A’Dai, what’s gotten into you lately? Suddenly turned over a new leaf to study hard? Coming five minutes early won’t teach you much anyway—why not just show up on time tomorrow like always? I’ve predicted your arrival down to the second for two years; don’t ruin my perfect record!”
“No can do,” Li Ran said dully.
Showing up on time was fine without incidents, but disastrous with one. Li Ran couldn’t handle something like that happening twice—his heart wouldn’t take it.
He even advised, “Why don’t you two stop betting?”
The two Zhang surname gamblers ignored him—not on purpose, but because they were wrestling, trying to overpower each other physically. They didn’t hear Li Ran speak again.
Li Ran sighed. “Sigh…”
Three minutes later, class started. Zhang Si’s face was pressed to the desk, half his school uniform yanked off, the back of his neck red from struggling. His arms were twisted behind him as he scratched at Zhang Youde’s hand with one. “Daddy, I was wrong! Wrong, spare me, Daddy!”
Zhang Youde: “Hah.”
Then he let go.
“…Hey, A’Dai, where’s Qi Zhi? How come he hasn’t come back yet?” Zhang Si calmly straightened his clothes. After days without Qi Zhi, he finally remembered to ask Li Ran, showing some class spirit.
Li Ran had been without his desk mate lately, feeling lonely for days. Qi Zhi was the type who got along with everyone in class; his first day of absence, nearly everyone knew why.
His aunt was back from abroad, and he and his dad went to pick her up.
No big deal—seemed like Qi Zhi got along well with his aunt, and she with his dad.
But three days later, he still hadn’t returned. Only Li Ran, his desk mate of two years, probably knew the real reason.
It wasn’t Li Ran’s place to share others’ private matters, so he shook his head. “I didn’t ask.”
“You’re not curious?”
“Nope.”
“Sigh, such a strait-laced kid.”
“…”
After three days of sleeping in, Li Ran—who just wanted to focus on his own life—finally dragged himself out on Friday morning to buy groceries at the market.
The eggs at home were gone yesterday, and he hadn’t bought more. On the way to school, he’d taken a detour to avoid the Black Cat.
