For three consecutive days, Baili Weibu hadn’t seen her new cssmate, the guy named Cen Kaiwen, at school.

  Had he chosen another school? Or maybe he fell ill from the unfamiliar environment? Or…

  Wait, why was she even concerned about someone so irrelevant?

  Baili Weibu shook her head, clutching a stack of books and tugging at her bag strap. After saying goodbye to a few passing cssmates, she yawned and walked out the school gate.

  For the third time in her life, guests had come to her house again, but this time, it wasn’t the beautiful Chinese woman from years ago. This time, there were five Chinese guests—an old man with white hair, a middle-aged couple, and two young men under thirty—wearing traditional Tang qi pao, all with solemn expressions.

  Her parents greeted these guests with a warmth that was mixed with a different kind of respect.

  Looking at these guests, Baili Weibu vaguely recalled that they had visited ten years ago. She was sure she had seen them before but couldn't quite remember—her memory of that time was too blurry.

  The five of them stayed for ten days without any intention of leaving, as if they were waiting for something. When she asked her parents who they were and when they were leaving, her father simply said they were retives from China visiting for tourism and would leave once they had finished sightseeing.

  However, the night after they arrived, when she went up to the attic to get something, she overheard voices from her parents' room. They were arguing.

  "But... after all these years, they′ve been very well-behaved," her mother′s voice was weak, as if she was trying to expin.

  "Have you forgotten that curse? Look at Wei Yu now; do you think your son can st another ten years? On Christmas Eve, the Nine-Colored Sunflower will bloom; we have no choice." The old, deep voice was unyielding.

  Baili Weibu, curious, paused at the door, about to continue eavesdropping, when suddenly the door swung open. The middle-aged woman appeared at the entrance, her face cold.

  Baili Weibu awkwardly chuckled, then quickly retreated downstairs.

  In truth, she had no real interest in their cryptic conversation. As for the unexpected guests, aside from offering polite greetings like "Grandpa," "Uncle," and "Aunt," she hadn't exchanged a word with them. She simply hoped they would leave soon.

  She didn′t like these people at all, even if her parents insisted they were retives.

  Leaving school, Baili Weibu didn’t head home; instead, she went to a nearby clinic. When she came out, she was holding several bags of red and white pills.

  "Are you sick?"

  Her view was suddenly blocked by a tall figure.

  "Do you think sneaking up on people makes you look stylish?" She gred at Cen Kaiwen, who had appeared out of nowhere once again. He was wearing a bck jacket, bck sweater, and bck jeans. With his build and face, he looked like a cool character straight out of a movie, almost like the Grim Reaper—kind of handsome in an intimidating way.

  "My enrollment isn't complete yet, so I won't be able to start school until next week," he shrugged helplessly. "I'm heading to the Kaya Inn at the Sinaia sanatorium to meet someone. I was asking for directions when I saw you."

  "Kaya Inn?" Baili Weibu chuckled. "You′re lucky you ran into me. The restaurant I work at is just a five-minute walk from the Kaya Inn."

  "Where's the restaurant you work at?" Cen Kaiwen seemed a bit troubled. "I'm new here..."

  "Let's go!" Baili Weibu patted his shoulder. "Only someone as good-natured as me would personally escort you to your destination."

  He looked at her pyful and exaggerated expression, paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.

  The weather was getting colder, and the people outside had bundled themselves in thick coats, hurrying home.

  Baili Weibu led him, pnning to cut through the Biluó Forest. This path was one she had walked countless times; it was the shortest route to the sanatorium.

  Their footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves and dry twigs along the forest trail, creating a rhythmic crackling sound. The sun had already set behind the horizon, and the shadows in the silent forest grew deeper.

  "You still haven't answered me—are you sick?" Cen Kaiwen asked as they walked.

  Baili Weibu shook her head. "These are for my younger brother. Ten years ago, he had a severe illness. His health has never fully recovered, so he has to take medication year-round."

  "How old is your brother?" he asked.

  "He's four years younger than me, thirteen."

  "That's really unfortunate," he said, suddenly sounding a bit distracted.

  "He's a cute little medicine jar," she smiled, optimistically tilting her head. "There's definitely a way to cure him."

  The st sliver of twilight filtered through the tree canopy, casting mottled shadows on Cen Kaiwen's face, veiling his eyes.