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Changsheng glared: "Why me? No way!"

"Does she expect me to be in the same class as her? I'd rather die than do that!"

Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you!

"What's poison to me is honey to you—don't you like her?"

"Nonsense, who likes her! Anyone who likes her is a son of a bitch!" Changsheng glared, kicked Qiu Xialin's shin with his long leg under the table, and Qiu Xialin cried out in pain, which attracted Shanglin's attention.

He got angry and banged on the table: "You two! Sit up straight, backs up, and no picking your teeth with your hands!"

Xia Lin pouted, "You have the most problems..."

In her later life, Shang Lin was severely hampered by science. Since entering junior high school, all science-related subjects—mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc.—became her Achilles' heel, resulting in abysmal grades. Learning from her past mistakes, she decided to preview the material this summer. <br> I'm not smart, but I'm hardworking.

Others watch it once, but I watch it twice.

Others watch it twice, but I watch it ten times.

Fortunately, they've gotten used to being diligent over the years, so when she unusually started preparing for her lessons, the other two just assumed she was overthinking things and weren't too surprised.

Being confined to home every day to prepare for class and do workbook exercises over and over again would be unbearable for anyone.

Finally, one evening in July, Qiu Xialin irritably tugged at her collar, fanned herself with her hand, and deliberately shouted, "It's hot! It's hot!"

Shanglin didn't even look up, and continued working on the problem.

He pressed on, "It's so hot! Wouldn't it be great to go outside and cool off on a day like this? Don't you think so, bro?"

Chang Sheng, also feeling impatient from the heat, put down his pen and muttered, "I'm going to wash my face."

After he left his desk, Xia Lin deliberately grabbed Chang Sheng's workbook and shouted loudly towards the door, "Brother, you've finished all the questions, and I've finished mine too!"

Shang Lin's eyebrows didn't move, but he wasn't exactly friendly: "Get out! Be home by ten!"

Do you think I'm deaf? Those kids in the Red Star compound are making a ruckus downstairs, whistling and screaming, aren't they just waiting for you?

Xia Lin felt as if she had been given a great break. She couldn't wait to grab the flashlight she had prepared and drag Chang Sheng, whose face was still dripping with water, out of the building. She shouted to her sister in the stairwell, "I'm going to catch cicada nymphs. I'll blow them up to fix your eyes later!"

Shanglin only had time to give one instruction: "Run deeper into the woods!"

Xia Lin didn't wait for her instructions; with heavy running and screams of laughter, she had already reached the bottom of the stairs. The group of people rushed off together.

She looked down from the window and saw Changsheng running ahead, occasionally turning back to say a few words to the others, his face beaming with smiles, completely unlike his usual composed demeanor.

He's just a child...

She smiled and sat back down at the table to work on the problems.

Diligence can make up for lack of talent. She doesn't expect others to always call her a prodigy, but she doesn't want to be too far off the mark.

It was really hot. All the windows in the room were open, and the fan overhead was whirring, yet sweat still dripped onto his workbook. Fortunately, Shanglin was always steady and patient, and once he got into studying, he ignored the heat. Only after finishing a set of exercises did he look up, rub his eyes, and feel sticky. Seeing that it was already nine o'clock, he figured they'd be back soon, and after running around all sweaty, he'd definitely need a shower. Shanglin thought he might as well shower first to avoid waiting.

When I touched my hair while showering, it was still wet, so I just let it down and washed it all at once.

Feeling completely dry, I took a large towel and sat in the living room, slowly drying my hair. I thought about going to Qiujia Village tomorrow to check on the progress of the experimental fields. The grapevines I planted in the spring had also borne fruit and were ripe...

"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring." A series of urgent telephone rings rang out, sounding particularly jarring in the empty house, startling her and making her shiver.

The phone was right beside him; he wiped his hands with a towel, picked up the receiver with the other, and casually asked, "Hello?"

The phone call is so late, it's probably because Mom and Dad can't come home.

After waiting for a while, no one spoke from the other end of the line. She asked in surprise, "Hello?"

Only the sound of breathing, rising and falling evenly.

Shanglin frowned and asked again, "Who is it?"

Still, no one spoke.

What's going on here? A harassing call? A midnight murder call? Shouldn't they at least apologize if they dialed the wrong number?

Just as he was about to hang up the phone impatiently, a thought flashed through his mind, and he paused, tentatively asking, "Yin Yeyao?"

The other person chuckled softly. The sound traveled through the electric current to her ears, sending shivers of tingling sensation through her.

Shang Lin Zhanyan's tone unconsciously carried a hint of complaint: "Hey, at least say something."

Vegetable greenhouse

Looking down from above, the entire Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong is laid out before you. It is evening, and the streetlights are lighting up one by one. The neon lights of the shops along the street are flashing to attract customers. Through the soundproof floor-to-ceiling windows, Yin Yeyao can almost hear the long whistles of ships in the distance.

Hong Kong at night is so bustling it seems otherworldly.

He came with his grandfather to visit distant relatives and to discuss financing for the newly opened real estate company under the Yin family.

After a long day, my legs ached. After taking a shower, I sat by the window looking at the sea view, and my mind involuntarily recalled the autumn forest I had seen that day.

She has grown up a lot.

Her eyes were still wide open, her pupils clear and bright, and anyone who didn't know her would think she was a simple and cute little girl just by looking at her big, watery eyes. But Yin Yeyao knew very well that Qiu Shanglin was not only not simple, but also ruthless.

Over the years, those who competed with her for business have all been suppressed by her schemes. The girl is very shrewd; she never takes the lead, but only uses others as shields. She uses all sorts of dirty tricks behind the scenes, while on the surface she remains innocent and kind.

The moments he had deliberately forgotten resurfaced in his mind, and as he thought of the joyful times he had shared in those two years, his pursed lips gradually curved into a smile. Once the longing was stirred, it could no longer be suppressed. Suddenly, he longed to hear Qiu Shanglin's voice, to hear her scolding, to hear her soft, sweet voice calling his name.

The telephone on the bedside table suddenly rang. Yin Yeyao snapped out of his reverie, answered the phone, and heard pleasant, fluent English. The caller informed him that Mr. Yin was out and that he should go to bed early, as guests would be visiting the next day.

Yin Yeyao put down the phone and looked out the window at the colorful Hong Kong.

Yes, this is Hong Kong, the city of freedom. Here, there's no need to be careful with his words and actions. Here, he can indulge in his childhood memories and longings.

You can call Qiu Shanglin here.

Shanglin had no idea that the call came from Hong Kong, nor did she know how many procedures it went through. Of course, she also didn't know the call charges per minute.

Yin Yeyao just smiled and didn't say anything, which was inevitably awkward. Fortunately, Qiu Shanglin was never short of things to say. He started talking about how he ran away without saying goodbye, causing her to be asked by countless people. He talked about everything from the development and growth of Mocha Cat Company over the years to its future plans. But he didn't mention what she had done or thought over the years.

The phone call lasted about an hour. During that time, Qiu Shanglin drank two glasses of water and ate a bunch of grapes. Yin Yeyao closed her eyes and dozed off, then came back to her senses.

By the end, her mouth was dry, so she grabbed a water glass and gulped down the water. Even though they were miles apart, he could hear clear swallowing sounds coming from the other end of the line and chuckled, "Slow down, don't choke."

After an hour, he finally said something.

Shanglin sighed, wondering what this child had gone through in the Yin family, looking at him so sullen.

The door was flung open, and Xia Lin, drenched in sweat, ran in carrying a plastic bottle, proudly waving it at his sister: "Look, look! My brother and I caught fifteen cicada nymphs!" Seeing Shang Lin holding a phone, she asked in surprise, "Whose call is that?"

He asked casually, not expecting an answer from his sister, and naturally he didn't stop to wait. He went to rummage through the dishes and clear out the fruits of his labor.

My brother said my sister studies all day and he's worried about ruining her eyesight. The adults all say cicada nymphs are good for the eyes, so we'll catch some and fry them for her to eat. We absolutely can't let her become a four-eyed bespectacled person!

As they searched for the disc, a hissing sound could be heard. They put on shorts and went into the woods to look for it. The deeper they went, the more the mosquitoes seemed to want to eat them, frantically swarming their legs, leaving a handful of blood with every swipe.

Shanglin asked Yin Yeyao, "Xia Lin is back. Do you want to talk to him?"

Without waiting for a reply, he called out, "Xia Lin, it's Yin Yeyao. Say something."

Just then, Li Changsheng strolled in barefoot, carrying slippers, and was drinking water in the foyer. Hearing this, he paused, turned his head, glanced at Qiu Shanglin and the phone, and seemed to feel guilty for not coming.

Shang Lin touched his half-dry, disheveled hair and wondered, "Why should I feel guilty?"

Xia Lin, preoccupied with his work, didn't even blink when he heard her words: "No need, I don't know her."

His voice was loud enough to be heard from this distance, and Shanglin said awkwardly, "Kids get carried away, and you haven't been in touch for years..."