For the first time in his life, Jian Suiying did what an older brother should do—picking up his younger brother after his college entrance exams. Of course, his main purpose wasn't entirely for him.
The moment he pulled up to the street corner near their exam venue, his head started to spin.
Twenty minutes passed, and Jian Suiying's car had barely moved ten meters.
"Damn it, this traffic... Fine, don't go any further. I'll get out and find them myself. You turn around up ahead
and wait for us across the street."
His driver breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone would be annoyed by this agonizingly slow crawl. As soon as Jian Suiying opened the door, a wave of heat nearly knocked him back inside.
He squinted at the blazing sun, stepped out of the car, and walked toward the school gate.
His ankle still ached slightly, but it didn't hinder his walking. The real problem was this unbearable heat.
Fortunately, it was only about a hundred meters away. Jian Suiying strolled over and joined a group of middle-aged men and women craning their necks anxiously, all staring intently at the school gate.
Tall and lanky with an air of distinction, Jian stood out conspicuously among the crowd of parents.
Jian Suiying asked an auntie standing next to him and learned the morning exam would end in two or three minutes. He quickly found a spot under a tree and waited patiently.
Just as he was idly looking around, he heard someone call his name from behind.
The person called out, "Young Master Jian." Those who addressed him this way were either not very familiar princeling associates or were desperately trying to curry favor with him.
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He turned to see a tall, handsome figure approaching. The man bore a slight resemblance to Li Yu, but his face carried a stern, dignified air.
His stride carried an air of confidence, clearly marking him as someone extraordinary. "Well, well, if it isn't the great Mr. Li." The arrival was none other than Li Yu's elder brother, Li Xuan.
He and Li Xuan weren't particularly close.
His own grandfather and Old Master Li weren't exactly at odds, just not particularly close. But unlike his grandfather, Old Master Li
he placed great emphasis on the cultural education of his descendants.
They were roughly the same age. While he was still a mud-covered kid climbing trees to raid bird nests, he heard that Li Xuan was already sitting properly at a desk
at his desk studying English.
So naturally, a wild kid like him—always fighting, causing trouble, and wearing out a new pair of pants in less than two days—couldn't get along with a well-mannered, studious child like Li Xuan.
well-mannered, studious child like Li Xuan.
Each had their own circle of friends. Though these circles often overlapped, their relationship remained one of polite greetings and small talk.
and exchange polite greetings.
Yet in this scene of blazing sun and teeming crowds, their shared purpose brought them unexpectedly together, drawing their relationship a little closer.
Li Xuan smiled as he pushed through the crowd to shake his hand. "Young Master Jian, what a coincidence." Jian Suiying smiled back. "Indeed. Call it fate. You're here to pick up Li Yu, right?"
"I came to wait for him, but not to pick him up. He told me he'd be staying at your place with Lin. I just got off the plane today
Just got off the plane and rushed straight over. Didn't have time to call you first. Sorry for the trouble."
What did this mean? Take the old Jian family: his grandfather had two sons and two daughters. When his uncle was selected, the entire family
Li Xuan proved remarkably capable, consistently excelling throughout his life—never straying from the path of excellence. His career advanced rapidly:
Cultivating a relationship with Li Xuan, the future head of the Li family, was precisely what Jian Suiying sought. Li Xuan, too, harbored similar thoughts.
He'd heard recently that Li Xuan had been transferred to Guangxi, so he hadn't expected to run into him here today.
"Don't mention it. It's no big deal—just a bed and a meal." The two shared a smile and began chatting about this and that.
Before long, Jian Suiying skillfully steered the conversation toward Beihai.
After much deliberation, Li Xuan seemed the most reliable connection, so he tentatively sounded him out.
This wasn't the place for serious talks. Li Xuan watched the waves of students streaming out of the school gate, his mind elsewhere.
He avoided a direct answer, skillfully steering the conversation toward suggesting they grab a meal together sometime to explore the matter further.
Jian Suiying knew this wasn't the right time either, so she just mentioned it casually, hoping to plant the idea in Li Xuan's mind.
Then he focused his attention back on the school entrance.
Before long, Jian Suiying spotted a strikingly handsome youth with rosy lips and pearly teeth appear at the gate. He was even more excited than Li Xuan himself, shouting from afar, "Li Yu! Li Yu!"
Li Xuan jumped at the sudden outburst, glancing at him in surprise. Li Yu hadn't heard a thing—the crowd was too loud.
Li Xuan called out twice himself, then tried to push through the crowd. But the parents, all eagerly looking up, began crowding toward the gate,
making it incredibly difficult to get through.
Jian Suiying quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Li Yu.
From a distance, he saw Li Yu pull out his phone, frown, hesitate for a moment, then finally answer. "Brother Jian..." "Look to your left."
Li Yu froze, then turned to see Jian Suiying waving at him, his older brother standing beside him. Li Yu flashed a smile at his brother and hurried over. "Brother, what brings you here?"
"Mom and Dad didn't want to come. They said they got too scared when they brought me here for the college entrance exam that year—too many people, cars couldn't move. So they sent me
to see how you're doing."
Moments later, Jian Suilin arrived, looking dusty and weary, yet his expression remained calm. Jian Suying, unusually attentive, asked, "How did the exam go?"
Jian Suilin gave a slight smile. "Nothing special. Shouldn't be too bad."
"Haha, that's good. Don't dwell on it. Once it's over, it's over. We still have other exams to prepare for."
Jian Suiying said, "Don't go out to eat. I've got everything ready at my place. Come on, come on, everyone's coming over to my place for lunch."
Li Xuan politely declined a few more times, but Jian Suiying insisted he come home for lunch.
Li Xuan went with the flow: "Sounds good. You can all take a nice nap after lunch." Jian Suilin led the three men across the street where the driver was waiting for him.
Getting into the car proved slightly troublesome. None of the four men was under six feet tall. One sat in the front seat,
and three crammed into the back. Three grown men squeezed into that tiny space—imagine the discomfort. Jian Suiying regretted driving this compact sedan and insisted Li Xuan take the front seat.
Li Xuan insisted on being polite, insisting Jian Suiying take the front seat.
After all, they weren't close yet. Both needed to give each other face to make future interactions smoother.
In the end, Jian Suiying physically pushed Li Xuan into the passenger seat. He cheerfully squeezed into the back, wedged between his younger brother and Li Yu.
Young Master Jian was so delighted he nearly burst into laughter.