Chapter 76: You Truly Have a Magnanimous Heart

Although he had dinner at the class monitor’s home, Chen Shian returned much earlier than his usual time after evening study.

Around eight thirty, Chen Shian pushed open the door to his house.

Li Wanyin and the cat, both on the sofa, turned their heads to look at him simultaneously.

“Shian, you’re back so early today?”

“Meow?”

“That’s right. Wanyin, have you had dinner yet?”

“I ate a while ago… Did you go shopping? You brought back so many things!”

After changing his shoes, Chen Shian carried the several large bags inside and set them on the coffee table.

“I didn’t have evening study tonight, so I went to Uncle Lin’s for dinner. He was so generous—stuffed all these fruits and snacks into my hands. There’s no way I can finish them all by myself. Take whatever you like, Wanyin.”

“Uncle Lin treats you so well! Apples, snow pears, dragon fruit, strawberries, grapes… spicy strips, dried meat, macadamias, walnuts, milk candy, dried mangoes, a mixed hawthorn box, chips… Wow! He definitely bought these just for you, didn’t he?”

“I think so. Before leaving, I saw Uncle Lin had all these fruits and snacks ready. Probably bought them when he went grocery shopping this afternoon.”

“So you had dinner at Uncle Lin’s. Does he live nearby too?”

“Yeah, just down the road to the left from our school’s entrance.”

“Dongyu Zhenfu?”

“Oh, you know that development, Wanyin?”

“Haha, I haven’t been there, but it’s probably the nicest neighborhood nearby. Even though it’s over ten, maybe twenty years old, the location is great—the price per square meter is several tens of thousands! Terrifying!”

“Oh no, I can’t even afford a single square meter.”

Chen Shian knew housing prices were high, but he’d never really thought about it. In truth, he didn’t have much concept of money at all. Only after hearing Li Wanyin mention the actual price per square meter did he realize he couldn’t even afford a fraction of a home.

“Me neither. I don’t know how many years I’d have to work before I could own my own place.”

Every woman longs for a home of her own, and Li Wanyin was no exception. She had thought about settling in the city, but the housing prices were simply too daunting. Suppose, after her probation, she became a permanent employee; suppose she earned the highest salary—six thousand a month. If she saved three thousand each month after daily expenses, she’d still need at least ten years just to cover the down payment.

Chen Shian didn’t know how wealthy Lin Mengqiu’s family was, but while chatting with Uncle Lin over tea, he did learn that, besides being a member of the school board, Uncle Lin also ran educational institutions—terms like shares, partnerships, private schools were all mentioned, none of which Chen Shian fully understood. In short, the class monitor’s family was well-off and had no worries.

“Do you plan to buy a house, Wanyin?” Chen Shian asked with a smile.

“Oh, that’s a distant dream. Of course I’ve thought about it. I’ve even imagined being like Uncle Lin—owning several homes and collecting rent.”

Li Wanyin laughed, then said, a little wistfully, “Uncle Lin must be an impressive person, right?”

“Yes, he really is. He came from a small mountain village, got into a top university, had no connections or resources, and made it on his own.”

“Then he’s truly accomplished!”

Li Wanyin didn’t know much about Lin Ming, only that he was their landlord and the principal, and a very kind person. Hearing Chen Shian describe his background, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. Coming from the bottom herself, she knew just how hard it was to change one’s fate.

Sometimes it’s a benefactor, sometimes a fleeting opportunity, but effort is always indispensable. Benefactors and opportunities are rare and unpredictable; what she could firmly grasp now was only her own hard work.

Chen Shian sat on the sofa and reached for the snack bag. The black cat leaped onto the coffee table and pulled out a packet of dried meat.

“Meow.”

Chen Shian opened the packet, sharing some with the cat and some with his sister.

“Thank you~”

“Is your part-time job over, Wanyin?” Chen Shian asked between bites.

“Yes, tomorrow I have the day off—perfect timing to rest before I start my new job on Monday.”

Li Wanyin had just finished showering, dressed in casual shorts and a T-shirt. Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, her soft hair draped over her back, and a secondhand laptop she’d bought in college rested on her knees. She was browsing posts about experiences as an administrative assistant—whether useful or not, it made her feel prepared even before starting.

When she’d shared an apartment with Xiaorui, even though they were both women, she rarely stayed in the living room; most of the time, they each kept to their own rooms. But with Chen Shian, she truly felt relaxed and at ease, happy to spend time in the open common space—watching TV, chatting, or playing on her phone and computer.

“What are you reading, Wanyin?”

“Experience posts.” Li Wanyin turned the laptop toward Chen Shian.

“Are they helpful?”

She laughed, “Just browsing. It’s like watching palace intrigue dramas—the workplace is full of hidden currents. I’m a total newbie, so I want to be as prepared as possible.”

She set the laptop aside, slipped her feet into slippers, and looked ready to get busy.

“You pick—green bean sweet soup, snow fungus dessert, or taro sago tonight? We still have plenty left.”

Chen Shian smiled. “I just had dinner, so I’m still full. If you’re not busy, how about we go for a walk downstairs? I’ve been here several days and haven’t explored at night yet.”

“Great! I wanted to go for a walk too. It’s boring alone—let’s go together.”

Chen Shian’s casual suggestion was met with an eager yes from Li Wanyin. She stood up, took her laptop back to her room, and soon reemerged, having changed from her home shorts into comfortable long pants, and swapped her usual sleep shirt for a much newer white tee.

Her simple outfit nonetheless highlighted her mature feminine charm—long legs, a slender waist, and a proud figure. Though the clothes were ordinary, she possessed a gentle elegance that young girls rarely have.

Chen Shian was still in his school uniform and didn’t plan to change—he’d shower after their stroll.

After changing shoes, Li Wanyin remembered something, dashed back to grab the trash, and joined Chen Shian again.

“Did you bring your keys, Shian?”

“I did.”

“Then I won’t bring mine.”

Such a natural exchange made their shared life under one roof feel all the more real.

Brother and sister walked side by side down the stairs, the motion-sensor lights flickering on with each step.

Once outside, the cool night breeze washed over them, and Li Wanyin felt a deep sense of comfort.

In fact, this was her first evening walk since moving here three months ago.

She didn’t have to think about work tomorrow, or fret over job hunting, or even worry about where their stroll would take them.

Chen Shian was tall—she was only about 1.65 meters, and walking beside him, she barely reached his chin. His height made her feel safe, as if he could protect her easily.

Yet, seeing him in his blue and white school uniform, she was reminded of his age, and felt she ought to look after him instead. These two contrasting sensations made for a strange, contradictory experience.

The trash bins were along the wall. Li Wanyin hurried ahead to toss the bag, so Chen Shian wouldn’t have to stop for her—a habit deeply ingrained in her. At work, such consideration would be praised as “quick-witted,” but really, she simply put herself in others’ shoes, even in trivial matters.

Perhaps it was these very qualities that made Chen Shian see her as “the older sister” the moment they met.

“Sister” was a noun, but with Li Wanyin, it was the most fitting adjective.

In the dim light of the old neighborhood, Li Wanyin pointed at a cat-like shadow ahead and laughed, “Shian, look at that black cat—it looks just like Shimo.”

Chen Shian was silent.

As they approached, slightly nearsighted Li Wanyin realized the shadow had actually stopped to wait for them… The more she looked, the more it seemed like Shimo, until finally—

“Shimo?!”

“Meow.”

“How did you get down here?! Weren’t you just watching TV at home? When did you slip out?!”

Li Wanyin was shocked. But the black cat before her could only be Shimo.

“Uh, maybe it got out through the balcony.”

“What? The balcony? Ninth floor! Shimo, did you jump down?!”

Li Wanyin’s eyes widened in horror as she hurried to check if the chubby cat was injured.

“Are you okay, Shimo? Why did you suddenly jump?”

But the black cat refused her touch, even giving her a very human-like “don’t make a fuss” look before trotting ahead of them.

“Don’t worry, Wanyin. Cats don’t get hurt from falling—Fat Mo is fine.”

“…You’re way too relaxed.”

She gave up on both boy and cat. Seeing Shimo as nimble as ever, she finally relaxed… Her mind started making excuses for the fat cat—maybe there were structures or pipes to help it climb down, maybe cats really can survive a nine-story fall… but she still couldn’t quite convince herself.

“So what now, should we catch Shimo and bring it home? Is it safe to let it wander outside?”

Wanyin was worried; she’d had cats before and knew how neurotic they could be—not like dogs that would follow people everywhere. Especially in the city, if a cat left home, it was almost certain to get lost.

“It’s fine, Wanyin, don’t worry. Fat Mo always follows me wherever I go—it won’t get lost.”

“…You are really too carefree.”

Again, she could only surrender. She prayed that if Chen Shian ever married and had kids, his wife would never let him watch the children.

Seeing that Shimo truly didn’t stray far and kept pace with them on their walk, Wanyin finally felt at ease. Still, she kept an eye on the cat, afraid it might wander off.

After all, she’d grown up looking after her younger sister, seven years her junior. By the time her sister was born, she was already sensible—half a guardian, really.

The two of them left the complex and walked out onto the main street. On weekends, at eight or nine o’clock, the city was at its liveliest.

“Shian, where do you want to walk?”

“How about going to the West River?”

“Great! It’s always bustling there at night. You know about West River too?”

“Yeah, I’ve gone running there in the mornings recently.”

The West River wasn’t far from the neighborhood. Walk west across the street for about twenty minutes, and you’d get there.

But something else in his words caught Wanyin’s attention.

“You run in the mornings?”

“Yeah, every morning these days. I wanted to get familiar with the neighborhood.”

“Good for you! What time do you get up to run?”

Though they lived together, their school and work schedules rarely overlapped. By the time she woke up, Chen Shian was already at school.

Last night, after securing her new job, she’d felt excited but slept surprisingly well, waking at six thirty, yet still missing Chen Shian.

“Five o’clock. I’m up at five, go for a run, come back to wash up and eat breakfast, and I’m out the door by ten past six.”

“Five o’clock!”

She was stunned. “You get up so early and still exercise—how do you make it through the school day?”

“It’s fine. I sleep well. If I’m tired, I just meditate for a bit.”

Wanyin didn’t know how he managed, but she admired anyone who could wake early to exercise.

She’d thought about exercising in the morning herself, but after leaving school for work, she never had the energy. After work each day, all she wanted was to collapse into bed.

Seeing her thoughts, Chen Shian smiled, “But from a health perspective, getting enough rest and sleep is more important than anything. Forcing yourself to work or exercise when you’re exhausted is bad for body and mind.”

“So tomorrow you don’t have to get up early for class?”

“No, but I’m used to rising early.”

“Impressive… So what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“I’m thinking of exploring the nearby hills, maybe collecting some herbs or whatever else I find. Treat it like ‘stocking up’.”

He borrowed the term Wanyin had used earlier when he brought home all those snacks—apt and convenient.

“You know herbs too? What for?”

“To blend some health and beauty teas, maybe give them to classmates. If you want some, Wanyin, I can make some for you.”

“You can do that!” she exclaimed, delighted, “If you’re offering, of course I’ll take it! I just didn’t know you knew about these things…”

“I studied some herbal medicine while practicing Daoism.”

“But the hills around here have probably been picked clean…”

“You’re familiar with Yunqi, right? Do you know any mountains nearby where wild herbs might still grow?”

“Well, there are plenty of hills around Yunqi. I often see wild mushrooms for sale at the market—someone must be picking them from the mountains, though I don’t know where. If you want one that’s close by and not too developed, maybe… what’s it called… Shuiche Mountain!”

She thought as she walked, finally recalling a hill that might possibly have wild herbs and mushrooms.

“Shuiche Mountain… that’s an interesting name. How do you know about it?”

She laughed, “It just came to me. A local classmate once mentioned her uncle went mushroom hunting there all the time. The name stuck with me. As for herbs, I can’t be sure.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll check it out when I have time.”

“It’s hard to find wild mushrooms and herbs! They don’t just appear before you—how will you look, search bit by bit?”

“I have sharp eyes, a keen nose, and know their habits. It’s not that hard.”

Wanyin didn’t really believe his boasts. Even though she’d grown up in the countryside, she wasn’t sure she could find wild mushrooms herself, though she was good at digging bamboo shoots.

“You’re going alone?”

“I’ll take Fat Mo with me.”

Seeing the words on her lips, Chen Shian winked and invited her, “You’re free tomorrow, right? Want to come with me?”

“Absolutely~!”

Truthfully, she didn’t feel entirely at ease letting Chen Shian wander the wilds alone.

As his big sister, she really couldn’t help but worry…