Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Sunlight filters through dappled leaves, scattering across the school paths, and the campus is filled with laughter and joy during breaks.

Shi Ning was walking to the classroom with her friend when her friend suddenly leaned close to her mysteriously and whispered, "Shi Ning, did you know? Someone gave Chen Yu a love letter today!"

Shi Ning's steps suddenly stopped, her heart skipped a beat, but she forced a calm expression and said casually, "Oh, so what? What does it have to do with me?"

But her eyes dimmed slightly, and her grip on the book tightened a little.

Back in the classroom, Shi Ning sat in her seat. The bell rang, and the teacher began lecturing at the podium, but she didn't hear a single word.

My mind was filled with what my friend had said, and the image of Chen Yu receiving the love letter.

She couldn't help but let her imagination run wild. Would Chen Yu agree to be with that girl? What if he fell for someone else?
These thoughts, like a tangled mess, tightly bound her, making her feel unsettled.

During this class, Shi Ning would stare blankly out the window for a while, and then unconsciously bite her pen, completely immersed in her own thoughts.

Seeing that she was distracted, her deskmate nudged her and reminded her, "Shi Ning, the teacher is calling on you to answer a question."

Shi Ning then came to her senses, stood up in a panic, her face flushed, at a loss for what to do.

The teacher shook her head helplessly and told her to sit down. Finally, get out of class ended, and Shi Ning walked out of the classroom, where she saw Chen Yu in the distance.

She instinctively tried to dodge, but Chen Yu had already seen her and was waving at her with a smile.

Shi Ning hesitated for a moment, then pretended not to see and turned to walk in another direction. Chen Yu's smile froze on his face; he noticed Shi Ning's unusual behavior and was filled with doubt. All of this was observed by Shi Ning's brother, Shi An.

Shi An noticed that the atmosphere between Shi Ning and Chen Yu had become strange recently, as if they were deliberately avoiding each other. He had a vague feeling that this was related to the love letter Chen Yu had received.

After school in the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the campus in a golden hue.

Chen Yu waited at the classroom door of Shi Ning early on. When Shi Ning saw him, she turned around and wanted to leave.

Chen Yu quickly caught up with her, grabbed her arm, and said shamelessly, "Shi Ning, what's wrong with you? Why have you been avoiding me lately?"

Shi Ning forcefully broke free from his hand, turned her head away, and said defiantly, "I'm not avoiding you, don't flatter yourself."

Chen Yu looked at her helplessly. He knew that Shi Ning was definitely unhappy because of the love letter.

He leaned close to Shi Ning and said with a smile, "Shi Ning, are you angry because someone sent me a love letter? I didn't care about it at all. You're the only one in my heart."

Hearing this, Shi Ning felt a little better, but still stubbornly said, "Who's angry? I don't care."

Seeing that she still didn't believe him, Chen Yu had a sudden idea and said, "How about this, I'll take you to eat your favorite beef noodle shop as an apology, okay?"

When Shi Ning heard the words "beef noodles," her eyes lit up, but she still pretended to be reserved and said, "You're trying to bribe me. I won't fall for it."

Seeing that her attitude had softened, Chen Yu continued to coax her, "Shi Ning, don't be angry anymore. You know how good that beef noodle shop is. We haven't been there in ages. Let's celebrate making up today, okay?"

Under Chen Yu's persistent pleading, Shi Ning finally couldn't help but laugh, gently punched him, and said, "You just know how to coax me with food, I really can't do anything with you."

Seeing her smile, Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Let's go then, I'm starving."

The two walked side by side on their way to the noodle shop, the setting sun casting long shadows of them.

They chatted and laughed all the way, the previous unpleasantness completely gone. Shi Ning secretly glanced at Chen Yu, thinking to herself that she couldn't be so easily jealous again, or it would be too embarrassing. Chen Yu also silently vowed to himself that he would keep his distance from other girls in the future, so that Shi Ning wouldn't misunderstand again.

Upon arriving at the noodle shop, the two ordered their favorite beef noodles. The steaming hot noodles were served, emitting a wonderful aroma.

Shi Ning ate her noodles with gusto, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. Chen Yu looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness. At that moment, they seemed to have forgotten all their troubles, immersed only in this simple happiness.

After finishing their noodles, Chen Yu took Shi Ning home.

On the way, Shi Ning suddenly remembered something and asked Chen Yu, "What did you do with that love letter?"

Chen Yu laughed and said, "I just returned it to that girl and told her that I already have someone I like."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ning blushed and softly said "Oh".

The two arrived at Shi Ning's building. Shi Ning turned to Chen Yu and said, "Thank you for comforting me today. I'm very happy."

Chen Yu looked at her and said earnestly, "Shi Ning, no matter what happens in the future, you must believe me. I only love you."

Shi Ning nodded slightly, tears of emotion glistening in her eyes. Chen Yu watched Shi Ning walk into the house before turning to leave.

The moonlight shone on him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips, his heart filled with sweetness.

When Shi Ning returned home, she lay on her bed, reflecting on everything that had happened that day, and a happy smile appeared on her face.

At this tender age, their love was full of ups and downs, but it was precisely because of this that it became all the more precious and beautiful.

Shi Ning hummed a little tune and skipped home, still immersed in the joy of eating beef noodles with Chen Yu.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Qin Yishen and Jiang Man sitting on the living room sofa, looking at her with concern.

Qin Yishen put down the newspaper in his hand and spoke first: "Ning'er, you're back a little late today. Where did you go?"

Shi Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly tensed up. However, she pretended to be calm and replied with a smile, "Dad, I went to discuss my homework with my classmates, so I came back a little late."

Jiang Man stood up, walked to Shi Ning's side, gently patted her head, and said, "Discussing homework is a good thing, but you have to be mindful of the time. We were all worried about you."

Shi Ning scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Mom, I know, I'll come back earlier next time."

Looking at Shi Ning's flushed face, Jiang Man pressed on, "Which classmate was it with? A male or female classmate?"

Shi Ning's face turned even redder, and she stammered, "Just... just a few close classmates, both boys and girls."

Qin Yishen noticed her daughter's discomfort and tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, the child is all grown up and has her own social life. Let's not ask so many questions. Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Shi Ning breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ran to wash her hands. As she washed, she secretly rejoiced that her parents hadn't discovered that she and Chen Yu had gone out together.

When she finished washing her hands and returned to the living room, Qin Yishen and Jiang Man had already set the table with food.

The family sat around the table for dinner. Shi Ning kept sneaking peeks at her parents' expressions, afraid they might ask her something embarrassing. Fortunately, the meal passed without incident. (End of Chapter)