I was born and listened to my neighbor's older sister talk about her family of origin.

Upon seeing his arrival, the man paused for a moment and looked at Cheng Jinglan.

That look seemed to be asking: You have another son?

Seeing this, Cheng Jinglan, who was sitting half-upright on the bed, explained, "This is the neighbor's son, who is also Yu Yu's friend. He must have come to see Yu Yu."

The man nodded, then stopped looking at Jiang Ye, picked up his coat, and turned to leave the ward.

Jiang Ye stepped aside to make way for him.

Cheng Jinglan quickly said to Xu Zhiyu, "Yuyu, go and see your Uncle Song off."

Xu Zhiyu glanced at Jiang Ye at the door, lowered her eyes slightly, and seemed rooted to the spot, appearing unwilling.

In the end, Cheng Jinglan urged her to get up and walk out with the man.

Jiang Ye glanced at Cheng Jinglan and followed her.

After seeing Xu Zhiyu drop the man off at the hospital entrance, she returned and smiled at Jiang Ye, saying, "Ah Ye, there's a lake up ahead, shall we go chat there?"

"Um."

Jiang Ye nodded, his gaze falling on her face.

The girl's left cheek was covered with a thin layer of ointment. The swelling from yesterday had subsided somewhat, but the glaring red mark still lingered, like an indelible brand.

However, she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt today, and the large hood barely covered half of her face, so you couldn't tell anything from a distance.

Jiang Ye didn't say anything, he just handed over the paper bag he was carrying.

The bag is from the most popular dessert shop in town.

"For you."

Xu Zhiyu took it somewhat blankly, opened it, and her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

A delicate strawberry mille-feuille cake, with layers of cream and jam, topped with a plump, bright red strawberry.

Her eyes brightened, and that light softened the weariness on her face, making her look more vibrant for her age.

How did you know... I wanted to eat this?

She never mentioned it to anyone because Cheng Jinglan wouldn't allow it.

High sugar and high calories are the enemy of dance.

She'd never even eaten this on her birthday.

Jiang Ye replied in a serious tone: "I did some calculations and found out that a fairy wants to eat strawberry cake."

Xu Zhiyu burst out laughing at his charlatan-like appearance, her eyes crinkling with delight.

Jiang Ye chuckled, then lowered his voice, like an accomplice planning a secret operation: "Eat quickly, before Aunt Cheng finds out."

"Walk."

The two arrived at the central lake in the hospital's back garden and found an empty bench to sit on.

Xu Zhiyu carefully placed the cake box on her lap and used a small plastic fork to carefully cut off a small piece.

The cream melts in your mouth, and the aroma of sweet and sour strawberry jam and egg crepe explodes on your taste buds.

She squinted her eyes contentedly, like a cat that had stolen a bite of dried fish.

"So this is what cake tastes like, it's delicious."

She sighed sincerely, her voice slightly nasal.

Jiang Ye looked at her without saying anything.

A cake that costs a dozen yuan or so is like the most delicious thing in the world to her.

He suddenly felt a mixture of amusement and sadness.

Xu Zhiyu ate very slowly, taking small bites, as if she wanted to prolong this rare sweetness indefinitely.

She stopped eating half of it, pushed the cake box towards Jiang Ye, and whispered, "A-Ye, you eat some too."

"I don't like sweets," Jiang Ye refused.

"oh."

Xu Zhiyu withdrew her hand somewhat disappointedly and continued eating in small bites, but noticeably faster, as if afraid he might change his mind.

Xu Zhiyu carefully scraped off the last bit of cream and put it in her mouth. She even licked the small plastic fork with lingering satisfaction before putting the empty cardboard box aside.

The sweetness lingers on the tip of the tongue, refusing to dissipate.

A gentle breeze swept across the lake, ruffling the wisps of hair on her forehead. The girl stretched, her body relaxed, like a cat basking in the sun.

After a long silence, she suddenly spoke, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind.

"A-Ye, do you already know?"

Jiang Ye leaned back in his chair, gazing at the shimmering surface of the lake, without turning around: "What do you know?"

"I'm leaving."

As soon as she said those words, Xu Zhiyu felt as if a heavy stone had finally been lifted from her heart, but what followed was an even greater sense of emptiness.

Jiang Ye finally turned his head and calmly hummed in agreement.

Xu Zhiyu's legs dangled under the bench, swaying gently, her toes tapping the ground.

"That Uncle Song from earlier is the man my mother is going to remarry."

"As long as Mom can successfully divorce Dad, we will move to Haicheng to live with Uncle Song."

She paused for a moment, then added, "I'll leave after graduation."

The girl's voice grew softer and softer, eventually becoming nasal, as if she was about to cry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hide it from you... I just... I was afraid to tell you."

Once it's said, it seems like the matter is set in stone, with no room for negotiation.

Jiang Ye looked at her with her head drooping, as if she were about to be judged, and remained silent for a long time.

Just when Xu Zhiyu thought he was going to get angry, a flick on the forehead struck her unexpectedly.

"Ouch!"

Xu Zhiyu covered her forehead, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain, and looked up at him in astonishment.

Jiang Ye was amused by her pitiful appearance.

"Xu Zhiyu, is your head filled with cotton?"

"Going to Haicheng isn't like going to another planet! Making it sound like a life-or-death situation, what kind of drama are you planning?"

He leaned back, stretching out his long legs, and said nonchalantly, "Besides, what era are we living in? Cell phones are just for decoration? QQ is an antique? You're planning to block me as soon as you leave Jiangcheng?"

Xu Zhiyu was stunned by his barrage of questions. She covered her forehead and shook her head frantically, "How could that be!"

"That settles it then."

Jiang Ye snorted, looking at her dazed expression, and couldn't help but want to laugh.

"Besides, I'm overjoyed for you."

"Your stepfather is obviously rich. When you become a rich heiress, living a life of luxury, even a little bit of his money will be enough for me to buy in-game skins."

Xu Zhiyu covered her forehead, amused by his twisted logic, and burst into laughter through her tears. Tears still clung to the corners of her eyes, but the corners of her mouth had already curved upwards.

Jiang Ye sat up straight, moved closer to her, lowered his voice, and spoke mysteriously.

"Besides, Haicheng isn't far from Jiangcheng; they're both in the south, and the high-speed train only takes a few hours. If you have money, you can come back whenever you want, right?"

He started counting on his fingers with a serious expression.

"Let's make a rule, once a week... No, it'll be too tiring for you to travel back and forth for a week."

"A month... damn, a month is too long. We only see each other twelve times a year, how is that enough?"

"Then how about every two weeks! You go back to Jiangcheng every two weeks, and I'll take you to eat all the best food in the city, how about that?"

Xu Zhiyu stared at him blankly.

Watching him earnestly plan for their future, it was as if their separation was no big deal at all.

The moisture in my eyes gradually dissipated, condensing into a bright light.

She sniffed and solemnly extended her little finger.

"Pinky promise."

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow.

She stubbornly held up her hand, her little finger defiantly sticking out, "Pinky promise, once every two weeks, whoever goes back on their word is a little dog."

Jiang Ye chuckled, extended his little finger, and hooked it around hers.

Two fingers hooked together, like a solemn vow.

"When the time comes, you must wait for me at the exit, for a hundred years, no exceptions."

Jiang Ye looked into her eyes, which were washed with tears, clear and bright, reflecting his own image.

He hooked his finger around hers and tightened his grip.

"A hundred years is too short."

"Unchanged for ten thousand years."