A writer has arrived in the Chinese entertainment industry.

In the early morning, a thin mist shrouded the fields, and the sky was still dark. Ran Xiaoqing carried her schoolbag and went out, her steps light and quick, with a breathless rhythm.

The moment she stepped out of the alley, it was as if she had bumped into an invisible wall; her breath caught in her throat, and she abruptly stopped. Su Liu was leaning against the dilapidated electric scooter station there.

"What are you standing there for? Come here."

Su Liu beckoned, and Ran Xiaoqing walked over with slightly flustered steps: "What are you doing... here?"

"Here's your key and car back, and I'll give you a ride to school."

"oh."

Sitting on the back seat, Su Liu turned the handlebars, and the scooter shot off. The cool morning breeze rushed towards them, and the street scenery flashed by. The scooter finally came to a smooth stop at the school gate. The two got off, but Su Liu didn't stop walking; he followed Ran Xiaoqing into the campus.

She asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"Find your homeroom teacher and take me there."

"What is it?"

"I'm asking for leave for you."

"Ah," Ran Xiaoqing suddenly realized, "you're going...to pay your respects..."

Su Liu looked disgusted: "I'm not going." He suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Actually, you hate him too, don't you?"

"I...I didn't." Ran Xiaoqing lowered her head and quickened her pace.

The office in the teaching building was empty. Su Liujing pulled up a chair and sat down. The place had a natural oppressive effect on Ran Xiaoqing, a first-year high school student, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"How about... I go to morning self-study first?"

"Don't go, wait here." Su Liu pulled over another chair. "Sit down."

"No, no, I won't sit."

While waiting, Su Liu calmly dealt with several teachers who came in. More than half an hour later, a middle-aged woman walked in with sharp steps, and Ran Xiaoqing instantly straightened up—it was the homeroom teacher.

"Hey? Ran Xiaoqing, what are you doing here?"

"Teacher Wang, I..."

"Teacher Wang," Su Liu greeted him, "I'm Xiao Qing's older brother."

"Oh, hello." Teacher Wang looked at him with surprise and casually placed her bag on the table.

"I'd like to ask Xiaoqing for a day off."

Upon hearing that he was taking leave, Teacher Wang's expression turned serious. What Su Liu didn't know was that this Teacher Wang was renowned for his meticulousness and keen observation, having thwarted countless students' schemes and earning him the title of Tongliang Middle School's top detective. Whether faking a fever or impersonating a parent, nothing escaped his sharp eyes; he was known among students as an "impenetrable iron wall."

"Ran Xiaoqing, is he really your brother? How come I didn't know?"

"He...he really is."

Teacher Wang took out her phone: "I'll call home to verify."

"Teacher," Su Liu asked calmly, "who are you going to call?"

Teacher Wang paused, suddenly remembering Ran Xiaoqing's family troubles, and felt utterly ashamed. Her expression softened: "Then you really are..."

We are half-siblings.

Teacher Wang sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, you're doing this for the students too. We'll be going now."

"Okay, okay."

Just as Su Liu was about to leave with Ran Xiaoqing, a figure suddenly swept past the doorway. The person pretended not to look at anything, but in reality, they had already taken in everything that was happening inside the office out of the corner of their eye.

"Weiwei," Ran Xiaoqing called out instinctively.

Tian Xiwei slammed on the brakes, turned around, and flashed a bright smile.

"Xiaoqing, and Xiaoqing's brother, what are you doing in the office?"

Ran Xiaoqing jogged forward and said, "He... brought me to ask the teacher for leave."

"Are you asking for leave?" Tian Xiwei stared at Su Liu with a scrutinizing gaze. "Where are you taking Xiaoqing?"

Ran Xiaoqing found it strange too. If she wasn't going to visit the graves, why did she need to ask for leave?

What's going on? Su Liu wondered. Why was Tian Xiwei so wary of him? Was she going to become Ran Xiaoqing's guardian?

"Hey, there's no need for me to report to you no matter what."

"It's suspicious that you're not telling me." She touched her chin with one hand, looking like she was Sherlock Holmes.

"Suspicious my foot! Don't pretend to be deep, little brat."

Su Liu pulled Ran Xiaoqing along and they left, with Tian Xiwei quickly following. The three of them walked through the campus in a somewhat strange formation, with Su Liu at the front, holding Ran Xiaoqing's wrist, who followed passively, while Tian Xiwei stayed close to Ran Xiaoqing.

This unusual scene drew curious glances from the surrounding students.

Even after they walked out of the campus, Tian Xiwei followed closely behind.

"Tian Xiwei!" Su Liu glared at this tagalong. "Don't you have class?"

Tian Xiwei immediately responded confidently, "Of course we'll go! But comparatively speaking, Xiaoqing's safety is more important!"

Su Liu turned to Ran Xiaoqing and asked, "Hey, are students at your school allowed to freely enter and leave the school gates?"

"Weiwei," Ran Xiaoqing said, looking both amused and exasperated, "I'm fine. You should go back now, or you'll get scolded by the teacher again."

She leaned close to Ran Xiaoqing's ear and whispered, "You can't let your guard down. He may be good-looking, but he might be a pervert."

"I can hear you!"

Su Liu roared, and the two girls separated abruptly as if they had been burned.

"It's okay," Ran Xiaoqing pushed her through the school gate, "You're exaggerating."

"Okay then, but you have to come find me after school this afternoon."

"OK."

"Then I'll go back."

"Um."

Watching Tian Xiwei's departing figure, Su Liu's gaze returned to Ran Xiaoqing.

"I used to think you were her simp, but now I realize she might be the one who's your simp."

"What 'simp'?"

"Simp! Hasn't this term spread yet?"

"I don't understand."

"What I mean is, you care about her excessively, even more than yourself. Look at you, you're even willing to stay in this place that's been tormenting you for her sake. Do you know that your life will completely change after you come to Shanghai with me? How many people have that kind of opportunity?"

After a moment of silence, Ran Xiaoqing suddenly spoke in a tone as if reciting a text, "Because I didn't have many friends when I was little. After I found someone who was very important to me, I worried that even doing something small might cause that person to leave me."

"Huh? You've read my book?"

Ran Xiaoqing's words come from Su Liu's novel "The Wife-Hard Family," published in 2011.

Uncle Luo gave me a copy.

"Oh, you're really good at memorizing texts?"

"What I'm trying to say is that Vivi is the only light in my life."

She was at an age where even seeing a fallen leaf could make her feel sad, something Su Liu knew all too well. Whenever he encountered these pretentious young men and women, he would transform into a stern, indifferent figure, making these innocent teenagers understand the harsh realities of life.

However, Ran Xiaoqing's persistent and determined expression made him momentarily dazed.

"What? So you really are her simp. How old are you? You dare to talk about life and death like that."

"Um...you don't seem to be that much older than me, do you?"

"Ran Xiaoqing, shut up."

"oh."

Ran Xiaoqing couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Su Liu glanced at her and said irritably, "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Just come with me."