Chapter Seven: Little Pig George

Wen Yichen himself wasn’t sure how he ended up saying such things to Jiang Muwen. Perhaps, after knowing her for over a decade, he simply couldn’t bear to watch his friend spiral downward with a little delinquent, and that’s why those words slipped out. Even he couldn’t quite explain it—every time he saw Jiang Muwen hanging out with Yin Yize, a sense of disquiet gnawed at him. Maybe he truly was afraid she’d lose herself in frivolity.

Yes… that must be it—Wen Yichen kept persuading himself. If he hadn’t spent these years with her, he wouldn’t have the time or inclination to meddle. The inner conflict in Wen Yichen’s heart was so intense that his brows drew together in a deep furrow. Were it not for Jiang Muwen’s voice pulling him back to the present, his eyebrows might have knit themselves into hard lines.

“Have you decided where you’ll go during the holiday?” Jiang Muwen asked casually.

At her question, Wen Yichen obediently reported, “Tomorrow I’m going out with Bai Xu, and the day after I’ll visit my grandma.”

“What about the day after that?”

“No plans yet.”

Their brief exchange faded, and silence settled between them.

“And you?” Wen Yichen asked in return.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to the park with Gu Nianxi, and the following day to my grandma’s as well. The day after, I don’t have any plans—maybe we could…” Before she could finish suggesting they go out together, the elevator chimed, and Su Yu’s beaming face appeared before them.

“Hello, Auntie!” Thankfully, Jiang Muwen reacted quickly, leaving her previous words unspoken.

“Well, Muwen is back!” Su Yu’s eyes lit up with delight at the sight of Jiang Muwen. She adored this girl, sometimes wishing she could bring her home as her own daughter. Her gaze landed on Wen Yichen only briefly before shifting back to Jiang Muwen. “I’m heading out for a bit. You two enjoy yourselves.”

Humming a cheerful tune, Su Yu stepped into the elevator. And just like that, the pleasant Mid-Autumn holiday began.

Jiang Muwen, clinging to the idea of “I’ll do my homework after I play a bit more,” didn’t touch a single assignment that evening. On the first day of the holiday, she spent the entire day joyfully playing at the park with Gu Nianxi; on the second day, she went to her grandmother’s with her parents. Strangely enough, every time she went out, she ran into Wen Yichen. Despite the mountain of homework assigned by their teachers, he never seemed the least bit anxious.

Seeing him so unbothered, Jiang Muwen thought, “If he’s not worried, neither am I—at least I’ve got company.” Carefree, she played for two days straight. Finally, on the evening of the second day, the two families happened upon each other on the way home.

The adults fell easily into conversation, leaving the two children trailing behind.

“What are you planning to do tomorrow?” Jiang Muwen ventured.

“Play video games.”

…Whether Jiang Muwen wasn’t good at small talk with Wen Yichen, or Wen Yichen was simply too skilled at killing a conversation, she found herself at a loss for words after his reply.

They walked side by side in silence, until Wen Yichen broke it: “Have you finished your homework?”

A simple question, but it mercilessly shattered the pleasant atmosphere.

Jiang Muwen hesitated before admitting softly, “Not yet…”

She tried to reassure herself, convinced he hadn’t done much either, and confidently asked, “What about you?” only to receive a reply like a bolt from the blue:

“Oh… I finished ages ago.”

…???

Jiang Muwen was stunned. She stared at him for a moment, lifting her gaze to Wen Yichen. Under the silky light of the streetlamp, his refined features were edged with a gentle silver glow.

She should have known—someone as inhuman as Wen Yichen had surely finished his homework long ago…

Sensing her thunderstruck silence, Wen Yichen glanced at her and asked, “Don’t tell me you haven’t done any of it?”

Jiang Muwen said nothing.

“Aren’t you worried you won’t finish in time?” he pressed.

“There’s still all of tomorrow…” she mumbled, trying to comfort herself. She had a whole day left; aside from eating, she’d do nothing but homework. Surely… she’d manage, right?

But intentions are one thing, and reality is another. Even if she skipped meals for an entire day, Jiang Muwen wouldn’t finish—because she simply didn’t know how to do it.

On the last day of the holiday, she woke up early, leafed through every test paper from start to finish. The teacher had said: if you don’t know how to solve a problem, skip it and come back later. So she skipped—again and again—until, glancing back at her stack of papers, she found them as pristine as when they had first been handed out.

She glared at them until three in the afternoon.

Time was running out. If she didn’t seek Wen Yichen’s help now, she might not live to see tomorrow.

She gathered the papers into her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and knocked timidly on Wen Yichen’s door.

Su Yu answered. The moment she saw Jiang Muwen, her face blossomed into a beautiful smile. “Muwen, are you here to play with my little piglet?”

No sooner had she spoken than Wen Yichen shuffled out in slippers. He’d been home all day, still in his pajamas—loose and comfortable, the sort of clothes that made you want to reach out and touch them. He didn’t stand on ceremony at all when he saw Jiang Muwen. Carrying his mug, he strolled over to the water dispenser. “Mom, how many times have I told you? Don’t call me little piglet.”

Su Yu was fond of the nickname for a simple reason: as a child, Wen Yichen adored eating. He’d devour anything, and for a moment, Su Yu had wondered if she’d birthed a pig.

But Su Yu paid his protest little mind. Turning back to Jiang Muwen, she asked gently, “Are you here to play with George?”

Wen Yichen: “…”

“No…”

“Is it because you don’t know how to do your homework?” Before Jiang Muwen could finish, Wen Yichen cut her off. Seeing her with a backpack, he knew she hadn’t come to play.

His bluntness caught her off guard. She managed a rueful smile. “Yeah… I was hoping you could teach me.”

So she stood obediently at the door. After all, humility was best when seeking help.

Seeing her still standing there, Wen Yichen straightened, mug in hand, and headed back toward his room. “Come in. I knew you wouldn’t be able to do it, you dummy.”