While copying the book by hand, it was as if Fang Yi was reviewing what he had already read—a perfect combination of making money and studying.
Time passed unknowingly, slipping away bit by bit.
Close to 1 a.m., Fang Yi could no longer hold on. He finally put down his pen and rubbed his sore wrist.
"Yi-ge!"
"Yi-ge!"
Just then, he seemed to hear someone calling his name.
The voice was deliberately hushed, making it hard to tell who it was.
Who could it be?
At this hour?
Frowning in confusion, Fang Yi pushed open the window and looked downstairs.
By the dim yellow light of the streetlamp, he saw a petite girl standing below, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. She had cupped her hands like a megaphone around her mouth.
Who else could it be but Zhao Wanqiu?
Seeing her, Fang Yi frowned slightly and said, "Why are you still awake at this hour?"
"I can't sleep!"
Zhao Wanqiu kept her voice low, afraid of disturbing anyone else.
The chain factory's work was exhausting. By this time, almost everyone would be fast asleep. It wouldn't be good to wake the neighbors.
Fang Yi asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Yi-ge, I'm getting surgery tomorrow… I'm scared." Wanqiu said, her large eyes blinking as she stared up at Fang Yi. Her gaze was full of expectation, along with a quiet dependency even she hadn't realized.
In the first eighteen years of her life, the most serious illness she'd ever had was a high fever when she was ten.
But today—first finding out she had lung cancer, then being told she'd be undergoing surgery tomorrow—it all hit her like a wave. Fear, anxiety, unease, all surged up from within.
Looking into Zhao Wanqiu's hopeful eyes, Fang Yi's voice softened. "Wait down there for me."
With that, he closed the window.
He quickly grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it over his head, then tiptoed out of the bedroom and slowly opened the front door.
"What are you sneaking around for so late at night?"
Even though he'd tried to be quiet, Fang Yi still ended up waking up Zhuang Shufen.
Seeing that his mother was already awake, he simply opened the door all the way and explained, "Wanqiu couldn't sleep, so I'm going down to talk to her for a bit."
"Go on, then."
The moment she heard it was Zhao Wanqiu, Zhuang Shufen waved him off and yawned before turning back to her room.
Tsk.
Fang Yi couldn't help but smirk to himself.
If it had been anyone else asking for him, she definitely wouldn't have been so easygoing.
He made his way downstairs. Zhao Wanqiu asked curiously, "Yi-ge, you weren't asleep either?"
"I was writing a novel," Fang Yi replied.
"Oh."
Zhao Wanqiu gave a quiet "oh" and didn't say anything more.
With her usual personality, she would've reacted with surprise, maybe even pestered him to let her read it.
But tonight, there was only silence between them.
To ease the mood, Fang Yi offered, "Want to take a walk?"
Zhao Wanqiu shook her head, but then suddenly said, "Yi-ge, I want to hear you play the guitar."
Play the guitar?
"Now?"
Fang Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised.
This late at night...
Seeing his hesitation, Zhao Wanqiu quickly said, "It's probably not convenient right now, never mind then."
Sensing the disappointment in her voice, Fang Yi reached out and gently ruffled her hair with a sigh. "Wait here."
Then he turned and ran upstairs.
Thump thump thump~
His footsteps echoed through the quiet stairwell. Before long, he came jogging back, guitar in hand.
"Come on, let's go to our old spot!"
Panting slightly, one arm holding the guitar, the other slung around Zhao Wanqiu, he led her toward the north side of the residential complex.
Their "old spot" was an abandoned apartment building.
It was an old, crumbling block that had been declared unsafe by the factory years ago. All the residents had long since moved out.
But kids are funny like that—the more the adults said not to go somewhere, the more tempting it became.
So the "dangerous building" had become their childhood playground.
In the darkness, the building looked eerie and decayed, like it was exhaling shadows. Honestly, it could've starred in a horror film without any special effects.
As that thought crossed his mind, Fang Yi paused.
Wait a second.
Middle of the night. A boy and a girl. An abandoned, creepy building…
This was literally the start of every horror movie ever.
Still, that was just a passing thought. Fang Yi didn't feel even a flicker of fear—nor did Zhao Wanqiu.
They knew this place too well. Every corner of it held memories from their childhood.
The building was only five stories high.
Hand in hand, the two of them quickly reached the rooftop balcony.
It had been a little stuffy downstairs, but up here, the cool night breeze greeted them like an old friend.
They sat side by side on the edge of the balcony, leaning against the rusted railing. Fang Yi turned to look at her and asked with a smile, "Wanqiu, what do you want to hear?"
"Anything's fine."
Zhao Wanqiu smiled faintly, the breeze gently lifting the corners of her lips.
"Alright, then I'll play whatever comes to mind."
Fang Yi grinned, adjusted the guitar's tuning, and cleared his throat.
A moment later, he gently strummed the strings, and a soft, melodic tune flowed into the night.
With the gentle rhythm, Fang Yi began to sing softly:
"When you are old and your hair turns white,
And you're dozing off, heavy with sleep…
When you can no longer walk so well,
Dozing by the fire, remembering youth.
So many people once loved your vibrant youth,
Loved your beauty, true or not.
But only one still loves your sincere soul…"
"…When I grow old, I truly hope
This song was meant for you."
…
When the song ended, Zhao Wanqiu turned her face slightly and asked, "Yi-ge, what's the name of that song?"
"When You Are Old," Fang Yi answered.
"Oh."
She nodded, then looked at him again. "Yi-ge, will you come with me to the hospital tomorrow?"
"I will."
"Yi-ge, when we start college… will we still hang out?"
"Of course we will."
"Yi-ge…"
She hesitated.
"What is it?" Fang Yi asked, curious.
"It's nothing."
"Really nothing?"
"Really nothing."
As she spoke, she leaned her hand on Fang Yi's shoulder.
Together, the two of them sat there in silence, letting the night wind brush past them as they gazed at the lights glowing in the distance—at the heart of the city.
It was hard to tell how much time passed before Zhao Wanqiu finally said, "Yi-ge, let's go back."