Zhao Wanqiu tilted her head slightly, listening intently for a moment before she couldn't help asking, "Yi-ge, what song are you whistling? It sounds so good!"
The tune was the whistle intro of Whistle, light and melodic, with a breezy, refreshing charm.
But in truth, that song… was pretty suggestive.
In his previous life, the first time Fang Yi watched the Whistle music video, he felt like his whole worldview took a hit.
"Want to learn it?" he asked.
"Mhm!" Zhao Wanqiu nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.
Soon enough, the single whistle turned into a duet.
Shen Hao looked at them with envy. He really wanted to learn how to whistle too, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get the hang of it.
…
Fang Yi's family lived in a residential compound attached to the Anchor Chain Factory. Most of the residents there were factory workers.
Even though last year's Spring Festival Gala had Huang Hong loudly shouting "Workers must think for the nation—if I don't get laid off, who will?" in a comedy skit, the reality was that in many towns, workers were still very much the backbone of society.
Especially the Anchor Chain Factory. In Jiangzhen, a fourth-tier city, it was practically a local landmark.
Half an hour later, the three of them pedaled their bikes into the neighborhood.
Returning to the compound didn't stir any strong emotions in Fang Yi. After all, the place looked exactly the same as it would more than ten years later.
There had long been talk of demolishing and redeveloping the area, but even by the time he was reborn, nothing had changed.
After saying goodbye to his two childhood friends, Fang Yi made his way up the stairs like he'd done a thousand times before.
Third floor, Apartment 302!
"I'm home!"
He barely knocked twice before the door was yanked open from the inside.
"You're home, great. Want a medal for it?" His mother, Zhuang Shufen, wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Go take a shower already—you smell like a gym locker!"
Yep, definitely his biological mom. No doubt about it.
Back in the day, Old Zhuang and Old Fang had pretty progressive views. While everyone else was hoping for a son, they had actually wanted a daughter.
Especially Zhuang Shufen. Word had it that when the nurse told her it was a boy in the delivery room, her face fell instantly.
Who was Fang Yi supposed to complain to about that?
He tossed his backpack onto the sofa and grabbed the teapot from the table to gulp down some herbal tea straight from the spout.
Seeing him drink like that, Zhuang Shufen snapped. She smacked him on the shoulder. "Are you trying to die? The cups are right there!"
"Okay okay okay, got it! Next time I'll be good!" Fang Yi grinned, brushing it off. He grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.
After a refreshing cold shower, he came out towel-drying his hair and strolled into the living room.
The apartments in the Anchor Chain Factory compound were tiny—barely over sixty square meters of usable space. Two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and a bathroom.
The sofa, coffee table, and dining table already took up most of the living room.
He had just flopped onto the couch to enjoy the electric fan when Zhuang Shufen emerged from the kitchen holding a chilled half-slice of watermelon.
Fang Yi's eyes lit up instantly. He jumped up to take the watermelon, already looking around for a spoon to dig in.
But before he could find one, Zhuang Shufen said, "Eat later. Take this over to Wanqiu's place."
Fang Yi pouted. "Ma, are you sure we weren't swapped at birth? She's clearly your real daughter."
"Hah! If that were true, I'd be laughing in my sleep."
Zhuang Shufen rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Hurry up and go!"
Tsk.
Fang Yi grabbed the watermelon and stepped out the door shirtless.
Zhao Wanqiu was from a single-parent household. Her father had passed away in a work accident not long after she was born.
Her mother, Wang Juan, was a tough woman from the Sichuan-Chongqing region. She never remarried, choosing instead to raise her daughter on her own.
Many times, because Wang Juan had to work overtime, she would ask Zhuang Shufen to help look after Wanqiu.
To be honest, Zhao Wanqiu spent nearly half of her childhood at the Fang household.
Zhuang Shufen, who had always longed for a daughter and sympathized deeply with their situation, adored Wanqiu. The girl was petite, sweet, and adorable—she got treated just as well as Fang Yi himself.
Wanqiu lived on the fifth floor of the building across from theirs. By the time Fang Yi reached her door, he was already sweating buckets again.
Great. That shower was a complete waste.
He knocked, and after a while, the door creaked open.
She must've just showered. Her short hair was still damp and messy, and she wore a sleeveless T-shirt. Her skin, already smooth and fair, now looked fresh and dewy from the bath.
A soft, clean scent drifted to his nose as Fang Yi held out the watermelon. "My mom told me to bring this over for you."
"Oh—thank you, tell Auntie Zhuang my thanks!" Zhao Wanqiu accepted the watermelon and gave a polite smile.
"I'll head back then."
"Wait a second!"
Zhao Wanqiu turned around with a piapia sound from her little slippers and ran into the apartment.
Moments later, she returned with a plastic bag in hand.
"These are some spicy sausages my mom brought back from her hometown. Let Auntie Zhuang try them!"
"Alright then, I'm off!"
Fang Yi took the bag, waved, and turned to leave.
"Yi-ge!"
He had barely taken a few steps when her voice called out again.
Fang Yi stopped and turned his head. "What is it now?"
"Which university are you aiming for?" she asked casually.
"I…"
Fang Yi smiled and was about to answer, but a sudden flash of insight struck him.
Noticing how relaxed her expression was, he changed his response. "Lately my review's been going really well. I think I might have a shot at Jin University."
"Oh, got it!"
Zhao Wanqiu nodded.
This silly girl… Could it be that, in his previous life, she had ended up applying to a lower-ranked university because of him?
Fang Yi remembered now—before the college entrance exam, she had asked him the exact same question. Back then, he didn't have much confidence in himself, so he had said he'd probably end up at a tier-two university.
But he ended up exceeding expectations and got into a tier-one school instead. Meanwhile, Zhao Wanqiu surprised everyone by landing in a tier-two.
At the time, he hadn't thought much of it. After all, college entrance mishaps happened all the time.
But thinking back now… something felt off.
Hiss—
Wanqiu… don't mess around!
I really do see you as a brother, alright?!