"You little brat, you win."
Zhu Sis pouted and handed over her half-eaten ice cream cone to Doug Feng. "Here, wanna try some ice cream, little brat?"
Just the sight of it brought back a flood of memories from Doug's childhood.
Back then, ice cream was a luxury. Every summer, he had to scrape and plead with his mom for a single dime—just enough to buy the cheapest kind: the old-school white popsicle. It was basically a block of frozen water with a bit of sugar in it. Cold, sweet, and simple.
Even the most basic ice cream bars cost at least one yuan, far beyond what he could afford. So he'd just watch other kids licking their treats, a lump of envy sitting in his throat.
But then, one summer night, everything changed. He was maybe seven or eight. Zhu Sis, just ten at the time, had dragged him out with a mysterious glint in her eyes. She took him to the corner shop and bought a one-yuan-twenty-cent ice cream. They sat under the old locust tree in their courtyard, sharing it spoonful by spoonful.
Later, Doug learned she'd scoured trash heaps across several streets, collecting dozens of used drink bottles to sell at the recycling depot—just to earn enough money for that single ice cream.
"Zhu Sis, do you… remember that time you bought me ice cream when we were kids?"
His voice was soft, almost carried away by the summer night breeze. That memory of being taken care of, of her feeding him like he was the most important person in her world, warmed something deep inside him.
The phrase "childhood sweethearts" barely scratched the surface.
"Hah? That? You still remember? You were so tiny back then!"
Zhu Sis blinked in surprise, then laughed as she remembered. It had been her first time eating ice cream too. The most expensive thing she'd ever bought back then.
"Of course I remember. That was the best ice cream I've ever had. Still is. Nothing else even comes close."
"Pfft, nonsense," she teased. "Today's ice cream has chocolate, fruit chunks—so much better than that old thing."
"Nope. That one was the best. Because you bought it for me. And because you fed it to me, one bite at a time."
Zhu Sis burst into giggles. She scooped up a spoonful of her ice cream and said with a grin, "Alright, brat. Let's see if this is still the best ice cream in the world. Say 'ahh'!"
"Ahhh—"
Doug obediently opened his mouth, and she popped the spoon in. The moment the cold sweetness hit his tongue, he shivered. Apple-flavored, with just the right tang. It tasted like youth, like memories tucked between the pages of an old calendar.
"Mmm, this is amazing. Best ice cream in the world."
He smacked his lips and grinned.
"Oh yeah? That good? Let me try."
Without hesitation, Zhu Sis scooped another bite with the same spoon he'd used and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes narrowed with pleasure, and she made two playful mmm sounds. "Haha! Not bad at all. Alright, Doug, open up—one more!"
"Coming right up!"
And so, under the amber glow of the streetlamp, the two of them devoured the ice cream together, laughing, reminiscing, sharing something sweet that had nothing to do with just dessert.
"Can't believe it," Zhu Sis murmured, ruffling Doug's hair. "That little kid who used to follow me around begging for candy is all grown up now."
Doug noticed her tone shift. Her gaze drifted away, and her smile dimmed.
"Zhu Sis… is something bothering you?" he asked gently.
He knew this look. From the time they were kids, whenever Zhu Sis had something weighing on her, she'd sit quietly at the doorway, lost in thought. And every time, he'd come sit next to her, saying nothing—just keeping her company.
"It's nothing. You wouldn't understand, you little brat. Besides, don't you have your placement test tomorrow? Go hit the books. Do your best, alright? I'm counting on you to become a real college student!"
She brushed it off, but Doug could sense the heaviness in her words.
Still, he didn't push.
That night, long after he'd gone back to his room, Doug sat at his desk under the warm glow of the lamp, still lost in thought.
"Whoa… my favorability with Zhu Sis just went up by four points. And I didn't even catch her showering this time?"
He scratched his head and pulled up the system interface.
Total Favorability Points: 29
Available Points: 24
Hailey Tang: 20 pts
Zhu Sis: 8 pts
Mysterious Hot Lady: 1 pt
(+3 passive recovery per day)
Then, he took out the four lottery tickets, carefully wrapped in plastic. Nearly ten million yuan in total. He was no longer broke—at least on paper.
But now came the big question: how the hell was he supposed to claim it?
For prizes over 100,000 yuan, you had to go to the provincial welfare lottery center in Fushi. That meant taking the train from Zhicheng—seven to eight hours one way. A full day, minimum. Maybe more. And it was unclear whether the center even opened on weekends.
Claiming had to be done within a month of the draw. But there was no way he could vanish for a day without his parents freaking out, especially now, just two months from the college entrance exams. They'd probably report him missing by noon.
"And there's no way I can let them know I won the lottery. They'll never believe it happened by chance, and it'll raise way too many questions—and maybe even bring trouble."
That meant one thing: he had to sneak off and claim it by himself.
Which… was easier said than done.
Doug groaned and slammed the textbook shut.
"Whatever. I'll figure it out tomorrow."
He yawned, turned off the lamp, and crawled into bed.
Just before sleep took him, his gaze drifted back to the English textbook on his desk.
"Don't worry, Miss Fang. I'll get into a good college. I promise."
And with that, a certain memory flickered through his mind—Hailey Tang's elegant silhouette, and that line she'd boldly told her mother earlier today:
"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Doug Feng."