Reality is like a third-rate romance novelist, addicted to clichéd and melodramatic plots.

It was just an ordinary night, in the season when summer fades into autumn, with countless household lights stretching like stars across the night sky. Fireworks burned long in the air, while people hustled and bustled, coming and going, treading their past paths, searching for their way home.

She shivered in the late summer breeze—the sudden cold snap had come without warning, its chill seeping into every pore. Just like the reunion years later, it arrived abruptly, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

Qin Sang stared unblinkingly, her calm exterior hiding a stormy turmoil. She could even hear the distinct beat of her own heart.

In that moment, it felt as if time stood still and the years grew tangled. He paused in the summer night breeze, gentle as a wisp of wind—leaving no trace, yet stirring ripples on the water’s surface.

……

“Teacher Qin?”

The driver called out.

Qin Sang’s gaze was unfocused, like a drowning person clutching at driftwood. He took a deep breath and snapped back to reality.

“What is it?”

“That gentleman over there is someone I brought to help,” the driver said apologetically, gesturing toward the car. “But I need to go check the engine first—there might be a blockage. Teacher Qin, could I trouble you to hold the light for us? It’s too dark to see clearly.”

Qin Sang lowered her gaze, feigning calmness in her tone, yet a hint of trembling lingered at the tail end.

“Mm.”

……

In the night, the man standing close at hand was tall and straight, his shirt slightly billowing in the evening breeze, yet it could not conceal his distinguished figure—broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Short strands of hair faintly shaded his brow bone, his eyes as clear and bright as ever. Only now, the youthful innocence had faded away, replaced by a more restrained and mature demeanor.

Even the passage of time seemed to favor him exceptionally, for the weathering of years and seasons had left not a single trace upon him.

Qin Sang hesitated, her mind a whirl of conflicting thoughts.

Should she act naturally and greet him?

Or pretend not to notice and treat him like a stranger?

Xie Yunchen slightly nodded, his gaze clear and detached.

“Excuse me.”

Qin Sang paused, then replied awkwardly from behind her mask.

“It’s the least I could do.”

She lowered her head and turned on her phone’s flashlight, stepping closer.

Her gaze involuntarily fell on him.

He was bent over inspecting the car body, sleeves loosely rolled up, arms taut and defined. His fingers deftly lifted the hood, eyes cool and deep, intensely focused.

Qin Sang stole a couple of glances, then brushed the edge of her mask.

Did he not recognize her?

……

The engine roared back to life, shattering the tense silence.

“Did you notice any sluggishness while driving?”

Qin Sang froze before answering.

“Yes. On the overpass, the rear right wheel started making strange noises. It sank noticeably, and the car veered right. We were afraid something might happen, so we stopped.”

She pursed her lips.

“Is it an engine problem?”

“No,” Xie Yunchen said. “The engine and fuel system are fine. It’s likely a broken bearing. The car needs factory repair. Have you contacted the 4S shop?”

“No.”

She frowned.

“But it just had maintenance. Can this still happen?”

He paused.

“Usually it’s aging or severe wear. Were there noises before?”

Qin Sang shook her head.

“I’m rarely in Jingcheng and don’t drive much.”

Her job required constant travel.

A car?

She’d barely touched one.

“In that case,” Xie Yunchen said, “check the maintenance list and assign responsibility. However, I recommend changing dealerships.”

“Then… could I add you on WeChat?”

She scratched her mask edge.

“I don’t understand cars. If I have questions later…”

“Sorry,” he replied calmly. “I rarely use WeChat.”

Rejected.

As expected.

“Well, that’s too bad.”

Half an hour earlier, Qin Sang had received Zhou Yihong’s message.

[Zhou Yihong: What a coincidence, my junior brother is there.]

[Zhou Yihong: 187****0920]

[Xie Yunchen.]

She never expected it would be him.

Life was full of melodrama.

……

She stood before him in a white trench coat, mask hiding her face.

Then she pulled it down.

Across Lijiang Bridge, her advertisement glowed on a massive LED screen.

Xie Yunchen stiffened.

A week earlier, his phone had turned back on after three months.

Messages flooded in.

Then Jiang Mingyi called.

“I heard you’re turning over a new leaf?”

Later, laughter.

“Qin Sang showed up at the reunion.”

“She’s huge now. Ads in Times Square.”

Xie Yunchen answered coolly.

“With your abilities, meeting her wouldn’t be hard.”

Eventually Jiang Mingyi teased,

“So how does it feel to be defended by a superstar?”

After a long pause, Xie Yunchen replied.

“Mm-hmm.”

……

“Xie Yunchen, it’s been a while.”

She smiled softly.

“Since we were classmates, you wouldn’t turn me down, right?”

Past and present overlapped.

Xie Yunchen chuckled quietly.

“How could I? Classmates should always help each other.”

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