Reality is like a third-rate romance novelist, addicted to clich\u00e9d 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\u2014the 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\u2014leaving no trace, yet stirring ripples on the water\u2019s surface.
\u2026\u2026
\u201cTeacher Qin?\u201d
The driver called out.
Qin Sang\u2019s gaze was unfocused, like a drowning person clutching at driftwood. He took a deep breath and snapped back to reality.
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d
\u201cThat gentleman over there is someone I brought to help,\u201d the driver said apologetically, gesturing toward the car. \u201cBut I need to go check the engine first\u2014there might be a blockage. Teacher Qin, could I trouble you to hold the light for us? It\u2019s too dark to see clearly.\u201d
Qin Sang lowered her gaze, feigning calmness in her tone, yet a hint of trembling lingered at the tail end.
\u201cMm.\u201d
\u2026\u2026
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\u2014broad 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.
\u201cExcuse me.\u201d
Qin Sang paused, then replied awkwardly from behind her mask.
\u201cIt\u2019s the least I could do.\u201d
She lowered her head and turned on her phone\u2019s 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?
\u2026\u2026
The engine roared back to life, shattering the tense silence.
\u201cDid you notice any sluggishness while driving?\u201d
Qin Sang froze before answering.
\u201cYes. 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.\u201d
She pursed her lips.
\u201cIs it an engine problem?\u201d
\u201cNo,\u201d Xie Yunchen said. \u201cThe engine and fuel system are fine. It\u2019s likely a broken bearing. The car needs factory repair. Have you contacted the 4S shop?\u201d
\u201cNo.\u201d
She frowned.
\u201cBut it just had maintenance. Can this still happen?\u201d
He paused.
\u201cUsually it\u2019s aging or severe wear. Were there noises before?\u201d
Qin Sang shook her head.
\u201cI\u2019m rarely in Jingcheng and don\u2019t drive much.\u201d
Her job required constant travel.
A car?
She\u2019d barely touched one.
\u201cIn that case,\u201d Xie Yunchen said, \u201ccheck the maintenance list and assign responsibility. However, I recommend changing dealerships.\u201d
\u201cThen\u2026 could I add you on WeChat?\u201d
She scratched her mask edge.
\u201cI don\u2019t understand cars. If I have questions later\u2026\u201d
\u201cSorry,\u201d he replied calmly. \u201cI rarely use WeChat.\u201d
Rejected.
As expected.
\u201cWell, that\u2019s too bad.\u201d
Half an hour earlier, Qin Sang had received Zhou Yihong\u2019s 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.
\u2026\u2026
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.
\u201cI heard you\u2019re turning over a new leaf?\u201d
Later, laughter.
\u201cQin Sang showed up at the reunion.\u201d
\u201cShe\u2019s huge now. Ads in Times Square.\u201d
Xie Yunchen answered coolly.
\u201cWith your abilities, meeting her wouldn\u2019t be hard.\u201d
Eventually Jiang Mingyi teased,
\u201cSo how does it feel to be defended by a superstar?\u201d
After a long pause, Xie Yunchen replied.
\u201cMm-hmm.\u201d
\u2026\u2026
\u201cXie Yunchen, it\u2019s been a while.\u201d
She smiled softly.
\u201cSince we were classmates, you wouldn\u2019t turn me down, right?\u201d
Past and present overlapped.
Xie Yunchen chuckled quietly.
\u201cHow could I? Classmates should always help each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcd8 The complete novel is available for download in EPUB via the link below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n