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Night fell, and the city awoke in a different form. Outside the window, neon lights glimmered brightly.
In the industrial-style bar, warm lighting bathed the dark brick walls, creating an atmosphere that was both cozy and mysterious. On stage, the resident singer performed a heartfelt modern hit song.
Under the soft yellow light, the pale liquid in her glass exuded the rustic aroma of rice and the gentle fragrance of osmanthus.
Xu Wu took a sip, and the aroma traveled up her palate and into her nose. The mild alcohol gradually spread through her mouth.
She had always loved this flavor.
Smooth, delicate, and refreshingly invigorating.
She lowered her eyes, set down her glass, and gently asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital for a check-up?”
After the weather improved, Jiang Zihan booked a flight and arrived in Linjing early in the morning, reaching the city by afternoon.
Once Xu Wu finished work, they decided to meet at a bar they frequented during their university days.
“No need. I’m not hurt. I should probably see a fortune-teller instead. This past year has been nothing but bad luck—academics, career, everything. I went all the way to Hong Kong to chase someone, only to fail. Then, when I got back, a typhoon grounded my flight. And today? Someone rear-ended my Ferrari right after I passed my driving test.”
Jiang Zihan sighed with frustration, lamenting her streak of misfortune. “My beloved Ferrari! I finally took it out after coming back, and now it’s been hit by some newbie driver.”
Her family owned many luxury cars stored in underground garages, but she had a particular fondness for the Ferrari. It was a gift from her father when she decided to pursue her Ph.D., meant to encourage her. She had kept it tucked away, rarely taking it on long trips.
On the way to pick up Xu Wu earlier that day, traffic on the highway was heavy as usual. She followed a Porsche ahead, stopping and starting intermittently. When the traffic light turned yellow with just a few seconds left, the car in front suddenly braked. Jiang Zihan collided with the rear bumper, causing a minor accident.
“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re not hurt,” Xu Wu said softly, patting her hand.
Jiang Zihan tilted her chin slightly. “Of course, life is what matters most. Besides, I have more than enough money to cover it. I gave her my number, and once her car is repaired, I’ll compensate her.”
Xu Wu nodded.
“Here’s to us!” Jiang Zihan raised her glass with a smile. “It’s been so long since I’ve been back. Starting tonight, I’m starting over—new life, new career. I’ll forget about him.”
Xu Wu curved her lips upward and clinked glasses with her. “I hope all your wishes come true.”
As the drink slid down her throat, Xu Wu felt a familiar shadow catch her attention. Instinctively, she glanced over.
Zhou Jin Ye walked in wearing a suit, accompanied by Li Qingyang and a stranger in a linen-colored suit.
The three exchanged polite conversation, clearly discussing work.
“Since we’ve already divided our area in Hall W1, the next step is exhibition setup. Do you have anyone in mind?” Zhou Jin Ye asked Li Wentao, the representative from Fan Xiang, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
“We haven’t started looking yet. If you find anyone suitable, let me know,” Wentao replied thoughtfully.
Fan Xiang and LUNAR had recently collaborated on business projects, aiming to present a unified style.
“If we decide on someone, we’ll inform you.”
As soon as Zhou Jin Ye finished speaking, Li Qingyang placed his hands on their shoulders. “Alright, enough. You two just came from the office. This is a bar—time to relax.”
“Let’s get some drinks.”
He pulled a hand out of his pocket and glanced at the menu.
This serious side of him was something Xu Wu hadn’t seen before.
Back in high school, during exam prep, Xu Wu would accompany him to the library. While she studied beside him, the young man couldn’t focus on his books. Instead, he watched her solve problems. Her stern expression amused him, and he teased, “How can I concentrate when my girlfriend is sitting right next to me?”
With a straight face, she scolded him like a little adult. “Stop looking at me and focus on the questions.”
But her soft voice did nothing to restrain him; instead, he grew even more playful.
“I can’t. If I look away, I won’t see you anymore~”
Ignoring him, Xu Wu let him hold her hand under the guise of studying together. What started as holding hands evolved into interlocking fingers. Yet, far from focusing, he doodled pictures of their intertwined hands on the paper.
“What are you doing, so absorbed?”
The image of those hands moved rhythmically.
As the singer reached the climax of the song, Xu Wu felt as if hidden spring water had seeped through cracks in a cave, quietly flowing out. Unbidden emotions surfaced.
Snapping back to reality, she murmured, “It’s nothing. I saw someone and thought about my ex-boyfriend.”
Now, seven years later, things had changed. People always grow and evolve. The once mischievous boy now carried an air of maturity and stability.
Following her gaze, Jiang Zihan looked over.
Handsome and roguish!
Eyes widening, she exclaimed, “Your ex-boyfriend was this type?”
During university, Xu Wu spent most of her time in the library. Aside from daily routines and studies, she rarely spoke of her past. Jiang Zihan knew only that Xu Wu had dated someone in high school—a painful memory she preferred to avoid.
“Yes, that was back in high school.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zihan turned her gaze again.
Looking closely, something seemed familiar.
Perhaps seeing too many handsome men in Hong Kong had confused her memory.
“So, you thought of him?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I see,” Jiang Zihan turned back, bluntly asking, “Are you still hung up on him?”
Xu Wu met her gaze and softly shared her recent troubles. “No… Recently, I moved, and my neighbor across the hall happens to be my ex-boyfriend.”
“Huh?” Jiang Zihan pressed further. “Are you two rekindling things?”
She lowered her eyes to her glass. “No, that’s impossible.”
“But your ex lives right across from you.” Jiang Zihan’s brows arched playfully. “Like in those novels—bumping into each other every day, reigniting old feelings, mending broken mirrors. Who knows? Maybe there’s still a chance.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Without raising her eyes, she stared at the bright light reflected in her glass, blurring her vision.
Before Jiang Zihan could ask why, Xu Wu explained, “Our breakup wasn’t clean. He might still resent me.”
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. “Right now, maintaining a peaceful relationship is the best we can hope for.”
After all, he had sacrificed so much for her. She was the one who wronged him.
“Oh, alright,” Jiang Zihan, understanding her tone, didn’t press further.
Having known her since university, Jiang Zihan understood that Xu Wu rarely discussed her past. Out of respect, she never prodded.
Seeing this rare vulnerability in Xu Wu, she changed the subject. “Come on, there’s a night market open now. I haven’t been in ages. Want to take a stroll?”
Quick to compose herself, Xu Wu nodded. “Sure.”
Inside the bar, the heating system emitted a faint scent of white tea, subtly wafting through the air.
After ordering drinks, the trio sat at the bar counter, backs to the door. When Zhou Jin Ye glanced outside, the person he sought was nowhere to be seen.
He couldn’t help but mock himself. She had explicitly said to forget the past, and here he was, still thinking of her as if she were by his side.
How laughable.
“I’ll head out,” Li Qingyang casually opened his phone, having missed messages during work. Startled, he announced, “You guys drink first—I need to go. My sister crashed my car.”
Wentao asked concernedly, “What happened?”
“She just got her license and totaled my car. I need to check it out.”
Watching Li Qingyang rush off in his suit jacket, Zhou Jin Ye felt a wave of exhaustion. After bidding farewell to Wentao, he left.
________________________________________
Not long after Jiang Zihan dragged Xu Wu around the night market, it was almost 8 PM. They bade each other goodbye and returned home separately.
A WeChat notification popped up—her transfer of money still hadn’t been accepted.
Waiting for the elevator to ascend from the basement, Xu Wu looked up as the doors opened and froze momentarily.
Only Zhou Jin Ye stood inside.
He must have come up from the parking lot.
Leaning lazily against the elevator wall, tie loosened, and eyelids drooping, Zhou Jin Ye appeared utterly boneless.
Xu Wu stepped in. As the floor numbers ticked upward, neither spoke within the confined space.
Soon, they reached their floor, and the elevator doors opened.
Stepping out, Xu Wu noticed the corridor lights flickering ominously.
The dim current cast elongated shadows before plunging the hallway into darkness. Only faint green emergency lights illuminated the stairwell, leaving the corridor pitch black.
As the elevator doors closed, the last sliver of light vanished. Xu Wu suddenly realized something.
Her voice trembled, and her hands frantically groped the air. “Zhou Jin Ye!”
Despite her rational attempts to forget the past, Xu Wu couldn’t deny that deep in her subconscious, memories of him remained vivid, surfacing instinctively.
And then there was the fact that Zhou Jin Ye was afraid of the dark.
Her hand brushed against the fabric of his suit, and she immediately gripped his wrist. In the darkness, her sense of touch heightened. She felt his veins pulsing, his breathing growing labored. Xu Wu hurried to reassure him.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Frantically rummaging through her bag, she finally found her flashlight. Items spilled everywhere, but she managed to grab her phone and turn on the light, shining it on him.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his complexion was pale.
“Do you have any medication?”
Trembling, he reached into his pocket. She felt a chain but, in her haste, didn’t think much of it. Finding the pill bottle, she handed it to him immediately.
She watched him swallow the pill.
“Zhou Jin Ye, don’t let go of my hand. I’ll take you to your room.”
Xu Wu guided his stiff body out of the elevator.
Ignoring her trembling hands, she quickly pressed the light switches near the entrance, pulling him inside.
Bright light flooded the hallway, piercing the darkness like a hole in the night.
The surrounding shadows dissolved.
From the opposite end of the light, the sound of a door opening echoed. Pudding rushed out, whimpering in concern, following closely behind them.
She helped him sit down, pressing pause on time itself. Watching his color gradually return to normal, her voice softened like warm water soothing a parched throat. “Stay seated. Pudding will keep you company. I’ll go turn on the lights inside, okay?”
His hoarse voice replied, “Pudding already turned them on.”
“Then I’ll check if all the lights are working.”
“Okay.”
Pudding had already opened the door. Entering, Xu Wu confirmed that all the rooms were indeed lit. The light switches were conveniently placed at about 1.4 meters high.
“You can come in now. I’ll take you there with Pudding.”
At this moment, Zhou Jin Ye was like an obedient child, letting Xu Wu guide him.
For safety, she brought the flashlight, settling him onto the bed. As he regained some composure, Xu Wu prepared to leave, but a firm grip on her hand stopped her.
“Stay a little longer.”
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