MC - Chapter 18

After leaving school, Shen Mingjin dropped Zhang Rufan and Zhang Zitong off in the Binhu District before heading to the café.

Lately, he hadn’t been around the shop much. Xiaomu had been complaining that business had slowed down noticeably, but Shen Mingjin didn’t seem worried at all—on the contrary, he was in a great mood. Anyone could tell he was practically floating.

That evening, Ms. Zhou asked him to come home for dinner. Humming to himself, Shen Mingjin drove back to the Huai’an District. It wasn’t until he got out of the car that he noticed both Ms. Zhou and Zhang Rufan had messaged him.

Earlier that day at school, he’d told her: if she didn’t know how to pursue him with passion, then at the very least, she should make sure to message him every day—share everything with him, big or small—and try to involve him in her life.

What he really wanted to say was that she should try to fill every corner of his life—but that felt a bit too blunt. As the one being pursued, he had to show some restraint.

Zhang Rufan had sent him a photo of a handmade paper star. It wasn’t very neatly folded—almost clumsy, even childlike.

Her message read: “Zhang Zitong made this. She wants to give it to you.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Shen Mingjin’s mouth. He tapped the screen and asked, “Still at home?”

“Mm.” A moment later, Zhang Rufan sent another message: “Are you at the café?”

Shen Mingjin noticed she was starting to take the initiative more—even if it was just flipping his own questions back at him. Still, it was progress.

“No, I’m home too,” he replied, smiling.

“Do you stay at home on weekends too?”

“Not really—just for dinner.” As he stepped into the elevator, his fingers moved swiftly across his phone screen. He glanced up, quickly located the right button, pressed his floor, and hit send: “But I usually come back on weekends to see my mom.”

“I see.”

Shen Mingjin waited, but Zhang Rufan didn’t send another message. It seemed she was used to a conversational rhythm of one message at a time—if he didn’t reply, she wouldn’t continue on her own.

Based on what he knew about her, it probably wasn’t pride holding her back. More likely, she just didn’t know what to say next and was now staring at her phone, stuck in frustration.

Shen Mingjin smiled to himself, almost able to picture her troubled expression. Not wanting to leave her hanging, he stepped out of the elevator, looked down at his phone, and sent another message:

 “You’re going back to Jinghua Garden tonight, right?”

“Mm. It’s closer to the office.”

Her second message followed right after, just as he’d expected. She bounced the question back to him:

 “What about you? Will you go back too?”

“Yeah.”

 Then, after a quick pause to think, he added another message, his fingers moving smoothly across the screen:

 “I’m going to the café tomorrow morning.”

“Then we’ll see each other tomorrow morning.”

Just as Shen Mingjin reached his front door and was about to scan his fingerprint to unlock it, her message gave him pause. He turned around, leaned casually against the doorframe, and lowered his head to type.

“We’re going the same way,” he wrote.

 After a second of thought, he decided not to leave things vague. He finished the sentence so she wouldn’t have to guess what he meant:

 “You could actually ask if it’s convenient to carpool.”

He stayed online, waiting. On the chat screen, the "typing" indicator appeared and disappeared a few times. Shen Mingjin could practically feel her hesitation through the screen.

Just as he was starting to assume she’d do what she always did—politely decline so as not to inconvenience him—her message popped up:

 “What time are you leaving for the café tomorrow morning?”

A smile tugged at his lips.

 “Eight,” he replied quickly.

Being self-employed, Shen Mingjin didn’t have any fixed working hours. His visits to the café were flexible—sometimes early, sometimes late. The employees worked in shifts, so there was always someone there to handle the coffee.

But “eight” wasn’t random. It was a time he’d picked intentionally. Lately, Zhang Rufan had been coming to the café around 8:30 a.m., and the subway ride from Jinghua Garden to OW took no more than 20 minutes. He figured she usually left the house around eight.

Sure enough, her next message confirmed it:

 “I leave at 8 too.”

There was a short pause, then another message came through:

 “Would it be okay if I carpooled with you?”

“Of course,” Shen Mingjin replied warmly, a smile blooming on his face.

 “I’ll wait for you downstairs at 8 tomorrow morning.”

"Okay," Zhang Rufan replied. "See you tomorrow morning."

 "See you tomorrow."

With that, the conversation came to a natural pause. Shen Mingjin slipped his phone into his pocket, turned around, and unlocked the door to head inside.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Ci poked her head out from the kitchen.

 "Didn’t you say you were already downstairs? What took you so long to come up?"

"Something came up," he said casually.

At that moment, another head popped out from the kitchen—an elderly woman with graying hair.

 "What came up?" she asked.

"Oh! Grandma’s here!"

Grandma Shen gave a light snort and muttered,

 "If I didn’t come here, would I even get to see you?"

She went on,

 "Ah, kids really do grow more distant as they get older. Back in high school, you used to love coming over to Grandma’s house for meals. But now? Not anymore. What—are you too good for your old grandparents now?"

"Now, come on, don’t say that." Shen Mingjin walked over with a grin and draped an arm around her shoulders.

 "I was literally thinking earlier today that I needed to find time next week to stop by for a proper meal. But look at you—you read my mind and came to me first. Grandma, are you some kind of fairy? Reading minds, telling fortunes... honestly, you even look the part."

"Alright, alright, enough with the flattery," Grandma Shen said, pretending to be annoyed, though a smile had already crept onto her face.

Seeing she was in good spirits, Shen Mingjin asked,

 "If you’re here, where’s Grandpa?"

"Him? He’s off at the badminton court with someone. He’s not into table tennis anymore—now it’s all about badminton."

"Hey, why didn’t he invite me? I could be his partner," Shen Mingjin offered.

"Last time he was obsessed with table tennis, he asked you to practice with him, and you beat him every single time. Do you really think he’d ask you again? It was just too demoralizing."

Shen Mingjin let out a laugh.

 "So I’m the reason he quit table tennis and switched to badminton? Grandpa’s ego really is delicate."

"You’re not wrong. The man’s in his seventies or eighties and still throwing a fit over this. I even asked him to come with me tonight to see you, and he flat-out refused."

"He’s actually mad at me?"

"Seems like it."

"Tch. Then I guess I’d better find a chance to go apologize."

At this point, Zhou Ci chimed in from the kitchen,

 "Honestly, you could’ve at least let him win once in a while."

"He’s the one who said he’s still full of youthful energy and told me not to go easy on him. ‘There are no family ties in competitive sports’—his words, not mine."

"Alright, alright, enough about your grandpa. Go wash your hands, it’s time for dumplings."

Shen Mingjin had already caught a whiff of the delicious aroma.

 "What’s the occasion? Why dumplings today?" he asked.

"The occasion is me seeing my eldest grandson—is that good enough?"

"Good enough!"

Grandma Shen brought out several plates of dumplings and placed them on the table. Shen Mingjin washed his hands, sat down, and glanced at the dumplings, noticing the variety of folds.

 "What kind of fillings are these?" he asked.

Grandma Shen set down a bowl of dipping sauce and pointed at each plate in turn.

 "Pork and cabbage, three-delicacy, and beef with mushrooms."

"So fancy," Shen Mingjin praised sweetly. "No one spoils me like you do, Grandma."

"If you know I spoil you, then promise me one thing."

Shen Mingjin immediately sensed trouble—and sure enough, she continued:

 "Remember I told you about Old Wang’s granddaughter? The girl likes you. Just get to know her, add her as a friend, chat a bit. Who knows, maybe you’ll hit it off."

He sighed inwardly. Matchmaking from elders was his least favorite thing—one of the main reasons he’d been avoiding his grandparents’ place lately. But as the saying goes, you can dodge the first day of the month, but not the fifteenth.

"I’m not interested in her."

"You’ve only met her once and barely exchanged a few words. How do you know you’re not interested?" Grandma Shen wasn’t giving up.

 "She’s a good girl—pretty, has a good job, and most importantly, she likes you. Just give her a chance."

Shen Mingjin picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the sauce, chewed, and swallowed before replying:

 "I’ve already given that chance to someone else."

"Who?"

"She hasn’t caught me yet. I’ll introduce her to you when she does."

Grandma Shen waved it off.

 "When have you ever lacked girls chasing after you? What’s one more?"

Shen Mingjin shook his head.

 "I’m not choosing royal concubines—one is enough."

Afraid she’d keep pressing, he focused on eating, popping dumpling after dumpling into his mouth. Before long, the small plate in front of him was completely clean.

"I’m full," he said, swallowing the last bite and getting up.

 "The café’s short-staffed tonight. I’m heading over to help."

Before Grandma Shen could stop him, he slipped out the door. She stared at the closed door and muttered,

 "Who even drinks coffee this late at night?"

No one knew her son better than Zhou Ci. She chuckled,

 "You don’t need to set him up. He’s got more admirers than he knows what to do with."

"Plenty, but has he picked one?" Grandma Shen sighed.

 "I’m not saying he has to get married right away, but he’s at the right age. Wouldn’t it be nice if he had someone?"

She continued, a little more serious now.

 "After you and Mingjin’s father divorced, he went abroad and you threw yourself into work. Neither of you paid him enough attention. It’s a blessing he’s always been an upbeat kid—didn’t go astray, made it into a good high school and a solid university on his own."

"And after that accident in college, when he couldn’t continue with sports, even though he said he was fine, I could tell he was hurting. He just never talked about it to the family." Grandma Shen frowned, her expression full of concern.

 "I just want someone his age by his side—someone he can open up to. Keeping everything bottled up like that isn’t healthy. Over time, it’ll take a toll."

Then, with real worry in her voice, she asked:

 "Do you think the reason he won’t date is because of you and his father getting divorced? Maybe he’s afraid of marriage now?"

Zhou Ci had looked a little somber earlier, but at that comment, she smiled.

 "Don’t worry—he doesn’t pick blossoms, but he’ll plant his own peach tree. Just wait till he brings someone home."

—

After dinner, Zhang Rufan watched the news with Zhang Shengyi before leaving Binhu District and returning to Jinghua Garden. Before she left, Li Huishu had packed her a generous assortment of side dishes. Once home, she unpacked the food and carefully portioned it into containers before placing them in the fridge.

The bathroom’s waterproofing had finally been repaired—it was usable again. With a change of clothes in hand, she went to shower. While undressing, her fingers brushed against something in her jacket pocket: the small paper star Zhang Zitong had folded. Instinctively, her thoughts turned to Shen Mingjin.

Returning to campus today, she’d finally cleared up the misunderstanding from the day of the orientation assembly. What lay between them now wasn’t a misunderstanding—it was a five-year emotional time gap.

She was sure of it now: Shen Mingjin had genuinely liked her back then, when she was still small and insignificant. Five years had passed since, and she didn’t know how much of that youthful affection remained. But since he was giving her this chance, she couldn’t help clinging to a sliver of hope. Even if all that was left in him was nostalgia, that was enough for her.

Bridging a five-year emotional gap was never going to be easy—especially for someone like Zhang Rufan, whose romantic experience was still a blank slate. It was a hurdle she’d have to climb, somehow.

After her shower, she brought the little star into the living room and, on a whim, picked up her laptop. Curious, she opened a browser and searched—only to be surprised that "romance lessons" were a real thing.

She clicked on a video and tried to follow along, but after half an hour, her mind was still foggy. Phrases like "playing hard to get" or "seduction through subtlety" were far too advanced. She was still a total beginner, completely out of her depth.

Giving up on the video, she turned to other platforms. What she found left her wide-eyed—there were so many strategies, so many unspoken rules between men and women, an endless stream of techniques impossible to guard against.

She spent two hours hopping between sites, taking notes. Her notebook pages were soon full. Every online "expert" had a different approach, a different philosophy. By the end, she could only sigh—romance was truly a subject of study. Harder, even, than school.

Her eyes were sore from staring at the screen too long. She set the laptop aside and picked up the little star again, studying it carefully. After only two encounters, Zhang Zitong was already charmed by Shen Mingjin. There was no doubt—he had a magnetic personality.

She checked the time on her phone. Ten o’clock. A bit too late to message, perhaps. But if she didn’t say anything, she’d feel incomplete, like she hadn’t closed the book on today.

As she hovered in hesitation, her gaze landed on her notes.

That gave her an idea.

She opened the chat with Shen Mingjin. After a brief moment of deliberation, she typed two simple words and hit send:

"Good night."

1. 欲擒故纵 (yù qín gù zòng) – Play hard to get; a strategic flirting technique where one pretends to lose interest to lure the other in.

2. 不露声色地勾引 (bù lù shēngsè de gōuyǐn) – Subtle seduction; attracting someone without overt gestures—too advanced for Zhang Rufan.

3. 心有灵犀 (xīn yǒu língxī) – Hearts connected; used to describe a deep, mutual understanding between two people, often without needing words.

4. 老当益壮 (lǎo dāng yì zhuàng) – Old but vigorous; describes elderly people who remain energetic and strong, especially in sports.

5. 竞技体育没有亲情 (jìngjì tǐyù méiyǒu qīnqíng) – No family mercy in competitive sports; a phrase expressing that fairness and skill come before personal relationships in games.

6. 三鲜 (sānxiān) – Three-delicacy; a popular dumpling filling made with pork, shrimp, and vegetables, considered savory and well-balanced.

7. 选妃 (xuǎn fēi) – Selecting concubines; Shen Mingjin jokingly uses this imperial metaphor to reject being matched with multiple women.

8. 桃花 (táohuā) – Peach blossoms; a metaphor for romantic prospects or admirers in Chinese slang, often used to describe someone’s luck in love.

9. 恋爱课 (liàn'ài kè) – Romance courses; online dating tutorials or relationship lessons that Zhang Rufan looks into in hopes of learning how to pursue love.

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!