MC - Chapter 2

Zhang Rufan stared at the three characters "Shen Mingjin" for a long time, unable to snap out of her daze.

She still remembered Shen Mingjin—a high school classmate and the class sports committee member.

The reason he left an impression on her was that he always approached her to sign up for events during every semester's sports meet.

Her memory of him was hazy—she vaguely recalled he was quite tall, but his exact appearance was like viewing flowers through fog or frosted glass, impossible to recall clearly.

Memories that hadn't been deeply processed or retold rarely became long-term ones. After some thought, Zhang Rufan pulled open her desk drawer, rummaged through it, and found a photo album containing the handful of photos taken of her from childhood, including graduation pictures from elementary, middle, and high school.

 She flipped through the album from the back and soon located her high school graduation photo.

Zhang Rufan had studied science in high school, and her class had at least twenty boys. She expected it would take effort to identify Shen Mingjin, especially since she couldn’t remember his face. Yet, with just one glance at the photo, his image suddenly sharpened in her mind. Worried she might mistake him, she turned the photo over to check the names printed on the back—it matched.

In the photo, Zhang Rufan stood in the third row, expressionless and vacant-eyed, while Shen Mingjin stood right behind her, flashing a "V" sign with his right hand, his face lit up with a radiant smile.

Even by today's standards, eighteen-year-old Shen Mingjin was undeniably good-looking. Just from the photo, he appeared to be a bright and cheerful young man.

Zhang Rufan racked her memory—Shen Mingjin in high school had been the class's lively spark, the quintessential back-row boy found in every classroom, the one who was always told "No bringing basketballs into class," the teenager who leaped to touch the doorframe every time he entered, and the athletic prodigy adored by female classmates.

Would someone like that have liked her?

Zhang Rufan had always believed she lived up to her mother’s naming choice—an utterly ordinary girl, unremarkable in every way since childhood. Setting aside her unlikable personality, even her looks were nothing special.

After her mother died in a car accident when she was five, Zhang Shengyi had raised her alone. As a man, he had no idea how to style a little girl’s hair, so he simply took her to get a short cut—she’d never grown it long since. Shangjing No. 1 High School required all female students to keep their hair short. During conduct evaluations, other girls nervously worried about losing points for exceeding the length limit, but she never had that concern—her hair was far shorter than the school’s requirement, not even covering her ears.

As a child, she often fell ill. To improve her physique, Zhang Shengyi made her jog with him daily and even "enlisted" her in his old military unit for "training" every summer. In her early years, she’d been a fair, porcelain-skinned little girl, but by adolescence, prolonged outdoor activities had tanned her skin into a deep chocolate shade.

In short, during high school, she’d been a plain-looking girl—a fact evident from the graduation photo.

 So how could Shen Mingjin have liked her?

Zhang Rufan stared at the graduation photo in her hands for a long time. She didn’t know whether Shen Mingjin had stood behind her deliberately or coincidentally, much less why he’d written her such a letter.

In high school, aside from Cheng Yi, she’d had little interaction with classmates—barely any with girls, let alone boys. She was certain she’d hardly spoken to Shen Mingjin. He couldn’t have developed feelings just because she agreed to join a few competitions.

To her, the letter was nothing but a long-overlooked misunderstanding—perhaps even a prank. That "heroine" remark was high-level sarcasm.

The old Zhang Rufan hadn’t even liked herself—how could anyone else have?

She picked up the letter again, reread it, and finally let her gaze linger on the four words: "I liked you."

Years had passed—whether it was youthful affection or malice was now impossible to determine. She and Shen Mingjin had barely crossed paths in school and lost all contact after graduation. She hadn’t even joined the high school class group and had heard nothing about him over the years. They were now strangers.

With that thought, she recalled Cheng Yi’s mention of Xie Yiwei’s wedding. She remembered the boys in their class had been close—perhaps Shen Mingjin would attend the class monitor’s wedding tomorrow.

But… was there any point?

Zhang Rufan asked herself: Whatever Shen Mingjin’s reason for writing this letter five years ago, did she still need to dig into it now?

Placing the graduation photo and letter side by side, she noted how neatly the sparse words were written—the sender had clearly put in effort. Gazing at Shen Mingjin’s sunny smile, her intuition told her he wasn’t the type for pointless pranks.

After some deliberation, she remembered her grandmother’s advice not to overthink things. So she picked up her phone and sent Cheng Yi a message.

The next day, Zhang Rufan woke up early. Instead of eating at home, she changed into workout clothes and went for a morning run.

As a child, she lacked discipline, so Zhang Shengyi made her jog every morning. Over time, it became a habit. Even through college, unless the weather was terrible, she’d rise early for outdoor runs. Her roommates were amazed by this decade-consistent routine, calling her "hardcore"—and so, as the "hardcore" one, she’d taken on breakfast duty for them all four years.

After graduating and starting work, her schedule no longer allowed daily runs, but she kept up the exercise habit. Whenever she left work early, she made time for the gym.

It wasn’t that she particularly loved exercise—Zhang Shengyi had simply drilled it into her since childhood: physical training was essential for health, or else she’d keep falling sick, disrupting both her studies and his work. He’d treated her like one of his soldiers. Her current exercise routine was just a lingering "veteran’s habit," and since there was no harm in it, she’d never bothered to break it.

Zhang Rufan ran two laps around the neighborhood park before heading back. Only upon reaching the door did she realize she didn’t know the new lock’s passcode, forcing her to ring the bell.

Li Huishu opened the door and immediately remarked, "Xiao Fan, you went for a run?"

Zhang Rufan nodded.

"I thought you were still asleep and was just wondering whether to wake you for breakfast. Your dad mentioned you’d gone out to exercise."

Zhang Rufan pressed her lips together, stepped inside, and changed her shoes.

In the living room, Zhang Shengyi sat reading a newspaper on the sofa. When she greeted him, he merely nodded in acknowledgment. Unfazed, she walked to the water dispenser, took a disposable cup, and poured herself some water.

"The door lock’s been changed. Go register your fingerprint later," Zhang Shengyi said without looking up from the paper.

Zhang Rufan paused briefly before replying, "Okay."

"Xiao Fan, come have breakfast," Li Huishu called from the dining area. "I made dumplings."

Zhang Rufan hesitated slightly. Zhang Shengyi glanced up and said in a low voice, "If you’ve already eaten out, forget it."

She went to the dining room to apologize to Li Huishu. Returning to the living room, she saw Zhang Shengyi taking medication—he had heart disease, had undergone surgery recently, and was now recuperating at home.

She halted, hesitated for a moment, then asked stiffly, "What did the doctor say?"

Zhang Shengyi’s hand stilled briefly around the cup. Without looking up, he replied, "An old issue. Nothing serious."

An "old issue"—yet Zhang Rufan had only learned of it recently. Even news of his surgery had reached her only because Zhang Shengpin couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Growing up, Zhang Rufan had always seen Zhang Shengyi as the embodiment of toughness, authority, and unyielding resilience. Though he’d been discharged for years, in her mind, he remained an iron-willed soldier. It had never occurred to her that the man who’d forced her into exercise for strength could also fall ill.

Staring at the streaks of gray at his temples, Zhang Rufan momentarily spaced out, abruptly realizing that time spared no one—not even a man who’d once seemed like an unshakable mountain.

"When’s your follow-up appointment?" she asked.

He looked at her, screwed the medicine bottle shut, and said, "In three months."

"I’ll remember."

Zhang Rufan committed the date to memory. As she turned to leave, she reconsidered and added, "I’m attending a classmate’s wedding banquet at noon—won’t be home for lunch."

Zhang Shengyi nodded in acknowledgment without further inquiry.

.

.

While Qingcheng in October remained sweltering, Shangjing had already embraced autumn. Zhang Rufan had packed two fall outfits in her suitcase. After a quick shower, she changed into a beige pleated dress paired with a subtly patterned blazer—an ensemble her aunt had put together for her before she left Qingcheng.

Before college, Zhang Rufan had rarely worn skirts. As a child, Zhang Shengyi bought her clothes solely for practicality and warmth, with zero regard for aesthetics. Over time, she’d lost any girlish interest in fashion, cycling through just four sets of school uniforms in middle and high school.

In college, her female classmates began unleashing years of suppressed self-expression through fashion and makeup, while Zhang Rufan remained as plain as ever. Eventually, her aunt intervened, taking her shopping and teaching her how to dress. Her first makeup set was a gift from her grandmother, who’d told her, "A girl should know how to make herself prettier."

After changing, she applied light makeup—the only kind she knew: primer, foundation, brows, and lipstick. Studying her reflection, she noted that her eyebrows were at least somewhat symmetrical today.

Once ready, she grabbed her bag and left the room. Zhang Shengyi was absent; Li Huishu was playing games with Zhang Zitong. After informing Li Huishu, she departed under the child’s wary yet curious gaze.

Xie Yiwei’s wedding was held at the "Winter Solstice" Hotel. Zhang Rufan and Cheng Yi had agreed to meet at the plaza outside. Taking a taxi, she arrived thirty minutes later—ten minutes early—and waited by the fountain, watching people feed pigeons.

"Xiao Fan."

Hearing her name, Zhang Rufan turned to see Cheng Yi jogging toward her.

"Been waiting long?"

She shook her head.

Catching her breath, Cheng Yi took Zhang Rufan’s hands and appraised her. "You’re tall—this outfit suits you perfectly."

Her gaze drifted upward. "You look different... Has your hair grown?"

"Yeah, haven’t cut it in a while," Zhang Rufan replied, brushing her shoulder-length locks. "My aunt won’t let me."

"Smart aunt. You look great now—remember your ultra-short hair in high school? It literally halved your beauty."

"Are you sure I had any beauty back then?"

"Uh... Of course you did," Cheng Yi insisted, linking arms with her. "You were just a bit tanned. But if you looked closely, you could spot your, uh... profound beauty."

Zhang Rufan knew Cheng Yi was just being kind—unnecessarily so. She was fully aware of how she’d looked back then and felt no regret. Her sudden preoccupation with her past appearance stemmed solely from that baffling letter.

"Almost time—let’s head in. Trust me, our classmates will be shocked when they see you." Cheng Yi steered her toward the hotel, chattering, "Xie Yiwei’s popularity as class monitor really shows. Plus, it’s National Day—so many said they’d come. Lots are already inside."

"Saw a group photo earlier—one of our guys is a groomsman. The sports committee rep, the crazy-fast runner. You probably don’t even remember him, right?"

Zhang Rufan spaced out briefly before shaking her head lightly. "Shen Mingjin. I remember."

1. 山间珊瑚 (Shānjiān shānhú) - "Coral in the Mountains" / “Mountain Coral” (novel title)

2. 冬·至酒店 (Dōng·Zhì jiǔdiàn) - "Winter Solstice Hotel" (wedding venue)

3. 上京 (Shàngjīng) - Fictional city name (lit. "Upper Capital")

4. 清城 (Qīngchéng) - Fictional city name (lit. "Clear City")

5. 体育委员 (tǐyù wěiyuán) - Sports committee member (class position)

6. 女侠 (nǚxiá) - "Heroine" (term used in Shen Mingjin's letter)

7. 退伍 (tuìwǔ) - Military discharge (referring to Zhang Shengyi's background)

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

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 (~18-20 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.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – Mystery person who left a love letter for Rufan in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

外婆 (Wàipó) – Rufan’s maternal grandmother, whom she lived with in Qingcheng.

小姨 (Xiǎoyí) – Rufan’s aunt (mother’s sister), who now lives with her grandmother.

姑丈 (Gūzhàng) – Rufan’s uncle (aunt’s husband), who works at a newspaper.

Sevyn here ~~~

I keep messing up the links on NU T.T

I add them then I go in and mess around with the site. I didn't like how the pages were formatted and shifted things around and ended up breaking 2 links 😭. The link for CH 1 got broken, so here's a freebie.

This time the link should be correct ( I also submitted a report for the others)