MC - Chapter 34

In the blink of an eye, the year-end approached, and Shangjing was blanketed by several heavy snowfalls. The entire city was draped in silver, with thick layers of snow piled on the roads, like whipped cream spread over them.

In November, Zhang Rufan organized the “Coffee Market” themed event. As soon as it ended, she immediately threw herself into a new project. The shopping mall was always busiest at year-end—Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the upcoming Lunar New Year—each festival was a major event that couldn’t be taken lightly.

In December, everyone in the OW Planning Department was swamped. The “Double Festival” plus New Year’s Eve alone made event planning exhausting, not to mention decorating the mall and coordinating with various shops for all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

Christmas was approaching, and this Western holiday remained very popular domestically. Although in recent years, many online voices had called for prioritizing traditional festivals and reducing the influence of foreign holidays, Christmas still held great appeal among young people. It wasn’t about worshiping foreign culture—it was simply that holidays gave people a reason to gather and celebrate, adding a sense of ritual to life.

Zhang Rufan had been busy with Christmas planning lately. Though there was past experience to reference for this annual holiday, executing the plans was still full of challenges. Just deciding on the size and style of the Christmas tree for the square had taken up much of her attention.

A few days before Christmas, she went on a business trip with Liu Pinyuan for research and returned on a Friday.

This year, Christmas fell on a Sunday. After returning from her trip, Zhang Rufan did a round of inspections at the mall to confirm that the event setup was complete and everything was in order before leaving work.

A couple of days earlier, Xie Yiwei had posted in their high school class group, saying there’d be a reunion that Friday night and urging everyone in Shangjing to attend. Zhang Rufan usually skipped such gatherings, but Cheng Yi loved the excitement and begged her to come. Since Xie Yiwei was close with Shen Mingjin, and Shen Mingjin had agreed to go, she thought it over and eventually agreed to Cheng Yi’s request.

Shen Mingjin was out buying coffee beans today and wasn’t at the shop, so Zhang Rufan didn’t go to Jindu. After work, she took a taxi straight to meet Cheng Yi.

The reunion was held at a large KTV in Shangjing. Xie Yiwei had booked a big private room, and by the time Zhang Rufan and Cheng Yi arrived, many people were already there, with food and drinks covering the table.

Xie Yiwei greeted them warmly as soon as he saw them. Zhang Rufan, still not entirely comfortable in such settings, made a brief appearance before sitting in a corner.

Many classmates had already reunited at Xie Yiwei’s National Day wedding, so today’s gathering lacked the awkwardness of long separation—everyone chatted animatedly as soon as they met.

As the class monitor, Xie Yiwei made sure no one felt left out and soon turned the conversation toward Zhang Rufan.

"Rufan, don’t just sit there—have something to eat." He poured her a glass of wine but didn’t pressure her to drink, simply saying, "We’re all classmates here, so just relax."

Zhang Rufan nodded stiffly in acknowledgment.

Xie Yiwei didn’t walk away immediately, as if his duty as monitor was to care for every classmate. Smiling, he struck up a conversation: "Which company in Shangjing are you working at now?"

Zhang Rufan forced herself to engage. "OW."

"OW? The shopping mall? Which department?"

"Planning."

Xie Yiwei was slightly surprised. "You’re in planning? Impressive."

"Didn’t OW hold a 'Coffee Market' event last month? Was that your department’s idea?"

"Yeah," Cheng Yi chimed in, wrapping an arm around Zhang Rufan and lifting her chin proudly. "Our Rufan was the lead organizer for this event."

"Really?" Xie Yiwei was amazed. He gave Zhang Rufan a thumbs-up. "That event got a lot of attention. My wife went, but I was away on business and missed it."

A few female classmates chimed in, saying they’d gone too and had even seen Shen Mingjin there.

Xie Yiwei suddenly remembered. "Oh right, I almost forgot—Shen Mingjin’s café is near OW."

The moment Shen Mingjin’s name came up, the topic in the room shifted instantly. Everyone knew he used to be an athlete, but few were aware he now ran a café as a barista.

"Your workplaces are so close—do you run into each other often?" Xie Yiwei asked.

Cheng Yi giggled, glancing at Zhang Rufan before answering, "Oh, they see each other every day."

"Ah, Rufan likes coffee?" Xie Yiwei took Cheng Yi’s words at face value and even praised Shen Mingjin: "That guy used to be an athlete, but I’ve got to say, he’s pretty good at making coffee."

"When he first said he’d open a café, I thought it’d go under in less than a month. But a year later, his business is thriving." Xie Yiwei shook his head, teasing but complimentary. "Then again, he’s always been quick-witted and sharp—clever guy."

Xie Yiwei suddenly remembered something and asked Zhang Rufan, "Back in school, didn’t he call you 'Ace of Hearts' because you helped him with a magic act?"

Zhang Rufan nodded.

"Who knows if he was just obsessed with card tricks back then, but after that performance, he started giving nicknames to other classmates too—I was 'Seven of Diamonds.'"

As soon as Xie Yiwei said this, other classmates chimed in—some were 'Five of Clubs,' others 'Ten of Spades.'

"At first, I thought those nicknames had some special meaning, but later it seemed he was just saying them for fun."

Cheng Yi hadn’t understood Shen Mingjin’s motive for the nicknames back then, but now it clicked. She turned to Zhang Rufan, clicked her tongue, and kept her realization to herself.

Even after leaving school, the center of attention remained just that—right as the room was discussing Shen Mingjin, the man himself walked in.

Shen Mingjin’s entrance instantly drew everyone’s focus. Unfazed, he greeted the room with ease: "Sorry, everyone, I’m late."

"Wow, look who’s too important to be on time—you’re getting a penalty drink," Xie Yiwei teased.

"Fine," Shen Mingjin accepted readily.

His gaze swept the room quickly before settling on one spot.

Cheng Yi tactfully scooted over, and Shen Mingjin walked straight to Zhang Rufan’s side and sat down. Pointing at the full glass in front of her, he asked, "Is this yours?"

Xie Yiwei had poured that glass. The moment Zhang Rufan nodded, Shen Mingjin picked it up and downed it.

Xie Yiwei protested, "Hey, it’s not like there aren’t other glasses—why’d you have to drink hers? That’s rude."

Shen Mingjin set the glass down, lifted his gaze to Xie Yiwei, and raised an eyebrow, his tone casual but smug: "What’s wrong with drinking my girlfriend’s wine?"

"Girl…?" Xie Yiwei glanced at Zhang Rufan and said sternly, "That’s not a joke to make lightly."

"Not joking."

The room was warm, so Shen Mingjin stood to take off his down jacket. Seeing he had nowhere to put it, Zhang Rufan instinctively reached out and took it, holding it in her lap.

Now it wasn’t just Xie Yiwei—everyone except Cheng Yi was stunned.

Underneath, Shen Mingjin wore a white hoodie. When Xie Yiwei spotted the Ace of Hearts on his left chest, he paused in surprise before everything clicked.

Pointing at Shen Mingjin, he laughed in exasperation. "You’re getting another penalty drink."

Shen Mingjin shrugged, unfazed.

Xie Yiwei pressed further, pointing at the Ace of Hearts over his heart. "Don’t tell me you had ulterior motives back in high school?"

Shen Mingjin arched a brow, smiling without answering.

"Seriously?" Xie Yiwei slapped his thigh, slightly worked up. "I knew it! You gave everyone nicknames for no reason—turns out we were all just decoys."

Shen Mingjin raised a finger, wagging it. "Yours were code names. Hers was a pet name."

The room erupted in teasing. Shen Mingjin openly acknowledged their relationship, while Zhang Rufan grew a little embarrassed.

Watching Shen Mingjin’s triumphant air, Xie Yiwei tsked and shook his head before asking Zhang Rufan, "How long have you two been together?"

Zhang Rufan thought for a moment. "Almost two months."

Xie Yiwei was surprised. "From my wedding to now is less than three months—so he chased you for just one month?"

Zhang Rufan folded Shen Mingjin’s jacket on her lap. Hearing this, she knew he’d misunderstood—it wasn’t the first time.

Most people assumed Shen Mingjin had pursued her once they learned they were dating. It wasn’t that she was particularly captivating—it was just that Shen Mingjin’s personality made him seem like the proactive one.

But the truth was the opposite. Zhang Rufan clarified earnestly, "I was the one who pursued him."

"Huh?" Xie Yiwei froze, then looked at Shen Mingjin. "She chased you?"

Shen Mingjin’s lips curved up, his expression bright. "I confessed first."

He paused, then added, "At the pep rally."

Xie Yiwei was shocked, recalling that day. "You were distracted all day, and by evening you looked downright miserable. I thought the homeroom teacher had scolded you—but actually… you got rejected?"

Shen Mingjin nodded frankly.

Many in the room exchanged glances upon hearing this. After all, in high school, Shen Mingjin and Zhang Rufan had seemed like they belonged to entirely different worlds. The conventional story should have been an ordinary girl secretly pining after the dazzling boy—yet theirs was the opposite.

Xie Yiwei clicked his tongue. "No wonder you suddenly sent me a red packet a while back, saying my wedding was well-timed. So that’s what you meant."

Shen Mingjin neither confirmed nor denied it.

"Round and round, destined souls end up together," Xie Yiwei mused before shifting gears to tease Shen Mingjin. "Getting hooked in just a month—looks like you were really head over heels."

Shen Mingjin didn’t deny it, nor did he feel embarrassed. If anything, he seemed pleased.

Others didn’t know, but he was well aware—even that one month had felt excruciatingly long. Behind that month lay several seasons.

The reunion lasted well into the night. After eating, drinking, and making merry, everyone scattered toward their own paths, just as they had at graduation.

Shen Mingjin had been drinking and couldn’t drive, so the task fell to Zhang Rufan, who hadn’t touched a drop. She’d gotten her license right after high school, but after years of not driving in college, her skills had rusted. Only recently had she taken the wheel a few times under Zhang Shengyi’s urging.

With little road experience, Zhang Rufan drove with extreme caution—slow and steady, signaling for a full five seconds before checking the mirror and turning, and never accelerating even when a traffic light still had over ten seconds of green.

Watching her drive as if taking a road test, every move textbook-perfect, Shen Mingjin couldn’t help but laugh.

Hearing him, Zhang Rufan glanced quickly at the rearview mirror. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." Shen Mingjin propped his elbow on the window, resting his head in his hand as he gazed at her with a soft chuckle. "Just feeling very safe."

She understood his implication and replied sheepishly, "Once I get more practice, I’ll speed up."

Shen Mingjin enjoyed watching her tense focus behind the wheel. To him, her meticulousness was endearing.

He shook his head lightly. "It’s fine. We have plenty of time. With me, you can take it slow."

Touched, Zhang Rufan suddenly felt that even if this road had no end, she’d gladly walk it with him.

… 

With snow blanketing the roads, Zhang Rufan smoothly drove back to Jinghua Garden. After parking in the garage, she and Shen Mingjin got out.

In the elevator, Zhang Rufan instinctively pressed the button for the 20th floor. Shen Mingjin paused before asking, "Do you have work at the mall tomorrow?"

She nodded. "There’s an event for Christmas Eve."

Shen Mingjin acknowledged this and reached over to cancel "20," then pressed "21" instead.

Zhang Rufan looked up at him. Shen Mingjin cleared his throat. "You’ll be busy tomorrow, so rest well tonight."

The implication being that going to his place wouldn’t allow for much rest. Her ears warmed as she recalled her days away on business and tonight’s reunion leaving no time alone—they hadn’t had a proper talk in ages.

"The Christmas Eve event is at night. I only need to go to the mall in the afternoon."

It sounded like an invitation. Shen Mingjin’s throat moved, and he promptly re-lit "20."

Back at the apartment, Zhang Rufan showered first. Having stayed over often lately, she’d left toiletries and spare clothes at his place, saving her the hassle of fetching anything from upstairs.

After her shower, Shen Mingjin took his turn. When he returned to the bedroom, she was already asleep in bed. He approached, looked down at her peaceful face, and chuckled silently before tucking her in.

Exhausted from her business trip, Zhang Rufan had dozed off despite intending to wait for Shen Mingjin. Somewhere in her subconscious, she remembered, and jolted awake in the dark, thinking she’d only nodded off briefly.

"Bad dream?" Shen Mingjin, a light sleeper, noticed her stirring and turned to ask.

"No." Having woken with purpose, her mind was clear. "What time is it?"

He reached for his phone and checked. "Two."

"This late?" She was dismayed.

Shen Mingjin pulled her closer. "What’s wrong? Did you want to wish me a happy Christmas Eve at midnight?"

She nestled against him, her voice sleepily nasal, almost like a whimper.

"I wanted to talk to you."

He chuckled softly. "You can talk now."

"Aren’t you tired?"

"Not at all."

Refreshed from her nap, Zhang Rufan took him at his word and shared anecdotes from her trip. She’d never been one to volunteer stories, but since being with Shen Mingjin, he was her first thought whenever something interesting happened. Because of him, she’d begun noticing life’s small joys.

Her life was the same as before, yet his presence made it different.

"Sounds fun. When you’re free, we can go together." He stroked her hair. "We haven’t traveled as a couple yet."

The mere idea thrilled her. "I have New Year’s off, plus unused leave—that’s a whole week."

"No holiday overtime?"

"Just helping at the mall on New Year’s Eve."

"Deal." Shen Mingjin agreed instantly. "I’ll clear my schedule after New Year’s. We’ll take a trip—maybe visit your grandma in Qingcheng too."

"Okay." She was certain. "Grandma will love you."

"Of course. I’m very confident."

His self-assurance made her laugh.

The sound stirred something in his throat. He drew her closer and murmured, "Sleepy?"

No longer inexperienced in love, Zhang Rufan recognized the huskiness in his voice and his heavy breathing.

His warmth seared into her, setting her aflame. After a pause, she bit her lip. "Not sleepy."

As if receiving a signal, Shen Mingjin slid a hand to her waist, found her lips in the dark, and kissed them softly. "May I?"

She didn’t answer with words—only lifted her head to meet his kiss.

The snowy night was hushed, a time reserved for lovers.

By the time silence reclaimed the room, the clock’s hands had traveled far on their own.

Shen Mingjin held Zhang Rufan from behind, nuzzling her nape before whispering, "I’ll move upstairs."

After a beat, she said, "No."

Just as he thought he’d overstepped, she continued, "The upstairs apartment has too many issues. I’ll move down instead."

1. 方块七 (Fāngkuài Qī) – "Seven of Diamonds" The nickname Shen Mingjin gave to Xie Yiwei.

2. 梅花五 (Méihuā Wǔ) – "Five of Clubs" A nickname given to another classmate.

3. 黑桃十 (Hēitáo Shí) – "Ten of Spades" Another classmate’s nickname.

4. 平安夜 (Píng'ān Yè) – Christmas Eve

5. 跨年夜 (Kuànián Yè) – New Year’s Eve

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 ~~~

One More Chapter

Enjoy!