Afterwards 6

In the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, Duan Ye received the twelfth postcard from Jiang Yumo.

As he closed the shop door, he looked at the postcard. The familiar handwriting read:

[Surprised, aren’t you? This is from the snowy mountains, I can’t describe it, but I really like it, just like how I like you. This is the twelfth postcard, and I find it very meaningful.

So, Mr. Duan Ye, I’m going to work some magic here. Collecting twelve postcards can summon me and grant you a wish!

Think carefully about what you want; as long as it’s something I can do, I’ll make it come true.

Thank you for your unwavering love all these years.]

Does she like the number 12?

He was contemplating it when suddenly he heard a horn honking. Looking over, he saw her car parked by the roadside.

It was another unexpected visit, or you could say, a surprise.

Jiang Yumo had to admit, this was a surprise inspection.

Ever since she discovered that the owner of the noodle shop on this street always gave Duan Ye an extra spoonful of shredded pork, she had been paying special attention.

Duan Ye explained that one time the owner couldn’t park her car properly, so he helped her park it, and that was it.

Jiang Yumo stood with her hands on her hips, not caring about the details.

Duan Ye laughed happily, as if he had won a big prize.

The owner of the noodle shop was really kind. After learning that she was Duan Ye’s fiancée, she also enjoyed this treatment. Every time they went to buy noodles, the owner would smile and give her an extra spoonful of fried sauce. It was so delicious!

“Didn’t you say you’re coming tomorrow?”

When Duan Ye came over, Jiang Yumo wanted to slack off.

She opened the car door, got out, walked around to the other side, and sat in the passenger seat. Her intention was obvious : she wanted him to be the driver so she could rest.

“Today was supposed to be a gathering, but the captain’s wife started labor, so we had to postpone it. I figured there’s nothing for me to do alone over there, so I might as well come back,” Jiang Yumo explained, catching a glimpse of a postcard peeking out of his pocket and smiled. “Did you receive it? Anything you wish, I can fulfill it.”

Duan Ye remained silent.

Jiang Yumo made speculations on her own, “Is it new mobile phone?”

Duan Ye shook his head, “It still works, I don’t want to change it.”

“The screen is cracked, though.”

“An old classmate opened a shop to repair phones. I inquired, and it’ll only cost a few hundred yuan to replace the screen.”

Jiang Yumo didn’t know what else to say.

Duan Ye was very thrifty and hardly spent any money. Last summer, they spent almost two months searching for a house before finally settling on one, which they bought with her housing provident fund loan. However, it couldn’t cover everything, so they still had to pay a portion each month. They bought a pre-owned house, already received the keys, but weren’t completely satisfied with the interior. Since it was going to be their home for a very long time, they didn’t want to compromise and decided to renovate it after tearing down what they could. They planned to hire a professional designer and redo the entire interior.

In reality, with their incomes, paying the mortgage and for the renovation didn’t put much pressure on them.

He probably had his own persistence, like wanting to provide her with a better life. That’s why he worked so hard and spent so little money. Aside from the working capital for his shop, he gave all his money to her.

“What about car?” Jiang Yumo asked.

She had also saved some money, and her parents had given her a sum of money for her wedding, making her a wealthy woman with a considerable savings account.

Duan Ye looked at her in surprise, “Don’t you already have one?”

Jiang Yumo : “…”

When she bought this car at that time, she thought it was cute and suitable for her.

But Duan Ye, who was tall and big, always had to adjust the seat when driving her car, which felt very cramped.

There were also cars in Duan Ye’s shop, a used domestic SUV that he bought with a customer at the time. The on-road price of a new car wouldn’t exceed 140,000.

When they got their marriage certificate, her parents gave her a card, meaning that since Duan Ye had spent a lot on buying the house, their family could buy a slightly better car.

Duan Ye said, “No need to buy, let’s think about it in a few years.”

Jiang Yumo understood his meaning. If they were to change the car again, it would definitely be… after having a child.

Uh.

In the eyes of their parents, the two of them were definitely not young anymore, but they still wanted to enjoy their time as a couple. As for having children, they would wait a few more years.

Jiang Yumo sighed, “You, who wants nothing, what is your wish? Just tell me.”

Duan Ye kept his attention on the road ahead. After merging into traffic, he spoke softly, “Actually, there’s only one thing.”

“What?”

“Your happiness and safety.”

Jiang Yumo held back her tears, turned her head to look out the car window pretending to admire the scenery, her voice sounding a bit strange due to suppressing her emotions, “Why are you being so sentimental? Alright, whatever you want, just save it for when you think of it. I’ll fulfill your wish.”

Duan Ye gripped the steering wheel and replied with a soft hum.

As they returned home, Mother Jiang had already prepared dinner. It was almost the Lunar New Year, and Ningcheng had become lively with all the young people who had gone to work elsewhere returning home. Walking into the residential area, you could see sausages and cured meats hanging on the balconies of every household, giving off a rustic atmosphere. Jiang Yumo held Duan Ye’s hand and suddenly slowed down her steps. She tiptoed, and he instinctively bent down. Her warm breath sprayed into his ear, “Do you see the elderly couple up ahead? I remember when our family just moved here, they were already living here. Their relationship is very good. Their son and daughter have both settled in the provincial capital, and they come back during holidays. My Mom told me they’ve been married for sixty years, sixty years…”

Both elderly people were not young anymore, and they walked very slowly, step by step.

Duan Ye seemed distracted as well.

Is this how a couple who has been married for sixty years is?

Just as they were talking, the old lady seemed to sense something and turned around.

Jiang Yumo only then noticed that the grandma was holding a pot of flowers. She quickly approached and politely greeted her, “Grandma Wang, is this heavy? Should we help you carry it back?”

Next to Grandma Wang, Grandpa Liu was also carrying something.

Grandma Wang’s eyesight was not very good, and she squinted for a while. Grandpa Liu coughed, “You still can’t recognize her? It’s the girl with the sweetest voice in the whole neighborhood, Little Jasmine¹.”

“Little Jasmine?” Grandma Wang laughed, “I’m sorry, my eyesight isn’t very good.”

“It’s alright!” Jiang Yumo said, “Can we help you?”

Duan Ye had already approached and was about to take the cardboard box from Grandpa Liu’s hand. Grandpa Liu playfully moved aside, avoiding him, “This is my treasure. Young man, you really don’t need to help, it’s not that heavy.”

Jiang Yumo had already taken the flowers from Grandma Wang’s hand.

Grandma Wang carefully looked at Duan Ye and said with a smile, “Little Jasmine, is this your boyfriend? Not long ago, your parents bought a lot of wedding candies and distributed them door to door. We all know you’re getting married.”

Jiang Yumo nodded shyly, “Yes, we’ve already registered.”

“That’s good. This young man is quite tall,” Grandma Wang remembered something and patted Jiang Yumo’s hand, “I can’t take care of these flowers anymore. My grandson is coming back tomorrow, and my great-grandson is very mischievous. He might destroy these flowers. So, I’ll give them to you as a token of my affection, dear.”

Jiang Yumo reluctantly accepted this ‘wedding gift.’

Or more accurately, it was the most sincere blessing from the couple who had been married for sixty years.

---

After dropping off Grandma Wang and Grandpa Liu, Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye walked in the direction of their home, with Duan Ye still holding the potted plant, looking like it was very precious.

“Sixty years of marriage, I can’t even imagine it. My parents have been married for more than thirty years, and it feels like my Mom is almost fed up with my Dad.

“What are you thinking…?”

Jiang Yumo asked.

Duan Ye, holding the potted plant, said, “I’m thinking about researching how to take care of this plant properly later.”

After all, it’s a blessing.

---

During the Lunar New Year, the Western restaurant and coffee shop in Ningcheng are always packed, and many people come back to gather.

The six of them found a time when everyone was available to go out for dinner.

After entering the private dining room, Guo Shichao counted the chairs and said, “This private room is the smallest one. If it weren’t for my connections, we wouldn’t have been able to book it. Look, there are eight chairs in this private room, and the six of us can’t even fill them. If there were eight people, it would be just right.”

“Easy,” Yan Qing took off her coat. “Mengting, call your boyfriend, and Guo Shichao, call your wife.”

Guo Shichao was speechless, “Is that what I meant? I mean, if there were two more people to join us back then, now we wouldn’t have a private room that’s not full. You know my wife has social anxiety; she likes staying at home.”

Sun Mengting raised her head and rubbed her neck, “My boyfriend is even busier than me. I have to bring him food later. By the way, Guo Shichao, it’s on your way, could you give me a ride later?”

Guo Shichao : “No problem~”

The six of them sat down, ordered their food, and chatted.

Zhao Zheng washed the utensils for Yan Qing while saying, “Hey, do you all still remember Zhou Ji? He was in our Class 10.”

Guo Shichao smirked, “How could we forget? That guy was always trying to compete with Brother Duan for the boss’ posistion.”

Yan Qing chuckled, “Ah, thinking about it now, doesn’t it feel embarrassing? What did kids in their teens know? They were acting like school boss. Brother Duan, isn’t that right?”

Duan Ye lightly laughed, “It was definitely embarrassing.”

Jiang Yumao, the Husband-Protecting-Baby, said, “Was it more embarrassing than mine? How did you all used to address me back then? I was speechless.”

“But now it’s all come true,” Yan Qing blinked, “Aren’t you…”

What the heck!

What’s going on?

When they were in their teens, they casually talked about ‘Brother Duan’s woman’ without feeling awkward.

Now, in their thirties, those three words couldn’t come out of their mouths.

Too embarrassing.

Jiang Yumo quickly raised her hands in surrender, “Alright, let’s not mention those three words. Back then, I was just embarrassed when I heard it. Now, if I hear it, I want to go back to Mars.”

Sun Mengting burst into laughter and tactfully changed the subject for Jiang Yumo, “Zhao Zheng, continue with your story. What happened to Zhou Ji? I remember he wasn’t from our city, right?”

“No,” Zhao Zheng sounded nostalgic, “He’s from Yanjing. He went back to Yanjing at the start of the second semester of our third year. We haven’t seen him since, and he didn’t even attend our graduation reunion. I wanted to mention that a while ago, someone in our class group shared his photo. He’s really something. You know the Zhou’s Group, right? It turns out it’s his family’s business. He’s been featured in financial magazines, but he looks so different now. He wears glasses. The magazine said he went to college in the United States and only returned a couple of years ago.”

“Rich kid,” Guo Shichao teased, “He was born in Rome, while we’re just ordinary folks.”

“Hahaha!”

“I did hear a bit about it,” Sun Mengting said. “Just a while ago, I ran into a former classmate from Class 2 at the hospital. She was admitted, and she really went to great lengths to find me through our connections, asking me to say hello… She told me that Ning Zhiyu married into a wealthy family. Do you remember Ning Zhiyu? She was the top student in our high school, the smartest one of us. She seemed to have dated Zhou Ji at the time, but they broke up, and I didn’t expect them to get back together.”

Sun Mengting looked at Jiang Yumo, “Our Yumo can rival them.”

Yan Qing mocked loudly, “They definitely can’t beat Yumo and Brother Duan. They broke up once and got married, while our Yumo, who is she? Without breaking up three or five times, they can’t compete with our Yumo.”

Jiang Yumo looked at Duan Ye with a grievance, “See what they’re like!”

Duan Ye wouldn’t warn Yan Qing, because Yan Qing was Jiang Yumo’s closest friend.

But he could warn Zhao Zheng.

Duan Ye glanced at Zhao Zheng with a warning look.

Zhao Zheng hurriedly got up to cover Yan Qing’s mouth, “Kids say the darnedest things, kids say the darnedest things. Our Yan Qing just turned eighteen this year, please forgive her.”

Yan Qing : “Mmm mmm mmm!”

—Zhao Zheng, you’re asking for trouble!

“Alright, let’s continue with the story,” Sun Mengting smiled. “They got back together and then got married. Their wedding was a few months ago. Everyone from Class 2 envies Ning Zhiyu during their class reunions. She had the best grades, and later, she did well in her career, very capable, and bought a house in Yanjing on her own. Zhou Ji’s family approved of her too, and she’s really impressive on her own. Of course, there were some sour comments too, like ‘achieving well in life is not as good as marrying well,’ hmm.”

Jiang Yumo also remembered Ning Zhiyu.

In fact, they almost became friends back then.

Just a little bit was missing.

Ning Zhiyu was really nice; she still remembered when Ning Zhiyu gave her a sanitary pad. Why didn’t they become friends? She thought for a moment and realized it was probably due to a lack of fate and opportunity.

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways.

At the end of the year, everyone was busy. Sun Mengting had to deliver food to her boyfriend, Guo Shichao had to go home to play games with his wife.

Zhao Zheng and Yan Qing were even busier.

Parking was difficult on this side, so Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye didn’t drive when they came out.

There were visibly more vehicles on the streets of Ningcheng, and there was even traffic congestion.

Jiang Yumo once again felt fortunate that she had made the right decision. She had eaten too much, and walking home with Duan Ye was a good way to aid digestion.

Halfway there, Jiang Yumo remembered that there was a barbecue street in that direction, which triggered her cravings. Winter was the season for fattening up, and every cell in her body was screaming, “I want meat, I want grilled meat.” She even wondered if she had gained so much weight recently because she was pregnant. She instructed Duan Ye to buy several brands of pregnancy tests from the pharmacy, and the two of them nervously watched… in the end, there was only one line.

The chances of her being pregnant was very, very low.

Despite their on-and-off relationship, when they were together, it happened quite frequently, and in all those times, there was never a pregnancy. It was all thanks to Duan Ye’s extreme caution; he never relied on luck.

If getting pregnant was possible in this way, Jiang Yumo would truly be amazed.

Just as Jiang Yumo was preparing to go to the hospital for a blood test, her period arrived on schedule.

The crisis was resolved.

Originally, there was no particular reason. She was just craving, simply wanted to eat.

Jiang Yumo glanced at Duan Ye.

Duan Ye immediately understood what she meant. “You want to eat barbecue?”

“Just a little bit,” Jiang Yumo said. “I really want some pork belly. Just buy me a few skewers. I won’t go over there; it’s too smoky, and it’s easy to pick up the smell.”

“Alright, just pork belly?”

Jiang Yumo thought for a moment. “Get me a skewer of chicken wings too.”

Duan Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay. You wait here for me, and call me if you need anything.”

“Okay, got it!”

It’s only a few minutes’ walk from here to that street. Can she really get lost?

Duan Ye took three steps and looked back before heading to the barbecue street.

Jiang Yumo felt bored and, after counting a few pieces of pavement without much patience, she took out her phone to check her friends’ Moments.

Just then, a car pulled over by the roadside, right next to her. She couldn’t ignore it, thinking that she might be blocking someone’s way. As she was about to move aside, a gentle female voice reached her ears, “Jiang Yumo, is that really you?”

Jiang Yumo looked toward the source of the voice.

In almost an instant, she remembered who this person was.

It was strange. It had been over ten years since high school graduation, and she recognized her at a glance.

“Ning Zhiyu?” Jiang Yumo was slightly surprised.

Ning Zhiyu sat in the passenger seat of the car, rolled down all the windows, and leaned out. “It’s really you. I thought I was seeing things. It’s so strange; I recognized you from a distance.”

“Long time no see,” Jiang Yumo smiled at her.

She naturally noticed the man driving the car.

It should be Zhou Ji, although she didn’t remember what Zhou Ji looked like, but since they were married, it must be him.

Zhou Ji was wearing a black overcoat and had on gold-rimmed glasses. He no longer had the rebelliousness he had in high school, but his overall demeanor remained cold and stern.

The wedding ring on his left ring finger diluted his arrogance.

Jiang Yumo’s gaze subtly swept over him, her attention focused on Ning Zhiyu.

Ning Zhiyu had changed, yet remained the same.

She still had the gentle and reserved appearance from memory, but she seemed happy, and her smile was even brighter than before.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is Zhou Ji,” Ning Zhiyu smiled, “What a coincidence, we just returned to Ningcheng from the airport, and you’re the first familiar face we’ve seen.”

She looked around, seeing Jiang Yumo alone, and then glanced at Zhou Ji.

The two of them understood each other well. Zhou Ji subtly nodded in response to her unspoken request.

He didn’t mind.

“Jiang Yumo, where are you heading? Otherwise, we can give you a ride. It doesn’t look easy to find a taxi here,” Ning Zhiyu said.

Jiang Yumo slightly bent over and waved her hand with a smile, “No need, my husband is coming soon.”

—Husband?

Ning Zhiyu was taken aback.

She had come back once before with Zhou Ji and had seen Duan Ye. She had also heard about the ups and downs in their relationship.

Jiang Yumo was married?

Then… who did she marry?

The confusion and curiosity in Ning Zhiyu’s eyes were evident, and Jiang Yumo could see it. She smiled, her eyes curved, “We just got married not long ago, actually.”

“He’s here.” Jiang Yumo seemed to have a premonition and turned her head to see Duan Ye approaching her.

Sitting in the car, Ning Zhiyu and Zhou Ji also saw him.

In an instant, Zhou Ji felt like he had returned to his high school days, and those memories he thought had faded away gradually resurfaced.

Duan Ye seemed to be the same as ever, still standing tall.

Still only able to see the girl he liked.

Before Duan Ye had even reached her, Jiang Yumo ran over to him, and he caught her. Even though there was some distance between them, Ning Zhiyu and Zhou Ji could still feel the sweetness between them.

Duan Ye held Jiang Yumo in his arms, and Jiang Yumo remembered something. She waved to Ning Zhiyu inside the car, bidding her farewell. “Goodbye~”

Ning Zhiyu sat there in a daze for a moment, then smiled and softly replied, “Goodbye.”

In the cold wind, Duan Ye was afraid that Jiang Yumo would get cold, so he held her even tighter as they faced the chilly winter together.

“It’s Ning Zhiyu, I was actually thinking of sending her our wedding invitation through WeChat just now, saying we should get together sometime, but then I realized I don’t have her WeChat, and it might seem abrupt to say that, like I’m asking for a gift or something… Well, forget it, we’re not that close anyway.”

Duan Ye comforted her, “It’s okay.”

Meanwhile, inside the car, Ning Zhiyu was still looking in that direction. The heavenly couple had already walked far away, and their figures were no longer visible.

Suddenly, a hand reached out in front of her, waved, and snapped its fingers.

Familiar and leisurely voice came, “Earth to you.”

Ning Zhiyu : “…”

She remembered that night many years ago, and a smile appeared in her eyes again. “Do you believe it? One night before our third year of high school, I watched a spectacular fireworks display, the most beautiful fireworks I’ve ever seen. I guess it must have been him who set them off for her.

“At that time, I felt like they would definitely be together forever. Just now, when I heard she got married, I was still thinking about who she would marry.

“It’s really nice. They really got married. It doesn’t even seem surprising. It always felt like this was supposed to happen and it was destined to happen.”

Zhou Ji clapped his hands and took off his gold-rimmed glasses.

In fact, his eyesight was remarkably good, but he heard that wearing glasses like these was trendy nowadays, so he had a pair custom-made.

Sure enough, he saw amazement in her eyes.

It suited him well.

“So, Fairy Ning, you answer me.”

Ning Zhiyu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, but couldn’t help it. How could there be someone so good at ruining the mood? “I already told you not to call me with that nickname!”

Zhou Ji nodded, “Oh, you find it old-fashioned, you don’t like being called old. Okay, Fairy Yu, then you answer me.”

He leaned in slightly, lowered his voice, “Did you calculate when you first saw me that I was your destined husband?”

Ning Zhiyu: “…”

---

They drove away.

On the same street, Duan Ye held Jiang Yumo as they walked.

The car drove past them.

Perhaps, if, on that summer day, the girl named Jiang Yumo had turned around to take another look and saw Ning Zhiyu waiting at the bus stop to escape the rain.

If, on that summer day, the young and spirited Duan Ye had bent down to pick up the basketball that rolled to his feet and joined the game.

What kind of story would that have been?

---

rokumi’s note : it’s truly over now! Really glad that the original ‘Jiang Yumo’ and ‘Duan Ye’ also have their own happy ending!🥹🥹

---

1. Jiang Yumo’s ‘Mo’ comes from the word jasmine (茉莉 mòlì), the elderly couple calls Jiang Yumo 小茉莉 (xiǎo mòlì) which literally means little jasmine ↩︎

---

Afterwards 5

After they’re done.

The two of them lay in bed, and Jiang Yumo was completely devoid of strength, lazily resting on top of him.

It really felt very comfortable, very reassuring.

Unlike all the previous times after parting, it wasn’t like this at this moment. She had struggled and doubted before. During the most painful period, she even wondered if he would be better off without her, at least not bound by her.

All of her emotions were tangled up in her chest.

Now, it seemed to be dissipating little by little.

Perhaps what the elders said had some truth, like the fact that she was turning thirty this year, and indeed, a person at thirty would be more mature than before.

She chose to surrender.

Just like when she fell for Duan Ye at the age of seventeen.

Back then, she was defeated by his dedication.

Now she surrendered; she admitted that she couldn’t accept a lifetime without him.

“Is your business at that shop really doing well?” Her voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Duan Ye was currently resting with his eyes closed. When he heard her words, he chuckled, and his chest moved, making her feel a bit numb.

“When have I ever lied to you?” he said. “Business is indeed doing well, and the year-end bonuses should be pretty good too.”

There was more than one auto repair shop in Ningcheng, but Duan Ye’s was considered quite large in scale.

He couldn’t build it alone; he partnered with his previous master.

His previous master taught him a lot, and now his master basically doesn’t handle things anymore; his master delegated everything to him.

Normally, partners wouldn’t do this, but the old master trusts Duan Ye’s character a lot and believes he won’t mess up.

“How much is it?” Jiang Yumo’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, “Tell me, I won’t tell anyone else.”

Duan Ye was amused by her and in a lazy tone, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered a number.

Jiang Yumo was extremely surprised, “Is it that much?”

“It’s not that much,” Duan Ye sighed, “Ningcheng is still too small. In a few years, when it develops better, I plan to open another shop in the provincial capital.”

“You’re earning more than I am,” Jiang Yumo said excitedly, “But our lifestyle is not bad either, and we don’t spend much money usually.”

The two of them chatted about various trivial matters in life.

They talked about everything, as if they had returned to those years when they could talk about anything, and their mood was very relaxed.

“I’ve always wanted to ask you a question,” Jiang Yumo propped up her elbow, the blanket slipped off, and she instinctively pressed her chest, looking at him very seriously, “Back then, were you trying to get back at me? Did you want me to experience your feelings?”

Duan Ye stared at her, “How could that be?”

He reluctantly admitted, “I had my own selfish motives back then. It wasn’t as noble as you think.”

“Selfish motives?”

“Yeah. At that time, wasn’t there someone pursuing you?” Maybe being thirty was really different from being twenty. The twenty-year-old Duan Ye wouldn’t casually mention his jealousy like this; he would hide it fiercely, not allowing her to glimpse it. It’s as if showing jealousy and envy would make him look petty and incompetent.

In a few more months, he’ll be thirty-one, and those past memories can be openly shared with her.

“I worry too, worry that after I’ve gone far away, I won’t be able to find you when I come back,” he said.

Jiang Yumo was momentarily stunned. A few strands of hair fell onto her smooth shoulder. After she processed his words, she couldn’t help but laugh and leaned on his chest. “What nonsense! I don’t even remember his name.”

“Xu Shanming,” Duan Ye replied.

“What?” Jiang Yumo pinched him. “I don’t even remember what he looks like. How is that possible?”

How could she possibly like that person?

No, in this lifetime, how could she possibly like anyone other than him?

It’s impossible.

“So, it’s not just you who’s childish, it’s me too,” Duan Ye said as he looked at her.

After Jiang Yumo finished laughing, her tone became much more subdued. “But I still feel so regretful. If someone had stopped me when I was choosing my college major, if someone had told me it wasn’t a waste but a commitment, if there really was such a person… Wouldn’t that have been wonderful? Would we have had fewer hardships?”

Duan Ye remained silent for nearly a minute before saying, “Perhaps. But our experiences would be different, but the outcome would be the same.”

“Do you blame me in your heart?” Jiang Yumo’s eyes inexplicably filled with tears. She compared their pinky fingers. “Even if it’s just a little bit. Today is a day for honesty, for speaking our hearts, as you’ve said, you won’t lie to me.”

Duan Ye thought carefully and then said, “No.”

He only blamed himself.

“What about you?” Duan Ye asked her again. “Do you blame me?”

Jiang Yumo : “I really wanted to answer ‘I blame you,’ but after thinking it over, it’s more like I blame myself.”

Their hearts were so close.

Their feelings were exactly the same. They didn’t blame each other; they only blamed themselves. Perhaps, if there had been even a hint of blame toward each other over these years, things wouldn’t be like today, at this moment.

“Alright,” Jiang Yumo held back her tears, extended her hand, and hooked her pinky finger, “Let’s pinky swear. We won’t blame each other. I won’t blame you, and you won’t blame me.”

Duan Ye helplessly smiled and extended his hand to pinky swear with her.

“Before we seal this promise, there’s one more thing I want to do.”

Taking advantage of Duan Ye’s lack of reaction, Jiang Yumo bit his shoulder fiercely, leaving a mark before letting go. “Alright, we’ve really turned the page.”

Duan Ye didn’t even furrow his brows; he just found her cute.

“Okay.”

---

The next day, Jiang Yumo’s alarm clock rang for a long time before she woke up.

This was quite unusual. In her teens and twenties, she could sleep forever, but now that she was in her thirties, she couldn’t sleep as much as before. She always woke up before the alarm clock rang. Perhaps it was because she was too tired yesterday, or maybe it was because he was by her side. She slept soundly and contentedly.

She got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom, but Duan Ye wasn’t there. However, he left a sticky note on the fridge.

“The living room light seems to be broken. I’ll buy a replacement and breakfast. You can call me when you wake up.”

Jiang Yumo sent him a WeChat message and went into the bathroom.

The weather was too hot, and she wanted to freshen up. She turned on the showerhead and as she lowered her head to look at the marks below her collarbone, she felt a long-lost, almost like it had separated from her body, sense of shyness. After a quick shower, she stood in front of the sink, carefully examining her face.

Does the perverted colleague speak the truth?

She felt that her skin had improved over the past two days.

There were no pimples on her face, no dark circles either. Even though they had chatted so late last night and hadn’t slept much altogether, she looked radiant, as if he had injected her with a continuous supply of vitality.

When Duan Ye returned and glanced at the bathroom, she was standing close to the mirror.

She was wearing a camisole with shorts.

With a slight lean, she revealed a glimpse of her lower back.

Duan Ye had noticed yesterday that she had a new tattoo on her lower back, and thinking about it, he reached out and gently touched it with his fingertip.

Jiang Yumo was quite sensitive and shrank back, looking at him in annoyance. “What are you doing?”

“When did you get this tattoo?” he asked.

Jiang Yumo lowered her head to take a look and smiled. “You’re mistaken. It’s not a real tattoo; it’s a temporary one. A colleague bought a bunch and gave me a few. I would never get a real tattoo; I’m terrified of pain.”

Duan Ye : “…”

“Temporary?”

“Yeah, they look very realistic. Wait a moment.” She happily ran outside, rummaged through her bag, and came back to the bathroom with a tattoo sticker. “I’ll give you one too. Where should I put it? Take off your clothes first.”

She was almost giving orders.

Duan Ye wanted to say that he had no interest in tattoos or temporary tattoos, but seeing her enthusiasm, he reluctantly took off his short-sleeved shirt under her excited gaze.

Jiang Yumo tore off a temporary tattoo sticker and stood in front of Duan Ye, reaching her hand around his waist. With her other hand from the back of his neck, she gradually moved downward and stopped at a certain spot on his spine. She pressed it, looked up at him with a smile, and whispered in a breathy voice, “Right here.”

Duan Ye looked down at her, extended his hand, and discreetly closed the bathroom door behind them.

About ten minutes later, there was a muffled groan from inside, mixed with Jiang Yumo’s unsteady breathing and sporadic sounds, “Turn on the tap.”

“Mmm.”

---

It wasn’t until almost ten o’clock that Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye finally walked out hand in hand, and they happened to run into a neighbor from the same building.

There was a time when Jiang Yumo wanted to exercise, and she had met this Sister in the morning while jogging. The two of them had even had breakfast together.

When Jiang Yumo saw the curious look in the neighbor’s eyes, she tightened her grip on Duan Ye’s hand and introduced with a smile, “This is my boyfriend.”

The neighbor laughed and said, “That’s great. I was actually considering introducing my little brother to you.”

Jiang Yumo sweetly replied, “Fortunately, you didn’t, he’s quite the jealous type.”

Duan Ye, who was at the center of the discussion, remained as silent as ever.

But when he heard Jiang Yumo’s words, he gave her a sidelong glance.

Duan Ye drove, and Jiang Yumo sat in the passenger seat. He asked her, “Where to?”

Jiang Yumo was using her phone for navigation and replied, “The People’s Bank.”

After setting the destination on the navigation, Duan Ye drove out of the parking lot. Today was a workday, and the morning rush hour had already passed, so they had a smooth journey to the bank. Both Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye applied for credit reports. It seemed that Duan Ye had been out of touch with any trends since graduating; he didn’t even have a credit card. Influenced by her parents, Jiang Yumo wasn’t accustomed to owing anyone money overdue, so their credit reports were quite perfect, with no overdue records.

When she was about to apply for the credit report, Duan Ye already guessed what she wanted to do.

Walking out of the bank and back to the car, Jiang Yumo handed her phone to him. “I got recommendations for these few real estate developments, not from those online folks, but from my boss, colleagues, and relatives. After considering their opinions and experiences, I eliminated a few options, and these are the ones left. With their input, we can avoid pitfalls and make a safer choice. What do you think?”

Duan Ye remained silent as he looked at her.

He wasn’t sure when she had done all this research.

It was incredibly detailed, with information on nearby subway and bus stations, kindergartens, and primary schools for each real estate, even distances were clearly stated.

Several types of units were listed, with their areas, unit prices, and whether they included renovations. The property management company was also mentioned.

While he was reading, her phone rang, displaying ‘Dear Mom’ as the caller ID. He was almost startled, and she noticed his reaction, suppressing a smile. She took the phone and mouthed a reminder to him, “If you drop it, you’ll pay for it.”

She answered the call.

Duan Ye held his breath, not wanting to make any noise.

Inside the car, all he could hear was her voice—

“I know, I know. We just got the credit report done. Today, we can probably only visit two properties… Mom, I’m not made of steel, you know? House hunting is exhausting! How can we finish it all in one day!

“Alright, alright, I know. Once we decide on a property, we’ll visit it in the morning and in the afternoon. We’ll go on cloudy days and sunny days, I get it, I really do!

“Why are you coming over? It’s so hot today. Don’t bother coming over; you might get sick. Mom, I’m already thirty. I can handle these things.

“Okay, I’ll video call later, and you can do remote viewing?

“I have enough money; you keep it for yourself. I’ve saved some money too.

“Renovations? I haven’t even seen the house yet. What’s the point of talking about renovations? Besides, most of these peoperties come with pre-installed renovations. I know it’s a bit of a rip-off, but I don’t have a choice.”

Jiang Yumo finally hung up the phone. Despite sitting in the car with the air conditioning on, she was still sweating.

Duan Ye hesitated before speaking, “Aunt… she…”

Jiang Yumo sighed with relief, “She knows everything. I told her we’re buying a house, and I guess she hasn’t slept for these past few days. My Dad told me she was up late last night researching. If I hadn’t stopped her, she would have come over yesterday.”

They exchanged smiles.

Over the years, they had put themselves, their parents, and their friends through a lot.

But fortunately, they had received blessings from their parents and friends—

[May you have a harmonious hundred years together! Stay loyal and don’t bring trouble to others!]

These sincere words were from Yan Qing on WeChat.

---

Afterwards 4

When Jiang Yumo has free time, she will take a glance at that card.

Of course, she understands what he means. She always says that her courage has been drained away by someone, leaving only an empty shell. But why, at the age of thirty, does she still think the same way as she did when she was eighteen? Is the house really that important to her? She doesn’t value it that much. Even when others intentionally mention some advantages when introducing potential marriage partners, she doesn’t care that much.

So her Mom often jokes, saying that they’ve pampered her at home too much, pampered her to the point where she thinks that in this world, in a marriage, material things don’t matter at all.

These days, when she has some free time, she looks at the folders in her laptop.

One of them is encrypted, and when she opens it, it’s filled with their photos and screenshots of their chat records.

She always wonders if she can be this childish for the second time in her life.

She can’t.

What’s the point of saving chat records by taking screenshots?

Yes, she once did something foolish, copying all the text messages she exchanged with him from her phone.

They have too many photos together.

For a while, she loved taking pictures of him sleeping in the wild. She would always sneak a photo of him while he was asleep.

The same pose, the same expression, there are many of them.

She couldn’t help but feel bored with herself until her boss, the chief stewardess, showed her photos of when her boss became a mother. She would wonder why they took so many pictures of the same expression… and in that moment, she thought of the photos of him on her computer.

Yeah, she really likes him a lot. She can take many pictures of the same thing without getting tired of it.

There are also photos of them cooking together.

Going out together, hiking, going to the amusement park…

So many pictures.

---

On the day before her day off, Duan Ye sent a message with several photos in the chat box.

All of them were of her Polo.

Duan Ye : [I did maintenance for your car.]

Duan Ye : [I replaced the car mats with better ones, and I also changed the car film. It’s summer now, and this type offers better sun protection.]

Jiang Yumo : [Wow, it feels completely different, like it’s not even my car anymore.]

Duan Ye : [I put a few bottles of windshield washer fluid in the trunk for you. Remember to refill it. Oh, by the way, it seems like the windshield wipers had some issues, so I had them replaced for you.]

Jiang Yumo : [Thank you! If I had known earlier, I would have driven over sooner.]

Duan Ye chuckled, lowered his gaze, and tapped his finger on the phone screen a few times before sending another message : [When do you have your day off? I’ll come pick you up.]

Jiang Yumo : [I can have a day off tomorrow afternoon, but this time I won’t go back, something came up.]

Duan Ye was momentarily stunned.

The next second, Jiang Yumo sent another message : [Building D, Unit 903. Jiayuan Community, Xiadong Road, Jiaming Avenue.]

Duan Ye stared at the string of address she sent.

Jiang Yumo : [If you have time, come over. Oh, and remember to bring your ID card.]

Jiang Yumo : [The house I rented has a password lock.]

Jiang Yumo : [The password is 911120¹.]

Duan Ye stood outside the shop.

These past few days, the weather has been unusually hot, and he had been receiving high-temperature warnings on his phone for several days.

His palms were burning, and so was his phone. Looking at that password, his throat felt dry. In the next moment, he clenched his phone with an unusual force, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

After a long pause, he replied : [Okay.]

The next day at noon, after finishing his work and giving instructions to the apprentices and masters in the shop, he drove onto the highway and arrived at the provincial capital. He used his phone’s navigation to find her address, and he smoothly reached this neighborhood, which wasn’t far from the airport. He entered building D, went up to the ninth floor, which had two elevators and six households on each floor. He found unit 903, stood at the door but didn’t go in. He stood there for nearly ten minutes before finally reaching out and pressing the password.

911120 …

The door lock opened.

He entered the room, and in the entrance, there was a doormat that was very cute, with several adorable cartoon animals on it, as if they were cheering—“Welcome home.”

The room wasn’t large, just a one-bedroom apartment.

The interior was cozy, with a double sofa, a small coffee table with a vase and a remote control on it. Jiang Yumo didn’t buy a television; she used a projector in the living room.

On the wall behind the sofa, there were many photos hung up, along with a string of small lights.

In the photos, almost all of them were pictures of the two of them together.

From the age of eighteen to thirty, over these more than ten years, they have separated and reconciled several times. In fact, upon careful reflection, they have visited many places together. They climbed the Great Wall in Yanjing, asked tourists to help take photos in front of the Heroes Monument, visited the Forbidden City, and even went to the seaside.

Even on the days they were apart, they never forgot each other, and they never stopped missing each other.

---

On the other side, at the airport, Jiang Yumo finally finished work. She had originally planned to change her clothes, with one button already unfastened. However, she changed her mind and fastened it again. She opened her locker, inside which was a bottle of perfume and some makeup items like lipstick and powder. She meticulously touched up her makeup. A colleague came in, rubbing her waist, and when she saw Jiang Yumo like this, she teased, “Yumo, do you have a date today?”

Jiang Yumo nodded with a smile, “Yes.”

Her colleague chuckled, “Really? You’re going on a date in your uniform? Why not change into something else?”

Jiang Yumo blinked mysteriously, “It’s a secret.”

Her colleague leaned closer, cupping Jiang Yumo’s face as she appraised her, “Oh my, this must be a date. You’ve been looking so good lately. Come on, tell me honestly, is there a man making you bloom? And let me guess, you’re not changing out of your uniform because this man likes it, right?”

Jiang Yumo : “…”

She should reflect on this.

Why did she have a friend like Yan Qing during her school days?

And why did she have a colleague like this at work?

Shouldn’t she reflect on the fact that the problem might be with her? Does she have a special talent for attracting such friends?

Deep in thought, Jiang Yumo took a ride back home.

There were several fruit shops competing at the entrance of her residential complex, and recently, grapefruits were quite cheap. She chose the one with the best reputation and bought some grapefruit to take back home.

Upon entering, she immediately smelled the fragrance wafting from the kitchen and couldn’t resist her appetite after taking off her high heels.

Duan Ye, upon hearing the sound, also came out, wearing her cute apron, looking quite comical.

“What are you doing? It smells delicious,” Jiang Yumo sniffed and asked.

“I’m making braised beef,” Duan Ye replied.

Jiang Yumo was greatly surprised, “You know how to make this?”

Duan Ye felt a little embarrassed and pointed to the phone in the pocket of his apron. A woman’s voice came from the phone:

[Simmer over low heat, let the beef fully absorb the flavors in the braising sauce…]

Jiang Yumo burst into laughter, leaning against the door frame. “You’re learning to cook from online videos too? My Mom does the same thing. When she goes into the kitchen, you can hear the sound of those videos playing on loop.”

Duan Ye explained, “I just downloaded it.”

He didn’t have much time to watch those trending online videos on usual days.

Jiang Yumo opened the refrigerator and called out with a somewhat unhappy expression, “Seriously? I just managed to empty the fridge, and now you’ve filled it up again.”

The fridge contained yogurt, fresh milk, and fruit juice.

There were several types of fruits as well.

Not to mention the fresh chicken wings, beef, and pork in the freezer.

Duan Ye nodded, “Take your time to finish it; it won’t go to waste.”

“Alright,” Jiang Yumo took out a bottle of yogurt, “I’ve redecorated again this time. How does it look? Nice, right?”

Duan Ye looked for a while before nodding, “It looks pretty good.”

“But my colleagues all say it doesn’t look as good as before,” Jiang Yumo turned around in front of him, “By the way, I haven’t told you, at the end of last year, I passed the assessment and now I’ve been promoted to regional chief steward.”

“Very impressive,” Duan Ye said as he cracked eggs and chatted with her.

“It’s actually quite strange. I complained to my Mom before, saying that flying all the time is tiring sometimes. My Mom suggested I change careers. We have a relative who owns a company and needs people, so she asked me to go there.” Jiang Yumo sighed, “My parents even suggested I return to Ningcheng and take civil service exams. Scared me to death. I thought about it, and I quite like this job. Oh, I have to tell you,” She brightened up as she remembered something happy, “I met a little kid last time, and he gave me a sketch, it was of me. I was quite moved.”

She could finally tell him.

Yes, she didn’t dislike this job. On the contrary, day by day, when she saw the clouds, when she saw the fluffy white clouds like cotton candy, and every time she comforted passengers until they safely landed during turbulence, she felt content.

She was no longer afraid of heights. Could this be considered good news?

She could look down from a high place now, even go on a ferris wheel.

Duan Ye listened quietly.

He knew what she wanted to say.

She had never regretted it, but she didn’t know that he felt the same way.

Whether it was achieving success and fame or living an ordinary life, all he initially wanted was to be with her.

After finishing dinner, Jiang Yumo led Duan Ye into the room, opened the wardrobe, and found a set of men’s pajamas and some short-sleeved shirts from the innermost part. She proudly said, “Do you remember this pajama set? You didn’t take it with you back then. I brought it with me when I moved. And this short-sleeved shirt, I bought it when I was shopping. I often wash it and hang it on the balcony.”

“Oh, and there’s this,” she opened a drawer, inside were several neatly folded men’s underwear. “I bought these during the Singles’ Day sales, and I’ve washed and aired them too. You know how it is online, right? Girls living alone might attract unwanted attention, so I hang all these clothes and underwear out, just to let those weirdos know that there is a man in my house.

“Pretty clever, right?”

Duan Ye wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t find it in himself to do so. Finally, in a low voice, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Jiang Yumo was taken aback and waved her hand. “I was just trying to show off my cleverness to you. Well, now you have pajamas and clean clothes. Don’t go back today; I have plans for tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Whatever she said was fine with him.

Duan Ye habitually went to wash the dishes.

Jiang Yumo made a homemade iced drink for him. He didn’t like the heat but also didn’t really enjoy sugary drinks. Fortunately, there were some unused ice cubes in the fridge. She poured them into a glass, added a few scoops of grapefruit juice, and mixed it with sparkling water.

“My colleagues all have dishwashers at home, which makes life much easier, freeing up their hands. I thought about getting one too, but I’m afraid to add big appliances to a rental house. It would be too much of a hassle later when moving.”

---

Late at night.

Moonlight filtered in through the window, and the wooden bed occasionally made creaking sounds.

The tide was rising, and Jiang Yumo was almost drowned. She desperately wanted to hold onto something and finally grabbed the rabbit doll on the bed.

The person behind her was supporting her with rough and dry hands, preventing her from falling.

She wasn’t sure about the soundproofing of the room, so she bit her lip hard to keep from making any noise.

She couldn’t tell whose heavy breathing was entering her ears.

She turned her head to try to see him, but it was difficult to make out.

After everything had calmed down, he breathed softly and kissed her neck with gentle, delicate kisses.

Jiang Yumo buried her face in the pillow, turned her head to the side, and breathed in the fresh air. She spoke softly, “I didn’t check earlier. Can you see if it’s expired?”

She also didn’t know how she had brought the unused ones with her when she moved.

Perhaps it was being too thrifty; after all, they were bought with money.

But those things must have an expiration date, right?

Duan Ye lay on top of her, reached out a hand, and found the torn-open packaging on the bedside table. He picked it up and looked at the date.

“Not expired,” he replied unsteadily. “It’s good until December 2023.”

Saying this, he opened a drawer and searched for another unopened one.

In a daze, Jiang Yumo remembered a question she had once seen:

How do you determine if you like someone?

Would you resist being intimate with them?

She thought that even her own body seemed to resist anyone but him.

She felt like a dry well.

But why did she now feel so clearly that this well was slowly filling up?

---

1. I believe this is Duan Ye’s birthday? ↩︎

---

Afterwards 3

On that evening, Jiang Yumo had a dream, a dream of the summer when the college entrance exam ended.

The six of them went to take photos.

Under the teasing of Zhao Zheng and Yan Qing, she sat on Duan Ye’s shoulder. At that moment, she was both afraid and joyful, afraid of falling down. He reached out to support her and, seeing her genuine fear, he would laugh and reassure her, telling her not to be afraid, not to worry.

He would never let her fall.

That summer was truly wonderful. At eighteen, she really liked Duan Ye, liked him so much that she, who had always been sensible, made such a capricious decision. But what could she do? At that time, she didn’t want to be apart from him even for a single second. She still remembered how excitedly she told him about her college choices, the complicated expression on his face at that moment.

He was clearly very happy and even smiled.

But the emotions in his eyes were something eighteen-year-old her couldn’t understand at all.

It wasn’t until later that she found out he had given up better opportunities, a broader horizon, just to stay by her side. She suddenly realized that the emotion in his eyes was ‘pressure.’

But she had always wanted to tell him that she had never blamed him; it was her own decision.

She had never regretted it, until she found out about this.

She began to be careful, not daring to complain about anything related to her studies in front of him anymore, nor revealing occasional dissatisfaction with her job. Every time she saw him, she always tried to lift her spirits, to prove to him that her job was really good, but she wasn’t a machine, she was a human being, and she could get tired, get hurt, and feel sad. She didn’t mention the passengers’ making things difficult for her or her boss’s strictness, not even the news of plane crashes; she hid her fear deep inside. She also feared that he would see such news.

They didn’t know when, but they stopped talking openly.

He was probably the same, not mentioning the difficulties he faced at work, silently bearing the pressures from society and reality. He started working hard to earn money, and later, she received a call from Guo Shichao, only to find out that he was almost working himself to exhaustion just to buy a house, even considering participating in underground boxing.

So, she really regrets it.

She regrets the college entrance exam choices she made back then, and she regrets going to the city where he lives.

Sometimes she also fantasizes, if she hadn’t done that back then, maybe they wouldn’t be like this now?

—Duan Ye, I really regret it.

---

She woke up in the morning, glanced at her phone, and saw a message from He Yanbo : [Good morning, are you awake?]

Jiang Yumo cried last night, and her eyes were still swollen. She got up, looked outside, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her parents weren’t at home.

After getting ready, she sat on the sofa, contemplated for a while, and replied to He Yanbo’s message : [Mr. He, I’m sorry.]

The adult world is like this.

With one ‘I’m sorry,’ she understands, and he understands too.

She was going to drive back to the airport in the afternoon. Her colleagues really liked the snacks in Ningcheng and asked her to buy some. As she was about to leave the residential area and get into her car, she unexpectedly ran into He Yanbo.

He Yanbo smiled, “Miss Jiang, I know I’m being abrupt, but I wanted to come and try.”

Jiang Yumo glanced at the time, and it was still more than an hour before lunch time.

She pondered and said, “Let’s have lunch. I’ll treat you.”

He Yanbo’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.

He Yanbo had driven here by himself, and Jiang Yumo had her own reasons for driving on her own as well. They both drove separately to the underground parking lot of the shopping mall. It was a weekday, and it was not yet lunchtime, so the well-reputed creative restaurants were not crowded, and they easily found a table.

Jiang Yumo ordered what she wanted to eat and then handed the menu to him.

“I feel that asking why is very impolite and abrupt,” He Yanbo said, “Actually, Miss Jiang, I’ve heard some things about you too. Ningcheng is too small; it always feels like as long as someone has the intention, even embarrassing incidents from when I used to play games in an internet cafe during high school, and the class teacher caught me, might also be heard.”

Jiang Yumo laughed.

“In a few more months, I’ll be thirty-two as well. I won’t hide it from you; at this age, not being married is considered unfilial in my parents’ eyes. Over the past few years, I’ve been on many blind dates and had relationships, but they all ended for various reasons. Sometimes I initiated the breakup, and sometimes it was the other party. To be honest, it’s been quite exhausting. But, Miss Jiang, I’m not lying when I say that when I see you, it feels like I’m back in my student days—impulsive and nervous. The day I met you, every word I said was rehearsed in advance.” He Yanzhou’s words were sincere, and Jiang Yumo knew it. His expression of enthusiasm and affection couldn’t be faked.

What does he like about her?

Flipping through their chat history, they hadn’t talked much or deeply.

“What I want to say is that everyone has a past, including me. I had a previous relationship that lasted for a few years, and I also had a previous relationship where we talked about marriage, but it didn’t work out in the end due to incompatibility. I hope you won’t be put off by this,” He Yanbo hesitated for a while before continuing, “Some people are meant to be kept in your heart but not meant to spend your life with. Life is too long, and you can’t predict how many people you’ll meet. Just like me, I never expected to meet someone like you.”

Jiang Yumo had been listening quietly all this time.

When he finished speaking and looked at her expectantly, she took out a small bottle of tomato juice from her bag.

Then, she picked up an empty glass from the table and tapped the glass with her fingertip. When He Yanbo looked over, she smiled and said, “This is him.”

Then she unscrewed the cap of the juice bottle and said, “This is me.”

This is her in her entire life, yes, she uses the word ‘entire life.’ It’s her entire passion and love.

She poured the juice into the glass, and not a drop remained in the bottle.

He Yanzhou was also a smart person. He looked at her steadily, his expression changing, and then he smiled, “I understand.”

Jiang Yumo apologized sincerely, “Actually, I’m at fault in this matter too, for taking up so much of your time. I’m really sorry. I will talk to the matchmaker and let them know it’s my fault.”

He Yanbo waved his hand and said, “Not so much time. That’s how blind dates are. But I still want to thank you. I always thought that at my age, it would be difficult to meet someone I like. Now it seems like I’m not too old, right?”

Jiang Yumo nodded with a smile, “Of course, you’re only in your thirties, still young.”

---

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, Jiang Yumo went to a shop in the mall to pack some radish beef offal. She drove around the city for nearly half an hour before finally heading in the direction of Duan Ye’s shop.

After parking the car, she got out, carrying the packed box.

It was lunchtime now, and today was unusually hot, with the sun shining brightly. Walking on the streets felt like dancing on a griddle.

Duan Ye was sitting in a chair, flipping through inventory and sales records while occasionally taking a bite of his meal.

The air conditioning was not on, and there was only an industrial fan blowing noisily.

Hearing a different sound, Duan Ye looked up and was surprised to see her at the door. However, he remained calm and covered the disposable lunchbox lid before getting up. He instinctively took out a tissue from the drawer to wipe his mouth.

Jiang Yumo walked in and handed him the packed box, saying, “I saw people lining up, so the food should be good.”

Duàn Yě took it and placed it on the table.

“How’s business?” Jiang Yumo chatted with him as if they were old friends.

“It’s not bad,” Duàn Yě replied. “Want to go upstairs? It’s too hot down here; the downstairs air conditioning is broken, and the repairman won’t come until tomorrow. There’s air conditioning upstairs.”

“Sure.”

She followed Duan Ye upstairs.

The second floor was quite spacious, more like half a warehouse. There were two rooms, one was an office filled with miscellaneous items, and the other was Duan Ye’s room.

Duan Ye opened the door and found the remote control on the bedside table, then pressed the button.

Jiang Yumo took a look around.

It was still very simple, a folding bed, a bedside table, and a somewhat old-looking double sofa.

Duan Ye closed the door again, making the already small room appear even smaller.

Jiang Yumo glimpsed postcards hanging on the wall above the bed. She bent down slightly to take a closer look, and as she did, her slightly curled long hair fell loose.

Duan Ye stood behind her, getting closer, and the faint fragrance still lingered in his nose.

Jiang Yumo was quite loyal, just like that with everything.

The dishes she liked at the age of eighteen, she still liked now.

Although others had given her many perfumes, there were several bottles on her dressing table, but she only used one regularly.

On many late nights, he could still smell it on her neck, on her wrist, on her clothes.

Several times later, when he passed by a counter at the mall where someone happened to be spraying the same perfume on their wrist, he would stop suddenly, overwhelmed by a sense of longing that he couldn’t suppress.

“Are they the postcards I sent you?” Jiang Yumo asked, hugging her arms and looking curious.

Duan Ye nodded.

As expected.

Jiang Yumo wasn’t that surprised either. That’s what her job was like, flying around all year round. When she had some free time after landing, she would meet up with colleagues to visit the local tourist attractions, and sometimes she would come across small shops selling postcards. She would send them to her friends and to him as well.

Unconsciously…

She counted them one by one. “Eleven in total.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll send you another one this year,” Jiang Yumo added, “if I have the enthusiasm to go out and wander.”

Sometimes, breaking up isn’t necessarily a bad direction and ending.

At least for now, she would reveal the fatigue from work.

It’s strange; she didn’t initially like this job so much, but year after year, she went from economy class to first class. Earlier this year, she even became the regional chief stewardess through an assessment. There would definitely be difficult passengers, and when she first started, she would hide in the restroom and cry. But now, she could skillfully handle all sorts of problems.

If she were to change jobs now, she couldn’t imagine what she would do.

Occasionally, when she looked up at the planes in the sky, she gradually began to feel at ease.

“Okay.”

Jiang Yumo seemed to have really only come to deliver a plate of radish beef offal.

Before she left, she remembered something and turned to Duan Ye, “I’ve already clarified things with that blind date.

“I’ve only met him twice, had two meals, and watched a movie with him.”

She didn’t use ‘we.’

In both her and his hearts, ‘we’ could only be the two of them.

Duan Ye looked at her, and his throat moved slightly, “Was the movie good?”

Jiang Yumo shook her head, “Even with my low sense of humor, I didn’t laugh.”

A comedy, if not even someone with her low sense of humor laughed, you can imagine… the quality of the movie.

Duan Ye smiled, “Alright, when are you leaving?”

Jiang Yumo said, “I’m going to buy something for my colleague and then I’ll be leaving. There’s a flight taking off at eleven tonight.”

“Alright,” Duan Ye raised his hand to check his wristwatch.

It might seem to outsiders that a thirty-year-old man should wear a better watch, but for so many years, Duan Ye hadn’t changed his watch since he received it on his eighteenth birthday.

“I’ll drive you to work,” Duan Ye paused, “You look a bit tired, not really fit for driving on the highway.”

Jiang Yumo sighed and touched the corner of her eye, “Dark circles?”

Duan Ye smiled, “None.”

“What about your shop? Is it okay?” she asked.

“There are the employees, it’s fine.”

So, Duan Ye drove her car, and she sat in the passenger seat, heading north from Ningcheng towards the airport.

Along the way, they hardly spoke.

Old songs played in the car.

These were songs they had once loved. It seemed that at this age, they had an unusual attachment to listening to old songs. They were unwilling to try listening to the current popular songs and instead preferred to listen to songs that carried memories of their youth.

When they reached the airport parking lot, Jiang Yumo got out of the car, and Duan Ye did too.

Duan Ye offered her the car keys, but she didn’t take them. She lazily tied her hair with a hairband and said, “You can drive it back.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Yumo suddenly remembered something and added, “The gas card is in that compartment. You can find it yourself.”

Duan Ye replied, “I have a gas card.”

“Oh,” Jiang Yumo smiled, “That’s good. Gas prices are really expensive these days, after all.”

Duan Ye looked at her, reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out a wallet. Inside the wallet were the Polaroid photos they had taken back when they were in the rented apartment.

He was scooping watermelon balls for her when she suddenly attacked him with a kiss.

He took out a card from the wallet and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“A card.”

Duan Ye’s voice was low, and at this moment, the constant sound of cars driving in and the noise of tires rolling on the ground could be heard.

“I’ve always wanted to give this to you. I recently landed a big contract and managed to save up.”

“The password is still the same?”

“Yes, your birthday.”

What was Duan Ye thinking?

He knew that what she wanted wasn’t these material things, but he had never forgotten his promise to himself. He had sworn in his heart that he would give her a house, even if she didn’t know, even if in the end, she exhausted her love for him, he didn’t want to break this promise.

---

Afterwards 2

On the evening of the next day, Jiang Yumo went out to meet Yan Qing as they had arranged to meet at a bar.

When she arrived, Yan Qing was already sitting in the private room playing with her phone.

“Have you eaten?” Yan Qing asked.

Jiang Yumo nodded. “I had a little at home. The weather is too hot, and I didn’t have much of an appetite.”

They ordered some drinks, and a singer was already performing. Yan Qing glanced at her phone and shrugged. “We’ve been stood up again. Mengting said there was a sudden emergency at the hospital, and she couldn’t leave. Poor girl.”

“Everyone is busy,” Jiang Yumo replied.

Yan Qing had a hesitant expression on her face.

Jiang Yumo already knew what she wanted to say and couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance. “Alright, I know. I ran into Zhao Zheng at the mall yesterday, so I guessed you would definitely want to meet today. Did he argue with you when he got back?”

“Why would we argue?” Yan Qing sighed. “He came back and acted as if someone owed him millions, just sitting in the living room in silence. Yumo, don’t lower yourself to his level. We’ve known each other for so many years; you should know what kind of person he is. Honestly, I’ve always suspected that if I and Brother Duan fell into a river at the same time, Zhao Zheng would definitely hesitate, maybe even go to save his family’s Brother Duan!”

Jiang Yumo took a sip of her fruit wine.

She nearly choked and quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue before saying seriously, “That shouldn’t be a problem. Duan Ye can swim.”

“Anyway, that’s what I meant,” Yan Qing said, shaking her phone. “He’s a petty man. He used to call me more than ten times a day. Today, he only called five times. I think he’s just itching for attention.”

“Taking it out on you?” Jiang Yumo laughed. “Do you want me to explain to Zhao Zheng?”

“What’s there to explain? Just let him cool off for a few days.”

Zhao Zheng had only recently retired from the military. He had been pursuing Yan Qing even during his service, and now, their relationship had passed their parents’ scrutiny and was quite stable. They might even start planning their wedding next year.

“How’s it going?” Yan Qing asked. “What’s his name again?”

Jiang Yumo replied, “He’s called He Yanbo, one year ahead of us, but he used to be from First High.”

“A top student, huh?”

“He’s decent. I heard he didn’t perform well in the college entrance exams, though; otherwise, he could have gone to a top-tier university.”

Yan Qing made a sound of agreement, “How do you feel after meeting him, and what kind of person is he?”

“Pretty good,” Jiang Yumo replied truthfully, “Anyway, as critical as I am, I couldn’t find any faults.”

“That’s true. To get in front of you, one has to pass your parents’ test first. Most people can’t get past your Mom’s standards,” Yan Qing teased. “I heard from my Mom that your Mom has her own set of criteria, she doesn’t even approve of smoking and drinking. I heard this ‘Mr. He’ meets those criteria quite well.”

Jiang Yumo sighed, “Stop it, stop it. I came to see you to relax, I don’t want to hear these things. My ears hurt.”

“Brother Duan should have known too,” Yan Qing suddenly spoke up a few minutes later. “Yumo, just forgive me once. I’ve known Brother Duan for as many years as I’ve known you, and I’m his friend too. I don’t know this ‘Mr. He’ person, I’ll only say this once, please forgive me first.”

Jiang Yumo lowered her gaze, her fair fingers tapping on the cup’s surface, “Fine, go ahead.”

“Over the years, I’ve seen you and Brother Duan Ge break up and get back together, and I’ve always felt that it’s because you’re afraid to face it,” Yan Qing said, “You don’t dare to confront the issues directly, so every time you sense trouble, you run away. In reality, it’s not a big deal. How can two people be together without conflicts? When there’s a conflict, you should resolve it, try to work it out, and if you can’t, then you break up. That should be the right process, but every time, you never think about working things out or solving them, you just run away. When you meet again, you both love each other, and you get back together, but the previous conflicts haven’t been resolved, and the cycle continues.

“I didn’t understand it before. Is this the same Jiang Yumo I knew? The brave one? How did she become so timid?

“But recently, I figured it out. Do you deep down feel that you and Brother Duan won’t last, so you’re afraid of wasting your emotions? You’re afraid you won’t love him, and you’re afraid he won’t love you.”

Yan Qing looked at Jiang Yumo with great seriousness. “Yumo, answer me, is that the case?”

Jiang Yumo still kept her head down.

After some time had passed, she finally spoke, “Once, I accidentally heard about it. It was during my second year of college. He had a great opportunity, but it required going to a faraway place, and he declined. Someone else took that opportunity, and I heard that person has become a very successful boss now.”

Jiang Yumo lifted her head, her eyes seemingly red at some point. “I asked him why he never discussed anything with me, why he never asked me and just made decisions on his own. He didn’t answer me at the time. Later, I realized it was all because of the choices I made for my college entrance exam. I didn’t consult with him back then. I couldn’t bear to part with him, so I went to his city for my studies and chose a major I didn’t like. He felt guilty deep down, so when he had a better opportunity, he stayed, stayed by my side. It’s me who trapped him.

“He thought I would blame him, and I thought he would blame me. Why?” Jiang Yumo’s tears were now flowing freely. “Why is it that when we both want the best for each other, we’ve become each other’s burden? We were supposed to be each other’s motivation, how did it turn into pressure?”

Yan Qing also became upset.

She stood up and sat next to Jiang Yumo, giving her a comforting hug. “It’s okay, it’s okay, we all understand.”

—We all know that you both deeply love each other.
—We all know that you’ll never fall in love with anyone else again.

---

Jiang Yumo and Yan Qing both had some drinks.

Zhao Zheng came to pick up Yan Qing, while Jiang Yumo rested her head on the table, casually waving her hand, her eyes still closed.

Duan Ye walked into the bar.

On the stage, a singer was singing a melancholic love song.

She was lying there with her back to him, revealing a slender waist.

He looked at her intently, standing not too far away, not approaching. He couldn’t remember the last time he had looked at her so closely.

Jiang Yumo seemed to sense something, turned her head, her slightly curled long hair a bit messy, a few strands of hair sticking to her cheek.

As she turned, her eyes met Duan Ye’s.

She smiled first, “I’ve called a designated driver.”

“Hmm.” Duan Ye walked over, stood beside her, and said, “You can cancel the order. I’ll take you home.”

“Oh.” Jiang Yumo propped her chin up with one hand and sleepily canceled the designated driver order.

Duan Ye turned slightly, summoned a waiter, and said in a low, deep voice, “Please bring a cup of warm water.”

The waiter quickly brought a cup of warm water.

Jiang Yumo watched as Duan Ye took out a long strip from his pocket, and in the next second, he tore it open. Oh, it turned out to be packaged honey, which he squeezed into the warm water.

“Where did you buy this? It’s very convenient.”

Duan Ye lowered his gaze and swirled the honey in the cup. “I bought it at the pharmacy.”

Saying this, he handed the honey water to her.

Jiang Yumo took it and said, “I’m not drunk either.”

“It’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

A few minutes later, Duan Ye helped Jiang Yumo out of the bar, found her car keys in her bag. Jiang Yumo was indeed not drunk. She lowered her head and noticed a band-aid on the back of his hand. She asked, “What happened?”

Duan Ye’s tone was casual, “Just an accident, nothing serious.”

Finding Jiang Yumo’s Polo, he opened the car door, made sure she was seated properly, then bent over to fasten her seatbelt. When his fingertips touched her waist, he paused for a few seconds.

He smoothly started the car, turned on the air conditioning, and only then stepped on the gas to leave the parking lot.

Jiang Yumo connected the car’s Bluetooth and suddenly felt like listening to music, so she scrolled through her playlist.

Maybe she wasn’t as young anymore; she had only heard the songs that had become popular in the last two years when watching short videos with others, so she wasn’t familiar with them at all.

Her playlist consisted of old songs.

But each old song carried their past memories.

In the end, she decided not to play any song.

Duan Ye drove steadily, and he was familiar with the road conditions. They quickly arrived at her residential area.

“Hey…” Jiang Yumo was about to remind him that the residential area was currently under renovation, and vehicles were not allowed inside. They could only park in the designated parking spaces outside.

Duan Ye had already parked the car in one of the parking spaces.

Jiang Yumo tightened the strap of her bag.

He knew.

It was as if he had never left her life.

They got out of the car, and Duan Ye followed her, just like many times before, escorting her to the entrance of her building and leaving only after seeing her turn on the lights. Jiang Yumo walked into the hallway; it was hot and pitch dark, like a sauna, with the heat enveloping every corner of her body.

She took a deep breath.

Turning to walk out of the hallway, sure enough, he was still waiting there.

She stood in front of him.

“You know I went on a blind date,” Jiang Yumo said.

Duan Ye didn’t say anything; he just looked at her quietly.

She thought, she really was ridiculous, truly a coward. It seemed like all her past courage had been drained, leaving only this shell named Jiang Yumo.

Why did she have to be like this?

Every time, it was her who let go of him. He felt reluctant but didn’t want to force her. And he, not once, had the thought of letting go of her hand on his own.

“Forget it,” Jiang Yumo sighed bitterly.

After saying this, she turned around to leave.

Suddenly, he reached out and tightly grasped her wrist.

Just like every time before, she knew full well that she was trampling upon herself, and also trampling upon him. He was always there, visible to her; he came when summoned and left when dismissed. Why did it have to be this way? She clearly liked him so much.

If the seventeen-year-old ‘her’ knew how the present her treated him like this, ‘she’ would surely be disappointed.

She instinctively struggled for a moment.

He slowly, almost feebly, released her.

---

When Jiang Yumo got home, she habitually went to her room. She turned on the light and watched as Duan Ye stood there for a long time before finally leaving. She turned off the light again.

She sat at the edge of the bed.

When Mother Jiang returned, the house was in complete darkness. She was puzzled, as she had seen her daughter’s car in the parking spot outside. She turned on the living room light and not finding her daughter there, she went to the bedroom. Standing at the doorway, illuminated by moonlight and the living room light, she saw her daughter sitting on the bed and was startled. She was about to turn on the light and said, “Why is it so dark? Your Dad and Uncle are still chatting, so I came back first.”

Suddenly, a choked voice stopped her, “Don’t turn on the light.”
“Mom, please don’t turn on the light.”

Mother Jiang remained silent for a few seconds, then walked over and also sat down.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mom, I’ve tried,” Jiang Yumo said slowly, her tone measured. “I’ve really tried. I tried responding to that person’s greetings, going out with them for meals and movies. I even tried imagining what kind of life I would have if things went smoothly with that person.

“But when I see him, I still feel…” She choked up for a moment. “I still like him very, very much.”

“I can’t go on with my own life peacefully, no, that’s not my life. I can’t… date and marry someone else while he’s still waiting for me. I can’t let go. It’s not fair to anyone, right?

“How can I be so bad? How can I try with someone else while still liking him in my heart? This is not right.

“He has never treated me like this, and I can’t treat him like this either.”

Mother Jiang touched her daughter’s long hair.

Her eyes also turned red—

Forget it.

Just forget it.

Who knows her precious baby better than her? When her daughter was a child, her daughter didn’t keep any pets after her rabbit died because she was afraid the rabbit would be sad.

Unless Duan Ye falls in love with someone else, dates, gets married, and has children, unless it’s like this, with her daughter’s personality, she will never let go of Duan Ye.

And that child… is even more stubborn than her daughter.

Oh well.

Watching her daughter get thinner day by day, seeing her precious baby, whom she has loved for so many years, not happy, coming back from dates with a blank face, it’s even harder for her in her heart.

“Momo, I’m sorry.”
“It’s because Mom was being stubborn,” Mother Jiang shed tears, “Mom just wants you to be happy, that’s all.”

---

Afterwards 1

In a spacious underground parking lot, the sound of high heels stepping on the ground grew closer.

Jiang Yumo took the car keys out of her bag and unlocked the door.

This was a new car she had bought just two years ago, a compact model with a white body that she liked. Ever since she bought this Volkswagen Polo, she had been coming home more often. As she sat in the car and kicked off her high heels, she let out a long sigh of relief.

Last year, a new direct highway was opened from the provincial capital to Ningcheng, making the round trip more convenient than before. Starting from the airport and returning to Ningcheng now took only about two hours. It was the middle of summer, and there weren’t many vehicles on the highway in the early morning. It wasn’t until she was close to the toll booth at the north entrance of Ningcheng that the vehicles began to queue up.

While she was waiting, her phone rang, connected to the car’s Bluetooth.

Seeing that it was her Mom calling, she pressed the answer button directly.

Mother Jiang’s voice came through the car speakers, “I just went out and didn’t bring my phone. I didn’t see your call.”

The car in front of her moved, and Jiang Yumo gently pressed the accelerator.

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Yumo replied, “I just wanted to let you know that I’m on vacation these days, and I should be home in about twenty minutes.”

Mother Jiang exclaimed, “You’re almost home? Great! Have you had breakfast? I’ll go to the market and buy some carp to make soup for you.”

“Whatever, Mom. I don’t have much of an appetite.”

This time, she hadn’t planned to come back. A friend from the airline, who had come with her, had given birth to a child a few days ago, and she was planning to visit. She had informed her parents as well. However, that friend had been going through a divorce these past few days, and her home was in chaos. She sounded tired and helpless as she told Jiang Yumo that they would have to reschedule once she sorted out this mess.

So, Jiang Yumo had no choice but to change course and head home.

In her early twenties, she only wanted to get away from home. When she had just started working, her Mom was worried about her not taking good care of herself and even suggested moving to the provincial capital to live with her. She shook her head vigorously like a rattle.

Now, in the blink of an eye, she was about to turn thirty, but she found herself missing home more and more.

Whenever she had free time, she longed to go back home.

What was there at home?

There were her aging parents, friends she had known for nearly twenty years, and… him.

“Wait, where are you now?” Mother Jiang asked suspiciously.

Jiang Yumo glanced outside and replied, “I’m at the toll booth.”

Mother Jiang said sternly, “I’ve told you before, don’t make calls while driving. It’s dangerous, and you’re still on the highway.”

“I only answered because I was stuck in traffic…” Jiang Yumo defended herself, “I don’t usually answer calls while driving. Okay, Mom, based on my years of driving, I might even qualify as an experienced driver by now.”

She had obtained her driver’s license when she was twenty.

And now she was almost thirty.

She had been driving for more than five years.

“Hang up!” Mother Jiang abruptly ended the call.

Jiang Yumo : “?”

As she exited the toll booth, Jiang Yumo felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. This was the place where she was born and raised, and every tree and blade of grass felt so familiar. There was a shorter route from the toll booth to her residential area, but she always took a detour because his store was on that road.

She parked her car.

The residential area was undergoing renovation, and the bulletin board still had notices about the renovation and installation of elevators in the old neighborhood.

The notice had been posted for nearly a year now, and there had been no results yet. Neighbors were still endlessly arguing about it. Those living on higher floors were eager to have elevators installed immediately, while those on the ground floor were not pleased at all.

Jiang Yumo entered the residential building and returned home. As soon as she opened the door, a strong fragrance greeted her.

She shouted as she changed her shoes and rushed inside, “Mom, I’m back!”

Mother Jiang, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen. When she saw her daughter, she couldn’t help but smile, then habitually nagged her daughter, “Why have you gotten even thinner? Have you not been eating properly? I’ve told you before, your health is your capital. Trying to lose weight is harming yourself. It’s past nine already, and you haven’t had breakfast. This won’t do! I offered to come and live with you to take care of you, and you complain that I talk too much…”

Jiang Yumo quickly went over and hugged her Mom’s arm. “I’ve been keeping my stomach empty just to eat the breakfast you make. I’m so hungry!”

“Wait a bit,” Mother Jiang said irritably. “It will be ready soon. Luckily, your Aunt Liu bought some yellow croakers today. I’ll make them for you. After you finish eating, just leave the dishes in the sink. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ll go to the market later and buy some bones to make soup for you.”

A few minutes later, Jiang Yumo sat down at the dining table to eat noodles.

Mother Jiang walked back and forth, unable to contain herself, and finally asked, “You and that person… have you become friends on WeChat?”

Jiang Yumo lowered her eyes and replied, “Yes, I have.”

“Is the conversation going well?” Mother Jiang asked cautiously. “I’ve seen his photos. He seems like a decent young man, and he appears honest. Your Dad and I even asked around, and his parents are good people too, with no bad habits. They’re a well-behaved family.”

Jiang Yumo chuckled, but her smile seemed somewhat weak. “Would you like to see the chat history between us?”

“Why would I need to see that?” Mother Jiang asked. “Have you met in person?”

Jiang Yumo felt restless. When she was younger, she would get angry with her parents when she was annoyed. But now, she had to handle it herself, even though she didn’t have as much patience. She answered the question, “He’s invited me to have lunch and watch a movie this afternoon.”

Mother Jiang’s face lit up with a smile. “Well, that sounds nice.”

—Why do people get married, anyway?

Jiang Yumo couldn’t figure out this problem. If possible, she hoped to always be with her parents.

What about when she gets old? She’ll handle it! She has a house and savings.

What if she gets sick and has no children? She’ll go to the hospital, and aren’t there always nurses busy taking care of patients?

What if she dies at home and no one finds her? Will she come back to life if someone does find her?

She thinks, as long as she’s lucky enough, decades from now, nursing homes will definitely be more organized and better.

Jiang Yumo realized that she didn’t know when she became a ‘nitpicker’ when it came to ‘marriage”‘and ‘blind dates.’

The blind date prospect looks decent for now.

But she feels like an empty reservoir, unable to muster any enthusiasm to enter into a relationship with a stranger. She even dreads receiving messages from the blind date prospect—

[Good morning! Are you awake?]
[Good night!]
[Have you eaten?]

She knows that the other party is perfectly normal.

He’s not like those extreme blind date prospects people complain about online. Or when she thinks about it carefully, maybe she’s the extreme one.

This is their first meeting. The blind date prospect smiles warmly, wearing a white shirt. His appearance is indeed decent, not extremely handsome but certainly not ugly. He’s also attentive, knowing that this restaurant is popular, so he got tickets early. When they arrive at the restaurant, their number is called right on time.

“Miss Jiang, do you have anything you can’t eat?” he asked her. “Can you eat cilantro?”

Jiang Yumo nodded with a smile, “Yes, I can.”

“How about garlic?”

“Sure.”

…

“What about scallions?”

Jiang Yumo hesitated for a moment, instinctively looked up at him, and finally nodded slightly, “It’s fine. I have nothing I can’t eat.”

After a meal, the two of them had a fairly good conversation.

“I bought movie tickets,” he said again. “I don’t know what type of movies you like, but this is a light comedy. I checked the reviews online, and they say it’s pretty good.”

Jiang Yumo was already quite tired.

She felt like a dried-up pond.

Her colleagues, some of whom were still single, were eagerly anticipating a surprising and unexpected romance. They would occasionally discuss blind dates with great enthusiasm, their eyes shining with excitement.

But she seemed to have no interest in blind dates and was not enthusiastic about the kind of love that could be compared to a meteor striking a subway.

She was like a puppet.

There were a few strings pulling her, directing her to do what she should do.

Like nodding in agreement.

As they left the restaurant and walked towards the escalator, they unexpectedly ran into her old acquaintance. Zhao Zheng was holding two cups of milk tea and looking for the elevator.

Zhao Zheng saw her first, and as he was about to greet her with a smile, he noticed the man by her side. His smile froze instantly, and the movement of raising his hand came to a halt, making him look quite awkward.

Jiang Yumo suppressed a smile.

They had known each other for many years and had a strong understanding. Zhao Zheng didn’t call out to her, and she didn’t introduce him to the man next to her as a potential match. They passed each other like strangers.

In that moment, Jiang Yumo’s heart ached for a few seconds.

Zhao Zheng stood there, looking foolish.

Until his phone rang and he saw the caller ID, he didn’t hesitate to answer.

A furious voice came from the other end, “Zhao Zheng, did you go abroad to buy milk tea for me? Look how long you’ve been out, it’s been almost an hour! If I knew, I would have ordered delivery!”

Zhao Zheng’s throat felt dry, and he didn’t have his usual patience.

The person on the other end of the phone sensed something was wrong and asked, “Zhao Zheng?”

“I’m asking you, Sister Mo, is she on a blind date?” Zhao Zheng lowered his voice, his cheek tightly clenched. “Is she on a blind date, with someone else?”

The other end was silent.

Zhao Zheng was on the verge of exploding. “Yan Qing, you tell me, what is Sister Mo doing? Does she know…”

Does she know that someone has been waiting for her all these years?

Yan Qing also raised her voice. “Zhao Zheng, don’t be like this. Yumo had no choice. Her Mom had a suspected breast cancer last year, and she had to bear everything until the biopsy results came back. Fortunately, it was benign, but she’s still scared. I’ve never seen her cry like that.”

Zhao Zheng tightened his grip on the bag of milk tea and said in a deep voice, “I need to tell this to Brother Duan.”

Yan Qing felt helpless but also knew that the friendship between Zhao Zheng and Duan Ye was not shallow just like her relationship with Yumo.

Zhao Zheng drove to Duan Ye’s shop.

At this hour, the shop was still open, and this year, he had expanded the storefront, with two floors, and Duan Ye usually lived upstairs alone.

Duan Ye was at the counter counting inventory. When he saw Zhao Zheng, he casually asked, “What brings you here?”

Zhao Zheng wanted to smile, but he couldn’t muster the strength. “I just happened to be passing by and brought you a cup of milk tea. By the way, it’s this late, and the shop isn’t closed yet?”

“There’s a customer with low tire pressure. They’re coming soon,” came the reply.

Sitting beside, Zhao Zheng had initially intended to speak directly. However, at this moment, his throat felt as if he had swallowed half a cup of medicine, making it difficult to speak. He struggled to find his words, sitting there with a sense of unease.

Duan Ye turned around, casually glancing at him. “What’s the matter? Spit it out.”

In a few more months, Duan Ye would turn thirty-one.

He appeared much like his student days, yet different too.

His shoulders were still broad, and his hairstyle was the same old crew cut.

Having just entered summer, the weather was sultry. Duan Ye had thrown on a loose pair of shorts.

“Brother Duan, you see, Lao Guo is getting ready to get married,” Zhao Zheng said with difficulty, “How about I introduce a girlfriend to you?”

Duan Ye didn’t even lift his head, biting the cap of a pen as he jotted down the quantity of goods on the paper.

He couldn’t be bothered to respond to this topic.

After all these years of friendship, Zhao Zheng understood that this was a rejection.

If there were even a trace of such intention, Duan Ye would have had a partner long ago, maybe even children by now.

Zhao Zheng knew how difficult it was.

Getting Brother Duan to accept another possibility in life was harder than him winning a billion in the lottery tomorrow.

Winning a billion, while the odds were slim, was still possible, something to hope for and dream about.

But Brother Duan had absolutely no possibility of accepting another person.

Seeing that Zhao Zheng hadn’t left yet, Duan Ye tossed the paper and pen aside, picked up a wrench to work. He bent over, revealing the contours of his back, silent.

Zhao Zheng couldn’t hold back anymore; he wasn’t someone who could keep things to himself.

“Brother Duan, I ran into Sister Mo today.”

Duan Ye’s shoulder twitched.

“It seems like she’s on a blind date.”

Duan Ye continued working, and a few seconds later, he threw the wrench.

Zhao Zheng only then noticed that Duan Ye had just injured his hand, there was a cut on the back of his hand, and it was bleeding.

“Brother Duan…”

“I’ll go rinse it.”

Duan Ye’s body was almost rigid. He went to the bathroom on the first floor without turning on the lights. Under the faucet, water washed over the wound on his hand.

It should have been very painful.

But he didn’t even furrow his brow, as if he had lost all sensation of pain.

---

Extra 5

At the end of the year, Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye both returned to Ningcheng.

Originally, they thought getting married was a simple matter of just taking their ID cards and household registration documents to register. However, when they actually started the process, they realized that marriage was quite complicated.

On this day, the Jiang family of three and the Duan mother and son went to a restaurant to have a meal.

The meal was secondary; the main purpose was to go through the motions and discuss the wedding matters.

These trivial matters had already been discussed by both Mother Jiang and Duan Ye’s Mom once before, so this time was more of a summary.

Even so, when Jiang Yumo listened, her scalp tingled.

“First, we need to have a formal engagement. I’ve already informed the relatives,” Mother Jiang calculated for a moment. “It’s not too many families. Following the tradition, we’ll just bring two bottles of wine and a pack of cigarettes.”

“Wouldn’t that be too ordinary?” Wu Meiyun hesitated and said, “How about adding a box of milk? It would look nice when presented, and milk isn’t expensive.”

Mother Jiang considered it and quickly calculated the cost in her mind. Within an acceptable range, she nodded.

She knew that Duan Ye was earning a lot now, and his real estate business was thriving, but she still felt that it was safer to hold onto more assets.

She had just this one daughter, so of course, she needed to plan for her own child.

“Later, we’ll count how many tables of guests we’ll have, how many relatives are coming from out of town, and how many rooms we need to book…”

Jiang Yumo’s mind went blank as she listened.

She decisively closed her ears and sat in the corner booth, playing with her phone.

After all, this kind of thing wasn’t her concern.

Duan Ye entered and saw Jiang Yumo looking extremely disheartened. He quietly sat down beside her and asked, “What’s wrong? Did Mom scold you again?”

Since receiving their marriage certificate, Duan Ye had quickly changed his way of addressing people, now calling Jiang Yumo’s parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ along with her.

If it were someone else making Jiang Yumo feel this way, Duan Ye might have a way to handle it.

However, the ones who usually made Jiang Yumo feel like this was his mother-in-law. To be honest, Duan Ye was quite afraid of his mother-in-law, and he had no way to deal with her at all.

Jiang Yumo shook her head pitifully and said, “No, it’s just that they were discussing marriage, and I find it so bothersome.”

Arranged meetings, wedding banquets, wedding ceremonies, toasts…

So! Much! Trouble!!

Duan Ye chuckled. Taking advantage of the three elders not looking, he gently pinched her cheek and whispered to comfort her, “Just bear with it.”

It’s just this one time.

According to the young people’s ideas, destination weddings were currently in vogue. No inviting guests, no elaborate feasts—just the two of them going on a trip together.

When Jiang Yumo tentatively brought this up, she almost got scolded by her parents.

Mother Jiang sneered, “You’re thinking too beautifully!! If you haven’t managed a household, you wouldn’t understand the expenses of daily life. Do you know how much your father and I have spent all these years? We’re counting on this event to make up for it!”

…

Jiang Yumo nodded weakly and helplessly, “Okay.”

Seeing her looking so adorable, Duan Ye really wanted to kiss her, but with the elders present, he didn’t dare to be presumptuous. He lightly brushed his fingertip against the corner of her lips.

The two sat in the corner, while the three elders, or more accurately, throughout the entire process, only Mother Jiang and Wu Meiyun were discussing. The two mothers were particularly invested in this matter, having already made plans to go to the provincial capital to order matching qipaos.

Jiang Yumo pinched her fingers and calculated, “According to my calculations, this dinner party is probably going to last for over an hour.”

Bored, she leaned on Duan Ye’s shoulder and vented in her best friends group chat : [You can’t imagine how complicated the steps of marriage are!! We haven’t even started, and I’m already exhausted!]

Yan Qing replied instantly : [Come on, new bride, don’t show off. You guys are smoother than Dove chocolates already, do you know that? Many couples break up before they get married. Don’t even talk about getting married; they often end up as enemies. My cousin is an example. They even went abroad for wedding photos, but in the end, they split up without finalizing anything.]

Jiang Yumo : [That’s good news! You should be happy for your cousin; she didn’t jump into a pit.]

As they were chatting, suddenly a word entered Jiang Yumo’s ears—’child.’

She suddenly raised her head, and Duan Ye was also surprised. The two people sitting in the corner simultaneously looked at their three elders.

They had no idea when the conversation had shifted to the topic of a child.

This was too startling.

Mother Jiang smiled and said, “The house in the provincial capital can also be prepared for renovation. I heard that there is quite severe smog in Yanjing during autumn and winter. At that time, we can have them send the child back here for a few months. If necessary, we can go over to take care of them ourselves. I don’t mean to think badly of anyone, but it’s hard to know someone’s true intentions. When it comes to our own children, it’s best to have someone keeping an eye on things, even if we hire a nanny.”

Jiang Yumo : “?”

She was dumbfounded and looked at Duan Ye.

Duan Ye : “…”

The way they said it made it sound like the young couple were already going to be soon-to-be parents.

In reality, the two of them had discussed this topic before and wanted to enjoy a few more years of their own world. Duan Ye didn’t want her to go through too much trouble. His career was currently on the rise, and he often had to go on business trips for up to ten days a month. Could he be so selfish in this situation? She was the same; she had only been working for a little over two years. Although the treatment and stability in the dance troupe were good, she clearly wanted to develop further. Naturally, they would only consider having children when the time was right.

This was terrifying!

Jiang Yumo dragged Duan Ye away on the pretext of going shopping.

In Ningcheng, winter remained just as cold.

When they came out, they happened to see a young couple, students, walking hand in hand.

Sometimes in the morning, when she brushed her teeth with Duan Ye at the sink, she would have this realization that it seemed like they had really passed the age of eighteen.

But in this world, there will always be someone who is eighteen.

He still had the same crew cut, and his features were the same, but his temperament had become much milder.

Specifically, when they went out, some people dared to ask him for directions, and others handed him flyers.

And she had also shed the naivety of eighteen; she could now apply very delicate makeup. Whether it was her figure, facial features, or her aura, they were gradually becoming closer to that girl in the red dress she had dreamed of when she was seventeen.

It was really nice.

Jiang Yumo’s hand was held by Duan Ye and placed in the coat pocket.

His palm was warm and dry.

“Where are we going?” Jiang Yumo asked him, turning her head slightly.

Duan Ye replied, “Anywhere.”

The two walked along the street, and Jiang Yumo occasionally looked up at the night sky, reminiscing about that year when she was seventeen. At that time, although her Mom didn’t explicitly oppose it, her Mom didn’t seem to support her relationship with Duan Ye either, thinking they wouldn’t end up getting married. Now, the two of them had achieved that, and her Mom also referred to Duan Ye as ‘my son-in-law.’

“We’re really amazing,” Jiang Yumo exclaimed.

They had actually gotten married!

They had actually achieved it.

Duan Ye seemed to know what she was talking about and also looked up at the night sky.

He remembered his younger self, who used to anxiously calculate on scrap paper during evening self-study, worrying about not being able to give the girl he liked a happy future.

In recent years, he has also encountered some people who would ask him, “How have you persevered for so long?”

To this question, he couldn’t come up with an answer.

It seemed to have become an instinct, as if on that evening by the riverbank, God had set a program within him, one that only looked at her.

He never thought about looking at anyone else.

In the world, there was only one Jiang Yumo.

As they continued walking, they arrived at a convenience store, and Jiang Yumo was pleasantly surprised to find Häagen-Dazs in the freezer.

In the summer when they were seventeen, Duan Ye had searched the entire city of Ningcheng and couldn’t find it.

“Actually, I forgot to tell you back then,” Jiang Yumo took a bite of ice cream, “I think this isn’t as good as pudding.”

Duan Ye nodded and kindly reminded her, “You can have two bites.”

Jiang Yumo : “? You’ve changed!”

He used to buy her a lot, but now he was limiting her.

Sure enough, men change after they get married!

Duan Ye sighed, “I have changed. I have an additional role now, I hope you can understand.”

What additional role is that?

Son-in-law.

Ever since Jiang Yumo had a period irregularity, Mother Jiang had been very concerned about it. Despite Jiang Yumo’s boldness, she turned into a helpless kitten in front of her Mom.

Jiang Yumo : “Hmph.”

Duan Ye could only turn his back, “I can temporarily go blind for ten seconds.”

Jiang Yumo poked his back, “Twenty seconds.”

Duan Ye : “Alright.”

---

As spring blossomed, Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye’s wedding proceeded as planned.

Jiang Yumo had four bridesmaids, including her three close friends and her Aunt’s niece.

Duan Ye also had four groomsmen, besides his three close friends, there was also Sun Mengting’s new boyfriend.

The wedding was very lively, and all four groomsmen were full of energy.

Zhou Ji was forced to drink a glass of vinegar, making a sour expression.

Zhao Zheng took the microphone and sang ‘Xi Yang Yang, Mei Yang Yang¹,’ but others were stomping their feet because of the wrong lyrics and off-key singing!!

Guo Shichao, who had once been nicknamed ‘White Chicken,’ did dozens of push-ups, almost losing his life.

The wedding ceremonies were all similar, but many people in the audience were moved to tears. Jiang Yumo’s three best friends had to redo their makeup several times. Father Jiang didn’t hide his emotions, holding Duan Ye and crying and scolding, “I only have one child, one treasure like this. Xiao Duan, I was quite the fighter when I was young.”

“You two take care of each other,” Father Jiang choked out.

Mother Jiang cried until her eyes were swollen.

Finally, only Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye were left on the stage.

When the microphone came to Duan Ye, he was at a loss for words. Looking at the person in front of him, the girl he had liked for so many years had become his wife today.

Jiang Yumo pressed her lips together, watching him.

Electronic fireworks were still displayed on the big screen.

It seemed as if they were back to that year again.

The guests below patiently waited. Later, with a hoarse voice, Duan Ye began, “I will… live every day as if it were the end of the world.”

The guests thought they had misheard.

The end of the world??

Why did these words sound so eerie?

But Jiang Yumo understood Duan Ye’s meaning.

She was actually a bit embarrassed and shy. After all, standing on the stage and being looked at by so many people was awkward. But in this moment, she couldn’t care about that. She treated it as if there were only the two of them in the world, and she threw herself into his embrace.

Living every day as if it were the end of the world.

Yes.

On the day of the end of the world, he had said that he would love her for a very, very long time.

“They have a very romantic relationship.” The host came out appropriately; his hosting skills were outstanding. Although he didn’t know them, his eyes were red, and his acting skills could have easily taken him to the big screen. “I believe the bride also wants to share this happiness. Please, bridesmaids, come up and see which lucky girl will catch the bride’s bouquet.”

The bridesmaids exchanged glances.

Yan Qing cleared her throat, “I’m not really looking to get married right now.”

Sun Mengting added, “Me neither…”

They were enjoying their relationships but weren’t ready for marriage.

The other bridesmaid was still in college and had no plans for marriage either. The three of them looked at Ning Zhiyu simultaneously.

Ning Zhiyu smiled and waved her hand, “I’m the same.”

“Will this make Yumo feel embarrassed? How about we go up just to show our intentions?” one of them suggested.

Ning Zhiyu spoke softly, “I’m afraid we won’t be able to make it up there.”

“Huh?”

The four of them looked towards the stage.

Surprisingly, the four groomsmen rolled up their sleeves and went up, looking like they were ready for a showdown.

The host was also taken aback. “This?”

His hosting skills were impressive, and he quickly adjusted, raising his voice. “I’ve been in this business for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen groomsmen going for the bouquet. Alright, ladies, you have the power to veto. Is there any woman here who opposes?”

The women in the audience shouted, “No, we don’t object!!”

So, the four groomsmen on stage started warming up, as if they were about to turn this into a battlefield.

Jiang Yumo : “?”

Duan Ye lowered his voice and said in her ear, “Zhou Ji is the first one on the left. He said he’s bidding three hundred.”

Jiang Yumo replied disdainfully, “This bouquet is worth more than three hundred!”

This bouquet was very precious.

What kind of overbearing CEO was this!

She had never seen such an overbearing CEO before.

“Zhao Zheng said he’s bidding five hundred.”

Jiang Yumo : “Why are they bidding? Are we having an auction?”

Duan Ye chuckled and said, “One wants to get married, the other wants to get out of being single.”

“Then let them rely on their own abilities. Don’t go for all this cheating stuff.”

So…

The groomsmen on stage pulled out all the stops. When Jiang Yumo turned around and threw the bouquet, the guests below had an illusion that ‘maybe what was written in martial arts novels was real.’

They seemed to know martial arts, seemed to know acupuncture points, seemed to have the Nine Yin and White Bone Claws.

Now, there were no brothers or buddies. Zhou Ji wanted to kick Zhao Zheng away, and Guo Shichao, who had someone he liked, wanted to grab the bouquet and confess at night. He emphasized strategy. Sun Mengting’s boyfriend shouted, “Brother Zhao, Brother Zhou, be on guard against Brother Guo!” This prompted Zhou Ji and Zhao Zheng to react and hurriedly went on the defensive. Guo Shichao’s ‘when two dogs fight for a bone, a third runs away with it’ tactic failed…

Perhaps this was the hottest moment of the whole wedding!

Jiang Yumo laughed uncontrollably, leaning on Duan Ye’s chest, and the bridesmaids below let loose, starting to cheer and shout. The four competitors on stage were even more encouraged.

Amidst all this, Jiang Yumo thought :

We’re married!

---

rokumi’s note : the extra chapters are also over now~ next, there are six chapters about ‘Jiang Yumo’ of the original plot, and I’m going to post them all tomorrow~

---

1. possibly a song from a Chinese cartoon “Happy Goat and Big Gray Wolf” ↩︎

---

Extra 4

The third year students are also on vacation today, and the entire teaching building is almost pitch black.

Jiang Yumo noticed the air conditioning units hanging on the exterior wall of the teaching building, and she couldn’t decide whether she was envious or jealous. It reminded her of herself from the past, and she couldn’t help but mutter, “Hmph, I heard a long time ago that our school started installing air conditioning the year after we graduated. What’s the meaning of that?! We suffered through three hot years in high school, and as soon as we left, they installed air conditioning. It’s not fair.”

“What’s the big deal?” Guo Shichao said, “Every time I took the bus, the bus I wanted to take just left. During school, when I skipped class, the teacher never called my name, but occasionally, when I did attend, the teacher would always call my name. It’s the same with hotpot. Wherever I sat, the steam would be directed at me. Sometimes I wondered if I had some sort of special power.”

“Do you want to go up?” Sun Mengting asked.

“Of course, how else can we help Zhou Keyun find his memories,” Zhao Zheng said with a grin.

This earned him a beating from Zhou Ji.

The eight of them seemed to have returned to their naïve and youthful high school days, excited about the adventures to come.

As they entered the teaching building, Duan Ye deliberately walked at the back of the group with Jiang Yumo. Nobody noticed this little detail; everyone was busy taking pictures with their phones, and there was a faint glow in the corridor.

“It feels different, yet it also feels like nothing’s changed, so strange,” Yan Qing said.

“Maybe it’s because our mindset and status have changed,” Ning Zhiyu replied. “We used to be students, and now we’ve all graduated. Everything looks familiar, but it also feels like everything has changed.”

Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo lagged behind a few steps.

Both of them almost simultaneously thought of those memories.

He once brought grapefruit for her here.

She also bought milk tea for him.

At that time, everyone tacitly understood their relationship, which made it a bit awkward for her to directly go to his classroom, and he rarely came to her class. They would always meet in the hallway. This time, they said it was to help Zhou Ji find memories, but in reality, they were excited to see their past selves.

In the darkness, Duan Ye put his phone back in his pocket.

Jiang Yumo’s heart raced.

…What’s going on? They’ve been together for several years, but right now, she feels as nervous as that night when they confirmed their relationship.

Taking advantage of the fact that those few people in front hadn’t noticed that they had already left the group.

Duan Ye held her hand, preparing to kiss her, but couldn’t help but chuckle. He buried his face in her neck and whispered, “Why does it feel inappropriate?”

Jiang Yumo hugged his waist. “Because this is a place for studying, it really isn’t suitable.”

Both of them laughed.

“Alright, Teacher Xiao Jiang,” Duan Ye lightly kissed her earlobe.

Jiang Yumo shivered.

She was really annoyed.

This was even more of a foul than a kiss. How could he kiss her there? She didn’t hold back and reached out to pinch his waist, saying, “You’re not allowed to ruin my memories.”

High school days should be simple and pure.

Duan Ye responded with an “Okay.”

Upstairs, Yan Qing noticed that Duan Ye and Jiang Yumao hadn’t come up yet and shouted, “Yumao, Brother Duan, what are you two doing? Hurry up!”

Jiang Yumo quickly pushed Duan Ye away.

Duan Ye still held her hand, and the two of them went upstairs, catching up with the rest of the group’s pace.

They first arrived at Class 10. The desks inside were no longer familiar to them, and the classroom door was closed. They could only stand outside the window and look in.

“Hey, I used to sit there,” Zhao Zheng said. “Military Advisor and Brother Duan used to sit in the last row of the third column.”

Zhou Ji also became interested. “I sat there. Who was my deskmate back then?”

“It was Sun Kaifeng, I think.”

“What is he doing now?”

Guo Shichao replied, “I saw him not long ago. He’s selling phones and opened a shop in partnership with his relatives. He’s doing quite well.”

“I suddenly remembered,” Yan Qing said, “Zhou Ji and I didn’t meet for the first time at some unknown time, but our first meeting with Zhou Ji was right here, on the first day of school. But that day, we only saw the back of his head, acting all cool. Yumo, Mengting, do you guys remember?”

Jiang Yumo looked at Duan Ye somewhat guiltily.

Of course, she remembered.

She had heard that the male lead had arrived, so she came over with Yan Qing and other students to check out the handsome guy.

Duan Ye smiled slightly and squeezed her hand a little harder.

Sun Mengting added, “I remember, really, at that time, we all said Zhou Ji was so cool and handsome.”

Zhou Ji chuckled.

Sun Mengting changed the topic, “We thought he was the cool guy, but we didn’t expect…”

Well, she decided not to say the rest. Let’s save some face for Zhou Ji.

“Back then, Zhiyu was still in Class 2,” Yan Qing said. “Zhiyu definitely wouldn’t have come to see Zhou Ji.”

Ning Zhiyu nodded, “I was busy at the time, and the competition was fierce.”

Why would she have time to notice there was a handsome guy in another class? Even if a celebrity had come, only a few people from Class 1 and Class 2 would have gone out of their way to see.

After taking a stroll around the teaching building, everyone reminisced about the past.

Zhao Zheng recalled Yan Qing chasing him and hitting him just because he said the male celebrity she liked wasn’t handsome.

Sun Mengting remembered a time when she was caught playing with her phone by the head teacher and was made to stand as punishment.

Ning Zhiyu arrived outside the classroom of Class 2 and thought of… Jiang Yumo.

She looked at Jiang Yumo with gentle eyes. “Yumo, do you remember how we used to chat here all the time back then?”

“I remember!” Jiang Yumo smiled. “I’d buy bubble tea for you, and you’d bring me drinks. I thought you were so considerate… well, you remember even the things I might not.”

Ning Zhiyu discreetly glanced at Zhou Ji, who was lost in thought, and whispered, “You were also very kind to me. I remember I fell and scraped my hand back then, and you went out of your way to buy me a flashlight. I still have that flashlight.”

Jiang Yumo waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.”

After leaving the classroom building, they went to the cafeteria.

During their third year, even their physical education classes were replaced with other subjects, so their options for places to go were limited.

Today was a holiday, and the cafeteria doors were closed, so they could only stand outside and peer in.

“I heard that the chefs at our cafeteria somehow learned the recipe for sauce chicken from somewhere. It tastes even better than First High’s!” Jiang Yumo sighed. “We’re really unlucky.”

“I remember the eight of us used to gather around a table to eat together,” Sun Mengting sighed. “I don’t know if it’s just a psychological thing, but when I went to college, I made friends, but it wasn’t the same as it was in high school.”

“So, the few of us, when we get married and have children, we should still meet up. No need to say we should meet several times a year; that might not be realistic. But at least once a year, right?” Ning Zhiyu said softly.

Yan Qing laughed. “Don’t we still have a ten-year promise? There aren’t many years left; we can’t break it.”

Jiang Yumo added, “Speaking of which, I remembered something. Back then, Zhou Ji wasn’t hanging out with us yet. There was a girl who confessed to him in the cafeteria, and he told her to scram. I thought this guy wasn’t very sociable.”

Zhou Ji : “??”

He was still lost in thought, but now the conversation had somehow turned to him?

Moreover, he had completely forgotten about this matter, and he decisively said, “Sister, can’t you just let it go because I jokingly said you eat a lot that day? Don’t spread rumors, it’s absolutely not true.”

Yan Qing sighed softly, “I can testify, it happened.”

Sun Mengting also raised her hand, “I can testify too, it’s true. There was even a post on the school forum that tallied it back then, who confessed to you and who got rejected by you.”

Zhou Ji’s scalp tingled, and he still had some disbelief, “It can’t be.”

At Jiang Yumo’s urging, Duan Ye reluctantly said, “It happened.”

Zhou Ji : “…”

“Was I really that rude back then?’ Zhou Ji pondered for a moment, ‘Was I that out of line?”

It turned out that the saying was true, that when you recall the things you did during your early teens in your twenties, you might get the feeling of ‘I couldn’t have been that foolish.’

Everyone nodded solemnly, “Yes.”

Zhao Zheng clicked his tongue, “It’s a shame there were no videos at the time, or else we could have blackmailed you with those.”

Actually, even now, Zhou Ji and Duan Ye encounter some situations when they socialize outside.

Duan Ye is fine, he looks fierce and doesn’t talk much. The ring on his ring finger is enough to deter people.

But Zhou Ji is different.

The fact that he’s the only son of the Zhou family couldn’t be hidden from those shrewd businessmen. Over the past few years, he has received confessions and temptations from people.

The fact that he wears a ring and has a girlfriend is often overlooked by those who are interested.

However, perhaps influenced by these friends, except for some really outrageous cases, he usually doesn’t go too far.

Looking back now, he was only in his third year of high school, and it might not have been appropriate to treat a girl who had feelings for him so ruthlessly.

Guo Shichao asked Zhou Ji, “Should we continue searching?”

Just by the way Zhou Ji had just arrived here, he knew that his initial encounter with Ning Zhiyu was not very pleasant.

Zhou Ji glanced at Ning Zhiyu.

She was still calm and quiet.

Zhou Ji gritted his teeth, “Let’s search!”

He was determined to see this through, no matter if their first meeting had been good or bad. He couldn’t forget it while she remembered it, right?

---

After leaving the cafeteria and spending some time on the court, memories of Zhou Ji and Duan Ye sweating it out here came flooding back.

Their friendship had also started because of basketball, or to be more precise, if it weren’t for Zhou Ji getting to know Duan Ye, he wouldn’t have become a part of their group.

“I still find it strange,” Zhao Zheng said with his hands on his hips. “That day was really strange. Brother Duan suddenly got on the court to play basketball with Zhou Ji, and I was left dumbfounded. Brother Duan, why did you get on the court that day?”

Guo Shichao, who had already guessed the truth at that time, just smiled and didn’t say anything.

Zhou Ji said arrogantly, “Lao Duan must have been impressed by my basketball skills, so he couldn’t resist the urge to come and spar with me.”

Guo Shichao thought to himself that being impressed might be true, but it probably wasn’t the only reason.

Duan Ye nodded in agreement, essentially confirming Zhou Ji’s statement.

Jiang Yumo, however, looked suspiciously at Duan Ye. Back then, when Duan Ye had said he wanted to play basketball too, she had believed him without a doubt. But now, with Guo Shichao’s enigmatic expression and the way he was looking at her, it seemed like there was some hidden story she wasn’t aware of.

Duan Ye gently squeezed her hand to reassure her.

“Let’s talk about it later.”

Jiang Yumo : … That sounded strange.

Could it be related to her?

But she never said a word to Zhou Ji back then, so how did it have anything to do with her?

It’s over; not only do they have to recover Zhou Ji’s memories, but she also has to recover hers!

She feels a bit uneasy in her heart. Since ending the long-distance relationship and starting to live together, she has discovered that there are many sides to Duan Ye that she has never seen before. He’s like some other men, once the relationship stabilizes, he doesn’t want to pretend anymore.

He gets jealous.

He used to be such a generous person, back when Ye Wenxu gave her a crystal ball, he wasn’t angry!

But now, a colleague from the dance troupe, who came in the same batch as her, suddenly called her early in the morning, saying he would pick her up on his way to work. She was bewildered. After he found out, the person who should be catching up on sleep after going on a business trip, only slept for two hours and got up. He held her hand and waited at the community gate. He even warmly thanked the colleague and invited him over for dinner as a token of gratitude.

Who would’ve thought that the word ‘warmly’ would be used to describe Duan Ye?

Jealous Duan Ye…

He’s really quite fierce.

Of course, not in a literal sense.

“What are you thinking about?” Duan Ye asked.

Jiang Yumo suddenly realized that they had already walked to the playground. She appeared flattering and replied, “I’m thinking about what Yan Qing said. She thought Zhou Ji was handsome and cool back then, but I never thought Zhou Ji was handsome.”

Duan Ye chuckled, “Let’s talk about it later.”

Jiang Yumo : “…”

Why is it this phrase again?

“Yumo,” Yan Qing suddenly turned around, “didn’t you say you didn’t know where to take your wedding photos? I have a suggestion for you; you can take them at Fifth High School, or you can go to our old junior high school, and by the way, you can also go to the embankment.”

Jiang Yumo snapped out of her thoughts, captivated by this topic.

That’s right!

Both she and Duan Ye are quite busy with work, but they’re getting married next year. They need to schedule their wedding photos for this year. Going abroad to shoot them is a bit troublesome, and she has no idea where to go in other cities.

Yan Qing’s idea is really good.

She looked at Duan Ye, “What do you think?”

Duan Ye nodded, “It’s a good idea.”

Zhao Zheng spoke eagerly, “How about we pick a day when we’re all free? By then, we can also appear in the photos! After all, we’re all witnesses.”

“Great!!”

Jiang Yumo readily agreed.

If friends also appear in the wedding photos, it should be quite interesting, right?

After spending over an hour at Fifth High School, Zhou Ji still hadn’t remembered anything. The group had no choice but to leave the campus. Since Fifth High had a holiday today and there were no buses or taxis at the school gate, and fortunately they had free time, so taking a walk back home was a good option.

While walking along the main road and engaged in lively conversation, suddenly they heard a series of urgent ringing sounds from behind. Turning around, they saw a student riding a bicycle rapidly approaching. The student was impatiently ringing the bell and nearly collided with Zhao Zheng, who was walking on the outermost edge.

The student didn’t stop and rode away directly.

Zhao Zheng grumbled, “D*mn it! Students nowadays are way too arrogant! He almost crashed into me and didn’t even apologize?? Is it too much to ask for a simple apology? What kind of attitude is this?”

A hazy scene appeared in Zhou Ji’s mind.

He abruptly stopped and stared fixedly at Ning Zhiyu.

He had seen this face countless times; it was etched in his memory.

His expression turned as if he had seen a ghost.

Could it be…?

Ning Zhiyu curled his lips, “It seems like you’ve already figured out the correct answer, haven’t you?”

Initially, Zhou Ji was somewhat uncertain, but upon hearing this, his face turned pale.

“Lao Zhao, Military Advisor, hurry and support me. Lao Duan, my leg, my leg is getting weak!”

This wasn’t the easy question he had hoped for.

This was a question of life and death.

---

Extra 3

Zhou Ji was overjoyed beyond his expectations.

‘When did they first meet’? It was practically a giveaway question!

Confidently, he replied, “It was the time I played basketball with Lao Duan; Sister was there, and so were you.”

Was it because his Yuyu was so kind that she gave him such a simple question? He still remembered that time, he just found out he had a girlfriend from those clueless guys. But now, thinking back, he had to thank those fellows.

Ning Zhiyu looked at him with a strange look, shook her head coldly, “You answered wrong.”

Zhou Ji : “?”

Impossible!

So, from that day on, Zhou Ji had a bone to pick with this matter. He racked his brains and even thought so hard, and remembered the National Day of his third year of high school. He and his buddies went to the old city for breakfast, and she was helping at a food stall. But the answer was wrong again…

That evening, Ning Zhiyu had to work overtime.

Zhou Ji used his own private money to treat his spiritual mentor, Lao Duan, and his fiancee to skewer hot pot, attempting to cheat.

Inside the restaurant, Jiang Yumo happily took a lot of beef, and Zhou Ji hesitated to speak. In the end, he didn’t stop her. Well, if he wanted this couple to help him, he should pay for the meal. In these years of hustling outside, Zhou Ji had developed many good habits but also become stingy. Whenever he returned to his old home, he would first open the refrigerator and take away a batch of food. He knew the household’s habits; they always bought a lot of things, but his parents seldom came back to eat. The housekeeper would have the maid clean and throw away things regularly.

Zhou Ji had gotten used to it before.

Until he saw it by accident one time, he felt so distressed, as if what they were throwing away was his own flesh.

So, he made time to go back every week, coming empty-handed and leaving fully loaded.

He and Ning Zhiyu couldn’t finish it, so Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo helped share the burden. Thanks to him, Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo didn’t need much for living expenses each month, and their lives were quite comfortable.

Of course, this Zhou Ji had one significant advantage : he wouldn’t be stingy with his close friends, especially Ning Zhiyu.

The pot was boiling.

Jiang Yumo’s recent complexion is very good. After all, she’s in high spirits thanks to joyous occasions. Her work is relatively stable, and the diamond ring on her ring finger reminds her of her new identity : someone’s fiancée.

Duan Ye wasn’t that hungry. He had eaten something in the afternoon when he met with clients, so now he was focused on helping her get some skewers.

Zhou Ji’s loneliness and headache were something they initially wanted to ignore, but after all, it’s hard to ignore when someone asks for a favor. The conscientious Jiang Yumo took a sip of sour plum soup and asked with concern, “You suddenly invited us to dinner, is there something on your mind?”

Duan Ye froze, thinking, It’s over.

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhou Ji was deeply moved. He looked at Jiang Yumo and still seemed unsatisfied. Under Duan Ye’s deathly gaze, he dragged a chair over and said, “Sister, Yuyu gave me a tough question. She said she’d agree to marry me if I could answer it. She asked me, when our first meeting was, but I got it all wrong.”

Jiang Yumo was quite surprised. “You got it wrong? Seriously?”

She turned cold and elegant in an instant. “You even got your first meeting wrong!”

Zhou Ji : “…”

He pleaded his case, “It’s really not what you think, I remember it. But she said my answer was wrong. Sister, did Yuyu ever tell you when our first meeting was?”

Jiang Yumo lightly snorted. “You’re trying to cheat, that’s not allowed.”

Duan Ye nodded in agreement. “She gave you the question, not us.”

Seeing that Zhou Ji was about to play the blame game, Jiang Yumo added, “And even if I wanted to help you cheat, I don’t know the answer.”

“She didn’t tell you?” Zhou Ji seemed a bit incredulous. “I saw you guys talk about everything. I accidentally saw your chat last time.”

Jiang Yumo blushed, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

She wasn’t sure what Zhou Ji had seen in their conversation.

But girls can chat about anything and everything, especially when there’s Yan Qing, the big pervert, in the group.

Duan Ye glanced at Jiang Yumo thoughtfully.

“Anyway, she didn’t tell me!” Jiang Yumo raised her voice. “And I’m on Yuyu’s side. How could I tell you the answer without her permission?”

Zhou Ji : “…”

He looked at his brother, Lao Duan.

Duan Ye raised his hand and said, “Don’t look at me. If she doesn’t know, I know even less.”

He was never very interested in other people’s emotions, let alone paying attention to them. Asking him was pointless.

Zhou Ji felt desperate. “Can we split the bill for this meal?”

Jiang Yumo said, “No way! You’re the one who invited us!”

“Pay no attention to him,” Duan Ye poured another cup of sour plum soup for her. “Eat more.”

Jiang Yumo was delighted. “Alright.”

Before Zhou Ji could think of the right answer, they all welcomed the Labor Day holiday¹. Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo had plans to return to Ningcheng. Duan Ye’s friend from the barbershop, Liu Zhi, was getting married, and the wedding was on May 1^st.

Zhou Ji and Ning Zhiyu didn’t know Liu Zhi well, but when they saw Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo were going back, they also thought to go back.

Master Duan finally showed some kindness and advised Zhou Ji, “Your first meeting was in Ningcheng. Go back and take a look; maybe you’ll remember.”

Zhou Ji suddenly brightened up and booked tickets with Ning Zhiyu.

The four of them returned to Ningcheng together.

Ningcheng was still the same. The four of them rarely came back, and it was a holiday, so naturally, they had a get-together. After a meal with eight people, they split into two groups, with the men going to the newly opened billiard hall to chat and the women going to the old milk tea shop, not bothering each other.

Zhou Ji didn’t have time to play billiards; he sat on the side and said mysteriously, “There’s a saying that even three cobblers can surpass Zhuge Liang². This saying has some truth to it. Can you three help me out? Answering this question is a must. Whether I propose or not is secondary. If I can’t even answer this question, it will become a black mark in my life forever. Do you understand? In the future, when we argue, she can easily defeat me with just one sentence. If I can’t remember when we first met, she will definitely say I don’t love her or something.

“It’s about my future happiness. Can you guys help me out a bit?”

Duan Ye didn’t want to get involved.

Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao were also helpless. “You, as the person involved, don’t know. How can we outsiders know?”

Zhou Ji : “So, let’s all discuss this. Maybe you can give me some ideas.”

Guo Shichao : “Alright, since you’re my VVIP user. By the way, when can we settle last year’s expenses?”

Zhou Ji : “Why bring this up now? We can talk about it later.”

Duan Ye didn’t intend to get involved in this conversation; he kept checking his phone from time to time. This angered Zhou Ji, “Lao Duan, show some respect. You’ve been with Sister for so many years. Don’t be so clingy; it’ll annoy that someone.”

Indeed, Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo had been living together for almost a year now.

But it was strange; even after knowing each other for so many years and being together for several years, they still felt a strong affection for each other.

It was like passionate love, but with an added sense of security.

“Speak.”

Despite saying that, Duan Ye still glanced at his phone.

Zhou Ji had to place all his hopes on his military advisor, “Military Advisor, Lao Duan doesn’t want to help me. It’s definitely because Sister has been persuading him. I can understand that. Zhao Zheng, he’s still single, and he hasn’t won Yan Qing’s heart yet. I don’t expect him to give any effective advice either…”

Zhao Zheng clenched his fist and said, “D*mn it, Zhou Ji, are you itching for a fight?”

Duan Ye didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

“Military Advisor, help me,” Zhou Ji said. “I can’t rely on anyone else.”

Guo Shichao : “…”

Zhou Ji was just too persistent, and Guo Shichao had no choice. He regretted the idea he had given Zhou Ji for a game console back in the year of their college entrance exams. Since then, Zhou Ji had been bothering him for everything, big or small, related to Ning Zhiyu.

“Go on,” Guo Shichao said, accepting his fate. After all, he was kind-hearted and had a wealth of knowledge in emotional theory.

Afraid that Guo Shichao might regret his decision, Zhou Ji recounted the whole story like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Guo Shichao stroked his chin. “So, you’re saying that when you first met, you didn’t remember it, but she remembered it, right?”

Zhou Ji nodded.

“Let’s start with the process of elimination,” Guo Shichao counted on his fingers. “It’s unlikely that she fell in love with you at first sight.”

Zhou Ji gritted his teeth. “Why is that impossible?”

Duan Ye burst into laughter, a mocking tone in his laughter.

Zhao Zheng, however, wasn’t so subtle. “I have to say, Brother Zhou, please think about this question seriously. How could a stop student like her fall in love with you at first sight? Look at your face. It’s bigger than the foot basin they use at the fish market. You exude so much confidence that it could wrap around the Earth three times.”

Zhou Ji couldn’t take it and went over to fight with Zhao Zheng for a couple of rounds.

When he returned, panting, he said, “Military Advisor, continue.”

“She didn’t fall in love with you at first sight, so what kind of situation would make a deep impression on her?” Guo Shichao asked. “You arrived in Ningcheng on the first day of school, right? Before that, you had never been here, and the top student hadn’t left Ning City. So, your first meeting should have been between the first day of school and National Day. Just a couple of months. Think back on what happened during that month.”

Zhou Ji shook his head. “I can’t think of anything.”

Zhao Zheng said, “I have a bit of an impression.”

Zhou Ji looked at him.

“At that time, do you know how annoying you were? I, as the military advisor, really wanted to teach you a lesson. If it weren’t for Brother Duan not saying anything, you would have been in trouble long ago,” Guo Shichao reminded.

Upon this reminder, Zhao Zheng also recalled, “Seriously, I don’t even remember how annoying he was at the beginning.”

Zhao Zheng emphasized, “Just think about all the infuriating things you did that month, Brother Zhou. Honestly, your proposal isn’t even a big deal now. I think the top student is going to settle old scores with you. You’re in trouble.”

Zhou Ji looked at Duan Ye.

Lao Duan was his spiritual mentor.

Duan Ye tapped the table with his hand and offered some advice, “First, try to remember when you first met.”

“Apologize sincerely if you did something wrong,” Duan Ye said.

Zhou Ji still felt somewhat unwilling, “What about the proposal?”

Duan Ye glanced at him, not understanding how he ended up with such a silly friend. “What were her exact words?”

“As long as I answer correctly, she’ll agree.”

Duan Ye said, “That should be enough.”

Zhou Ji slapped his forehead, “Right! Lao Duan is reliable!”

Guo Shichao added, “Come on, let’s sketch out the places you might have been during that month.”

Zhou Ji leaned closer, and Guo Shichao borrowed paper and a pen from the store owner, then started to draw on the paper. “This is the route from school to Ning Zhiyu’s house, and this is the route from school to your house. Where else did you go during that month?”

Zhou Ji shook his head, “I can’t remember. It was probably just a few places.”

“Alright, the overlapping routes should be here,” Guo Shichao said. “Why don’t you try retracing your steps a few times? You might remember something.”

---

Meanwhile, Jiang Yumo received a message from Duan Ye and couldn’t help but laugh. “Now those four are going to Fifth High. Zhou Ji is dragging three of them along. Zhiyu, it’s like a closed loop, you bother Zhou Ji, and Zhou Ji bothers them.”

Yan Qing was very interested in this matter and asked Ning Zhiyu, “Yuyu, come on, reveal it. When did you and Zhou Ji first meet?”

Ning Zhiyu made a hushing sound, “It’s a secret.”

She teased again, “I can’t say. Yumo has a soft spot for Duan Ye, and she can easily spill the answer to Duan Ye. Duan Ye and Zhou Ji are as close as can be, so I’m worried.”

Husband-Protecting-Baby Jiang Yumo stepped in, “That’s not true. Duan Ye is really tight-lipped. If he’s not supposed to say something, he won’t.”

Ning Zhiyu added, “As for Yan Qing, I can’t say either. You can tell Zhao Zheng everything.”

Yan Qing asked, “?”

Sun Mengting hastily asked, “What about me? Can you tell me, please?”

Ning Zhiyu smiled faintly, “Sorry, I can’t. I know that if you find out, you’ll immediately tell Yan Qing and Yumo.”

Sun Mengting was speechless

“Okay,” Yan Qing perked up again, “They’re going to Fifth High? Let’s go too! There’s nothing else to do anyway.”

So, the eight of them met again at the entrance of Fifth High School.

Fifth High School!

It had been a long time!

It felt like just yesterday when the eight of them were playing in the school cafeteria. Standing at the school gate, they inexplicably felt a sense of nostalgia. They had truly become outsiders when it came to their alma mater.

Why else would the security guard not let them in?

Fortunately, the homeroom teacher of Class 10 happened to come by for something and was delighted to see his former students. Upon hearing that they wanted to visit the school, he told the security guard and brought the eight of them inside.

“Fortunately, everyone’s on break today, so I’ll let you in to have some fun,” the homeroom teacher said, looking at Duan Ye with a teasing tone. “Duan Ye, when will I receive your wedding invitation?”

Duan Ye glanced at Jiang Yumo.

Jiang Yumo felt a bit embarrassed, after all, the other person was a teacher.

Duan Ye said, “Next year, I’ll send you an invitation.”

The homeroom teacher smiled, “That’s how it should be. Both of you are students I’ve watched grow up. No matter how busy I am, I must make time to attend your wedding.”

The homeroom teacher had other matters to attend to and walked towards the office building after a few words with them.

Until his figure was no longer visible, Zhao Zheng, who was chatting with Guo Shichao, sighed, “Old Liu really favors Brother Duan.”

“Even elementary school students don’t get jealous like you.”

Yan Qing teased him, but Zhao Zheng had never retorted.

“By the way,” Sun Mengting suddenly spoke up, “Don’t you all think we’re like characters in a TV drama right now?”

Yan Qing, Jiang Yumo, and Sun Mengting had been close friends for many years. The three of them knew each other very well.

Yan Qing and Jiang Yumo immediately said in unison, “Yes! Romance in the Rain!”

Ning Zhiyu finally understood and burst into laughter.

Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao also understood the inside joke among the girls.

Duan Ye couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhao Zheng playfully hooked Zhou Ji’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go, Zhou Keyun³, I’ll help you find your memories.”

Zhou Ji : “??”

---

1. In China, Labor Day holiday is a five days holiday spanning from May 1^st to 5^th. ↩︎
2. meaning that many people thinking together can surpass even the smartest strategist (Zhuge Liang is said to be the smartest strategist in the Three Kingdoms) ↩︎
3. It seems in the Chinese drama “Romance in the Rain”(2001), there was a character named Li Keyun who lost her memories, so her friends helped her out to find traces to recover her memories. ↩︎

---

Extra 2

Under Jiang Yumo’s stern gaze, Duan Ye promised never to disclose the details of his proposal.

This was because their good friend Zhou was a good learner.

On the evening of Duan Ye’s successful proposal, the first thing they did was report to their parents. Jiang Yumo created a WeChat group named “Joyful Family” in which, besides her and Duan Ye, were her parents and Duan Ye’s Mom.

Ms. Wu Meiyun’s boyfriend really wanted to join the group, but his request was rejected because they hadn’t gotten the marriage certificate.

Previously, she had been worried that her own relationship experiences would affect her son’s happiness. She had even asked Duan Ye whether she should break up with her boyfriend or simply get married officially, to save face in front of others. For many years, the two of them had relied on each other, and Duan Ye understood her better than anyone else. Due to her past marriage with Duan Ye’s father, she subconsciously didn’t trust any man other than her son. She also feared entering another marriage, and of course, Duan Ye wouldn’t want his Momto be unhappy because of him.

After Jiang Yumo learned about this, she took the initiative to call Wu Meiyun.

She had known that Duan Ye came from a single-parent family when she met him.

She loved him, and whether he came from a single-parent family or not had no effect on their relationship.

If it made Wu Meiyun unhappy, it would also make Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye unhappy.

Later on, it was Mother Jiang who noticed and invited Wu Meiyun to go to beauty salon together. She happily said, “Let me tell you, you’re so comfortable. Look at me, just like an old nanny, taking care of the father and daughter. As for Yumo, I won’t say much. I gave birth to her willingly. But sometimes, when I see my husband, I’m really fed up. He seems like a good person, well-behaved and doesn’t spend money recklessly, but he has many habits I don’t like. He can’t wash dishes properly, and when he cuts a watermelon, he uses a kitchen knife, so the watermelon tastes like garlic!

“The father and daughter both have the same habit : they leave socks everywhere, and they don’t care. When they see the floor is dirty, their first reaction is to go around it. They’re completely oblivious. I have to scold them and force them to do it. I’ve been with him for so many years, it’s just that he has a good temper, listens to me, and doesn’t spend money recklessly. Otherwise, I would have left a long time ago. I’d be much happier living on my own!

“So, you’re better off. Don’t ever think about getting married in despair. Look, your son is growing up and making money. With a son, a house, and money, so many people envy you.”

Wu Meiyun felt completely relieved.

She really didn’t want to get married, but she also didn’t want to break up with her boyfriend.

So… she decided to maintain the status quo.

“If you ever want to get married, it shouldn’t be because of the child; you have to want it yourself,” Mother Jiang said.

Wu Meiyun nodded, “Okay!”

---

In the WeChat group.

Duan Ye suddenly appeared and sent a red envelope.

The internet-addicted Jiang parents, along with Duan Ye’s Mom, grabbed the red envelope within ten seconds.

Jiang Yumo lamented, [It’s almost eleven o’clock, and you three haven’t gone to bed yet? Who said staying up late is bad for your health?]

Father Jiang played dead.

Mother Jiang : [We’ll sleep soon.]

Duan Ye’s Mom : [I just woke up to go to the bathroom and took a look; I was already asleep.]

Jiang Yumo wished she could burst into laughter. What was this called? Times change, and people change! Her Mom used to love catching her reading novels and playing with her phone. Now the roles had reversed, and the three of them were playing with their phones until late at night, fishing for red envelopes.

Duan Ye : [I want to report on recent work. I proposed today.]

Father Jiang, no longer playing dead, asked, [Proposed??]

Mother Jiang : [So, you hadn’t proposed before?]

Duan Ye’s Mom : [Good job, son! Blessings for both of you!]

Father Jiang : [So… are you preparing for the wedding now?]

Duan Ye : [We talked about it, and we want to wait until the house is renovated before making preparations.]

Mother Jiang : [Good, Xiao Duan, you bought the house, so let Uncle and me handle the decoration.]

Duan Ye : [No need. We opened a joint account last year and have saved some money. By the end of the year, it should be enough.]

Duan Ye didn’t want the idea of marriage to bring too much pressure to Jiang’s parents and his Mom. The reason he worked hard was to make life easier for the people he cherished. He had already prepared the renovation funds.

Father Jiang : [Then how about we buy you a car?]

Jiang Yumo : [Dad, don’t you know how bad the traffic is in Yanjing? Besides, their company has a car, so we really don’t need one. Taking the subway is faster.]

Mother Jiang : [Well, let’s discuss it again.]

Unbeknownst to the young couple, they lost their voice in the WeChat group, and the three parents engaged in a lively discussion.

In the WeChat group of eight people, the tone was quite different.

Yan Qing : [Brother Duan, red envelope.]

Sun Mengting : [Brother Duan, red envelope.]

Zhao Zheng : [Wait for me to switch networks, Brother Duan! Otherwise, I definitely won’t be able to beat this group of wolves.]

Guo Shichao : [I’m ready.]

Ning Zhiyu : [😁]

Surprisingly, Zhou Ji didn’t speak up; he fell into silence. Proposing…he really wanted his proposal to succeed!!

After his successful proposal, Duan Ye sent red envelopes to the other four people separately on WeChat, asking them to go out and have a meal, and he also invited Ning Zhiyu and Zhou Ji to join him and Jiang Yumo for a meal. There was no need for a candlelit dinner for the four of them, so they went to an inexpensive Sichuan restaurant outside the residential area.

Zhou Ji sighed.

Ning Zhiyu pretended not to hear and focused on eating.

Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye are in a sweet period of their relationship. Duan Ye helps Jiang Yumo pick out fish bones, and Jiang Yumo feeds Duan Ye a mouthful of shaved ice. Zhou Ji is full of resentment when he sees them together. After the two girls go to the restroom together, he quickly pulls over a chair and sits down next to Duan Ye.

“Master Duan, can you give me some advice? We both started dating in the same year, and now that you’ve successfully proposed, I’m still hanging.”

Speaking of it, they did both confirm their relationship in the same year, right after taking the college entrance exam.

Unknowingly, several anniversary dates have passed.

Now Duan Ye has successfully proposed.

And he’s still hanging.

Duan Ye glances at Zhou Ji and says, “What can I do?”

Zhou Ji also feels awkward about saying, ‘Tell me how you proposed,’ as that wouldn’t be appropriate. He can’t just copy Duan Ye’s idea, that would be too insincere.

“I don’t understand why it’s been so smooth for you. You succeeded in one try, and I’ve tried so many times,” Zhou Ji says, feeling disheartened.

“What about your parents?” Duan Ye asks. “You should get their approval first before proposing. It wouldn’t be sincere otherwise.”

He can’t propose, have Ning Zhiyu agree, but then face the obstacle of his parents not approving. That would be insincere.

His own issues, including his parents’ approval, he needs to resolve them first before proposing.

Zhou Ji sighs, “Of course, I know. Zhou Chenglei is a very practical person, you know that too. My Mom more or less agrees, anyway.”

Mrs. Zhou had once been very hopeful of having a daughter.

She had liked and been kind to almost every girl who could have been her daughter. In the beginning, she had been the one who stopped Zhou Chenglei. Otherwise, Ning Zhiyu might have received a check. After Zhou Ji started dating Ning Zhiyu, he took Ning Zhiyu to meet her in Hong Kong, and she really liked Ning Zhiyu. However, she also made it clear that she wouldn’t convince Zhou Chenglei. Whether or not things would work out in the end depended entirely on Zhou Ji’s abilities.

Zhou Chenglei is indeed very practical.

He has also made it clear that he will be lenient with his son’s girlfriends, but very strict with his future daughter-in-law, the future Mrs. Zhou.

Because the Zhou Group is meant to be managed jointly by his son and daughter-in-law, and without a prominent family background, the daughter-in-law must possess absolute ability.

This is a difficult challenge placed before Zhou Ji and Ning Zhiyu.

However, this time, Ning Zhiyu did not back down.

After everything became clear, Zhou Ji prepared for the proposal. Clearly, nothing went smoothly; he tried everything from romantic to cheesy and realistic, but he didn’t get Ning Zhiyu’s approval.

In the restroom, Jiang Yumo muttered to Ning Zhiyu, “Zhou Ji must be troubling Duan Ye.”

Ning Zhiyu glanced at the diamond ring on Jiang Yumo’s ring finger and teased, “Blame your diamond for being too dazzling, blinding all of us.”

Jiang Yumo immediately raised her hand, admiring her diamond ring with delight.

The ring was exceptionally beautiful.

But Duan Ye mentioned that it was just the engagement ring; they would buy wedding rings later.

“It’s really pretty,” Jiang Yumo said with her face in her hands. “I look at it multiple times every day.”

Seeing her looking so happy that she could faint, Ning Zhiyu smiled and said, “No wonder you’ve been glowing recently.”

“What about you?” Jiang Yumo was very interested in this question. “I heard that Zhou Ji has proposed to you several times.”

Talking about this topic gave Ning Zhiyu a headache and made her frustrated. “I don’t even want to talk about it. One day, he came to pick me up after work and insisted I open the trunk. I knew something was up, so I opened it, and it was filled with flowers.”

“That’s very romantic!”

Ning Zhiyu said, “…It was romantic, but there was a line of cars behind us, honking and urging us to move. He didn’t notice, and we were blocking the road.”

Jiang Yumo said, “…Oh.”

“Another time, I was still asleep when I felt something crawling on my hand. My initial reaction was to slap it away,” Ning Zhiyu recounted.

Helpless, Ning Zhiyu continued, “It turned out to be him. He took the opportunity to put a ring on my hand while I was sleeping, and that’s when I… slapped him.”

Jiang Yumo exclaimed, “This…”

“The most absurd one!” Ning Zhiyu’s chest heaved. “I didn’t even know where he learned it, but he used lipstick to write ‘Marry Me’ on the mirror. He used the lipstick I had just bought, my favorite shade, which is now out of stock and impossible to find. I wanted to kill him!”

Finally, Jiang Yumo couldn’t hold back her laughter.

What’s going on?

In reality, each of these gestures was quite romantic. Why did they seem so funny when it came to Zhou Ji and Zhiyu?

“Do you think I can agree to this?” Ning Zhiyu asked Jiang Yumo.

Jiang Yumo suppressed her laughter and replied, “I don’t know, but if you don’t agree, with his personality, he’ll keep bothering you.”

Ning Zhiyu nodded in agony. “So, I’ve already come up with a good way to deal with him.”

Jiang Yumo had great faith in Ning Zhiyu. As long as she took action, Zhou Ji would definitely stop his antics. This was like using one thing to suppress another.

That evening, Zhou Ji, dejected, crouched by the bed like a puppy, tugging at Ning Zhiyu’s hand. “Zhiyu, how about going a bit easy on me? Just reveal a tiny bit of the way you like things?”

“I detest cheaters the most,” Ning Zhiyu said without mercy.

Zhou Ji pressed her hand against his face. “Just a little, like teachers giving hints before exams. You don’t have to be stricter than the teachers, right?”

Ning Zhiyu pondered for a while, then sat up straight and pinched his face. “Alright, I’ll give you a hint. I’ll agree if you can answer one question correctly.”

“What? What?” Zhou Ji was ecstatic.

Ning Zhiyu softly said, “When was our first meeting?”

---