♡ Chapter 1 ♡

Boyfriend: [Can you come downstairs for a bit?]

It was already past ten in the evening when Yu Xia received a message from Zhou Yu. She was curled up in bed watching a show. Sitting up with her phone, a smile of surprise spread across her face as she got out of bed and sent him a voice message: [Are you downstairs? Didn’t you say your professor had you working today? I thought you’d be too busy.]

Boyfriend: [I finished up and brought something for you.]

That afternoon, Yu Xia had mentioned to Zhou Yu that she was craving tiramisu and a croissant from a pastry shop near T University, especially the croissant, which tasted better than those from many chain stores. However, the place was too far from her home to order delivery, so if she wanted it, she’d have to go in person.

Since she was usually busy with work, she didn’t travel that far just for a snack, except when she occasionally went to visit Zhou Yu, who was a graduate student at T University and would be graduating that summer. Occasionally, he would come to see her.

Thinking he had come by with a delivery for her, Yu Xia replied, [I’ll be down in a minute.]

After sending the message, she put down her phone, glanced around her room for her glasses, but couldn’t find them. With nearly four hundred degrees of nearsightedness, she usually wore contacts outside and framed glasses at home. Not remembering where she had placed her glasses and not wanting Zhou Yu to wait too long, she quickly slipped on her down jacket, grabbed her phone, and hurried downstairs.

It had rained all afternoon, and the temperature had dropped a few degrees, feeling nothing like spring. Stepping out into the chilly breeze, Yu Xia tightened her collar and scanned the area by the road, squinting her eyes as she looked around.

Soon, she spotted a tall, slender figure by the flowerbed. Without her glasses, everything appeared blurry. The person was on the phone, turning around and taking a couple of steps forward under the dim streetlamp. Though the details were fuzzy, she recognized the white jacket he was wearing—it was the one she had gifted Zhou Yu for his birthday a few days ago, ordered online and delivered directly to T University.

He even wore it to show her. How thoughtful.

Yu Xia dashed over and hugged him, saying excitedly, “What brings you here?” His body was cold, but she didn’t notice his stiffness as she looked up with a smile and started to say, “Is this a surprise—”

The word “surprise” got caught in her throat, and her smile froze. Her eyes widened as she found herself staring at a handsome, unfamiliar face, completely stunned.

The man was still on the phone, eyebrows furrowed as he looked down. When he clearly saw her face, there was a flash of confusion in his eyes.

In an instant, his frown deepened, and his gaze sharpened.

Clearly, he wasn’t pleased with her unexpected hug.

“…”

Help!

She had hugged the wrong person!

“S-Sorry… I thought you were someone else.” Realizing her mistake, Yu Xia pulled back as if she’d been burned, taking three quick steps back, stumbling over her words in an apology, hoping he wouldn’t think of her for a female hooligan.

Lu Yanzhou looked at the flustered girl in front of him, feeling slightly amused. Even though he was the one who’d been hugged, she was the one on guard.

On the other end of the call, someone was still speaking, “What’s going on? I heard a girl’s voice… Sounds like she’s right there with you. Did you finally get a girlfriend?”

To be fair, the voice did come from close proximity.

However, it was simply a case of mistaken identity.

Yu Xia stood frozen, waiting for him to say something. Lu Yanzhou chuckled softly and gave her a wave, his voice low, “It’s alright.”

Mortified, Yu Xia’s face flushed red as she stammered, “Sorry about that,” quickly lowering her head and practically running off.

On the other end, the caller was persistent, “I don’t believe you! It totally sounded like she was pressed up against you…”

“It was nothing, just a misunderstanding,” Lu Yanzhou replied calmly.

His voice was unexpectedly pleasant.

A perfect match for his handsome face.

Yu Xia stopped in her tracks, unable to resist a quick glance back, recalling the hug she’d just shared. The feeling… it had been different, with a chest more solid and broad than Zhou Yu’s, and as for height…

He seemed taller than Zhou Yu by a couple of centimeters.

At least 187 centimeters tall.

Alright, and his looks and charisma were a level above Zhou Yu’s too.

Sensing that he might turn around, Yu Xia quickly looked forward again.

When she did, she saw a familiar figure standing at the corner. Not daring to approach right away after her mix-up, she waited until he raised his hand and called her name, “Yu Xia.”

It was her boyfriend, this time for sure.

Relieved, Yu Xia walked over to him.

Zhou Yu was holding a bag. Yu Xia, wanting to laugh about her earlier mistake, glanced at the bag in his hand, paused, and looked up, asking, “Did the jacket not fit?”

It didn’t make sense. He already owned something from that brand, in the same size.

“No…” Zhou Yu’s expression turned stiff, and his tone was slightly unnatural. “It fits just fine.”

“Then why bring it over? Did you want to try it on in front of me?”

Wouldn’t it be better if he was just wearing it? Zhou Yu’s silence puzzled her. She glanced again at the single bag he was holding and felt a bit let down, “I thought you were bringing me cake.”

“I was planning to, but…” Zhou Yu trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

Yu Xia blinked, “Did they sell out?”

Zhou Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Silence followed.

The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.

Yu Xia observed Zhou Yu closely, sensing something odd about him tonight. He wore an expression that suggested he had something difficult to say, as if he was holding back.

Suddenly, a light drizzle started falling again, raindrops shimmering under the dim streetlight. Zhou Yu seemed to have finally found the right moment. “This gift is too expensive. You work so hard, you shouldn’t have to buy me such costly things. The tags are still on, and it’s within the return period. Please return it,” he said, handing her the bag. “The rain’s picking up—head home, and I’ll call you later.”

Yu Xia: “?”

Zhou Yu’s family was well-off, and he’d spent quite a bit for her birthday. Since she was a year older and had already started working, she felt she should splurge a little on his gift as well. So, she bought him an expensive jacket.

Returning a gift that was already given didn’t make sense.

Zhou Yu should understand that.

Sometimes a woman’s intuition is quite accurate. Yu Xia had a sudden guess. She didn’t take the bag and, lifting her gaze, looked at him intently. “You’re acting strange tonight.” Feeling a bit cold as the drizzle landed on her face, she pulled her collar tighter and added, “Why is it something you can’t say to my face and need to call me instead? Just be clear before you leave—stop being evasive.”

Zhou Yu avoided her eyes and, after a moment, spoke softly, “Let’s… break up. I… I don’t want to lie to you. I got back together with my first love, and I can’t accept this jacket.”

“…”

Yu Xia never thought she’d experience such a betrayal.

—

Why do breakups always seem to happen on rainy days? Is it to enhance the feeling of sadness?

Yu Xia pulled up her hood, cradling the bag as she walked home in the drizzle. She sneezed when a cold gust of wind hit her as she reached the building. Her nose tingled as a feeling of frustration grew inside her. She regretted just smacking Zhou Yu in the face with the bag, she should have slapped him too.

As she pressed the elevator button, footsteps sounded behind her, and she instinctively looked back.

She blinked in surprise at the familiar face.

Their eyes met, and Lu Yanzhou’s expression was calm.

A few minutes earlier, he had been standing by the building’s entrance, smoking a cigarette. Thanks to his height and the elevation of the steps, he could clearly see her standing at a distance with a young man.

That man was probably the reason she had mistaken him for someone else.

Curious, he watched them for a bit longer.

Was he her boyfriend?

Why wasn’t she hugging him anymore?

Casually, he exhaled a puff of smoke, glanced down at his phone, and looked up again just in time to see her smack the man with the bag. Fuming, she then stormed off. Had they fought? Just moments earlier, she had happily hugged him.

Was it because her boyfriend saw her hugging the wrong person?

He chuckled to himself, thinking how little it mattered to him. It was none of his business, after all.

As she walked past him into the apartment building, he put out his cigarette.

Ding—

The elevator arrived.

Yu Xia blinked, then hesitated as she stepped into the elevator.

Lu Yanzhou followed her in, standing by her side.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and a sense of tension filled the small space. Yu Xia felt a bit uncomfortable, her guard instinctively going up. She tensed even more when he reached out to press the button for the 12th floor and politely asked, “Which floor?”

His voice was, annoyingly, still charming.

Yet Yu Xia felt her hair stand on end. In a few short seconds, several thoughts raced through her mind—why was he here? Why did he follow me into the elevator? Could he be some kind of stalker? Did he target me just because I accidentally hugged him earlier?

She held her breath, meeting his deep gaze, and hesitated.

With his looks and demeanor, he didn’t seem like a creep…

As the elevator began to move, she tightened her grip on her phone and tried to sound casual. “I’m on the 12th floor too.” She looked up, studying his face, and asked, “Are you here to see someone? I’ve lived here for over a year now, but I haven’t seen you around.”

After her parents divorced years ago, they each remarried and had more children. Since she was an adult, she preferred living on her own, feeling like an outsider in their homes. After she started working, her parents each gave her some money to help her buy this place—a modest two-bedroom apartment that had taken three months to renovate. She’d only moved in last October, so she’d been here for less than a year.

She’d purposely mentioned a longer move-in time.

The building had three units per floor. Since she moved in, the apartment across from hers had remained vacant. The other unit belonged to an elderly couple, whose children occasionally visited. She’d met them all.

She was certain this man was new to the building.

With his looks and air, she definitely would have remembered seeing him.

Lu Yanzhou slipped one hand into his pocket and held a bag with the other. He lowered his gaze, looking at her with mild amusement. “I just moved in today. I live in 1201.”

So he was her new neighbor?

Lu Yanzhou seemed to notice her wariness and gave a light chuckle. “No need to worry—I’m just a regular guy.”

“…”

Was she that obvious?

Yu Xia awkwardly lowered her head, glancing at their reflections in the elevator door. She forced a smile, saying, “Oh, I wasn’t worried. I was just a bit curious.”

Ding—The elevator reached the 12th floor, and the doors opened.

Yu Xia took a deep breath and stepped out.

Honestly, she was still a little tense. Living alone as a woman meant being extra cautious. Handsome or not, it didn’t guarantee good intentions. She deliberately slowed her pace, keeping up with him. Lu Yanzhou, with his height and long legs, quickly reached the door of 1201.

After pressing his fingerprint on the sensor, the door opened automatically.

Yu Xia relaxed, standing at her own door. She was about to say something polite, like “Welcome to the neighborhood,” but before she could, he looked over and, with a smile, said, “It’s good for women to be cautious. Now you can be at ease—I really do live here.”

“…”