The usually calm and composed Lu Ge took a sharp breath, accidentally knocking over a nearby glass.

—”Shiyu, I swear there’s nothing between us. I’ve already blocked her contact info. Please, just answer my call.”

Zhu Shiyu walked down the bustling street, shivering as the wind cut through her collar. Trembling, she typed an email to her direct supervisor.

“Hans, I apologize, but I’ve decided to cancel the proposed transfer out of town. I’ll remain at the main office for the foreseeable future.”

—

Zhu Shiyu blocked all of Lu Ge’s contact information.

Maybe it was the cold weather, but she caught a chill on her walk home and was sick for an entire week.

Once she recovered, the feelings she’d had at the time seemed to fade, and thinking back on it, it felt like an unreal nightmare.

Work remained endlessly busy. Since her transfer request had been canceled, her boss piled all the previously deferred projects back onto her.

Life carried on as usual, swept forward in the tide of time, her emotions submerged beneath the rhythm of daily work.

When she was a child, she had imagined herself growing up to be a free-spirited woman chasing dreams with a camera, but here she was, just an office worker, busy day in and day out.

Another night of overtime ended. The streetlights illuminated the darkness outside.

The night was cold and silent.

Her phone was quiet, too; ever since blocking Lu Ge, no one had messaged her regularly. It seemed he hadn’t told anyone about their breakup, as everything remained calm.

He hadn’t mentioned it, and Zhu Shiyu hadn’t told anyone either. Since their last meeting, she had been so busy she hadn’t had time to process everything.

The calendar showed the 6th, circled with a mark. She stared at it for a moment, then dialed a number from her contacts.

The line rang twice before it was cut off, and shortly after, a text message came in.

“Diandian, we have a lot of relatives over today, and your mother isn’t in a great mood. I’ll call you back later, alright?”

Zhu Shiyu lowered her gaze and calmly replied.

“Okay. Please take care of yourselves and remind Mom not to stress out so often.”

This had become a familiar situation. Since starting work, her relationship with her family had been tense.

Their relationship, which had tentatively improved during college, broke down completely when she insisted on “chasing her dreams” again.

After taking a job without first informing her family, they went three whole months without speaking.

Her mother refused to take her calls, her father dared not call her openly, and only occasionally would he secretly message her to ask how she was doing.

At some point, her relationship with her family had grown cold and distant. Those warm, close days felt like a lifetime ago.

Tomorrow marked the start of winter, and after much anticipation, the light snow finally arrived, delicate white flakes drifting softly under the dim streetlights.

The temperature outside was freezing.

Zhu Shiyu stuffed her hands into her coat pockets, tilting her face up and closing her eyes as the faint chill melted against her skin.

Another winter had come.

Time flew by; it was hard to believe she had been working for four years now, yet it felt as if she hadn’t grown into the kind of adult she had once hoped to become.

The workday was busy as usual. She’d just finished a meeting and was leaving the office when her aunt called.

Anxious and panicked, her voice came through the phone, delivering the sudden news that her mother had been hospitalized with a heart attack.

Even as she finished her leave request, handled her work handover, and sat on the return flight, everything still felt unreal.

The temperature in Taicheng had also dropped, and under overcast skies, she entered the hospital room. The first thing she saw was the pale face of the person lying on the bed.

She looked old.

That was the first thought that struck Zhu Shiyu.

Zhou Zhen had been strong-willed her entire life, but now she was just a frail, helpless old woman. Zhu Shiyu hadn’t been home in the past two years and hadn’t realized her mother had aged so much.

Years ago, Zhou Zhen had suffered a serious illness and had struggled with infertility. When she finally conceived Zhu Shiyu, it was considered a late blessing.

The hospital room was filled with people; the Zhu family had many close relatives and friends, and they were all gathered around the bed. As soon as Zhu Shiyu entered, she became the center of attention.

A hand grabbed her forcefully, causing her to stumble slightly. She looked up to see her aunt’s reproachful face, her words sharp with concern.

“Shiyu, why are you only coming now? Let me tell you, if it hadn’t been for a neighbor noticing in time, your mother might not have made it!”

That day, she was surrounded by relatives and friends in the hospital room, and she learned about all the big and small events that had happened at home over the years, each one subtly implying her neglect as a daughter.

Nearly everyone was urging her to come home and stay close to her parents.

Her parents were getting older and needed someone to care for them. She didn’t have the means to bring them to live with her, and, besides, after living there for so many years, they were settled with their familiar circle of friends. At their age, they were even more reluctant to leave their hometown for an unfamiliar city.

That afternoon felt unbearably long until the doctor finally announced that Zhou Zhen was out of danger and her condition was improving.

In the end, she was left with only two choices.

Regardless, she couldn’t go back to Beijing. She could either get married or resign, change careers, and follow her family’s wishes to find a stable, less demanding job.

Not long after that, she met Meng Siyi.

Zhu Shiyu chose the first option.