Chapter 17: Is Everything Going Back to the Starting Point?

Xia Nuannuan noticed that the store manager was absent and quietly ran over to An Zhiyi. “Zhiyi, look, Xu Yueyao is here!”

“Mm.” An Zhiyi glanced at Xu Yueyao before lowering her head to continue her work.

Xia Nuannuan observed Xu Yueyao. Today, she was dressed in a Korean-style khaki vest, a trendy striped shirt, and a matching high-waisted skirt. The vest featured an asymmetrical button design, which, paired with the striped shirt, looked both retro and stylish. It was clearly a new seasonal release and didn’t come cheap.

There’s a saying that success makes a person glow, and right now, Xu Yueyao looked like a completely different person—radiant, confident, and elegant, with an air of triumph about her.

Xia Nuannuan had mixed feelings. Not long ago, they were all living in a basement together, yet now Xu Yueyao seemed out of reach. Life was truly unpredictable.

“It looks like we won’t be part of the same world for much longer,” Xia Nuannuan sighed before returning to her coffee-making.

Hearing this, An Zhiyi paused slightly, glanced at the brightly dressed Xu Yueyao, and then quickly refocused on her work.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the café. Zhang Beilu looked outside and saw Fu Zheng holding a bouquet of roses. She gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Xu Yueyao, curious, turned her head and saw a man in a black trench coat, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

He was the epitome of a refined elite—handsome, with sharp brows and deep-set eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a well-built yet proportionate physique. As soon as he stepped into the café, his gaze locked onto An Zhiyi with deep affection.

Xu Yueyao’s heart skipped a beat. Could he be the male lead?

In the book, the author described his glasses as giving him an air of restrained allure—a noble and distant presence mixed with untamed wildness. He was the classic “refined yet debauched” type, especially when it came to his interactions with the female lead.

Xu Yueyao covered her mouth in excitement. This was a walking pheromone factory—the very man who, in the novel, could passionately entangle with the heroine for three days straight! In fact, she had often suspected that one major reason the female lead fell for him was simply because he was… that good in bed.

As she eyed Fu Zheng holding the bouquet, she recalled the novel’s plot—this confession must have been inspired by his unreliable best friend, Gao Jiuxi, who convinced him that An Zhiyi rejected him due to a lack of security. If he openly declared his love, she would surely accept.

Xu Yueyao shook her head in silent pity. Poor guy, he was about to face rejection. In the book, the female lead kept refusing him, and the more she pushed him away, the more he pursued her—until one day, in a fit of jealousy, he forcefully kissed her, and they finally got together.

Glancing at the equally stunned An Zhiyi, Xu Yueyao smirked. So much for your cold and aloof act—deep down, you’re just a repressed flirt.

Leaning forward for a better view, Xu Yueyao found the perfect spot to enjoy the drama. This was like watching a live adaptation of the novel—way more exciting than TV. She was completely engrossed, failing to notice Zhang Beilu’s odd expression and reddened eyes.

Fu Zheng walked up to An Zhiyi, his voice deep and sincere. “Zhiyi, I like you. Meeting you has been the greatest miracle of my life. I once believed that true love didn’t exist, but you changed that. You made me believe in love again. You’ve brought me endless joy and happiness. I think… I’ve truly fallen for you. Will you be my girlfriend? Let me take care of you for the rest of our lives?”

Xia Nuannuan was moved to tears, nudging An Zhiyi excitedly. “Zhiyi, say yes! Say yes!”

Someone in the crowd recognized him and whispered, “That’s Fu Zheng, the CEO of Fu Group. This is real love!”

The onlookers quickly joined in, murmuring in agreement. A powerful CEO confessing his love to a simple café worker—it was like a fairytale. Some customers who worked in media were already drafting headlines: “Dominant CEO Falls for Cinderella: Public Confession at Café!”

“Say yes! Say yes!” The crowd’s chants grew louder.

Xu Yueyao saw An Zhiyi’s hesitation and shook her head. She wasn’t fond of this type of public proposal. If both parties were equally in love, then a public confession was romantic, meant to share their happiness with the world.

But this? This felt like emotional coercion. If one party wasn’t sure of their feelings yet, such a public display would force them into a decision they might not truly want. It was uncomfortable to watch.

An Zhiyi clenched her fists under the table, glancing between the outstanding man before her and the expectant crowd. Then, her gaze landed on Xu Yueyao.

For the longest time, she had believed that people from different worlds shouldn’t be together. But now, looking at Xu Yueyao, she suddenly thought—maybe it was worth trying.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and blushed as she answered, “I… I’m willing.”

Fu Zheng had braced himself for rejection. As the crowd pressured An Zhiyi, he started regretting his approach. He had no right to push her like this. Just as he prepared himself for her refusal, she unexpectedly said yes.

Overwhelmed with joy, he hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, “Zhiyi, no matter why you agreed, I swear I’ll never let you go.”

An Zhiyi, nestled in his embrace, felt a wave of emotion. Could this really be the end of her tragic past? Could she truly have happiness now?

Watching them embrace, Zhang Beilu broke down in tears, covering her mouth to suppress her sobs.

Xu Yueyao was utterly dumbfounded. If the character names hadn’t matched, she would’ve thought she’d entered the wrong book—this wasn’t how the story was supposed to go!

Xia Nuannuan smirked at Xu Yueyao’s shocked expression and Zhang Beilu’s teary breakdown. Hmph! The legendary Zhan Shao might be impressive, but our Fu Zheng is no slouch either. Time to stay close to Zhiyi—I’m betting on the right person.

Suddenly, Zhang Beilu turned and ran out of the café. Seeing this, Xu Yueyao immediately chased after her.

“Beilu!”

Xu Yueyao called out, confused about what had upset her so much.

Zhang Beilu ran all the way to a small plaza, collapsed onto the steps, and wept into her hands.

Panting from the chase, Xu Yueyao sat beside her, a sinking feeling growing in her chest.

“Beilu, what’s wrong?”

Through her sobs, Zhang Beilu choked out, “Yueyao… I love him. I really love him.”

Xu Yueyao froze. “Who… Who do you love?”

“I love Fu Zheng,” Zhang Beilu cried. “Why? He was different with me. I could feel it in the way he looked at me… He liked me, Yueyao. I know he did!”

Xu Yueyao felt like she had fallen into an icy abyss. She stared blankly at Zhang Beilu, unable to believe what she was hearing. “That’s impossible. How would you even know him?”

“I met him when I quit working at the nightclub. He saved me, Yueyao. He appeared like a hero and rescued me. From that moment, I loved him. I worked so hard to learn everything about him, to gather the courage to get closer to him. But why? Why did this happen? I can’t accept it… I just can’t…”

Watching Zhang Beilu’s devastated expression, Xu Yueyao suddenly felt despair.

No matter how much she tried to change things, no matter how different events seemed now, the original story’s framework remained unchanged.

And if Zhang Beilu’s fate was still the same…

Then what about hers? Would she be unable to change her ending too?