Do I have to carry a sedan chair to your doorstep?

The word “wait” got stuck in her throat, and she felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, making her heart turn cold.

At that moment, Yue Qianling felt like she had experienced all the regrets of her first twenty years of life combined.

Unfortunately, everything was too late.

Chen Yin handed back the resignation form with the stamped seal, bidding farewell to her with reluctance. “Goodbye, Qianling.”

Yue Qianling: “…”

She stiffly glanced at the resignation form in her hand, and then at Gu Xun. With a struggling voice, she asked, “You work here?”

Gu Xun lazily rubbed his neck, his gaze fixed on the HR computer in front of him, which was processing his onboarding. He responded with a casual “Hmm.”

Then, as if he had just realized something, he turned his head, and his gaze slowly shifted to the resignation form in her hand.

At first glance, the resignation form and the onboarding form seemed quite similar.

So, he asked, “Are you here to report for work too?”

Yue Qianling lowered her head and replied in a low voice, “I’m here to resign.”

“Oh.”

Oh???

Yue Qianling’s neck stiffened, and she slowly raised her eyes.

Just an “Oh”?

It seemed that Gu Xun didn’t have much of a reaction regarding her resignation.

He didn’t even offer polite words. He merely took the onboarding form handed back by HR, turned around, and walked away without a word.

As they passed each other, she felt the lingering coolness he brought from outside, like fine needles brushing across her cheek, causing a subtle and barely noticeable tingling.

“Do you two know each other?”

Chen Yin’s voice suddenly pulled Yue Qianling back to reality.

“Huh?”

“Oh, right.” Chen Yin continued absentmindedly, “I almost forgot, you two are from the same school.”

With that, she waved her hand at Yue Qianling. “Well, the process is complete now. You can go home.”

Yue Qianling didn’t leave the company immediately.

She sat at her desk, slowly packing her belongings, occasionally stopping to stare at her phone, lost in thought.

Without the constant messages from various work-related groups, Yue Qianling found herself somewhat uncomfortable with only the dormitory group active on her phone, chatting enthusiastically.

After a while, she suddenly sent a message.

【Glutinous Rice Twist】: I’ve completed the resignation process.

【Yin Xue】: Congratulations! Hotpot tonight?!

【Glutinous Rice Twist】: But I regret it.

【Fang Qingqing】: ?

【Yin Xue】: ?

【Glutinous Rice Twist】: Because I just found out that Gu Xun has joined our company.

【Yin Xue】: ??!!

【Fang Qingqing】: …Ling, sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Seriously, you should give up the struggle.

Was it really not meant to be?

Fate had always been a matter of perspective. Some believed that spending a lifetime together was fate, while others believed that a single glance in the vast sea of people could already be considered fate.

Yue Qianling belonged to the latter.

When talking about when they fell in love, it might be challenging for others to pinpoint an exact moment.

However, Yue Qianling could vividly recall the moment she first saw Gu Xun, accompanied by the faint scent of osmanthus blossoms carried by the wind.

It was in September of the previous year, at the beginning of her junior year.

Yue Qianling’s art college had finally moved from the Jiangbin campus to the main campus.

Next to the basketball court, osmanthus trees were in full bloom, their golden flowers casting a delightful fragrance. Curious about the new campus, Yue Qianling stood under one of the trees, taking in her surroundings.

Suddenly, a basketball came hurtling toward her with great momentum, startling her.

At that moment, a male student walked up from behind her and effortlessly blocked the basketball from hitting her.

It was a rather clichéd scene.

However, as soon as Yue Qianling turned around, she saw Gu Xun for the first time.

All her yearning and longing for love that had been nurtured over twenty years suddenly took on a clear and tangible form in that moment.

The very next day, Yue Qianling’s mother came to Jiangcheng on a business trip, and at the same time, she planned to catch up with an old classmate in town, so she brought Yue Qianling along.

Coincidentally, the other side would also bring her own son, but Yue Qianling didn’t expect that the aunt’s son was actually Gu Xun.

This truly couldn’t be described as anything other than “fate”.

It seemed like it was meant to be.

At least, that’s what Yue Qianling thought.

However, what she didn’t expect was that that evening dinner turned out to be the day she had talked to Gu Xun the most in over a year.

When she said it was the most, it was only about four or five sentences, and even those were just small talk initiated by their mothers’ inquiries.

After that, Yue Qianling felt that Gu Xun was like a stranger to her.

Their university was so big, and even when they occasionally crossed paths, it was nothing more than a nod of acknowledgment. Most of the time, even a simple greeting seemed unnecessary.

But just look at this now—

She handed in her resignation just now, and Gu Xun showed up to join the company immediately after.

So, as per Fang Qingqing’s words, did that mean she and Gu Xun really had no fate?

No.

Yue Qianling thought, with so many companies out there, why did Gu Xun have to step into this one?

It’s clearly as if, even in the divine plan, the heavens themselves would not even allow them to part ways after graduation.

So, an overwhelming and lingering emotion enveloped her, making her have a strong desire to stay.

With just Gu Xun’s presence, all the shortcomings of this company could be easily overlooked.

However…

Regretting her resignation right after submitting it might seem a bit embarrassing. She was afraid that her boss would think she was being childish, and her colleagues might talk behind her back, considering her a joke.

Thinking about this, Yue Qianling furrowed her brows and sat at her desk, feeling troubled.

She remained seated until it was time to leave work.

Overtime was a common occurrence in a gaming company, and today was no exception. However, the team leader had mentioned having dinner together in the evening, so everyone got up and started preparing to go downstairs.

“Let’s go, Qianling,” the team leader waved to her. “We’re going downstairs for dinner.”

Yue Qianling was about to decline when a colleague beside her spoke up. “Did you guys hear? The Ninth Business Division has a new lead developer.”

Yue Qianling’s eyes widened, and she looked in the colleague’s direction.

Another colleague, seemingly uninterested, commented, “They changed the lead developer? I always thought it was just a matter of time. Why make such a fuss?”

“But the new lead developer is a fresh graduate! And they say he’s incredibly handsome!”

“Really? A fresh graduate???”

“It’s true,” the team leader chimed in while packing up, getting ready to leave. “I just went to see the admin office, and I saw him in person. He’s quite handsome, and I heard he’s the campus heartthrob at Nanjing University.”

“Nanjing University?” One of her colleagues, upon hearing this, immediately turned to Yue Qianling. “You’re alumni, right? Do you know him?”

Yue Qianling nodded, “I know him.”

“Ah?” The team leader suddenly turned to Yue Qianling in astonishment and said, “But I just asked him if he knew you, and he said he didn’t.”

“……”

A sudden, awkward silence enveloped the small office area.

Everyone looked at Yue Qianling, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity.

Her heart felt like it had been squeezed hard, and every breath she took seemed suffocating.

Thankfully, her rationality had not deserted her yet. She quickly forced a smile and said, “I meant, I know of him. After all, he’s quite a well-known person…”

“Oh, I see,” the team leader chuckled while covering her mouth. “I thought it was quite a coincidence, so I asked him if he knew you. I even thought you had introduced him here.”

Yue Qianling replied with a casual tone, “Next time, if you want to know anything, just come and ask me. Otherwise…”

She pressed her lips together, giving a smile that was more sly than genuine. “I thought, Team Leader, that you might be interested in my little brother.”

“……”

The tension between them was palpable, and if anyone failed to notice it at this point, they would be a fool.

So, when Yue Qianling expressed her intention to leave directly for home, no one attempted to convince her otherwise.

However, due to the team leader’s statement, “He said he didn’t know you,” Yue Qianling was so frustrated that she missed her transfer station, resulting in almost half an hour longer than usual to get back to her school.

As Yue Qianling stepped onto the campus, it was already dark. The running track on the playground was lit up with night lights, creating a contrast with the evening glow on the horizon.

Her phone buzzed a few times, and she received a message on WeChat.

【*School Grass】: Log in, 3 = 1.

(*Campus heartthrob)

Yue Qianling quickly replied, “Not coming.”

She wasn’t in a hurry to return to her dormitory. Instead, she strolled aimlessly around the campus track, lost in thought.

Her head was lowered, and she wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck. She seemed lost, her eyes devoid of spirit, clearly a person who was feeling disheartened.

Yue Qianling was only twenty-one years old, and she didn’t possess the ability to independently process her emotions. She needed the help of the dark night and the cold wind to support the overwhelming sourness in her heart.

She had always known that Gu Xun was not a particularly warm person. He was cold and distant, not particularly friendly to people.

But at the very least, she was the daughter of his mother’s friend.

They had shared a meal together, and they had even told their mothers that they would take care of each other at school in the future.

Even if they couldn’t be considered “friends,” it shouldn’t be so bad that they couldn’t even be considered “acquaintances,” right?

Moreover…

She was wholeheartedly in love with Gu Xun.

While feeling sad, her phone kept vibrating.

【School Grass】: Where are you?

【School Grass】: ?

【School Grass】: Do I have to carry a sedan chair to your doorstep?

Her heartache was disturbed, *leaving with just bits and pieces.

(*indicates that the intensity of heartache had diminished.)

Can you guys not do anything without me?!

She pressed the voice message button and held the phone close to her mouth without, speaking without much emotion, “Good evening, boss. This is Xiao Mahua, a gaming companion. I’m a KD7.6 ranked invincible god of war. I can tank and follow orders. I can control the gun recoil and call out enemy positions. I’ll keep you alive and even revive you when you die. The only problem is that I’m a bit expensive. Can the boss afford it? If not, let’s end this chat.”

Yue Qianling originally intended to express that she really didn’t have the desire to play games.

Not long after…

【School Grass】: How much?

Yue Qianling glanced at her phone and casually sent a very audacious number.

【Glutinous Rice Twist】: 500 per hour.

After sending this message, Yue Qianling put her phone in her pocket and went to a nearby milk tea shop to buy a cup of hot milk tea.

Her heart was already cold, and she couldn’t afford to let her hands freeze, either.

It was twenty minutes later when Yue Qianling returned to her dorm room.

As she took off her coat, she casually took out her phone and absentmindedly glanced at the screen, only to discover a few new messages.

She opened and looked at them, nearly losing her grip on the phone.

【School Grass】: Are you short on money lately?

【School Grass has transferred 5000 yuan to you.】

【School Grass】: Buy ten hours first, now log in.

【School Grass】: Where are you?

【School Grass】: Did you run away with the money?