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Northern City, Autumn.
Outside the window in the evening, rain poured down relentlessly, the sound of raindrops hitting the glass particularly sharp. The temperature was gradually cooling, and there were scarcely any pedestrians on the streets.
In contrast to the gloomy outdoors, the GFS Mall was hosting a grand beauty event.
The atmosphere inside was lively, with dazzling lights and a sleek, modern design that illuminated the displayed products without being overbearing.
Soothing music flowed through the venue—pleasant and unobtrusive.
The inner hall was crowded, buzzing with influencers and celebrities engaged in lively conversations.
Le Ning had caught a cold and was feeling a bit under the weather. When there was a brief pause, she found a quiet corner to rest.
Barely ten minutes after sitting down, Ruan Qiu appeared from the other side, holding two glasses of red wine.
“Why are you hiding here by yourself?”
She handed one glass to Le Ning.
Le Ning accepted it and placed it aside. “Headache.”
Hearing this, Ruan Qiu looked at her with concern. “Still not over your cold?”
“Mm.” Le Ning had been sick for several days, and her voice still carried a nasal tone.
“Maybe you should leave early?”
Ruan Qiu suggested, “The event’s winding down anyway; you could probably slip out now.”
Le Ning shook her head, taking a sip of wine. “…Did you forget? I still have an interview later.”
Ruan Qiu: “…”
She really had forgotten.
Le Ning was a rising beauty influencer who had gained significant fame in recent years. Though it was a niche industry, her popularity was undeniable.
In less than two years, her follower count had exceeded one million across Weibo, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu.
More importantly, her fans were highly engaged—products she recommended never stayed in stock for long.
Because of this, many brands sought her for collaborations.
Today’s event was hosted by one of her frequent partners. Not only did she attend, but she was also one of the event’s ambassadors. Afterward, she was scheduled for an interview to further promote the brand and offer her fans a treat with some personal Q&A.
Ruan Qiu sighed. “Want me to get you some water?”
Le Ning shook her head. “No need, I just need a moment to rest.”
Her curled eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her pale face—despite the makeup—looked even fairer than usual due to her discomfort, giving her the delicate appearance of a fragile beauty.
Ruan Qiu wasn’t exaggerating.
Le Ning was born beautiful, with porcelain skin, an oval face, and large, almond-shaped eyes that made her appear both innocent and alluring.
Having trained in dance since childhood, her posture was naturally elegant. Sitting in her off-the-shoulder dress, her slender swan-like neck and well-defined collarbones were especially striking.
Her every move carried a hint of classical charm, making her beauty impossible to ignore.
Ruan Qiu stared at her for a while, momentarily entranced.
She had known Le Ning for over a decade, yet every time she looked at her, she felt a fresh sense of amazement.
Ruan Qiu snapped out of her daze. “Alright, call me if you need anything.”
Just as Le Ning was about to respond, her phone buzzed on the table—several consecutive notifications.
Le Ning raised an eyebrow. Only a few people would message her like this.
One of them was right beside her.
Ruan Qiu chuckled. “Is it Le Luo?”
Le Luo was Le Ning’s younger cousin, currently in his senior year of high school. He was extremely attached to her, preferring to go to Le Ning rather than his parents whenever he had a problem.
Though they were cousins, their bond was akin to that of siblings.
Le Ning didn’t reply but unlocked her phone.
“It’s him.”
Ruan Qiu smiled and sat across from her. “What did he say? It’s Friday today—he’s probably home for the weekend, right?”
Le Ning opened the messages, her brows furrowing slightly after reading them.
Le Luo: Sis, did you ask for me yet? Is police school or military school better?
Le Luo: If it’s police school, which one is better? Did you check?
Le Luo: Where are you now, sis? I’ll come pick you up. I’m staying at your place tonight.
…
Seeing her expression, Ruan Qiu was a bit surprised. “What’s he saying?”
Le Ning handed her the phone.
After reading it, Ruan Qiu chuckled.
“Le Luo’s really thinking about this, huh?” she teased. “Can’t tell if he wants to be a soldier or a cop.”
Le Ning tilted her head in thought for a moment before replying, “Probably wants to serve the people.”
Ruan Qiu burst out laughing.
Le Ning couldn’t help but laugh along, her mood improving slightly despite the cold.
She explained, “He’s been reading a lot of news lately—full of youthful vigor and eager to stand up for victims and catch the bad guys.”
Ruan Qiu was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether to praise Le Luo’s courage or call it impulsive.
After a pause, she said softly, “Honestly, though, the news has been so brutal lately.”
Le Ning nodded.
Recently, both on TV and social media, there had been an influx of horrifying stories—cases of sexual assault and murder, brutal killings, and accidental homicides for absurd reasons. Each one was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
As they chatted, Le Ning sighed. “How am I supposed to figure out whether police school or military school is better for him?”
Ruan Qiu, amused, suddenly lit up with an idea.
“Check our high school group!”
She added, “If I’m not mistaken, a few of our classmates went to police or military school after graduation. You could ask them. I can’t remember exactly who, though.”
Le Ning paused, a vague memory surfacing—
A young man in a basketball jersey, slightly taller and more commanding than his peers, exuding a blend of boyishness and maturity.
Sweat dripped down his face as he jogged off the court, casually grabbing a clean towel to wipe his face. When he saw Le Ning, his lips curled into a playful smile, his tone lazy but teasing:
“Junior, here to bring me water again?”
The way he emphasized “again” was both deliberate and mischievous.
The crowd around them erupted into whistles and cheers.
Embarrassed, Le Ning wanted to leave but still handed him the water. He glanced at it, his voice clear yet nonchalant:
“Thanks, but I don’t need it.”
“…”
“Le Ning?”
Ruan Qiu’s voice snapped her back to reality. Le Ning bit her lip, instinctively taking a sip of wine to steady herself, mumbling, “Did I? I don’t remember.”
Ruan Qiu: “…”
Picking up her phone, Le Ning hesitated, then glanced at Ruan Qiu.
Ruan Qiu immediately understood and volunteered, “I’ll ask.”
Le Ning was naturally reserved around strangers and wasn’t close to most of her classmates, except for Ruan Qiu and Ji Chuchu, her two good friends.
This was partly because so many boys had liked her in high school, sparking jealousy among the girls, who generally avoided her.
Ruan Qiu opened the class group chat, posted the question, and skillfully sent a red packet.
In no time, most of the group had popped out of lurking.
Among the responses, one caught Le Ning’s eye—it mentioned her name.
It was from Yang Qingqing, their class’s arts and entertainment rep:
Yang Qingqing: Why ask this? Ruan Qiu, aren’t you close with Le Ning? Ask her! Didn’t she used to have a crush on Senior Zhou Ran? He went into criminal investigation after graduation and is apparently quite famous at the local bureau. I heard he’s handling one of the recent murder cases.
As if that wasn’t enough, Yang Qingqing added another jab:
Yang Qingqing: By the way, has Le Ning found someone yet? Or is she still hung up on Senior Zhou?
Le Ning: …
Hung up, my foot!
Le Ning’s fair face flushed with anger at those two messages. She grabbed her phone, ready to fire back, but Ruan Qiu quickly snatched it away.
“Calm down, calm down,” Ruan Qiu said, eyeing her. “Aren’t you always saying how much you hate it when people add you on WeChat? If you reply to this, aren’t you worried the boys in our class will start pestering you all over again?”
Her words weren’t baseless.
When Ruan Qiu had added Le Ning to the group, all the single—and even some attached—male classmates had sent friend requests to her.
Le Ning didn’t accept a single one, which led to complaints that she was cold and unfriendly.
Only after Ruan Qiu and Ji Chuchu explained in the group that Le Ning rarely used WeChat and her account was practically inactive did everyone give up.
If she sent a message now, wouldn’t that blow her cover?
Seeing the dark look on Le Ning’s face, Ruan Qiu quickly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle her for you. Seriously, after all these years, why is Yang Qingqing still so annoying?”
Ruan Qiu: Our dear Le Ning is way too busy to be bothered with something so trivial.
Ruan Qiu: And by the way, what do you mean by ‘hung up on Senior Zhou Ran’? When did Le Ning ever secretly like him? It was no secret—she was openly crushing on him, okay?
Reading the group chat, Le Ning’s expression froze: …
She glared at the person enthusiastically causing chaos next to her and gritted her teeth. “Are you two plotting to take me down while I’m sick?”
Ruan Qiu blinked innocently, then widened her eyes in mock surprise. “Wait… are you seriously still hung up on Zhou Ran?”
Le Ning ground her teeth harder. “Who said I am?”
Le Ning, frustrated, snapped, “I’ve already forgotten what he looks like now. Who’s hung up on him?”
Ruan Qiu, chastised, nodded obediently. “Oh, okay. As long as you’re not.”
After a moment, she hesitated. “But if you really are, should I get his contact info for you?”
Le Ning shot her a glare and took a deep breath. “Even if I were to think about a stray dog on the street, it wouldn’t be about him.”
Ruan Qiu muttered, “…Don’t go back on your words later.”
Le Ning’s sharp look shut her up immediately.
Such a tsundere—can’t even joke about it.
After Ruan Qiu finished roasting Yang Qingqing in the group chat, the latter went silent for a while. Then she reappeared with a video.
Yang Qingqing: Honestly, if I weren’t getting married, I’d definitely go for Senior Zhou Ran.
It didn’t take long for the comments to explode:
Classmate 1: OMG, is this Senior Zhou Ran? He’s way too handsome!
Classmate 2: Ahhhhh, he’s such a heartthrob!
Classmate 3: I’m totally into this type! Over the years, he hasn’t changed a bit—he’s only gotten more charming.
Classmate 4: I’m dead. This is the man of my dreams come to life.
Even after graduating from college, when women go crazy, there’s no stopping them.
The group chat overflowed with blunt and enthusiastic comments.
Ruan Qiu cautiously glanced at Le Ning. “Shall we take a look too?”
Le Ning remained stoic. “What’s there to see?”
Ruan Qiu insisted, “If you’re not watching, I will.”
Le Ning: “…”
After a pause, she flipped her wavy hair and said, “Fine, I’ll take a reluctant look.”
Watching her, Ruan Qiu could barely suppress a laugh.
—Oh, how difficult it must be for you to take a look.
She clicked on the video. The footage was relatively clear despite a shaky start, which stabilized after a few seconds.
In the video, a man dressed in black moved with ease. His upright posture, broad shoulders, long legs, and perfect proportions were undeniably striking.
With a swift move, he vaulted over a railing one-handed and landed firmly in front of the camera.
As the camera zoomed in, his face came into focus.
Sharp, well-defined features, a strong and masculine profile, with slightly furrowed brows. His deep eyes were half-lidded, making it hard to discern his thoughts.
Moments later, his low voice sounded from the video:
“Turn it off. Delete it.”
Concise, firm, and cold, yet steady and mature—an evolution from the roguish charm of his younger days.
Ruan Qiu couldn’t resist watching it repeatedly.
Le Ning, less impressed, stopped after one view.
After some time, Ruan Qiu sighed from her corner. “Honestly, why didn’t you lock him down back then?”
She gave Le Ning a once-over and posed a soul-searching question: “Back then… you were sweet, shy, and so easy to tease. Why didn’t Zhou Ran fall for you?”
Aren’t men supposed to prefer that type?
As she spoke, a thought hit her.
“By the way, you never told us how Senior Zhou Ran rejected you.”
Le Ning: “…”
She sipped her drink under Ruan Qiu’s expectant gaze. “Do you really want to know?”
Ruan Qiu: “Of course I do!”
Le Ning tilted her head, reminiscing about that rejection. It wasn’t something she liked talking about.
Ruan Qiu stared eagerly, urging, “Come on, spill it!”
Le Ning let out a casual “Oh,” then stood, mimicking Zhou Ran’s movements from back then. She looked down at Ruan Qiu from above and, in a cool voice, asked, “Freshman?”
Ruan Qiu blinked, confused. “…Uh, yeah?”
Le Ning nodded, swept her gaze over Ruan Qiu, and said flatly, “Too young.”
Ruan Qiu: “…”
After a pause, her eyes drifted to Le Ning’s chest. A sudden realization dawned on her. “So that’s why… you’ve been, uh, working on that all these years?”
Le Ning: “???”
Author’s Note:
Le Ning: “Back then, you thought I was too young. Now? You couldn’t handle me if you tried. [Not serious.]”
Hey everyone, thanks for waiting!
This story has been sitting for so long because I was nervous about not doing it justice. While it may still not be perfect, I’m giving it my all! If you spot any bugs, let me know gently, and I’ll fix what I can.
This is basically a “The guy who rejected me is now chasing me—if I say yes, I lose” kind of story.
Quick intro to the leads: