Ying Ni had already prepared what to say to invite him to dinner, even typed halfway, but after two minutes, there was still no corresponding question from the other side.

The conversation suddenly fell into silence.

It was rare for her to hesitate like this when doing something, but tonight she kept deleting and retyping. Ying Ni struggled and thought it over, eventually sending a question mark. Then, she dismissed the chat window, holding her bowl and went to her bedroom.

Halfway through her meal, there was a notification from the other side.

Chen An responded with a simple “Okay,” as brief as he always was. Ying Ni furrowed her brows and asked him: “What do you want to eat?”

This time, the reply came quickly.

Chen An: “Up to you.”

Ying Ni bit the noodles, holding the chopsticks in her mouth and rapidly typing on the screen: “It’s on me, you choose.”

Chen An didn’t mention any restaurant names or even what type of dish he preferred. Instead, he asked an oddly phrased question:

“Are you sure?”

Ying Ni stared at the question mark.

Considering Chen An’s status, everything he did was usually in high-end places, and his meals were no exception, always elaborate feasts. So, the question probably indicated that he had heard about her current situation from a classmate and thought her financial state might not support the kind of restaurant he would pick.

He was likely trying to be polite and avoid putting her in an awkward position.

Although that was true, and he was being considerate, Ying Ni couldn’t shake the feeling of being pitied.

She lowered her eyelashes slowly and, one word at a time, typed back:

“No.”

“Don’t”

“You”

“Recognize”

“It?”

Even though it was widely known that her family had fallen on hard times, she didn’t want to be reminded of it.

She didn’t want others to think: “Ying Ni has sunk this low.”

Especially not in front of someone she used to know, someone from the past.

So, she clenched her teeth and added:

“No matter how expensive, it’s fine.”

For Chen An, who clearly wasn’t bothered by her slightly irritated tone or the awkward attempt to cover up her sensitivity, he simply responded with two quick messages:

“I know.”

“I’ll tell you once I decide.”

The chopsticks that had slipped from her hand because of her involuntary grimace lay forgotten on the ground, and Ying Ni didn’t bother picking them up.

She was about to type more, but the next message from him simply said, “Goodnight,” ending the conversation abruptly, forcing her to press the delete key.

Was he already sleeping? Not at all the image of a big boss! Ying Ni pouted, picked up the chopsticks, and absent-mindedly wiped them before finishing her noodles.

That night, she had a nightmare.

…

The next morning, Ying Ni received a phone call for an interview. The company wanted her to come at 5:30 p.m. If they were satisfied, they would hire her on the spot and have her start the next day.

Ying Ni opened the map. The interview location was in the city center, at a trade center, about ten kilometers from the restaurant Chen An had mentioned. Considering the commute time and the traffic congestion during mealtime, it seemed unlikely she could make it on time.

She tapped the phone case, thinking about negotiating the interview time and moving the dinner to somewhere near the interview location. But after a few seconds, she had a third thought:

— She would just eat the meal another day.

She wanted to buy a small cake to celebrate her birthday, but didn’t want acquaintances to know it was her birthday. If Chen An was there, she would just buy it after dinner and take it home.

Also, after thinking about last night’s impulsive decision, she cheerfully decided to back out of dinner plans.

When the message was sent, Ying Ni felt an unexpected sense of relief. Though Chen An’s restaurant choice wasn’t particularly high-end, with an average cost of about 100 yuan per person, it had been a long time since she had eaten face-to-face with someone.

Especially just the two of them, a man and a woman.

With Chen An, it would probably be a dull experience. Both of them would likely keep their heads down and the loudest sound would be the clinking of chopsticks against bowls.

Just thinking about it made her feel embarrassed and uneasy, so for Ying Ni now, a nice meal should be an enjoyment, not a burden.

So…

She would deal with it another day.

And when that day would come? Who knows?

After waiting for a while without receiving a reply from Chen An, Ying Ni assumed he had seen the message and agreed. She changed into her pajamas and went downstairs to have some rice.

Life continued in its usual quiet way, but sometimes things did change.

Ying Ni successfully passed the interview and got a job at a bubble tea shop located in the bustling and largest shopping area of the city center.

…

Ying Ni initially scoffed at the idea of working at a bubble tea shop, thinking it wasn’t worthy of her intelligence. However, during her first day, the store manager proudly told her, “Our shop is a flagship store. We only hire college graduates, and you’re here because of your great image!” He patted her on the shoulder with a smile. “Do a good job, and you could be promoted to assistant manager within a year. The base salary is over 10,000, plus a year-end bonus!”

Ying Ni, who only had a high school diploma, nodded, thinking she wasn’t fit for such a job—it was her own lack of qualifications.

August came, and the heat made the air feel distorted. The store launched a new product called “Brown Sugar Pearl Meteor Milk,” and the manager instructed everyone to promote it vigorously, setting a task of selling fifty cups per day.

“Hey, buy one get one free on the new Brown Sugar Milk!” Her colleague, Xuan Zi, shouted energetically.

Ying Ni froze for a moment as she was preparing ingredients. After the customer left, she walked over to Xuan Zi and stared at his face.

Xuan Zi had dyed his hair red, but the roots had already grown back black, and the ends had faded to a dry, straw-like color. From a distance, it looked like an abstract painting.

When he noticed her staring, he suddenly shot a glance at her, his tone sharp:

“What are you looking at?”

“Say that word again,” Ying Ni pointed at the sign.

Xuan Zi glanced at the word, then at her. His lips moved, then he sneered, “Tch—”

Ying Ni: “…”

“That’s yun, Yun~ Yun~” Ying Ni repeated after Xuan Zi. He took a cup of green tea, and Ying Ni kept muttering, “Don’t say it wrong next time.”

Xuan Zi slammed the tap handle shut, turned around, and coldly said, “You think you’re so great?”

The two other girls who had been watching the exchange turned away, unable to contain their laughter. Ying Ni meant well, but at that moment, she couldn’t help but think that maybe she really was that amazing.

She smiled faintly. “Of course, at least I can pronounce Yun correctly.”

Xuan Zi rolled his eyes. “Who cares?”

Their rivalry over a single mispronounced word began. However, Ying Ni didn’t care about that. What she cared about was something else.

The bubble tea shop was located right in the center of the business district, across from luxury brand buildings like LV, Chanel, Dior.

Years ago, the area was just small stores, and Ying Ni knew every shop inside better than her own house. Later, after investments and construction, huge shiny buildings sprang up, and she no longer had the status to enter.

Now, it had become the largest luxury shopping area in the southwest, a paradise for shoppers. It was very likely that she would run into her old classmates, like Yu Jiaojiao, who would boast about seeing her shaking bubble tea.

To avoid them, Ying Ni applied to change her shift to the morning and afternoon, so she wouldn’t run into those people. They only came by chauffeured cars and wouldn’t walk across the street in the daylight to buy bubble tea.

Half a month passed quietly.

Until one bright, quiet afternoon, when she was busy processing a customer’s order.

“Ying Ni?”

Her spine stiffened.

“It really is you.”

The familiar, clear voice—like pinewood softening under the sun—reached her ears, distant but familiar.

Ying Ni instinctively lowered her gaze, but under Zhou Siyang’s watchful eyes, she straightened her neck.

She then turned her face and handed the customer who had ordered jasmine milk tea the receipt.

The customer took it, muttering how hot it was, and sat down in the waiting area. Zhou Siyang watched her, and after a moment of silence, walked over.

Standing just a few feet away, he looked at her long, dark eyelashes, but didn’t know what to say.

“Long time no see. How have you been?”

It was obvious that Ying Ni, in her apron with her work cap on, looked a far cry from her former self.

After a moment, Ying Ni finished cleaning the counter. There wasn’t a single speck of dust, giving her no time to dawdle.

In that brief moment, her mind flashed through memories of her time with Zhou Siyang—moments of love, arguments, making up, fighting again… and eventually breaking up.

After the breakup, she had blocked him from all contact, except for that one number. In nearly eight years, she had only seen a picture of him once on social media.

A few years ago, at a class reunion photo.

Ying Ni hadn’t attended, but she had heard that Zhou Siyang went to the U.S. after their breakup to study pharmaceutical engineering.

It didn’t surprise her. His family owned a pharmaceutical company, and his parents had always hoped he would take over the business. But Zhou Siyang had given up that offer to follow his own path, studying finance in the UK.

That’s when Ying Ni had promised him: we can argue, but never mention breaking up.

And yet, it happened.

Ying Ni lifted her gaze slightly. Years had passed, but Zhou Siyang still carried the same youthful energy.

“Don’t you want to know what I’m drinking?” Zhou Siyang said.

Ying Ni finally raised her head and coldly asked, “What would you like to drink?”

Zhou Siyang: “Coffee.”

Ying Ni tapped the drink menu hanging in front of him. “There are many kinds of coffee.”

Zhou Siyang: “Any.”

“No, not any.”

Her voice became colder, clearly impatient.

Zhou Siyang looked at her straight posture, thinking that she must have rolled her eyes when turning around. Only then did he smile.

Over time, things inevitably changed. But he knew that her temper hadn’t. It was still there, written all over her face.

When Ying Ni came out, Zhou Siyang was still standing there. He had ordered a lemon Americano. After Ying Ni handed it to him, she said, “This is the ordering area, don’t block it.”

Zhou Siyang responded with a simple “Okay” and held the coffee. The coolness of the cup seeped through his fingers, though it couldn’t calm his heated mind.

“It’s been a while. How about dinner tonight?”

Ying Ni picked up her phone, elbow on the counter as she typed, never lifting her head. “I already have plans tonight.”

Realizing it was the Qixi Festival, Zhou Siyang squeezed the coffee cup and smiled lazily. “With your boyfriend?”

Ying Ni raised her head, her fingers suspended above the screen. Their gazes met, exchanging an unspoken message in the air, sticky enough that neither could move.

She lowered her hand, imitating his smile. “Yeah.”

Zhou Siyang nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left. Ying Ni continued replying to Chen An’s messages. A month later, after Chen An returned from a business trip to Germany, he asked her about the headphones.

They decided to meet tonight.

After confirming the time and restaurant, Chen An asked her:

“Are you sure you won’t cancel?”

Ying Ni replied:

“Maybe.”

“If I get in a car accident on the way there.”

The cold joke wasn’t funny, but Ying Ni felt the need to vent, showing a sort of world-weary attitude.

Perhaps thinking she