During the weekend, Xu Qingyan indulged in a restful slumber until she stirred awake. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her alarm clock and realized it was already 9 o’clock. She stared blankly at the closed curtains, imagining whether it was sunny or rainy outside. Feeling bored, she finally got out of bed.

She made herself a fried egg, prepared a sandwich, squeezed a glass of juice, and sat down to savor her breakfast. 

She scrolled through her social media feed on her phone, and as expected, Ling Qiao had another outing last night. She and her artistic friends were having a party in a loft. The photos showed vibrant scenes, filled with delicious food and beautiful women, living their lives to the fullest.

Ling Qiao had invited her to join before, and she had gone twice. Although such lively gatherings were fun, the constant laughter, singing, dancing, and card games became overwhelming. 

When she found herself exhausted and sitting alone in a corner, witnessing all the revelry, loneliness and fatigue hit her even harder. Eventually, she started to avoid such gatherings whenever possible.

This world was said to be vast, so vast that people who lacked any fateful connection merely brushed past each other for a lifetime.

This world was said to be small, so small that you only cared about the people who accompanied you.

It was a city of solitude, devoid of seasons, without sun and moon. Gradually, you would come to realize that it felt as if you were alone here, and the path leading out of the city grew increasingly distant.

In Xu Qingyan’s limited social circle, most of her colleagues had already posted their updates for the day. Those with families were naturally sharing photos of their children, while those without families posted selfies accompanied by artsy captions. After all, nobody was sitting idle. 

At she scrolled through her feed, a notification popped up, indicating a new friend request. Xu Qingyan didn’t expect anyone to reach out to her, considering her small social circle.

She lifted the cup with her left hand and took a sip of juice. With her right thumb, she tapped on the icon, almost choking on her drink in surprise. 

Cheng Ran.

The verification message he sent read: “Dr. Xu, seeking your advice.”

Xu Qingyan paused, her mind momentarily blank. She abruptly stood up, but once she was on her feet, she couldn’t recall why she had stood up in the first place. So, she silently sat back down and finished her juice, sandwich, and fried egg, leaving nothing behind. After washing the dishes until they were spotless, she returned to the table, picked up her phone, as if nothing had happened, and calmly pressed “Accept Verification.”

To her surprise, the person immediately sent a WeChat message: “I’ve been taking care of my stomach recently, eating lighter meals. Can you eat Cantonese cuisine?”

Xu Qingyan: “Sure.”

Cheng Ran: “Dr. Xu, do you have any plans for lunch? There’s an authentic Cantonese restaurant on Dengxiang Road.”

Finally, Xu Qingyan’s long-dormant brain caught up—was this an invitation?

Thinking about it, it seemed unlikely. It was probably just about the advice he mentioned regarding skincare. The long period of being single made Xu Qingyan immediately dismiss any romantic possibilities and instead consider whether she should find some information to share with Cheng Ran.

If it were someone else, she would probably decline without hesitation. But it was Cheng Ran.

This person unexpectedly appeared in her life with such a face, catching her completely unprepared. Once, she could brush it off as a coincidence; twice, it could be explained as a stroke of luck. But why would fate make her encounter someone who looked so much like Shen Yuanchu three times? 

The shock she felt when she saw him for the first time still lingered, and the adrenaline rush that followed made her feel dizzy even now.

The cursor kept blinking, and Xu Qingyan stared at the screen, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter. After a while, she replied, “Okay.”

Cheng Ran sent the address and considerately asked if he should pick her up.

Xu Qingyan: Thank you, but it’s convenient for me to come over.

The morning became somewhat difficult to endure. They had set the meeting time for 12 o’clock, so Xu Qingyan decided to organize some medical cases to avoid overthinking. At eleven o’clock, she promptly set aside her work and hurriedly changed into a white shirt, jeans, and clean canvas shoes. This was her simple and clean attire when she didn’t wear a white coat.

The restaurant was not far, and there was a direct bus route from her doorstep. When she arrived by bus, there was already a queue forming outside the restaurant. 

Xu Qingyan stood at the entrance, gazing at the sunlight casting bright and mottled patterns on the glass door, reflecting shadows, including one slightly nervous-looking woman. 

Xu Qingyan frowned, not liking how her emotions were being stirred up like this. But it was an instinctive reaction, so she did her best to calm herself down.

The glass door suddenly opened from the inside, and the waiter inside looked at Xu Qingyan in surprise. “Hello, do you need a number?”

“Someone is already inside.”

“Alright, may I ask which table number?”

Cheng Ran had already reserved a table, and Xu Qingyan tightened her grip on her handbag and followed the server to quickly find the best spot in the restaurant.

Cheng Ran was already seated, engrossed in his phone, his handsome face still captivating. Xu Qingyan found it difficult to take another step closer, as her mind buzzed louder the closer she got to him.

Sensing something, Cheng Ran looked up and saw her. He immediately stood up, walked around the table, and pulled out a chair for her.

Xu Qingyan lowered her head and softly thanked him.

“Was it easy to find?”

“There’s a bus that comes this way.”

Cheng Ran looked surprised. “You took the bus? If I had known, I would have picked you up.”

Seeing his exaggerated expression, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s alright, I wanted to be environmentally friendly.”

Cheng Ran’s phone rang, and he apologetically handed a menu to Xu Qingyan. “I need to take this call. Take a look and see what you’d like to eat.”

Cheng Ran got up and left, and Xu Qingyan didn’t ask further, instead flipping through the menu.

Cantonese cuisine. He couldn’t handle spicy food, and Cantonese cuisine suited his taste.

Was it another coincidence?

A few minutes later, Cheng Ran returned. “Have you decided?”

Xu Qingyan turned to another page and paused. “Would BBQ pork be alright?”

Cheng Ran smiled brightly. “I’m not a picky eater.”

“Then let’s have a BBQ pork platter.”

After ordering just one dish, Cheng Ran’s phone rang again. He glanced at it but didn’t answer. However, the person trying to reach him seemed persistent, bombarding him with consecutive calls. In the end, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you going to answer?”

Cheng Ran raised an eyebrow disdainfully. “No need to bother. It’s just some annoying matters.”

Xu Qingyan could sense that Cheng Ran was a person full of arrogance. Although he was somewhat polite to her, his actions couldn’t conceal his sharpness. Xu Qingyan had only seen Cheng Ran three times, yet each time he spoke, he had a habitual gesture of raising his right index finger, subtly exerting pressure to others with the movement and tone of his speech. 

Over the years, Xu Qingyan had learned to read people’s words and expressions. Cheng Ran was an extremely sharp individual, and she could foresee that if he had no restraints, his sharpness could even harm those around him. In contrast, Liang Jiankong was completely different. Whether he intentionally hid it or not, he appeared gentle but had a deceitful nature. Behind his smile, he could manipulate situations effortlessly, making him a person with deep hidden intentions. 

Xu Qingyan was startled for a moment. How did she end up thinking about that person?

The dishes at this restaurant were served rather quickly, and Xu Qingyan couldn’t tell whether it was their usual efficiency or because of Cheng Ran’s presence. 

Cheng Ran was a talkative person. Initially, they were discussing about digestive health. But as their conversation flowed, it naturally shifted to travel. Cheng Ran showed great interest, and his speech quickened unintentionally. “Where have you been to?” he asked eagerly.

“When I was studying, I loved the African savannah. I stayed there for nearly a month. I would love to return for charity work if given the chance,” Xu Qingyan’s words flowed as she mentioned the topic of interest. “In the past couple of years, I’ve been to Northern Europe a lot. I had a special fondness for the fairy tale kingdoms in Norway and Denmark since I was a child. Just hearing their names feels so beautiful. I went there in winter, with snow and ice everywhere. I almost froze my ears off. I even saw the Northern Lights in Finland.”

“From Africa to Northen Europe, your preferences vary greatly, but I’ve been to both,” Cheng Ran remarked.

“For vacation?” Xu Qingyan inquired.

“It’s a mix of work-related matters and leisure,” Cheng Ran replied, picking up a spoonful of wonton noodles and savouring it thoughtfully. “So, have you been to any interesting places lately?

“Nepal,” Xu Qingyan responded, feeling a tinge of regret as soon as the words left her mouth. Subconsciously, she had classified that place as a forbidden zone.

Cheng Ran smoothly followed up, “It hasn’t been very peaceful there lately. Did you go alone?”

“Yes, I did some research and spent seven days there,” Xu Qingyan admitted.

Cheng Ran seemed genuinely interested. “As a woman, you dared to go there alone. You’re quite brave.”

Xu Qingyan smiled and shook her head. “It’s not about being brave. I didn’t consider it much; I just thought it would be interesting, so I went.”

Cheng Ran instinctively raised his right index finger and pointed it at Xu Qingyan. “So you’re someone who can disregard everything for the things you like.”

Xu Qingyan tilted her head and pondered for a moment and replied calmly, “I don’t know. I haven’t experienced it, so I’m not sure what it means to disregard everything.”

Is sacrificing one’s life considered disregarding everything, or enduring pain?

But what could make someone disregard everything? At the moment, she seemed to lack something that could evoke such deep devotion.

Xu Qingyan wasn’t an icy beauty; she was as gentle as water, indifferent to everything. It wasn’t a deliberate resistance, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall in love.

Therefore, asking her to disregard everything seemed difficult to comprehend.

“I’m quite familiar with the Middle East, as well as Vietnam and Myanmar. I can be your tour guide for free,” Cheng Ran said enthusiastically. But before he could finish his sentence, his assistant hurriedly approached, looking nervous, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Cheng Ran’s expression changed briefly, but he quickly regained his composure. However, his words were no longer as relaxed as before. “There’s an urgent matter at the company, so I’m afraid I have to take my leave for now. I had many more things I wanted to discuss with you, but we can reschedule for another time.”

Xu Qingyan was not oblivious to the situation. Without missing a beat, she put down her chopsticks and stood up alongside Cheng Ran. “That’s alright, I’ve finished eating too.”

“I’ll arrange for someone to drive you back.”

“No need, I can manage on my own.”

Cheng Ran ignored her protest. Soon, a car pulled up in front of Xu Qingyan, and someone opened the door for her.

“Dr. Xu,” Cheng Ran gestured with a please.

Xu Qingyan couldn’t refuse anymore. Once inside the car, Cheng Ran closed the door for her and leaned down, saying, “We can consider ourselves friends now. No need to be so formal with me. We’ll be in touch. Goodbye.”

As she glanced out the window, she was met his smiling face. His face was so close to hers that she could clearly see how each of his eyebrows was meticulously shaped, giving him a handsome appearance. She could even make out the slight hazel color of his irises and the traces of laughter at the corners of his eyes.

She looked at him, facing the sunlight, and her eyes stung.