As night fell and the lanterns lit up, the streets on both sides bustled with life. A row of antique-style lamps cast a warm, yellow glow, illuminating the wide and straight avenue, scattering mottled and silent shadows on the ground. In the distance, tall buildings pierced through the dark curtain of night. The entire city shimmered with a surreal beauty, yet remained calm and serene.

Gao Leng called a ride-hailing app downstairs and set the destination to Xu Yanshi’s apartment.

Xiang Yuan sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at the driver’s phone mounted on the holder. It seemed they were heading in the opposite direction from her home, like the two ends of the world. She scratched the tip of her nose. She hadn’t expected that after all these years, this would be the way she ended up going to his place. Her emotions were complicated.

She had no idea how to greet Xu Yanshi later. He hadn’t replied to her messages, and now she was about to show up at his place, hoping to get a free meal. If she hadn’t added that ‘I don’t like you anymore’ at the end, it might’ve been better. But because she had, it now came off as a poorly hidden lie. It was like the idiom ‘there are no three hundred taels of silver here^[1]refers to someone trying to cover something up, but instead making it more obvious’. Even though she meant it sincerely, her phone had stayed completely silent. The whole situation made her feel like fate had gripped her throat, and she couldn’t even struggle. It was awkward and frustrating. Besides, she had just returned from the desert today, hadn’t even had a proper shower, and was now rushing over to someone’s house. It really wasn’t appropriate.

When the car was halfway there, it turned onto a small road. The streetlights were shorter but brighter, and more pedestrians passed by in a hurry. Xiang Yuan hardened her heart and came up with an excuse. She hesitated, then turned back to Gao Leng and Lin Qingqing.

“I just remembered I seemed to have plans with a friend tonight…… and also, I didn’t get a year-end bonus, so there’s nothing to celebrate.”

The reason sounded pretty solid.

In the rearview mirror, Gao Leng and Lin Qingqing exchanged a glance. Then Lin Qingqing hesitated and said to Gao Leng, “If Team Leader Xiang isn’t going, then I won’t go either. It’s all guys anyway. What’s the point?”

“Hey! Didn’t we all just agree to go?” Gao Leng got anxious. His mind raced, and he suddenly held up five fingers to Xiang Yuan. “Okay, how about this? I’ll give you five yuan from my year-end bonus. It’s the thought that counts, right?”

Xiang Yuan smiled. “I really do have plans.”

Gao Leng gritted his teeth and raised the stakes, “Twenty. That’s my final offer.”

Xiang Yuan was about to ask the driver to stop at the next intersection when Gao Leng’s phone suddenly rang. He grabbed the call like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline.

“Where are you?” It was You Zhi on the other end.

“Two traffic lights away. But there’s a problem. My team leader says she doesn’t want to come. Lin Qingqing heard it, and now she doesn’t want to come either. What do I do?”

They were almost at the intersection. Xiang Yuan kept her head down, scrolling aimlessly through her social feed. But she wasn’t really looking, just killing time until Gao Leng was done talking and she could have the driver stop.

Before long, Gao Leng handed her the phone without asking. “The boss wants to talk to you.”

Xiang Yuan stared at the glowing screen. The caller ID displayed ‘You Zhi’. Had Xu Yanshi used You Zhi’s phone? She hesitated, and Gao Leng urged impatiently, “Hurry up.”

“Hello.” She held the phone to her ear.

A deep, indifferent male voice came through. He called her name.

“Xiang Yuan.”

She froze. The voice was clear and somehow dispelled the chill in her heart. It had been so long, yet it was so familiar. For a moment, she almost believed that at the end of this call stood that proud boy she once knew.

She lowered her gaze, lashes trembling, and continued scrolling on her phone. “Go ahead.”

There was silence for a moment.

Then someone on the other end suddenly called out, “Where are you going?”

It sounded like he had moved to a quieter place. Xiang Yuan felt restless. She scrolled faster and faster, now seeing posts from three days ago. Just as she grew irritated enough to lock the screen and shout, ‘Are you going to talk or not?’, he finally spoke.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t like me anymore?” Xu Yanshi paused, then chuckled. “What, too scared to come?”

Her chest tightened. That teasing tone was so unexpected. The whole thing was already a murky mess, and now he’d casually thrown a boulder into the lake. She had imagined many possible reactions from him after reading her message— disdain, mockery, indifference…… but she never expected him to say it out loud.

“You’re overthinking it.” Xiang Yuan turned to look out the window and happened to spot a nearby crayfish restaurant. She blurted out, “I want to eat crayfish. Gao Leng said you guys are having hot pot, but I’ve been feeling a bit inflamed lately. I can’t eat spicy food.”

“Okay. So, you’re really not coming?”

She hesitated again and asked the driver, “How far are we?”

The driver pointed. “Just turn the corner.”

She suddenly realized she’d been tricked. Xu Yanshi called just to buy time. They were already downstairs. Was she supposed to turn around and go home now? That would be way too awkward. She still hadn’t hung up, but before she could say anything, the car pulled up at the curb. With a screech and a flick of the handbrake, the interior light flicked on like a halo. “We’re here. Five-star review, please. Thank you.”

……

Gao Leng and Lin Qingqing got out first. Xiang Yuan was still in the car when she saw Xu Yanshi standing under a warm yellow streetlamp by the flowerbed, phone in hand. He was tall to begin with, and the light made him look sharp and clean. His gray tracksuit looked neater than usual. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, so compared to the bundled-up passersby, he seemed rather thin.

He really did look good.

“I see you.” Xiang Yuan said.

Only then did Xu Yanshi look over. Gao Leng immediately ran toward him like a charging octopus, but got pushed away with an expression of disdain. Lin Qingqing followed slowly behind, turning back every few steps to see if Xiang Yuan was getting out.

On the phone, Xu Yanshi’s voice came through, “Get out. I’ll go buy crayfish.”

The tone was flat, neither warm nor coaxing. It could’ve meant anything. Yet it made her heart skip a beat. The words were calm, but somehow, they didn’t feel like they came from that cold-faced man standing outside.

“Okay.”

She pocketed her phone and stepped out.

The neighborhood was quite old. The facilities looked like they hadn’t been updated in years. Not far off was a park for the elderly, bustling with dancing aunties who couldn’t quite stay on beat, as well as people walking dogs and entertaining kids. There were so many people that even the streetlights felt alive.

Xu Yanshi went up with them to grab a coat before heading out again to buy crayfish. The apartment was already in chaos. Gao Leng, You Zhi, and a few others were playing video games, switching between battle royales and MOBA matches.

Gao Leng kept dragging the team down, and You Zhi and the others took turns smashing him into the couch in mock rage before regrouping again like nothing had happened.

Lin Qingqing was watching an English cartoon with Xu Chengli. She didn’t catch a few lines, but to her surprise, the child understood them all and even complained, “This dialogue is so dumb. It’s like for toddlers.” Lin Qingqing looked shocked, questioning her whole existence.

Shi Tianyou and Zhang Jun were trash-talking actors from Xiang Yuan’s favorite idol drama.

“This actress’s sculpted nose job is so exaggerated, she could go act in 《The Condor Heroes^[2]射雕; primarily refers to the title of a famous wuxia novel, 射雕英雄传 (《The Legend of the Condor Heroes》) by Jin Yong; lit. shooting condors》.”

Zhang Jun, a die-hard Jin Yong fan, perked up. “You mean Huang Rong^[3]a character from 《The Legend of the Condor Heroes》?”

Shi Tianyou shook his finger. “No, no, no, I mean the condor.”

Zhang Jun looked offended. “It should be 《The Return of the Condor Heroes^[4]神雕侠侣; the second part of the Condor Trilogy》!”

“Oh.” Said Shi Tianyou, clearly not interested.

……

Xu Yanshi went downstairs to get the car. He was dressed casually in a simple gray sweatshirt under a long white puffer coat and white sneakers. As he walked briskly toward the parking lot, the wind pressed his pant legs against his calves, outlining lean and powerful lines.

He casually pressed the car key. The lights flashed, and the car unlocked. Just as he was about to open the door, he caught sight of someone in the rearview mirror.

He squinted as he had no glasses on and recognized Xiang Yuan’s figure.

He straightened and didn’t look directly at her, but instead crooked a finger toward the young woman behind him.

Xiang Yuan slowly stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and walked up to him.

His coat hung open, one hand holding the key, the other in his pants pocket. He looked down at her.

“You looking for me?”

She glanced around, deliberately avoiding his face. “Actually, you don’t have to buy it…… It’s a hassle. Hot pot’s fine.”

He relaxed, leaning against the car and eyeing her. “So, crayfish was just an excuse not to come?”

She clenched her teeth. She’d really shot herself in the foot.

“Not exactly……”

Now he leaned all the way back, arms crossed, fully relaxed as he continued to twist the knife, “Didn’t you say we should let go of the past and start over?”

Wait, when did she ever say that? Was he twisting her words now?

“That was me trying to give you a way out.” She muttered, glancing at her toes. “Besides, you didn’t reply.”

“What do you want me to say? ‘Got it? Oh? Okay?'”

Indeed, any reply would’ve been weird. Maybe she shouldn’t have sent that message in the first place. Their relationship had already been awkward, and now it was worse.

“So it’s my fault?”

“I don’t know.” Xu Yanshi looked away, stood straight, and placed his hand back on the car door. “Still want crayfish?”

“Yes.”

He curled his lips faintly with no emotion behind it and climbed into the driver’s seat. Xiang Yuan quickly rounded the front of the car, slipped into the passenger seat, fastened her belt, and beamed at him. “Let’s go together.”

……

The car’s interior was plain, and the model was average. It was clear he wasn’t doing great financially.

He drove by the book— no calls, no texting. He’s just a bit lazy, leaning on the window with one arm, steering one-handed. Even when parking, he used just one hand, the kind of move only an experienced driver would do.

After buying crayfish, the two of them also made a trip to the supermarket. Xiang Yuan asked him what he wanted to buy.

He didn’t answer. While Xiang Yuan waited by the entrance, she caught sight of a display of lollipops arranged like a bouquet at the counter out of the corner of her eye. She hesitated, then, seeing that he hadn’t come out yet, was suddenly overcome by impulse. She rushed inside, yanked two out, and stuffed them into her pocket at lightning speed.

The clerk thought she was stealing and nearly vaulted over the counter to catch her. Xiang Yuan quickly pulled out her phone to pay, all while trying to explain, “I’m paying! I’m paying!”

The clerk rolled her eyes and scanned the barcode.

On the way back, they were waiting at a red light when Gao Leng called. Xu Yanshi leaned lazily against the seat, glanced at the screen, and didn’t answer.

“Why aren’t you picking up?”

He tugged at the collar of his down jacket and then took the wheel again, tapping it absentmindedly with one finger. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he said, “We’re almost there.” His voice was a bit hoarse, and after speaking, he cleared his throat.

But as soon as the car passed through the intersection, Gao Leng’s call came through again.

Xiang Yuan grabbed the phone from the center console, leaned over slightly, and pressed the receiver to Xu Yanshi’s ear, forcing him to answer.

“It’s annoying to hear it ring.”

Xu Yanshi didn’t look at her. His eyes stayed fixed ahead, but the finger resting on the wheel paused briefly. “Hello.” He said.

Xiang Yuan’s fingertip happened to brush against his ear. It was just as cold as the rest of him. The moment her skin touched his, her nerves tensed up sharply, and it felt like every pore on her body shivered from an electric shock. This man probably even had cold blood.

But slowly, his ear began to warm up, and the heat spread to her fingertips. In the cramped car, an inexplicable warmth began to stir. The nerves that had been taut just moments ago softened. His faint, indistinct voice lingered in her ear, tickling more than feathers.

Gao Leng seemed to be asking where she was.

Xu Yanshi steered absentmindedly while answering the call, turning into a quiet side street. He sounded impatient as he said, “She’s with me. Hanging up.”

And he did hang up.

Xiang Yuan returned the phone to the console and finally asked the question that had been on her mind. “How did you end up at this company?”

“A twist of fate.”

“……”

After a few more intersections, the scenery outside began to look familiar.

Xiang Yuan cast him a suspicious glance. “I heard from Gao Leng that things haven’t exactly been smooth for you here…… Have you ever thought about going somewhere else? I could…… help you get an introduction.”

Xu Yanshi parked the car and turned off the engine. Taking the keys, he finally turned to look at her. His gaze was complicated— part mocking, part self-deprecating. “Not necessary.”

With that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Xiang Yuan stayed seated for a while, feeling she had said the wrong thing. She had spoken too quickly. She knew he had been suppressed because of internal connections, yet she still brought it up in front of him. That must’ve only made him feel more discouraged.

Why did she always lose her head when it came to Xu Yanshi?

She quickly got out and ran after him. Xu Yanshi heard the car door slam behind him, but didn’t turn around. He just locked the car and strode toward the building.

She hurried after him, and just before he entered the building, she stretched out a slender arm, blocking the heavy, black, rusted iron gate. With a playful grin, she called his name, “Xu Yanshi?”

The man looked down at her, face still cold.

Xiang Yuan pulled out the two lollipops she had snatched at the supermarket. “Look what I brought you back from the Great Northwest!”

Xu Yanshi gave her a theatrical look, like someone who had never seen a lollipop before. He even raised an eyebrow in exaggerated surprise. His expression practically screamed, This didn’t come from the Great Northwest. You might as well have brought it back from the moon.