---

Chapter 01 — A Hometown Encounter with an Old Friend, Part One

It started raining outside.

Since autumn began, Zicheng had often been enveloped in this kind of fine rain and mist. After the rain, the temperature would drop noticeably, with a stark contrast between day and night temperatures — a climate that made Que Wanshu, who hadn’t returned to Zicheng in years, feel a little unaccustomed.

She had spent the past few years in her hometown, Yi’an, a city in the south. Although it also rained frequently there, the climate was generally warm — not as cold as Zicheng.

She had just opened the window when she closed it again, pulling her white coat tightly around her. She stood by the window, admiring the autumn scenery after the rain for a while, before returning to her desk to prepare the teaching aids needed for her next speech therapy session.

Que Wanshu was a speech therapist. She studied Audiology and Speech Rehabilitation in university and received a scholarship after graduation to pursue a master’s degree in Audiology in Australia. Now she worked at Yun’an Hospital in Zicheng, mainly responsible for speech therapy and auditory rehabilitation training for infants and toddlers.

The ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) department at Yun’an was particularly well-known, with several doctors having made significant contributions to cochlear implants and microtia. As a result, many hearing-impaired patients came from afar, and the hospital saw more post-operative rehabilitation cases than others.

Her next patient was one such case — a five-year-old child who had been born with profound congenital hearing loss and underwent bilateral cochlear implant surgery at one and a half years old. The child was adapting well but was still lagging behind peers in speech development.

That day’s session involved reading a children’s picture book and using simple songs to train the child’s auditory memory and rhythm recognition for longer sentences.

The session lasted about an hour. Afterward, Que Wanshu consulted with the child’s family. By the time everything was finished, the wall clock already pointed to six o’clock.

“Chenchen, say goodbye to Teacher Shushu,” the child’s mother said, smiling as she held her son’s hand and pointed to Que Wanshu.

Chenchen was a shy and introverted boy. It had taken several sessions before he became comfortable with her. Now, standing by his mother’s leg, he hesitated for a moment before shyly saying, “Goodbye, Teacher Shushu,” and blowing her a kiss goodbye — which made her eyes crinkle with laughter.

“My birthday is today! We’re going to eat ice cream!” Chenchen said brightly.

His mother added, laughing, “Ever since his dad promised him ice cream, he’s been talking about it nonstop — driving both of us crazy.”

Hearing his mother tease him, Chenchen only grinned at Que Wanshu, utterly adorable.

“So Chenchen likes ice cream!” she said, ruffling his hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was your birthday today — otherwise, I would have taught you the ‘Happy Birthday’ song during class.”

Chenchen replied, “Next time!”

“Okay, next time I’ll teach you.” Her smile deepened. She asked him, “Do you know the date of your birthday?”

“October 7th!” he replied loudly.

“That’s right — October… 7th.” For a brief second, Que Wanshu seemed dazed, then quickly snapped back. “I’ll remember it next time and won’t forget.”

Back in her office, Que Wanshu took off her white coat and slumped in her chair, dazed.

After a moment, she opened her digital calendar. The October 7 entry was filled with therapy appointments — nothing else.

But even without writing it down, she clearly remembered — today was his birthday.

Time flies. Another year had passed.

Staring out the window, she dazed off for a while, then chuckled at herself, just as she was about to pack up and head home. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she said.

The door opened, and a smiling young man poked his head inside. Upon seeing her, he visibly relaxed. “Great, you’re still here.”

It was Dr. Jin Ting, the ENT attending physician — and a former university senior of hers from Australia. He was the one who had invited and recommended her to work at Yun’an.

“Dr. Jin? What’s up?”

He walked in quickly and slapped his hand down on her desk, grinning as he snapped his fingers. “Department dinner tonight — you in? You have three seconds to answer. One, two—”

“I—”

“Three! That’s a yes, right? Great!” he said before turning on his heel and walking away, as if afraid she might change her mind.

Wait! She hadn’t even said yes!

“Stop right there!!” she called after him.

He turned around, but before she could say anything, he added, “Come on, you’ve been here almost three months and haven’t joined a single team dinner. The department head’s treating us tonight — it’s the perfect chance to welcome you!”

“…”

Facing his sparkling eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

And besides, after all that… how could she say no?

“…Time and place?”

“Awesome!”

—

After work, Que Wanshu rode with Jin Ting to the restaurant, picking up another colleague along the way.

Her name was Zheng Luli, also a speech therapist at Yun’an Hospital. She had the day off and originally planned to meet her long-distance boyfriend, but had a sudden change of plans and asked if she could hitch a ride with them.

When she got in, Que Wanshu noticed her clearly dolled-up appearance and asked, “Didn’t you say you were meeting your boyfriend? What changed?”

“He made me come,” Zheng Luli giggled. “He looked up the place and saw it’s a high-end private restaurant where the average bill is over a thousand. He insisted I go so I could tell him all about it afterward.”

Wanshu saw through her immediately. “You just wanted to eat there yourself, huh?”

“Not eating would be a crime!” Zheng Luli said dramatically. “I heard Director Wu is paying. Did he win the lottery or something?”

Jin Ting laughed. “Maybe. But even if he did, this place isn’t the kind of spot money alone can get you into.”

Both women turned to him.

He continued, “It’s membership-only. You need to be brought in by an existing member. Without that, no amount of money will get you a seat.”

“How do you become a member then?” Luli asked.

“First, you need a referral. Then they’ll vet your identity. You also have to pay dues and meet a yearly spending threshold.”

Luli was amazed. Wanshu wasn’t surprised — in fact, she knew even more.

Not just restaurants — many private clubs operated this way. Before her family’s downfall, her father had been part of several exclusive clubs with membership fees in the millions. Some clubs had even stricter requirements — money wasn’t the key; social connections and status were.

“But how do you know all this, Dr. Jin? Are you a member?”

He chuckled. “Me? I’m just an ordinary doctor — no way I qualify.”

“Well, Director Wu sure is full of surprises,” Wanshu teased.

Zheng Luli chimed in mysteriously, “I heard his wife is really well-connected.”

“Oh?” Wanshu asked. “Like what?”

Lowering her voice, Zheng Luli whispered, “You know who owns our hospital, right? Yun’an Group. They started in chemicals, but recently got into pharmaceuticals. Rumor has it Director Wu is married to the chairman’s sister — the chairman is his brother-in-law.”

“Really?” Wanshu was stunned. She thought of the scruffy old man who wore worn-out surgical shoes and constantly nagged about underfunded research. It was hard to link him with a powerful conglomerate.

Luli nodded, sharing her “reliable sources” and juicy hospital gossip. They laughed and whispered together, and just as they were talking about the handsome orthopedic doctor who was actually prematurely balding and wore a wig, they arrived at the restaurant.

“Time to get out, ladies,” Jin Ting announced, stepping out first and courteously opening their doors.

The underground parking lot was spacious and well-lit. Dozens of luxury cars lined the area, some so rare they were only seen in online galleries.

Luli’s eyes went wide. “Is this a place for commoners like me…?”

“You belong here,” Wanshu said, laughing and gently pushing her toward the elevator. “There’s nowhere you don’t belong. Well… maybe the men’s room.”

Luli added, “And the men’s bathhouse.”

The two exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

---

“The Director and the others have arrived,” Jin Ting glanced at his phone, then led the two women into the elevator. When they reached the first floor, a receptionist immediately stepped forward to welcome them.

Jin Ting gave the name of the private room and began verifying the reservation with the staff. Meanwhile, Zheng Luli leaned in toward Que Wanshu and whispered, “Don’t you think Dr. Jin looks really familiar with this place? Are you sure he’s not a member?”

Que Wanshu glanced at Jin Ting and suddenly lowered her voice. “Okay, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

Zheng Luli leaned closer in curiosity, only to see Que Wanshu hesitate, as if debating whether to speak, before finally putting on a serious face and saying, “Actually, I’m the member.”

Zheng Luli: “……”

Zheng Luli let out a chuckle and mimicked her tone, “Then I’ll let you in on a secret too — I’m actually the owner of this place.”

Que Wanshu’s eyes sparkled, “Awesome! I’m going to tell Director Wu that tonight’s dinner is on the house — the boss insists on treating!”

Zheng Luli: “…Hey!”

In truth, Que Wanshu wasn’t entirely joking — she had been a member here once, even if that was in the past.

This private kitchen was opened by a family friend from her former social circle — someone who had been close with her ex-boyfriend. Back in high school, they used to hang out and eat here often.

At that moment, Que Wanshu looked up at the calligraphy behind the reception desk — the five boldly written characters “Hua Jing Private Cuisine” — and even though she told herself she should be used to this by now, a wave of nostalgic melancholy still welled up in her chest, leaving her slightly breathless.

It had been easier back when she was living in Yi’an. But since returning to Zicheng, this feeling seemed to follow her constantly — every familiar-yet-different place triggering a pang of sorrow.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the older gentleman at the reception speaking with the host until he paused briefly and then slowly walked toward them.

The gentleman soon reached them and said, “Xiao Chen, I’ll take over.”

The server who had been about to lead Jin Ting’s group was startled but quickly nodded. “Yes, Manager.”

The elderly man, dressed in a dark red Tang suit with a golden badge on his chest, smiled warmly at the three of them and said courteously, “I’m the manager of Hua Jing. My surname is Tang. It’s an honor to serve you — please, this way.”

The announcement caught not only Zheng Luli by surprise, but even Jin Ting looked a bit taken aback. Que Wanshu, on the other hand, lowered her eyes slightly and felt her breath hitch for a moment.

After the three followed Manager Tang to a private room named “Rong Fu Xuan,” he left without saying much else. Que Wanshu couldn’t tell if he had recognized her or not.

The others were already there — including Director Wu and a few doctors, as well as Teacher Zhang Shulan (another speech therapist), and two audiologists who handled auditory assessments and cochlear implant tuning.

Once everyone had arrived, the food began to be served.

Que Wanshu sat next to Teacher Zhang, who kept urging her to try the various dishes.

Teacher Zhang, now over sixty, was a leading expert in pediatric speech therapy in China. Though Que Wanshu had only been in Yun’an for three months, she had already learned a lot from her and held her in high regard.

Teacher Zhang seemed to be fond of her too and had taken her under her wing recently, guiding her like a student.

Director Wu, noticing this, added, “I remember Little Que is from Yi’an, right? Since you’re in Zicheng now, you must try the crabs here — everyone loves them!”

Zicheng was known for its crabs, and since it was the perfect season, many of the dishes tonight featured crab. Director Wu even rotated the lazy Susan to place the crab dish in front of her.

Everyone’s enthusiasm made Que Wanshu a little shy, and Jin Ting quickly came to her rescue. “Don’t worry, teachers. Wanshu grew up in Zicheng — no one knows better how delicious the crabs here are.”

Director Wu was surprised. “You lived in Zicheng before? Then why move to Yi’an?”

Que Wanshu explained, “I grew up here, but Yi’an is my ancestral home. We moved back during high school after some family issues.”

“Yi’an is nice too,” Director Wu nodded, then asked curiously, “What do your parents do?”

Que Wanshu froze, her hand pausing mid-air with the chopsticks. She didn’t quite know how to answer.

It wasn’t that her parents’ professions were shameful — just complicated to explain.

As she was trying to think of a response, Teacher Zhang gave Director Wu a sideways glance and said, “Why are you asking so many questions? Can’t we just enjoy our meal?”

Director Wu chuckled awkwardly, “Just making small talk! No pressure, Little Que.”

“Not at all,” Que Wanshu smiled.

Director Wu soon turned the conversation elsewhere, but being a workaholic, he somehow circled back to shop talk, prompting Teacher Zhang to scold him again — making everyone laugh.

At that moment, Que Wanshu received a phone call from a client’s family. She excused herself and stepped outside to answer it.

They wanted to reschedule an upcoming session due to a conflict, so she checked her schedule, found a suitable time, and confirmed it with them.

After ending the call, she turned to head back — but just then, someone called her name: “Que Wanshu?”

She turned and saw two young men looking at her. One of them, upon seeing her respond, looked surprised.

“It really is you, Que Wanshu.”

She was standing on an outdoor corridor; the two men were at the terrace on the other end, smoking. The lighting over there was dim, so she couldn’t clearly make out their faces.

She didn’t recognize the voice, but if someone who knew her was here, there was only one possibility.

Either it was him, or one of his friends.

Either way, she definitely didn’t want to deal with it — she just wanted to leave.

So she didn’t answer, clutching her phone tightly as she quickly turned to head back inside.

But before she could go far, one of them caught up and blocked her path. “Running away? You don’t recognize me anymore?”

Que Wanshu lowered her head, playing dumb. But the man was in no rush, standing there with his hands in his pockets, clearly intent on keeping her from leaving.

She stepped right — he moved with her. Left — he followed again, determined to block her way.

After staring at the floor for a moment, Que Wanshu finally lifted her face.

What she saw was a sharply handsome man with seductive eyes and a mischievous smile — very different from her memory.

She stared, memories flashing rapidly in her mind, before she could barely match the face to a name.

“Huo Haicheng?” she asked hesitantly.

She couldn’t be blamed for the uncertainty. In her memory, Huo Haicheng had been a chubby, friendly-looking guy with a hidden mischievous streak. But this man—

“Yep, it’s me,” he said with a grin, tossing his cigarette into the nearby trash bin.

She stared at his chiseled jawline and long, straight legs, stunned.

Wow. Puberty really did work wonders.

Wait—this wasn’t the point!

If Huo Haicheng was here, then that meant he must be here too—

Her heart skipped a beat, and panic showed on her face.

“Huo-ge, who’s this?” asked the guy who had come with him. He gave Que Wanshu a once-over, then grinned meaningfully. “Damn, even a smoke break turns into a pickup session.”

Huo Haicheng gave him a sideways look, “Shut up if you want to live.”

The guy laughed, “Falling for beauty and forgetting your bro already?”

He didn’t know Que Wanshu, but seeing her simple white blouse and gray A-line skirt — modest yet elegant — his curious gaze soon turned into something more suggestive.

Huo Haicheng noticed and scoffed, not even bothering to pity the guy.

Meanwhile, Que Wanshu didn’t notice — she was too busy thinking of escape plans. Could she fake an emergency? Say her cactus was puking and she had to rush home? Her bestie’s plumbing exploded?

But Huo Haicheng saw through her and suddenly threw an arm around her shoulder with a bright smile: “Here for dinner? Long time no see — the gang’s all here, come hang out with us.”

Que Wanshu: “……”

That’s exactly what she was afraid he’d say—!!

“I…” But before she could refuse, he’d already dragged her off with a firm grip that brooked no argument.

She struggled along the way, looking like a poor village girl being manhandled by a local thug — and the “thug” himself kept smiling cheerfully, his attitude unshakably strong.

Even his buddy was confused. Wasn’t Huo-ge usually the gentlemanly type with girls? What’s with the sudden gangster energy?