The sky was dyed entirely crimson by the glow of sunset. The sun sank low, and the light gradually faded—another day was coming to an end.
Gazing at the afterglow on the horizon, Xiao Cheng narrowed his eyes. His expression remained impassive, betraying nothing. His long legs stretched out casually as he fished a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. A thin veil of smoke drifted slowly from his lips—his posture languid, yet carrying an air of cold aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.
He’d had another dream.
But this dream…
He lifted his gaze toward the corridor ahead, where the girl was talking with Liu Hui. His expression was complicated.
The information Jiang Yan had gathered showed that she had no ties to anyone in the capital—she had never even left Guangping County before. This was her first time traveling this far.
But the reason she came here… why did it leave such a bad taste in his mouth?
A faint frown creased Xiao Cheng’s brow, a shadow of depth and darkness creeping into his eyes. Under the sparse, cold light, they gleamed like chilled jade flowing with a luster of their own.
Just then, as if sensing something, she suddenly turned and looked in his direction. Her features softened, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of her lips—an upward curve that flashed across her face and coalesced into two sparks of light in her eyes, only to vanish deep within her pupils in an instant.
“Mr. Xiao, you’re awake?”
Beneath the eaves, a beam of warm yellow light fell upon her face, reminding Xiao Cheng of the wutong flowers blooming outside his bedroom in the capital—buds about to open, irresistibly charming.
Just awake, Xiao Cheng was loose-limbed and languid. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and said flatly, with a hint of nasal rasp: “Mm.”
After a pause, his gaze shifted, and he added: “Come help me up—my leg’s gone numb.”
At those words, Lin Aiyun’s body moved faster than her mind. She stepped off the porch and walked toward him—only realizing it was improper when she was almost there. She turned to Liu Hui in confusion: “Auntie Hui?”
“Huh? Oh.” Liu Hui snapped out of it and hurried over.
“…”
Xiao Cheng watched Lin Aiyun bend down to clean up the scattered loquat peels on the ground, and a smile tugged at his lips. Ignoring Liu Hui’s outstretched hand, he pushed himself up using the chair’s armrest.
Liu Hui glanced at his legs and awkwardly withdrew her hand.
“Mr. Xiao, how did you feel sleeping through the afternoon?” Liu Chengzhang emerged from the main hall, barely concealing his delight. He’d been overjoyed and deeply gratified to see Xiao Cheng fall asleep in the yard—it meant his prescription was working.
“Not bad.” Xiao Cheng reached back and rubbed the back of his head, answering honestly. It had been a long time since he’d slept so soundly during the day. For some reason, he felt at ease here.
No—to be precise…
His eyes shifted, and he glanced sidelong at the slender figure. He felt at ease around her.
“That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful.” Liu Chengzhang let out a breath of relief and asked: “Will you come during the day tomorrow, or later in the evening?”
“I won’t be coming. I’m heading back to the capital.” The moment the words left Xiao Cheng’s mouth, a dull thud sounded from up ahead—a bamboo tray hitting the ground. Though faint, it stirred no small ripple in the quiet courtyard.
“Oh, let me help you lift that—it’s heavy, you can’t carry it alone.” Liu Hui hurried over to help.
“Thank you. It didn’t look that heavy.” Lin Aiyun masked the panic on her face and forced a smile, but her mind was in chaos, like a wild horse running loose.
Xiao Cheng was going back to the capital? So soon—too fast, giving her no time to react. They’d only met twice, exchanged barely a few words. What could she do to make him stay?
It wasn’t just Lin Aiyun—Liu Chengzhang was also taken aback. He stammered: “But you’ve just started to improve. Interrupting treatment now might undo all the progress.”
Xiao Cheng bit down on his cigarette, lazily withdrawing his gaze from Lin Aiyun, looking unconcerned. “We’ll see when the time comes.”
With that, he turned and walked into the main hall, picked up the jacket he’d arrived in, and left.
“Rich folks sure are hard to read.” Liu Hui sighed in admiration, then turned to Lin Aiyun: “Go on home—it’s way past your shift. Thank you for staying to copy all those prescriptions. You’re very thoughtful.”
“It was nothing. Auntie Hui, I’ll be going now.” Lin Aiyun tightened her grip on her bag and hurried toward the gate.
The afterglow had faded, and the sky was now a dusky gray. Her breathing grew heavier as her eyes searched for the person she wanted to see—but in the end, she found nothing.
His car was already gone.
—
For days in a row, Xiao Cheng was as if he’d never appeared—he never came to the Liu household again. Everything continued on its usual, uneventful course. Only Lin Aiyun felt as though a great stone weighed on her chest, leaving her listless and drained.
But she hid it well, not letting anyone see through her facade. Slowly, the gloom in her heart began to lift. If fate hadn’t brought them together now, she would create the opportunity herself—they were bound to meet again.
On the weekend, she planned to go to the post office to send a letter home, but Zhang Wenyue stopped her.
“Tomorrow’s fine too. We’ve got something important to do today.” Zhang Wenyue buzzed about excitedly, pulling Lin Aiyun through half her wardrobe before finally settling on a light-colored long dress and a belt.
“Auntie, what’s this for?” It wasn’t until Zhang Wenyue pushed her to change that Lin Aiyun realized she was being dressed up. She turned just as the door was about to close and asked in confusion.
Thinking of Zhang Wenhua’s instructions, Zhang Wenyue’s eyes flickered. She said vaguely: “Your uncle’s boss has invited us to dinner tonight. You’re coming with us—hurry up and get ready.”
Lin Aiyun stared at the door that had been abruptly shut in her face, sensing something was off. But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, so she set her doubts aside for now. She changed clothes and was then pulled into having her hair done—anyone would think she was about to go on stage.
“Aren’t Ronghao and Xiaochun coming?” As they were about to leave, Lin Aiyun spotted the two siblings playing outside the yard and frowned.
“They’re not going—just the three of us. Kids can be mischievous, and we don’t want to offend anyone.”
“Exactly. Besides, it’s a good chance for you to meet some new people, Aiyun.”
Zhang Wenyue and Ding Weidong played off each other in perfect harmony, settling the matter cheerfully. Lin Aiyun had no objections.
The restaurant they’d agreed on wasn’t far from the Dings, but it wasn’t close either—it would take a while to walk there. On the way, Zhang Wenyue gave Lin Aiyun a brief rundown of the other family.
“Just call them Uncle Xu and Auntie Xu. They have two sons, both older than you—not by much, just a few years. If they come to dinner too, call them ‘brother.’”
“Just act natural and composed—don’t be too shy.”
“They’re easy to get along with, in every way. They have two or three properties in the city, and Uncle Xu’s monthly salary alone is at least double your uncle’s.”
Zhang Wenyue clicked her tongue in admiration. That extra money could buy so many nice clothes and shoes!
“Sounds really good…” Lin Aiyun nodded in agreement. By ordinary standards, that was a very comfortable life.
Zhang Wenyue and Ding Weidong exchanged a knowing glance and smiled. They chatted a bit more about the Xu family, and before they knew it, they were nearing the restaurant—an old establishment that had been open for more than a decade, well-known in the county for its good food.
The prices were a bit on the high side, naturally.
From a distance, they spotted a tall, upright young man standing at the entrance. He wore a crisp white shirt and black trousers, with a pair of glasses on his nose. His delicate, youthful handsomeness made him somewhat androgynous—but what stood out most was his overall bearing: modest, gentle, without a hint of aggression.
Like a warm spring sun, refined and upright.
It was human nature to appreciate beauty—everyone would take a second look, and Lin Aiyun was no exception.
“That must be the Xu family’s youngest son, right? He looks a bit like his father.” Zhang Wenyue leaned closer to Ding Weidong, uncertain, and added: “Pretty handsome too.”
“How would I know? I’ve never met him.” Ding Weidong saw both women staring and twitched his lips. But thankfully, the man gave them the answer first.
The young man strode over quickly and nodded in greeting: “Are you Uncle Ding and Auntie Zhang?”
After receiving an affirmative answer, he smiled and said: “Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself first—my name is Xu Fengyang.”
“Good lad.” Ding Weidong patted Xu Fengyang’s arm and laughed heartily: “Sorry to make you wait for us out here.”
“No trouble at all. Let’s go inside.” Xu Fengyang wore a proper smile, but still young and aware of the evening’s purpose, his gaze inevitably drifted to Lin Aiyun standing behind Zhang Wenyue.
Sensing his eyes, she looked up. Her fair, delicate face—barely palm-sized—was framed by curved brows above clear, dark almond-shaped eyes. A slight smile revealed her bright teeth and rosy lips. Her gaze flickered with a moment of confusion before softening into warmth. For an instant, Xu Fengyang was stunned, then returned a similarly kind smile.
Since they’d avoided the dinner rush, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw the Xu family elders already seated and waiting.
“We’re late.”
“Not at all—we arrived early.”
The two sides shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, leaving the two younger ones standing awkwardly to the side.
“So this is your niece, Aiyun? Oh my, what a lovely girl!” As soon as Xu Fengyang’s mother, Qi Shuhong, laid eyes on Lin Aiyun, she couldn’t look away. She instinctively compared her to Zhang Wenyue—both beauties, but completely different in temperament.
One was a white rose, radiant as spring; the other was a red rose, fiery and brilliant as the summer sun.
Personally, Qi Shuhong preferred Lin Aiyun’s gentle, reserved demeanor, which also seemed more compatible with her son. The two of them standing together simply looked right—like a perfect match made in heaven.
“Haha, Aiyun, come here. Let me introduce you—this is Uncle Xu, Auntie Xu, and you’ve already met Fengyang.” Zhang Wenyue was bold and unflappable. Even if they weren’t that close, her smile never faltered.
Qi Shuhong matched her energy perfectly—the two women held hands like old family friends.
“Uncle Xu, Auntie Xu, Brother Fengyang.” Lin Aiyun followed Zhang Wenyue’s lead, her brows curving in a bright, welcoming smile.
“Have a seat—let’s talk sitting down.”
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