After Lin Aiyun and Zhang Wenhua left the front hall, Xiao Cheng sat in place for a while before getting up and heading toward the rooms. As he passed through the courtyard, he paused, his gaze landing on a patch of flourishing flower beds.
A dream from some time ago suddenly came back to him.
That’s right—he had started dreaming again, during the period when Lin Aiyun was busy at the Embroidery Association and not sleeping at home.
The first night, he thought it was just because he was exhausted during the day, plus he was worried about whether his wife was doing well at the association on her own, so it made sense that he dreamed of her. But then it continued into the second night, the third night…
Only then did he understand the reason—the strange dreams had resurfaced.
Ever since they got married, he and Aiyun had never been apart. Sleeping together naturally meant no dreams. Having been in a state of normal sleep for so long, he had nearly forgotten that he once had a peculiar condition.
So this sudden return to the dream-filled period caught his mind a bit off guard. Moreover, these dreams were somewhat different from the ones before.
Previously, they were mostly fragments of intimate moments—passionate and unrestrained.
Now, they were more about everyday details—decorating the courtyard together, cooking together, taking walks together…
The Xiao family’s courtyard had never been well-maintained because he hadn’t cared about it before, and Xiao Juan’s mind had been elsewhere. It had always looked drab, with very few plants. It wasn’t until Lin Aiyun moved in that she suggested buying some from outside to plant.
Knowing she liked them, he had also gotten into the habit of buying nice flowers and plants from time to time to put in the ground.
Over time, the courtyard became lush and vibrant with greenery. With a mistress in the house, home grew warmer and more inviting, no longer as cold and empty as before.
The dreams matched reality perfectly—even the placement of the flowers and plants was nearly identical.
Gazing at the bougainvillea that had been brought home not long ago, Xiao Cheng murmured to himself, “Could it really be that there’s such a thing as past lives and present ones?”
After saying this, he furrowed his brow slightly, then relaxed it again. “If that really is the case, it wouldn’t be bad at all.”
It would prove that he and Aiyun were bound for life after life, impossible to tear apart.
—
The next day, Lin Aiyun went to the Embroidery Association. After putting her things down, she headed straight to the third floor, because Yang Xueyan had said the day before that she had something to discuss with her.
“Come in.”
Yang Xueyan’s voice came from inside. Lin Aiyun pushed the door open, greeted her with a smile, and held up the bag she was carrying. “Good morning, Auntie. You said last time that the spicy beef my mom makes is delicious, and she happened to make some yesterday, so I brought you a portion.”
“Oh my, you’re so thoughtful—come, sit down.” Yang Xueyan’s eyes crinkled with laughter. There are rarely that many coincidences in the world; more often than not, it’s thoughtfulness at play.
Lin Aiyun had her in her heart and had made this gesture specially—Yang Xueyan appreciated it. And as it happened, she also had some good news to share with her today.
The two sat down on the sofa, and Yang Xueyan personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lin Aiyun. “I have some good news to tell you.”
“What is it?” Hearing this, Lin Aiyun perked up with curiosity. Since she’d been specially asked to come over, this “good news” definitely wasn’t anything ordinary.
“Remember how you and Jiang Run handled the gift selection together? The higher-ups and the association were both very satisfied and have decided to give you two a commendation and rewards.”
Yang Xueyan winked at Lin Aiyun, and without giving her a moment to react, continued, “That’s a good thing, but more importantly—our association leader wants to take you on as a disciple. She asked me to sound you out and see what you think.”
“Huh?” Lin Aiyun jumped up from the sofa, her mouth agape in shock. This was completely out of the blue—she hadn’t had any mental preparation at all.
“The association leader has a lot of recognition for your abilities, and she really likes you. It all comes down to how you feel about it.” For Yang Xueyan, her reaction was clearly expected. She wore a faint smile and asked the crucial question at a leisurely pace.
Lin Aiyun’s mind was in a whirl, but she didn’t hesitate for a second before nodding. “I’m willing!”
Only a fool would say no, right? This was the association leader—a senior master! Countless people begged for the chance to become her disciple and couldn’t get it. Now that the association leader was actively offering to take her on, she was overjoyed—how could she possibly refuse?
“Good, good, good. Haha. We’ll pick an auspicious day, have a meal together, and hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony.” Yang Xueyan patted the back of Lin Aiyun’s hand, her eyes filled with the kind of approval a senior feels for an outstanding junior.
“But there’s no rush on that. The association leader left for a neighboring city on short notice this morning and won’t be back until next week.”
“What’s more urgent is that our association has a collaborative project, and we’re short one person. The association leader and I both recommended you. You’ll join starting Wednesday—work hard. Pulling this off will be a big help in solidifying your footing at the association.”
“Don’t worry—one of the project leads is Jiang Run. He’s the association leader’s son, and you two worked together for quite a while last time. He’ll take good care of you.”
When Lin Aiyun walked out of Yang Xueyan’s office, she felt like she was floating on air. Halfway down the hall, she suddenly stopped, pinched her own cheek, and only after feeling the sting did she break into a grin.
“Hehe. How wonderful.”
And it really was—just as Yang Xueyan had said, as long as she worked hard and let her abilities and results speak for themselves, her standing at the association would only grow.
She managed to suppress her elation and looked up—only to meet a pair of narrow, phoenix-like eyes. The tear mole beneath them swayed with an undeniable charm.
It was Jiang Run.
Beside him stood a stranger in a white shirt, of medium height and a bit plump, with a very kind-looking face.
Thinking about working together on the project in a few days, and that she would need to trouble him for extra care, Lin Aiyun put on a smiling face and greeted Jiang Run: “Senior Jiang Run.”
Then she nodded toward the person beside Jiang Run as a casual greeting.
“Mm.” Jiang Run was usually not very talkative, and Lin Aiyun had already gotten used to it. After he gave a slight nod in return, she headed downstairs.
After she disappeared from sight, the man next to Jiang Run nudged his arm with his elbow and gave him a suggestive look. “Ooh, a newbie at your association? I’ve never seen her before. She’s gorgeous.”
“She just joined a while ago,” Jiang Run replied as he took out his keys to unlock his office door. At the same time, a question inevitably surfaced in his mind—gorgeous? She certainly was.
He Feng followed Jiang Run inside, his mouth never stopping. “Not just pretty—she’s also very articulate. Listen to this, ahem.”
He cleared his throat dramatically, pinched his Adam’s apple, and called out in a mocking, exaggerated tone: “Senior Jiang Run~ Senior~”
Jiang Run closed the door behind him and shot He Feng a cold sideways glare. “If you can’t speak properly, I’ll cut your tongue out.”
“Tsk, so brutal. No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend or a wife.” He Feng, who had just held his newborn son not long ago, raised an eyebrow and grinned smugly. But Jiang Run acted as if he hadn’t heard that at all—not a hint of annoyance—and walked straight past him to sit down on the sofa.
“Hey, I think that girl just now is pretty great. She’s exactly your type too—tall, fair-skinned, good figure. Aren’t you really going to consider it? Don’t you know the saying—’a waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first’? If you don’t go for it now and some other man snaps her up, you’ll have no one to cry to.”
Jiang Run calmly poured himself a glass of water and shot him a cold glance. “Who said that’s my type?”
“All men like that type. Are you not a man?” He Feng plopped down across from him and poured himself a glass as well.
Hearing this, Jiang Run didn’t argue. It was true—no man disliked Lin Aiyun’s type, himself included.
And Lin Aiyun as a person—her embroidery skills were outstanding, her mind was clever, and the creative idea she’d come up with last time was truly impressive. Even his mother couldn’t stop praising her and had even entertained the thought of taking her on as a disciple.
How rare that was—as her son, he understood it all too well.
Jiang Run’s gaze deepened. He took a sip of water, the droplets instantly moistening his slightly dry lips.
“Hey, Jiang Run, now that I think about it carefully—don’t you think she looks a bit familiar? Like I’ve seen her somewhere before?” He Feng leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs and rubbing his chin with his fingertips.
“If you don’t remember, how would I?” Jiang Run figured it was just his old flirtatious streak flaring up again at the sight of a pretty woman. He narrowed his eyes in warning. “Your wife just gave birth. If you dare have any dirty thoughts—”
“Bullshit! Do you take me for some kind of animal?” He Feng flushed red with anger at that, slammed his cup down, and huffed. “I really do think she looks familiar! Where’s your mind going, Jiang Run?”
“Better be that way.” Jiang Run glanced at him, then looked away. “Then think hard. With your brain, you’ll definitely remember.”
Actually, Jiang Run wasn’t wrong. A few years back, He Feng had been a well-known playboy in the capital’s social circles. Relying on the family fortune accumulated over generations, he’d kept no fewer than five or six women—maybe even ten—in his courtyard house.
Two years ago, he married a socialite from a well-matched family. She was strict with him—in He Feng’s own words, the fiercest tigress under the sun. Not only did she dismiss all the women in his courtyard with swift ruthlessness, but she also kept him on a tight leash. Forget fooling around outside—he couldn’t even catch a whiff of another woman.
But He Feng was the type who thrived on being reined in. The stricter she was, the more he adored her. He gradually settled down, willingly staying by his wife’s side every day. Last month, they had a son, and he doted on the boy like he was the apple of his eye.
He Feng was also sharp-witted, with a photographic memory. He had taken over the family business and expanded it further and further—it was only in recent years that things had started to decline under the pressure, otherwise it would likely be far bigger than it was now.
So generally speaking, if he’d seen someone—especially a beautiful woman—he’d definitely remember.
“I’m thinking, so don’t interrupt.” He Feng rubbed his chin, brow furrowed, searching through his memory. Jiang Run didn’t disturb him, drinking his water at his own pace. Actually, he didn’t think He Feng had ever met Lin Aiyun before. Though he didn’t know much about her, he had heard people mention that she was from Jiangming Province and had only recently come to the capital.
And He Feng—that young master—had always found traveling too dirty and tiring. In previous years, he’d only ever hung around the capital’s outskirts and rarely went far, let alone to Jiangming Province.
It was probably just a case of mistaken recognition after seeing someone who looked similar.
But just as that thought crossed his mind, He Feng slapped his forehead and exclaimed: “Oh! I remember now!”
“Remember what?” Jiang Run had just finished his glass of water and casually set it down on the table.
“Do you still remember Xiao Cheng?”
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