On the morning of New Year’s Day, Zhu Wenshu went to the station early to avoid the travel rush.

The whole city still seemed caught in last night’s revelry, not yet awake — even the daylight looked dim, and the passengers on the bus were drowsy.

Zhu Wenshu was, oddly, the only one with any energy.

Not that she was well-rested — it was because she’d almost missed the departure time and had sprinted the whole way here after getting off the subway.

Last night, by the time she’d gotten home and finished washing up, it was already 1:30 in the morning. Normally, if it got that late, she’d have collapsed straight into bed, but she’d still sat there holding her phone, waiting a while.

When Ling Chen never sent a message, she figured he must still be busy.

But she hadn’t dared call him either, afraid of interrupting his work.

After waiting about twenty minutes, Zhu Wenshu’s eyelids simply couldn’t hold out any longer, and she’d fallen asleep leaning against the headboard.

Right before she lost consciousness, she’d thought that being in a relationship was really exhausting — it had even messed with her sleep schedule.

So the next morning, Zhu Wenshu woke up with a slight crick in her neck.

By the time she boarded, most of the seats were already taken.

Zhu Wenshu sat down in the very last row, set her things down, and only then took out her phone.

She opened her chat with Ling Chen — same as when she’d left the house, it was still sitting on that “Happy New Year ^^” message she’d sent, with no reply.

Rubbing her neck, Zhu Wenshu became gradually aware of the voice of a woman on the phone in the row behind her, growing clearer.

“What do you mean you just woke up, I’m already on the bus!”

The woman’s tone carried a thread of anger. “Can’t you show me a little consideration? What were you even drinking that you couldn’t reply to me all night?”

“Ha, phone died, huh? Couldn’t you find a power bank?”

Zhu Wenshu hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the woman’s voice behind her just kept getting louder.

She felt an odd wistfulness settle over her, and checked her phone again — the friends she wasn’t usually that close with had all sent New Year’s greetings on this first morning of the year.

Zhu Wenshu replied to them one by one, and scrolling further down, she suddenly noticed Ling Xingyan had sent her a bunch of messages.

She tensed up instinctively, wondering if something had happened to Ling Siyuan.

The first one had been sent at 2 a.m.

[Ling Xingyan]: Asleep yet?

[Ling Xingyan]: Just finished up, heading back to the hotel.

[Ling Xingyan]: My phone’s broken, won’t turn on. Borrowing someone’s phone for now.

Half an hour or so later.

[Ling Xingyan]: At the hotel now.

[Ling Xingyan]: There’s a last-minute segment reshoot tomorrow, moved the flight back to Jiangcheng to the afternoon.

Another half hour passed.

[Ling Xingyan]: Going to sleep.

[Ling Xingyan recalled a message]

[Ling Xingyan]: Never mind, it’s someone else’s phone, I should watch what I say.

[Ling Xingyan]: I told you Happy New Year, did you hear that?

Half-asleep, Zhu Wenshu read through these messages twice before it dawned on her — this was Ling Chen texting her.

She turned her stiff neck toward the window, her back to the person in the next seat.

She badly wanted to know what that recalled message had said.

But mindful that this was someone else’s phone, Zhu Wenshu made herself hold back.

[Zhu Wenshu]: I heard it.

A few minutes later, a reply came from the other end.

[Ling Xingyan]: ?

[Zhu Wenshu]: ?

[Ling Xingyan]: Teacher Zhu, what exactly did you hear?

Zhu Wenshu: “…”

Looks like the phone had been returned to its rightful owner. Good thing she hadn’t said anything embarrassing.

[Zhu Wenshu]: Nothing, Ling Chen used your phone to send me a message, just replying to it.

[Ling Xingyan]: ? He used my phone? Ugh, no wonder I woke up and my phone was in the living room!

[Ling Xingyan]: He even deleted the chat history!

[Zhu Wenshu]: Don’t get worked up, he didn’t say anything.

[Ling Xingyan]: Well, that’s good then. My phone’s squeaky clean.

[Zhu Wenshu]: So is his phone usable now?

[Ling Xingyan]: No luck. He’ll have to buy a new one when he has time — he’s had it for years and always insists on waiting until it dies before replacing it.

[Zhu Wenshu]: Then could you please let him know I’m already on the bus.

[Ling Xingyan]: …Got it, I’ll pass it along once he wakes up—

After that, Zhu Wenshu didn’t receive any more messages from Ling Chen, but the wistful feeling was gone too.

She first went to her parents’ place for lunch, then went out shopping with her mom in the afternoon.

Dinner, as usual, was at her grandparents’ place. But her grandparents had a cultural performance to attend that evening, so they put down their chopsticks after only a few bites and rushed off to meet up with the group. Her parents also had plans with friends and hurried out the door not long after.

Zhu Wenshu ended up washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen alone at her grandparents’ house, then sat down in the living room and turned on the TV, suddenly feeling a bit lost.

She should have brought her laptop back with her — at least she’d have had something to do.

After a while, still stuck without anywhere to go, Zhu Wenshu got a message from a high school classmate.

[Chen Xuanyuan]: Done eating? We’re about to go sing karaoke. You coming?

[Chen Xuanyuan]: Come sit with us for a bit, haven’t seen you in ages.

Chen Xuanyuan had already asked Zhu Wenshu yesterday morning if she wanted to grab a New Year’s Day meal — with the old classmates still in Huiyang.

Zhu Wenshu had turned it down, citing needing to have a meal with family.

Now that Chen Xuanyuan was asking again, and given the two of them had actually gotten along well in high school, Zhu Wenshu didn’t turn her down again — she grabbed her bag and called a car.

On the way, she took out her phone and thought it over for a while before sending Ling Xingyan a message.

[Zhu Wenshu]: Mr. Ling, could you please let Ling Chen know that Chen Xuanyuan and I are going to Taipei Jin to hang out ^^ I should be home around ten.

[Ling Xingyan]: ?

[Ling Xingyan]: …He says noted.

A while later.

[Ling Xingyan]: The moment I have a free second I’m running out to buy Ling Chen a phone.

[Ling Xingyan]: Buying that man ten of them!—

At the karaoke place, the group really was made up of old classmates.

She just hadn’t expected Yin Yuezhe to be there too.

Zhu Wenshu wasn’t particularly surprised to see him — he’d always gotten along well with everyone from their year.

Yin Yuezhe, on the other hand, froze for a moment, glancing up at Zhu Wenshu standing by the door and staying still for quite a while.

It wasn’t until the cigarette between his fingers dropped some ash that he hurriedly stubbed it out.

Chen Xuanyuan hastily got up from her seat and pulled Zhu Wenshu off to one side, whispering in her ear, “I had no idea they’d invited Yin Yuezhe, he only just got here, I didn’t have time to give you a heads-up.”

Seeing how anxious Chen Xuanyuan was, Zhu Wenshu instead comforted her with a smile. “It’s fine.”

“Oh… good.”

Chen Xuanyuan said this out loud, but inside she was still kicking herself.

The whole reason she’d invited Zhu Wenshu today was to gossip a little about her and Ling Chen. Ever since the concert, the classmates had been buzzing about it privately in several rounds, but no one had ever gotten a straight answer, and no one had the nerve to ask the person involved directly.

Now that they’d finally caught the chance, Yin Yuezhe had to go and crash the party — how were they supposed to bring it up now?

Once Zhu Wenshu took her seat, several of the classmates pretended not to be curious at all, some making small talk, others singing. Even Yin Yuezhe acted uncharacteristically, as though he hadn’t even noticed Zhu Wenshu was there.

The mood of the gathering turned strange as a result — Zhu Wenshu clearly sensed the classmates beside her itching to say something but holding back, while a few of the guys deliberately clustered around Yin Yuezhe, making sure he wasn’t left out.

Which was for the best, at least — it spared her the kind of awkwardness she’d had that time at dinner with Xu Guangliang.

Two hours later, Zhu Wenshu was already starting to feel drowsy. Mid-yawn, her phone rang — an unfamiliar number on the screen.

The private room was noisy, so Zhu Wenshu stepped out to take the call, though the hallway was still busy with people coming and going.

Amid the noise, Zhu Wenshu answered:

“Hello, who is this?”

“Your boyfriend.”

“…”

Even though none of the people passing by in the hallway could possibly know who she was talking to, Zhu Wenshu still felt her spine snap straight, every nerve in her body drawing taut, her voice dropping lower.

“Did you get a new phone?”

“Haven’t had time to buy one yet, borrowed the driver’s phone to call you.”

“I’ve already arrived in Huiyang,” Ling Chen said.

“Huh?”

Zhu Wenshu was startled for a moment, then thought it made sense. “Came back to spend the holiday with family?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

When Ling Chen spoke again, his tone wasn’t as light as before.

“I don’t have any family left in Huiyang.”

“I just came to see you.”

Zhu Wenshu’s heart sank. Before she could find words, she heard him say, “You’re still there? I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

“I’ll go wait out front!”

Zhu Wenshu had already said this and turned to go get her bag, but the moment she pushed the door, something flickered across her gaze and she added, “Oh, one thing — don’t overthink this.”

Ling Chen: “Hm?”

Zhu Wenshu: “Yin Yuezhe’s here tonight too.”

“…”

After a long pause, Ling Chen let out a drawn-out “Oh.” “What would I have to overthink.”

“Or maybe…” he said, almost carelessly, “I’ll just wait in the car for a while.”

“…”

Without another word, Zhu Wenshu pushed the door open, grabbed her bag, and said her goodbyes to everyone.

It wasn’t too late in any case, and no one tried to stop her — Zhu Wenshu hurried out, bag in hand.

Huiyang wasn’t like Jiangcheng — the population density was much lower, and this karaoke place was located in a newly developed commercial district, so there wasn’t much foot traffic on the street.

Zhu Wenshu waited a while at the entrance, and sure enough, that familiar business car pulled up from the intersection across the way.

Given they’d rung in the new year apart — technically two years without seeing each other — Zhu Wenshu couldn’t quite wait, and rather than let the car turn around fully, she decided to cross through the crosswalk.

The moment she took a step, someone called out behind her.

At the sound of that voice, the eagerness on Zhu Wenshu’s face faded, replaced by a composed but distant smile.

“What’s up?”

Yin Yuezhe had his jacket slung over his arm, wearing only a sweatshirt, looking a bit underdressed for the cold.

He walked up in front of Zhu Wenshu, stopping half a meter away, and said, lowering his eyes, “Let me ask you something.”

Zhu Wenshu: “What?”

“I don’t mean anything by it, I’m genuinely just concerned.” Yin Yuezhe said, “Are you and Ling Chen together now?”

Actually, from the moment he’d called out to her, Zhu Wenshu had had a feeling he’d ask this, so she wasn’t surprised — she just smiled a little.

Yin Yuezhe saw his answer in her expression and let out a long breath into the cold night air.

Zhu Wenshu figured that was the end of the topic and was about to walk off when Yin Yuezhe called out to her again.

He frowned slightly — an expression Zhu Wenshu had seen from him before.

“Zhu Wenshu, do you know what you’re doing?”

Zhu Wenshu held her tongue, staring at him blankly for a long moment before asking, “What do you mean?”

“We’re not together anymore, but I still hope you’re doing well.”

The corner of Yin Yuezhe’s mouth lifted, faintly. “Not jumping into some sweet little trap.”

Zhu Wenshu’s expression gradually turned serious. She said nothing, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.

“Not following?” Yin Yuezhe said. “Do you know what kind of person Ling Chen is? Can you handle the consequences of dating him?”

“…”

After a long pause, Zhu Wenshu turned her head away and laughed.

After all, the man in front of her had pursued her for two or three years. Even after a long time apart, Zhu Wenshu still had a basic understanding of him.

She hadn’t originally planned to rehash the past with Yin Yuezhe, but what he’d said tonight was genuinely irritating.

Back when she’d realized, a few months into dating him, that the two of them weren’t a good fit, it had really just been out of her own sense of it. At the time, when Yin Yuezhe asked why they weren’t a good fit, she couldn’t come up with a coherent reason — she’d just felt like she’d let him down.

It wasn’t until she got older and gained a better understanding of human nature that she’d finally grasped why the two of them hadn’t worked.

“Yin Yuezhe.” Zhu Wenshu suddenly spoke up. “Do you know why I said back then that we weren’t a good fit?”

Yin Yuezhe’s gaze fixed on her, clearly not expecting her to bring this up.

“When I filled out my college application, I said I liked kids and wanted to be an elementary school teacher. What did you say?”

Yin Yuezhe of course remembered, because that had been the first time he and Zhu Wenshu had ever argued.

Back then he’d said something almost identical to what he’d just said tonight.

“You asked me if I knew what I was doing. You asked if I understood that with my scores I could get into a better university, study a better major, become a lawyer, a diplomat, a university professor down the line — that being an elementary school teacher wasn’t good enough for someone like me.”

Zhu Wenshu remembered it so clearly precisely because it was the first time her years-long dream had been dismissed by someone — and it had been her own boyfriend, no less. She’d genuinely felt lost for days afterward.

“It took me growing up to realize — it wasn’t that you thought being an elementary school teacher wasn’t good enough for me. It’s that you thought it wasn’t good enough for you.”

“Because you yourself were outstanding — your background, your looks, everything about you exceptional — so you wanted your girlfriend to be just as perfect. I was treated like some delicate work of art you kept carefully preserved, so much so that I didn’t dare show a single flaw. I couldn’t even tell you I liked watching those cheesy melodramatic idol dramas — I had to sit through those boring art films with you every day instead. Don’t you think that was exhausting for me?”

By the time Zhu Wenshu got to this point, Ling Chen’s black business car had already turned around and pulled up to the curb.

But he didn’t get out, and he didn’t roll down the window.

“I know you were good to me, but I really never did you wrong.”

Zhu Wenshu looked him in the eye, calm and steady. “And forget about Ling Chen — actually, you were the sweet little trap.”

Yin Yuezhe seemed to be thinking something over, and said nothing.

Zhu Wenshu took a couple of steps toward the car, then, remembering something, turned back and added, “Also, don’t go using your status as my friend to meddle in my business anymore. My answer’s the same as it was back then — I choose my own path, and I’m responsible for it myself.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Yin Yuezhe’s gaze flickered, and he let out a cold laugh, then said, “Do you know Ling Chen’s father is mentally ill?”

Zhu Wenshu’s eyes went wide, and she stared at Yin Yuezhe for a long moment.

Mentally… ill?

Seeing how shocked Zhu Wenshu looked, Yin Yuezhe stepped closer. “You sure it’s not hereditary?”

Actually, Zhu Wenshu hadn’t registered that last sentence at all — her mind was still stuck spinning around the words “mentally ill.”

“He—”

Zhu Wenshu had only gotten one word out when the door of the car by the curb opened.

She turned her head instinctively and saw the man inside step out — no hat, no mask, walking toward her out in the open, brazen as anything.

“Done talking?”

Ling Chen stood beside Zhu Wenshu, lowering his head to ask her.

Zhu Wenshu felt a bit helpless — did the two of them really look like they’d just been “talking”?

“…Done.”

“Good.”

Ling Chen took Zhu Wenshu’s hand, turned to look at Yin Yuezhe, and said, “We’re leaving, then.”

Seeing that Yin Yuezhe said nothing in response, Ling Chen pulled Zhu Wenshu along and walked off.

Once the two of them had turned away, an expression of fury finally surfaced on Yin Yuezhe’s face.

So Zhu Wenshu had known Ling Chen was standing right there watching him the whole time?

Playing him for a fool?

In the car, the two of them sat in the middle row, a whole aisle’s worth of distance between them.

Ling Chen hadn’t said a word since getting in — his expression seemed fine on the surface, but Zhu Wenshu couldn’t shake the feeling that the mood was a bit stifling.

She coughed twice; Ling Chen turned to look at her.

Zhu Wenshu blinked, and Ling Chen turned his head back toward the window, still saying nothing.

The words “I’m jealous” were practically written across his face.

With the driver in the car, Zhu Wenshu didn’t feel comfortable saying anything either, so she could only sneak her hand over and hook her pinky around his.

He glanced down at Zhu Wenshu’s hand, then slowly lifted his gaze back up to her, eyebrows raised.

“That’s it?”

Zhu Wenshu pressed her lips together, staring straight ahead, and without a trace of hesitation pried Ling Chen’s hand open, tracing small circles in his palm.

She didn’t say a single word, but Ling Chen felt an itch spreading through his whole body.

Suddenly, he caught her hand, squeezed it hard, and only then turned his head to say, “What were you talking about with your ex for so long?”

Zhu Wenshu was about to open her mouth when she heard him say, low and distant, “Seven whole minutes.”

Zhu Wenshu was startled. “That long?”

“A full—” Ling Chen said, enunciating each word, “seven minutes.”

Zhu Wenshu: “…”

Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’d spent seven hours with her ex.

“We were talking about you.”

Ling Chen’s gaze paused; after a silence, his tone changed, no longer playful.

“Talking about me, what?”

Zhu Wenshu said, “I told him — if only I’d known, I wouldn’t have hung out with him in front of you back in high school. Would’ve saved myself all this teasing now. Ugh, I regret it so much.”

She’d meant it as a joke, a way to tease Ling Chen a little, but instead the atmosphere in the car turned suddenly heavy.

She turned her head and saw Ling Chen looking at her, gravely.

“I really can’t manage to be as calm and composed as he is.”

The words still sounded like jealousy, but something about the tone was off.

Zhu Wenshu was still puzzling over it when she heard him say, “But I never thought there was anything wrong with you being with him before.”

Zhu Wenshu blinked. “Huh?”

“Not following?”

He lowered his head and laughed a little. “Well, it wasn’t going to be me either way. Having someone that good treat you well for three years — that’s not a bad thing.”

Something in Zhu Wenshu’s chest softened. She shook his hand a little. “It really wasn’t that great, actually, or I wouldn’t have broken up with him.”

Ling Chen suddenly looked up. “And me, then?”

Zhu Wenshu: “Hm?”

Ling Chen asked, “Compared to him, who’s better — him or me now?”

So he really had just been jealous this whole time.

Zhu Wenshu straightened her expression. “You want the honest truth?”

Ling Chen’s face went still.

“Never mind.”

“Obviously—” Zhu Wenshu turned to look at him, “—you. You’re the best.”

After a long while, Ling Chen turned his head away without saying anything, and there was no telling if he believed her or not.

Zhu Wenshu thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled something out of her bag and set it on Ling Chen’s lap.

Ling Chen picked it up and looked at it, confused.

“What’s this?”

“New Year’s present.”

Zhu Wenshu had actually agonized over this for quite a while, worried that a phone wouldn’t really catch Ling Chen’s eye, but she genuinely couldn’t think of anything else he might need.

Seeing that Ling Chen was just staring at her, saying nothing, Zhu Wenshu asked nervously, “You don’t like it?”

Instead of answering, Ling Chen asked, “Are you… trying to butter me up?”

Zhu Wenshu blinked, too lazy to argue.

“Then take it that way.”

Ling Chen lowered his head to look at the phone box, saying quietly, “I’m not that easy to win over.”

Zhu Wenshu: “…Then I’ll think of another way.”

Ling Chen let out a soft laugh, turned to crack the window open a little, letting a gust of cold air hit his face.

A moment later, he suddenly said to the driver, “Brother Zhou, you haven’t had a cigarette all day?”

The driver hadn’t expected to be called on suddenly, and nearly slammed the brakes.

“Huh? I quit.”

“Quit?”

“Yeah, quit six months ago now.”

“Oh.”

Ling Chen fell silent again.

Zhu Wenshu had no idea what he was up to — he wouldn’t even open the phone to look at it, let alone show any sign of how he wanted to be won over.

Fortunately, Huiyang’s downtown was small, and within a few minutes they arrived at their destination.

The car pulled into an underground parking garage. Ling Chen put on his mask and led Zhu Wenshu out of the car by the hand.

Zhu Wenshu had no idea whose parking garage this was, and didn’t ask, figuring she’d find out once they went up.

But before she’d gone more than a few steps, Ling Chen yanked her by the wrist, pulling her around into a corner and pinning her against the wall.

Zhu Wenshu stumbled backward in confusion, trying to find something to steady herself, but before her back even touched the wall, his hand was already at her waist, holding her up.

Barely a second passed before Ling Chen pulled his mask down and leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth.

Zhu Wenshu’s whole head went numb.

This was an underground parking garage — people could walk by at any moment!

Her heart hammered, her legs went weak, and her whole body ended up leaning entirely against Ling Chen, a ringing in her ears.

After a long while, Ling Chen stopped, looking down at her.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be you winning me over?”

Zhu Wenshu’s limbs were still tingling, no strength left in her — she only made a small “mm” sound through her nose.

Ling Chen: “This is how you win me over from now on.”

Zhu Wenshu felt like this was going way too far — since when was this how you won someone over?

She’d just opened her mouth to say something when Ling Chen’s breath, hot and insistent, closed in.

She tensed up on instinct, and after a moment, still hadn’t opened her eyes.

By the time Zhu Wenshu’s senses gradually came back to her, she was dimly aware of him burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Ling Chen seemed to have gone entirely soft, his whole body leaning against her.

His voice came muffled from inside her scarf.

“Don’t spend money on things like this anymore. Leave that kind of thing to me.”

—

That night, after Ling Xingyan finished his social obligations, he remembered something on the way home and quickly sent Lu Manman a message.

[Ling Xingyan]: Find time tomorrow to go buy Ling Chen a new phone.

[Lu Manman]: What model, color, and storage?

[Ling Xingyan]: Whatever.

[Lu Manman]: Okay.

Ling Xingyan thought for a moment, then typed again.

[Ling Xingyan]: Get him two!

[Lu Manman]: ?

[Ling Xingyan]: Three!

Once that was settled, Ling Xingyan rubbed his temples, thinking about calling Ling Chen to let him know a new phone was already taken care of, so he’d stop stealing other people’s.

Then it hit him — Ling Chen didn’t have a phone right now, there was no way to reach him.

Ling Xingyan sighed, and was about to close his eyes for a bit when the phone in his bag buzzed again.

He’d received a text from an unfamiliar number.

[17XXXXXXXX8]: You there?

This was Ling Xingyan’s work number, which blocked all spam messages, so seeing this, his guard immediately went up.

[Ling Xingyan]: Who’s this?

[17XXXXXXXX8]: Transfer me a hundred thousand.

[Ling Xingyan]: ?

[17XXXXXXXX8]: Don’t know who I am?

Ling Xingyan thought it over for a long moment, then replied uncertainly: Ling Chen?

It had to be him.

[17XXXXXXXX8]: Just as sharp as your own son.

[17XXXXXXXX8]: How’d you know my girlfriend got me a phone?