After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Beijing’s weather followed the pattern of each autumn rain bringing another layer of coolness.

Drizzle began falling in the evening, and the sky darkened earlier than usual.

Under the misty rain, the evening rush hour traffic on the East Third Ring Road seemed to start earlier, too.

Wang Danyang was accompanying Zhou Ning home to celebrate her father’s birthday tonight. He passed by Qin Lie’s office and unconsciously stopped.

Last night, Qin Lie had taken him to dinner with Chen Yufan, the CEO of Yufan Technology.

He finally understood the real reason why Qin Lie was willing to return to Beijing.

It wasn’t because of Tunnel 3.0’s public beta, but for something that seemed almost insane to him.

Qin Lie wanted to collaborate with Chen Yufan on technology—technology-enhanced virtual worlds.

Wang Danyang wasn’t someone with a poker face. In front of internet mogul Chen Yufan, he had forcefully swallowed down a bellyful of complaints.

After dinner, as soon as they got in the car, Wang Danyang launched into a tirade at Qin Lie: “Virtual technology, Old Qin, after all these years, you still haven’t given up?”

“I’ll say it again—aren’t you afraid of overreaching and hurting yourself?”

Qin Lie smiled and said unhurriedly, “Whether Dawn wants to join in is your decision.”

Wang Danyang felt his head throbbing. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, saying nothing for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived home, Wang Danyang pushed open the car door and turned to Qin Lie in the back seat, saying irritably, “Use whoever you want, but go easy on spending the damn money.”

A low chuckle came from the back seat.

Wang Danyang slammed the car door and walked unsteadily toward the building entrance, slightly tipsy.

A gust of autumn wind blew past, making him shiver and contract his shoulders. He suddenly stopped and looked back.

“Old Qin.”

He called out.

The dark car window slowly rolled down. Qin Lie sat in the car, looking over with calm eyes.

The two men gazed at each other in the night.

Wang Danyang’s throat moved. For three years, the “I’m sorry” that had been stuck in his heart reached his lips, then suddenly felt meaningless.

He knew that what weighed on his mind, Qin Lie had long forgotten.

From Tunnel 3.0 to the metaverse, Qin Lie ultimately couldn’t let go of Dawn, couldn’t abandon the camaraderie they’d built together.

He suddenly smiled at Qin Lie and said, “It’s really good that you’re back.”

Qin Lie’s lips curved slightly in response.

Wang Danyang watched the black sedan slowly drive out of the small road and disappear into the night.

Three years ago, he hadn’t stood firmly by Qin Lie’s side. Instead, he had added fuel to the fire, watching helplessly as Qin Lie met with failure.

At that time, like everyone else, he had questioned, opposed, and feared that Qin Lie would destroy Dawn at its peak.

But back then, he had forgotten that many years earlier, when the words “establish Dawn” first came from Qin Lie’s mouth, he had been in their dorm eating instant noodles and pulling all-nighters gaming.

Back then, he had shoved his half-eaten instant noodles into Qin Lie’s hands and opened a can of Red Bull to stay alert.

He had moved his mouse, looking at his 2D wife in the game, and said with a laugh, “You should dream more realistically. Tomorrow night at eight, the gacha opens—let’s see how lucky you are.”

They had all forgotten that Dawn itself was a crazy dream.

They had all forgotten how Dawn had walked step by step from a run-down rental house into the expensive CBD.

How it had transformed from crazy talk into an industry miracle.

“I’m sorry.”

He said quietly to the empty intersection.

For three years, he had thought this person had changed, that those recklessly ambitious dreams were luxuries only young people deserved to have.

But he was wrong.

This person was still a madman.

This time, he wanted to go crazy with him, to return to the beginning, back to those recklessly ambitious teenage years.

The next day at noon, Wang Danyang stood at the door of Qin Lie’s office, lost in thought as he recalled yesterday’s events, his emotions churning unconsciously.

Footsteps came from behind. Wang Danyang snapped back to reality and saw Qin Lie’s assistant, Little Tang, walking over with a stack of documents.

“General Manager Wang.”

Little Tang stopped at the door of Qin Lie’s office and greeted Wang Danyang.

Wang Danyang pointed to the files in Little Tang’s arms. “What’s that?”

Little Tang replied, “The design and technical personnel résumés that General Manager Qin requested.”

Wang Danyang nodded. “Go ahead.”

Little Tang knocked and entered Qin Lie’s office. Wang Danyang leaned against the doorway and reminded Qin Lie with a smile, “Don’t forget about tomorrow night’s Tunnel 3.0 celebration banquet.”

Qin Lie suddenly paused. “I can’t make it. I have a flight tomorrow.”

Wang Danyang: “Going back to Dunhuang again?”

Qin Lie nodded and took the documents Little Tang handed him.

Wang Danyang shook his head helplessly.

“Look at you, commuting like this. Wouldn’t it be better to bring her to Beijing?”

Qin Lie smiled. “She’s busy too.”

Wang Danyang: “Could her work be as important as yours?”

Qin Lie made an acknowledging sound. “They’re equally important.”

An image of Chen Xi bending over to dismantle an engine suddenly flashed through his mind.

That was her life, her passionate career, no different from his own.

Wang Danyang: “You…”

He shook his head and walked away with a smile.

Qin Lie looked at the personnel files in his office for a while. Seeing the rain getting heavier outside, he decided to take the documents home to continue reviewing.

His house was in Shuangjing, not far from the company—about a twenty-minute walk.

Qin Lie held an umbrella and walked through the sparsely leaf-strewn streets.

The evening rush hour had ended. When Beijing’s streets quieted down, they were beautiful.

A taxi passed by on the roadside. Qin Lie’s gaze was momentarily drawn to a girl with long hair flowing over her shoulders in the back seat.

The girl’s profile looked very much like Chen Xi’s.

Qin Lie suddenly missed her a little.

He took out his phone and called Chen Xi.

The phone rang a few times before connecting, and Chen Xi’s familiar voice came through.

“Hello? Are you off work?”

Hearing Chen Xi’s voice, the corners of Qin Lie’s mouth unconsciously lifted slightly.

“Mm, I’m off work.”

Chen Xi: “Are you home yet?”

Qin Lie: “Almost.”

Chen Xi made an acknowledging sound, was silent for two seconds, then asked, “Have you had dinner?”

Qin Lie: “Not yet.”

Chen Xi chuckled. “I haven’t either.”

Qin Lie: “It’s almost ten o’clock. Why haven’t you eaten yet?”

Chen Xi: “I didn’t get around to it.”

Raindrops hit the umbrella overhead with a pleasant sound.

Qin Lie asked with a smile, “What will you eat later?”

Chen Xi’s voice carried a hint of mischief.

“That depends on you. What do you want to eat?”

Qin Lie thought for a moment. He didn’t have anything particular in mind. “Noodles, I guess.”

Chen Xi: “The place at your community entrance?”

When they were free, they often chatted on the phone about all sorts of trivial matters.

Chen Xi already knew by heart how many gates, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants were in Qin Lie’s community.

Including Qin Lie’s favorite Jixi Cold Noodle Restaurant.

Qin Lie smiled and made an acknowledging sound.

Chen Xi: “Will you have knife-cut noodles or pulled noodles?”

Qin Lie: “Knife-cut noodles.”

Chen Xi: “Then I’ll try the pulled noodles.”

Qin Lie couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Let’s go to the night market for pulled noodles tomorrow evening.”

Chen Xi just smiled without saying anything.

After hanging up, it took only a few minutes to reach the noodle restaurant at the community entrance.

Qin Lie closed his umbrella and placed it in the plastic container by the shop entrance.

Cold rain drifted outside while warm air inside created a faint layer of white mist on the clean glass door.

Qin Lie pushed open the door and immediately saw a tall, slender figure with long hair flowing over her shoulders, standing at the pickup counter. Her back looked almost exactly like Chen Xi’s.

He was slightly startled and couldn’t help taking another look at the girl.

When she turned around carrying her tray, Qin Lie was completely stunned.

Chen Xi looked up and saw Qin Lie standing frozen at the entrance, then smiled at him.

“I’m starving. Come eat quickly.”

The two walked to an empty table by the window. The surprise had come so suddenly that Qin Lie still couldn’t quite process it.

Chen Xi placed the stir-fried noodles in front of him and handed him chopsticks with a smile.

Qin Lie cleared his throat softly, finally finding his voice.

“How did you get here?”

Chen Xi lifted her eyelids and looked at him with a half-smile.

“Who says you have to be the one making the trip every time?”

Qin Lie took the chopsticks as the warm temperature of the room enveloped him.

Chen Xi picked up a chopstick full of steaming knife-cut noodles and said with a smile, “You’ve mentioned this place so many times, I’ve been wanting to try the noodles here.”

Wind and rain knocked against the windows outside as they ate their fill in warmth.

When the two squeezed under one umbrella to go home, Qin Lie still felt it wasn’t quite real.

It wasn’t until after they’d made love and he was holding the warm person in his arms that he truly felt Chen Xi had come.

They stayed close in bed until late into the night, as if they had endless things to say.

Chen Xi became more energetic the later it got and got up to shower.

Qin Lie leaned against the headboard, continuing to review Dawn’s employee résumés.

After Chen Xi finished her shower, she came out wearing Qin Lie’s T-shirt, curiously wandering around the house before finally walking onto the balcony connected to the master bedroom.

“Is that the CCTV building?”

Chen Xi pointed at a brilliantly lit building in the distance and called excitedly back to Qin Lie.

Qin Lie made an acknowledging sound, got up to take a cashmere coat from the wardrobe, and walked to the balcony to hand it to Chen Xi.

“Put this on. It’s windy outside.”

Chen Xi put on the coat and placed both hands on the railing.

The humid air, carrying unfamiliar yet novel scents, brushed against her cheeks.

Through the fine, dense rain, she looked at the endless lights in the distance.

She sighed sincerely, “Beijing’s nights are so bright.”

Qin Lie smiled. “Mm, lots of night owls.”

Chen Xi looked at the city’s brilliant nightscape and turned to Qin Lie. “You go ahead with your work. I’ll look a little longer.”

Qin Lie made an acknowledging sound but didn’t leave.

The sound of rain made the night seem particularly quiet. Chen Xi huddled in the warm cashmere coat and suddenly said to Qin Lie beside her, “My grandma went to stay with my aunt.”

That morning, Chen Xi had carried San Huang into her uncle’s car.

Her uncle and aunt had lifted Fan Mingsu’s old tricycle into the truck bed.

Fan Mingsu had combed her hair until it was glossy and wore a brand-new padded jacket.

She got in the car, immediately hugged San Huang, and said with a laugh, “Old buddy, let’s go have some fun.”

Chen Xi stood beside the car and reminded Fan Mingsu, “Don’t wander around at my aunt’s place. Come back before winter—her heating isn’t as good as ours.”

Fan Mingsu held San Huang’s neck and looked at Chen Xi with smiling eyes.

Under the clear sky, her gaze was like Crescent Lake—no amount of wind and sand could bury it, becoming clearer with age.

After a long while, she said, “You’re still young. Go try Beijing—what if you like it there?”

Chen Xi was suddenly stunned.

She stood in the morning’s myriad rays of sunlight, watching her uncle’s car slowly drive out of the alley.

Only then did she understand why Grandma had suddenly wanted to go stay with her aunt.

At this moment, raindrops hit her face, cool and refreshing. The air held a moisture Chen Xi had never experienced before.

She thought it wasn’t bad.

“Qin Lie—”

Chen Xi suddenly turned to look at Qin Lie beside her, her eyes bright and shining in the night.

“That art design opportunity—is it too late if I want to try it now?”