This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was eaten together by the Ruan and Chen families at a hotel. The elders decided on the wedding date at the table and took complete charge of all wedding matters, big and small.

After the meal, the group came out of the hotel. Chen Yi and Ruan Mian didn’t go home with their parents but took a detour to the city center.

There was a grand New Year’s countdown event taking place there tonight.

On New Year’s Eve, the streets flowed like water with cars coming and going. Car horns sounded one after another. Car lights and street lamps complemented each other, connecting into a long belt of lights like the Milky Way.

The winter night wind surged cold and fierce. Chen Yi and Ruan Mian walked hand in hand through the crowd, their pace slow, chatting in low voices about daily trivialities.

Their life after obtaining the marriage certificate wasn’t much different from before. The nature of their work, with more separations than reunions, made every moment of companionship seem especially precious.

The hotel where they had dinner wasn’t far from where the New Year’s countdown event was being held. When Chen Yi and Ruan Mian arrived, the streets of the city center were already packed with people.

The middle lane was also jam-packed full. Vehicles stuck in the middle of the road divided the crowded flow of people into patches.

Ruan Mian received a call from Meng Xinglan. She and Liang Yiran were stuck on the south side and couldn’t move for the time being. Shen Yu, who was coming from home, also sent a message saying he was stuck on the west side.

Everything around them was lively noise. Ruan Mian had just wanted to turn her head to speak with Chen Yi when she found only unfamiliar faces before her eyes.

Her lips parted slightly, her expression full of surprise.

After being stunned for one or two seconds, Ruan Mian withdrew her gaze and walked while calling Chen Yi. She had just pressed a “1” when suddenly someone pulled her arm from behind and drew her into an embrace.

The man’s breath was warm and familiar, making her struggle only for a second before stopping. Chen Yi lowered his head and leaned close to her ear to say, “No need to look. I can see you.”

There were too many people here. He had just been squeezed to the side while trying to avoid a couple carrying a child.

At this moment, Chen Yi stood behind Ruan Mian, his arm around her shoulders, moving forward with the flow of people. “Next time there’s a situation like this, just stay where you are and wait for me. I’ll come back to find you.”

Ruan Mian smiled and nodded. “Got it.”

The number of people in the city center on New Year’s Eve was unimaginable. The entire street was like boiling water in a pot—lively and bubbling.

Chen Yi and Ruan Mian finally found a place to rest with great difficulty. When they stopped, both of them had broken a sweat to some degree.

Chen Yi simply took off his outer coat directly, standing in the cold wind wearing only a single layer.

After all these years, he still hadn’t been able to change this bad habit. No matter how cold winter was, he always wore only one piece of clothing under his down jacket.

Ruan Mian had told him countless times, but he wouldn’t listen.

Out of sight, out of mind. After saying it too many times, Ruan Mian was too lazy to say more. She simply didn’t turn back to look at him, her gaze fixed on the flickering lights in the distance, also not speaking.

After standing for a while, Chen Yi probably sensed something. He fumbled to put his coat back on, bent down to lean over, and called out, “Wife.”

Ruan Mian still didn’t turn back to look at him.

Chen Yi suppressed a laugh and walked in front of her. His tall figure blocked the light completely. Ruan Mian had no choice but to look up at him.

The two of them looked at each other for a while.

He suddenly lowered his head without warning, his line of sight level with hers, coaxing softly, “Don’t be angry anymore. I’ll wear more when I go out from now on, okay?”

“I’ll listen to everything you say.”

“I’ll wear sweaters and thermal underwear too.”

“Long underwear too.”

“I’ll wear five pairs of pants.”

Hearing this, Ruan Mian somehow had her funny bone struck and couldn’t help breaking character. She complained, “Are you sick? Wearing five pairs of pants.”

Chen Yi also laughed. “Aren’t I trying to make you happy? As long as you’re not angry with me, I’ll wear ten pairs of pants if needed.”

“Then go ahead and wear them.”

“…”

Ruan Mian raised her hand to pinch his face, pursing her lips. “A man’s mouth—a lying ghost.”

“…”

Close to midnight, more and more people appeared on the streets. The Chen-Ruan couple, the Liang-Meng couple, and Shen Yu, who remained single to this day, successfully rendezvoused.

The five of them stood shoulder to shoulder on the lively street. In a blink, it was as if they had returned to their time at school.

Shen Yu sighed with emotion. “Who would have thought that so many years have passed in the blink of an eye. I really miss those days when we were in school.”

One sentence brought everyone back to those days studying at No. 8 High School.

Summer days with incessant cicadas, classrooms full of the sound of reading aloud, the basketball court that was always crowded with people, and the him and her they each liked.

Amid the chorus of the countdown, Ruan Mian turned her head to look at the man standing beside her, suddenly remembering New Year’s Eve in 2013.

She had stood in a sea of people, hearing a trace of news about him, not daring to speak her love aloud, only able to say “Happy New Year” to him in her heart.

After all these years, as the tail end of “one” fell, Ruan Mian turned her head to look at Chen Yi, only to find he was also turning his head to look at her at the same moment.

Both of them saw the same smile and love in each other’s eyes.

The wind of the winter night was cold and fierce, but the wind also held the lover’s thousand words, enough to make up for this world’s countless regrets.

“Happy New Year, Student Chen.”

“Happy New Year, Student Ruan.” The man’s voice didn’t stop. It drifted into the distance with the wind. “And—”

“I love you.”

After New Year’s Eve, Chen Yi and Ruan Mian began working with their families’ elders to prepare for the wedding. The wedding date was set for August 23rd, the day before Chen Yi’s birthday.

After the busiest three months following the New Year, in June, the couple squeezed out two days to return to Pingcheng to take wedding photos.

The locations were set at Pingjiang West Lane and No. 8 High School.

On the evening of the last day of shooting, they were at Pingjiang West Lane. Chen Yi temporarily had some matters to attend to and would arrive a bit late. Ruan Mian was communicating details with the photographer about the upcoming shoot.

The sun was setting in the west. The photographer set up his equipment. Seeing that the groom still hadn’t arrived, he suggested taking a few solo shots of the bride first.

Ruan Mian wore No. 8 High School’s uniform and walked forward along the alley. Not far away was that old internet cafe. The setting sun passed through the chaotic, spiraling, intertwined antennas overhead, casting fragmented silhouettes.

On the steps at the internet cafe entrance, as always, stood several boys smoking.

Amid the swirling smoke, Ruan Mian saw a familiar profile among them. The man wore a black short-sleeved shirt, athletic pants in the same color system with white stripes, and white shallow-mouth canvas shoes on his feet.

As if destined by fate.

He turned his head to look at Ruan Mian. His handsome eyes and brows were the same as always, vivid and alive. Ruan Mian suddenly stopped in her tracks.

This time, sixteen-year-old Chen Yi truly looked toward her.

Looking at Chen Yi’s familiar appearance, Ruan Mian couldn’t help feeling her eyes sting.

She began to run, toward the light, toward the boy hidden in her heart, forward without hesitation.

Just like sixteen-year-old Ruan Mian.

Loving someone for a lifetime—

After taking the wedding photos, their wedding date drew near.

Chen Yi and Ruan Mian both made their greatest efforts to adjust their schedules for the longest possible leave. The wedding location was set in Pingcheng. The best man was Shen Yu. The bridesmaids were Lin Jiahui, who had just gotten engaged not long ago, and Fu Guangsi, a high school classmate of Chen Yi and Ruan Mian.

He Zechuan, due to being temporarily sent abroad on official assignment, couldn’t return home for the time being and sent Ruan Mian a large red envelope on the wedding day.

Jiang Rang was far away in America. Chen Yi sent him an email. He replied with “Happy Wedding” but didn’t say whether he would come back or not.

But Chen Yi still reserved a best man position for him.

On the wedding day, both the Ruan and Chen families were incredibly busy. Chen Yi set out from home, picked up Ruan Mian, and went directly to the hotel.

There were still over forty minutes until the wedding ceremony began.

The whole group sat in the room chatting. The wedding shoes were a bit uncomfortable. Chen Yi crouched by the bed rubbing Ruan Mian’s feet, which made everyone jeer that they couldn’t bear to watch.

Shen Yu held up his phone, laughing. “I have to record this and take it back to show the people in our unit what your wise and mighty Captain Chen is like at home.”

Everyone laughed raucously.

Ruan Mian’s face felt a bit hot. She pushed Chen Yi’s shoulder, saying softly, “You don’t need to rub anymore. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Chen Yi didn’t care at all. He half-crouched there and rubbed for several more minutes, then took the hotel slippers and put them on her. “If you’re uncomfortable, we’ll just wear slippers for the ceremony later.”

“I don’t want to.” Ruan Mian muttered. “Who have you ever seen get married in slippers?”

Chen Yi didn’t argue with her. He stood up and rubbed the top of her head, only to be countered by Meng Xinglan. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t mess it up. It took so long to do Ruan Mian’s hairstyle.”

“…”

The group chatted enthusiastically. Chen Yi sat beside Ruan Mian, from time to time taking out his phone to glance at it. Occasionally he would also look up at the doorway.

Fifteen minutes before the wedding ceremony began, the makeup artist came in to touch up the newlyweds’ makeup and arrange their formal wear. The private room gradually became chaotic.

Chen Yi sat in front of the vanity, glancing sideways at another best man’s suit hanging to the side. He couldn’t help lowering his eyes and sighing.

It was an expected situation, and he couldn’t really say he was very disappointed, but there was still some disappointment.

But after all, they had been brothers for so many years. Now that things had come to this point, no matter how you looked at it, it was regrettable.

The makeup artist was still powdering his face, the movements completely unfamiliar. Chen Yi sensed something was wrong and looked up at the mirror.

With this look—

“Are you a pig, Jiang Rang?” Chen Yi laughed and cursed, turning his head to look at the “makeup artist” behind him.

The man wore a face mask and baseball cap, covering almost half his face, but his eyes couldn’t hide his laughter.

Jiang Rang reached up to remove the mask and hat, revealing familiar eyes and brows. “If I didn’t do this, when would you have discovered me?”

“Holy shit!” Before Chen Yi could say anything, Shen Yu beside them cursed first and strode over, punching Jiang Rang’s shoulder. “Can you or can you not? We’ve been waiting for you until our hearts were anxious. What are you doing pretending to be a makeup artist?”

Jiang Rang laughed. “Wasn’t I trying to give you all a surprise?”

The private room became lively due to Jiang Rang’s sudden appearance. They had barely chatted a few words when someone came from outside to urge the groom to enter.

Chen Yi responded that they’d come right away, then walked over to take down that best man’s suit and hand it to Jiang Rang. “Hurry up. Don’t make me, the groom, wait for you, the best man.”

“Alright, alright, alright. Today you’re getting married, so you’re the boss.” Jiang Rang took the clothes and walked to the bathroom. Before long, he had changed into the outfit.

There was no time to do his hair and makeup. He just randomly applied a layer of powder, sprayed some hair gel, didn’t even tie his shoelaces properly, and ran out following the three of them.

In the spacious corridor, four men in suits and leather shoes still walked as irregularly as they had in their teens, throwing punches left and right, occasionally kicking each other a couple times.

Meng Xinglan withdrew her gaze, closed the door, and complained to Ruan Mian. “The four of them must be over a hundred years old combined. How are they still as childish as before?”

Ruan Mian smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

“Can’t understand them.” Meng Xinglan shook her head and sighed.

They had rehearsed the wedding process before, but when it actually began, Ruan Mian still couldn’t help being a bit nervous. She almost tripped on her dress hem. Fortunately, Chen Yi caught her in time.

After she stood steady, Chen Yi simply picked her up horizontally, eliciting cheers from the entire venue.

Ruan Mian used her bouquet to block her view, her face flushed as she chided coquettishly, “Chen Yi, can you be more mindful? There are so many people here.”

Chen Yi laughed in a low voice. His pace remained steady. When he spoke, his chest vibrated. “I’m just holding you and you’re already this shy. When I kiss you in front of all these people later, you’re not going to turn and run, are you?”

“…”

He spoke seriously. “Let’s agree in advance. If you run, pull me along. Otherwise, everyone will think you’re running from the wedding.”

Ruan Mian was choked speechless.

When it really came to the part where the groom kisses the bride, Chen Yi seemed truly afraid she would run. He tightly gripped her wrist and wouldn’t let go, making even the MC tease him about being nervous.

The venue erupted in laughter.

Now Ruan Mian really wanted to run.

When tossing the bouquet, Ruan Mian stood in front of the crowd. Chen Yi stood a bit farther back, his hand at her waist protecting her.

Before Ruan Mian tossed it, Chen Yi turned his head to look behind them, then said to her in a low voice, “Throw it to the left.”

“Hm?” Ruan Mian was stunned for a second but quickly understood his meaning. She raised her hand and tossed it toward her left rear.

The couple turned together as the bouquet fell. Seeing the bouquet land in the hands of the person they wanted to give it to, they looked at each other, then smiled in tacit understanding.

Jiang Rang held the bouquet and waved at them both, his smile open and relaxed.

He took the MC’s microphone. His voice was warm and powerful. “I wish my two good friends a happy marriage and a harmonious union for a hundred years.”

“May our friendship last forever.”

As his words fell, Shen Yu also squeezed over, shouting “Long live friendship.” The four big men hugged in a group on stage. Watching them, Ruan Mian and Meng Xinglan couldn’t help their eyes reddening.

Along this journey, they had cried and laughed, and had once gone their separate ways without contact, but no matter how time passed, they would forever be the most beautiful memories in each other’s verdant years.

At the end of the wedding, everyone present took a large group photo together. Ruan Mian and Chen Yi stood in the crowd, not looking at the camera but looking at each other instead.

At the instant the photographer pressed the shutter, a smile rose at Ruan Mian’s lips. Looking at Chen Yi, she said with particular seriousness, “I love you.”

They met in summer and also parted in summer, but fortunately heaven favored them and let them reunite after all those years.

It seemed every summer in their story was beautiful.

It made every bit of affection tinged with fervent heat, deeply carved into each other’s bones, forever glowing with heat, endlessly alive.

—The End—