Shortly after, two men came to the garage looking for Jin Chao. Since the repair shop wasn’t suitable for conversation, Jin Chao planned to take them to the teahouse across the street. Before leaving, he returned to the break room to ask Jiang Mu, “Are you going to school later?”

Jiang Mu glanced at the two men outside the garage and replied, “I need to go tomorrow. Who are they?”

Jin Chao told her, “Real estate agents. Go home early. I need to visit Master Ren later, so I might be back very late.”

The men were still waiting at the door, leaving Jiang Mu no chance to ask more questions. After Jin Chao left, she returned to Jin Qiang’s house.

Jiang Mu knew Jin Chao was very busy lately. If the competition was mid-month, he barely had any time left. Everything from parts to technology to equipment needed to be integrated. Though she didn’t understand the business, she knew it wasn’t easy, and his finding time to see her was already quite precious.

However, for those in love, even a minute apart feels unbearable. When Jiang Mu lay in bed at night and closed her eyes, all she could see was Jin Chao’s face. Strangely, when they were separated for so long before, she never felt this strongly. But now, even though she had seen him just this morning, she couldn’t help thinking about him, as if they’d been apart for ages.

Jiang Mu couldn’t resist sending him a string of messages: “Chao Chao, Chao Chao, Chao Chao…”

She was just playing around, but like a magic spell, half an hour later, the front door of Jin Qiang’s house opened. Jiang Mu heard the noise and ran out of her room. Jin Chao appeared before her eyes like magic, and she stared at his figure in a daze. In his denim shirt and black pants, he stood cleanly and neatly by the door, flashing her a smile. Joy immediately spread across Jiang Mu’s face.

At the same time, Jin Qiang heard the noise and came out from the main room, asking in surprise, “Why are you here so late?”

Jin Chao changed into slippers casually and said, “Didn’t you mention your phone card? I came to take a look.”

Jin Qiang replied, “Yes, it takes forever just to load news. It’s charging in the room, wait a bit.”

Jin Chao twirled his key ring and responded, “No hurry, let it charge.”

After putting his keys in his pocket, he cast a subtle glance at Jiang Mu before heading to the kitchen. Jiang Mu watched Jin Qiang go to his room, then picked up her water cup and also went to the kitchen.

Just as she reached the kitchen door, she saw Jin Chao’s tall figure leaning against the marble counter. Hearing her footsteps, he turned his head, and when she entered, he used his foot to close the kitchen door.

Jiang Mu suppressed a smile as she put down her water cup and asked, “Did you come specially to see me?”

A hint of amusement flickered in Jin Chao’s eyes. “What else?”

Jiang Mu bit her lip and turned her face away, feeling like she’d fallen into a honey pot, unable to contain her smile.

Remembering something, she turned back and asked, “By the way, why did those real estate agents come to see you today?”

“I’m planning to sublet the garage.”

“What?” Jiang Mu was shocked. “You’re closing the garage?”

Jin Chao lowered his gaze and said, “Originally, Fei Chi was jointly run by me and Iron Rooster. After what happened to his family, I gave him his share of the money after New Year’s. Modifying cars cost a lot, and Guang Yu took leave to help me. I can’t let him keep covering the expenses.”

Jiang Mu suddenly realized that Jin Chao had essentially bet everything he had on this venture. Success or failure hung in the balance, but for him, failure wasn’t an option. Her expression grew serious as she asked, “How long will you keep it open?”

Jin Chao told her, “Until the end of the month at most.”

Then his gaze swept over her playfully as he smiled, “Are you sure you want to keep talking about this? Didn’t you miss me?”

Jiang Mu stubbornly replied, “When did I say I missed you?”

Jin Chao grabbed her waist and pulled her close. “Then why did you call my name so many times?”

The kitchen was small, and the door was only partially closed. Jin Qiang was in his room dealing with the phone, and Zhao Meijuan’s footsteps could be heard in the living room. Jiang Mu thought Jin Chao was being too bold, but the strong attraction she felt toward him left her defenseless. She whispered, “I did not.”

Jin Chao hummed, “Well, I missed you.”

His voice was low, murmuring against her ear. Jiang Mu’s ears immediately burned hot. Jin Chao had never said such things before, even when they were closest as children. Jiang Mu gradually understood how it felt to be taken seriously by him, as if he had given all his tenderness to her, filling her heart to the brim.

Jiang Mu was so enchanted by him that she could no longer hear the sounds from the living room. She fell into his embrace, excited and nervous, having never been so reckless in her life.

After their brief embrace, Jin Qiang called out with his phone, “Should be done now. Where’s Chao’er?”

Jin Chao released Jiang Mu, rubbed her face, and called back, “Coming!”

Perhaps feeling guilty, Jiang Mu stood in the kitchen drinking half a cup of water before coming out. In the living room, Jin Chao sat on the sofa fixing Jin Qiang’s phone while Jin Qiang stood nearby wearing reading glasses, craning his neck to see. Zhao Meijuan had gone back to the room to put Jin Xin to bed.

Jiang Mu stood by Jin Xin’s pet turtle, holding her water cup and tapping the glass tank. She appeared to be playing with the turtle, but her eyes remained fixed on Jin Chao.

While waiting for WeChat to clear its cache, Jin Chao looked up at Jin Qiang and asked, “Is there any of that Dragon Well tea left from last time?”

Jin Qiang took off his reading glasses and said, “Yes, I’ll make you a cup.”

As Jin Qiang went to make tea at the dining table, Jin Chao finally raised his head to meet Jiang Mu’s gaze, curving his lips into a smile.

An electric current invisible to Jin Qiang’s eyes spread through the air, making their hearts tingle.

After fixing the phone, Jin Chao handed it to Jin Qiang, who stayed nearby fiddling with it. Jin Chao finished his tea in one gulp and stood up to leave.

Jin Qiang called out for him to come back for dinner when he had time, and he casually replied that he would after finishing his current work.

Jiang Mu returned to her room, and hearing the front door close, she began to feel dejected again.

But her phone lit up with a call from Jin Chao. She quickly answered, and his pleasant voice seemed to sound right beside her ear: “Open the window.”

Jiang Mu ran to the window and pushed it open. Jin Chao stood below with his phone, looking up at her. A black SUV she had never seen before was parked beside him. She heard him say, “I have something to show you.”

The car’s front faced the building, so Jiang Mu couldn’t see what was in the trunk. She thought Jin Chao was going to take something out to show her and waited expectantly. However, Jin Chao just reached out his hand briefly, then withdrew his arm and smiled at her.

The next second, balloons burst forth from the trunk, filling the sky. The explosion of color caught Jiang Mu by surprise, her pupils brightening at the tremendous visual impact. Countless balloons swept past her eyes, flying into the night sky, silently performing the most romantic story of the night. Jin Chao’s figure merged with the colorful night, and that scene was permanently etched in Jiang Mu’s mind.

The year “Up” was released, he had left her. The trailer scene of masses of balloons rising into the sky had captivated young Jiang Mu, and Jin Chao had promised to watch it with her when it came out. He ultimately left Suzhou before the release date. Although Jiang Mu later watched it many times alone, the person who had promised to accompany her was no longer by her side.

She never imagined that years later, Jin Chao would walk back into her life with a sky full of balloons. Jiang Mu’s eyes grew warm as she watched the colors fill the sky.

He understood her regrets, and only he could understand.

…

That night, Jiang Mu fell asleep with a smile on her face. People say everything in this mortal world is predestined. At nine, she lost a beloved brother; at eighteen, fate returned to her a beloved man.

She had no more regrets.

The next morning, Jiang Mu went to school. Her classmates were like wild horses let loose. This time last year, she had been drowning in the disappointment of her college entrance exam results and anxiety about her mother’s plans to settle abroad. Time had flown, and now it was another year. The same scene, but with a different mindset. Compared to last year’s uncertainties about the future, she felt more confident this year.

After class, Pan Kai asked where she was going. Jiang Mu had nowhere particular in mind, so after some discussion, they had KFC before heading straight to Pan Kai’s family warehouse.

At Warehouse No. 3, she saw Master Ren, Zhang Guang Yu, and another man working, but no Jin Chao. After circling several times, she couldn’t help but ask Zhang Guang Yu, who pointed to the left.

Jiang Mu walked past several storage containers before spotting Jin Chao with Iron Rooster and another man, adjusting something on a computer board. Not wanting to disturb him, she stayed far away, playing with her phone.

When Jin Chao looked up, he caught a glimpse of a figure that stood out distinctly in the male-dominated workshop. A light pink knee-length dress with irregular pleats at the waist accentuated her graceful figure. Her fresh, bright short hair lay against her ears, fair and delicate.

Jin Chao’s lips curved into a smile, but when Jiang Mu looked up, he had already turned away, though his smile lingered as his hands quietly picked up speed.

In the peaceful afternoon, Jiang Mu enjoyed a rare moment of idleness, watching Jin Chao at work, beginning to understand what Wan Qing meant by “love at first sight.”

Jin Chao looked captivating when focused on his professional work, displaying a composed concentration as if he had everything under control. Jiang Mu was mesmerized.

However, the passing workers kept glancing at her with smiles, making her uncomfortable.

Jin Chao pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it to the young man working with him, saying, “Take a smoke break.”

Then he walked away from the other end. In a brief moment, Jiang Mu looked away, Jin Chao’s figure had vanished. She immediately straightened up and took a few steps forward, craning her neck to look around. Even Iron Rooster and the worker had disappeared.

Just as she was about to take out her phone, she turned to find Jin Chao leaning against a spot a few steps away, watching her with amusement. Knowing he must have seen her panic, she walked up to him with a pout and asked, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Jin Chao held out his hands, still smiling: “I went to wash my hands. Came back to see you looking lost. Afraid you couldn’t find me?”

The more he teased her, the more serious she became: “I was looking for Pan Kai.”

Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a quiet corner in the shadows where few people passed. Jin Chao lowered his head, his tone deep: “Try saying that again. Getting cheeky?”

Jiang Mu looked up at him with a smile. Jin Chao asked, “You went to school this morning?”

Jiang Mu nodded: “Teacher Ma went over the exam with us.”

“How was it?”

Jiang Mu raised her proud little eyes and replied: “Getting into a 211 university shouldn’t be a problem.”

Then she added mysteriously: “Actually when Pan Kai asked which university I wanted to apply to, I’d already decided. I decided six months ago.”

Jin Chao raised his eyebrows, waiting with interest for her to continue.

Jiang Mu’s eyes sparkled as she told him: “Nanjing. The university I want to attend is in Nanjing. Have you been to Nanjing?”

Jin Chao shook his head. Jiang Mu hadn’t been there either. Despite being so close to Suzhou, she’d never visited.

This plan she’d kept in her heart for half a year, Jiang Mu hadn’t told anyone, not even Jiang Yinghan.

Jin Chao was the first to know. She felt excited, her cheeks flushing with vibrant color as she looked at him intently: “My scores should be good enough to get in. Didn’t you say last night the garage would run until the end of the month? So… what are your plans after that?”

Jin Chao pondered: “Not sure yet.”

After careful consideration, Jiang Mu tentatively asked: “Would you like to come to Nanjing with me?”

Jin Chao silently gazed at her. Jiang Mu decided to pour out everything in her heart: “I heard Nanjing is quite inclusive. It’s a provincial capital, so there should be many opportunities. If you still want to run a garage, we can figure it out together. If not, after I graduate, why don’t we open a coffee shop together?”

To Jin Chao, Jiang Mu’s ideas seemed too idealistic. The East China region was already economically developed, with rent, equipment, and personnel costs representing a significant budget. A coffee shop with its refined atmosphere would require substantial investment in decor alone. Moreover, in fast-paced areas, most people still choose well-known chain coffee brands. They weren’t people with money to spare, and might not even break.

When Jiang Mu made this suggestion, Jin Chao had already calculated the costs in his mind, but he didn’t want to discourage her. He smiled and asked, “Why a coffee shop?”

Jiang Mu thought of that layered kiss, her face turning red as she lowered her head shyly: “Just thought it would be nice to open a coffee shop with you at the foot of a mountain.”

Jiang Mu already had the scene pictured in her mind, though she couldn’t quite express it. She thought this must be what the most beautiful life looked like.

Jin Chao’s gaze was intense, filled with unfathomable depth. A faint smile played on his lips as he lifted Jiang Mu onto a storage container, bringing himself level with her eyes, his gaze burning with sincerity: “Give me a few more days. I’ll have an answer for you.”

Jiang Mu stared at him intently, knowing Jin Chao needed to resolve that major issue. He wouldn’t go with her carrying a criminal record; if he went, he would do so with a clean slate. She said nothing, just nodded at him.

Jin Chao wrapped his arms around her, and they both fell silent. Their breaths were close as Jin Chao’s gaze wandered to her lips. Jiang Mu felt intoxicated by him – he wasn’t doing anything, just looking at her, yet her heart was already melting, her eyes full of helplessness.

Jin Chao suddenly asked: “Is it hot outside?”

As Jiang Mu lifted her head to answer, Jin Chao kissed her directly. He didn’t need an answer; he just needed her to look up. It was a light kiss, but it left Jiang Mu’s mind blank. He didn’t linger, straightening up to pull her into his embrace as he said: “We just got together, and I can’t spend much time with you. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself, and it will affect my work. Are you angry with me?”

Jiang Mu shook her head. How could she be angry? She knew he had many concerns to deal with. She only felt sympathy for him.

Jin Chao stroked the back of her head and said: “I’ll try to finish early on the 15th and pick you up.”

Before Jiang Mu could process this, they heard a shocked exclamation from nearby: “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Aren’t you two… relatives?”

Jin Chao and Jiang Mu turned their heads simultaneously to see Pan Kai jumping three feet high with an expression of shock and existential crisis.