Shao Xue stepped out of the fitting room, unable to stifle a yawn.
The heels were too high, making her wobble slightly. The purple dress fell to her calves, leaving a large portion of her shoulders and neck exposed. Zheng Su Nian stared at her for a moment, dazed, before grabbing a jacket and draping it over her bare shoulders.
Bai Yun Sheng was still deep in thought.
"Is this one good enough?" Zheng Su Nian asked, sounding frustrated. "We’ve tried a bunch, and they all look fine to me."
"This one’s too revealing," Bai Yun Sheng replied.
Zheng Su Nian pushed Shao Xue back into the fitting room, tossing in the hoodie and jeans she had originally worn.
"Then let’s go with the third-to-last one."
"That’ll work," Bai Yun Sheng nodded and waved to the sales assistant, who had been staring at him dreamily. "We’ll take the blue one."
The young saleswoman, clearly flattered, nodded enthusiastically and rushed to the stockroom to fetch a new one. The two men, bored out of their minds, sat on the bench waiting for Shao Xue to change back.
"She’s about 170 cm, right?" Bai Yun Sheng confirmed again.
"Yeah, 170, weighing in at 110 pounds, two centimeters taller and five pounds heavier than your Gu Yun Jin."
A voice shouted from the fitting room, "108.8 pounds!"
"Close enough." Bai Yun Sheng was unmoved. "She’ll look fine in that one."
There’s wisdom in ancient sayings, like "there’s a twist at the end of the road" and "breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats."
Master Chu remained unmoved, while Bai Yun Sheng’s teacher kept pushing him harder and harder. While Bai Yun Sheng tried to navigate between them, the phrase "out with the old, in with the new" suddenly gave him an idea.
He called Gu Yun Jin: "Send me all your previous qipao designs."
By then, Gu Yun Jin had already made a name for herself. As Master Chu’s prized apprentice, she was a golden standard, but her own ingenuity set her apart. Young people in Suzhou knew her for designing qipaos that combined traditional elegance with modern flair, catering to younger tastes. In a world full of rules, some excel at breaking them while others uphold them. Gu Yun Jin, with her rebellious spirit, was clearly the former.
The two of them stayed up all night putting together a portfolio that they submitted to the brand. To their surprise, it was exactly what the brand’s decision-makers were looking for. The proposal passed through several levels of approval, and by mid-April, the final decision was made.
The brand chose Gu Yun Jin, an up-and-coming talent.
Of course, the marketing gimmick was still important. Bai Yun Sheng explained that Master Chu, due to his age, lacked the energy to handle the project but was willing to guide his apprentice in designing for the brand. He banked on Master Chu’s sense of loyalty to not publicly sever ties with his apprentice, and once everything was arranged, he prepared to have Gu Yun Jin sign the contract.
Her train was arriving in the afternoon, so Bai Yun Sheng spent the morning shopping for clothes with Shao Xue and Zheng Su Nian. Three hours later, Gu Yun Jin changed into her new dress at the hotel. As the skirt swirled around her legs, Bai Yun Sheng’s breath caught at how stunning she looked.
"Is it expensive?" she asked.
"Not too bad," Bai Yun Sheng smiled. "Come on, I’ll take you somewhere."
Meanwhile, Shao Xue had just sneaked a glance at a message from Qin Simu on her phone.
"You’re really not coming?" Zheng Su Nian sounded disappointed.
Shao Xue avoided his gaze, looking around aimlessly. "I really haven’t finished my assignments."
"Come on, how much homework can you really have in college?" Zheng Su Nian grumbled, though he knew it was pointless to argue. "Shame, though—I already bought the tickets."
It was for Kung Fu Dunk, a movie that had been out since February and was now nearing the end of its run. Shao Xue had been caught up in the excitement of her freshman year, joining every activity and event, and had been putting off seeing the movie with Zheng Su Nian. After helping Bai Yun Sheng shop for Gu Yun Jin’s outfit, she was already heading back to school.
"This is your last chance, it’ll be out of theaters after this." Zheng Su Nian, usually so carefree, couldn’t help feeling a little down. He was frustrated, wondering why Gu Yun Jin was always so close to Bai Yun Sheng, yet since starting college, Shao Xue hardly sought him out anymore.
“I really do have assignments, plus there’s student council stuff,” Shao Xue explained, sounding completely convincing. “You have no idea how busy I’ve been lately.”
“Alright then,” Zheng Su Nian casually tossed the movie tickets into the trash. “You can head back, I’ll give you a ride.”
“No, no need!” Shao Xue quickly waved her hands. “The bus stop is right here, and it’s on the way. You should just head back to school.”
Zheng Su Nian let out an unenthusiastic "Oh" and turned to head to his car, looking dejected.
Behind him, Shao Xue exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Standing on the sidewalk, she waved down a taxi that pulled up beside her. She got into the front seat and showed the driver an address on her phone: “Take me here.”
The sender was Qin Simu, and after a long description, the location was a beauty salon.
Qin Simu lounged on a sofa, her eyes half-closed, sipping a fragrant fruit tea. A staff member approached her and asked softly, “Miss Qin, when will your friend be arriving?”
She glanced at her phone. “Any minute now.”
The staff member nodded. “Alright, shall we start preparing for you?”
“Mm,” Qin Simu hummed in agreement, taking a long sip through her straw.
The wind chimes on the glass door jingled as a tall man and a woman entered. The man’s height and striking appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention as he stood by the entrance.
Who was Qin Simu? She had been observing business deals at her parents' dinner tables since she was eight, learning to recognize insincere smiles early on. This man had thin lips and a cold expression—a clear sign he wasn’t an ordinary guy.
However, he was extremely attentive to the girl beside him, his every smile and gesture genuine. The girl wore a pricey dress but had no makeup on, her long hair flowing down her back like a gentle rabbit.
The man asked the receptionist a few quiet questions before leading the girl into a private room.
“Get her hair done and put on some makeup, make her look nice,” he said, lighting a cigarette as he sat across from Qin Simu. “We’re meeting someone important tonight.”
“Yun Sheng, come inside with me,” the girl called back to him.
“You go ahead,” he said softly, “I’ll come in after I finish this cigarette.”
Qin Simu was mentally writing a 200,000-word romance novel when Shao Xue’s call came through. Even through the phone, Qin Simu could sense her friend’s frustration with the sun beating down on her. “Simu-jie, where’s the salon? I can’t find it.”
“I’ll come get you.” Qin Simu quickly stood up and rushed out. The man across from her gave her a brief glance before turning his attention back to his cigarette.
When she returned, the man was gone.
At the reception desk, the staff checked Qin Simu’s membership card. “Your card is exactly one year old today. You can bring a friend to enjoy a full-service treatment for free.”
“I know,” Qin Simu smiled, patting Shao Xue. “It’ll be the two of us.”
“Right this way, please.”
They first went to the changing room to put on robes. Qin Simu confidently strode into the private room, while Shao Xue lingered in the hallway, absorbed in the artwork on the walls. She was so captivated that she didn’t notice Bai Yun Sheng walking out from the other side.
He recognized her after a moment and was about to say hello, but she quickly disappeared into the room at the call of the woman inside: “Shao Xue, come in!”
Feeling conflicted, Bai Yun Sheng unlocked his phone and sent a message:
Didn’t you say you were taking Shao Xue to the movies?
A minute later, Zheng Su Nian replied:
She said she had too much homework.
Bai Yun Sheng, always stirring up trouble, texted back:
I just saw her at a beauty salon.
Zheng Su Nian:
You must’ve mistaken her; she went back to school.
Bai Yun Sheng, relentless:
No mistake. Someone even called her by name. I’m here with Yun Jin, getting her hair done, and I ran into her.
The other side went silent.
Bai Yun Sheng finished his cigarette before Zheng Su Nian finally sent back one word:
Damn.
Grinning, the instigator pocketed his phone. He had long suspected there was something murky between those two. With his relationship experience, he knew that sometimes conflict was the perfect catalyst for progress...
Shao Xue was lying on her stomach, enjoying a massage with Qin Simu when her phone buzzed. An instinctive sense of impending danger made Shao Xue pause her relaxation to check her messages.
She could feel the biting sarcasm through the screen:
You’re really quite busy, huh?
Feeling guilty, Shao Xue replied with a single word:
Huh?
Qin Simu, hearing the tapping of keys, opened her eyes to glance over at her. The text tone chimed three more times, and Shao Xue stared at Qin Simu in panic: “How does Su Nian-ge know I’m here?!”
Her face, covered in a creamy white mask, and her wide, bewildered eyes made Qin Simu shudder slightly.
“I didn’t tell him. I don’t even have his number.”
Shao Xue signaled the masseuse to pause and hurriedly sat up to call Zheng Su Nian.
He picked up, his tone neutral: “What’s up?”
Knowing her cover was blown, Shao Xue didn’t bother with excuses: “Su Nian-ge, I’m sorry…”
“Oh.”
“Let me explain—”
“Oh?”
“Well, it’s just that Simu-jie’s membership card happens to offer a free treatment today. It’s an 1888 yuan package, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…”
“And Qin Simu is more important than me?”
Shao Xue was speechless.
"Of course, a beauty treatment is far more important than watching a movie with me."
Click.
The phone call ended abruptly.
But Shao Xue was persistent. She dialed again.
"Why are you calling back? Go finish your beauty treatment."
"I’m not doing it anymore," Shao Xue stammered, her voice panicking. "Has the movie started yet? Can I come with you?"
"No need. I can watch it alone."
"But I want to go with you!"
"Weren’t you just starting your treatment?"
"I’m not doing it. I’ll wash my face and head over to meet you."
Zheng Su Nian, uncharacteristically stubborn, was sulking like a child: "Then why were you so firm in rejecting me earlier?"
Silence.
"I thought you were really busy, and I put in so much effort convincing myself to understand you. But look at you—right after turning me down, you go off with Qin Simu for a spa day."
More silence.
"I feel really pathetic…"
Silence lingered, heavy as a bridge over the Cam River.
It’s either a quiet breakdown or a total retreat in the face of such silence. Shao Xue suddenly slapped her leg, fired up: "Su Nian-ge, you know beauty treatments only work if you're relaxed and happy. Right now, I’m stressed, which means all the toxins are staying in my body! If you don’t let me come to you, this treatment will go to waste, you’ll stay mad, and we’ll miss the movie—nobody wins!"
Qin Simu and the massage therapist were taken aback by her bulletproof logic.
"Please, let me come find you!"
Seeing how determined she was, Zheng Su Nian realized he would be overdoing it if he continued sulking. He grudgingly gave her the location and hung up.
Shao Xue quickly washed her face, changed clothes, and threw on her shoes. Qin Simu, still wearing a face mask, had no energy left to stop her. "Be careful, don’t rush and trip…"
As Shao Xue hurried out, the room fell eerily silent, leaving only two massage therapists and a bewildered Qin Simu. The therapist who had been working on Shao Xue started packing up her tools, humming, "If this isn’t love…"
Qin Simu collapsed back onto the massage table. "Sis, give me more lotion. I've been single for twenty years, and today I feel personally attacked."
Meanwhile, Bai Yun Sheng, hearing commotion in the hallway, peeked out to catch a fleeting glimpse of someone hurrying away.
He settled back into his chair, a contented smile creeping across his face. Through the mirror, Gu Yun Jin caught a glimpse of her boyfriend and involuntarily shivered.
Shao Xue soon learned that when boys get moody, girls are no match.
By the time she arrived, the movie was halfway through. On screen, Chen Chu He, with his brooding expression, coldly told the heroine, "You’re great. It’s me who’s the problem. My heart can’t hold anyone else."
"S-Su Nian-ge…"
Zheng Su Nian took a sip of cola and pushed her into the seat beside him. Shao Xue clutched the freshly bought movie ticket, realizing she had brought this all on herself.
She kept quiet and obediently turned her attention to the screen.
Jay Chou, sporting a mop-like haircut, sat beside the female lead: "Don’t cry."
Charlene Choi responded, "Just leave me alone!"
Jay Chou persisted, "How can I not care about you?"
Charlene pouted, "Aren’t I just the worst?"
Jay Chou smiled: "No, you’re lively and outgoing, but…"
"But what?"
As the characters on screen whispered sweet nothings, Zheng Su Nian’s expression remained cold as ice.
Jay Chou continued, "I’ve loved ice cream ever since I was a kid, but I could never have it. So I’d do anything to get it. You’re like ice cream to me."
Zheng Su Nian finally spoke up: "If I hadn’t treated you, I’d never in a million years have watched this movie…"
As an art student, he usually watched obscure films. Shao Xue, feeling defensive about her idol, muttered, "But… but it’s so romantic!"
Zheng Su Nian snorted: "Do you even realize this wasn’t about watching the movie?"
Shao Xue instantly caved, lowering her head: "No, this was about apologizing to you."
They endured the rest of the movie, and when it finally ended, the two walked out of the theater, one trailing behind the other. Shao Xue kept calling out, "Su Nian-ge, Su Nian-ge," sticking close to him like an obedient puppy.
But no matter how much she spoke, he remained silent. Finally, Shao Xue sighed in defeat: "What do you want me to do?"
They reached a cold drink shop, and Zheng Su Nian, hands in his pockets, turned around. Seeing her expression, he felt a mix of frustration and amusement.
"Do you really think you’re in the right here?"
Shao Xue didn’t respond, staring at her shoes and feeling increasingly aggrieved. That spa treatment had been so expensive…
"Shao Xue," Zheng Su Nian called her name, "do you want ice cream?"
Suddenly revived, she chirped, "Yes!"
Watching her excitedly dash to the counter to pick a flavor, Zheng Su Nian shook his head in helpless resignation.
What kind of person have I gotten myself involved with?
The movie theater wasn’t far from the Forbidden City, so after they finished their ice cream, they decided to visit. It had been a long time since they’d last gone. The moat now had ducks, and a line of photographers stood near the corner tower. The willow trees were sprouting new leaves, and the city was alive with spring.
Shao Xue leaned against the railing of the moat and blew a long, low whistle toward the corner tower.
Memories from their childhood surged back—green trees, red walls, the jingling of bicycle bells, and the thick snow in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. In recent years, many of the city’s old alleys had been demolished and replaced by high-rise buildings. Overpasses soared high, and traffic roared day and night. But somehow, the Forbidden City remained unchanged. Ten years, twenty years, a hundred years—time seemed insignificant to this ancient palace, its long history washed away in the gentle flow of the river.
“Did you start working in restoration right after graduation?”
“Yeah.”
“Su Nian-ge,” Shao Xue called out suddenly, her voice short and hesitant.
“Hmm?”
She turned around, leaning against the railing as she looked at him. Zheng Su Nian didn’t look quite the same as when they were kids. Back then, his features were too delicate, almost resembling Jin Ning's. As a boy who hadn’t yet matured and with a personality too quiet, there had been a certain softness to his appearance.
But over the years, he had grown into a man. His quiet nature remained, but his gaze had become steady and resolute, as if he clearly knew what he wanted.
Shao Xue hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
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