Lin Sui resigned from her job and returned home. When Liang Fengjiao heard this, she worried that her niece wouldn’t find a good position, so she mentioned it to her brother Liang Junsheng. Without hesitation, Liang Junsheng asked his wife to keep an eye out for openings at the local bus station.
Lin Sui had always thought her maternal uncle was a capable man, especially skilled at building connections. Two years later, he would even become a chief secretary at the Finance Bureau, doing quite well for a while. But later, rumors spread that he had secretly accepted bribes behind his superior’s back. Though he was eventually proven innocent, the damage was done — his career was ruined.
This time around, Lin Sui planned to remind him to be careful, but there was no rush; that trouble was still far off in the future.
When she arrived at the factory, she gave her uncle’s name at the gate and got in easily. Her heart was still beating a little faster than usual, but in such a large facility, the chance of running into someone by accident was slim.
She walked all the way to the factory manager’s office without seeing Gu Shaonan anywhere along the corridor.
Once inside, Liang Junsheng greeted her with a smile. “So, niece, what good things have you brought me?”
Both sides of the family had strong genes; all the children turned out good-looking. Liang Fengjiao also had a younger sister who had married far away and was quite beautiful herself. As for Liang Junsheng, he had a refined, handsome appearance.
“Dried bamboo shoots that Mom sun-dried,” Lin Sui replied.
Liang Junsheng took the package. “Your mother told me you ran off to Shanghai a few days ago to avoid Zhang Dongliang’s unwanted marriage proposal. How did that go? Do you need me to step in and sort it out?”
He assumed that was the main reason for her visit. In fact, it had been the reason back in her past life: he had been away on business at the time, but later helped resolve the matter, and once she started dating Gu Shaonan, Zhang Dongliang stopped pestering her.
“No need, it’s already settled,” Lin Sui said. Since they were standing in a busy corridor, she didn’t mention buying stocks in Shenzhen — only that she had gone to raise money to pay Zhang Dongliang off. Thanks to Secretary Zhou’s unexpected help, she had even earned an extra 1,000 yuan in the process.
Luo Feifei, who was standing beside her, found the whole story quite amusing. Secretary Zhou was the same man Cuizhu had met through a matchmaking arrangement.
Liang Junsheng thought his niece’s recent experiences were nothing short of amazing. He was about to ask more when Gu Shaonan arrived — sent over by the factory manager. He had recently had a disagreement with one of the supervisors. Liang Junsheng nodded a greeting.
Perhaps it was just a woman’s intuition, but Lin Sui’s heart skipped a beat. She turned around instinctively, and her eyes locked directly onto Gu Shaonan’s.
Young Gu Shaonan looked just as he had the first time they met in her past life. Clad in a simple silver-gray work uniform, he still exuded striking good looks. He wasn’t the sharp, chiseled type; his features were soft and gentle, his skin fair and clean. The first glance alone made anyone feel at ease.
For a split second, Lin Sui almost called out his name. It felt as though her heart had stopped beating entirely. Fortunately, she had mentally prepared herself on the way over — she knew exactly how to act so it would seem like a genuine first encounter.
She only widened her eyes slightly, putting on the look of someone who had just been struck by how handsome he was.
Gu Shaonan was equally taken aback. After spending decades together as an old married couple in their previous life, he had long forgotten what he looked like when he was young. And Lin Sui was dressed so beautifully today that at first, he almost didn’t recognize her.
In their past life’s first meeting, had she worn a dress like this? Had her hair been styled in loose waves? He couldn’t quite remember. Back then, he had just gotten into a fight and was in a terrible state. But he quickly pulled himself together — yes, this was definitely Lin Sui.
He never expected this “first meeting” to happen so abruptly.
Lin Sui’s features weren’t perfectly delicate, but they came together in a very attractive way. Her skin was smooth and fair, her eyes bright and lively. She wore her curly hair held back by a white headband and had applied a bold red lipstick, giving her that striking, glamorous style popular in Hong Kong films.
Thankfully, Gu Shaonan was no longer the impulsive young man in his twenties; he had learned to control his emotions. He merely raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression remaining neutral.
Looking back at Lin Sui, he saw her wide-eyed, admiring reaction — exactly the same way she had looked when she first started pursuing him. Back then, she had told him she fell for him instantly because of his looks. Lin Sui was what people in later years would call a “beauty chaser”; whenever they dated, her eyes would light up every time she looked at him.
Part of Gu Shaonan felt reassured: if she hadn’t been reborn like him, he could safely go ahead and marry Chen Qinghe. Yet seeing her young, vibrant face stirred up a strange, conflicting feeling deep inside him. He quickly averted his gaze and kept his distance.
Lin Sui’s friend Luo Feifei thanked Liang Junsheng and walked toward the office doorway, passing right beside Gu Shaonan.
Lin Sui’s chest tightened sharply, her fingers curling into fists. He was pretending not to know her, and the deliberate distance he kept was painfully obvious. But she told herself this was only their first meeting; acting too familiar would be suspicious. She decided to wait and see how things unfolded.
Gu Shaonan hadn’t stepped inside yet when Factory Manager Yang came out. “Ah, Xiao Gu, you’re here.”
“Let’s put that other matter aside for now. Comrades from the county committee will be arriving shortly for an inspection. I’d like you to handle the technical explanations — can you do that?”
Gu Shaonan thought it was a good chance to prove himself. He nodded. “I can.”
Manager Yang looked pleased. Then his eyes fell on Lin Sui, and he laughed warmly. “Well, if it isn’t Old Liang’s niece!”
This wasn’t their first meeting. Years before, when she had traveled to Shenzhen, Lin Sui had hitched a ride in his car. Back then, she had been a pretty, articulate girl who talked easily and made a very favorable impression.
Lin Sui snapped back to reality and instantly put on a bright, friendly smile. “Hello, Manager Yang. I’ve come to ask my uncle about the ticket seller position at the bus station.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Gu Shaonan.
He looked back at her. In his past life, Lin Sui had indeed worked as a ticket seller for a while. But when her mother fell and broke her leg, she had to quit to return home and care for her. Remembering this, a twinge of guilt pricked his heart. Still, he had already made up his mind to be with Chen Qinghe; all he could do was try to make it up to Lin Sui in other ways. So he didn’t look away, but stood calmly listening to their conversation.
“I’ve heard your uncle mention it,” Manager Yang said. “That job is steady enough, but honestly, there isn’t much room for advancement. Why not come work here as an order coordinator instead? You’ll learn useful skills, and the pay is decent too.”
Manager Yang was a warm-hearted man. In their past life, he had helped Gu Shaonan many times and had also offered Lin Sui this very same role. Back then, Gu Shaonan had advised against it — the job required frequent travel, which would make caring for family difficult. Being a ticket seller was more stable and less demanding. Lin Sui had agreed and turned down the offer.
She remembered that the position eventually went to Chen Qinghe’s younger brother. It was through him that she had learned Chen Qinghe was Gu Shaonan’s first love. At the time, Chen Qinghe was already married, and Lin Sui had heard her father had helped Gu Shaonan when he was short of money due to illness. That was why she hadn’t let jealousy get the better of her.
In this life, however, why rush to refuse?
She smiled brightly. “You really have an eye for talent, Manager Yang! If it’s all right, could I stay a little while and watch how things work on the factory floor first?”
As she spoke, she caught Gu Shaonan’s expression stiffen slightly.
Turning to her uncle, she added with an innocent look, “Uncle, what do you think?”
Liang Junsheng had actually considered offering her a job at the shoe factory before, but there had been no vacancies, so he’d asked his wife to look into the bus station instead. Now that Manager Yang had made the offer, he nodded in approval. “I have no objection. When you’re young, having more choices is always better.”
Just then, someone called out: “Manager Yang, the inspection team has arrived!”
Everyone turned toward the entrance. Lin Sui was surprised — who did she see among the group led by Secretary Zhou? Standing head and shoulders above the rest was none other than Zhou Chiye. The only difference was that the square-faced man she remembered from before wasn’t with him this time.