From initial hope to disappointment, and now to utter despair, his emotions had swung like a rollercoaster. In the end, he was overcome by a grief and resentment unlike anything he had ever felt before, his chest heaving sharply.
He remembered the sweet moments they had once shared—their first meeting right outside this factory gate, the times they had held hands and kissed.
In the first few years of their marriage, life had been hard and busy, yet every night it seemed he still had boundless energy. By day, he acted like a proper, respectable man; but after dark, he became someone entirely different.
Later, as the passion faded and they settled into being an old married couple, the romantic feelings turned into something more like family bonds. It was no longer called love, but it was a different kind of affection all the same.
But now he realized: love could indeed fade. What one could not have would always seem the best.
Given a second chance, he had chosen his first love—the “white moonlight” of his youth. At this moment, Lin Sui felt a flood of bitterness wash over her. After all these years of feelings, he had cast them aside without a second thought. After all these years of her devotion to their family, he had dismissed it all as if it meant nothing.
She wanted so badly to rush over and ask him: Why?
Heartache, grievance, and anger swelled inside her until her eyes turned red and watery.
“Lin Sui? What’s wrong with you?”
Luo Feifei jumped in surprise. “Goodness, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for someone here?”
Factory Director Yang, who had been leading the group on a tour, also came out to join them for a meal.
Zhou Chiye walked beside them, his gaze drifting first to Lin Sui’s tense face and clenched fists, then to Gu Shaonan walking away hand-in-hand with another woman. His lips twitched slightly. So that’s her ex-boyfriend who just got his heart broken. No wonder she was so distracted that night she got followed by hooligans. And earlier, during the tour, she kept sneaking glances at him with that strange look in her eyes—turns out she just found out he’s moved on to someone new.
Lin Sui was startled back to her senses. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned away, flustered. “Ah… it’s nothing. The wind picked up, and sand got in my eyes.”
“Wind? There’s barely any breeze at all!”
Zhou Chiye looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He frowned slightly at the sight and pulled out his handkerchief, handing it to her.
Lin Sui took it without hesitation, then blew her nose hard into it. Zhou Chiye’s eyebrow twitched involuntarily.
“Do you two know each other?” Director Yang asked with a smile.
“Oh, she’s a classmate of my niece,” Zhou Chiye replied.
So that story isn’t going away anytime soon, is it?
Director Yang was naturally warm and sociable. “Since we’re all acquaintances, why not join us for dinner?”
“Ah, thank you, Director Yang, but I’d rather not. Enjoy your meal.”
Lin Sui was clearly in no state to stay. She said her goodbyes, grabbed Luo Feifei’s arm, and hurried away.
Luo Feifei followed, thoroughly confused. “What on earth is going on with you? Did you really take a liking to that man, and now you’re heartbroken because he’s already taken? That can’t be it… but it’s true—all handsome men are spoken for!”
“It’s nothing like that,” Lin Sui said quietly. “I was just thinking about my ex-boyfriend.”
“You had a boyfriend? How come I never heard about this?”
“We met in Shenzhen.”
Luo Feifei put on a dramatic look of betrayal, her eyes instantly lighting up with gossip. But then she noticed the sorrow lingering on Lin Sui’s face.
“He’s gone,” Lin Sui said flatly. “There’s not much more to say.”
So that’s why he didn’t show up that day. He went straight to Ning County after getting out of prison—really just to find Chen Qinghe. And he wants to marry her in such a hurry… is he afraid I’ll keep pestering him?
The thought filled Lin Sui with genuine rage. She wanted to run after Gu Shaonan, tell him she had also been reborn, and demand to know: What did I ever do wrong in our past life?
“Gone?” Luo Feifei gasped. “Oh no… Did that man remind you of him? Brought back all those memories? What a heartbreaking story! I never realized my best friend’s first love ended so tragically.”
To comfort her, Luo Feifei washed Lin Sui’s hair and gave her a massage. She was quite skilled, and Lin Sui ended up sleeping for three full hours in Luo Feifei’s salon. When she woke up, she made up her mind: she would head straight to Gu Shaonan’s hometown.
If he was bringing Chen Qinghe home, this was the perfect time to go and confront him.
But just then, her uncle called. “Your grandmother fell while digging sweet potatoes in the field. Liang Fengjiao sent word for you to come home right away.”
Lin Sui’s heart skipped a beat. “Is she badly hurt? Did they take her to the clinic?”
“Don’t know. Your mother was trying to save a few cents on the phone call and didn’t give details.” Her uncle was worried too, but added, “I have to accompany some officials to the county seat soon—I can’t get away.”
A moment later, he spoke again into the receiver: “Alright, thanks a lot.”
At that same time, Zhou Chiye was still with Director Yang. Having just discussed the possibility of opening a shoe factory in Cuizhuxiang, he was preparing to leave.
When he heard the news about Lin Sui’s grandmother, he immediately offered her a ride.
Lin Sui felt immense relief. What perfect timing!
She quickly said goodbye to Luo Feifei and rushed to the roadside to wait. There was no car in sight—but instead, she spotted a deep blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle parked nearby. Her eyes widened. “Is that yours?”
“You recognize it?” Zhou Chiye pulled off his helmet, looking effortlessly cool.
Motorcycles were common enough in this era, but most were simple, practical models. This one was bold, flashy, and rare.
“The seat in the back looks too small for carrying anything,” Lin Sui commented.
In her past life, she had a client who was a motorcycle enthusiast, with a collection of vintage bikes. To secure their business deal, she had researched this exact model: the 1984 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. Its distinctive design made it instantly recognizable.
“I’ve seen others ride them in Shenzhen,” she said. “Only the wealthy can afford it—this bike costs no less than 15,000 US dollars.”
No wonder it feels so unreal seeing it here in Cuizhuxiang. If I wasn’t so worried about Grandma, I’d definitely chat with him longer and give him a piece of my mind too.
“I was driving fast earlier and kicked up a lot of dust,” Zhou Chiye said. “That’s why you saw me on the tractor road. Come on, hop on.”
He tossed her a spare helmet—it fit perfectly, and it smelled faintly clean and pleasant.
“Thank you so much, Secretary Zhou!” Lin Sui was truly grateful. The back seat was narrow, though, so she had to sit very close to him.
Zhou Chiye felt solid and steady. Unlike the rough, unkempt men in the village, he had no unpleasant body odor—only the fresh scent of soap, mixed with a faint, natural aroma of sunshine and grass.
Apart from Gu Shaonan in her past life, Lin Sui had never been this close to any other man. She steeled herself: As long as I don’t feel awkward, no one else will either.
“Hold on tight,” Zhou Chiye warned, glancing back.
Lin Sui gave him an “OK” sign. With a roar, the motorcycle surged forward.
Lin Sui had underestimated the power of the Harley. Her grip on the back frame nearly slipped, and in a panic, she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt—accidentally touching his waist.
Whoa… so firm and muscular. He’s all solid muscle!
Once she found her balance, she quickly let go. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!”
Zhou Chiye said nothing. The wind caught his shirt, flapping it back and forth and brushing against Lin Sui’s face.
The motorcycle sped down the dirt road. If Lin Sui hadn’t been so anxious about her grandmother, she would have fully enjoyed the thrill of riding into the open wind.
As it turned out, Grandma Lin was not seriously hurt—she had only twisted her lower back. It happened because she had insisted on going to the sweet potato fields with Liang Fengjiao, claiming she was still strong enough and pulling up roots was no trouble for her. But she tripped over a vine and fell. Luckily, the ground was tangled with sweet potato foliage, which cushioned her fall; otherwise, her old bones would have suffered far worse. She had already been taken to the town clinic and treated.
When Lin Sui arrived home, she found everyone already back: Liang Fengjiao, her father Old Man Lin, her grandfather, and her second uncle and aunt.
Lin Sui let out a long breath of relief. “Grandma! I told you not to go working in the fields anymore—why didn’t you listen?”