Towering skyscrapers gleamed under the sun with a cold, metallic sheen, while enormous advertising screens spilled over with dazzling color. Well-dressed people moved briskly through the wide, spotless terminal, their footsteps quick, their expressions focused.
It was completely different from the quiet calm of Z City.
Jiang Yining felt like someone stepping into a grand garden for the first time, her eyes darting from side to side, everything around her fresh and unfamiliar.
“Ningning! Ningning, over here!”
A familiar voice cut through the noise.
She followed the sound and spotted her eldest cousin, Jiang Yunyan, holding up a sign. He looked far more composed and mature than she remembered, yet there was still a gentle warmth in his features, something unmistakably characteristic of the Jiang family.
“Cousin!”
Dragging her suitcase behind her, Jiang Yining hurried toward him.
…
At the same moment, not far away, beside a newly parked black sedan, a tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit was about to step into his car.
“Ningning.”
Jiang Yunyan’s voice rang out clearly again.
The man’s hand froze on the car door.
Ningning?
That name, carved deep into his very bones, struck him without warning.
Almost instinctively, he lifted his head, his gaze sharp and searching as it swept toward the source of the sound.
In his line of sight, there was only the slender figure of a girl in a light-colored dress, bending slightly as she got into an ordinary car. The door closed, cutting off the view.
The car pulled away quickly, merging into the steady stream of traffic outside the airport.
Xie Shiyan remained standing there for several seconds, unmoving.
Only his heart gave a heavy, deliberate thud in his chest, bringing with it a familiar, piercing ache.
Was it just his imagination?
Or… another cruel coincidence, a stranger sharing the same name?
A faint, self-mocking smile tugged at his lips.
He lowered his gaze and got into his car, his expression returning to calm indifference. The door shut, sealing him off from the noise and light outside, and from that fleeting, absurd stir in his heart.
The black sedan glided smoothly onto the road, heading in the opposite direction of the car carrying Jiang Yining.
…
Meanwhile, Jiang Yunyan drove toward the city center.
As he drove, he couldn’t help glancing at the “cousin” in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror. The more he looked, the more unsettled he felt.
This was not just a resemblance.
It was as if she had been carved from the same mold.
Even the small expressions she made felt hauntingly familiar.
Thinking of the cousin who had left them far too early, and now looking at this girl who shared the same name, Jiang Yunyan felt a complicated knot tighten in his chest.
After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke carefully.
“Ningning, it’s not very convenient for you to stay at our place, so I’ve booked a room for you at a hotel. It’s close to where Yunming is. You… don’t mind, do you?”
He was worried she might feel hurt, like a substitute filling someone else’s place.
Jiang Yining, however, was busy watching the lively streets outside the window. When she heard him, she turned and gave him a bright, slightly mischievous smile.
“Cousin, you’re overthinking it. I know I look like that other Ningning, and we even share the same name. It’s fine. You can just treat me as her. I don’t mind being a stand-in.”
She even gave him a playful wink.
Jiang Yunyan fell silent.
It seemed he had been the one overthinking things.
This girl had surprisingly thick skin, and her personality felt uncannily similar to the original Ningning’s.
…
When they arrived at the hotel, Jiang Yunyan helped her check in and gave a few quick instructions.
“There’s a lot to handle for the wedding, so I probably won’t have time to show you around these next few days. Get familiar with the area on your own. Call me if you need anything.”
With that, he hurried off.
Jiang Yining dragged her luggage into the room. She had just taken out her clothes, ready to freshen up, when her phone rang.
It was a video call from Mother Jiang.
“Ningning, have you arrived? Are you settled? Have you eaten?”
Mother Jiang’s face filled the screen, the familiar living room behind her. The questions came one after another without pause.
“Mom, I’m here. Cousin Yunyan already took me out to eat, and I’m in the hotel now. He’s busy, so I told him to go ahead.”
Jiang Yining lifted her phone and gave her mother a quick tour of the neat, comfortable room.
After chatting for a few more minutes, they ended the call.
…
Jiang Yining walked to the window and looked out over the city at night.
S City shimmered beneath her, countless lights stretching across the ground like a river of stars, flowing all the way to the horizon.
A strange mix of excitement and unease stirred quietly in her chest.
She raised her hand and pressed it lightly against the cool glass.
Her thoughts drifted outward, toward the vast sea of lights.
Brother Shiyan… I tried calling your old number, but it’s no longer in service.
Where are you now?
This city is so big… where am I supposed to find you?
If I suddenly appeared in front of you… would it scare you?
…
The next morning, Jiang Yunyan called right on time.
“Ningning, have you had breakfast? I really can’t get away today to accompany you…”
“It’s fine, Cousin,” Jiang Yining replied lightly. “Go take care of your work. I’ll manage on my own. It’s a good chance for me to explore.”
After hanging up, she changed into a fresh dress and decided to wander around the busiest commercial district in the city center.
The prosperity of S City far exceeded her expectations.
Crowds filled the streets, luxury storefronts glittered under bright lights, and the air carried a faint blend of coffee and expensive perfume.
Jiang Yining moved through it all like a curious child, looking here, touching there.
She stepped into a women’s clothing store and picked out two simple yet elegant dresses, then wandered into a jewelry shop with a distinct, modern design.
Her gaze was instantly drawn to a delicate necklace displayed in the window.
It rested lightly against a velvet stand, a fine chain holding a single lemon-yellow crystal that caught the light with a soft, luminous glow.