June in Shencheng was unbearably hot. Layers of white clouds drifted across the sky, and every now and then a breeze stirred the leaves, carrying the unmistakable feeling of midsummer.
The heat pressed against Song Xici like a suffocating wave. After taking the photo she was satisfied with, she closed the office window.
Sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and fell across her desk, dappling the five words printed on the paper: Promotional Video Script.
“Sister Xici, we’ve finalized the filming location!”
Intern Jiang Tingxiao hurried over to deliver the latest update.
This year marked the twentieth anniversary of Happy Time Amusement Park. After the Lunar New Year, the company’s newly appointed management had decided to reshoot the park’s promotional video. Song Xici had been chosen to oversee the project. She had spent three months negotiating with the outsourced production team, revising eighteen versions of the script, and had finally gotten management’s approval the previous week. The script was officially finalized.
The promotional video required several campus scenes, and the company had spent the past few weeks contacting various universities in hopes of borrowing their facilities.
“Where did we settle on?”
“Shencheng No. 4 High School. You know it, right, Sister Xici?”
Song Xici was a little surprised. She curved her lips into a smile.
“It’s my alma mater.”
“What a coincidence! I heard No. 4 High has tons of handsome top students.” Jiang Tingxiao’s eyes lit up. “Is that actually true?”
“Handsome top students…”
Song Xici thought of the boy who had once been so spirited and dazzling on campus, and the smile at the corners of her lips deepened slightly.
“There were quite a few in my year and the ones before me.”
Jiang Tingxiao immediately looked envious.
“So the rumors are true! If I’d known, I would’ve gone to No. 4 High back then.”
They had both been born and raised in Shencheng. They had simply attended different high schools and universities.
“You could’ve come to No. 4 High and talked about grades with all those handsome top students. Discussed Olympiad math, maybe?” Song Xici teased.
“Never mind.”
The longing on Jiang Tingxiao’s face vanished instantly, only to return a moment later.
“But I could’ve waited until graduation.”
Song Xici smiled and shook her head.
Once they graduated, it would be difficult to see them again.
Jiang Tingxiao returned to her computer and resumed typing away. Suddenly, she let out an astonished gasp.
“Wow! Sister Xici, there are actually quite a few really good-looking people in your school’s Hall of Fame!”
The school’s Hall of Fame showcased distinguished alumni from various fields, as well as graduates who had gained some recognition online. Song Xici thought of the company where Cheng Jiasong worked and leaned over to look at the screen.
She scanned the names one by one but didn’t see the familiar one. She lifted her chin slightly.
“Keep scrolling.”
Jiang Tingxiao did as she was told, slowly scrolling downward. She reached the very bottom of the page without seeing Cheng Jiasong’s name.
“That’s it. Who were you looking for, Sister Xici?”
Song Xici didn’t know what title to use when introducing him. During their three years of high school, they had battled fiercely for the top spot in their grades. To their friends, they had been “archrivals.”
But to him, she was probably nothing more than a stranger.
“An old classmate,” she explained. “He used to rank first in the entire grade all the time. I thought he’d make it into the Hall of Fame.”
“You never know.” Jiang Tingxiao wagged a finger. “Good grades don’t necessarily mean you’ll be good at your job. Not everyone is as capable as you, Sister Xici.”
Song Xici laughed and nodded along.
“You’re right. I’m not in there either. He’d have to be behind me.”
Jiang Tingxiao leaned closer and whispered, “It’ll happen soon! Once you become a manager, you’ll make it in!”
“You little flatterer.”
Song Xici lightly tapped her forehead, signaling that she shouldn’t say things like that at the office.
Jiang Tingxiao giggled, pulled a cute face, closed the page, and went back to work.
Half an hour later, Director Xie Bai called the Marketing Department into a meeting to discuss arrangements for the promotional video shoot.
Since the students had classes on weekdays, the shoot could only take place over the weekend. Employees who went would count it as overtime and could take compensatory leave another day.
As the person in charge, Song Xici had to be there. Jiang Tingxiao was the intern she had recently taken under her wing, so naturally she would have to come as well. In addition, they selected one photographer and two members of the publicity team.
After going over the arrival time and other important details, Xie Bai began criticizing the employees who had been late that week.
Song Xici’s gaze drifted to the screen. When she saw the photograph of No. 4 High’s main gate, her thoughts involuntarily returned to ten years ago.
Back then, there had been a milk tea shop behind the school. One wall inside was covered with sticky notes—a wish wall where students from No. 4 High could leave their hopes and dreams.
Song Xici had been dragged there by her deskmate. While they waited for their drinks, she bent down to read the notes. Some were about dreams and ambitions; others were anonymous confessions.
When her deskmate received her milk tea, she asked if Song Xici wanted to write one too.
Without giving it much thought, Song Xici picked up a pen and wrote seven characters:
I’m going to rank first in my grade.
Her grades were good. Ever since entering No. 4 High, she had consistently ranked near the top in every exam. It wasn’t an empty boast.
Before the final exams, her deskmate called her to the shop again to buy milk tea. Song Xici found her own sticky note, only to discover another one directly beneath it.
First place in the grade is mine.
— Cheng Jiasong, Class 4, Grade 10
The handwriting wasn’t particularly pretty. It was bold and carefree, the strokes flying across the paper like a challenge addressed specifically to her, every word carrying the arrogance of a teenage boy.
It was from that day onward that Song Xici firmly committed the name Cheng Jiasong to memory.
“Xici.”
The voice beside her brought her back to the present. She looked up and found herself meeting Xie Bai’s gaze. There was a hint of displeasure in his eyes as he frowned.
“Xici, stay behind for a moment. Everyone else can go.”
Her colleagues gathered their things and filed out of the conference room. Jiang Tingxiao gave her a worried look before leaving with her notebook.
Song Xici spoke first, her tone sincere.
“Sorry, Brother Bai. I was thinking about tomorrow’s shoot and didn’t notice what you were saying.”
Hearing that, Xie Bai could only wave it off, indicating that it wasn’t a big deal.
“Put a little more effort into this shoot. The management team is paying close attention to it. If anything comes up on-site, use your judgment and handle it.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
“Manager Li has been transferred, and summer vacation is almost here. There’s plenty to deal with at the park, so the manager’s position won’t stay vacant for long.”
Xie Bai paused, the implication unmistakable.
“Xici, make sure you do well.”
“Of course. Thank you, Brother Bai.”
Song Xici smiled and nodded before following him out of the conference room.
When she returned to her desk, Jiang Tingxiao quietly handed her a packet of snacks.
“Sister Xici, are you okay?”
Song Xici accepted the snacks and reassured her.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Only then did Jiang Tingxiao return to her seat and continue working on the press release.
Song Xici was currently focused primarily on the park’s promotional video shoot and had no other assignments. With only ten minutes left before the end of the workday, she opened Weibo and found Cheng Jiasong among the accounts she followed with special attention.
He hadn’t posted anything in nearly six months.
His most recent post was a photograph of the sunset over the sea. One of his friends had commented, asking, “Back in Shencheng?”
His reply had simply been:
“Yeah.”
Back then, Cheng Jiasong had said he intended to stay in Shencheng and attend Shengnan University. No one had expected him to end up applying to a university in Beijing instead.
She’d heard that after graduation, he had stayed in Beijing and joined Lingxun Group, a Fortune Global 500 company, where his career had taken off. He had probably only returned to Shencheng because he had business to attend to.
Her WeChat icon suddenly began flashing in the lower-right corner.
Song Xici closed his profile and opened a message from her mother, Ruan Yin.
Ruan Yin: Are you busy today? Can you get off work on time?
Song Xici: Take a guess.
Ruan Yin: I guess you’ll not only get off work on time, you’ll also be very pleased with today’s blind date. Before long, you’ll be bringing him home to meet me. 🌹
Song Xici: …
Ruan Yin: Did you read the information I sent you?
Song Xici hadn’t. She hadn’t even had time to reply to her mother before a new message appeared in the Marketing Department group chat.
Xie Bai had posted the detailed schedule for the next day’s shoot and tagged Song Xici, telling everyone to follow her directions on-site.
She read through it twice, made sure everything was in order, and replied, Received, before closing the chat.
Then Jiang Tingxiao’s message came through.
Jiang Tingxiao: We have to be on-site at SEVEN tomorrow morning! Seven! Waaaah, my weekend lie-in is gone!
Song Xici smiled and typed back:
Song Xici: There are lots of visitors on weekends. You’ll be losing your lie-ins on a regular basis from now on. You might as well say goodbye to your Honor of Kings, escape rooms, and murder-mystery games while you’re at it.
Jiang Tingxiao hammered away at her keyboard in despair.
Jiang Tingxiao: I’m crying SO LOUDLY! My weekend! Waaaah!
Jiang Tingxiao: I can’t be the only one suffering, right? Right? What does Sister Xici usually do on weekends?
Song Xici thought about what she’d done the previous weekend and calmly replied:
Song Xici: Go on blind dates.
“Pfft!”
Jiang Tingxiao burst out laughing and quickly covered her mouth. She glanced at Song Xici beside her before typing:
Jiang Tingxiao: Our poor Sister Xici! Is it really that bad? With your looks and qualifications, your dates must all be tall, rich, and handsome, right? Not a single one you liked?
Song Xici thought about the few men she’d met on blind dates. From their appearance and bearing to their education and careers, they had all been impeccable. After all, they had been carefully vetted by Ms. Ruan. None of them could be called a bad catch.
But that was all they had been.
Some loved to show off. Others loved to criticize. Empty-headed, one-dimensional, and boring.
She wasn’t opposed to falling in love.
She simply hadn’t felt that spark.
Song Xici: Nope. None of them interested me.
Jiang Tingxiao: That’s normal. Sister Xici, you’re too good. There just aren’t that many men who can match you in every way. But that doesn’t mean we should lower our standards!
Song Xici: Of course not. I’ll take my time and choose carefully.
Jiang Tingxiao: Exactly! Compare your options and shop around!
After chatting for a while, Song Xici went through the script twice more. By the time she finished, it was almost time to leave.
She and Jiang Tingxiao clocked out and left the office. At the subway entrance, they headed toward different stations.
Jiang Tingxiao looked puzzled.
“Sister Xici, aren’t you going home today?”
They lived in the same direction and had been commuting together lately. Song Xici had initially intended to vaguely say she was going out for dinner, but the words felt unnecessary. She simply said,
“I’m going on a blind date.”
“Another blind date? But it’s not even the weekend.”
Thinking of the message from her mother, Song Xici explained helplessly,
“My date has something going on this weekend, so we can only have dinner tonight.”
Jiang Tingxiao nodded.
“Oh, that’s convenient. We have work this weekend too. Go ahead, Sister Xici. I hope you meet someone who makes your heart flutter!”
Song Xici smiled unconcernedly and waved goodbye.
She had just put on her earphones when her mother called.
“Hello? Are you off work? Don’t forget about dinner tonight.”
“I’m off. I’m on my way.”
Song Xici sounded completely casual, clearly harboring no expectations for this blind date whatsoever.
Ruan Yin couldn’t help thinking about her daughter’s impressive track record.
Her previous blind date, after learning that the watch Song Xici was wearing cost seven thousand yuan, had remarked, “That’s pretty expensive. You’re a bit of a spendthrift.”
Song Xici had merely given a soft little oh before asking,
“Because you can’t afford one?”
The man had hurried to explain, “No, I just don’t think it’s necessary.”
Song Xici had smiled, her tone gentle.
“You’re awfully possessive about other people’s money.”
And the man before that had assured her, while promising that he would never be violent toward his wife, “Don’t worry. I don’t hit women.”
Song Xici had immediately curved her lips.
“What a coincidence. I don’t kill men.”
Whenever Ruan Yin heard her friends recount these encounters, she could practically picture her daughter smiling sweetly as she delivered each perfectly polite, razor-edged remark.
She still couldn’t help reminding her,
“Just talk nicely when you meet him, okay? Don’t suddenly stab him with a couple of remarks.”
Song Xici obediently replied,
“Mm. I’ll try.”
As long as he speaks like a civilized person.
Ruan Yin continued,
“Tonight’s man was introduced through your brother. He meets all your requirements.”
Song Xici raised an eyebrow.
“You’re sure?”
Her mother had previously asked what kind of man she liked, and whether she had any standards or requirements. Song Xici had written an eight-hundred-word essay in response, ending with a special note:
The above requirements are non-negotiable. That’s all for now. If I think of anything else, I’ll add it later.
Ruan Yin was utterly confident.
“Of course. I looked over his résumé. He’s practically perfect.”
“Mom, that’s what you said last week.”
Song Xici ruthlessly reminded her, her expectations for tonight’s blind date sinking even lower.
“You don’t trust me? At least trust your brother, don’t you? This time is really different. He also graduated from No. 4 High. He used to work in Beijing, and he just came back to Shencheng this year…”
Song Xici happened to be following the crowd into the subway. The signal inside was poor, and she couldn’t hear her mother clearly, so she had to hang up for the moment and send a reply on WeChat:
Song Xici: I know, Mom. Don’t worry.
The restaurant wasn’t far from her office. Song Xici had been there twice before, so after exiting the station, she found her way through the shopping mall without difficulty.
She was just about to scroll through their chat history to check the man’s name when a familiar figure suddenly entered her line of sight.
The man sat by the window.
Compared with the sharpness of his features in his youth, his profile was even more defined now. His expression was calm, showing neither excitement nor impatience. One hand rested on the edge of the table, his index finger tapping lightly against it at an idle rhythm. His eyes were lowered as he looked at his phone.
His fingers were long and clean, the joints sharply defined. Warm light bathed his face, accentuating his cool, handsome features.
Song Xici froze.
Even though she hadn’t seen him in several years, she recognized him at a glance.
It was Cheng Jiasong.
Her phone buzzed twice.
A message from her mother appeared:
Ruan Yin: He’s already there. Just ask for Mr. Cheng.
Song Xici had a sudden suspicion. Still uncertain, she typed:
Song Xici: What’s his name?
Ruan Yin replied instantly:
Ruan Yin: Cheng Jiasong, of course. Wasn’t it in the information I sent you?
Cheng Jiasong.
Her blind date tonight was Cheng Jiasong.
Song Xici stared at those three characters, overwhelmed by a strange, almost absurd sense of delight.
After all that searching, her mother had somehow chosen him—and brought him right to her.
She put away her phone and suppressed the emotions surging inside her, quietly taking a breath to steady herself.
Then she entered the restaurant.
Step by step, she walked toward his table.
When she reached it, she stopped.
Hearing the movement, Cheng Jiasong lifted his eyes.
His gaze was dark and deep as it settled on her, and his voice was clear and melodious.
“Are you Song Xici?”