Song Wanyi’s body clock remained as precise as ever.
She woke up at six in the morning.
The first thing she did was check her phone—there were no messages.
As usual, she washed up, got out of bed, and opened her books.
But for some reason, she couldn’t focus at all today.
It must be the book, she thought, switching to a TOEFL vocabulary guide.
After her morning reading session, Song Wanyi headed to the school cafeteria for breakfast.
She got herself a bowl of wontons and some fried dough sticks, then chose a seat by the window.
It was late August. Even just past seven, the sky was already bright, and the sun poured in aggressively through the windows.
It was in this light that Chen Yihao noticed Song Wanyi.
Bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun, she somehow carried an inexplicable sense of detachment from the world.
In truth, Chen Yihao had already been paying attention to her since last semester.
During an academic exchange event, he had been one of the junior students present.
Song Wanyi, with her outstanding grades, was often favored by the faculty.
That time, she had been invited to share her study experience.
Sitting in the audience, Chen Yihao watched her speak confidently on stage.
Her fair face carried a faint smile.
At that moment, he could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
Summoning his courage, Chen Yihao sat down across from her.
Trying to sound casual, he greeted her, “Good morning, senior. Mind if I join you?”
Song Wanyi glanced around at the nearly empty cafeteria, then looked at him in confusion.
Join her? In an empty hall?
“I’m your junior, Chen Yihao. You gave a talk last semester about study methods—I was there.”
He flashed a bright, easy smile, the kind of clean-cut charm typical of a college boy.
“Hello, junior. I’m glad you remember me,” Song Wanyi replied sincerely, assuming he was a serious student.
After all, effort in studying never goes unrewarded.
She respected anyone who genuinely cared about learning.
“Senior, why did you come back to campus so early?” There were still three days before the official start of term, and most students hadn’t returned yet.
“I stayed on campus the whole summer,” Song Wanyi said, lowering her head to take a spoonful of wontons.
“You studied all summer? Are you superhuman or something?” Chen Yihao exaggerated his expression.
“Not really,” Song Wanyi laughed softly, amused. “I was working part-time. It’s more convenient to stay here.”
“I see. I just got back last night and woke up early, so I came for breakfast.”
“I’m done eating—you take your time,” Song Wanyi said, finishing the last bite and standing up. She planned to head to the library. Her job at the ice cream shop had already ended, and she had no plans for the next few days.
“W-wait for me!” Chen Yihao quickly stuffed a bun into his mouth.
“I’m going to the library,” Song Wanyi said, turning back to look at him, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.
“The… the library?” His face instantly showed hesitation as he scratched his head.
“Learning should be a daily habit,” Song Wanyi said with a small smile before saying goodbye and heading toward the campus library.
Summer hadn’t quite passed yet.
After only a few steps, a thin layer of sweat formed on her skin.
With her backpack on, she walked through the nearly empty campus.
“Wait—!”
She heard someone calling from behind.
Turning around, she saw Chen Yihao running after her.
“Senior, I’ll come find you later to study together. There are a few things in my major courses I don’t understand—could I ask you about them?” Chen Yihao said, panting slightly as he leaned on his knees.
“Sure,” Song Wanyi nodded.
“Then let me add you on WeChat—I’ll message you later,” he said quickly, pulling out his phone, afraid of missing the rare opportunity.
After exchanging contacts, Song Wanyi continued toward the library.
On the way, she received a call from Director He of the department.
“Song Wanyi, the recommendation slots for postgraduate admission are about to be finalized. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” he asked regretfully. With her top-tier grades, securing a spot would have been almost guaranteed if she wanted it.
“Thank you for your concern, Director He, but I’ve already made up my mind,” she replied.
She needed to graduate as soon as possible and start earning money. Graduate school simply wasn’t part of her plans.
“Alright. If you change your mind, contact me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Her decision was firm.
Just after hanging up, she received a message from Shuqing.
“Hey beauty, you left your clothes at the shop.”
Only then did Song Wanyi remember—she had kept a spare set of clothes at the ice cream shop for convenience.
“Okay, I’ll come get them now.”
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and took the familiar bus into the city center.
Since it wasn’t the weekend, there weren’t many customers.
The shop sat just to the right of the mall entrance. Occasionally, students on break would stop by to buy a few scoops of ice cream, paying by the number of scoops.
“Ma’am, here’s a complimentary piece of our handmade chocolate—I’ve added it on top of your ice cream,” Shuqing said to a customer. She looked slightly chubby, but her features still revealed a natural beauty.
Song Wanyi stepped forward, saw she was busy, and waited quietly to the side.
After handing the finished ice cream to the customer, a voice suddenly rang out nearby.
“Make way.”
The mall supervisor walked ahead, gesturing respectfully. Behind him, a group formed around a central figure, flanked by bodyguards in a triangular formation.
The man stood tall and composed, dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored trousers. The expensive fabric moved fluidly as he walked, his silver cufflinks catching the light. On his wrist was a sleek black ultra-thin Constantin watch.
He tilted his head slightly, listening to a report from someone beside him, occasionally nodding or asking concise questions.
It was Shen Yuxun.
Song Wanyi hadn’t expected to see him here.
Lost in thought, she suddenly saw someone breeze past her.
The same customer from earlier had already floated over to Shen Yuxun, holding her ice cream.
“Brother, what are you doing here?” Shen Li asked.
“Routine inspection,” Shen Yuxun replied calmly, one hand in his pocket.
“I just happened to be buying ice cream here. This is the only shop like it in the city—it’s so good. Your leasing department really did a great job,” Shen Li said cheerfully, even turning to point out the shop.
Following her gaze, Shen Yuxun looked over—
and saw Song Wanyi standing by the counter, dressed in a simple white T-shirt, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders.
Song Wanyi hadn’t expected him to look her way.
For a moment, she didn’t even know what expression to wear.
His gaze carried its usual indifference, his deep-set eyes distant—like winter sunlight, cold and far away.
It felt like nothing more than a casual glance.
He quickly looked away, then moved on, surrounded by his subordinates, heading toward the next stop.
Song Wanyi let out a quiet breath.
Maybe from now on, they would remain nothing more than strangers—
with no further connection between them.
“Wow, was that the big boss who came today? He’s seriously handsome,” Shuqing whispered excitedly into Song Wanyi’s ear.
“Mm,” Song Wanyi replied, withdrawing her gaze.
“Look at how the supervisor bosses us around usually—yet in front of the real boss, he’s completely submissive,” Shuqing muttered, pouting. Thinking about how the supervisor had once scolded them harshly over cleanliness issues, she felt a lingering frustration.
Seeing his meek behavior today brought her a small sense of satisfaction.
It really proved the saying—
There’s always someone greater out there.