"Welcome..." Xia Wan stared blankly at the man outside the elevator.

Xia Wan saw so many familiar faces here that seeing Zhuang Yan wasn't particularly surprising.

How long had it been since she last saw Zhuang Yan? 55 days, less than two months, but it felt like an eternity.

When a person is caught up in a certain emotion, it is easy to lose focus. It is as if the body is locked in a black box. For a moment, the vision is blurred and the surrounding scene seems to disappear. She can't hear any sound, and her wide-open eyes are blank and lost in thought.

As the elevator doors were about to close, Xia Wan instinctively reached out to block them. Sensing the movement, the elevator doors touched her hand and then slowly separated.

Zhuang Yan, who was standing outside, was on the phone with a gentle expression. He obviously didn't see Xia Wan in the elevator. After giving her an apologetic smile, he said into his phone, "I'm going into the elevator. I'll text you later."

As soon as the call ended, he lowered his head and walked into the elevator.

Xia Wan stood stiffly in the corner of the elevator. When she saw Zhuang Yan enter, she moved to the side helplessly.

She didn't forget her duty and asked in a humble yet assertive manner, "The elevator is going up now, which floor are you going to?"

"Ninth floor." Zhuang Yan answered before realizing the voice sounded familiar. He turned to look at the elevator attendant next to him and was surprised to find that it was Xia Wan.

Xia Wan was actually working as an elevator attendant here, and she did it quite well, with a polite smile on her face. However, her trembling hands betrayed her inner emotions.

The ninth floor is mainly for wedding planning.

It seems the rumors weren't just rumors; Zhuang Yan really is going to marry Lu Yan.

Xia Wan's task today also required introducing other floors, but when facing Zhuang Yan, she couldn't say a word, as if there was a thorn stuck in her throat.

As we approached the ninth floor, the elevator doors opened: "Are you and Lu Yan getting engaged?"

Zhuang Yan glanced at the camera: "Prying into customers' privacy, isn't that outside your job scope?"

"Zhuang Yan, do we have to become so estranged?"

Zhuang Yan could ignore Xia Wan; he wouldn't be curious about seeing her here, nor would he make sarcastic or mocking remarks towards her.

Becoming strangers is the most dignified end for them.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened.

Zhuang Yan walked out.

Looking at his figure, Xia Wan even forgot to say her words.

Relationships between people are not easily broken; a broken relationship inevitably involves multiple transgressions. She realized this too late.

Xia Wan tried hard to suppress the soreness in her nose. During the few days she had worked here, although it was hard, she never complained. She stood straight, kept smiling, and always remembered to treat passengers well. She could keep smiling when faced with teasing and sarcasm from acquaintances, and she could also calmly deal with people with ill intentions who tried to take advantage of her. But when she saw Zhuang Yan... she couldn't remain indifferent.

She never expected that her reunion with Zhuang Yan would be like this.

She wanted to escape, to find a crack to crawl into and hide.

Her eyes welled up with tears. The elevator doors slowly closed, and Zhuang Yan's figure gradually disappeared into the closing gap.

She stood alone in the middle of the elevator, unable to hold back her tears, which rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor. After a moment, she squatted down, her shoulders trembling, and sobs escaped her lips.

She had barely squatted down when a voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Xia Wan, what are you doing? It's still working hours. Why aren't you standing properly? What are you squatting there for? If you can do it, do it; if you can't, get out. You're getting such a high salary and you're still slacking off. If you don't want to do it, there are plenty of people who will!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Wan quickly stood up and apologized in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, supervisor."

Her voice was clearly off, but her supervisor wouldn't care. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement; the company paid her a high salary, so she was supposed to do her job well. If you want money, you have to work hard and put aside your pride. No matter who you meet or how hurtful their words are, you have to endure it.

Xia Wan's eyes were red. By noon, more and more people had gathered, and Xia Wan's voice had become hoarse from shouting. Zhuang Yan hadn't come down after going up. He might still be on the ninth floor, or he might have taken another elevator.

If Zhuang Yan had known she worked as an elevator operator, he probably wouldn't have entered this elevator.

At noon, the elevator went straight to the ninth floor. Every time it reached this floor, she would wonder if Zhuang Yan had pressed the button. After the elevator stopped on the ninth floor for the 24th time, Zhuang Yan appeared in her sight again, but this time Lu Yan was standing next to him.

Lu Yan wore a cheongsam underneath a coat, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin. Compared to the past, she was less aloof and more gentle. Standing next to Zhuang Yan, she rarely showed a girlish demeanor. It was clear that Zhuang Yan took good care of her. Her cheeks were rosy and rosy, and her eyes were clear and bright. When she looked at Zhuang Yan, she was so lively.

She took Zhuang Yan's hand and whispered, "What should we do? I really like all three of the wedding plans they came up with today. Do you have any weddings that combine Chinese and Western styles? I want to use peonies for the flowers... I like castle wedding dresses, but I also like traditional Chinese phoenix coronet and embroidered robes. Combining them feels like a mismatch..."

Zhuang Yan said, "It is a bit special, but as long as you like it, that's fine. After all, this is our wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime event. What others say doesn't matter."

"I'm worried the photos won't turn out well, I'll think about it some more. What about you, don't you have any ideas about the wedding?"

"I only have one thought: as long as the bride is beautiful, that's all that matters." Zhuang Yan watched the elevator doors open. "The elevator's here. What would you like to eat?"

"Let's go up to the top floor. That Western restaurant there is pretty good. If I have time this afternoon, I'd like to look at wedding dresses. I really want to marry you soon."

A wedding dress takes a long time to design and make. Zhuang Yan set the engagement date for February 14th and the wedding date for the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. There was no special meaning to the date. It was just because autumn was a good season and Lu Yan would be able to wear a wedding dress without feeling cold.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Lu Yan saw Xia Wan. She didn't show any surprise, but simply stopped talking as she went in and quietly took Zhuang Yan's hand.

Xia Wan steadied her trembling voice: "Are you two going up to the rooftop for dinner?"

Lu Yan hummed in agreement.

The elevator doors slowly rose, and after reaching the top floor, the doors opened. Xia Wan blocked the elevator with one hand and leaned forward, saying, "We've arrived at the top floor. Enjoy your meal, both of you."

She heard Lu Yan and Zhuang Yan's conversation very clearly; they were not only getting engaged but also getting married.

That's perfectly normal. If she hadn't impulsively run away from her wedding, she and Zhuang Yan would probably be married by now.

Xia Wan stood alone in the elevator, as if trapped in this place, unable to move forward or backward. She gazed at two figures in the distance. The elevator was like a closed little box, and what was trapped there was more than just freedom...