Chapter 56

At 9 p.m., the Capital Zhihua Building was still brightly lit.

The entire building is divided into countless neat small units, densely packed together, each with its own busy work, resembling a giant beehive.

After graduating, Meng Xiaoqiong became a worker bee here.

She put on her stiff, oversized glasses, had her phone clipped to her neck, and was trying to understand the unreasonable terms and conditions imposed by her client.

"You mean you want permanent after-sales service? For hardware that costs less than a thousand?"

The answer from the other end of the phone was utterly absurd: not only that, they also wanted all after-sales service to be given to customers for free.

Meng Xiaoqiong remained silent for a long time after listening.

She thought to herself that this broken hardware should just be thrown away, why keep it and wait for someone to fix it? The repair cost could buy three of them.

You really want both.

But on the surface, she still put on her best attitude: "There is no precedent for this situation. So, I'll create a group chat with the leader tomorrow, and you can explain the specific requirements in the group."

The customer then said, "Could you please say it for me?"

Meng Xiaoqiong clenched her fists tightly.

I'll feed it to you bite by bite, shall I?

A thousand curses flashed through her mind: I do everything for you/What do I need you for/Am I your mother/Why don't you just call me that/Sign the contract or not, I'll tear it up anyway/The money isn't going into my pocket—

Take a deep breath.

It was as if he had finally let out a fit of anger, and then put on a fake smile.

Meng Xiaoqiong softly replied, "I'll try my best," and then hung up the phone.

She looked up, and her phone immediately lost its support, sliding from her neck to her lap.

The table was piled high with documents, and she looked through them one by one from left to right; they were all unresolved issues from that day.

If the contract isn't resolved, it can't be signed; if it can't be signed, it won't be included in performance metrics, and low performance will lead to being laid off.

Meng Xiaoqiong's glasses slipped down her nose.

Damn. This life is so pathetic.

The good old days have to be traced back.

To be honest, college wasn't a good time either. She performed exceptionally well in the college entrance exam and ended up in a top-tier university that was the complete opposite of her goal. Unfortunately, she also had a bunch of roommates who were all exam-taking geniuses. They were either going to the library together or staying up all night to memorize. For the four years of college, she felt like she was being dragged along every day.

All things considered, high school is still the most free.

Back then, saying the wrong thing was considered innocent and childish, and apologizing for wrongdoing would lead to forgiveness.

Making wishes at the wishing well with my best friends felt so liberating, yet also filled with a sense of wistfulness about the future—it all felt like it was just yesterday.

But no matter how beautiful the memories are.

Meng Xiaoqiong always felt that a piece of her memory was missing.

It's that feeling of something that was once vibrant and colorful, but I can't find any evidence of it in my memory.

Perhaps it's because I didn't have a relationship back then, Meng Xiaoqiong thought.

But now that I'm past the age of puppy love, I've never been in a relationship. Meng, a lifelong single, thought to herself.

My thoughts returned to the present moment.

Seemingly quite tired, Meng Xiaoqiong tidied up the documents on the table and put them in the drawer, intending to catch the last subway home.

But she forgot to check the weather forecast, and only when she stepped out of the building did she realize that it was drizzling outside.

She didn't bring an umbrella.

Her colleagues who came down with her brushed past her, waved goodbye, some opened their umbrellas, and some quickly ran into their boyfriends' cars.

After a round of greetings, she was left alone downstairs.

Meng Xiaoqiong had no choice but to give up on the subway and instead used her phone to call a ride-hailing service.

Upon entering the interface, I saw in the middle of the screen that "56 people around me are calling for a ride at the same time," and it was estimated that I would be able to get a ride in an hour.

...

Meng Xiaoqiong even felt like going back to work a little longer.

She was anxious and restless, but suddenly felt something covering her head.

Looking down, she noticed a little girl standing next to her.

Yes, it's a girl.

She looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, without a single pimple on her face.

The girl looked up, her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly.

"I have an umbrella, sister, want to walk together?"

She smiled sweetly, her expression utterly innocent.

Meng Xiaoqiong was stunned for a moment.

Normally, being struck up with by a stranger would make one feel a little uncomfortable, but Meng Xiaoqiong felt none at all. On the contrary, she felt that the person in front of her was all too familiar.

I feel like I've seen her somewhere before.

Where was it again?

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, the girl wasn't annoyed, but simply called out softly again, "Sister."

Meng Xiaoqiong then came to her senses, first saying "Ah," and then said, "I'm going to the subway station, are you... going that way?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's right."

That's quite a coincidence.

Meng Xiaoqiong didn't stand on ceremony anymore and canceled the order on her phone. Because she was slightly taller than her, Meng Xiaoqiong took the umbrella from her hand. When they exchanged hands, she noticed a very bright red string on her wrist.

Meng Xiaoqiong asked, "What's your name?"

She replied, "Sang Yue."

“The red string on your wrist is very pretty,” Meng Xiaoqiong said.

"Really?" Sang Yue said cheerfully, "Do you like it? How about I give you one?"

"...No, no need."

Meng Xiaoqiong not only used someone else's umbrella, but also accepted their gifts; she felt so embarrassed.

Unexpectedly, Sang Yue was completely unaware of her embarrassment. Instead, she took a red string from her other hand and squeezed her hand briefly during a break at the traffic light. The red string seemed to come alive and adjusted to the right size.

Meng Xiaoqiong could only say "thank you".

I walked quietly down the street.

The drizzle pattered on the umbrella, creating irregular drumbeats. The umbrella blocked the sunlight streaming in from the tall buildings, as if isolating the whole world from it.

Unable to bear the silence, Meng Xiaoqiong tried to start a conversation: "Are you still in school?"

Sang Yue smiled and said, "I've already graduated."

You can't tell at all.

Meng Xiaoqiong then asked, "So what are you doing now?"

Sang Yue thought for a moment and said, "I'm doing some matchmaking."

Meng Xiaoqiong was surprised and joked, "Are you the God of Love?"

"How did you know?!" Sang Yue laughed along.

Meng Xiaoqiong didn't think much of it, only feeling that the two of them got along very well, so she said, "Then can you tell me when my next boyfriend will be?"

Sang Yue whispered, "Was it your first one?"

"Damn, you figured that out!" Meng Xiaoqiong thought to herself, "You're amazing!" When she asked again, her tone became much more devout, "When was my first boyfriend?"

Sang Yue squinted, made a delicate gesture with her fingers, and pretended to do some calculations.

Meng Xiaoqiong thought this was quite something; it must be precise down to the year, month, day, minute, and second!

The result was a hasty answer that seemed almost fake.

"Tonight," Sang Yue said.

Meng Xiaoqiong: "..."

I believed your nonsense.

She still held onto a sliver of hope, but now it seems this young girl is quite adept at spouting nonsense at such a young age.

Meng Xiaoqiong chuckled twice, giving me a "you're kidding me" look, and said, "With you?"

Sang Yue: "..."

She seemed unwilling to explain further, pursed her lips, and muttered something like, "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Meng Xiaoqiong coaxed the child, "I believe you. Isn't it enough that I believe you?"

The umbrella is yours, the red string is yours, whatever you say goes.

Walked to the subway station.

Meng Xiaoqiong picked up her phone and glanced at the time. Going up now would allow her to catch the last subway. She folded the umbrella, shook it outside, and turned to return it to Sang Yue.

But the other person didn't grab the umbrella; instead, her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly.

Meng Xiaoqiong was stunned for a moment.

"Xiao Qiong, how have you been lately?" Sang Yue asked abruptly, her tone slightly quickening.

Meng Xiaoqiong blinked.

She didn't realize at all that there was something wrong with calling him "Xiao Qiong," and subconsciously replied, "Not bad, right?"

Sang Yue's eyes were like a freshwater lake, brimming with tenderness, as if they were about to hold a tear.

"Time is running out, I have to go," she said. "I wish you all the best, and please don't forget me."

As Meng Xiaoqiong took out her bus card, she realized that time was running out and she was going to miss the subway.

She swiped her card to enter the station, and only then did she belatedly realize that the "Xiao Qiong" she had just heard was not right. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss.

I clearly didn't introduce myself!

Meng Xiaoqiong turned around abruptly, the words already halfway out of her mouth: "You just called me—"

But it came to an abrupt end.

She looked around the crowd again and again, but there were no fifteen or sixteen-year-old children among them.

Sang Yue vanished without a trace in just a few seconds at the crowded subway station entrance.

If it weren't for the subway arrival announcement, Meng Xiaoqiong would have even considered going out to look for her to see if she was lost or something.

They've even abandoned their umbrellas; where could they possibly run off to?

Meng Xiaoqiong was puzzled, but she couldn't care less about that now. She squeezed in just before the subway doors closed.

The commute takes almost an hour, but fortunately, she has gotten used to it after living in this city for many years.

Throughout the journey, Meng Xiaoqiong kept thinking about Sang Yue.

It was only then that I realized this guy had come silently, suddenly appearing next to me, and left without a sound; he was gone before I could even keep an eye on him.

She remembered the red string on her wrist, so she looked down at it.

The workmanship is really exquisite.

The red threads are intertwined, without any extra thin threads or decorations. It fits snugly on the wrist without being too loose or too tight, and it also makes the skin look very fair.

For a moment, Meng Xiaoqiong even thought...

This doesn't seem like something from this world; it seems like something from heaven.

Could she really be the matchmaker?

However, this idea was quickly dismissed. Forget about the matchmaker; they actually said her next boyfriend would be here today.

How many hours are left today?

Could it be that she's referring to her next boyfriend appearing in her dreams tonight?

Meng Xiaoqiong laughed at herself.

As I was thinking, the subway arrived at its final stop.

Meng Xiaoqiong put her hands back in her pockets, feeling that she had been working overtime for too long tonight and was starting to overthink.

She walked down the stairs without hearing a series of footsteps around the corner. When she reached the bottom, she was bumped into by a boy carrying a bouquet of peach blossoms.

Peach petals fluttered down, slowly descending as the two touched, covering Meng Xiaoqiong's head.

She looked up, puzzled: "Whose peach blossom?"

Only a pure and innocent face catches my eye.

He had broad shoulders, and a beige apron was tied around his slender waist. Behind him was a subway flower shop that was about to close.

Her eyebrows drooped, but her eyes held a gentle warmth that seemed to hold an entire spring within them.

He held the bouquet in one hand and helped her up with the other.

The air was filled with the fragrance of peach blossoms.

They met eyes by chance and became entangled in a corner of the subway.

He smiled at her, head bowed, and said, "My peach blossom."