The first person I met

"After the start of autumn, the autumn rains bring a new coolness."

"Their story also ends at this moment."

The light from the computer screen shone on Wen Zhuyao's face. She rubbed her wrists, which were aching from editing. The submitted story, which she had communicated with privately, was now finished.

Export and publish—the whole process is complete, and the submission appears on the "Tingzhu" account.

Wen Zhuyao opened the video and went through it once. After confirming that there were no overlooked errors, she closed the video and stretched in relief.

Regardless of what she has been through, seeing regrettable stories still makes her feel sorry.

Who can truly say what is right and wrong?

Time cannot prove one's feelings. People met through games must either return to reality together or eventually return to the game.

"Ding...ding-dong..."

"Ding-dong..."

During the editing process, her phone rang incessantly. Now, Wen Zhuyao finally has time to check and see what the hotly debated topics are all about.

The "Cat Woof Cat Woof" group chat had 99+ messages, and Wen Zhuyao scrolled up to see what she had missed.

"National Day is almost here, dear brothers and sisters, do you have any plans? If not, come visit me!" Chi Nuonuo added an emoji, begging...

They seemed determined to keep begging until they got their way.

The youngest member of our sworn brotherhood, who just turned twenty, doesn't know where to go for fun and is asking for suggestions online.

Ji Da Piao Liang, upholding her role as the eldest sister, spoke up generously: "Simple, let's just have an offline gathering, meet up in person, and have a different kind of National Day holiday, how about it?"

"Let's see who's left to pop up. Now I can write down the plan." Bai Yuzhou never argues, firmly following all of his lover Ji Da Piao Liang's decisions and implementing all her ideas.

"Wow!!"

"Yay! I really want to meet the real Big Sister!!!"

Bai Yuzhou: "Maintain a sense of distance; don't hug or hold hands as soon as you meet."

"My older sister hasn't said anything yet, I don't care... I don't care, I don't care..." Chi Nuonuo rejected the idea, thinking that it was pointless to stop her from sticking on the sticker.

Next up were their solo performances.

Wen Zhuyao turned her attention back to the computer and switched to another account, looking at the nearly two hundred videos displayed under the "It's Bamboo" account.

And the words I typed out word by word in the introduction.

"Record yourself, record your stories, record everyone who suddenly appears."

She recalled that their first encounter was also an enigmatic beginning, and her choice of career seemed to be preordained.

Having just broken free from her constraints, Wen Zhuyao resolutely chose to come to the new city alone. After settling in, the moment she opened the game, a fairy tale was triggered, and she had her own page in the storybook.

During that time, she was very fortunate to meet friends with whom she could have fun.

Loneliness was replaced by warmth. While recording games, she became a "healing story creator," and later she created a new account that she didn't tell anyone.

He started submitting stories, watching other people's stories, and writing other people's stories, and was also given the title of "healing content creator".

Wen Zhuyao plans to use this holiday to put a period to her life, and also to mark the past.

"Hey, don't forget me!"

Now only one person remains, and no one has spoken yet.

She shut down her computer. The wind outside the window gradually picked up, and a weather warning popped up on her phone: "City A is experiencing a severe rainstorm tonight. Please be careful when traveling."

"The story ends with rain, and I didn't expect it to rain here too. It's going to get cold again."

Wen Zhuyao turned around in her chair, sighed, and got up to close the windows of the two bedrooms and the living room.

The others are small windows, left for ventilation.

"Ding-dong..."

"bite……"

The message never came during quiet times. When Wen Zhuyao heard the sound and went back, she thought it was them again, but it turned out to be from outside the group.

It came from the person who had never shown himself, who was also her destined lover.

If she could, she would rather not have clicked the button so quickly, so as not to fall into an awkward situation. The chat interface quietly displayed two sentences.

"Could we try developing offline channels?"

"A one-month timeframe. If you find this offensive, you can disregard what I said."

Wen Zhuyao stared at the words that clearly went beyond the tone, unsure how to react for a moment. Becoming a romantic partner was an accident, but also proof that their relationship was spreading under unknown circumstances.

After some back and forth, she wanted to handle it calmly, but she couldn't resist her tendency to overthink: "It's a bit sudden. Can I give you a final answer when we meet?"

"Allow me to be serious, I think my answer is no longer... frivolous."

What prompted her to come here is that she lacks the courage to confront the "love" placed upon her directly; she doesn't know how to think about it.

After all, no one's love can surpass that of their parents.

Could his love also become the reason for her to leave alone? Wen Zhuyao thought that if there were a second time, she would be better prepared.

The group chat became lively again with the arrival of the last person, but she remained detached from the excitement, paying close attention to his every move.

"I'm fine, don't leave me out, or I'll try to get attention when I'm not busy." Mo Wen's joking reply made her realize for a moment that he was in a bad mood.

Wen Zhuyao wasn't the only one staring at the chat; he was also intently watching and thinking about the other person and their reply.

A weather warning for City A was being broadcast on a loop in the background...

Before he could finish speaking, someone turned it off with a remote control. Mo Wen unconsciously switched between group chat and list, unpredictable, needing more and more responses.

"@Mo Wen, I remember you were supposed to be on a business trip?" Bai Yuzhou looked up from his plans, puzzled by the itinerary. "You said a while ago that it would take two months, is it okay if it's less than a month?"

"It's humane; there's still a National Day holiday, so it won't cause any problems." Mo Wenqie replied without saying anything else, perhaps to avoid being so narcissistic.

Ji Da Piao Liang's curiosity was piqued by his reply: "Where did you go this time?"

"If it's close by, why not set the address in Xiaozhu's city? We've never been there before. Chinuo is close by, so our neighbor's girlfriends can catch up."

Mo Wen slowly conquered a city that happened to be not far away from where he had previously traveled on a business trip.

"That's perfect, what do you think, Xiaozhu?" Ji Da Piaoliang asked one by one, adding fuel to the fire of the probing between the two sides without knowing the outcome.

Wen Zhuyao: "No problem. No one is allowed to leave until the photos are taken."

"Okay, then two days from now..."

Mo Wen didn't look at the remaining messages. He took his hot tea back to his desk and continued working.

On the day of the gathering.

Wen Zhuyao wore a blue floral dress. The temperature had dropped considerably after the rain, but it wasn't time to wear long sleeves yet, so she added a light blue shawl.

The silver ring around her neck had been modified into a necklace.

There's also the side braid hairstyle that I specially learned, which, when paired with everyday light makeup, adds a touch of cuteness.

Before leaving, she stood in the full-length mirror for a long time, admiring herself. A party is bound to involve taking photos, and since it's not easy to meet, how could she not take as many pictures as possible?

There's also the vlog she used to conclude the series, and the tension and anticipation she felt when facing problems.

In any case, today is the deadline. Everything that needs to be said needs to be made clear. Whether we can be together is up to fate.

"I'm heading out now. Is the address right?" Wen Zhuyao casually snapped a photo of her neck and below and sent it over with her outfit. "I won't show you my head; this is a surprise for our meetup."

Although everyone's WeChat Moments are open and everyone has seen what they wanted to see, except for the two career-oriented men who don't post anything, it's clear that people still have a strong sense of ritual.

Wen Zhuyao took her bag and waited for the elevator while calling a taxi, which was located within three kilometers of a mixed dessert shop.

"The address is correct. The three of us will drop off our luggage at the hotel and head over. If you arrive first, wait for us." Ji Da Piao Liang replied to the message while flipping through a magazine.

"OK".

Even though she hadn't left early, she still arrived early because of the distance, and looking at the time, Wen Zhuyao thought she was the first one there.

She pushed open the door and walked towards her reserved seat, only to find that the seat she had expected to be empty was occupied by a strange man.

The person had a gentle demeanor yet an inexplicable sense of distance. He was looking down intently at his phone, with an expression that said "keep away." He wore a white short-sleeved T-shirt with a slightly open collar, paired with silver accessories that seemed out of place with his style.

Wen Zhuyao stood still to confirm her location, her gaze repeatedly comparing the table number with the one in the message.

Bai Yuzhou and Ji Shu picked up Chi Nuo, and the three of them stayed together.

So who is this person? And who else would wear the DIY ring and necklace she specially sent to four people?

The answer became clear.

Her destined lover, who had been brave enough to try once, was left unanswered for two days.

Wen Zhuyao, who was about to experience the passion of a party, turned into a question about love and being alone. She walked cautiously towards the party, hoping and praying that someone would appear on the way.

Tell her, "Oh, actually this store uses overlapping serial numbers."

But when Wen Zhuyao took her first step and the crisp sound of her heels hitting the ground rang out, the person looked up at her.

"I am Mo Wen." He put away his phone and took the initiative to break the ice with cold words, greeting people first. The smile that appeared on his lips two seconds later changed his entire demeanor.

A very unexpected way to break the ice.

Wen Zhuyao remained expressionless, sat down opposite him, and forced a calm demeanor: "Hello, I am Wen Zhuyao."

What happens after the conversation? Should we get to the point and ask for answers?

How could she explain all this, explain her own thoughts, and rattle off a long list of her life experiences to ease her panic?

Unlike the anxious person in front of him, Mo Wen was much more relaxed, chatting about nothing unusual: "You're taller than I expected."

The imagined scene did not occur. Upon hearing his words, Wen Zhuyao's stiffness and panic eased somewhat.

"What do you want?" she even dared to ask back.

Putting the issues aside, Wen Zhuyao placed her hands on the table, indicating that she was a little emotional, and took the initiative in meeting Xia Yuan for the first time.

"How short do you think I am? Is that how you see your chivalrous lover?"

Am I not worthy of a beautiful and unparalleled fantasy?

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Wen Zhuyao's three consecutive questions made the little voice inside her cheer like a victor, and even her expression became a little arrogant.

"I..." She wanted to press on and ask a few more questions to mask her nervousness after relaxing.

"It really is you, that familiar taste."

Mo Wen's pupils reflected her figure; despite her rich desire to express herself, she always pretended to be cold and aloof.

In one sentence, the interaction was brought back to the game, with familiar tone and familiar manner.

Mo Wen was certain that she was completely relaxed now, so he got up and sat down next to her: "Big sister said that those who arrive early can order first, and when she arrives, she will pay the bill and treat the three of us kids."

"Oh right, what were you about to say?" He seemed to realize something only now and steered the conversation back on track.

She was still uncomfortable with the sudden intimacy, so she moved a little further away and changed the subject: "I just wanted to ask them, they should be here soon, right?"

"I guess so, but I'm not really sure either." Mo Wen's smile faded slightly as he said this.

Wen Zhuyao, oblivious to the situation, rested her chin on her hand, bored, and began studying the dessert menu: "Okay, hello, you twenty-six-year-old brat."

The culprit who caused the lateness sat next to him, pretending it was an accident.

"Hmm, hello, you twenty-two-year-old brat." Mo Wen moved slightly closer, looking at the same dessert menu together, the atmosphere ambiguous yet their bodies maintaining a distance.

On the night of the discussion, after the address was finalized, the news didn't stop, but it turned into an undercurrent of activity.