It was our first meeting.

"Lin Chaoying... don't go..."

Jiang Chuan Gu first accepted Lin Chao Ying's departure when he was 17. In the empty room, he compromised with himself for the first time, realizing that he needed someone to accompany him. He accepted Lin Chao Ying's departure a second time when he was 26. The shadow that had been with him for nine years suddenly disappeared, and for the first time, he heard his own heart pounding violently, vigorously, and uncontrollably.

It turns out he liked Lin Chaoying.

The thought arose the moment Lin Chaoying was filled with grief and indignation, and vanished before her eyes.

"Lin Chaoying!" Jiang Chuangu searched the room for traces of her, feeling lost and helpless. "Lin Chaoying!" He searched every corner, frantically rushing out of the room, the hallway, the elevator, downstairs in the hotel, but there was nothing there.

He suddenly realized that Lin Chaoying had never left any trace by his side. In fact, because they had been together for so long, he had gradually forgotten that she was just a wisp of soul, a light and fleeting soul that could leave at any moment...

Jiang Chuan Gu remembered that when she left at the age of 17, she went to a temple. So he found the nearest temple on his phone, took a taxi there, and didn't dare to ignore any place along the way. What if, what if Lin Chao Ying was floating by the roadside?

The temple was already closed, but he begged the staff to let him in for just one glimpse. The gatekeeper was terrified and immediately called the police. The story of Jiang Chuan Gu being taken to the police station the night he won the award became a trending topic on Weibo.

His agent and CEO Guan noticed that he was in very poor condition. They calculated that there were still three months before the start of filming for his next movie. After deducting the time for preparation and readings, there were two months of free time. They allowed him to rest and canceled the variety show recordings that were originally scheduled.

Over the course of a month, Jiangchuan Valley traveled to all the cities he had visited during the nine years of filming and to the temples in each city, as if he were retracing his memories. Finally, he returned to the dormitory where he had lived the earliest in Changjing, asked Guan Zong to buy it, and moved back to that small bedroom of only 30 square meters. The cherry blossom branches outside the window were covered with snow.

"Lin Chaoying...where did you go...?"

He sat by the window, his head buried in his hands, tears constantly soaking his collar, eventually seeping into his body, carrying a damp bitterness that slowly consumed him.

It was at this moment that Jiang Chuan Gu realized his selfishness. Lin Chao Ying had revolved around his life and work for nine years, but he had never let go and allowed her to find her memories, which ultimately led to him reaping what he sowed.

Gradually, his emotions began to change, from grief and helplessness to self-abandonment. Every day, he would go to the temple looking for his shadow with a scruffy beard, and in the afternoon, he would go home and lie in his bedroom drinking, saying defiantly, "If you don't take care of me, I won't work anymore, you believe me! I'll take ugly pictures like this and post them on Weibo!"

"Come back and yell at me—" He smashed the bottle in his hand on the ground. The shattered glass and flowing liquid were like his broken heart, scattered all over the ground. Jiang Chuan Gu picked up the shards and suddenly slashed his arm, leaving a bright red bloodstain. He raised his hand and shouted, "I hurt myself!"

Jiang Chuangu cried like a child, sobbing and screaming, finally saying in a series of sobs, "I won't make a scene anymore, Lin Chaoying, I won't make a scene anymore, where did you go, where did you go... I can't find you..." His eyes hurt from crying, and he wiped his face haphazardly with his hands, "I'm sorry, please don't leave me..."

The people who encouraged him to get back on his feet, guided him to live a better life, accompanied him through everything, and changed his life seem to have completely disappeared.

He gradually began to doubt himself, wondering if the past nine years had been a dream.

Until that day, when Jiang Xu received a call from Boss Guan, he flew back to his dormitory in Changjing and saw bottles of liquor and traces of blood all over the floor. He was so frightened that he almost wanted to drag Jiang Chuan to see a psychiatrist.

Jiang Chuan Gu lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, his eyes vacant, staring at him as if his soul had vanished, and asked, "Jiang Xu, do you still remember what happened nine years ago when you were possessed by a ghost?"

Jiang Xu was too frightened to speak, and nodded.

Jiangchuan Valley: "Could you tell me that again?"

Jiang Xu honestly said, "I can't remember the exact time. I seem to have several memory gaps. I called Boss Guan, Jiang Xingxing, and Zhao Yuanfan, all for you. Later, Boss Guan even asked us to go to the temple to pray."

“She exists.” Jiang Chuan Gu closed his eyes and said no more.

Jiang Xu asked nervously, "Jiang Chuan Valley? Gu Zi? What's wrong? Can you tell me?"

Jiangchuan Valley: "I don't want to do this anymore."

"Are you crazy?!" Jiang Xu stood up in shock, pointed at him and said, "You just won the award! You've successfully transformed your career, your life is just beginning! What's wrong with you? Have you been bullied? Tell me, don't be stupid, do you know how many people would kill for a 26-year-old Best Actor award?"

Jiang Chuan Gu's soul had run dry of tears, but his body had not. The winding tear tracks were constantly being covered, leaving new marks. "What should I do, Jiang Xu... I really don't know what to do."

Jiang Xu sighed and walked out of the room helplessly, returning with a small suitcase. "You used to have a habit of receiving letters. This is what your assistant compiled. She said you haven't finished reading any of this year's letters, so she asked me to bring them to you. I left them here."

After he left, he turned around and came back. "If you don't want to do it anymore, that's fine. Read these letters before you make a decision. You told me before that you like reading the messages your fans leave for you, so read these word by word."

Late at night, Jiang Chuan Gu sat up, opened his suitcase, and the letters inside, which had been jostled around, bounced out and scattered on the floor, stained with alcohol. He frowned, picked them up with a pained expression, cleaned the floor, and then arranged the letters one by one on the bed.

The first letter I opened was from last month, celebrating his Best Actor award.

I opened the second letter, dated at the beginning of the year, reminding him to rest well and take care of his health.

Opening the third letter, dated April, it shared everyday life experiences. The letter mentioned that although there were many unhappy things in life, seeing his increasingly successful career made it feel like she herself had achieved success.

The fourth letter I opened was from a few days ago. It was from a long-time fan who said they had been with him for nine years and would continue to be with him.

...

Jiangchuan Gu spent the whole night looking at it, and every word and sentence pulled him back to reality.

He silently gazed at the rising sun outside the window, his feelings gradually shifting. He then picked up the letter again; the envelope was signed "Lin Chaoying."

Jiangchuan Valley was so startled that he sat up abruptly. The date was February 10th.

So, your name consists of these three characters.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he opened the letter.

--

Hello, Jiangchuan Valley! I am Lin Chaoying, a fan who has liked you for nine years! I liked you on my 18th birthday! But I have never written you a letter because I didn't know what to write. My life became very strange after my senior year of high school. I only felt relaxed when I listened to you sing.

The most relaxing time is when I'm yelling at my teammates! (If you're close, don't let this cause any friction; I'm not very polite and tend to swear.)

I'm very happy that your career has been getting better and better these past few years. At the same time, I've also been secretly rebelling against my own life, although I've always failed. I can't help it, I'm younger than my parents, and I have to give way to them. (I'm such a generous person.)

Do you think I'm talking incoherently? It's because I didn't prepare a draft, and my mind is also in turmoil right now. I've made up my mind, I'm going to work in Changjing. I don't want to be stuck in this Fengcheng for the rest of my life.

I still want to thank you for being with me for so long and for being my emotional support!

Oh, right! They said you can make a wish in the letter, and you'll be able to see it!

I won your hidden Polaroid camera in the merchandise I bought last month! It's the one from 2016, taken from your dorm window in Changkyung, under the cherry blossom tree! I love it so much! (I was going to sell it for travel expenses, but my brother secretly slipped me some money! So this card survived!)

Okay, here's my wish: I hope you'll have the chance to sign this Polaroid photo and leave your name!

Finally, I'm about to embark on a new life. Wishing you: a life filled with starlight and blooming flowers!

--

Jiang Chuan Gu realized that this Lin Chao Ying was from the present time, while the Lin Chao Ying who had been with him for nine years was from the future!

February 10th? He remembered that on the day Lin Chaoying left, she was muttering "Atai died" and "jumped into the river." He opened a search engine and frantically searched for news about Fengcheng.

Finally, on February 29th, I came across a comment from an anonymous netizen: "[I heard that a woman at Anyuan Bridge threatened to commit suicide by jumping into the river today. Her younger brother saved her, but he died? She survived? Is that true?]"

His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the sentence.

If this is true, did Lin Chaoying's soul leave because recalling the past triggered her soul to return to its place?

Could it be that Lin Chaoying has traveled back to the future?

If that's the case, when will he be able to wait for Lin Chaoying, who has these nine years of memories?

--

Six years.

Jiangchuan Valley continued working and living, searching for six years and waiting for six years.

Due to the relentless work, he was mentally exhausted. In addition, his relationship with Li Chao had just improved, so he decided to invite Jiang Xu and Li Chao to take a week-long vacation. Jiang Xu, that king of breaking promises, always agreed but then got too busy to come. So it was just Jiang Chuan Gu and Li Chao. The location was set in Jiazhou Mountain Village, a guesthouse with very good reviews.

The name of that shop is: Kekexili.

When he arrived at the door with his suitcase first, he immediately recognized the figure standing at the entrance of the guesthouse, ready to get into the car.

It was Lin Chaoying, a woman he had never experienced before, with a gentle and mature demeanor.

She didn't notice the person at the door, but instead kept her head down, tapping on her phone, got into her car, drove away from the yard, leaving a trail of dust behind.

After entering the courtyard, Jiangchuan Valley asked the man at the front desk, "Does that lady work here?"

The man shook his head. "They're our boss."

Another girl came out. "Sister Lin went to get the cake? Why didn't you order it locally?"

While arranging the room, the man replied to the girl, "I don't know, but what's even stranger is that she buys a cake every year on the day of Lixia (the beginning of summer) and then secretly celebrates it with her friends, right?"

Jiang Chuan Gu's heart skipped a beat. It was her!

Only she would celebrate his birthday every year according to the lunar calendar; others only remembered that he celebrated his birthday on May 5th according to the solar calendar!

Cherry blossoms bloom and fade every year, scattering seeds in the air, waiting for time to nurture them, and bearing the fruit of regret and missed opportunities. For them, this moment is not a long-awaited reunion, but a true first encounter.

"Jiangchuang Valley!"

He heard a voice calling from behind. Just as he was about to turn around, he was instantly plunged into an endless black hole, falling continuously...

A familiar voice came to my ears:

"Jiangchuan Valley, let's die together, okay? If I'm destined never to leave this place, you'll come with me, right..."

"Never mind, never mind..."

"If I really do die this time and become a ghost again, you must be able to see me. I just need you to be able to see me..."

No! We just found her! Jiang Chuangu screamed in despair, "Lin Chaoying—" He suddenly opened his eyes to a blindingly bright white sky and the strong smell of disinfectant in his nostrils. He gasped for breath, then closed his eyes again, still not used to such a bright environment. After all, he remembered being brutally beaten by Wu Yang in the underground cave, the pain almost stopping his breathing.

How did they escape?

Shen Hao pushed open the door, carrying a thermos. "Gu Zi, you're awake?"

"Chen Hao?" Jiang Chuangu asked, bewildered. "What are you doing here? Where is this?"

"This is Changjing. You were unconscious for three days, so we chartered a plane for you to come back." Shen Hao unscrewed the thermos. "Is there anything else that's bothering you? Have some water first?"

Jiangchuan Valley: "Where is Lin Chaoying?!"

Shen Hao felt guilty and didn't say anything.

Jiang Chuan Gu grabbed his arm anxiously, "Why was I able to come out? What did she do?! Has something happened to Lin Chao Ying?!"