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This is Ji Shengsheng's first time coming to Linxia.

She has always loved natural scenery.

These towering peaks and boundless sea perfectly matched her imagination.

She arrived two weeks before the book signing, checked into a seaside guesthouse, explained her work to her parents, cleared out all the work that needed to be handed over within the next two weeks, posted a status about her seclusion and painting, and then turned off her phone.

She wanted to clear her mind and didn't want to be disturbed by anyone.

Living alone by the sea is easy and pleasant.

She had longed for a life free from the burdens of other people's emotions and lives. Every day, she would simply wake up naturally and then sit by the window to sketch.

A week later, feeling refreshed, she even started to feel like getting up early to watch the sunrise over the sea, going beachcombing at low tide, and chasing blue tears at night.

She bought a ticket with cash to take the ferry. It was the off-season at the beach, and there were hardly any other people on the boat besides her.

Truly disconnected from the world.

She started eating normally again, regained her appetite, and had things she wanted to eat. She liked the food in Linxia and even wavered about whether to settle down in Linxia.

Just like three years ago, Ji Shengsheng chose to give up on things that required a lot of time and effort but could not be solved, and focused on her future life.

It's hard to tell right from wrong. For her, who made the same choice as before, she thought it was at least the easiest way to find peace of mind.

Even if it means losing some people, even if it means sacrificing a part of yourself.

Two weeks later, Ji Shengsheng was even less willing to leave Linxia.

At the autograph session, she saw many fans, some of whom had come specifically for her, and kept calling out her name, "Sheng Sheng, Sheng Sheng," behind her.

She saw Xulin in the queue and saw her holding up a banner to "cheering" for her.

Ji Shengsheng brought some postcards she had recently painted at a seaside guesthouse in Linxia and gave them to fans who came to get her autograph. After the autograph session, she treated Xu Lin and her companions to a meal.

Memories of Linxia are all wonderful.

If we don't bring up the topic of loneliness, if we don't think of the name Xu Yu.

On her last day in Linxia, ​​Ji Shengsheng got up early and went to the morning market.

Although she never expected Xu Yu to come looking for her, she was still startled when she actually saw someone whose back looked a lot like Xu Yu's.

I walked over as if possessed, and while buying snacks, I took the opportunity to observe the other person's profile and reaction.

She was definitely overthinking things.

Xu Yu is so busy, how could he possibly have time to look for her?

After buying breakfast, Ji Shengsheng walked through the crowded and bustling food street, past the throngs of residential buildings, and when she looked back at that figure, the person had already disappeared into the crowd.

Having possessed so much made her feel lonely.

She remembered Xu Yu carrying her under the goldenrain tree so she could see spring.

She remembered that Xu Yu had waited for her downstairs all night.

She remembered that he came to Taoyuan to see her after returning from supporting the disaster area.

Thinking of so many letters, so many drawings...

They spent very little time together, yet they had so many things to remember.

Ji Shengsheng stopped thinking about these things and focused on eating.

Thinking about all this, she lost her appetite again.

After staying at the guesthouse until evening, Ji Shengsheng calmed down before turning on her phone.

The phone kept buzzing with messages, and the vibration lasted for more than a minute before it shut down.

Ji Shengsheng had no choice but to restart again.

After several attempts, I was finally able to open WeChat.

No one sent her many messages; it was the large number of messages that caused her phone to become unusable.

The mother was preparing to mail some homemade pastries to her home in Lucheng.

Her father bought her a new tennis racket and encouraged her to exercise more.

Zhu Xiaodan asks her once a day when she will turn on her phone and how she is feeling that day.

Xu Lin mailed her the Polaroid photos taken at the autograph session and the developed photos.

Du Meiyan sent her a message asking her exactly where she lived in Linxia.

...

Ji Shengsheng flipped to the end but didn't find any news about Xu Yu.

After replying to all the messages, Ji Shengsheng sat on the ground, hugging her knees.

She didn't know what she had done wrong.

Since she returned to Taoyuan, Xu Yu has not sent her any messages.

In just one day, Xu Yu deleted her fingerprint lock.

Then, there was no further news.

I couldn't help but cry.

She remembered that Xu Yu had never said he wanted to be together, never said he liked her, never said he loved her.

She didn't even know if this outcome counted as a tacit agreement to break up.

After crying, she calmed down a lot, but she still had to accept reality.

Instead of returning to Lucheng, Ji Shengsheng took a car to Sanqing Lake to attend Siyu's wedding.

Siyu is her college classmate, majoring in sculpture. She is from Sanqing and her home is more than 200 kilometers away from Lucheng.

They met in an elective course and their relationship was neither too close nor too distant. She originally only intended to send a monetary gift and did not plan to attend the event.

The reason she made this decision was simply that she didn't want to go home yet.

I don't want to go back to the city where I have too many memories with Xu Yu, yet we are separated by too many conflicts and disagreements.

Her phone had no signal on the way to Sanqing. Just before she got off the bus, with a single bar of signal, she received a message from Chengyu.

Chengyu asked her when she would return to Lucheng.

Ji Shengsheng thought for a moment and told him that he was on his way to Sanqing and might stay there for a few days.

Cheng Yu didn't reply to the message for a long time.

Ji Shengsheng didn't look at her phone again.

The next day at noon was Siyu's wedding banquet. Knowing that she had time to come to Sanqing, Siyu happily invited her to have lunch together.

Ji Shengsheng didn't want to be alone, so she agreed.

Springtime in Sanqing is still quite cold. Ji Shengsheng took a taxi to the restaurant where Siyu was holding a banquet.

I met some of Siyu's roommates; they used to be quite close. When asked if she was dating anyone, Ji Shengsheng, not wanting to be pressed for details, answered that she was single.

Given the current situation, she really can't say that her boyfriend is Xu Yu.

Siyu immediately wanted to introduce her younger brother, Sining, to her.

She was on the verge of tears. Why did everyone want to introduce her to their younger brother?

The people at the table were all making a fuss. Si Yu's younger brother was the best man at the wedding, so Ji Shengsheng had no choice but to bite the bullet and add him as a friend, planning to find a time to explain things to him after the wedding.

Si Ning was very hospitable, and Ji Shengsheng suffered greatly under his care throughout the meal.

After finally finishing their meal, Ji Shengsheng originally planned to return to the hotel first and then go to the wedding venue the next day. However, Siyu seemed to have made up her mind and insisted that she stay at the hotel where the wedding was being held.

"I'll reimburse all my friends' airfare and hotel expenses!"

"I've already checked in..."

"You live too far away. I'll have to get up early tomorrow to come and block the door for me. It's too inconvenient."

After several rounds of discussion, seeing that he couldn't persuade Siyu no matter what, Ji Shengsheng reluctantly agreed.

Siyu stayed in a hotel suite, and the third to fifth floors were occupied by Siyu and her boyfriend's friends.

Ji Shengsheng didn't want to participate in their singles party that night, citing that she was too tired, but while she was at the hotel, Si Ning kept sending her messages wanting to come and take care of her.

Having been tormented by Si Ning to the point of losing her temper, she decided that rather than having to deal with Si Ning's messages in the hotel, she might as well go to a singles party and maybe find a corner where she wouldn't be disturbed.

Thinking about it, Ji Shengsheng went out the door.

Things didn't go as she wished. It was as if Si Ning had installed a surveillance camera on her. Not long after she left the house, Si Ning called her.

Ji Shengsheng didn't want to answer, so he put his phone in his pocket and pretended he didn't have it with him.

The party was held in the garden downstairs from the hotel. By this time, everyone had already gathered in small groups. She didn't attract attention and could enjoy a moment of peace.

Ji Shengsheng wandered through the forked paths of the garden, trying to find a quiet place, when she bumped into Si Ning.

“Sister.” Si Ning’s eyes lit up immediately when she saw her. “We are so destined to meet.”

Ji Shengsheng: "..."

"Want to grab something to drink?" she said, reaching for several beautifully mixed cocktails from the table behind her. "Which one do you like, sister?"

Ji Shengsheng pointed to one at random.

"My sister picked out my favorite right away. We are so destined to meet."

Ji Shengsheng: "..."

Si Ning's eyes were full of anticipation, wanting to see her taste it immediately and then express some opinions that she liked just as much as he did.

Ji Shengsheng did not drink.

She wouldn't drink alcohol from strangers outside, even if the person was her friend's brother.

“Sister,” Si Ning said in a coquettish tone, “has anyone ever told you that you are so cute?”

Ji Shengsheng: "...Thank you."

She wasn't buying it at all.

In just a short while, my toes were already gripping the ground.

"Sister's eyes are so big and round, so bright and beautiful," Si Ning said ingratiatingly while sipping her cocktail. "There must be many people who like you and want to pursue you, just like me."

Ji Shengsheng: "...I need to talk to your sister. I'll go first."

"My sister and I are together."

Wherever she went, Si Ning followed.

She got lost in the garden, and Si Ning followed beside her as if she didn't know the way at all.

Unable to bear it any longer, Ji Shengsheng stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Si Ning: "I..."

She doesn't like younger brothers.

She didn't finish speaking.

Because she saw Xu Yu.

This time it wasn't an illusion.

She crossed half of the garden and met Xu Yu's gaze as they walked through the crowd.

Her heart felt like it was beating right next to her ear, pounding in the palm of her hand.

Ji Shengsheng stared intently, repeatedly confirming that the other person was indeed Xu Yu.

Wearing a suit just like Si Ning, he was standing next to the groom, looking like he had just finished taking photos. He was probably also the best man at the wedding.

Feeling that her feet were difficult to move, Ji Shengsheng felt that her breathing was not very smooth.

An indescribable emotion welled up within her, and she almost wanted to run away.

"Sheng Sheng, my sister is over there, do you want to come along?"

Siyu followed Xu Yu's gaze and looked in their direction, warmly inviting them over.

Ji Shengsheng could only walk to the center of the party under Xu Yu's watchful gaze.

She didn't want to see Xu Yu at this time and in this setting.

It turns out that even if the past happened again, her mindset would be different, and she would find it difficult to do the same thing.

She couldn't greet Xu Yu as openly as she had when she first returned.

Ji Shengsheng was even a little afraid to see Xu Yu.

So, once she got closer, she looked away and pretended not to know the other person.

“My college classmate, the one in the dorm across the hall, the stunningly beautiful Ji Shengsheng from the painting department.” As she walked over, Siyu took her arm and introduced her to her husband.

"I've heard Siyu mention your name several times, and Sining just told me that she really likes you. It's a pleasure to meet you."

After shaking hands with the other party, Ji Shengsheng was inexplicably pushed in front of Xu Yu.

The groom is introducing Xu Yu.

Ji Shengsheng felt her heart pounding. She didn't dare to look up, nor did she hear a single word.

Then, she saw Xu Yu extend his hand to her and heard Xu Yu say, "It's nice to meet you again, Ji Shengsheng."

She stiffly grasped Xu Yu's right hand.

"'Again'?" Si Yu asked in surprise. "Did you know each other before?"

Then he looked at Ji Shengsheng: "I've never heard you mention this before..."

"We hit it off immediately," Xu Yu said, helping her out of the awkward situation.

"Am I that scary?" Xu Yu's voice was laced with amusement. "Why don't you dare look up at me?"

Ji Shengsheng quickly withdrew her hand: "...It's too cold."

She wanted to leave.

Xu Yu took off his coat.

Seeing this, Siyu quickly created an opportunity for her younger brother: "Sining! Why don't you learn from your brother Xuyu?"

Si Ning immediately understood and took off her clothes, draping them over Ji Shengsheng's shoulders.

Ji Shengsheng: "..."

She didn't have to accept it.

However, she didn't want to speculate about Xu Yu's thoughts, whether he took off his clothes because he was hot or because he wanted to care about her... She just wanted to find an excuse to leave quickly.

"Since Shengsheng is here too, shall we go inside and play some games?"

"Let's go, sister." Si Ning came over and grabbed her arm.

Ji Shengsheng lowered her eyes, dodged the other person's hand, and followed the crowd behind Si Yu toward the round table.

Si Ning seemed oblivious to her rejection and continued to stay by her side, unconsciously sitting down next to her.

I don't know who suggested playing Truth or Dare, with the bride choosing character A and the groom choosing character B.

Then, character B asks character A a question. If character A chooses to answer truthfully, they must answer; if they don't want to answer, they must choose dare. Character B is the one who will ask the dare.

Many people participated in the game, but Ji Shengsheng never expected that he would become "Character A".

Character B is Si Ning.

Ji Shengsheng instinctively looked at Xu Yu. Xu Yu's expression was not good.

"Sister, I want to ask you something," Si Ning said excitedly, "Sister, what kind of boy do you like?"

Thankfully, it's this kind of problem...

There's no need to make her choose a dare.

Ji Shengsheng racked her brains but couldn't come up with an answer. Realizing she had been taking it too seriously, she casually replied, "I like passionate people."

Si Ning was very happy: "I'm very enthusiastic, and my sister really likes me like that."

Ji Shengsheng's heart was practically in her throat.

Fortunately, it wasn't her turn in the next few rounds, and Ji Shengsheng felt much more relaxed.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she became "Character A" again. This time, Character B is Xu Yu.

It seemed there was no way to escape this calamity, Ji Shengsheng heard Xu Yu's voice.

He asked her, "Ji Shengsheng, do you have a boyfriend?"