On New Year's Day that year, Shen Zhi Qiu gave Si Ming Yu a khaki shirt and specially replaced the third button on the shirt with a uniquely shaped maple leaf. From a distance, it looked like a maple leaf had fallen on the yellowing grass in autumn.

"Why did you change the third button?" Si Mingyu asked, opening the gift box and holding up the shirt.

“I…” Shen Zhi Qiu blushed instantly, like a girl whose secret had been exposed.

"No way, bro, you didn't know that?" Si Mingyu's roommate laughed and nudged him with his elbow. "Isn't there a popular saying lately? I heard it from my girlfriend. It says that the third button on a shirt is the closest to the heart. If you like someone, you should change that button on their shirt to a special style so that when they see the button, they'll think of you."

"So that's how it is." Si Mingyu's voice was deep, and he couldn't help but rub the maple leaf-shaped button with his hand. Looking at Shen Zhi Qiu's blushing face, his joy was overflowing.

----------

Thinking of this, Shen Zhi Qiu shook her head, her gaze towards Si Ming Yu growing increasingly cold.

“Mingyu, I’ve said it before, I’m not the kind of person who clings to the past. Even if we had some wonderful memories, they’re just memories now, and we’re no longer people in those memories.”

Now that I have Lu Jia by my side, I don't want you to do anything like that again. Bringing up memories in the open is really impolite.

After saying that, Shen Zhi Qiu turned to leave.

This was the first time that Shen Zhi Qiu had so thoroughly turned her back on Si Ming Yu and left.

"Zhi Qiu." Si Mingyu grabbed Shen Zhi Qiu's arm urgently and apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this dress to cause you such a big emotional reaction. I just couldn't bear to part with it and wanted to do my best to make amends."

“Brother Mingyu, people aren’t made of stone, it’s normal to feel reluctant to part with something.”

Life is full of regrets, and not every one of them can be made up for. "Shen Zhi Qiu sighed. "Like what happened back then, I've never mentioned it to you again. Didn't I feel sad and reluctant back then?"

But I have never done anything to make things difficult for you or to make you make amends, have I?

The same applies now. I hope you won't make things difficult for me either.

Si Mingyu stared blankly at her. Those eyes, once full of expectation for him, were now utterly indifferent; he could no longer see a trace of affection in them. Si Mingyu forced back the pain in his heart and looked at Shen Zhi Qiu, asking, "If—I mean, if—there was no Lu Jia, would you accept me again?"

"No." Shen Zhi Qiu smiled faintly, pulled her arm away from Si Ming Yu's hand, turned around and said coldly, "The problems between us have nothing to do with others. When fate runs its course, it runs its course. Just like my marriage with Gu Qing Yan, a person's heart doesn't grow cold in a day."

"So you like Lu Jia, right?" Si Mingyu asked, his voice trembling slightly with nervousness, his voice filled with tenderness.

"Mmm." Shen Zhi Qiu responded softly, and when she looked up, she met Lu Jia's warm gaze.

"Why are you here?" Shen Zhi Qiu asked with a smile, her face completely open.

“Miss Yuan just said you ran into a friend and was worried about you, so she came to check on you.” Lu Jia stepped forward and gently helped Shen Zhi Qiu up.

"It's nothing. I just ran into Brother Mingyu, so we chatted for a bit."

Shen Zhi Qiu naturally wrapped her arm around Lu Jia's arm.

Seeing the two acting so intimately, Si Mingyu's eyes darkened completely, but he still maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and said to Lu Jia, "Mr. Lu, thank you for taking care of Zhi Qiu."

Lu Jia nodded, "Of course, Mr. Rong and I will take good care of Zhi Qiu. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Si. Mr. Rong is still waiting for Zhi Qiu to have her meal, so we'll be leaving now."

"Okay." Si Mingyu politely took his leave, his hand clenching at his side before letting it relax in a slump.

"Are you alright?" Lu Jia asked, holding Shen Zhi Qiu's hand as they walked slowly.

"It's nothing, just saying hello," Shen Zhi Qiu said with a gentle smile, without mentioning what had just happened.

After finishing the meal, Yuan Mengjie got up and said goodbye, leaving them some space.

"No rush, take your time eating. If you're not full, we can order something else." Rong Mo said softly, gently tucking a strand of Shen Zhi Qiu's hair behind her ear with a look of affection.

Shen Zhi Qiu nodded and chuckled, "But brother, I'll get too fat if I eat any more."

"No way!" Rong Mo laughed. "My sister is the prettiest. She's not fat at all. She's just right. Some people who are too thin don't look good."

“Brother, I was very thin before I got pregnant,” Shen Zhi Qiu said with a smile, taking a bite of her steak.

“That looks good too. Other people don’t look good when they’re thin, but my sister would definitely be a beauty if she were thin.” Rong Mo immediately chimed in.

"Brother, you're so hypocritical." Shen Zhi Qiu laughed uncontrollably.

"Of course, I think you look good no matter what." Rong Mo smiled so much that his eyes curved into slits.

After dinner, Rong Mo originally wanted to accompany Shen Zhi Qiu and Lu Jia back home, but Shen Zhi Qiu thought that Rong Mo had already been delayed from work today, so she persuaded him otherwise:

"Never mind, brother, you should go back and rest. You have to go to work tomorrow. Lu Jia can take me."

"Alright." Rong Mo thought about it and realized he had to work overtime when he got home, so he agreed. But as he was about to leave, he turned back to Shen Zhi Qiu and said, "Zhi Qiu, you haven't been back to our Rong family's old house with me yet. Before, Dad was worried that there might still be some formaldehyde left after the villa was renovated a few months ago, so he didn't want you to go back first. Recently, I had someone come to the house to do several tests, and although it's already within the acceptable range, Dad is still worried. So, I'll take you back to the old house to have it checked in a while."

“Okay, it’s alright, brother. Didn’t we talk about this before? You and Dad can decide this.” Shen Zhi Qiu smiled and waved to Rong Mo.

Rong Mo got into the car with peace of mind. As soon as he closed the car door, he stuck his head out and shouted to Shen Zhi Qiu, "Then I'll have dinner with you tomorrow. I'm not busy tomorrow."

"Okay, okay. I'll see what I want to eat tomorrow." Shen Zhi Qiu smiled sweetly. "Brother, don't worry, go home quickly."

Seeing that Rong Mo's car had disappeared, Shen Zhi Qiu took Lu Jia's hand and suggested with a smile, "I'm too full, come walk with me."

Lu Jia couldn't help but laugh and teased, "You wouldn't eat less earlier, but now you're stuffed?" As he spoke, he told Shen Zhi Qiu not to rush off. He reached out and straightened Shen Zhi Qiu's slightly disheveled scarf, wrapping it around her again to make sure it wouldn't get cold. Only then did he take Shen Zhi Qiu's hand again.

Across the street, a girl looked at them with surprise. She quickly took out her phone, snapped a picture, made a call, and said with a mischievous grin, "Hey, Meiyan, have you seen the photo?"