There are very few stars in the city's night sky. Jiang Xu happened to be counting the stars in front of the French windows today. He remembered that there were exactly three stars hanging in the pitch-black sky.

On this belated housewarming day, Gu Li found him with three gifts. Jiang Xu thought it was a coincidence, so coincidental that he felt the number three was just right.

Jiang Xu glanced quickly at the floor-to-ceiling window and vaguely saw a star greeting him. "I'm really looking forward to what you've prepared."

Under Jiang Xu's gaze, Gu Li took out a black brocade box from her pocket. Compared to Gu Li's other styles, the box looked very understated.

Gu Li touched the satin surface of the box. "You have to treat my gift well. If you don't want it anymore someday, then give it back to me." After he finished speaking, he handed the box to Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu took it but didn't open it immediately. "Are you sure you want to give it to me? It seems very important to you."

Gu Li nodded. "It belongs to you now."

Jiang Xu opened the box, inside which lay a piece of pure white jade, its texture warm and smooth. The small piece of jade lay in the brocade box, its soft and moving appearance as if it were glowing.

It was also a necklace, with a small opening hidden behind the jade, and a chain of black and silver beads stretched out around the jade.

Jiang Xu stretched out his finger and touched the jade with his fingertip, feeling a faint warmth emanating from his fingertip. "I will keep it safe," he said to Gu Li as he closed the brocade box.

Gu Li didn't say anything, but asked, "Do you like it? If you don't like it..." Only then did he realize that he didn't know if the other person would like it. Xie Tao had said that the most important thing about a gift is the sentiment and the other person's preferences, but he was too flustered and forgot to ask Jiang Xu's preferences.

“I really like it.” Jiang Xu nodded seriously. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received.” He wasn’t lying. Jiang Xu had received many valuable things, but very few things that carried such genuine meaning.

Gu Li said, "That's good. I should go now. You should get some sleep." He then got up to leave.

Jiang Xu, "Shall I see you off?"

Gu Li: "Don't be like that, you're eyeing my bed, aren't you?"

Jiang Xu, "So obvious?"

Gu Li: "Well, more importantly, I have a keen eye."

Jiang Xu laughed, "Then I won't see you off."

He sat on the sofa watching Gu Li's departing figure, watching the other's red hair slowly disappear into the distance as the living room lights gradually dimmed. Jiang Xu couldn't help but speak up, "Brother Li."

Gu Li turned around. "Are you sure you don't need to send anything, or are you looking for an equal exchange again?"

Jiang Xu watched as Gu Li turned back to face him. Her eyes were bright, shining even in the dim light. Jiang Xu felt reassured and shook his head. "I was worried you'd get cold, so I'm just reminding you to cover yourself with a blanket when you sleep."

Gu Li said, "You're such a worrywart." As soon as she finished speaking, she walked out the door. "Goodnight," Jiang Xu heard Gu Li say before the door closed.

Jiang Xu jumped up from the sofa and ran straight to the door. He flung the door open, startling Gu Li, who was opening her own door. "Have you seen a ghost?" she asked, speeding up the opening of the door.

Jiang Xu: "I forgot to say something, let me fill it in."

Gu Li had already opened the door. "You forgot again? How can your memory be so bad at such a young age?" He pulled the door open. "Go ahead and tell me."

Jiang Xu looked at him, who was holding the doorknob and waiting for him to speak, "Good night, Gu Li."

Gu Li slipped into her own home and said, "Received." After saying those two words, she closed the door.

The door to the room next to Gu Li's was also closed.

Jiang Xu stood in the entryway, the scent of roses filling his nostrils. He reached out and touched a petal glistening with water droplets, the cool droplets clinging to his hand.

He thought that his home was missing a vase, a vase to hold this bouquet of flowers.

Jiang Xu looked out the French windows again. The three stars hung brightly in the sky. He muttered to himself, "The stars didn't even hide, so how did people hide away?"

Like a question or a whisper, it slowly dissipated in the night wind.

The next day was Sunday. Jiang Xu left home around 11 a.m. He was going back to the Jiang family home to buy a vase.

Jiang Xu, who had just left the house, thought about how to get back. There was a row of shared bicycles parked just a few steps from the entrance of the community. As he scanned the bikes with his phone, he thought that this way of getting around was a bit inconvenient.

Jiang Xu got his driver's license a month after graduating from high school, but Jiang Xu clearly hasn't even held a steering wheel yet.

In addition to working out, Jiang Xu also needs to learn to drive, adding another item to his schedule.

I went back to the Jiang family home just to pick up some documents. After all, there were some documents that were inconvenient to bring over from the dormitory before, but now that's no longer an issue. From now on, all the construction company's documents can be mailed to my current residence.

After retrieving the documents, he put the items in the bicycle basket. This time, Gaode Maps still diligently provided navigation. Fortunately, this wasn't Jiang Xu's first time going back, so the route back and forth was roughly correct.

Just as he was riding his bike past an alleyway, he stopped, and it seemed as if a streak of red hair brushed past him.

Then Jiang Xu swung his long legs twice, and the bicycle reversed back to the alley entrance.

Very well, he was right after all.

In a familiar alley, a man and a group of people were locked in combat; Jiang Xu only recognized that one person in the entire scene.

He glanced around and, finding that Gu Li hadn't suffered any loss, surveyed the entire alley. Just then, his gaze met that of someone leaning against a wall.

He was a young man with slightly long hair. His face had a smooth contour and his features were quite delicate, but his eyes completely shattered that image. The first impression upon meeting his gaze was one of gloom.

Jiang Xu glanced at him and then scanned his surroundings. It seemed that this young man was the leader.

His gaze returned to the leaning youth, and the two locked eyes again. This time, the gaze lingered longer, and the youth's eyes grew increasingly dark, revealing a hint of impatience.

Then Jiang Xu watched as the other person raised his hand and slit his throat, looking at him with a threatening expression, "Get lost, you piece of trash."

When Liu Mingtang saw that the other party had indeed run away under his threat, a sneer appeared on his lips. Anyone dares to play the hero; it's ridiculous.

His gaze returned to the red-haired youth in the crowd, his brows furrowing involuntarily, his face growing even more gloomy. Why isn't this over yet? A bunch of useless trash.

Just as he raised his hand to signal the rest of the men to hurry up, a whistle rang out, sounding too abrupt amidst the sounds of punches and kicks.

Liu Mingtang suddenly turned his head to look in the direction of the alley entrance. The black-haired youth who had just left was now standing there, waving at him, "Hello, trash."

Jiang Xu went to park his car, and coincidentally, it was just a short distance ahead. He quickly parked the car and returned.

It's better to seize the moment than to act rashly. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time; he would have been doing himself a disservice if he had missed it.

And he felt that his vase could have another owner.