Chapter 1: Meeting Liang Yanzhe Again During the Rainy Season
"Offending the Emperor" - A First-hand Account / Text
First published on August 7, 2025.
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Everyone knows that Dr. Liang and his wife were a couple where the woman pursued the man; he encountered a love affair that felt like a home invasion robbery.
In an interview, the host asked him curiously if his wife had won him over with her love for him above all else.
Liang Yanzhe's answer was unexpected.
He said, "No, my wife loves the passionate version of herself when she loves me more than she loves me."
The host was puzzled: "Then can they still be considered to be in love?"
“Yes,” he said with a gentle smile, “and I love her so passionately.”
Perhaps the world doesn't understand, but this is their unique love.
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In the depths of summer in Jiangdu, the trumpet creeper at the corner of Chunxi Old Street was in full bloom. The faint fragrance of the flowers had not yet dissipated when a sudden gust of hot wind swept it away, leaving only the scorching smell of the sun-baked ground in the air.
Lin Fei held up the parasol, the iron handle of which was terribly hot, so he dared not drape it over his shoulder and instead held it up with great effort.
The summer heat in the South is unreasonably hot. After walking only 500 meters from the subway station, my underwear was completely soaked, and there were several 'maps' imprinted on the back of my oversized short-sleeved shirt.
This is nothing; the sweat clings stickily to every inch of my skin, and I dare not wipe it away with my hands, letting it drip down my cheeks.
The scorching sun blew her temper out of control.
I just can't stand it anymore.
Lin Fei held the umbrella between her head and shoulder, tied a small knot in the corner of her clothes, revealing her beautiful abs.
The hot wind swept through the tightly packed old street, bringing a slight coolness, but it did nothing to relieve the heat; after the wind passed, the stickiness was even greater.
Lin Fei glanced into the depths of the street, then finally pulled down the hem of her clothes to cover her belly button. She didn't want her grandmother to see it, otherwise she would nag her again for always liking these kinds of outfits that were beyond the comprehension of older people.
The annoying phone rang, and Lin Fei searched through several pockets before finally finding it. He glanced at the contact name and felt the phone's popularity had escalated again, making him extremely annoyed.
But knowing the other person's personality, they would keep calling until she answered, so she had no choice but to accept.
"cousin."
Her voice was cold, the opposite of the season.
Zhong Shuwen, sitting opposite him, paused for a moment, the words circling in his mouth before he asked, "Afei, have you returned to Jiangdu?"
Lin Fei deliberately slowed his pace: "Yes, in Chunxi."
“I’m coming to see you, and I’ll also visit your grandmother while I’m at it.” Zhong Shuwen explained, worried that Lin Fei might disagree, “It’s just a visit, nothing more.”
Lin Fei knew Zhong Shuwen's purpose in coming to Jiangdu—to persuade her to settle down at her maternal grandfather's house in Gangdu.
This is a long story.
In short, her mother insisted on marrying her father and settling in Jiangdu, which caused a rift with her grandfather who didn't want his daughter to marry someone from another place. After the marriage, the father and daughter had no contact. Until her mother and father died in a car accident, her grandfather felt indebted to his daughter and placed his love on his granddaughter.
In order to better take care of her, we hope that she can settle down in Gangdu after graduating from university, start a family and build a career.
Two years ago at her university graduation ceremony, her cousin ostensibly represented her maternal family to send her blessings, but in reality, he was conveying her maternal grandfather's wish that she develop her career in Hong Kong.
Lin Fei accepted the offer from Haishi Company early on, using it as a shield to temporarily evade the situation.
I heard that she was on vacation and going back to Jiangdu for a while. She had just arrived when her cousin Zhong Shuwen followed her there.
They're keeping a really close eye on things...
"No, my grandmother doesn't like seeing outsiders." Lin Fei lied without blinking, silently apologizing to his hospitable grandmother.
Before her cousin could speak, Lin Fei said first, "I'll put my luggage down first, see you at the convenience store at the old street corner later."
After receiving a response from the other party, she hung up the phone and quickened her pace home.
The sun was shining brightly, and it was midday. Passing by the neighbors, some doors were tightly closed, while others were wide open, but the main halls were empty. It was nap time, and everyone was probably resting in their rooms.
Lin Fei deliberately chose to come back during everyone's rest time. The old street has a simple and honest folk culture, and the neighbors all know each other. She didn't want to greet everyone all the way home.
Besides, there are no secrets in the old street. Once one family knows she's back, it's as if the whole old street knows she's back. After dinner, grandpas, grandmas, uncles, aunts, and other relatives will inevitably make a trip to her house, not for any other reason than to meet her and say, "Afei is back."
Lin Fei didn't want to deal with it and was a little impatient, but he wasn't averse to it.
This kind of psychology is inexplicable; it was especially severe in junior high school, but it has diminished considerably now.
When young people encounter such things, they are too lazy to investigate further and attribute it to their personality traits.
As Lin Fei crossed the street, he saw a vibrant bougainvillea drooping low, its petals scattered on the ground. He stopped and took a deep breath.
The familiar scent is a comforting reminder of one's homeland.
The old streets are narrow, only wide enough for one four-wheeled car to pass through.
The house is compact, and their family is one of the few residents with a yard. This is thanks to the fact that when the house was built, the grandfather specially built it back, leaving space for the yard, where the grandmother could grow flowers and dry cloth.
The courtyard gate and the house door were both open. Lin Fei put his luggage at the door, stepped over the threshold, and entered the inner room, calling out, "Grandma, I'm back!"
There was no response.
"Grandma!"
Lin Fei put his hand to his mouth and called out three times.
She didn't do it on purpose; the house was just too big.
Don't be fooled by the fact that each household in the old street has a ten-meter-wide gate. They are all self-built houses with their own entrances. The exterior of the houses has been uniformly renovated by the government and has an antique feel. Inside, the houses are long and deep, like a hidden world. Their house consists of two buildings connected front and back. Because of the rainy season in the south, each floor is connected by a covered corridor, for a total of three floors.
The sound came from inside the house. He stood in the courtyard and shouted, and Grandma, who was drying cloth on the roof, hurriedly came down.
Grandma asked in surprise, "Why are you back?"
Lin Fei pouted: "You don't welcome me..."
“It’s not a holiday, I’m worried about you going home.” The old lady was seventy years old, thin, but walked steadily. She had already gone down to the first floor while she was talking.
Lin Fei slumped into the rattan rocking chair, and a breeze blew by, instantly making him feel refreshed.
This is the advantage of building your own house: it's warm in winter and cool in summer. No matter how strong the sun is outside, once you come inside, the cross breeze carries away all the heat, and the air is cool.
It would be even better if we could have some popsicles.
Grandma stepped forward and patted her arm, showing no sign of missing her granddaughter whom she hadn't seen for half a year, and urged her to reply.
Lin Fei said helplessly, "I'll save up my leave and take it all at once, then go home and stay for a few days."
"I was so scared, I thought you'd lost your job." Grandma looked around. "Where's your luggage?"
Lin Fei: "At the door, don't help me carry it, I'll do it myself."
Grandma ignored her and carried the luggage inside through the front door, where she heard Grandma complaining that the luggage was too heavy.
Upon entering the inner room again, Grandma asked, "Have you had lunch yet?"
There was no deliberate attempt to reminisce; the old man's care for her was evident in his actions and words.
"Don't bother, I'm full." Lin Fei was afraid that his grandmother would ignore his advice and go to cook, so he got up and pressed her onto the sofa.
Lin Fei felt the house was too quiet and asked, "Where are the aunties? Aren't you busy today?"
After Grandma's application to become an inheritor of Zhuang brocade intangible cultural heritage was approved two years ago, she started making textiles with several other women in the neighborhood. The orders were few, but they were enough to supplement the family income.
The workshop is located on the first floor of the building behind my house.
“There are folk activities in the street today, and everyone went to have fun, including tourists, in the square on the back street,” Grandma said. “They need people over there, so you can go and help out.”
Before Lin Fei could speak, Grandma found a set of ethnic minority clothing, shoved it at him, and ordered, "Go change quickly."
Lin Fei glanced at the black and white Yao ethnic costume in his hand. It looked more like a priest's robe from an online photoshoot than actual Yao clothing. He politely declined, saying, "Grandma, I need to wear silver ornaments when I wear Yao attire. The one you have in your room..."
“Dream on,” Grandma retorted. “Anyway, the only requirement is that the staff wear ethnic minority costumes. You can make do with the one Ah Xin borrowed from the photo studio.”
Upon hearing that it belonged to his cousin, Lin Fei changed into it without hesitation and even took a picture in front of the full-length mirror, intending to send it to his cousin to show off.
As Grandma straightened Lin Fei's collar, she casually asked, "When you came back this time, what happened at your maternal grandfather's house..."
"Grandma, stop, I have no idea." Lin Fei knew that her grandmother was going to persuade her to go to Hong Kong to visit her grandfather again.
Jiangdu is a well-developed city, but a city has developed and underdeveloped areas. Their old street on the edge of the city belongs to the underdeveloped area. Therefore, in the minds of the older generation, once they study and leave, they should not come back. They should go wherever they can live well.
Grandma was unhappy that Lin Fei stayed in Jiangdu. In her opinion, living with her well-off grandfather was the best option.
Grandma continued, "Your maternal grandfather's family is well-off and has connections in the area. You won't have to worry about finding a job there. He'll introduce you to locals, and the people he introduces will definitely be well-off. If you get along well, you can get married and settle down there."
Lin Fei had heard the first half of the sentence countless times, but he was hearing the second half for the first time.
No wonder my cousin came looking for me; it turns out my grandfather had assigned me a new task.
"Grandma, I'm only twenty-five. Getting married is too early." Lin Fei had anticipated being pressured to get married, but she didn't expect it to come so soon.
Grandma straightened her collar and patted her on the shoulder: "What do you mean 'too early'? Children your age already have kids!"
That's hard to refute. Her peers who grew up together have indeed gotten married and had children, and their partners are even graduate students.
"Go to the port in a couple of days to visit your grandfather. Don't make any excuses to avoid it," Grandma ordered, giving Lin Fei no chance to object.
Lin Fei was dressed when his grandmother urged him to go out.
Holding a parasol that hadn't cooled down yet, she crossed the long street and headed towards the folk square.
As soon as I stepped outside, I was drenched in sweat.
Lin Fei first went to the convenience store at the street corner to meet Zhong Shuwen.
Halfway there, I suddenly changed my mind and didn't want to see him anymore.
I really don't want to go to the port city, I've never thought about settling there, I don't want to deal with my family, and I especially don't want to go on blind dates.
Thinking of her cousin's persistent ways, Lin Fei was afraid that if it got to her grandmother's face, there would be no way to back down, so she had no choice but to head to the agreed-upon place.
Upon entering the convenience store, Lin Fei called out to the man inside, "Uncle."
The shop owner, who had watched Lin Fei grow up, recognized her voice immediately. Busy with chores in the inner room, he didn't come out, but called out in reply, "It's Fei! You've come back to visit. If you need anything, just take it yourself; you can pay by scanning the code. I'm just too busy to come out."
Lin Fei took a lemon-flavored popsicle from the freezer, opened it, took a couple of bites, and after calming down, put it in his mouth, freeing his hand to take out his phone and scan the code to pay.
My cousin hadn't arrived yet, but his voice came from afar.
"She's here to see my cousin, the one who came to Hong Kong to visit relatives six years ago and stayed at your house for half a month."
Don't you remember?
"Back then, everyone wasn't joking that she had a gloomy temperament and was a Miao woman who could use witchcraft. It was really a misunderstanding. My cousin is indeed from an ethnic minority, but she is definitely not a Miao woman, and she would never use witchcraft."
Lin Fei, who had some knowledge of Cantonese, understood Zhong Shuwen's words. He glanced down at his clothes, then looked up and met the woman's gaze in the glass of the freezer.
Princess Cut, who looks very much like Tomie, has long, straight black hair paired with a dignified and mysterious black and white Miao costume.
...This is a huge misunderstanding.
Upon entering, Zhong Shuwen paused in her speech upon seeing Lin Fei's attire, nearly biting her tongue.
Lin Fei looked at the two tall figures at the door and took the popsicle.
Noticing the growing fear in Zhong Shuwen's eyes, she raised a single eyebrow, slightly lifted her chin, exuding a cold arrogance that perfectly matched the stereotypical image of a Miao woman who could use witchcraft.
Her gaze finally settled on the man who was a step behind Zhong Shuwen.
He wore a large, light brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong forearms, paired with black casual pants and white shoes.
Just like in her memory, he had a handsome face, as warm as the spring sun, with a faint smile on his lips. Behind his frameless glasses were a pair of smiling peach blossom eyes, tender and bright, and magically, he had a gentle yet unapproachable temperament.
Lin Fei clenched the popsicle in his hand, letting it melt, and lowered his hand, feeling the coolness spread throughout his body.
My right tooth, which I used to chew ice, feels sour because I no longer have a wisdom tooth.
It spread throughout the entire oral cavity.
Lemon-flavored popsicles in summer are sour and not tasty.
Zhong Shuwen was a little intimidated by Lin Fei's expressionless face, especially in her black and white Miao costume. No matter how pretty her face was under her thick bangs, it couldn't alleviate the cold and gloomy aura she exuded.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, then he remembered the person who had introduced them.
“He’s been in Jiangdu lately, and since he wasn’t busy, he came with me. Do you remember him? Liang Yanzhe, call him Big Brother.”
—Big brother.
An ancient name.
She stopped calling out to me a long time ago.
To be precise, it was never called that.
A note from the author:
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Jiahewanggang: north lies the airport, south lies the train station. Those who missed each other at this station may never meet again. —Excerpt from a NetEase Cloud Music review
Choosing this song as the title is meant to show that they did miss each other, but fortunately, they are luckier than most lovers and met again.
It's a station of parting, so why can't it be a station of reunion?
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As usual, here's a heads-up: Please read this before you buy.
1.1V1SC, HE (Happy Ending), 9-year age gap, reunited after a long separation, both have feelings for each other, marriage first, love later.
2. An urban fairy tale, full of everyday life, but entirely fictional, and very much so. The story is evenly divided between romance and career. The author isn't a professional in the field of the male and female leads; for those interested in specific fields, please consult with friends in those areas. I've also made changes based on Baidu and the needs of the plot, so don't take it too seriously.
3. Both the male and female leads are imperfect characters, with the female lead having a growth arc. The story is set in an old street and focuses on entrepreneurship related to intangible cultural heritage (Zhuang brocade) and rural revitalization (not really). It features a slight ensemble cast, with both good and bad supporting characters who have their own emotional journeys and changes, each character possessing multifaceted personalities.
4. The setting is Jiangdu (which can be understood as the South). The intangible cultural heritage shop is located in an old street, which can be understood as a street in a certain district of the city. There will be word preferences and personal quirks during the writing process, so please follow the story accordingly.
5. I update daily at midnight as usual. I'm currently quite busy and don't have any drafts saved up, so I update every day without any material. If I can't update in time, I'll post a leave notice. Those who have followed me know that I'm reliable and can finish any chapters without worry!
6. [No writing guidance please]. I will delete any content that is plagiarized, overly aggressive, contains personal attacks, or contains comments that I do not like.
7. This is all based on my personal preferences. If you find anything wrong or don't like it, you can leave at any time and abandon the story [no need to inform me]. Let's work together to build a harmonious Green River. Have a nice day!
8. Writing takes a lot of effort, thank you for supporting the original work!
That's all for now, I'll add more later if I think of anything else. [Laughs]
Please add my upcoming novel, "Don't Set Your Ex's Birthday as Your Password," to your favorites!
Copywriting:
Yu Xin has a bad memory; her social media passwords and bank card passwords are almost identical.
It begins with his birthday and ends with her birthday.
Every time she typed it, she would think of him again.
After they broke up, she found it too troublesome and didn't change partners again.
She never expected to run into him again. Even when he was taking her home and unlocking the door with the old password, she heard him say in a cheeky tone, "Yu Xin, are you still hung up on me? Why don't you try pursuing me again?"
| Happy ending, male's unrequited love, childhood sweethearts, reconciliation after a breakup.
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Thank you to everyone who sent nutrient solutions, love you all! To celebrate the start of the story, I'm giving away 100 little red envelopes! [Sprinkling flowers]
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