Chapter 1: The Past

Pushing open the slightly ajar door of Yu Jing's rental apartment, Zhou Cheng was taken aback. Yu Jing was sitting sideways on Manager Wang's lap, playfully coaxing him while he fed her slices of apple. Zhou Cheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his whole body trembling, his finger pointing at Yu Jing and Manager Wang: "You, you... you both..."

The detestable, damned Manager Wang, who is as annoying as a hemorrhoid, Zhou Cheng cursed indignantly while shaking his head, holding a bottle of inferior Wuliangye liquor that he had just purchased, feeling a deep sense of regret. Alas, even when it comes to drinking, he could only afford inferior liquor; no wonder people looked down on him. Zhou Cheng was referring to a recent incident. A new woman had joined the branch office, hailing from Suzhou, and she was a genuine beauty. "Hello, my name is Yu Jing, I hope to get along well with you in the future," she said. Yu Jing's pure beauty and cheerful demeanor instantly made Zhou Cheng feel a rush of infatuation. Spring had arrived; that was Zhou Cheng's first impression. Manager Wang, with a sly look, said to Xiao Li beside him, "You two should collaborate more in the future." Zhou Cheng nearly vomited his leftover meal upon seeing that expression—lewd, extremely lewd.

The next day, the headline of Yibin Evening News reported: Yesterday afternoon, a man climbed onto the bridge pier of the Minjiang Bridge while intoxicated. Bystanders were unable to rescue him in time, and he fell into the river...

In the sweltering summer, the sun blazes fiercely. Yibin, the renowned liquor capital of Southwest China, is permeated with a stifling heat, yet it is also filled with the intoxicating aroma of liquor that captivates the senses. "Damn life," Zhou Cheng thought gloomily, "it is hard to buy a moment of drunkenness, why not drown my sorrows in alcohol!" Recently, Zhou Cheng has been feeling very depressed. He does not consider himself particularly clever, but he also does not think of himself as foolish; however, his life has always been fraught with difficulties. Coming from a rural background, he barely completed high school and, lacking the funds to study elsewhere, enrolled in a third-rate local university—Yibin College. He was always busy working to earn money during college, until he failed several courses and had to put in great effort to pass the retakes. Eventually, through family connections, he secured a position at a branch of a liquor factory, where his daily tasks involved shadowing the branch manager and following his orders, euphemistically titled: office assistant. Zhou Cheng has always worked diligently and selflessly, as he knows the situation at home; his sister's education depends entirely on him.

"Danger, do not act foolishly, young man." A loud shout came from a few meters away. The slightly intoxicated Zhou Cheng felt his ears ringing, buzzing, and he was in a daze. Then he saw a figure lunging towards him, and he began to plummet straight into the river... I don't want to die, why do you have to push me down while doing a good deed? My poor parents and younger sister have no one to take care of them. This was Zhou Cheng's last thought before losing consciousness.

The bridge has once again returned to tranquility, the river flows relentlessly, leaving behind a tall figure murmuring to himself: Damn, how did someone get pushed down again

"Come on, what have I lied to you about? I was just new here and unfamiliar with the environment. You happened to be willing to help me for free, so I made do with you. But to be honest, if you had the status and taste of Manager Wang, I wouldn't mind considering you at all." Yu Jing flirted playfully with Manager Wang while casting a sidelong glance at Zhou Cheng

"No, it’s not like that, Yu Jing, why are you lying to me?" Zhou Cheng was somewhat hysterical

"Alright, Xiao Zhou, stop causing trouble. If you keep it up, be careful that I might make you lose your job tomorrow," Manager Wang threatened fiercely, which made Zhou Cheng calm down a bit. He realized he had no right to argue with Yu Jing, and perhaps she was not worth his love. He could not afford to lose his job; otherwise, his younger sister's education and the family's expenses would be at risk. He despised Manager Wang for his lewdness and despicable attitude, but he did not dislike Yu Jing; he just suddenly felt that she was rather mercenary, perhaps not worth his love.

Zhou Cheng, while drinking low-quality liquor, wandered aimlessly and unknowingly found himself on the Minjiang River Bridge. The scenery by the river was truly beautiful, with a gentle breeze and a clear sky stretching for miles. Taking advantage of the effects of the alcohol, he sat on the bridge's protective pier, which felt quite thrilling; he had this habit since childhood. In southern Sichuan, where there are many rivers and bridges, he always enjoyed sitting on the protective piers, watching the river water rush by and gazing at the clouds hanging low in the sky. The grandeur of it all was so magnificent and carefree; how wonderful it would be to ride the waters of the world. If one could harness the essence of heaven and earth and navigate the myriad energies, exploring endlessly, how delightful that would be. These had been Zhou Cheng's dreams since he was young.

"Xiao Zhou, don't you need to take a break today? Or is it that I usually assign you too little work? Is there no pressure?" Manager Wang said teasingly to Zhou Cheng while feeding Yu Jing an apple: "In the future, don't keep coming over to Yu Jing's side when there's nothing going on. If you want to, I still don't trust you. I don't want our love to be infringed upon by a third party. As for the time you helped Xiao Yu get familiar with the environment, I thank you for that here." Manager Wang snorted coldly.

Zhou Cheng began a fervent pursuit of Yu Jing, assisting her in finding a rental apartment, delivering gas, buying groceries, and cleaning. Zhou Cheng practically became a full-time nanny, always at her beck and call. Gradually, Yu Jing also started to show some interest in Zhou Cheng, often expressing her gratitude in a gentle manner and occasionally giving him small rewards, such as wiping his sweat or massaging his back. Although Zhou Cheng worked hard, he felt it was worth it; he was willing to give anything for the person he loved. Today is the weekend, and Zhou Cheng woke up early to carefully groom himself, even making a special trip to the flower shop to buy a bouquet of bright red roses. The roses were indeed expensive, and Zhou Cheng couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise. However, thinking of Yu Jing's charming and lovely appearance filled him with happiness. He felt that Yu Jing also had feelings for him and planned to formally confess his love to her today.