Section 1

Such a reunion feels as if it were from a different era

Su Lvtou leaned towards his shoulder, then quickly pulled away, playfully saying: "At that time, I wasn't sure if I could get in, so I didn't dare to inform you hastily, for fear that you would mock me, saying I was too ambitious. I am in the drama department, and I believe that a significant part of my success is due to you, because it is you who has kept me learning to act, performing a play in which you are not by my side, yet I still have to live well."

How did she come here, looking so thin, as if suffering from malnutrition? She also saw him, but when her gaze met the bulrushes entwined with him, it dimmed instantly, yet quickly concealed itself again

While chatting about which restaurant to eat seafood at, they walked out of the elevator. Every day after work was like this, and Fang Zhuoang had grown accustomed to Pu Wei's endless comparisons of various dining spots. As she walked, the sound of her high heels echoed with a sense of familiarity and confidence, exuding a proud and capable aura. Pu Wei embodied both the romanticism of an artist and the structured realism of a woman with a doctor's degree.

I sincerely want to express my gratitude for your departure, my dear. Your leaving me must be to motivate me, right? I can guess that you are also reluctant to part ways. You came to Beijing to start a business for my own good. Look how well things are now; you have your own company, and I have my beloved studies. From today onward, let us proudly begin our new life in this city of Beijing! The lake in her eyes stirred with ripples. Stirred with ripples.

"Su Lu, do not do this." He withdrew his hand, embracing her in his arms, and hearing her speak like that made his heart ache

Su Lu resembled a stray dog on the street that had found its owner. She nuzzled into Fang Zhuoang's embrace, her face pressed against his chest. She did not respond to the many questions he had posed; instead, she softly said: "I am hungry, I am about to starve."

"So you don't like women who are too thin, huh? That colleague of yours just now, she is also very thin. Do you like her? If you like her type, I will change to look like her, so that you can like me a little bit too, okay?" After she said this, her tears became misty. She turned her head to look out the window, casually bumped her head against the seat, and the tears were shaken off. She didn't want to appear so disheveled at all

Fang Zhuoang couldn't help but bend down to touch Su Lu's messy hair. He missed her very much, and when she suddenly appeared before him, he felt an impulse to embrace her. He tried hard to suppress his longing for her and gently asked: "Did you come to Beijing alone? Did you just arrive? How long have you been waiting downstairs? Why didn't you come up to find me? Are you hungry? I will take you out to eat"

"The child of a friend? I have known you for a year and have never heard you mention it." Pu Wei cast an incredulous glance.

In the car, she sat in the passenger seat, with one of his hands holding hers and the other gripping the steering wheel, resembling lovers who had never parted. She rolled down the window and quietly threw the car air freshener out, as she despised any other scent in the car. She moved her fingers, intertwining them with his, and the warmth of his palm gradually eased her previous unease

Hasn't his girlfriend always been her?

Dear girl, have you ever loved someone who did not love you back? At that time, you were like a small green leaf, and the whole world felt sorry for you, yet the one you loved did not feel sorry for you. You stubbornly held on for a long time, and either he fell in love with you, or you no longer loved him.

"Alright, I will take you to eat Hunan cuisine, you little one who can't live without spice." He held Su Lu's hand, only then noticing the pale and ashen face of Pu Wei beside them

"It is most important for you to be happy tonight. From now on, leave the tuition fees to me; you no longer need to live frugally or work part-time. What you need to do is take good care of yourself. You are simply too thin," Fang Zhuoang said with concern.

Fang Zhuoang gazed at her affectionately for several seconds before realizing, and explained to Pu Wei: "Her name is Su Lu, she is just a little younger than me, how could she be my child"

She stood alone, as if detached from the world, until sunset

There is a person, and you only need to glance at him to know that he is the one you will love the most in your lifetime

Colleague, she deliberately assigned a mundane identity to him and Pu Wei, fully aware that the woman is his girlfriend, yet she refuses to acknowledge it

"Then why didn't you tell me that you came to Beijing for an interview before?" he asked

When Fang Zhuoang suggested taking Su Lu to eat Hunan cuisine, Pu Wei suddenly recalled why he habitually asked, "Do you want to eat Hunan cuisine?" It turned out that Su Lu liked Hunan cuisine. Pu Wei, being an intelligent woman, noticed the provocation in Su Lu's gaze as she looked at her, and the way Su Lu tightly held Fang Zhuoang's hand made Pu Wei realize that the newcomer was not friendly.

She approached with such joy, like a child. Her lips were dry and pale, and she hoarsely called out: "Father Zhuo Ang"

Pu Wei linked her arm with his, holding the sketch, and gently pinched his left cheek: "Neither of us eats greasy or spicy food, yet you always ask if we want to eat Hunan cuisine, you forgetful fellow"

Shouldn't you celebrate for me? It should be a joyful celebration, right? She interrupted his words

He listened, his gaze somewhat hazy. Suddenly, he turned to look at his desk, where a pair of cartoon wooden puppets were placed. He focused on the little girl puppet with a bow, and a faint smile appeared on his face

The reason we thought we were apart is that we are not in the same city

Without looking back, Pu Wei walked to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and got in to leave

He remained silent, filled with a deep sense of remorse towards her, yet she rejected his attempts at compensation. She was that cruel, wanting him to part from her, never to find peace or happiness again

Su Lu, there is something I must clarify with you, I have already ... ...

"What are you grinning about? Aren't you supposed to treat me to seafood?" Pu Wei tugged at him, snuggling even closer.

Fang Zhuoang held the car keys, raised his hand to check the time on his watch, and asked his girlfriend Pu Wei, who was organizing the design drafts: "What do you want to eat tonight, seafood or Hunan cuisine? By the way, you can't eat spicy food, so let's have seafood." He smiled apologetically at Pu Wei.

"Pu Wei, I will call you back later..." Fang Zhuoang looked at Pu Wei apologetically

Su Lu thought to herself: This woman is indeed quite composed.

In all my future life plans, I will focus on how to strive to be with you

It has been more than six months since we last met, could it be that she does not eat every day!

Su Lu did not expose Fang Zhuoang's words; she merely, feeling wronged, threw herself into Fang Zhuoang's embrace, separating Pu Wei from Fang Zhuoang. With a pitiful expression, she said: "Zhuoang Dad, please do not abandon me"

"Have you not received the money I sent you? You look so thin, like a refugee from Africa, clearly malnourished. How did you do on the college entrance examination? I've been too busy with company matters during this time and haven't been in touch with you." He said gently, holding her hand tightly

If the person you love does not love you, would you be willing to disguise yourself as the woman he loves? Su Lu said, I am willing

He nodded slightly, his thoughts being pulled back.

Goodbye, boss's colleague!" Su Lu was full of pride as she waved to Pu Wei

Su Lu saw that Pu Wei had left, and it was evident that she had won the first round of their encounter. However, she felt somewhat puzzled as to why this woman did not show even a hint of anger, appearing quite magnanimous.

Fang Zhuo'ang nodded in agreement as he listened, yet his thoughts were not swayed by Pu Wei's words at all. He was always like this; during his work hours, he would feel restless, as if his heart had been taken thousands of miles away. The moment he stepped out of the building, he caught sight of her standing at the entrance on the first floor.

She came to compete with Pu Wei for Fang Zhuoang, and in Su Lu's view, Fang Zhuoang should have been her boyfriend

She stood at the foot of his company's building like a small tree

"I received it, but I didn't spend it; I saved it all. I got accepted into University A, and I used that money to pay for my tuition," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder, her tears nearly spilling over. "Big brother, do you know how I managed to get through the days without you by my side? It felt like being a walking corpse. Aside from studying, getting into a university in Beijing, and finding you, I had almost lost all motivation for life.

You do not love me, I know

She is waiting for him to finish work. She is wearing a thin white linen top and a dark blue skirt, with a pair of mismatched flip-flops that are gray and worn. Her long hair is disheveled, and her head is bowed. Having stood there for far too long, the hurried white-collar workers passing by cast her surprised glances.

Before this, she came to Beijing for the preliminary and re-examinations, making several round trips. She hid in a small milk tea shop downstairs in this building, watching the two of them come and go intimately. At that time, she was thinking, I must come to Beijing; as long as I arrive in Beijing, we will be together

Pu Wei stood to the side, arms crossed, fuming in silence. She waited for Su Lu to leave before expecting Fang Zhuoang to provide her with a reasonable explanation

Fang Zhuoang, I have been waiting for you in Nanjing. Why haven't you come to find me? Since you are not coming, then I will come. I will come to Beijing to be with you

The continuous concern made the bulrush standing beside feel jealous to the point of madness, and a little girl emerged, stirring Fang Zhuoang's heart. Pu Wei had never seen Fang Zhuoang speak to a woman with such patience and attentiveness; even when he was with her, he rarely showed such thoughtfulness.

Pu Wei was taken aback, released the hand she was holding with Fang Zhuoang, and exclaimed: "Dad? Fang Zhuoang, you have a child!"

Pu Wei felt a sense of doubt. When she saw Su Lu dressed so similarly to herself, she experienced a pang of panic. This girl seemed far from the simple person Fang Zhuoang had described. A friend's daughter? Not in the slightest; she resembled a rival instead. The subtle intuition among women made Pu Wei uncomfortable. The girl before her was also wearing a white top and blue skirt, an outfit identical to her own. How could this be a mere coincidence? It was clearly premeditated.

I will take the design draft home to revise it; you all go have dinner. Pu Wei was already angry; she did not want to continue watching the two people in front of her exchanging affectionate glances. She wanted to preserve her last bit of composure

"Alright, then boss, let's go. I want to eat stir-fried pork and spicy chicken. Just thinking about it makes me so hungry. However, I still love the spicy chicken you personally cook the most," Su Lu said, taking the lead and not giving Fang Zhuoang a chance to persuade Pu Wei to stay.

If a person truly wants to see you, they will employ various means and search the entire world to find you