In the silence, someone tapped him on the back.
"Hey, handsome. Can we get to know each other?"
Jiang Weifeng narrowed his eyes and looked back. A woman with wavy hair and heavy makeup was looking at him with a lingering smile. She looked familiar.
Thinking she was some internet celebrity he had photographed before, he didn't intend to pay her any mind. Gu Xiang, however, stood up abruptly in excitement. "Cheng Yunchuan?!"
Jiang Weifeng paused, his mind lagging for a few seconds before he remembered who she was.
"You really don't remember me?" Cheng Yunchuan laughed, though the mirth didn't reach her eyes. "It seems that all my pestering back then was useless. You still won't remember what you don't want to remember."
Gu Xiang watched the scene play out like a spectator at a theater.
Jiang Weifeng gave the woman a slight nod, his voice indifferent. "I remember."
Cheng Yunchuan’s expression shifted slightly. The emotions in her eyes gathered like smoke rings, only to dissipate just as quickly. "I'm honored."
Jiang Weifeng remained silent.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Cheng Yunchuan made a move to leave. "Sigh, I got so caught up in chatting that I forgot I have to get back to the station."
"You work at the TV station?" Gu Xiang perked up at this.
Cheng Yunchuan seemed reluctant to say much, only offering, "I just do a small late-night program." She paused for a second or two, and seeing that Jiang Weifeng still hadn't reacted, she smiled again. "I'm about to miss my clock-in time. I'll head out first."
Jiang Weifeng gave a curt nod.
Gu Xiang watched her walk away, having long forgotten his workplace frustrations. He sighed with sentiment. "Man, Cheng Yunchuan has changed so much. She’s pretty, sure, but for some reason, it feels like she’s wearing a mask now. She doesn't have that spark she had when she was chasing you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he received a dull punch to the shoulder.
Jiang Weifeng’s mind was flooded with thoughts, a certain Cantonese song lingering in his ears.
It had been an ordinary afternoon. Cheng Yunchuan had conspired with Shitou to crash Gu Xiang’s birthday party, later following them all the way to the KTV.
He hadn't been interested and had planned to leave for some gaming once Cheng Minghao arrived. But after going downstairs to pick up Cheng Minghao and returning, he heard Lin Jiang quietly singing in the dim private room. So, he had listened quietly until the end, staying until the party broke up.
It was at that moment that he had truly taken note of her face for the first time.
A spring breeze rises, scattering memories.
Many years had passed in a flash.
***
That evening, after returning home, Lin Jiang began uploading her recorded radio segments to Cloud Music and several other platforms.
She didn't miss a day for several days in a row.
However, perhaps because she focused on emotional storytelling—a highly competitive niche—the first few episodes received a lukewarm response.
The fifth episode was a script about a secret crush titled *Since Seeing You with a Coke, I Only Drink Coke*. For some reason, when Lin Jiang opened her homepage two hours later, she found over 999 comments. Likes and follows flooded her notifications like a rising tide.
Lin Jiang held a can of ice-cold Coke, slowly browsing through the comments. The stories of unrequited love were all different, yet the emotions were identical—the saltiness of tears, the sweetness of a racing heart.
Lin Jiang’s gaze fell upon the raincoat hanging on the rack. Sodagreen was playing through the speakers. Lost in thought, she remembered the past.
She fell asleep early that night and, miraculously, dreamed of Jiang Weifeng. She couldn't recall the contents of the dream no matter how hard she tried; she was simply surprised because she rarely dreamed of him.
The next day, she woke up early to do her makeup. Halfway through applying her eyeshadow, Shen Yan called her on WeChat. "I'm downstairs at your place. Are you ready?"
"I just need to change. Give me five minutes," Lin Jiang said while continuing with her eyeshadow.
Half an hour later, she had just finished curling her hair and was about to change when the doorbell rang. She shuffled to the door in her slippers.
Shen Yan was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
He glanced at his watch, expressionless. "Five minutes?"
Lin Jiang stammered, "Um... this time it really is five minutes!"
With a *thud*, she shut the door. When she emerged again, she had changed into a tight black camisole dress.
Stepping into stiletto heels and holding a beige blazer, she tossed her curls at Shen Yan. "Well? I didn't make you wait for nothing, did I?"
Shen Yan’s lips twitched unnaturally. His dark gaze swept over her. "Your lipstick makes it look like you just finished eating a child."
With that, he turned and headed for the elevator.
Lin Jiang followed, protesting, "I went out of my way to do a full face of makeup today, and it's all for you. Can't you give me some credit?"
Shen Yan curled his lips into a smirk, glanced at her again, and then quickly averted his eyes.
Lin Jiang pouted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Just you wait. This 'child-eater' isn't full yet; I'm going to devour your blind date later."
Shen Yan had moved out of his family home, but he still couldn't escape his fate. Li Jing had used some unknown method to finally force him into agreeing to a blind date.
Thus, that day at the hospital, Shen Yan had asked her for help.
Half an hour later, Lin Jiang was lurking behind a wall, quietly observing the woman sitting not far away. Supposedly, she was a teacher, a year older than Shen Yan, with a gentle appearance and a domestic aura. It was hard to say if she and Shen Yan were a good match.
While she was sizing her up, a WeChat message came from Shen Yan: *Commence operation.*
Lin Jiang checked her makeup in her phone screen. Once satisfied, she stepped out in her high heels, swaying her hips over the five-meter distance like the White Snake from *Green Snake*.
She sat down in front of Shen Yan. He acted flustered, asking hyperbolically, "You... what are you doing here?"
Adopting the stance of a scorned wife, she looked at the woman, then at Shen Yan, and asked in a high-pitched, pinched voice, "Hubby, who is she?"
The woman was clearly stunned. She asked Shen Yan, "And this is?"
Shen Yan stammered, looking extremely troubled.
Lin Jiang crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. She asked scrutinizingly, "I'm his girlfriend. Who the hell are you?"
The woman frowned, still addressing Shen Yan. "You have a girlfriend?"
Hearing this, Lin Jiang began to fake-cry, hitting Shen Yan with her hands. Her voice was shrill and thin, drawing the attention of many diners in the restaurant. "What do you mean, 'do you have a girlfriend'? Are you still hiding our relationship? Tell her, what are we to each other? How could you do this to me?!"
The woman opposite them froze. Her face darkened instantly. She picked up her water glass and splashed it right into Shen Yan’s face, spat out the word "Scumbag," and left with her bag.
Lin Jiang had anticipated the woman might do this, but she was still startled by the splash. She looked at Shen Yan, who was unhurriedly wiping the water away, feeling a bit intimidated. "I was just acting according to the script you gave me. Was that... a bit much just now?"
Shen Yan smiled. "It’s exactly what I wanted. This way, I won't have to deal with this kind of thing anymore."
"Actually, you're not getting any younger. You really could..." Lin Jiang started to say.
"The food hasn't even been served yet. Let's eat before we go," Shen Yan interrupted.
Lin Jiang wouldn't give up. "Tell me, why haven't you dated all these years?"
"Then why haven't *you* dated all these years?" Shen Yan countered.
Lin Jiang blinked. "I just haven't met the right person yet."
Shen Yan repeated, "I haven't met them either."
"Hmph. Copycat," Lin Jiang muttered.
"What?" The waiter began serving the food, and Shen Yan didn't hear her clearly.
"Nothing. I'm hungry."
Lin Jiang lowered her head to eat, completely unaware that behind the very wall she had been hiding behind stood a man.
Jiang Weifeng had just returned from a few days of location shooting in Tokyo. Upon his return, Jiang He had called him to accompany some relatives for dinner. Halfway through, he had stepped out to take a call, only to run head-first into this "performance"—and he had actually watched the whole thing.
Jiang Weifeng watched in cold, silent judgment. The woman with red lips and curled hair looked radiant and enchanting. Her skin was dazzlingly white under the tight camisole dress; there wasn't a trace of her usual "little white flower" persona left.
"Lin Jiang."
He was so angry he actually laughed.
Returning to the private room, the elders were chatting animatedly. Seeing Jiang Weifeng enter, Jiang He said, "We were just talking about you."
Jiang Weifeng took his seat and asked nonchalantly, "What about me?"
"Just saying how you don't have a wife," an uncle said, looking at him with a smile.
Jiang Weifeng gave a thin smile, having no heart for small talk.
The uncle continued, "Your dad says you're busy with work, but you could always look among your old classmates. That way, you skip the whole 'getting to know each other' phase."
"Exactly. My daughter Xiaoli’s fiancé is an old friend. They were 'male besties' for over ten years, and then things just progressed naturally." These middle-aged men were no less gossipy than women.
"When it comes to dating, childhood sweethearts are the best."
"..."
A shadow flickered in Jiang Weifeng’s eyes. He suddenly forced a smile. "Actually, I have a girlfriend."
The lively room fell silent instantly.
Jiang He held his wine glass, stunned for a moment. "Since when?"
"Just recently. If you don't believe me, ask Aunt Zheng." Jiang Weifeng was still smiling, but the emotions in his eyes were inscrutable.
"I'm heading back first. Call a designated driver later," Jiang Weifeng said to Jiang He as he grabbed his coat. He nodded and smiled at the elders. "My lady wants me to pick her up. Please excuse me."
The moment he stepped out of the room, his smile flattened into a straight line.
He looked toward the dining area. Only a waiter was there cleaning the table; it seemed they had just left.
He drove home, his mind heavy with thoughts.
Zheng Ping was watching TV at home. Jiang Weifeng glanced at her and had only taken a few steps when he was called.
"You're back."
"Yeah."
Jiang Weifeng stopped halfway, turned around, and obediently called out, "Aunt Zheng."
Zheng Ping’s eyes were still glued to the TV. She only offered a hum in response.
Jiang Weifeng’s voice was soft. "I wanted to invite Lin Jiang over for dinner a couple of days ago, but she said she was busy. Why don't you give her a call and ask later?"
Zheng Ping slowly turned her head, looking at Jiang Weifeng with a half-smile. "..."
Jiang Weifeng swallowed. "Or... I could call her for you?"
Zheng Ping’s smile deepened. "Alright."
Jiang Weifeng smiled back.
After showering that night, he sat in his chair wearing slippers, a cigarette between his lips. He opened Lin Jiang’s WeChat. First, he tried a voice call—no answer. Then he dialed her number—still no answer.
Jiang Weifeng stubbed out the cigarette, stood up, paced a few steps, and then threw himself onto the bed in frustration. He lay on his back for a long time, his dark eyes calm, though it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
He pulled out his phone to check QQ. Only one dialogue box remained. The last date of their conversation was February 11th.
She had sent: *Happy Lantern Festival (Mass-sent, don't reply).*
He had replied: *Thanks.*
Scrolling up, almost all their messages were similar holiday greetings.
But seven years ago, he had checked Cheng Minghao and Gu Xiang’s phones. There was no "mass-sent" message.
He had already suspected as much in his heart, but the moment he knew the definitive answer, he couldn't contain himself. It was like a pitch-black room where someone suddenly flipped a switch; the blinding light sent all the moths in the room into a frantic flutter.
Lin Jiang was that light, and he couldn't wait to hurl himself toward it.
Even if he ended up bloodied and broken, perhaps then he could finally see the wick.
"Lin Jiang."
The night was deep. He murmured her name softly, but there was no reply.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
光明广场 | Guangming Plaza | A public square where they go skateboarding.
张益嘉 | Zhang Yijia | A colleague/manager figure associated with Jiang Weifeng.
钟慧 | Zhong Hui | A popular actress (85-hou traffic star).
程云川 | Cheng Yunchuan | An old acquaintance who used to pursue Jiang Weifeng; now works at a TV station.
石头 | Shitou | A nickname for a friend (literally "Stone").
成明昊 | Cheng Minghao | A friend of Jiang Weifeng.
云音乐 | Cloud Music | Likely referring to NetEase Cloud Music, a popular platform.
《自从见你手拿可乐，从此之后只喝可乐》 | *Since Seeing You with a Coke, I Only Drink Coke* | The title of Lin Jiang's viral podcast episode.
苏打绿 | Sodagreen | A famous Taiwanese indie pop band.
李静 | Li Jing | Shen Yan's mother.
《青蛇》 | *Green Snake* | A famous 1993 film directed by Tsui Hark.
江河 | Jiang He | Jiang Weifeng's father.
郑萍 | Zheng Ping | Aunt Zheng; Jiang Weifeng's stepmother or a close family figure.
QQ | QQ | A popular Chinese instant messaging software.
