Ruan Jianglin is not a saint, he must be afraid of death, and can't be too carefree.

  Cigarettes are slightly under control, but then started drinking again to drown sorrows.

  One time he was drunk, Ye Chen once tested his words, probably asking him how much longer he would have to wait for Jiang Yan.

  He can't bring himself to go look for her, yet he has to wait reluctantly, so who is this humiliating himself for?

  He didn't say a word at first, and drank the whole bottle of wine. The foam spilled from the corner of his mouth, wetting his shirt, making him look particularly disheveled. It wasn't until much later that he slowly opened his mouth: "By the end of the year, if you don't come back, Dad will get married."

  It's been nearly eight years, long enough, he has messed himself up so badly that he doesn't look like a human or a ghost, and he is also fed up with himself.

  That woman should be pleased now.

  Ruan Jianglin was never such a person before. He used to be the most self-disciplined, but now he is absolutely beyond expectation.

  Others were young and reckless, but he's just now at this age going crazy for love.

  He's not afraid that he would actually give his parents a fatal shock, Ruan Zhenhua is afraid that he would actually strip him of his wolf skin.

  Some people say that Ruan Jianglin is too spoiled and arrogant, and now this ghostly appearance is all his own doing.

  *

  Jiang Yan went to the Arctic in his last year of graduate school, and his topic was polar bears.

  Wildlife photography is a hazardous profession. At times, they need to blend in with nature, hide in the shadows and observe the animals' every move.

  In the meantime, it may face the situation of being thirsty to death in the desert, or being swallowed by a giant python in the tropical rainforest. It is more likely that on the mountain, grassland and river, it will be discovered by lions, tigers, leopards, crocodiles and other animals, leaving no corpse at all.

  Jiang Yan is doing just such a job.

  Crossing the Arctic is a challenge to human limits, and over the years, many people have lost their lives here, including natural photographers like Jiang Yan.

  They need to hide in a dark place and observe their habits, living environment, migration and other activities.

  Sometimes it takes half a year just waiting.

  It was just that time in the Arctic, Jiang Yan had an accident.

  Disconnected from companions for two days, relying on the few remaining supplies on his body, he almost froze to death in that ice mountain.

  In the extremely cold place, if she really encountered a polar bear, she would have already become food in the polar bear's stomach.

  The ice surface was also in danger of cracking at any time, and in such an environment, Jiangyan once thought he was about to die, as if his footsteps were wandering on the edge of death.

  However, she was lucky later and was found by her companions, picked up a life, and stayed in the hospital for observation for half a month.

  She almost froze one of her hands to death and faced the danger of amputation. After the event, she still felt scared thinking about it.

  It was only then, when she was extremely dizzy and confused, that she would think of Ruan Jianglin, that heartless yet enchanting man.

  It's been eight years since they parted ways, but Jiang Yan still can't forget.

  There is always someone who cannot be forgotten and let go of.

  Ruan Jianglin is such a person when it comes to Jiang Yan.

  Can't forget, can't put down, addictive as food, sweet as honey.

  In the eight years they were apart, Jiang Yan had been to many places, but neither of them knew about each other.

  One year they had passed each other by at an airport in France.

  Jiang Yan had once gone to Finland alone to see the aurora, and at that time she still remembered that the man had promised to make up for it once, but afterwards Ruan Jianglin never thought of it again.

  She should be back by now.

  Ruan Jianglin was never a patient person, and if he waited any longer, he wouldn't be able to wait anymore.

  At twenty-nine years old that autumn, she earned her Ph.D. and boarded a direct flight to Kyoto.

  This time back, Jiang Yan thought, don't ask about the journey ahead, just ask about the return trip.

  When she returned to Kyoto, it was Professor Qian who came to pick her up. She had been separated from her mentor for many years and had relied on video calls to maintain their relationship all these years, which Jiang Yan cherished deeply.

  Professor Qian was one of the most important mentors in her life, including when she applied for her Ph.D., it was all thanks to Professor Qian's letter of recommendation that spanned half the globe.

  After she returned home, Professor Qian knew that Jiang Yan was going to open a studio and mobilized his own connections to pave the way for her.

  Kyoto, a place where every inch of land is precious, is not short of talent and elites. There are many "sea turtles" (overseas returnees) everywhere, but those with high gold content are not many.

  Jiang Yan, a sea turtle with golden content, applied for a loan from the bank and received some funding from friends who went abroad. She finally opened her own independent studio, focusing on wildlife photography.

  Professor Qian initially introduced her to many connections, all of whom were his former students or friends from over the years, giving Jiang Yan a great deal of help and stabilizing her workshop.

  Not long after, I embarked on a project with a wildlife conservation photography association in Yunnan, which is expected to last for two months.

  Before leaving, the president of the association spent a lot of money on a private room at Wah and Jiang Yan also went.

  Everyone was somewhat surprised, after all, what kind of personality Jiang Yan has, colleagues also have some understanding, usually don't participate in this kind of gathering.

  Someone joked, "It's rare for a beautiful woman like Jiang Da to give you a smile."

  She smiled, actually she always felt that she could meet him here.

  The room was a bit stuffy, she went out the door and stood in the corridor, looking down to see men and women kissing, cheering and dancing, drunk on paper and gold.

  She had never understood before why Ruan Jianglin was so fond of getting lost in it.

  So many years have passed and she still doesn't understand.

  It seems she is indeed as others have said, her temperament is too cold, and she doesn't indulge in worldly pleasures.

  She quarreled for a while and then walked further inside.

  She pulled out a pack of menthol cigarettes from her bag, which she had also picked up a few years ago and had become somewhat addicted to. It was one of the few things she was addicted to, and she hadn't planned on quitting.

  Always at midnight, relieve some pressure for her.

  Her slender hands were exceptionally fair, and the lady's cigarette was relatively long and thin. When she fiddled with it in her hand, it looked like a small object.

  She didn't notice that a man had been watching her from the other side of the corridor for quite some time.

  The way she lit up was also skilled, and her former innocence had faded away. The current calmness had actually brought out a few more temptations.

  A "pop" sound was heard as she lit a cigarette with her fingertips, and the sparks flew. She slightly raised her hand to put it to her lips.

  Those who are addicted to it cannot help but inhale it into their lungs, or they will be unable to withstand that kind of strength.

  However, her smoking gesture was elegant and somewhat frivolous, with a pair of hands that were exceptionally delicate and beautiful.

  The man standing on the side was smiling, after being apart for eight years, she could even do this.

  He let out a soft whistle and Jiang Yan noticed it, turning her head around to look.

  Their eyes met in that instant, like a spark reigniting after being cut off, like flint striking steel.

  The man hooked his lips and walked towards her step by step, she leaned against the wall, with no intention of leaving.

  Treasures, your votes! Don't force me to beg you! Data is a bit of a hassle, but I'll get it done and update on the weekend, haha. Tomorrow is a rival scene.

  (End of chapter)