Su Mei's photo album has not been photographed yet, but it has already caused a lot of attention in the local industry. Yan Xuhui, who holds the camera, has become famous in recent years and is known as the country's latest fashion photographer. The model invited this year won an award at a major competition and signed with a well-known agency in Beijing. Although she has not yet entered the supermodel ranks, her potential is also evident.

  Yan Xuhui was in high spirits, with many contracts on hand. The next day, he started taking trial makeup photos for the model. He asked Xin Chen to participate throughout, basically doing post-production while shooting. Xin Chen didn't have much going on at the moment, so she agreed.

  The residential area where she lived still had neighbors passing on messages in twos and threes, but the initial excitement was gone. The dormitories at the easternmost end, which were small public housing properties affiliated with the Housing Administration, had particularly poor living conditions. As soon as the demolition rumors spread, the compensation procedures for the tenants there started at a stunning speed, proceeding very smoothly. Many people immediately chose to take the money and move away, watching as moving company vehicles came in and out non-stop, while other homeowners were left restless.

  The demolition company, however, was very confident and did not respond to the rumors revealed by the big-character posters posted in this area. Instead, it dispatched a team of migrant workers at the first opportunity to start dismantling an abandoned warehouse of a bankrupt unit surrounded by residential areas and relocating several empty dormitories using purely manual methods. As a result, dust filled the air, and the sound of demolition work was heard from morning till night without interruption.

  This psychological warfare naturally had a significant effect, and the residents who were shouting to protect their rights each had their own plans, and before they could unite, they split up. Some of the residents who couldn't bear it began to quietly move out.

  Xin Chen goes out every noon and returns home in the evening, not participating in discussions with neighbors or asking about anything, just quietly waiting for the next relocation policy to be officially released.

  That evening, after work, Xīn Dí went to the scene to check on the shooting situation. After dinner, Dài Wéi Fán drove to send the two sisters home. When they arrived at Xīn Chén's street, they saw that the roadside was filled with demolition debris and a row of stalls had been set up, with polluted water flowing everywhere. A large group of migrant workers were gathered drinking and having fun, and a simple outdoor karaoke had even been set up next to them, making it very lively. Xīn Dí was shocked, "Demolition has already begun, how can people still live here? Chénzi, you should move to my place."

  David Fan also said: "Xin Chen, I think it's better for you to move out first. The security here won't be too good now."

  Xin Chen smiled and said: "I still have to deal with things at home, let's wait and see." She bid them farewell and walked in alone.

  Xin Di knew that Xin Chen was not willing to disturb others easily, especially since her mother had always been a bit biased against her. She would avoid it if she could. It wasn't until her father called her to come eat that she would come over. After returning, Xin Di immediately called her father and vividly described the chaotic scene of the demolition site. As expected, Xin Kai Ming became anxious and immediately called Xin Chen, telling her that she must move to Xin Di's place right away.

  Xin Chen smiled and said: "Uncle, it's not that serious, everyone is living well."

  "You're a single girl, you should have some sense of self-defense, can't just live with others like one big family over there. Especially since your work has been keeping you out late recently, what if something happens to you? How am I supposed to explain it to your father? Do you want your uncle to pick you up every night?"

  "No need, no need." Xincheng had no choice but to concede defeat. "I'll deal with things tomorrow and move in with Dizi right away."

  Xin Chen is a man of action. Since she promised her uncle, she put down her phone and started thinking about how to deal with the things at home. Everything else was easy to handle, but those flowers really made her worry. Even if they were annual grasses, it was still late summer, and they were growing vigorously, so she couldn't bear to abandon them. Not to mention that many of them were perennial grasses and woody plants. She thought for a while, then posted on the outdoor forum she often visited, attaching photos she had taken in her free time with the names of the flowers she had grown, along with some daily care tips. She declared that due to moving house, she was willing to give them away for free to flower lovers, and asked netizens to follow up and arrange a time to pick them up.

  After posting, she turned on the computer speakers, turned up the volume, played her favorite songs, and then walked into the bedroom to start cleaning. She first packed outdoor equipment and clothes together, preparing to send them to her father in Kunming by express delivery the next day. Most of her clothes were casual sportswear, which was easy to clean, and soon the closet was empty. A dark red Oxford cloth bag jumped into her eyes from the corner.

  At this time, the speaker was playing Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and the melancholic warm voice echoed in the bedroom. Xincheng leaned against the wardrobe, put his bag on his knees, and quietly listened to the song.

  When you feel insignificant and exhausted

  When tears are in your eyes, I'll be by your side to wipe them away.

  When the road is tough, friends scatter.

  When you pass through the waters

  I will turn myself into a bridge, so you have nothing to fear.

  When you cross the treacherous waters, I wish to transform into a bridge, so that you have nothing to fear.

  When you walk on the street, dusk falls.

  When four sides of suffering rise, darkness falls.

  I will hold you up so you won't be heartbroken anymore.

  When you pass through the troubled waters, I will be your bridge, and you shall not fear.

  When you cross the treacherous waters, I will transform into a bridge, making you fearless.

  A silver light shines in front, rushing towards the future.

  The days and dreams have converged in a blaze of light.

  You want friends, I'm coming right after you.

  When you pass through troubled waters, I will be your bridge, and you shall sleep peacefully tonight.

  When you cross troubled waters, I will become a bridge, so you can sleep peacefully tonight.

  This is the lyrics of the song translated by Li Ao, which was searched online by Xin Chen. It has more meaning than a general literal translation. She was moved from the first time she heard this song and collected multiple cover versions, including those by Elvis Presley, Teresa Teng, Whitney Houston, and the Vatican Choir, but after comparison, her favorite is still an early version that the original singer didn't like himself. It's said that after recording this song, the two broke up and went their separate ways, with various reasons being cited, one of which is that Simon didn't like Garfunkel turning this song into a gospel style and refused to provide harmonies for Garfunkel, but it's precisely this soft and warm style that makes Xin Chen never tire of listening.

  Her fingers stroked the chess pieces inside the package, each one of which she had repeatedly caressed, familiar with every shape and texture, including a small gap on one of the black elephants.

  After Lu Fei left, Xin Chen received her admission letter. She took the exam in a listless state and, as expected, got mediocre results. She was admitted to a newly established graphic design major at an unknown university. On the map in her geography book, she found the city he went to. Her finger slowly moved from where she lived, crossing the continent, over the ocean, and stopping on a place name that had previously meant nothing to her.

  How can such vast and boundless distances be crossed?

  Xin Chen couldn't give himself an answer, so he closed the book and decided not to think about this problem anymore.

  After the start of school, Xin Chen moved to the school and didn't even want to go home on weekends. It wasn't until the sudden drop in temperature in late autumn that she was shivering with cold and had no choice but to come back for her clothes. As she opened the door that had been locked for nearly two months, she looked at the cold and dusty house, and a voice suddenly echoed in her ears.

  "You're a girl, isn't it a lot of trouble to tidy up your room?"

  That was what Lu Fei said to her when he first entered her house with a hint of blame, she didn't think much of it at the time, but later on, she did start tidying up and formed a habit. It wasn't that she suddenly developed a love for cleanliness, but rather she liked seeing the gentle and satisfied expression in the eyes of that slightly OCD boy.

  But he still left after all.

  Xin Chen went to the bedroom to get clothes, and saw the international chess set with one eye. She took it out by hand, returned to the living room, and arranged it properly. As she moved her hands randomly, in a sudden fit of rage, she suddenly flipped over the chessboard in front of her, and the pieces fell all over the floor. But when one person is having a tantrum, they can only clean up the mess themselves. After a long time, she went to pick them up one by one, and found that one of the black elephants had broken off a corner.

  She stroked the small dent, and burst into loud sobs, releasing the tears she had been holding back for so long. It was a childish outburst, not the first time, but probably the last. She cried until she fell asleep on the couch, sinking into a deep nightmare. Once again, she found herself trapped in the dark corridor, stumbling and bumping into unknown hard objects, unable to see the floor levels, going up and down without finding her way home. What was even more terrifying was that she knew it was just a dream, but couldn't shake it off. When she finally woke up with a start, she was drenched in sweat and on the verge of collapse.

  She struggled to get up, poured herself a glass of water and drank it down, telling herself that she couldn't do this again. If there wasn't a pair of hands to hold her and walk out with her in the future, then she could only rely on herself.

  No one can be a bridge for you; you must cross the dark waters yourself, seeking your own night's sleep. Xin Chen began to adapt to life without Lu Fei and was doing quite well.

  In the midst of struggling to wake up from a nightmare, in the desolate moments when she couldn't help but seek warmth in memories, she had opened this package countless times, setting up the chess pieces and playing against herself.

  Time finally helped her, she became more calm and could enter and leave her home with ease, face memories with ease, quietly wait for the nightmares to dissipate, and calmly let another boy hold her hand.

  Even if he was gone, life would still go on as usual.

  The phone rang, and Xincheng thanked the sound for bringing himself out of his momentary distraction. He put down his bag and jumped up to answer the call, which was from Leqing. He said he would be returning to the US in two days and was meeting old classmates today. He laughed and asked, "Do you want me to come help you move tomorrow?"

  "Did you see the post too? Of course I did, there's physical labor to be done and I don't know if anyone will come to claim the flowers I planted tomorrow."

  "Haven't you seen the replies? Go take a look quickly, it's really lively."

  Xincheng sat in front of the computer refreshing her own post, and was shocked. At first, only a few netizens followed up to praise the beauty of the flowers or helped to top it off. Then, an ID called Road posted, claiming to be willing to accept all kinds of Honeysuckle plants and guaranteeing to plant them well. Next were familiar netizens joking around, naturally including Bruce. Some people made a gesture of regret, saying they had come too late; some laughed that Road classmate only posted this one post, obviously having been eyeing the owner for a long time; some analyzed whether Honeysuckle had any potential admirers putting on a cloak to charge forward, and listed possible candidates for betting. Xincheng looked at it with mixed feelings of sadness and laughter, and took another look at Road's registration time, which was indeed just a few minutes after she posted.

  "Huh, you're listening to Scarborough Fair, such an old song."

  "Yes." The speaker continued to play Simon & Garfunkel's early duet "Scarborough Fair", a song she particularly liked. The perfect harmony was like heavenly music, with the power to calm people down. Xin Chen hummed along with the song: "Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, Remember me to one who lives there, Tell him to make me a cambric shirt..." Then she laughed and said, "Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, maybe someday I'll have a garden and I'll definitely plant all these flowers."

  Lin Leqing smiled, "There will be such a day. Hey, don't tell me you can't guess who Road is."

  Xin Chen also smiled, "As long as someone receives the flowers, it doesn't matter who it is, I won't guess."

  She put down her phone, leaned back against the chair and looked around the house, thinking that it was indeed so, and it didn't matter who it was.

  The next day, Lin Leqing came over early to help Xin Chen clean up. She packed all the books and materials she wanted to keep, emptying out the bookshelves. Xin Chen called in people from downstairs who bought used electronics and furniture, negotiated a price with them, and had them start dismantling the air conditioner and water heater, moving away the washing machine, refrigerator, bookshelves, workbench, and wardrobe.

  She turned around and called the familiar neighbors downstairs, telling them that she was preparing to move away and didn't want many daily necessities. She asked them to take whatever they could use. These old neighbors had been acquaintances of her grandfather, grandmother, and father, and had almost seen her grow up. They had always gotten along well. After a few polite words, they began selecting the things that suited their needs. Soon, the electric rice cooker, electric kettle, microwave oven, table lamp, chair, down quilt, air conditioner quilt, blanket, and electric heating pad were all taken downstairs by them one after another.

  Lin Leqing was tidying up the cables on her desk, packing away her desktop computer, scanner and printer. She pointed to a dark red Oxford cloth bag in the corner of the wall, "What's inside? Are you going to pack it or give it to someone?"

  Lu Fei appeared at the door, and the people coming and going in the room made him slightly surprised. He stopped his footsteps and stood at the entrance.

  He also saw the package at a glance, and was stunned. Of course, he remembered that he had brought it here. He had taught Xin Chen to play chess in this house before. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Xin Chen say casually: "Lu Shifu, there's an international chess set in this package. Take it back for your grandson to play with."

  Lü Shifu agreed and picked up his bag and a few other daily necessities from Lu Fei's side and walked out.

  At this time, the courier company's staff also came over, walked in from Lu Fei's side, took the cardboard box she wanted to send to her father in Kunming, and asked her to fill out the address. The workers who dismantled the air conditioner removed both the indoor and outdoor units of the air conditioner, carried them through their midst, and placed them in the corridor.

  Xin Chen turned around, facing Lu Fei, for a moment not knowing what to say. Across the crowded and bustling street, Lu Fei's face was expressionless as he looked at Xin Chen. After a pause, he said: "Sorry, I'll come up later."

  He hastily turned around and went out of the door. Lin Leqing looked at Xin Chen with confusion, "The expressions on both of your faces are equally strange."

  "Is that so?" Xin Chen smiled slightly, then lowered her head to focus on filling out the express delivery form, paying the delivery fee, and then the person buying second-hand electronics from her settled the bill. Finally, they all left, and Lu Fei reappeared at the door, scanning the now empty and unrecognizable room with a calm expression.

  "I called a migrant worker to come up, apart from flowers, what else needs to be moved? I drove a pickup truck here today."

  "I didn't guess wrong, Road is indeed you. The pickup truck is just right, I see the frame of the moving company, probably not planning to take away much furniture."

  Xin Chen stepped back a few steps and sat down on the noble queen's couch, "This piece of furniture is the only thing in my room that has been praised by Guzheng as comfortable, I plan to give it to her, as for other things, none of them are wanted."

  Lin Leqing smiled and said: "Don't you feel a little thrill from squandering all your family's wealth?"

  Xin Chen burst out laughing, "Absolutely, coming and going without a care in the world, how great!"

  "You like this imperial concubine's daybed? I'll give it to you then. Chenzi won't mind."

  Lu smiled slightly, "No need, it's fine here, and it matches the sofa."

  Xin Di had no choice but to admit that after Lu Fei brought over Xin Chen's things and looked so silent, it seemed he wasn't eyeing the expensive couch. She really couldn't think of anything else, so she took out a bottle of red wine from France and poured half a cup for him.

  Lu Fei didn't laugh, "You're taking me for a drunkard, Xiao Di."

  "It's not that I've never seen you drunk, your problem is being too self-controlled. Drink up, anyway, I won't comfort you, this is the only trick I have." Xīn Dí poured himself half a cup of wine as well, "I'm going to New York next week, and Zhēnzi will be living with me after that, but judging from how thoroughly she's dealing with her family affairs, once she gets the money, she'll probably leave. You can't keep her from leaving, you're on your own."

  He didn't even look at the red wine in his cup, but instead changed the subject: "I'll call my friend in New York and have him pick you up from the airport."

  Xin Di thought, with his ex-fiancée still around, he couldn't possibly make any moves, and could only secretly sigh, "Forget it, Ah Ken will pass too, he's very familiar with that side."

  Although Lu Fei was drinking, he still restrained himself. After finishing half a cup, he leaned back on the sofa, stretching out his long legs lazily, with his eyes half-closed. The top button of his white shirt was undone, and his sleeves were carelessly rolled up, completely different from the neat and tidy appearance that Xin Di was used to seeing him in. He had a somewhat decadent air about him, and combined with the melancholy expression on his handsome face, he looked even more introspective.

  If it weren't for seeing him really heartbreaking with others having their own agendas, Xīn Dí would definitely speak up to suggest that he try a more casual style of dressing from now on.

  The phone on the coffee table flashed silently, but he didn't react at all, as if he was asleep. Xindi saw that he looked tired and decided to let him sleep for a while. She picked up the flashing phone to turn it off, but found that the name displayed on the screen was "Ruo Lai". She hesitated for a moment. She thought, this girl is in an unfamiliar city, and she only knows one person here, her ex-fiancé Lu Fei. It seems unreasonable not to answer her call. She quickly pushed Lu Fei, who opened his eyes, "What's up, Xindi?"

  "Answer the phone."

  Lu Fei picked up the phone and answered: "Hello, Ruo Li."

  I don't know what was said on that side, Lu Fei said softly: "Okay, you wait a minute, I'll be right there." He stood up, "Xiao Di, I'm leaving first."

  "Hey, I don't want to be harsh, but you two have already broken up. Are you trying to make her misunderstand that there's still a chance for reconciliation?"

  Lu's expression turned gloomy, and he shook his head. "She went to the bar for a drink and seems to have had too much. I'd better go pick her up."

  "Wait a minute, I'll go with you." Xindi was also getting angry and stood up, "What does she want to do, always dragging things out like this?"

  Lu Fei smiled wryly, "Xiao Di, why bother stirring up this muddy water."

  Xin Di didn't care, and directly followed him downstairs to hail a taxi.

  The bar called Blue Sky was run by foreigners and located in the financial district, with a certain reputation among the local expat community. Xindi and Lufen walked in to see Ji Ruolan sitting alone in a corner, her face flushed red and eyes glazed over as she chatted with a muscular foreign man wearing a black T-shirt, his hand already resting on her shoulder, while she seemed to be trying to dodge him but was clearly struggling.

  Lu Fei walked over, patted the man on the shoulder, and said a few words in English. The man immediately stood up and walked away. Ji Ruochen looked at Xin Du and burst out laughing, "Really funny, I thought I only called Lu Fei to come over, aren't you trying to distance yourself from him? Why are you sticking so close?"

  Xin Di thought, no matter how gentle and reserved she usually was, after a few drinks, she had a straightforward and unreserved attitude. However, she didn't care about that, smiling and saying: "We were just chatting together earlier, come over and see if there's anything we can help with."

  "You're probably afraid I'll use drinking as an excuse to pester him, right?" Ji Ruochen stood up with his hands on the table, looking at her sideways. "Let me tell you, Miss Xin, in the past, I really did try to seduce him by getting drunk, haha, he didn't fall for it. I guess if I tried that trick again now, it would probably be even more futile."

  Lu didn't frown, stretched out his hand to support her, "Ruo Ke, let's go, I'll send you back to the hotel."

  Ji Ruochen pushed his hand away, her movements quite fierce, and she stumbled to one side. Xindi, who was standing nearby, had to reach out to steady her. Ji Ruochen giggled and leaned into him, whispering, "Hey, you wouldn't also be in love with Lu Fei, would you? That would make you even more miserable than me - he's in love with your cousin, did you know that?"

  Xin Di lost his smile and gently pushed her away, avoiding the strong smell of alcohol on her mouth. "Hmm, I understand now, you've told me quite a few astonishing things, I admit."

  Ji Ruoluo was about to speak, but covered her mouth and frowned as she rushed towards the restroom. Xin Di looked at Lu Fei, who could only follow Ji Ruoluo with a sense of resignation. After walking a few steps, they saw that another table had Yan Xuhui, Dai Weifan, and two girls sitting there. One of the girls, wearing a strapless top, had her arm hooked around Dai Weifan's shoulder and was whispering something in his ear, with an intimate posture. Yan Xuhui spotted Xin Di first and waved at her to greet her, but she glanced over and ignored him, walking straight into the restroom. Ji Ruoluo was vomiting loudly into the toilet bowl, then went to rinse her mouth at the sink, where Xin Di quickly handed her some paper towels.

  Ji Ruoxin covered her face with a tissue and burst into tears. Xin Di looked up at the sky, feeling depressed, but couldn't think of anything to comfort her. All he could do was wait quietly for her to slowly calm down, her sobs gradually subsiding into sniffles.

  Xin Di stopped for a while before saying: "Miss Ji, let me tell you again, I've never had a crush on Lu Fei. But just now, I saw a man sitting outside who said he wanted to be with me a few days ago, and now he's intimately whispering into the ear of a scantily clad girl, why don't I keep you company and cry together?"

  Ji Ruoluo turned around in surprise, her eyes shining with tears as she looked at her. Xin Di spread out his hands and said, "Alright, sorry, I was exaggerating. I couldn't cry even if I wanted to, and I never planned on crying for him anyway. I'm not good at comforting people, and you probably don't need my poor consolation either."

  "Are you trying to prove that I'm foolish enough and you're clever enough?"

  "This can prove what, probably only proves that I didn't take this too seriously. Last time I think I also told you, I don't think love is the most important thing in life, if a man can't even make me happy, then I don't see why I need to spend time on him. It's not because Lu Fei is my friend and Xin Chen is my cousin that I'm speaking up for them, I really feel that dragging this on like this has no meaning."

  "I know I'm making it difficult for myself and also for others."

  Xin Di shrugged, "It's not like it's hard to get by, he's somewhat deserving of it, but have you ever thought that one day, his guilt towards you will be depleted."

  She gazed at him blankly, then turned to look at herself in the mirror. After a long while, she said: "I've loved him for five years, but I'm not willing to give up like this. I want to see how far he'll persist."

  "You probably have a good family background and can afford to quit your job if you want, but using your precious time to witness this kind of thing is really unfair to yourself."

  Ji Ruò Lì stood in front of the mirror with a bitter smile, "Yes, after throwing up, I feel like it's not worth it either."

  "Let's go, we're out of here, you get back to your hotel and rest early."

  The two walked out of the bathroom, only to find David Fan pacing back and forth outside like an ant on a hot pot. Seeing Xindi come out, he hurried over to her, grabbed her, "Xindi, don't cry, I promise..."

  Xin Di irritably shook off his hand, "What am I crying for, David Fan?"

  David Fan hadn't seen Xindi just now, but after hearing Yan Xuhe's gloating words, he hurriedly pushed away Shen Xiaonan who was talking to him and rushed to the outside of the bathroom. He heard a faint cry inside and suddenly became stupid. While wandering around outside, he thought about how to explain it. When he looked at Xindi again, her eyes were shining brightly, and her face was normal, without any signs of crying. He could only awkwardly say: "Old Yan said he was tired and wanted to relax a bit, I just accompanied him here, he can be the witness, I and that girl really have nothing to do with each other, she's always been a bit crazy."

  Xin Di waved his hand to shoo away the flies, and walked out with Ji Ruoluo. They met Lu Fei, who first sent Ji Ruoluo back to the hotel, then sent her home.

  Xin Di returned home and found that Xin Chen had already arrived earlier, while David Fan was surprisingly sitting on the sofa waiting for her. Xin Chen gave her a signal with his eyes and went into the study room.

  David Fan decided to put down his guard, "Xin Di, listen to me explain. It's too noisy in the bar, and her family also runs a clothing company, I'm asking her about shooting a photo album."

  Xin Di covered her mouth and yawned, "No need to explain, I know you guys are innocent. It's said that even when a man and woman share a quilt and lie on the bed, they just chat. What more can happen in a bar? Let's talk another day, I'm sleepy."

  David Fan could only leave dejectedly, feeling wronged and humiliated, having already lowered his pride to an unprecedented level. But she was still so nonchalant about it, either pretending to be indifferent or simply not caring about the matter, or even himself - the thought made him feel defeated.

  The next afternoon, Xin De went to the April Garden shooting scene to check on progress. Yan Xuhui immediately said: "Xin De, take a look at my blog. I wrote an affidavit of innocence for Lao Dai as he requested."

  David Fan was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say, and the night before, he was annoyed. The unreasonable Yan Xuhui called again: "Old David, did you rush to explain and have any effect?" David Fan couldn't help but get angry, and before he could explode, Yan Xuhui burst out laughing, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll help you clear your name, guarantee that Xin Di will believe you."

  When David saw what he called proof, he could only blame himself for being careless in making friends and silently cursed this troublemaker countless times. Xindi knew that he couldn't write anything good, so he smiled and said: "You might as well take a photo of him wearing chastity pants and post it on his blog, it's definitely more eye-catching than some broken proof."

  The people around all burst out laughing.

  After Xindi returned to the office, she continued working. As it was approaching closing time, her curiosity got the better of her and she decided to take a look at Yan Xuhui's blog.

  Yan Xuhui always carries a camera with him, likes to record his life through photos and text, and opened a blog very early. However, in Xindi's opinion, the greatest value of his blog is that it occasionally posts fashion show photos and behind-the-scenes shots that ordinary people can't see. But this person's constant posting of sentimental comments diluted her viewing pleasure. Although she acknowledges his photography skills, she has always given low marks to his writing, and has no interest in the trivial matters he records on his blog, so she never bookmarked it. Fortunately, he is now a somewhat well-known figure in the fashion world, and can be easily found with a search.

  His blog interface is simple and low-key, but the friendship links are a row of stunning beauties in Beijing's fashion circle, making people dizzy at first glance. The log posted on the first page was written early this morning, starting with a photo taken outside the Blue Sky Bar, processed into a dark blue tone, neon lights blurred and trailing, passersby virtualized into fleeting figures, the content of the log is completely inconsistent with this picture, there is a humorous title: How to prove a man's innocence and chastity.

  She looked down and saw that Yan Xiu Hui had written a rather sarcastic comment, seemingly defending David Fan by saying the beauty was passionate like fire, but he remained calm and unruffled. In reality, however, he was half-mocking and half-ridiculing him, saying "he hadn't even crossed the river yet and already got his shoes wet, didn't get to eat the mutton but already got a mouthful of its smell". Then he sighed, "It's really hard for one man to prove another man's innocence. Women are probably wary of the tacit understanding between men, especially in Sandy's eyes, my reputation isn't exactly good, so even if I speak the truth, it's all in vain. So, old David, you're on your own."

  Xin Di couldn't help but laugh at the sight, she hadn't taken last night's incident too seriously, but indeed thought that it seemed unnecessary to continue with David Fan, this person didn't have much determination, and was used to attracting bees and butterflies, if he really invested emotions, later on, he would inevitably have to constantly face such scenes, she had no interest in competing for favor or being jealous.

  She was about to shut down the computer and go out when she suddenly had an idea, remembering that a few days ago when Xincheng mentioned going to Beijing for a job, her strange evasive attitude, with Yan Xuhui's style of reporting every detail on his blog, there should also be records.

  She rummaged forward while secretly scolding Yan Xuhui, this chatterbox and narcissist, for updating his blog so frequently. She finally patiently found the entry from three years ago in late March, and after reading it for a while, she picked up her phone and dialed Lu Fei's number: "Lu Fei, where are you?"

  Lu Fei was organizing files in the company, he had submitted his resignation report and hadn't formally handed over yet, still working in the office building of Haotian. "I'm in the office, what's up, Xiao Di?"

  Xin Di hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him: "You open the computer, I'll send you Yan Xuhui's blog address, take a good look."

  The road is not fast, click on the link sent by Xindi, and the displayed date is exactly three years ago in late March. Sure enough, there are several logs related to Xinchen within ten days before and after. The first title is: Dear little Chen has arrived.

  "My dear ex-girlfriend Xiao Chen has arrived in Beijing, of course she doesn't admit that I'm her ex-boyfriend (a big smile). When we were eating and I was bragging, she calmly told my friends, let him talk nonsense, after all, having more lice doesn't make you itchier, having one or two more ex-boyfriends isn't a big deal for me either. This kid is still as straightforward as before, hitting the nail right on the head."

  Below is a photo taken indoors, it can be seen that the room is not spacious, seven or eight men and women are crowded around the table eating, of course, Xin Chen is among them. She wears a light pink high-necked sweater, her hair is tied back, in the midst of the steaming heat, her smile is radiant and moving.

  "After a few days, I wrote in my diary: "Xiaochen's interview went very smoothly, and she will start work next Monday. Let's celebrate that another person is going to drift in Beijing, the great capital, the heart of our motherland, we are all here. However, this silly kid said she doesn't want to be a model, and her reason is that this industry eats up one's youth, and she has already been through too much. Looking at her, who still looks young and beautiful despite not having any childishness left, I can only sigh, this remark makes me feel so sad."

  Here are a few photos taken secretly, Xin Chen wearing a black jacket coming out of the office building, with a thoughtful expression on his clear face, without any excitement about finding work; another photo shows him stretching out his hand to block the camera, seemingly not wanting to be photographed.

  Look at the next blog post, written on the second day, at the end of March, titled: Goodbye, Little Chen.

  Today is the weekend, but there's still work to be done. This morning I went out with Xiao Chen, she looked very happy, asked me about the route of the bus, and it just so happened that we were both going somewhere near Guozhan. She said she had to see a friend first, then find a place to settle down. No matter how much I teased her, this little girl wouldn't say what kind of friend it was, never mind, I'm happy for her, even if the reason she's staying in Beijing isn't because of me, I hope from now on she'll be as happy and carefree as before. Thinking about this made the windy weather not so annoying after all. She underestimated Beijing's weather, didn't bring much clothing, and looking at her wearing my jacket was really funny, I helped her take a photo, then rushed off to work.

  "Afternoon, when I came back, Xiao Chen had already returned. She didn't have the key, so she sat in front of the door, staring blankly. I sat down beside her and asked if she had found her friend. She smiled, but it was a miserable smile, saying that she had found them, but it wasn't as good as not finding them. It was the first time I saw her smile so bleakly. I wanted to comfort her, but she suddenly said she was leaving, without giving me any chance to discuss it, and started packing her bags. No matter how I asked her, she didn't say a word. I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything out of her. Fine, beautiful women always have the privilege of being willful, especially her."

  I sent her to the train station, and all the way she didn't say a word. But when I glanced at the window on her side of the car, I knew she had cried. I don't know who made her cry, but I resent the friend she's going to see. The weather in Beijing is as terrible as usual, and tomorrow I still have to go shoot Fashion Week - it's exhausting, with no time for myself. It's good that Xiao Chen has gone back to her hometown, at least life is more relaxed there, and I hope she can be happy.

  "Returning from the west station, looking at these two photos, I suddenly feel a sense of sadness. When I first took her picture, she was still a carefree child. Let me borrow someone else's words to express my feelings: Every youth will grow old, whose youth can be immortal."

  Ji Ruoluo walked over and knocked on the open door of his office, but Lu Fei's attention was focused on the two photos below, completely unaware of her.

  In a photo, Xin Chen wears an olive green men's hunting coat, with a black baseball cap on his head and oversized outdoor sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. A stylish camouflage scarf wraps around his mouth and nose, covering the lower half of his face. The background is a swirling sandstorm, typical of Beijing's sandy weather. This is how girls dress when they have to go out on the street. Under the gloomy sky, she stands alone in front of the camera, looking slender and lonely, with a hint of desolation.

  Another photo shows that it is the entrance of Xi'an Railway Station, under the light, Xincheng is surrounded by a crowd of people, she wears a thin jacket, no hat and sunglasses, the camouflage scarf is pulled down and loosely wrapped around her neck, holding a small bag in her hand, turning back to wave goodbye, her expression can't be seen clearly under the dim light.

  Lu Fei's left hand clenched into a fist, completely stunned. Ji Ruoluo walked in, "Lu Fei, your sister's secretary said she'll be out soon after the meeting, are you done with what you needed to do?" Lu Fei didn't react at all.

  Ji Ruo Lai walked over with a puzzled expression, her eyes also fell on the two photos. She couldn't believe it and leaned in closer to take a better look, then turned her head, her gaze meeting Lu Fei's.

  They also determined that they and she had once stood face-to-face, very close, even exchanging greetings.

  Lu Fei returned to work in Beijing at the end of February that year. Lu gave him a well-decorated house with good location, but it was empty and had no furniture. Lu Fei had just taken over the job and was very busy, so he could only live in a hotel near the office building, planning to add living supplies and move in when he had time later.

  Ji Ruozhu took the initiative to ask for help with shopping and smiled: "I've submitted several resumes and am waiting for job notifications, so I'm very free now. Women are naturally interested in buying these things and decorating houses, I guarantee that I will take care of your taste and absolutely won't make it look too feminine."

  Lu Fei handed her the keys and a credit card, asking her to pay the fees directly by swiping the card.

  By the end of March, Beijing had no spring atmosphere at all. Instead, a sandstorm swept across the sky, turning it yellowish-brown, and fine dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Ji Ruoluo was a southerner who couldn't adapt to such harsh weather. She caught a cold but still ran around various residential areas, carefully selecting and comparing them. The process brought her great joy.

  Although it's not the weekend, there is still work to be done. I drove over close to noon and Ji Ruoluo had already arrived. She was coughing while directing workers to hang curtains. All the furniture in the three-bedroom apartment was neatly arranged, even the bedding was complete. The color scheme and style were harmonious and low-key, matching her taste. After sending off the workers, Lu Fei said thank you, but she just smiled and said: "Let me indulge myself properly for once, it's great." She fiddled with a crystal ornament, suddenly turned around to look at Lu Fei, "Now your house is fully marked with my presence, let's see how you'll bring other girls back in the future."

  She wasn't making her first hint, but Lu Fei didn't react at all, staring out the window in a daze. "At this time, the city where I used to live is already full of spring atmosphere."

  Ji Ruochen's heart skipped a beat, he rarely talked about the places he had lived in. She happened to meet his university classmate Ding Xiaqing due to work and mentioned it when she came back, but he only briefly touched on it.

  "It seems that it's now the time for the famous cherry blossoms to bloom at your alma mater, I wonder how different it is from Washington, really want to go take a look at your school."

  Lu Fei's prolonged silence was broken, and Ji Ruo remembered the gossip that Ding Xiaoqing had shared with her on that day, her heart racing faster. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Fei smiled, "It's getting late, let's go eat."

  The two went downstairs and were about to walk to a nearby restaurant. Ji Ruoli pointed to a woman standing not far from his car and said with some puzzlement, "That girl seems to be waiting for someone. I saw her standing here when I arrived. Poor thing, it's so windy and sandy."

  Lu Fei glanced over nonchalantly, and saw that the girl was wearing a loose-fitting men's windbreaker with the sleeves rolled up slightly, a large pair of outdoor sunglasses perched on her face, and a camouflage headscarf covering her features. She stood stock-still, completely ignoring the swirling sandstorm around her, with a thin layer of dust already accumulated on her baseball cap and clothes.

  His mind was elsewhere, still immersed in his own memories. Now it's really the season when the cherry blossoms are blooming at his alma mater, have the countless petals that floated down in his dreams fallen on that girl's hair and shoulders again? Whose hands were brushing off those petals for her now?

  He had also been to Kyoto, Japan on a business trip in the spring of a certain year. At that time, the cherry blossoms would bloom only once a week, and the host lamented that the timing was not good. He didn't feel any regret at all. Without the familiar figure under the flowers, even if he encountered them in full bloom, it had no meaning to him.

  Ji Ruoluo walked past the girl, feeling somewhat unbearable, hesitated for a moment, stopped in his tracks and turned around to say softly: "Miss, the wind and sand are too strong, standing outside for too long will be bad for your body."

  She turned her head straight at her, paused for a moment, and said in a hoarse and hollow voice: "Thank you, I'm waiting for someone."

  "You can give him a call."

  She fell silent for a moment and said, "Never mind, I probably won't be able to wait for him anymore. I'll just stand here for a little while longer and then leave."

  With such a strange response, Ji Ruochen could only stop talking and continue walking with Lu Fei towards the restaurant, saying: "Later, let's go to that supermarket over there and fill up your fridge. Tonight, I'll show you my skills, my cooking is quite good."

  "It's not necessary to go to so much trouble."

  "While I still have your credit card, I'll make the most of it." Ji Ruochen said with a smile as he walked far away, but then turned back to look at the girl who was still standing there motionless. "Lu Fei, if a girl were waiting for you like this, would you be moved?"

  Lu Fei was taken aback, a clear and crisp voice suddenly echoed in his ears: "I won't wait for anyone, I don't want to see you again." He gazed blankly at the wind and sand flying before him, that moment of distraction falling into Ji Ruoluo's eyes, and she instantly regretted it. She couldn't help but try to probe him, but always couldn't get the answer she wanted, what he was thinking about was obviously not herself who had been waiting for his response all along, so she could only hurriedly change the subject.

  After they finished dinner, Lu Fei let Ji Ruochen wait at the restaurant and he came over to get his car. However, all he saw was that strange girl leaning against his car hood, using her finger to write something on his front windshield which was covered in yellow sand. He stopped in his tracks not far from her, "Miss, is there anything I can help you with?"

  Her hand stopped, standing at his angle, vaguely visible was a string of Arabic numerals, below which the strokes of Chinese characters were about to be written. She leaned there for a while, suddenly waved her hand and wiped away what she had written, straightened up, "Sorry, just scribbling out of boredom." Her voice was hoarse, and she hurried past him.

  They actually faced each other three years ago and let it slip away.

  Lu Fei tried hard to recall the scene of that day, but in ordinary days, memories had long been blurred, like being separated by sand dust, and the figure was far less clear than this photo in front of her.

  He looked at Yan Xiu Hui's blog again: Every youth will grow old, whose youth can be immortal. So, that girl quietly grew old on that day, her innocence, her love, her unwavering love... were buried in the sands of time.

  And he didn't even stretch out his hand to hold her back.

  His decision was always one step too late, and he couldn't even blame it on the unpredictable fate. From young to old, he chose his own path, arranged his own life, decided on his own compromises and persistence, but he had never persisted for Xin Chen.

  Ji Ruoluo looked at Lu Fei, hesitated for a moment before saying: "So to speak, she went to find you, but saw us together."

  Lu Fei gritted his teeth and didn't say a word. Of course, before he returned to China, he had sent an email to Xin Di, telling him the address of his residence. "Sister has prepared the house and car for me, I plan to stay here temporarily, and it's convenient to commute to the office." When Xin Di replied to the email, he also sighed, "It seems that the National Exhibition is also close by, next time when I go to Beijing to see the fashion exhibition, I can come visit you on the way." So, at least Xin Chen had seen this email.

  He used to keep in touch with Xinde, reporting his whereabouts, and also had a little hope that Xinde would mention him to Xincheng, so there was some indirect connection between the two. However, after returning to Beijing, the distance from Xincheng is only 1000 kilometers. On the one hand, the newly taken work is busy and complicated; on the other hand, he is shy and does not know how to face Xincheng who has a boyfriend.

  But Xincheng was still braver than him, she came to Beijing and took the initiative to find him. Realizing this, Lu Fei only felt his heart suddenly beating faster.

  Her face, her voice had haunted him countless times in his mind and dreams, yet he stood facing her, hearing her speak, without recognizing her. What was worse, he walked back and forth with a girl from beside her.

  Looking at Lu Fei's silent and absent-minded appearance, Ji Ruo Lian suddenly became furious and said loudly: "What is this? Are you trying to blame me? I appeared at an inopportune time and disrupted your long-awaited reunion? She could have called out to you, but instead she came silently and left silently. What does she want to do? It's really disgusting. Originally, everyone could have saved some trouble. I would have been heartbroken for a few days and then automatically retreated from the scene. There was no need to continue this ambiguous love affair, engagement, and cancellation of the marriage proposal for several years."

  Why? Lu Fei asked herself in her heart. This girl who was always proud, had she misunderstood when she saw him with someone else? But she was always straightforward and direct, there was no need for her to leave without saying a word. Could it be that she still remembered the words they said when they parted ways, and thus hated herself for taking the initiative to come find him but ended up seeing this scene.

  "You two are really well-matched, completely disregarding others' feelings and treating other people's fate as the backdrop for your great love. Are you acting out a dramatic life?!" Ji Ruoluo couldn't control herself anymore, furiously saying, "You two can play all you want, why drag me into it?"

  "It's not fair to say that about her. Dragging me into this is just me, I'm sorry, it has nothing to do with her."

  He looked at her, his voice calm, as if narrating a dry fact, without revealing any emotions. Of course, this calm demeanor was not unfamiliar to her, from the first time they met, he had been composed and self-controlled, never easily exposing emotional fluctuations, and she was attracted to his slightly aloof and distant attitude, gradually falling into the web of love and unable to extricate herself.

  She actually thought she had been intimate enough with him, breaking through his indifference. Realizing this, her heart sank like a lead weight, "You're mocking me, Lu Fei, I didn't think you could be so sarcastic too. You and I both know it took my efforts to cling to you for years before you would even hold hands with me, so I hate her even more - what right does she have to act so noble?"

  "You don't understand her, she never bothered with pretenses," Lu Fei's voice was bitter and low. "She just thoroughly lost hope in me."

  Lu appeared at the office door, looking at the two people with unusual expressions, slightly surprised. She had made an appointment with Ji Ruoluo and Lu Fei to have dinner together that night. "I just finished a meeting, let's go."

  Lu Fei stood up, "Sorry, sister, trouble you to accompany Ruo Lin to eat, I have something, first step away." He took the key, didn't look at anyone, and walked out of the office in big strides.

  Ji Ruoluo sat down in her seat, staring blankly at the computer screen that had gone into screensaver mode. Lu sighed and walked over to pat her on the shoulder, "Ruoluo, I'm going to Shenzhen for a meeting. Mom asked me to come over and told me to make sure you two communicate properly and don't talk about breaking up casually. I promised her, and was planning to take you both out for dinner today to have a serious talk. But now I suddenly feel that dragging this on any longer is unfair to you."

  "In Ji Ruo's eyes, a wave of sourness arose, 'What fairness can be spoken of in love?'"

  "It's true, we always give up our persistence for someone. Luoyi also felt a bit melancholy, "But it's still better not to give up on ourselves."

  "Sister, will you miss your first love like this?"

  The road was a daze, remembering that I had once reminisced about my first love with a little girl, and the girl's unwavering persistence made her question her own life for a long time.

  But now she can only smile wryly and shake her head, "My first love is just a vague shadow in my heart. However, I think everyone will unconsciously regard a certain period of emotion as particularly important, not necessarily the first love. Maybe it's because a certain period of time or memory has special significance, maybe it's because they put in enough effort and afterwards didn't have the same energy and opportunity to do so."

  "Yes, he has sanctified that memory of his, and in comparison, everything else is insignificant and can be abandoned, even the happy days we spent together."

  Of course, they also had very pleasant memories. Lu Fei's gentle and smiling expression floated before her eyes, that joy was not fake at all, but now thinking about it, it seemed especially ironic. All the happiness seemed to be shrouded in shadows. She suddenly realized that there were actually many clues, she just deliberately ignored them. Love made people so blind, she could only bitterly think that she never had a choice, and if given the opportunity, she didn't know whether she would be willing to continue being blindly infatuated or clearly accept reality.

  "You're a nice girl to get along with, and you've been good to him too. I don't doubt that he'll be happy with you. But people are greedy, the more they put in, the more they want to get out. Now you might think that marrying him is enough, but sooner or later you'll find that what you get isn't complete, it's unbalanced, and you'll resent why marriage only relies on your efforts to maintain. Listen to sister's words, forget it."

  "Everyone advised me to give up, but what can I do if I don't? It seems like the only way left is to cry in front of Uncle and Auntie. But with his determination now, if I really did that, we probably wouldn't have a chance to meet again." Ji Ruoleng touched the mouse with her hand, looking at the screensaver pattern dispersing on the screen, the photo reappeared before her eyes, and she didn't speak until after a while, "I'm also fed up, sister. Originally I wanted to try to salvage it, but now that I think about it, it seems like there's no need to bother. I hope he won't regret it, won't be disappointed."