As they spoke, the song “Dingsheng Cake and Wupeng Boat” was already halfway through.
There were quite a few drinks on the table, and Zhōu Shíyì handed her a glass of fruit wine.
Her canvas bag was still on her lap; the round table was full of drinks with nowhere to put it.
As Zhōu Shíyì handed over the drink, he casually took her canvas bag, saying, “Go find Jì Fánxīng. Now that she’s here, just focus on enjoying the music. Sitting next to him would only make it hard for both of you to concentrate.”
Zhōng Yì passed him her phone. “Hold onto this for me.” She took the fruit wine and went to find Jì Fánxīng.
Whenever they went out before, she liked to leave her things with him.
Zhōu Shíyì slipped her phone into the inner pocket of his suit. The cherry hair clip that Chén Chén had given her was also inside.
Over the past few days, he had changed countless suits, but he never forgot to carry the hair clip with him.
Whenever there were social engagements, he would remind the waiters to be careful when hanging up his jacket, since the inner pocket held something valuable.
Once, at a dinner where his cousin was also present, the cousin asked in confusion, “You put valuables in your suit jacket?”
He didn’t explain.
On stage, the melody of “Dingsheng Cake and Wupeng Boat” was nearing its end.
Zhōu Shíyì took out the cherry hair clip from the inner pocket and clipped it onto the strap of the canvas bag.
The bright cherry color matched the painting on the bag perfectly.
His phone vibrated; a WeChat message popped up on the screen.
Jewelry Flagship Store Manager:
[Mr. Zhōu, you’ll be coming by tomorrow afternoon, right? Our chief designer happens to be attending an event in Beicheng these days. Do you need us to arrange a meeting with the designer?]
Zhōu Shíyì: [No need, thank you.]
The manager understood—he only cared about the carat, the style didn’t matter.
Two years ago, he had flown all the way to headquarters just for the ring.
But this time, even though the designer was in Beicheng, he had no intention of meeting.
His attitude toward the two wedding rings was worlds apart.
Manager: [Alright, Mr. Zhōu, I won’t disturb you then. I’ll be waiting at the store tomorrow with Mrs. Zhōu.]
Zhōu Shíyì glanced at the date as he locked his phone. Only forty days left until the wedding.
He put the phone away and looked up at the stage. The song was ending, and Lù Chéng had reached the edge of the stage closest to the audience.
As he sang the last word, he bowed to the crowd. “Thank you, everyone!”
Cheers once again drowned out the venue.
As the applause faded, Lù Chéng spoke: “The wish I made when I was sixteen finally came true ten years later—or rather, eleven years later; in a few days, I’ll be twenty-seven.”
He smiled. “Another year older.”
From below, the crowd shouted in unison: “Happy birthday!”
Briefly interrupted for a few seconds, Lù Chéng continued, “A dream that once felt so far away is realized today.
But the people who started the journey with me have long since parted.
All the joy can no longer be shared with her.”
“At that time, only my high school classmates knew about this dream. They loved listening to me sing. Some of them haven’t been in contact for years.”
He paused, then adjusted his breathing before saying, “The next song, ‘Memory,’ is dedicated to everyone who walked through those three years with me, and to the youth in each of your memories.”
The prelude of “Memory” began to play softly.
Jì Fánxīng hummed along with the melody. This song was written and composed by Lù Chéng.
The first time she heard it seven years ago, something deep inside her was struck; it seemed Lù Chéng had poured all his emotions into this song.
Although he said the lyrics were written out of sentiment upon graduating from senior high school, she felt it was more than just for classmates going their separate ways; some lyrics clearly addressed a particular person.
“Have you heard this song before?” she asked Zhōng Yì beside her.
Zhōng Yì shook her head slightly, sipping her fruit wine.
But the song title, “Memory,” must be related to her.
Jì Fánxīng continued singing softly, her hand unconsciously keeping the beat.
When the chorus came, she grabbed Zhōng Yì’s wrist and swayed together with the rhythm.
Zhōng Yì turned to look toward another table. Through Lù Chéng’s deep singing voice, her eyes met Zhōu Shíyì’s.
Zhōu Shíyì looked at the person not far away, signaling to her with his eyes to focus on the song.
When the song ended, Zhōng Yì sat back down beside him.
No sooner had she settled than her eyes caught the cherry hair clip on the bag strap.
“You carry it with you all the time?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s easy to lose if it’s clipped to the bag strap.”
She took off the clip and fastened it onto his shirt cuff.
Without looking at his reaction, she propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin, gazing toward the stage.
Zhōu Shíyì lowered his eyes to his shirt, the cherry color standing out vividly against the white fabric.
He didn’t take it off, raising his gaze to continue enjoying the concert.
Luckily, aside from “Dingsheng Cake and Wupeng Boat” and “Memory,” none of the other songs on the setlist had any connection to Jiangcheng or to her.
***
At 10:15, Lù Chéng’s Touring Concert’s Jiangcheng debut ended perfectly with the final encore song.
Only after the last song did Zhōu Shíyì set down his glass and prepare to leave.
The cherry hair clip remained fastened to his shirt cuff; he never took it off and stood up wearing it.
Jì Fánxīng came over: “Let’s go get some late-night snacks.” She smiled and raised her eyebrows. “You two are treating me.”
Zhōng Yì smiled lightly. “No problem. What do you want to eat?”
“Whatever the hosts decide.” Jì Fánxīng linked arms with her as they walked toward the exit. “I don’t look like a picky eater, do I?”
Zhōu Shíyì asked, “Where are we going? I’ll drive you there.”
Jì Fánxīng turned her head. “You’re not coming?”
“No.” Zhōu Shíyì answered casually. “I have a meeting to get back to.”
Still riding the concert high, Jì Fánxīng’s late-night talk would inevitably revolve around Lù Chéng. With him there, Zhōng Yì couldn’t help but tread carefully when responding.
Backstage, Lù Chéng had just finished removing his makeup. He took a sip of warm water handed over by his assistant.
Sister Cen was scrolling through Weibo. Tonight’s concert had already landed eight trending topics.
Suddenly, a WeChat window popped up with five or six messages from a friend, accompanied by three photos.
Opening the photos, Sister Cen exclaimed in surprise: “General Manager Zhōu from Kūnchén also came to the venue!”
Lù Chéng asked, “Which General Manager Zhōu?”
“Zhōu Shíyì.” Sister Cen handed him the phone.
The entire box was filled with friends and family. Near the end, her friend had recognized the man sitting in the corner.
Lù Chéng’s full attention was on the short-haired woman beside him. Even with a mask and sunglasses, and a different hairstyle, the outline somehow reminded him of Zhōng Yì.
“Sister Cen guessed, ‘Zhōu Shíyì probably didn’t want to make a fuss. He didn’t contact us but went straight to the organizer to get box tickets. He flew all the way to Jiangcheng just to see your concert. He’s definitely your fan.’”
For a long moment, the person in front of the makeup mirror didn’t react.
Her cup hovered halfway to her lips but she forgot to drink, staring at the phone screen.
“What are you zoning out about?”
Sister Cen leaned over to glance at the phone page.
Lù Chéng finally came back to his senses and handed the phone back to the manager.
He directly voiced his doubt: “Who is the short-haired woman sitting next to General Manager Zhōu?”
Sister Cen zoomed in on the photo for a closer look. “I don’t know her.”
For Lù Chéng to ask again, Sister Cen understood he had mistaken the person in the photo for someone else.
Not wanting his mood to be affected right now, she immediately called the organizer and put it on speakerphone.
“May I ask, do you know the short-haired woman who was with General Manager Zhōu tonight?”
“That’s General Manager Zhōu’s wife.”
“Do you know her name? She looks like an old classmate I haven’t seen in years.”
“That I didn’t ask. I only know they recently got married; their families are in a joint family alliance, both are from the Jing Circle. Nothing else I know.”
“So I got it wrong.”
After some polite small talk, Sister Cen hung up and silently looked at Lù Chéng.
He didn’t say anything further.
If she’s from the Jing Circle, then it couldn’t be her.
“Believe it or not, even if you and Zhōng Yì hadn’t broken up back then, you two still wouldn’t have lasted until today.”
He tossed his phone onto the table and crossed his arms, leaning against it.
She and Lù Chéng had gotten along well all these years; their only discord was about that past relationship.
They had argued over it more than once.
Sister Cen had no interest in scrolling through comments anymore.
She hoped he would cut ties cleanly and focus on his career while he was still young, but he was too stubborn and refused to break up.
“I admit I did things wrong. Letting Zhōng Yì set the terms for breaking up and trying to buy her off with money—that was my mistake.”
“But Lù Chéng, I’ve been in this circle so many years, I’ve seen it all. You two aren’t on the same path. She has her life to live, and you have your future to pursue!”
“You two will eventually…” No need to drag things out until you fall out completely.
“Sister Cen.” Lù Chéng interrupted her. “That’s all in the past.”
So many years gone, he was gradually learning not to dwell on it.
But tonight, standing on stage, his thoughts were full.
“I’ll make a call home.” He grabbed his phone and left the makeup room.
Sister Cen rubbed her temples, unwilling to argue further.
It was her idea to stir up the CP hype back then, which was also one of the reasons their breakup accelerated.
***
The next day, Zhōu Shíyì and Zhōng Yì left Jiangcheng.
They had stayed at the hotel for several days but only met downstairs in the restaurant; neither had been to the other’s room.
Before boarding, Zhōng Yì received a message from Níng Quē, notifying her of a meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Níng Quē asked: [Will you make it back in time?]
Zhōng Yì: [I will.]
The leisurely holiday suddenly came to an end.
Lù Chéng’s debut concert, after a night of heated discussion, was slowly cooling off today.
Zhōu Shíyì had already instructed Zhan Liang to manage PR carefully if he was photographed at the event, to avoid trending topics.
So no news about him surfaced until the concert’s hype died down.
After returning from the stadium last night, Zhōng Yì messaged him:
[Thank you for taking me to the live show, and thank you for remembering the wish I made seven years ago. At the time, the wish was just a farewell, not a nostalgic longing. Our marriage from now on should be just between us; I don’t want it to involve anyone else.]
At 12:15 p.m., they landed in Beicheng.
After leaving the airport and getting in the car, Zhōu Shíyì asked, “Do you want to go home and rest before picking out the rings, or head straight to the flagship store?”
“Have you made an appointment?”
“Yes.”
Zhōng Yì was going to the company in the afternoon, unaware that he had made a reservation.
The last time they went to the flagship store, she had already chosen the style she liked best. No matter how many more trips she made, she wouldn’t find anything better.
Besides, he didn’t care much about the rings; even his own wedding ring was just a simple band from home.
“ I have to be at a meeting at 3:30.” She looked at him. “Since it’s only for the wedding, you can pick them out. Or I can come later if you want.”
“No need to trouble yourself.” Zhōu Shíyì opened the chat with the flagship store manager and typed: [Something came up; I can’t make it. Please recommend two suitable options for me.]
“Alright.”
Manager: This is a wedding ring, not just any jewelry. How can you be so casual about it?
The manager wanted to ask, “Are you sure Mrs. Zhōu will like what I pick?”
But she reminded herself to maintain professional boundaries with clients—some things weren’t hers to say.
“Understood, Mr. Zhōu.”
The clerk sighed, “Looks like there’s no emotion involved at all.”
“Seems like a joint family alliance. Having feelings would be rare! Isn’t that how it is in their circle? Everyone does their own thing privately, just maintaining appearances.”
The manager efficiently selected three diamond rings that might fit the requirements and sent pictures to Zhōu Shíyì.
“Mr. Zhōu, how about these three?”
Zhōu Shíyì handed the phone to Zhōng Yì. “The manager helped pick out three options.”
Not surprised that he’d entrusted the jewelry store directly, Zhōng Yì looked at the pictures and pointed to one.
The wedding ring was decided in less than half a minute.
Zhōu Shíyì replied to the manager and put away the phone. “That day on Hong Kong Island having afternoon tea, you said you were thinking about how to get along with me after marriage.”
He paused. “How do you plan on getting along with me?”
Zhōng Yì hadn’t expected him to take so long to bring it up.
She asked first, “Separate rooms?”
If it was just separate bedrooms, that would be a different way of getting along.
Zhōu Shíyì looked into her eyes. “There’s only one master bedroom. How do you divide that?”
“Not dividing is good.”
At least if they didn’t live apart, they wouldn’t become strangers.
He spoke slowly: “Then I’ll wait to see how you want to get along with me.”
Zhōng Yì looked away toward the car window.
On the way back from the airport to the company’s campus, they would pass by Zhōu Shíyì’s residence. He instructed the driver to drop him off first.
Zhōng Yì checked her watch instinctively. She would make it back in time for her meeting.
The last time she came, she couldn’t remember the way. Zhōu Shíyì turned his head and said to her, “I’ll show you the way to the villa again.”