After being promoted to a full-fledged director, Sang Lu's workload only increased.
She needed a one-hour nap every afternoon to maintain her productivity.
Today,
She followed her usual pre-nap routine.
Step one: empty her bladder.
Step two: unfold the office recliner and drape a thin blanket over herself.
Step three was slightly more involved.
Check the new comments on her social media feed, then skim through Weibo to see if anything major had happened.
And finally…
Open the package tracking app to check the delivery status of her latest online purchases.
Lately, she had been buying many things in pairs.
Couple-themed items looked cuter together than single ones.
So, she had replaced her electric toothbrush, towels, and even her toothbrush cup—all with matching sets.
Her living space now felt bright and full.
After completing all her pre-nap rituals, Sang Lu curled her lips into a satisfied "everything's in order" smile.
She pulled down her sleep mask and peacefully closed her eyes.
But…
Less than ten minutes into her nap,
A sharp vibration from her phone jolted her awake.
Yanking off the mask, she glared at the name of the sleep-disrupting culprit on her screen: "???"
Caller: Feng Yi.
What’s up with this guy?
He’s been popping up way too often lately.
Are grad school classes really that light?
And what does he want this time?
Even though she had barely slept, her irritation flared instantly.
Sang Lu pressed answer with a frown, took a deep breath, and—without realizing it—mimicked Feng Yan’s tone:
"Talk."
"Sis-in-law, are you free right now?"
……
Half an hour later,
Sang Lu sat at an outdoor café table, scanning the street.
Feng Yi had been vague on the phone, only saying he wanted to meet and chat.
So, for convenience, she picked a spot near the TV station.
Her gaze drifted to the neon sign of the second-floor music studio, "Noisy Spicy Balls," flickering in colorful lights.
For a moment, she spaced out.
Memories of the last time she was here—when Feng Bai had clashed with that band—flashed through her mind.
Ah… time really flies.
She sighed inwardly.
Just then, the roar of a motorcycle snapped her back to reality.
A black bike screeched to a stop by the curb.
Feng Yi walked over, helmet tucked under his arm, his face twisted in distress.
"Why the long face?"
Sang Lu tilted her head in confusion.
"You look like you failed an open-book exam?"
Her tone was teasing, meant to lighten his mood.
But for once, Feng Yi didn’t play along. He just slumped into the chair across from her.
Head in his hands, he ruffled his hair roughly before muttering:
"Sis-in-law, can you scold me? Like, really tear into me—like you did last time at the old house. Be harsh."
Sang Lu: "?"
Last time?
When he showed up drunk at Qiao Xi’s apartment and Feng Yan dragged him back?
She hadn’t even yelled at him then—she’d been perfectly reasonable and diplomatic.
Sang Lu gave him a strange look.
"Why do you want me to scold you?"
Feng Yi’s shoulders sagged further. Without lifting his head, he mumbled:
"I’m a scumbag."
Sang Lu froze.
Her grip tightened around her iced coffee cup, condensation dripping down her fingers. Her voice turned serious.
"What did you do?"
Feng Yi hesitated, finally looking up.
His lips parted, then closed again.
"I… I…"
He didn’t know how to say it.
He felt like a total hypocrite—flip-flopping like this.
Just a few months ago, he’d been utterly hung up on Qiao Xi.
But after no contact for a while, he suddenly realized… he hadn’t missed her.
Not even a little.
What was wrong with him?
This abrupt shift made his past devotion seem like a joke.
Last night, he’d finally caved and called Qiao Xi.
He had to ask the question gnawing at him.
"Qiao Xi, why did you give Feng Bai and me the same phone charm?"
The girl’s voice was puzzled. "Charm? I didn’t give Feng Bai one."
Feng Yi’s whole world tilted.
Then, Qiao Xi explained the truth.
Turns out… his entire meltdown had been a one-man drama based on misunderstandings.
Qiao Xi and Feng Bai had met online, bonding over a niche musician they both liked.
As they chatted, they realized they each owned the same limited-edition phone charm—a merch item from that artist.
Qiao Xi had given Feng Yi one too.
But not as some romantic gesture.
Back then, when she’d hummed the artist’s song, Feng Yi had absentmindedly said, "That sounds familiar."
Qiao Xi, thrilled to find a fellow fan, hunted down a spare charm online and gifted it to him.
Hearing this, Feng Yi laughed bitterly.
How ironic…
The song had only sounded familiar because he’d heard Feng Bai humming it before.
All the facts laid bare, Feng Yi was left staring at his own delusions.
His jealousy, his drunken scene at Qiao Xi’s door, even punching Feng Bai—
All because he’d misread a damn phone charm.
He should’ve been relieved.
Qiao Xi had gone out of her way to get him a new charm—just for him.
He should’ve been happy.
But… he wasn’t.
With the misunderstanding cleared, he could’ve confessed right then.
Told her he liked her.
But… he didn’t.
Instead, after a long pause, he’d apologized for his idiocy.
They’d exchanged small talk about their lives since.
When Qiao Xi mentioned plans to study music abroad, his first thought wasn’t chasing after her—
But the unfinished research project on his desk.
Feng Yi spilled all this to Sang Lu in broken fragments.
One moment slumped in self-loathing, the next staring blankly at the sky.
Finally, he locked eyes with her, voice thick with confusion:
"Sis-in-law, tell me… what’s wrong with me?"
"How can I be this fickle?"
"I should… I should still like her, right? I…"
"Just yell at me. Wake me up."
Sang Lu studied him silently, then smiled faintly.
"Did Qiao Xi accept your apology?"
"Yeah," Feng Yi muttered, still tangled in guilt. "She said it was all in the past and told me to stop overthinking."
"Exactly. So why keep dwelling?" Sang Lu blinked.
Feng Yi faltered. "But if I ignore it, does that mean I’m not a scumbag anymore?"
"Yep. If you don’t dwell, it doesn’t exist."
Sang Lu shrugged, casual but firm.
"Qiao Xi doesn’t care whether you liked her or not. And your gut’s already telling you—right now, your studies matter more."
"This is the kind of thing you move on from in a blink. Why keep chewing on it?"
"Look forward, okay?"
