Feng Yi's expression froze, as if he was seriously considering Sang Lu's words.
Yeah.
In this farce, Qiao Xi didn’t care, Feng Bai didn’t care either—his hesitation and torment were only troubling himself.
Why not look ahead?
His brows relaxed, his expression firm, as if he had made some resolution.
"Sister-in-law, you're right. I should listen to the voice in my heart."
He suddenly stood up, swung onto his motorcycle, and fastened his helmet:
"I’m heading back to school. I can’t wait to talk to my advisor about the research topic..."
"Bye, go—cough cough—"
Before Sang Lu could finish her "Good luck," she choked on a mouthful of motorcycle exhaust.
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Feng Yi, who had rushed over in a frenzy and disappeared just as hastily.
Sang Lu yawned, picked up the half-finished coffee on the table, and walked toward the TV station.
Midway, her footsteps paused.
She suddenly remembered she had added Qiao Xi as a WeChat friend before.
She opened her phone, found Qiao Xi’s name in her contacts, and clicked into her Moments.
Qiao Xi’s Moments were sparse, with only one post every few months.
The latest photos were geotagged in Vienna.
It seemed she had won some award—the girl stood center stage with her cello, holding a trophy, her smile radiant and bright.
People around her cheered, confetti filling the air.
Her future looked dazzling.
Sang Lu turned off her phone.
She glanced up at the sky.
Unconsciously, her eyes curved into a smile.
So good.
It wasn’t just her and Feng Yan who had broken free from the script’s control.
Feng Yi, Feng Bai, and Qiao Xi had also quietly veered off their predetermined paths, stepping onto their own life journeys.
Where they would go in the future, who they would end up with—no one could dictate or manipulate it anymore.
In her heart, Sang Lu silently blessed the girl she had only met a few times, who had once shown her kindness.
Perhaps they wouldn’t cross paths again.
But she would remember her—the girl who spoke softly and made delicious cookies.
...
Meeting Feng Yi helped Sang Lu clarify many things.
Before, she had still carried a trace of fear.
Now, she finally untangled the knot in her heart completely.
She rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a long-unopened notebook.
On the first page, a bold, star-marked line jumped out at her:
【★ Getting along harmoniously with Feng Yan is the top priority!!!】
Sang Lu stared blankly, then snorted with laughter.
Ok~ Mission accomplished.
Not just accomplished—
Exceeded expectations, even.
She flipped to the next page—
【Don’t be greedy for money—don’t take a single cent that isn’t yours!】
【Don’t help distant relatives find jobs! Mind your own business!】
【Get along well with Feng Yan’s brothers—be an impeccable sister-in-law.】
Sang Lu couldn’t help but shake her head and exclaim, "Wow."
Praising herself.
She was simply amazing.
Without even trying too hard, she had somehow checked everything off.
As expected of me~
She lifted her chin proudly.
Her gaze drifted into the distance.
Quietly, she thought—it was time for her to turn the page too.
Look ahead.
She closed the notebook, her eyes resolute.
Outside the room.
Aunt Zhang buzzed the vacuum cleaner over the carpet.
A fluffy head peeked out from the bedroom door.
"Aunt Zhang, there’s a bag of trash here~"
...
The calendar turned too.
Midsummer arrived as scheduled.
Lin Yueyin’s birthday fell at the end of August.
By early August, Sang Lu had already started preparing her mother’s birthday gift in advance.
This year, she planned to buy gold jewelry.
As her mom grew older, pretty clothes and bags no longer lit up her eyes.
But gold always did...
One Saturday.
Sang Lu and Feng Yan went to the mall.
Partly to pick out a gift for Ms. Lin, partly to catch a movie.
The evergreen anime she loved had released a new theatrical edition.
Hand in hand, like countless other couples in the mall, they took the elevator upstairs.
Inside, a young pair behind them chatted about the plot.
Sang Lu had barely caught the first few words when her expression stiffened.
The elevator doors dinged open.
Before reaching their floor, Sang Lu abruptly tugged Feng Yan’s arm and hurried out.
A flicker of confusion passed through Feng Yan’s cool eyes as he glanced at her: "?"
"Walk faster, come on, hurry!" Sang Lu urged.
Feng Yan didn’t know why she’d exited mid-ride, but his steps had already matched her pace.
Once safely away, Sang Lu exhaled in relief:
"Phew~ That was close. Almost got spoiled by those two."
She clenched her fist indignantly, narrowing her eyes:
"People who discuss movie endings in public should be arrested!"
A soft chuckle escaped Feng Yan beside her.
Amusement rippled in his eyes as he looked down and said, "Next time, watch at home?"
Their home theater rivaled the cinema.
Sang Lu wagged a finger:
"Nope, it’s not the same. The feeling is different."
Feng Yan’s brows furrowed slightly.
Then, like ice melting, his expression softened.
"Mm. True."
Before, he hadn’t understood what "feeling" meant when Sang Lu mentioned it.
Lately, he was starting to grasp it.
Like how she insisted on using coins at vending machines—just to hear the clink, because it had "the right feeling."
Or how, at the first cicada song in June, she’d gasp, "So much feeling!" and immediately record it to post: Listen! Summer just won the argument with spring—temps are rising~
She had a knack for spotting life’s "Easter eggs."
Finding magic in the intangible.
The mundane glowed vibrant through her eyes.
Delighting in little things, marveling at the world’s abundance.
That was her.
The vague, wordless emotions in Feng Yan’s heart grew clearer.
Crystallizing into the person before him, smiling so brightly.
Every beautiful thing he felt about life came from her.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Sang Lu caught Feng Yan’s gaze again.
Before he could answer, a cheerful voice called out in the distance.
"Sang Lu—Sang Lu!"
She turned, eyebrows lifting: "Xiaomei!"
At the far end, Xiaomei waved and hurried over.
Sang Lu was pleasantly surprised—she hadn’t expected to bump into an acquaintance.
Then her eyes shifted, landing on the man trailing behind Xiaomei.
Her surprise doubled.
"Lu Sheng?"
The name had barely left her lips when the air beside her turned icy.
Sensing it, she glanced at Feng Yan.
Paused.
If she could project subtitles onto his face, they’d be spamming: You look so petty, so petty, so petty...
Xiaomei and Lu Sheng, oblivious to Sang Lu’s inner monologue, soon reached them.
"What a coincidence! Fancy running into you here—we must be fated!"
Fated?
Feng Yan’s brow twitched imperceptibly.
His gaze swept over Lu Sheng, cold and assessing.
