After the heavy rain, the temperature in Jing City soared.
Just a while ago, you needed a jacket when going out, but these days, a thin shirt is enough.
Some heat-sensitive people have even started wearing short sleeves.
On the same street, you can often see outfits from all four seasons.
It’s downright surreal.
Lately, Sang Lu’s feelings have been just as surreal.
The filming for her new variety show was progressing smoothly, and the teaser released online sparked quite a discussion.
As an S+ investment, the marketing team quickly jumped in to hype it up. Within days, the number of platform reservations multiplied.
The D-team’s daily mantra became:
"Surreal, surreal—we never expected it to be this popular."
Whenever she had free time, Sang Lu would scroll through Weibo, reading comments under the official show account, grinning from ear to ear.
One day,
just as she exited the official page, her attention was caught by a trending hashtag:
【God-tier Visual Joins Farming Show】
She tapped in.
Her eyes lit up.
It was Feng Bai.
She hadn’t expected Feng Bai to actually take her advice and choose that farming-themed show out of all the variety programs.
Not only that, he’d passed the audition and was about to drag his suitcase into the fields, ready to embrace the new starting point of his career.
Sang Lu paused mid-thought.
Wait—no.
It was a starting point, but not a "new" one.
His two years of floundering in the entertainment industry could be completely disregarded.
Staring at the screen, she felt a little thrill.
It was like watching a younger brother finally get on the right path.
A spirited young man like him should be out there sweating under the sun—what was the deal with all those edgy rap lyrics he used to write?
Sang Lu was genuinely happy for Feng Bai.
So happy, in fact, that her hand trembled slightly, and her phone automatically switched to the Taobao homepage.
Her vision darkened: "..."
Just then,
a new notification popped up at the top of her screen.
【Feng: Your car’s tires are fixed. Going to the repair shop tonight to test-drive it. Free?】
Sang Lu’s previously darkened eyes brightened again.
Orange Buddy was fixed?
Finally, finally…
But—was a test-drive really necessary just for a tire change?
She didn’t get it.
But she was free tonight.
Her fingers flew across the screen in reply:
Sang Lu: 【Free. Off work on time.】
After sending it, her chatty nature kicked in, and she added another:
Sang Lu: 【It has a name, you know. Please call it ‘Orange Buddy,’ okay? Okay. (muttering under breath)】
For over a week without Orange Buddy, Feng Yan had been her designated chauffeur.
Their WeChat chats were mostly filled with:
"What time are you off?"
"Off on time."
"I’m here, come down."
"Coming~"
As exchanges like these piled up,
she’d grown increasingly comfortable talking to him.
It was almost like… treating him as her personal driver and personal chat bot at the same time.
A bizarre feeling.
Just a few months ago,
she wouldn’t have dared to boss him around like this.
Wouldn’t have even dreamed of it.
Time really was a strange thing.
While lost in thought, her phone buzzed.
A corrected message from Feng Yan:
【Feng: Picking up Orange Buddy tonight. Better?】
Sang Lu snorted a laugh.
Her eyes crinkled with amusement, lips curling up.
She replied:
【As expected of President Feng. Excellent, quick learner~】
【You patted "Feng"】
【Award certificate.jpg】
With that little interlude over, Sang Lu refocused on work.
Supervising edits, overseeing post-production.
Planning the next phase of filming.
Before she knew it, it was almost time to clock out.
Just as she was packing her bag, her phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID: Feng Yi.
She answered—only to hear a girl’s voice on the other end.
"Um… Sister, I—I’m Qiao Xi. Feng Yi’s drunk, and he’s refusing to leave my doorstep. I don’t know what to do… Could you please come get him?"
Sang Lu’s eyelid twitched. "..."
A terrible premonition settled in.
Of course.
Silence was never a good sign.
Feng Yi had been too quiet lately.
No news about him at all.
And now—
As the old man would say, he’d dropped a bombshell.
Sang Lu sped up packing, replying:
"Don’t panic, I’ll be right there."
...
5:00 PM, outside Jing City TV Station.
A black car pulled up, and Sang Lu slid into the passenger seat.
Buckling her seatbelt, she rattled off an address between breaths:
"Change of plans. Not Orange Buddy yet—here first."
Feng Yan paused, puzzled.
"Feng Yi got wasted and is harassing some girl. She called me," Sang Lu said through gritted teeth. "We’re going to drag him back!"
The moment the words left her mouth,
she noticed Feng Yan’s grip on the steering wheel tighten, his gaze turning icy.
Sang Lu instinctively held her breath.
Damn.
She’d never seen that look on his face before.
Like a dark fog had erupted, shrouding his already cool, detached expression.
Before she could process it, the car shot forward.
...
Qiao Xi lived in an apartment near the music conservatory.
The building was usually filled with students, the air humming with overlapping melodies from various instruments.
Today, though,
a new sound joined the mix—
A drunk’s slurred shouting:
"Why’d you give him the strap?"
"Why him?"
"I… he…"
Feng Yi, completely plastered, was slumped against Qiao Xi’s doorway, words barely intelligible.
Windows up and down the hallway creaked open.
Curious faces peered out.
A drunk guy, a flustered girl—what was going on?
Qiao Xi bit her lip, at a loss.
She couldn’t move him.
Talking to him was useless—he just kept repeating the same incoherent phrases.
In desperation,
she’d scrolled through Feng Yi’s contacts and called the one labeled "Sister-in-law."
Now, she waited anxiously.
Mortified and helpless.
Please hurry.
Dinnertime approached.
Foot traffic in the hallway increased.
So did the spectators.
Whispers spread:
"Who’s the hot drunk guy? Qiao Xi’s boyfriend?"
"How’d he get like this?"
"What’s he mumbling about? Did Qiao Xi cheat on him?"
Qiao Xi stomped her foot. "Stop making things up!"
The movement jostled Feng Yi, who lifted his head blearily.
Spotting Qiao Xi’s cello case, he reached out and grabbed it.
Slurring:
"Don’t you dare talk to him…"
"I won’t allow it…"
The murmurs exploded.
"Whoa, Qiao Xi’s two-timing?"
"School forums are gonna blow up tomorrow…"
"Didn’t think the department’s flower was like this…"
Qiao Xi’s face burned with humiliation.
Just as she was about to combust,
two figures appeared at the end of the hallway.
Recognition flashed in her eyes.
The sister was here!
Wait—she wasn’t alone.
Who was the guy with her?
The one who looked like he’d stepped out of an ice bath?
