Fu Xingci and Yan Sui’s wedding vow ceremony was held at Jialan High School. To better match the venue’s atmosphere, the groomsmen and bridesmaids all wore Jialan’s school uniforms, only switching to formal attire for the evening banquet.
The bride and groom were not from the same graduating class, so the groomsmen and bridesmaid outfits were based on the groom’s year’s uniform, with slight modifications that made them almost identical to the original.
Yun Wulai had woken up before six in the morning. After finishing her makeup, she stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her hotel room, staring at her reflection in the school uniform, momentarily lost in thought.
The last time she had worn this outfit was nine years ago.
To recreate the look of a high schooler as much as possible, she had tied her hair into a ponytail, put on sneakers, removed all her jewelry, and kept her makeup minimal—just filled-in brows and a sheer layer of foundation so light that even straight women wouldn’t notice she was wearing any.
For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she had returned to those high school days.
The early mornings in Jincheng were quiet. In winter, the sky was still dark when she stepped out of her house, the air thick with damp mist, crisp and cold. Carrying her backpack, she would gently close the door behind her and head downstairs. Back then, urban management wasn’t as strict, and the streets outside the neighborhood were cluttered with steaming breakfast carts selling everything from scallion pancakes to fried dough sticks and soy milk. Though the options were plentiful, eating the same things every day grew tiresome. After a disinterested glance around, she would buy something just to stave off hunger, loop the bag around her wrist, and stroll leisurely to the bus stop. A ten-minute walk would bring her to the station, where Bus K729 would take her straight to Jialan. On the bus, she would watch as the sky outside the window gradually brightened, the city stirring awake.
The memory was so vivid, as if she had lived through such a morning just yesterday.
But the reflection in the mirror was unmistakably different from her 16-year-old self. After weathering the trials of both socialism and capitalism, the naivety and innocence in her eyes had long since vanished.
These days, kids try to act mature while adults cling to youth, blurring the line between students and working professionals. Objectively speaking, a 25-year-old wearing a school uniform wasn’t particularly jarring, but perhaps because her mindset had changed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she and this outfit were from entirely different worlds—as if separated by dimensions.
At the Yan residence, Yun Wulai climbed to the third floor and entered Yan Sui’s room just as Luo Jingjing was stepping out, closing the door behind her. The two came face to face.
Yun Wulai had always thought Yan Sui’s other two bridesmaids looked alike, with names following the same ABB pattern. If not for the groomsmen-bridesmaid pairing arrangement, she might have struggled to tell them apart.
She waved with a smile. “Hi, Jingjing.”
“Morning, Wulai,” Luo Jingjing replied cheerfully. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll grab something for you, then,” Luo Jingjing offered.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” With that, Luo Jingjing headed downstairs while Yun Wulai pushed open Yan Sui’s door. Inside the dressing room, Yan Sui had already had her hair styled and was wearing her wedding dress as the makeup artist penciled in her brows.
Spotting Yun Wulai in the mirror, Yan Sui froze for a second before turning around in delight. “Oh my god, Wulai. Seeing you like this, I actually had the illusion that we were still students at Jialan.”
Among the six groomsmen and bridesmaids, only Yun Wulai and Zhu Kaixuan had attended Jialan High. So even though Yan Sui had already seen Luo Jingjing in uniform, the impact of seeing Yun Wulai was far greater.
“Not like the old days. I’ve aged,” Yun Wulai said, stepping closer to rest a hand on Yan Sui’s shoulder. “You look stunning. Xingci’s going to be dumbstruck when he sees you.”
“Doubt it. He’s already seen me like this,” Yan Sui laughed.
Yet, when the groom and his entourage finally broke through the challenges and entered the bridal suite later that morning, Fu Xingci’s steps faltered visibly at the sight of his bride in full wedding regalia, his playful expression freezing momentarily.
Seeing Fu Xingci in a suit—ordinary attire for men—with a groom’s boutonniere pinned to his chest, Yan Sui’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
The bride and groom weren’t the only ones struck by each other’s appearance.
Zhu Kaixuan, who followed Fu Xingci inside, didn’t immediately look at the most eye-catching person in the room—the bride. Instead, his gaze landed on Yun Wulai, his steps and expression halting just as noticeably.
Behind him, Ni Dong bumped into his back enthusiastically, shoving him forward a step.
Oblivious to the tension, Ni Dong dramatically exclaimed to Yan Sui, “Sister Fu, surrender now and come with our Brother Xingci!”
Zhu Kaixuan lowered his head briefly. When he looked up again, his expression had smoothed over entirely, his attention now fixed on the bride and groom.
He wore a well-fitted gray-white school uniform, the zipper of his jacket pulled all the way up, covering half his chin. The metal zipper swayed slightly with his movements. His forehead, usually bare, was today adorned with a thin fringe, making him look as young as he had back then.
The sight of him transported Yun Wulai back to a memory from years ago. She had taken the bus to school, passing through the gates where disciplinary inspectors stood guard. The trees lining the path had shed all their leaves, standing bare and skeletal amid the sparse morning crowd. Among them walked a boy she could spot instantly—his backpack slung over one shoulder, the pristine white fabric of his uniform jacket marred by something scrawled in black ink across the back.
She didn’t call out to him. Instead, she quietly closed the distance.
When she got closer, she saw it: three bold letters—YWL.
The initials of her name.
His audacity quickly drew the school’s attention. But when confronted by the dean, he had a ready excuse: “I wrote ‘Yu Wenle’. What’s the problem? Can’t high schoolers be fans of celebrities?”
His nonchalant, roguish charm had made her heart skip a beat.
He had wanted the whole school to know—Zhu Kaixuan liked Yun Wulai.
The dean knew he was lying but couldn’t do anything about it.
This was the most vivid memory of Yun Wulai’s youth, playing out like a slow-motion film reel, the net of time tightening relentlessly.
For a moment, past and present tangled inextricably.
Then Zhu Kaixuan walked past her, and the two timelines sharply diverged.
This was now, not back then.
His uniform was brand new, spotless—no bold “YWL” scrawled across the back.
He was no longer the boy who would proudly parade her initials on his jacket through Jialan’s campus.
Breaking free from the old memory, Yun Wulai became acutely aware of an intense gaze fixed on her.
Fu Mingzhuo, Fu Xingci's younger sister, had come along with the groom and his groomsmen squad. Fu Xingci had specifically brought her to help cheat a little—using her cute antics to coax Yan Sui into making the bridal gate-crashing easier.
The little girl matched the group’s dress code, wearing a mini version of Jialan High School’s uniform. When she entered, she was first captivated by her sister-in-law’s bridal makeup, running her hands over the wedding dress in awe before wandering around the room to help search for the hidden bridal shoes. When she spotted Yun Wulai, she stopped in her tracks, tilting her head left and right, her tiny face scrunched up in deep confusion.
Fu Mingzhuo had been raised by Fu Xingci himself and adored clinging to her older brother. Meanwhile, Zhu Kaixuan, Fu Xingci’s inseparable best friend, treated her like his own little sister.
Because of these two, Yun Wulai had crossed paths with Fu Mingzhuo many times before.
Back then, Fu Mingzhuo had still been very young.
Including her two years of graduate studies, Yun Wulai hadn’t seen Fu Mingzhuo in nearly five years, so now the little girl only found her vaguely familiar, unable to recall exactly who she was.
"Hello, Mingzhuo," Yun Wulai greeted her.
Fu Mingzhuo ignored her at first, struggling to remember on her own before finally giving up. Distracted by her brother and sister-in-law, she ran off after a half-hearted "hello."
But Fu Mingzhuo’s curiosity was too strong. Over the next while, she kept stealing glances at Yun Wulai, still unwilling to let it go.
Ni Dong, on the other hand, had all his attention fixed on Yun Wulai. The night before, he had even done the unthinkable—asking his mom for a face mask. Today, he had woken up extra early, spending who-knows-how-long styling his hair with a hairdryer and gel, washing and re-washing until he was nearly bald, all to make sure he looked his absolute best. He had even agonized over the placement of his groomsman boutonniere, determined to make Yun Wulai’s eyes light up at the sight of him.
So, naturally, he quickly noticed Fu Mingzhuo’s odd behavior. Teasing her, he asked, "Mingzhuo, why do you keep staring at Wulai-jie? Is it because she’s so pretty?"
At the mention of "Wulai," Fu Mingzhuo finally remembered who she was. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "You’re Yun Wulai-jie?"
"That’s right," Yun Wulai replied, gently pinching her cheek. "Long time no see, Mingzhuo."
Fu Mingzhuo looked at her, then at Zhu Kaixuan, who was busy searching for Yan Sui’s shoes nearby. After a moment of deep thought, she leaned in close to Yun Wulai, cupping her hands like she was about to share a secret, and dropped a bombshell:
"Yun Wulai-jie, are you here to marry Kaixuan-gege today too?"
Yun Wulai: "..."
Ni Dong: "???"
Ni Dong’s shocked eyes darted between Zhu Kaixuan and Yun Wulai before he turned back to the little girl for confirmation. "Mingzhuo, why would you say that?"
Fu Mingzhuo gave him a look that screamed "how dumb can you be" and announced loudly, "Because Yun Wulai-jie is Kaixuan-gege’s girlfriend, duh!"
The innocent remark instantly drew the attention of everyone in the room.
Ni Dong’s vision darkened, and he nearly stumbled.
Still, he clung to a sliver of hope—surely he couldn’t be that unlucky? What were the odds of crushing on another woman who turned out to be his bro’s girl?
It had to be Fu Mingzhuo being a clueless kid and spouting nonsense.
It had to be!
Trembling, he looked toward Fu Xingci and Zhu Kaixuan.
Fu Xingci wore an expression of pure schadenfreude.
Zhu Kaixuan, however, remained completely expressionless. He glanced their way before calmly resuming his search for the bridal shoes.
In this situation, indifference was the most powerful confirmation.
Ni Dong squeezed his eyes shut in despair, wishing he could just vanish on the spot.
What kind of cursed luck was this?!
Seeing his existential crisis, Yun Wulai took pity and offered a small consolation: "Not anymore."
Not anymore—meaning they were exes.
But that did absolutely nothing to comfort Ni Dong.
So what if they were exes? Last year, Yan Sui had also just been Fu Xingci’s ex. But because Ni Dong had dared to express interest in her, Fu Xingci had held a grudge against him ever since. The incident had become an endless source of mockery in their friend group, with everyone laughing at him whenever it was brought up.
And now? He’d gone and set his sights on another "sister-in-law."
He’d never hear the end of it for the rest of his life.
Ni Dong, deceased.
Age: 24.
After Fu Mingzhuo’s outburst, Ni Dong refused to pair up with Yun Wulai no matter what, desperate to prove he wasn’t actually into his friends’ women.
Luo Jingjing, who had already felt awkward being paired with Zhu Kaixuan, remembered the uncomfortable look he’d given her the night before and immediately insisted on switching partners to avoid any misunderstandings.
That left Haozi and Qi Yuanyuan—but no one was willing to "take them in" either.
Yan Sui hesitated, then turned to Yun Wulai for her opinion. "So… Wulai?"
"Then I’ll just team up with Zhu Kaixuan," Yun Wulai said smoothly. "It’s fine."
Fu Xingci discreetly patted Fu Mingzhuo’s head, his eyes full of praise. "Fu Mingzhuo, I’m crediting you with a major contribution today. You get two ice creams."
"Really?" Fu Mingzhuo beamed.
"Really." Fu Xingci shot an amused glance at Zhu Kaixuan.
Zhu Kaixuan’s earlier complaints about Fu Xingci’s "betrayal" had been completely misplaced. Having nearly experienced his own ex being hit on by a friend, Fu Xingci understood the feeling better than anyone. His original plan had been to wait until after the rehearsal to explain things to Ni Dong—since the rehearsal would inevitably involve plenty of interactions between groomsmen and bridesmaids, it might just push Zhu Kaixuan to the brink of jealousy, forcing him to confront Ni Dong himself.
But as it turned out, he didn’t even need to lift a finger—his mischievous little sister had accidentally pulled off the perfect assist.
The lively bridal gate-crashing came to an end, and Fu Xingci led Yan Sui away under the tearful gazes of her parents.
The groomsmen and bridesmaids followed in the wedding cars, each pair sharing a ride. On the way to Fu Xingci’s home, the car carrying Zhu Kaixuan and Yun Wulai was unusually silent.
They sat on opposite sides, separated by the center console, each quietly staring out their respective windows.
The driver, oblivious to the tension, chatted away over the radio. "You guys are so cool, wearing school uniforms like this. I’ve never seen such a fun wedding before."
Zhu Kaixuan replied half-heartedly, "Yeah."
The driver sighed nostalgically. "Looking back, school days were the best—carefree, fooling around with friends, scribbling your girlfriend’s name on your uniform, sneaking around to date. We broke up ages ago, and I wonder where she is now."
In the reflection of the window, Yun Wulai caught a faint glimpse of Zhu Kaixuan’s profile.
He sensed her gaze and turned toward her.
Before their eyes could meet, she lowered hers.
What the driver described had also been their youth.
The only difference was—she was sitting right beside him now.
So close, yet so far.
The wedding procession arrived at Fu Xingci’s home. After a brief ceremony and some rest, the group headed to Jialan High School.
Yun Wulai hadn’t set foot in Jialan for seven years. The last time she came was with Zhu Kaixuan. Back then, Director Qin had looked at the two of them with a mix of exasperation and amusement, pretending to scowl: "You two dare to show up together? You’re the ones who give me the biggest headaches."
After the joke, he had solemnly advised them: "Stay together, cherish each other, and try to set a positive example for puppy love."
What they had replied at the time, Yun Wulai couldn’t remember now. She only recalled that, young as they were, both had been brimming with unwavering confidence about the future.
The school was now adorned with wedding decorations. On this summer weekend, the campus was empty of students, and the usually solemn grounds looked exceptionally romantic.
Since the ceremony was being held at the school, many of their former teachers had come to attend the wedding and bear witness.
Director Qin’s temples had turned gray. After greeting the newlyweds, he spotted Zhu Kaixuan and Yun Wulai trailing behind and brightened, striding over with a hearty laugh.
"Director Qin," the two of them called out in unison.
"Well done, Kaixuan, Wulai. Really well done. You two really pulled it off," Director Qin said, clapping Zhu Kaixuan on the shoulder with gusto. He half-turned Zhu Kaixuan around to inspect his back and teased, "Now you’re behaving, huh? No more writing her name on your uniform?"
Seeing them together, Director Qin naturally assumed they were still a couple.
Zhu Kaixuan played along smoothly: "Because I’m not obsessed with Shawn Yue anymore."
"Hahahaha!" Director Qin laughed even harder, slapping his shoulder again. "You rascal, still as mischievous as ever after all these years. That sharp wit and quick tongue haven’t changed a bit."
"Director Qin, you haven’t changed either," Zhu Kaixuan said.
"How could I not have changed when you’ve all grown up so much? My hair’s gone white—I’m old now," Director Qin sighed. But he stayed true to his mission and steered the conversation back: "Fu Xingci and Yan Sui are getting married today. So what about you two? When are you planning to invite me to your wedding?"
The air went quiet for a second.
Director Qin blinked eagerly, waiting for an answer.
Zhu Kaixuan replied vaguely with a smile, "We’ll definitely invite you when there’s news."
"Don’t drag it out," Director Qin said earnestly. "It’s been so many years—it’s time to give this girl the commitment she deserves. Couples shouldn’t stay in a relationship too long without settling down. You’re not kids anymore. Get married soon, have a child—it’ll be such a happy life!"
Zhu Kaixuan nodded with a polite smile.
Director Qin then patted Yun Wulai’s arm. "Wulai, did you hear that? Don’t delay. Trust me, I’ve seen enough to know—Kaixuan is a man worth spending your life with."
Under Director Qin’s hopeful gaze, Yun Wulai’s throat tightened. Unable to bear disappointing him or facing the inevitable questions if she told the truth, she ignored the presence of the person in her peripheral vision and gave a faint, reluctant "Mm."
Before the wedding began, the bridal party took photos outdoors and ran through a brief rehearsal. The groomsmen and bridesmaids had a simple task: walk down the aisle hand in hand in pairs, then stand on either side of the red carpet to await the newlyweds.
Zhu Kaixuan and Yun Wulai were the last pair. Luo Jingjing and Ni Dong went first, followed by Qi Yuanyuan and Haozi, each entering as instructed by the wedding coordinator.
Then it was their turn.
Zhu Kaixuan held out his hand to Yun Wulai, palm up.
She stared at it for a moment before lightly resting her hand on his—hovering, not quite settling into his grasp.
As Qi Yuanyuan and Haozi took their positions, the wedding director’s voice came through the microphone: "Alright, next up, the third pair. Remember the timing, the walking speed, and the spacing between you. We’ll follow this for the actual ceremony."
They stepped onto the stage together and walked to their designated spots.
Along the way, their hands occasionally brushed against each other in the rhythm of their steps—skin grazing skin after so long, the familiar yet foreign warmth of each other’s palms sending ripples through their veins.
And then, just as deliberately, they would pull apart, retreating to a safe, untouchable distance.
The director noticed immediately and called out, "Seriously? You’re fake-holding hands? That’s way too reserved! Fine for now, but when the actual ceremony starts, make sure you’re actually holding on."
