She is indeed looking for a man after all.

As the setting sun descended, the clouds drifting westward suddenly parted, revealing a portion of the sun. Sunlight gushed forth between two massive cloud formations, casting clear, distinct beams.

Gradually, the golden light shifted into a warm orange, turning soft, gentle, and captivatingly graceful.

Beneath the crimson brick wall, a white long dress seemed to glow with a pristine radiance, and hair as fine as black silk drifted gently in the breeze.

Looking closer, the young girl’s eyes were like stars and the bright moon, her tender, snow-white skin possessing an extraordinary beauty.

"Ah."

A light breeze swept past...

Xu Jiarou's scattered, slightly messy hair swayed gracefully as she raised her head. Startled by the sudden sound, her long eyelashes fluttered lightly, and her cheeks flushed with a delicate, pinkish-white hue.

Gazing at the smiling face before her, the expression was exceptionally bright, rippling with the vibrant, blooming warmth of springtime.

Xu Jiarou’s breath hitched. As her hands gently clenched, a moving, subtle fragrance seemed to drift through the air.

"You got here quite fast."

Blinking her long lashes, Xu Jiarou offered a smiling compliment.

Chen Che tapped the bicycle handlebars, glanced casually at the scattered bicycles parked nearby, and said offhandedly, "I could've been even faster if it weren't for all the bikes."

Returning his gaze to Xu Jiarou, he noted that today she was wearing a French-style gentle white dress, her slender, fair wrists adorned with a creamy-yellow hair tie.

After taking in the gentle and refined young Xu, Chen Che swept his gaze over the college students entering and exiting the school gates.

Xu Jiarou kept her arms at her sides. Hesitating for two or three seconds and lowering her gaze slightly, she raised her voice and asked, "How about... I ride a bike too?"

"Sure."

Chen Che withdrew his inquiring look, and moments later, Xu Jiarou pushed over a yellow shared bicycle and walked back.

"Where are we going?"

Xu Jiarou tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her large, curious eyes gazing up at Chen Che, who looked somewhat mature in his styling.

That morning, as usual, Chen Che had sent a red envelope, mentioning that he was also in Beijing and they could have dinner together that evening.

However, she hadn't asked where they were going.

Chen Che had been constantly busy with his game and hadn't made any concrete plans. Letting out a soft sound of surprise, he turned the question back on her: "You've been studying here for two years—don't you know any good places to eat?"

"The cafeteria is already closed," Xu Jiarou replied softly, a look of thoughtful concentration crossing her small, serious face.

Watching her from the side, a subtle, unnoticeable sense of ease and bittersweet emotion welled up in Chen Che's heart.

He had liked Xu Jiarou—liked her for a very long time—but that feeling had been rather naive, or perhaps purely innocent.

For Chen Che, Xu Jiarou represented, above all, a deep regret.

It was very much like the lyrics of a song:
*Later on,*
*Some people, once missed, are gone for good,*
*Never to come around again.*

In his previous life, he and Xu Jiarou never truly began, so there was no such thing as an ending; it was a genuine, absolute parting of ways.

On the bus, Xu Jiarou had mentioned that she left messages for him on QQ, marking the significant milestones of her life.

Chen Che had since recovered his QQ account; the messages Xu Jiarou had sent were sparse, mostly notifications delivered in the tone of a casual friend.

And those were just from the span of two years.

Sometimes, Chen Che couldn't help but wonder if Xu Jiarou had quietly waited for him for eight years in that past life.

It wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility, because little Xu had once said she wouldn't date during high school and college, treating those years strictly as a student phase where studying must take precedence.

After Xu Jiarou graduated, Chen Che had just broken up with his third girlfriend and started focusing wholeheartedly on his career.

Both of them were in Beijing.
Yet it was as if they existed in entirely different worlds.

Now, having been reborn, the passage of time had diluted his memories, and truth be told, the intensity of that love had faded.

Yet the heart of a seventeen-year-old in the midsummer heat began to beat anew—an indescribable, profound sensation.

Time had turned back to that fork in the road, returning to the very juncture that had truly drifted them far apart.

...

"Should we go get mini hotpot? I know a pretty decent place; my roommates and I have been there a few times. Want to give it a try?"

Under the setting sun, having made up her mind, Xu Jiarou raised her luminous eyes, a wisp of dark hair gently brushing past her vision.

Awakened by her voice, Chen Che refocused his gaze, slowly nodded, and breaking into a smile, he replied: "I'm treating today, you know. Is mini hotpot really enough? This dinner is two years overdue."

Finding his words quite reasonable, Xu Jiarou tilted her head, feigned deep contemplation, and then beamed with a soft smile.

"What you said makes sense. Even though I really want to bleed you dry with an expensive meal, let's just go for mini hotpot after all."

"Oh? Going for mini hotpot, are we?"

Just as Xu Jiarou's voice trailed off, a soft, playfully teasing voice rang out—and it certainly wasn't Chen Che.

The two of them turned at the sound to see two young women in their early twenties walking right up to them.

Seeing them, Xu Jiarou froze, instinctively grabbing the handlebars while at a loss for what to do.

The newcomers bore no malice; that much was evident from their smiles. Chen Che watched them with mild anticipation.

Cai Jing pulled Shen Yin over to the pair, looking at Chen Che with intense curiosity and blurting out without hesitation: "Handsome, who are you? I've never seen you before."

It was Cai Jing who spoke.

She wore loose jeans and a tight short-sleeved top, her looks quite ordinary—the epitome of an average female college student.

Beside her stood a quiet-looking girl dressed in a white t-shirt and black shorts.

Chen Che roughly guessed their identities and remained quite warm and approachable. Glancing at little Xu, he stated directly: "My name is Chen Che. You guys are..."

"You're Chen Che?!"

Before Chen Che could finish, Cai Jing interrupted with an expression of astonishment and sudden realization, her eyes gleaming with pleasant surprise.

Beside her, Shen Yin instinctively glanced at the dazed Xu Jiarou, a trace of surprise flickering in her own eyes.

Chen Che blinked slightly in surprise, while a flushed and racing-hearted Xu Jiarou hurriedly put on a calm front to make introductions: "This is Cai Jing, and this is Yinyin. We're all good friends from the same dorm, hehehe~"

At the end of the introduction, Xu Jiarou let out a light, awkward laugh out of slight helplessness, her expression tinged with nervousness.

Seeing her like this, Cai Jing merely raised an eyebrow without exposing her, turning instead to Chen Che. "You guys are going for mini hotpot? The one over at Shuangyushu? Do you mind if Yin and I tag along?"

"Of course not."

Chen Che picked up the thread of conversation, paused for a moment, and then continued: "However, since you're Xiao Xu's friends, we should upgrade. Since I'm treating, it's worth treating you to a proper feast. We can save simple mini hotpot for just the two of us."

Chen Che had subtly declined the request. Cai Jing momentarily brushed that aside, locking her sights on Xu Jiarou to playfully tease: "Xiao Xu? Xiao Xu, what do you think?"

The nickname "Xiao Xu" was normally innocent enough, but coming from Cai Jing in such a teasing manner made Xu Jiarou's face turn crimson red. "If you guys want to go, then come along," she stammered.

Catching Xu Jiarou's expression at that moment, Cai Jing covered her mouth with a giggle, then turned to Chen Che with a beaming smile. "Since you guys have already set your hearts on hotpot, I suppose we'll just have to wait for that grand feast next time."

"Alright."

Without saying much more, Chen Che smiled faintly and nodded.

Taking advantage of the gap, Xu Jiarou pushed her bicycle forward a few steps, signaling Chen Che to hurry up and leave.

"Xiao Xu, make sure you enjoy your meal!"

Amidst the farewells, Cai Jing waved with a smile from behind, drawing a beam of amusement from the quiet Shen Yin.

"So that's Chen Che~"

Watching the retreating figures of the two riding away, Shen Yin extended a hand with a touch of youthful excitement and murmured softly.

Cai Jing watched them go as well, unable to resist taking a few extra looks, before turning back to Shen Yin with a triumphant smirk. "I told you, there was something fishy going on."

"He turned out pretty handsome, though," Shen Yin acknowledged with a nod and added.

Cai Jing was about to say something further when her phone rang. She hurriedly signaled Shen Yin to go ahead and pick up their food delivery.

The cafeteria closed around seven, and having lost track of time in the library, they had ordered takeout.

Upon returning to the dorm, Cai Jing originally intended to ask Xu Jiarou what she was going to eat, only to catch her secretly tinkering with something.

Because the girl had hidden it quickly, they hadn't seen clearly, but in all likelihood, she had been putting on makeup—a bit suspicious.

Although Xu Jiarou looked gorgeous even without makeup, wearing it would undoubtedly boost her appearance even further.

Combined with the fact that she was heading out in a little white dress, both Cai Jing and Shen Yin knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that something was definitely going on.

Sure enough, she had gone to meet a guy.

And it turned out to be Chen Che...