Winter in F City was a grayish-blue. The biting wind swept through the streets, carrying a faint dampness and chill as it weaved through the concrete jungle.
"Zhiyao!" That voice was as clear as she remembered.
She turned toward the street downstairs and saw Lu Sichen hurrying over, carrying a file bag. He still wore that dark gray wool coat, with the distinctive navy blue scarf wrapped around his neck, his face carrying the fresh and earnest look from their student days.
She paused for a moment, then smiled. It turned out that the day she was reborn was exactly a morning shortly before their university graduation. And Lu Sichen was still just as she remembered—always appearing when she needed him most.
"I'm here," she replied softly, opening the door as the cold wind rushed in. At that moment, she seemed to hear fate turning a new page—barely audible, yet piercingly clear.
—
At that time, before graduation, she was standing at one of life's most critical crossroads: juggling internships and thesis work, with a future both uncertain and open. Five years ago—when she was still "naive"—she was driven by her family's pressure and anxiety over reality down a thorny path of fate.
Ye Zhiyao stood at the school gate, momentarily dazed. The buildings, streets, even the sweet potato vendor at the entrance, all remained exactly as she remembered, as if time had never moved forward. The familiar steam and faint caramel scent seemed to pull her back from the abyss five years later.
"So this is where I lived five years ago," she murmured softly, curling her fingertips into her palm.
She stepped inside the gate, her footsteps naturally following the old route. The bulletin board outside the teaching building was plastered with all kinds of job postings: translation assistant, café intern, Japanese company clerk, volunteer photographer for charity… each one hauntingly familiar. Back then, she had insisted on finding an internship in the city to avoid relying on her family. That was when she truly began to live on her own, and the direction she had once worked hard for.
"Ye Zhiyao," she reaffirmed her identity silently, "this time, you won't fall into the trap again."
"What did you say?"
Ye Zhiyao looked at him, noticing his slight frown. Her heart stirred. She knew he was always perceptive and probably sensed her change. She averted her gaze, speaking as gently as ever, "Are you headed to your internship now?" she asked proactively.
"Yeah, to submit a report to the law firm. It's a winter break project arranged by our teacher, a bit busy," he scratched his head. "But it's quite a good experience."
"You're well suited for it," she blurted out, then worried it sounded abrupt, so she added with a gentle smile, "You've always been rational—perfect to be a lawyer."
Lu Sichen's gaze suddenly shifted. He seemed to sense something different but couldn't pinpoint what.
"You seem… different today."
Ye Zhiyao turned her head, hiding the ripple in her heart. She knew that five years of experience and memories had changed her—she was no longer that defenseless girl.
"Maybe it's just the insight gained from staying up late writing the thesis," she joked.
They walked side by side along the campus path. The cold wind brushed past, but the atmosphere was quiet and warm. Occasionally, she glanced toward the distant teaching building, vague memories of her previous life flashing through her mind. That year, she had stood in front of the library when she received a call from home telling her to immediately go to an interview for a position at the "Gu Corporation."
Everything had started from that phone call.
"Ye Zhiyao," Lu Sichen suddenly said, "if you don't want to stay in F City after graduation, actually… I have some ideas too. Maybe we could…"
"Are you thinking of going abroad?" she asked softly.
Lu Sichen was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "How did you know?"
She didn't answer, just turned to look at him, her eyes gentle yet complicated. He had once told her the same dream before graduation in their previous life, but she had been suffocated by family and Gu Chengyun's arrangements, only remembering her rejection.
"If you really want to go, then you must go," she said earnestly. "Don't give up for anyone."
Lu Sichen was stunned, and after a long pause whispered, "…You really have changed."
She said nothing more, just fixed her gaze on the distant library, her eyes faintly shining.
This time, she would protect herself and those who truly cared for her.
And Gu Chengyun… she would get to know that man anew, and personally tear open all the truths.