Fresh from heartbreak, exams, and the start of summer vacation—three storms of sorrow and joy—Ji Yu found herself in Hucheng with a heart that still felt heavy.
Fortunately, Hucheng's weather was gentler than Yudu's. The city didn't toy with its people using suffocating heat; instead, its summer nights carried a breeze that soothed and invited.
Her mother and sister, busy with company meetings, left Ji Yu with time to herself. She accompanied them for a while, waiting in the lobby of the office building, but her restless heart urged her to step outside. Clutching her modest allowance, she decided to wander the streets in the evening, when the city was at its most alive.
The Chengyin Festival.
A festival unique to this coastal city in July.
By day, citizens labored under the blazing sun; by night, the sea breeze washed away their fatigue and tension, refreshing their hearts so they could face tomorrow with ease.
The festival wouldn't officially begin until July 30th—five days away. But already, the streets were brimming with life.
Vendors lined the squares with stalls draped in colorful lanterns. Artisans worked from carts, fashioning playful trinkets. Dessert shops offered brand-new sweets made just for the festival. Residents came to play, while tourists and internet celebrities added to the bustle.
It wasn't a rigid holiday; no formal rituals were required. Just bring a little money, walk, browse, watch, play, eat—and savor the carefree joy of midsummer. That was enough.
Ji Yu strolled with an ice cream cone in hand, savoring it slowly.
The pedestrian street thrummed with youth—dancers performing, singers drawing crowds, skateboarders weaving through open spaces. The air itself seemed thick with vitality.
But the heat was no joke. Even as a Yuzhou native, Ji Yu found Hucheng's humidity overwhelming.
Eventually, she gave in.
Her sleeveless blouse revealed the curve of her collarbones, cropped just enough to bare her flat stomach. Instead of her usual skirts, she wore short fitted shorts, hugging her hips, her long pale legs bare down to her flat sandals. Even her toenails, painted a delicate pink, were on display.
Her long hair, usually left loose, was tied up into a high ponytail, swaying behind her like a banner of cool defiance against the summer air.
In a city full of pretty girls, Ji Yu's pure, delicate beauty still drew eyes—especially the wrong kind. She smiled politely as she brushed off bold strangers, her cheeks tinged pink.
Among the crowd, one pair of eyes locked onto her instantly.
Tang Li.
He froze. His gaze overflowed with surprise, admiration, and relief—and beneath it all, a faint budding warmth.
Beside him, Gu Yu followed his line of sight. Her lips pressed together as she too saw Ji Yu—the shy blush, the gentle smile, sweet as a peach blossom in spring.
When Tang Li finally tore his eyes away, Gu Yu asked quietly, "That girl… she's the one you've been thinking about, isn't she?"
"Mm. That's Ji Yu."
Tang Li smiled at her then, all boyish mischief, none of the tenderness that slipped out only when he spoke of Ji Yu.
"Your face is all puffed up like a pufferfish. Jealous?"
He reached out, ruffling her hair as if soothing a kitten about to arch its back. Only when she smiled again did he add lightly, "Shall we head back? If I go say hi now, my little pufferfish might just poison me."
His black eyes glimmered with confidence under the streetlights. Confident… that maybe, Gu Yu wasn't a replacement.
Gu Yu tilted her head up at him, caught between awe and a strange, tightening possessiveness. The thought of Tang Li standing before Ji Yu again stirred something sharp in her chest.
"I…"
She opened her mouth to say he could go. But the name struck her heart like a warning bell—Ji Yu. The girl Tang Li had once silently loved.
What if those feelings came back?
She forced a smile. "Let's just go. I found a shop online—everyone says it's amazing."
Tang Li chuckled, half-teasing. "She's my friend. My best friend, even. Not even a quick hello?"
Gu Yu's eyes flicked back to Ji Yu. Even in refusal, Ji Yu's smile was dazzling—so sweet, so gentle. Too gentle. Too dangerous.
"No. What if you… fall for her again?"
Her voice shook with the weight of fear.
Tang Li frowned, then waved dismissively. "Alright. No hello, then."
Gu Yu clung to him, muttering, "Don't go… don't go…"
For Tang Li, her trembling was almost amusing. For once, someone cared enough to hold him back, to cling to him—not the other way around.
He laughed softly. "Fine. But you'll owe me two dinners."
"Three dinners if you want!" she blurted.
Satisfied, Tang Li nodded and turned to lead her away.
But before they disappeared into the night, he glanced back one last time. Ji Yu's sister, Ji Yu Jie, was making her way toward the festival.
Tang Li's lips curved in a secret smile.
"When the Chengyin Festival begins… let's invite Ji Yu. And her family too."