Shanghai's skyline glittered under the morning sun, its glass towers reflecting the restless rhythm of the city. among them stood the headquarters of Unique Media, a company that shaped public opinion with every headline.
the elevator doors opened to reveal quiet, polished corridors, tinted glass walls, and the occasional sound of footsteps fading into the distance. the air grew heavier with each step toward the top floor, until finally the path ended at the managing director's office.
inside, the room was silent. too silent, like a pause before the high tide hits the shore.
near the desk stood a young woman. barely five feet tall, she carried a slender frame that seemed almost that subtly contrasted with the room's austere professionalism. her long black hair tugged as ponytail, softened by bangs at the front, framed a face both youthful and earnest. her eyes are dark with a faint brown glint, betrayed her nervousness. a formal blazer gave her a professional edge, and the ID card hanging around her neck identified her as an intern.
"Xu Wei Xing."
the voice came suddenly, sharp enough to break the silence. from behind the broad desk, Zhao Jing Yi, the managing director, spoke with a little bit calm authority, her gaze locked on the girl.
Xu Wei Xing straightened and said, "yes". her voice quiet but steady.
director Zhao's tone hardened. "it hasn't been a year, and you are already asking me to transfer you to another division?"
Xu Wei Xing lowered her gaze, unsure how to respond. then suddenly the phone on the desk rang. Director Zhao glanced at the screen, then picked it up.
her voice, as usually steady, carried a note of shock and hesitation as she spoke with the receiver. the call was brief, but something in her expression shifted. doubt flickered in her eyes, and the authority in her tone softened.
when she hung up, her gaze turned back to Wei Xing. this time her words were almost convincing, almost gentle. "alright. but before that, you'll need to complete a task. I'll decide based on your result."
Wei Xing froze in shock, unable to understand the sudden change. she murmured herself, "just moments ago, she had been scolding. now, after one phone call, everything was different."
swallowing her confusion, she thanked her and asked quietly, "what task mam?"
Director Zhao leaned back in her chair. and said, "first, you'll go to Beijing. I'll call you later and explain the details."
Wei Xing hesitated but quickly composed herself. whatever the task was, she had no choice but to accept.
by two in the afternoon, she had packed her luggage and wrapped herself in a simple coat, ready for the unknown. at the airport, the world outside the glass walls blurred into the rush of departures and announcements. she boarded her flight with a steady breath.
and when the plane finally lifted off the runway, Xu Wei Xing stared out the window, the city shrinking beneath her. questions crowded her mind, but only one thing was certain. that, this journey was going to change everything.
she turned on the small screen in front of her seat and began browsing through dramas to pass the time. the episode started with a comedic scene. on screen, the female caught sight of the male lead's broad biceps, and in an exaggerated burst of reaction, her nose began to bleed.
Wei Xing blinked, then let out a quiet laugh. her mind drifted back. and whispered herself, "it feels familiar... oh, that's right."
a memory surfaced, sharp and bright against the dull hum of the plane. "back in high school, I had once joked with Ruo Ruo that I'll fall in love with a boy when I got a sudden nosebleed upon meeting him for the first time."
the thought made her chuckle under her breath, a small, private smile forming as the clouds outside drifted past her window.
she leaned back in her seat, still smiling faintly at the memory of the drama had triggered.
far away, in another part of the sky, another plane cut through the clouds.
In business class, a young man sat with his eyes closed, his head tilted slightly against the seat. someone had casually asked him earlier, "Zhou Yu, why don't you ever said anything about your relation ships." and though he had brushed the question aside, it now returned to him in his mind. and in the haze of slumber, his memories carried him back to the days of high school.
In his mind, "at Yinli high school, the bell rang and students rushed toward their classrooms.it was the last day of our grade 10. I was lingered on the playground, hurrying belatedly toward on my own. that was when my eyes fell on her. Xu Wei Xing, the girl who had quietly occupied my heart since junior high."
"at first I never expected to speak to her, nor even to be noticed. Timid and awkward, I had little to boast of except my height 5'7. stood taller than her, but everything else about me screamed shyness. my old-fashioned glasses and long fringe that fell over my eyes made me resemble one of those timid male leads from Japanese dramas. my classmates thought I was an introvert, but the truth was, I just didn't like to talk. It wasn't until she met me that I realized I really was an introvert, especially around her."
"Xu Wei Xing was like starry light that illuminated the dark universe inside me."
"when I was ten, my parents died in a car accident, and I moved to Yinli to live with my uncle. one weekend, he took me to the sea in Beidaihe. That was the first time I saw her. she was crying, and though I didn't know why back then, I later learned her father, a navy captain had died during a secret mission. she lived with her grandmother, and whenever she missed her father, she would travel three hours to the sea alone. what she didn't know was that I often followed and quietly accompany her from distance."
"from then on, she became my light on my way to climb out of the darkness of losing my family. she looked strong, but she wasn't."
"in junior high, I heard she wanted to be a journalist. me, on the other hand, had no dreams, no goals, and wasn't even good at studying. but I started studying hard, just to keep up with her, to stay in her orbit. and somehow, I made it. then, we were in the same class: Grade 10, Class 1."
"we were closer than before, though not in the way I had hoped. she often often scolded me for my stupidity, asking how I had even managed to get into Class 1. I would just smile quietly, and she would tease, "Oh, so you do know how to smile." "
she ordered me around sometimes, and our classmates thought she was bullying me. But I knew better. she only asked me to do the things she couldn't. like reaching high selves. she never wanted to show weakness or ask for help kindly, so she put on a bossy act."
"to me, she was adorable. her small height, her temper, her hidden kindness, her courage-everything about her drew me in. I don't know her ideal type, but I wanted to be the one by her side."
"she loved watching anime, dramas, and shows. she was beautiful, with soft hair, bright eyes, and a slightly chubby but lovely figure. she loved noodles, seafood, ice cream, cake and especially milk tea. whenever she was sad, she ate potato chips. but she hated boiled eggs."
"that day had a special meaning for me. I had finally gathered the courage to ask if she would accept me as her friend. and to tell her I wanted to study at the same university as her."
"Suddenly, her voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Xiao Dan! Xiao Dan!" Wei Xing shouted, waving at me."
"I froze, shocked. it was the first time she had called me with such care in her tone. then, before I could react, she stepped back, grabbed my hand, and pulled me with her."
"that was the first time she had ever touched me. my face burned red, and an involuntary smile spread across my lips, mixing shyness with happiness."
"in that moment, the whole world felt disappeared, leaving only the two of us. I had seen this kind of thing in dramas, but there it was always the male lead pulling the female lead. our story was different, but the feeling was real. I wished it could last forever."
"before I knew it, we had reached class 1, but I was still floating in that happiness, like I was flying among clouds."
"I thought just one more step, and maybe I could reach the moon of happiness."