Life went on as usual. About a week later, one morning, I arrived at the office to find my medical checkup report had been delivered. I looked it over carefully—no abnormal indicators.
Nick ("Second Brother") peeked over and said, teasingly, "If you're sick, see a doctor. If you're not, take some medicine!"
"I'm perfectly healthy," I replied.
"Except for the hair," Nick shot back with a smirk, clearly asking for trouble.
"Nick, do you want me to go tell Sherry on you?"
At that, he immediately backed down and promised to treat me to a "grand feast" at the cafeteria this afternoon—a whopping 15 RMB meal—to compensate for my mental suffering.
"By the way, Nick, the product manager brought a new request yesterday. The client thinks our app's font is ugly and wants it changed."
"What font do they want?" Nick asked calmly.
"Microsoft YaHei. Let's figure out how to implement it."
Nick roared, "These idiots! Don't they know Microsoft and Apple are rivals? Microsoft YaHei? Why not ask for the moon too? Impossible, impossible!" He shook his head vigorously like a rattle.
I thought he had a point. "But it's the client's demand. Even if it's impossible, we still have to do it."
"Whoever wants to do it, go ahead. I wouldn't touch this even with a dog," Nick grumbled.
Just then, Sherry bounced over. Petite and lively, her twin pigtails swayed like they had a mind of their own, the bows at the ends fluttering like tiny butterflies. Her fair face was framed by large, sparkling eyes; when she smiled, they curved into crescent moons, revealing two playful little fangs.
She spoke softly and sweetly: "Is there any feature Liu Yu can't handle? What's so difficult about this request? Let me see."
Seeing Sherry, Nick's demeanor changed instantly—practically oozing charm. "Of course I can do it! This feature is so easy; we can release it today!" He winked at me exaggeratedly.
Great. Another version release today. My mind was cursing Nick in a thousand ways, but with Sherry present, I could only quietly grumble and outwardly agree: "Yes, yes, Liu can handle this easily. After tonight's release, Liu will treat us to some lamb spine hotpot."
Sherry pouted: "Not today. I have to do my nails."
I said, "No problem. We'll just check the waters this time. Next time, Nick can treat you on his own."
"Alright, deal," she said, smiling.
Shanghai's night rain always comes suddenly.
I gripped the steering wheel, wipers swishing rhythmically. The old Santana with the Su A license plate had been bought used last year. Though aged, its engine still purred reliably. Nick was in the passenger seat, chattering endlessly about Sherry.
"Did you see her smile at me today?" Nick tugged at his wrinkled Loro Piana cashmere sweater. "I think she likes me."
I glanced at the rearview mirror. Through the rain, a white Kia appeared faintly. "Nick, every time you think someone likes you, they're just saying hi to someone else. Last time it was Engineer Li."
"You don't understand… this time it's different…" Nick hadn't finished when suddenly, BANG! The car jolted violently.
Instinctively, I slammed the brakes. Tires screeched against the wet road. The Santana stopped just short of the red light—but the Kia behind us wasn't so lucky. Its front end slammed into my bumper.
"Damn it!" Nick grabbed the handle above the door. "What just happened?"
I took a deep breath and unbuckled my seatbelt. "Stay in the car. I'll go check."
The raindrops on my face were chilly. I walked to the rear. The Santana's bumper had a slight dent, but nothing serious. The Kia's front had a small crumple too; overall, it seemed fine.
The Kia's door opened.
Long, slender legs stepped into a puddle, sending tiny splashes into the air. My gaze followed up to a neatly tailored beige trench coat, cinched at the waist, and a transparent umbrella held above a face that made me catch my breath. I felt I'd seen her somewhere, but couldn't remember where.
Her features were too perfect to be real, as if she had stepped out of a magazine. Slightly wavy hair fell over her chest, raindrops clinging to the ends. Most striking were her eyes: slightly upturned at the corners, pupils glowing amber in the rainy light.
"I'm really sorry," she said, her voice a low, cello-like tone with a hint of nervousness and laziness. "The rain was heavy. I couldn't stop in time."
I was momentarily speechless, throat tightening. Nick had also gotten out of the car, exaggeratingly gasping: "My god… is this a fairy descended to earth?"
I said softly, "No big problem. Let's take photos and file the insurance claim."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay… let's exchange WeChat so we can coordinate."
Back in the car, Nick couldn't stop marveling. "Her looks, her aura… incredible! Do you think she's some kind of celebrity?"
I murmured, "I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."
Nick turned in surprise: "Are you dumb from getting hit? You're chasing swans while stuck in the mud!"
"Damn it… I want 100 jin of lamb spine hotpot. You're paying…" I muttered.