It was a Tuesday.
Tuesdays were ridiculous.
They didn't have the fresh start of Mondays or the hopeful laziness of Fridays. Just... there. Like soggy toast. Jia XĂşe was late (as usual), sipping lukewarm chai from her spill-proof-but-absolutely-not-proof cup, humming to herself as she walked to Whispers & Wonders.
She sang softly under her breath, a tune no one else would know:
🎵 "Come find me when the moon forgets your name,
I'll be the girl under starlight rain…" 🎵
As she turned the corner past the lavender vendor, destiny happened.
And by destiny, we mean she walked straight into a man holding a cactus.
The cup of chai did a dramatic somersault, her glitter lip balm went flying, and the cactus—bless its tiny green soul—wobbled but didn't fall.
"I'm so sorry!" Jia gasped, catching her breath. "I swear I wasn't trying to attack you with caffeine and chaos."
The man blinked. His expression was unreadable, but not cold. In fact, he looked... surprised. Not by the crash, but by her. As if she'd walked out of a painting he'd only ever dreamed of.
"It's okay," he said, holding up the cactus like a shield. "Rescued him."
Jia glanced at the plant. "That's a him?"
The man nodded seriously. "His name is Da Bao. He's dramatic."
Jia laughed, a full, snorty, sunshine kind of laugh that startled a passing pigeon.
"I like your vibe," she said. "It's very... cactus-with-backstory."
He smiled—just a little. Barely there. But Jia noticed. She always noticed the little things.
"I'm Zhang Shi Yan," he said after a pause, brushing cactus dirt from his sleeve. "I just moved here. First day in town."
Jia tilted her head. "Ooooh. New guy energy. I sensed it."
"You... sensed it?"
"Yup," she said brightly. "Also, you're wearing a city suit in a town where the fanciest thing we have is a tea shop with gold-trimmed napkins. You either don't belong... or you're lost."
He chuckled. "A bit of both, maybe."
They stood in silence for a second. Gulabo, having followed Jia like the judgmental queen she was, floated behind her, circling Shi Yan like a suspicious cloud.
"She's not dangerous," Jia explained casually. "Just a little allergic to pretty boys."
Gulabo chose that exact moment to sneeze.
And yes—glitter.
Shi Yan stared. "Was that...?"
"Yeah," Jia sighed, wiping sparkles off her cheek. "Don't worry. It's harmless. Unless you inhale too much. Then you'll dream about singing ducks for three nights."
Shi Yan's eyes crinkled with a real smile now. "You're not like anyone I've ever met."
Jia grinned proudly. "I get that a lot. Some people call it 'quirky.' My grandma calls it 'jinxed.' I say: a little crazy goes a long way."
He looked at her like he was trying to memorize the moment. Like somehow, in the middle of glitter sneezes and cactus conversations, he felt a bit less lost.
---
Later that afternoon…
At Whispers & Wonders, Jia told her best friend May about the "cute cactus boy with a forgotten smile." May, who had been trying to pair Jia with a nice veterinarian for six months, was immediately suspicious.
"Do we trust someone who carries a cactus in public?" May asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Absolutely," Jia said, placing a book back on a shelf that immediately moved itself three inches to the left. "Anyone who names their plant is soulmate material."
May blinked. "Did that shelf just move?"
Jia winked. "The books get emotional when they like someone."
And deep in Jia's magical diary—bound in violet velvet and filled with glowing ink—a single word appeared all on its own:
Zhang Shi Yan.
And below it:
✨ He's not just new in town. He's new in her stars. ✨