Volume One, Chapter Two: Reunion After a Long Separation

It was Jiang Chen.

He stood in the shadows, dressed in a deep blue pinstripe suit tailored to perfection, with a light blue shirt in the same hue underneath, and a navy tie. Indolent yet formal.

Meeting Jiang Chen at Ling Dan’s wedding was inevitable. Before coming, Wen Li had steeled herself, rehearsing countless times, even meticulously calculating the curve of her smile. Yet, upon seeing him, all her defenses crumbled.

Their eyes met, and she was at a loss, her gaze darting away guiltily.

Jiang Chen keenly caught the shift in her expression and offered a bitter smile. “When did you come back?”

“Not long ago,” she replied lightly, making no mention of the past, offering neither word nor explanation. To her, he seemed nothing more than an insignificant acquaintance from long ago.

Jiang Chen finally lost his composure, letting out a cold snort. “Why did you come back? To witness your good friend’s wedding? Or to pass on the spoils of your previous victories and experience?”

All the longing he had suppressed over the years spilled out in an instant, transforming into sharp blades, each word cutting deep.

“Are you two planning to toast with champagne later? Pity she’s the one who was cheated on—she’s not as impressive as you and probably won’t be able to resonate with you.”

Ling Dan, feeling affronted, interjected, “Jiang Chen, what’s that supposed to mean?”

He instantly ignited the powder keg he’d kept buried for years, finally letting it explode.

“Did I say anything wrong?” He then turned his barbs toward Ling Dan, spinning wild accusations one after another.

“Who doesn’t know the two of you are as close as sisters, like two branches from the same tree? Why not just form a team together? Women can hold up half the sky—join forces, and you could overturn the whole of South City.”

“Even Nuwa herself would have to give way to you two. Should I sponsor a 3D monument for you both—one on the left, one on the right—like two living Buddhas? The people of South City could just start worshipping you.”

Wen Li’s softly uttered “I’m sorry” cut through Jiang Chen’s impassioned tirade.

At her words, the room fell deathly silent. Only the workers dismantling the decorations continued their tasks, each eager to finish and head home.

She had once failed to show at her own engagement party with Jiang Chen, unilaterally announcing the cancellation afterward, disappearing without a word and fleeing to Germany.

She had left the golden boy of South City a laughingstock among the city’s elite.

All these years, Wen Li had been haunted by guilt toward Jiang Chen.

But that was precisely what Jiang Chen resented most; “I’m sorry” was the last thing he wanted to hear.

After a long silence, Jiang Chen said, “I told you, I’ll never accept your apology.”

He had also said, if she had the nerve, she should never return, never let him lay eyes on her again.

And Wen Li had indeed vanished, as if from the face of the earth.

Sensing his lingering resentment, Wen Li had no desire to argue nor remain before him, unwilling to further provoke his ire.

She turned to Ling Dan and nodded in farewell. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

As she passed Jiang Chen, he reached out to block her way. “Where are you going now?”

“Is there even a flight to Germany at this hour? Has your family arranged a private jet for you?”

As he spoke, Jiang Chen gripped her wrist tightly, afraid she’d slip away from his sight again, though his words remained merciless.

“Am I some plague you’re scared will cling to you? Or am I one of those viruses you study—deadly to the touch?”

Wen Li brushed his hand away. “I’m not leaving until tomorrow afternoon. Even if I had a private jet, the flight path would need to be approved in advance. A single night isn’t enough time for clearance.”

Jiang Chen let out a breath, releasing her hand, waiting for her to say something more.

“It’s late. I need to go home,” said Wen Li.

The unspoken curfew ingrained in every South City resident ran deep in her bones.

Watching her leave without a backward glance, not even a flicker of eye contact, Jiang Chen angrily kicked the chair she’d just vacated.

Ling Dan, ever the spectator, called out with feigned concern, “Aren’t you going after her? Isn’t she your darling?”

“Get lost.”

Anyone watching would’ve thought he had a penchant for self-torment, always chasing after heartache.

Ten minutes later.

Jiang Chen pulled up in his car beside Wen Li, lowered the window, and said ingratiatingly, “Let me drive you.”

Wen Li refused without hesitation. “No need, I’ll get a taxi.”

“You live up in the mountains. At this hour, no driver would bother with a one-way trip—it’s a losing business. You could stand here until you freeze stiff and no one would accept your ride.”

Crude words, but not untrue.

South City was ringed by rivers and mountains. The Wen family’s old home sat on the outskirts—easy to find a ride out, but impossible to catch one back. No driver wanted to waste the fuel and time on a trip with no return fare.

Wen Li spat three times for emphasis. “Why are you cursing me?”

Listening to Jiang Chen’s teasing, watching the ride-hailing app with no responses, her hands were red and raw from the cold, yet she remained stubborn and unyielding.

“I’ll just pay extra, that’s all.”

She was determined to win, if not bread, then at least pride—money could move mountains.

Jiang Chen couldn’t help but laugh, his tone indulgent. “If that’s the case, why not just let me do it? I have plenty of driving experience, and a flawless record.”

As he spoke, he opened the passenger door. “Miss Wen, please get in.”

When she didn’t move, he urged her, “If I keep parking here I’ll get a ticket, and I can’t afford that on my small business.”

It was as if all the old wounds between them had never existed, and they were just a bickering couple, flirting after a long separation.

Wen Li stood on the curb, the biting wind lashing her face until it stung.

In the end, she could not prevail.

The car left the city, winding steadily up the mountain road. Wen Li drifted into sleep without realizing it.

Memories churned in her mind.

When she awoke, Jiang Chen had parked the car in an open area not far from the Wen family’s old house. He was standing outside, leaning against the car, his back to her, shrouded in smoke.

Wen Li stared blankly at the coat draped over her, inexplicably feeling a sense of distance from Jiang Chen seeping into the depths of her heart, quietly taking root.

Hearing movement inside the car, Jiang Chen stubbed out his cigarette and got in. “You’re awake?”

The thick smell of smoke filled the air—pungent, unpleasant.

Wen Li frowned. “Smoking’s bad for you.”

Jiang Chen laughed flippantly. “Miss Wen, aren’t you being a little too controlling? Or do you wish I’d just die early and ease your guilt, so you can move on easily?”

As his words grew more outrageous, Wen Li quickly covered his mouth. “Don’t say things like that.”

The car fell silent. Jiang Chen’s breath warmed her palm; he nodded gently and agreed, “Alright.”

There was a trace of intimacy.

Flustered, Wen Li withdrew her hand, then, with a natural, almost disdainful motion, wiped it vigorously on his discarded coat before tossing it back to him, hastily reaching for the door.

She fled in disarray.