Chen Yuan dropped Liu Nan off at school. The sky over Lanjing had turned gloomy. Rain was common near the start of spring, and dark, rolling clouds hung overhead, threatening to release a misty drizzle at any moment.

He sat alone in his car, having forgotten where he was supposed to go next, and stared blankly at the people coming and going on the distant sidewalk.

When you had a moment to spare, your mind would start to wander. That was just how it was.

Even in these few seconds of idleness, with the chattering Liu Nan gone and the car plunged into silence, a sudden thought popped into his head.

Chen Yuan thought.

’Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao have probably given up for real this time. There hasn’t been the slightest sign of them trying to contact me. I wonder what they’re doing right now...’

’Lanjing is so big. We wouldn’t just bump into each other by chance, right?’

His gaze swept past another girl crossing the sidewalk, and he suddenly slapped himself in the face.

It didn’t hurt, but it certainly snapped him back to his senses.

’I’m overthinking again.’

Chen Yuan ducked his head, looking everywhere for his phone. He wanted to check his schedule for what was next; he remembered there was something important he hadn’t done yet. But he had no idea where he’d tossed his phone. He reached into the storage compartment in the car door and rummaged around, finally pulling out a bag of Q-gummies.

Cola-flavored...

’When did I ever buy gummy candies?’ He hadn’t actively bought them for himself since elementary school. Jiangg Yao, on the other hand, loved them.

Puzzled, Chen Yuan turned over the package.

And there, on the back, was a sticky note.

"Cola gummies, nitrous boost! (*´ڡ`●)"

He didn’t even have to think about it; Jiangg Yao had definitely written this. Especially with that little emoji at the end. He remembered the last time he’d taken her for a drive. In a tunnel, she had started yelling, "Pass ’em, pass ’em! Hit the nitrous! Do you even know how to drift and double boost?" It had completely stunned him at the time.

Sweet memories of the past flooded his mind.

A smile flickered across Chen Yuan’s lips before quickly stiffening.

He rolled down the window and drove up next to a trash can.

With a THUD, the gummies landed in the can. The car’s taillights quickly vanished down Lanjing’s University Road.

Chen Yuan’s original plan had been to get a good set of peripherals. That way, he could play some CS when he was really bored, or buy a controller and play some Souls-like games.

They were all excellent choices for killing time.

He used to have a headset, but it was a hand-me-down from his maternal cousin. His cousin was the same age, just six months older. Last year, his test scores were only good enough for a private university, so he decided to repeat the year to retake the exams.

When Mrs. Chen had gone to visit them, she came back with a bag stuffed with a mouse, a headset, and other things. She’d said that Chen Yuan’s cousin, having learned his lesson, was going to wait until after he got into college to play games again, and had already thrown himself into the crucible of his final year of high school.

’But would the screen on a laptop be too small for Souls-like games... Maybe I should get a new desktop. I didn’t take the new one Jiangg Yao bought.’

Chen Yuan was torn. He stopped the car as he approached the street with all the computer stores.

Night had now fallen over Lanjing.

The signs of the various shops gradually lit up. Traffic had clearly gotten heavier; the roads were filled with electric scooters heading home from work and cars picking up children. Along this street, famous for its bustling late-night food scene, the sound of distant music mingled with the roar of the crowd.

He could faintly make out a song by Wang Leihong; the intro sounded very familiar.

"The dark ends of your hair~ coiled into a circle~"

"Entwining all my longing for you~"

There was an internet streamer busking live here. A delicate-looking young man had his phone set up on a tripod, his music equipment off to one side, as he skillfully played the guitar.

’The world is so lively.’

Chen Yuan rested his chin on his hand, watching the steaming, vibrant scene of life outside, and was suddenly struck by a loneliness he wasn’t used to.

...

"Boss, one bowl of your signature beef noodles."

"You got it. Do you want scallions or not?"

"With is fine."

Chen Yuan had come alone to this brightly lit noodle shop. Sitting on a high stool, his fingers flew across his screen as he replied to Pei Youwen’s messages.

Sometimes Pei was very reliable, and other times, he seemed completely unreliable.

Like right now, for instance.

He said that since Chen Yuan was now basically familiar with how the company operated, it was time for him to get truly involved in the investment process for major projects. But before that, there was one very important matter to attend to.

Hiring a secretary!

The chairman of a typical company needed at least two assistants. One to manage company affairs and consolidate information for his review, and another to handle his schedule and daily activities. This second person should also be a top-tier talent but wouldn’t be involved in the specific management of the board of directors.

Before Chen Yuan could refuse, Pei Youwen said that he could take care of the management and coordination side of things. However, when things got too busy later on, Chen Yuan would absolutely need a thoughtful female secretary to look after his health, daily life, and travel.

At first glance, it sounded very reasonable.

But then, he went on to say that it would be best to hold a grand selection event to find the most outstanding candidate from a vast sea of people—someone with professional skills, a clean resume, and a meticulous personality. And preferably, her figure and looks should be "online" too, as this would contribute to the chairman’s mental and physical well-being.

’The first three things, I can understand. But what the hell is with requiring a certain figure and look?’

It was like a beauty pageant.

He was currently in a heated debate with Pei Youwen, both trying to persuade the other. Each had his own arguments. Pei even claimed that, in a way, "mental and physical well-being" was more important than a resume. At the very least, it would ensure she wasn’t an embarrassment to be seen with and could attract attention when negotiating with other company chairmen.

CLICKETY-CLACK—

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ—

Across the clean tabletop next to him, a small plastic frog came hopping over, bumped into his arm, and stopped.

Chen Yuan turned his head, picked up the little frog, and turned it around.

Beside him, a cute little girl with two pigtails was staring at his movements.

The little girl’s big eyes, large and dark like black grapes, blinked, so clear they were without a single impurity.

"How many times have I told you? The child is fine with me, so stop bothering us! I’m planning on finding her a new dad."

"One who’s definitely better than you!"

"You bastard, if you go to my mom again, I won’t pick up a single one of your calls..."

Next to the little girl, to the left of Chen Yuan at the long table, sat a stylish and beautiful woman. A hairpin that looked like a deer antler was stuck in her hair, and she wore a floral dress.

A string of round, lustrous pearls hung around her neck.

She seemed to be from a well-off family. The woman’s side profile was also beautiful; she was probably this cute little girl’s mother.

The beautiful woman was arguing in a hushed, clipped tone, perhaps because she was embarrassed or afraid of disturbing the other customers in the noodle shop.

"Qiqi, wait here for Mommy for a second," she said, suddenly turning to pat the little girl’s head. "Mommy’s going to take a call."

Chen Yuan got a clear look at her face. She was indeed stunningly beautiful, with an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, though her round eyes were slightly wide with anger.

"Here you go."

After the beautiful woman left, he placed the little hopping frog in the girl’s palm.

"Big brother... can you play with me?"

"Play with what?" ’This poor girl,’ Chen Yuan thought. ’From the sound of that phone call, her parents’ marriage must be in trouble.’

"Fairy Wand... little frog."

She pulled out a pink stick from somewhere that looked like Tiga’s transformation device, complete with flashing colored lights.

"Let’s just play with the little frog."

"Okay! I’ll make it hop to you, and then you make it hop back."

With that, she wound up the spring, leaned over the table, and let go with her chubby little hand. Freed from its restraint, the little frog raced toward Chen Yuan.

"That’s too slow. Watch this."

He wound the spring a dozen times with a series of CLICKS, and the little girl’s eyes went wide.

"Big brother... don’t break my toy."

"It’s fine, it’s fine."

"See? It’s much faster now, isn’t it?"

"It is! Wow, big brother, you’re amazing!"

"..." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Chen Yuan’s smile quickly froze. ’I must be really bored to be having fun with such a childish toy.’

The little girl, on the other hand, couldn’t stop laughing, revealing her tiny, rice-like teeth.

"Are you unhappy, big brother?"

"No, of course not."

"You’re lying. My mommy told me that people who lie can’t look you in the... eyes."

"Alright, I’m not happy."

"I have a Fairy Wand! It can help you make a wish. Tell me what’s bothering you, okay?~"

She tilted her head slightly.

"For real?"

"Of course it’s real. I never lie."

"...Yeah, right. There’s no one in the world who doesn’t lie."

"I’m not, because I’m looking at your eyes."

...

Chen Yuan didn’t know how he found the patience to humor the little girl until her mother came back.

He only remembered wolfing down his noodles in a minute flat, paying, and leaving.

Afterward, he drove aimlessly, stepping on the gas erratically. His mind was a blank, in a daze, his eyes fixed only on the road.

He didn’t know when the rain had started to fall. He’d just zoned out for a moment, and now the windshield was covered in raindrops. The side windows blurred, and the lights on the road ahead flickered and swam before him.

Everything happens in an instant...

In an instant, night fell. In an instant, the rain began to drift down.

Including all those emotions.

Happiness, bliss, growing up... or falling in love, breaking up, and being all alone once more.

In these countless instants, a person gradually comes to understand what life is.

Only the pain.

Only the pain is long enough to be impossible to ignore, enduring and unending.