She tilted her head slightly, and her lips brushed lightly against his.
This scene overlapped with one from several years ago, and Tao Shuran’s eyelashes trembled faintly.
In a soft voice, she reminded him, “Our relationship hasn’t progressed to that point yet.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
Liang Yuanjing turned his head away. It was the answer he had expected. The moment she dodged, his entire heart was enveloped by a bitter emotion.
She was still resisting his approach, still avoiding him, still pulling back.
Realizing this, his heart suffered another blow.
Tao Shuran looked at him and said softly, “It’s fine. Consider it evened out from last time.”
Realizing what she meant, Liang Yuanjing’s brow furrowed, and a low pressure surged over him in an instant. Even his voice seemed to carry a tense edge.
“You want to keep things clear-cut between us?”
“I won’t let you.”
He suddenly raised his hand and gripped the back of her neck. Before Tao Shuran could react, he pressed down forcefully.
And so, just as the rain was about to stop, Tao Shuran ended up kissing Liang Yuanjing in an unexpected posture.
Her eyes widened, and her two hands pushed against his chest as she struggled fiercely.
Liang Yuanjing pinched her chin with one hand while the other lazily rested on her waist.
His posture was utterly relaxed, yet the moment their lips met, he seized complete control.
He plundered the air from her mouth without restraint, his tongue like a surging tidal wave, on the verge of swallowing her little boat whole.
In this intensely possessive kiss, Tao Shuran actually began to sense the tumultuous emotions Liang Yuanjing had harbored over the past five years.
She stared at him in a daze, her amber pupils reflecting his face—lost in passion yet filled with pain.
When the kiss ended, Liang Yuanjing released her.
He reached out and wiped the bead of blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertip, then let out a low chuckle without hesitation.
“How you punish me is up to you.”
“But don’t ignore me.”
Tao Shuran’s eyes flickered with light. She lowered her head and rummaged in her pocket for an extra bandage.
She said nothing and simply handed it to him.
Liang Yuanjing lifted his eyelids and leaned in. “I can’t see it. You do it.”
She knew he was being shameless, but Tao Shuran simply lacked the ability to resist him.
She glanced at him, and to express her displeasure, she chose the most cartoonish pink kitty cat one to stick on him.
The bizarrely cute animal sticker on Liang Yuanjing’s stern, aloof face looked utterly out of place no matter how she looked at it.
As she looked, Tao Shuran couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
With no real menace, she warned him, “Don’t do that again next time.”
Liang Yuanjing gave a soft “Mm.”
They slowly started walking back. The rain had completely stopped, and the moisture was gradually dried by the emerging sun.
It was only then that Tao Shuran remembered her own errand. Casually, she asked, “Does your Rescue Team have a fixed time each week to shop in the city?”
Liang Yuanjing: “What do you want?”
“If it’s convenient, could you bring back a few packs of sanitary napkins for me?” She looked down as she said it. “I’ll send you pictures. You can transfer the cost to me later.”
Liang Yuanjing froze for a moment, seemingly digesting her words.
He lowered his head to look at Tao Shuran and asked in a slow tone, “Tao Shuran, are you on your period?”
For some reason, she saw a clearer anger on his face than ever before.
Liang Yuanjing held back at first but eventually couldn’t restrain himself. He simply scooped her up into his arms.
He waded alone through the icy river water, and this time, no matter how she struggled, he wouldn’t let go.
Tao Shuran whispered to him, “Liang Yuanjing, put me down. Teacher Lin and the others are watching from over there.”
“Not letting go.”
A faint smile tugged at Liang Yuanjing’s lips as he deliberately bounced her twice in his arms.
His voice rose slightly at the end, and he leaned down close to her on purpose. His intent to tease was obvious.
“Say another word, and I’ll kiss you.”
Tao Shuran immediately covered her mouth with her hand and stared at him with wide, watery eyes.
Her eyes were full of annoyance, her chest heaving with anger. In this world, almost no one else could make her emotions fluctuate like this except Liang Yuanjing.
Liang Yuanjing smiled. His roguish brows and eyes were full of defiance as he suddenly started running with her along the deep, muddy path.
The wind lifted the hem of his clothes and brightened his shining eyes.
Tao Shuran looked up at him and admitted from the bottom of her heart—some men, even at twenty-six, were still boys at heart.
After returning from the construction site, Tao Shuran didn’t dare meet her colleagues’ eyes.
Everyone was far too gossipy, especially with Fang Qingyi as a major blabbermouth.
The story of her and Liang Yuanjing from high school through university had been mostly spilled.
Even Jin Boyu teased her with a smile.
“That bouquet of Silver Globe Amaranth at the restoration room door—was that from him? I heard it broke the hearts of half the girls on the archaeology team.”
Tao Shuran’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
She had only asked Liang Yuanjing to buy some daily necessities for her. She had no idea he would also send over a bouquet of flowers.
“Flowers aren’t easy to get in this place.” Jin Boyu handed her a tool as he asked, “What do you think, junior sister?”
“Hm?”
Suddenly put on the spot, Tao Shuran paused. She lifted her head from her work, blinked her sore eyes, and her smile took on a hint of bitterness.
“I haven’t thought about anything.”
“I don’t want the possibility of heartbreak again, so I’m giving up on happiness too.”
She shrugged, pretending to be casual. “Something gained, something lost. Fair, right?”
Jin Boyu said nothing. He removed his gloves and beckoned her over.
Tao Shuran immediately understood and leaned in. She saw his long, slender fingers pry open a vial of artificial tears, then
skillfully drip them into her eyes.
It was the tacit understanding and habit they had built up over years of working together on restorations.
With just a gesture from each other, they instantly knew what the other meant.
Her dry eyes got a brief moisturizing relief, and the discomfort in her body eased a bit.
She smiled and said, “Besides, we’re not a good match at all.”
Just then, a young girl from the neighboring sketching group lightly knocked on the door.
The girl was a new second-year undergrad who had just joined the group this year and was interning over the summer. She was a bit shy and nervous as she came to invite them.
“Senior Sister Qiao said this batch is wrapping up, and she wants to treat everyone to a gathering before we head back.”
“She said she hopes Senior Sister Tao will definitely come.”
By the end, the girl was so nervous she could barely speak.
Tao Shuran smiled, took off her gloves, and grabbed an orange from her bag to hand over.
“Got it. Have her send me the time and place on my phone later.”
After seeing the girl off, Tao Shuran turned her head and found Jin Boyu propping his chin, leisurely sizing her up.
He asked, “Aren’t you usually not interested in group gatherings?”
“Didn’t you see how shaky her voice was? If I refused, she’d be nervous all over again when she went back.”
“Fair point.” Jin Boyu nodded. “Then I’ll go too.”
Tao Shuran looked at him in disbelief. “If I remember right, this would be the first group event you’ve ever attended, senior brother?”
Jin Boyu raised a brow noncommittally.
“I have a feeling there’ll be some excitement tonight.”
That evening, Tao Shuran learned what Jin Boyu meant by “excitement.”
Qiao Yanxin publicly confessed to a graduate student from their department right there.
She slapped the table and looked at the guy. “So, will you be my boyfriend?”
The guy was quite shy, his face practically buried in his hoodie. After a moment, he mumbled slowly, “Let me think about it.”
Three seconds later, Qiao Yanxin stared at him again.
“Have you thought it over?”
The guy was known in the department for being slow and steady at everything, a total mismatch for Qiao Yanxin’s fiery personality.
But this time, he reacted lightning-fast and suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, “I will!” startling everyone.
Soon, applause thundered, and cheers went on nonstop.
Qiao Yanxin said straightforwardly, “I’ll cover all expenses tonight. Later, I’m treating everyone to KTV.”
Tao Shuran yawned and was about to wave it off and leave when Qiao Yanxin persuaded her:
“It’s a rare chance. If we’re doing it, let’s go all out. Besides, if you want to go back now, we don’t have a car to send you anyway.”
“Oh, and I invited that elementary school teacher friend of yours.”
Qiao Yanxin said with extra enthusiasm, “Oh, and your first love ex-boyfriend. I invited him too. You have to join in fully tonight, Ranran.”
The smile vanished from Tao Shuran’s face.
She hesitated. “He’s coming too?”
“Yeah, I heard from the girls in the team that Liang Yuanjing is super hard to invite—he never joins girls’ gatherings. But this time, I asked once, and he agreed right away.”
Qiao Yanxin realized belatedly, “He’s here for you, isn’t he, Ranran?”
It was a fact anyone could see.
Tao Shuran bit her lower lip inwardly and leaned back by the window, quietly waiting for the dinner to end.
Midway through, she got two messages from Liang Yuanjing.
Ever since they added each other on WeChat, he would occasionally send a couple of messages to remind her he existed.
Tao Shuran had even checked out his Moments out of curiosity, and sure enough, the content was rich.
Skiing, hiking, all sorts of rescue operations—his life shone brightly on its own.
Liang Yuanjing: “What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it over tonight?”
Tao Shuran: “I’m eating hotpot with Qiao Yanxin and them.”
Liang Yuanjing: “I know.”
Liang Yuanjing: “I also know you definitely didn’t eat your fill. Want some chestnut cake?”
…
Tao Shuran shamelessly replied, “Yes.”
A bit later, Qiao Yanxin posted an update in the group chat.
“KTV later—changing venues. A big sponsor is covering it. Sending the address.”
“They say the snacks here are amazing, and the drinks are top-tier. Normally there’s an entry requirement.”
Tao Shuran thought back to when she had just started dating Liang Yuanjing.
Her college classmates would go to nearby bars at night, and several times they even asked her to help cover for dorm checks.
After too many times, she got curious about what bars were like inside.
After pestering Liang Yuanjing enough, he had no choice but to take her to a clear bar owned by a friend of his.
The atmosphere that day was great. A whole row of sodas sat in front of her.
Liang Yuanjing coaxed her like a child, asking what flavor she liked.
Tao Shuran thought for a moment. “Peach.”
He casually mixed her a glass of Peach Bubble Water—sour and sweet, blooming with happiness on her taste buds.
She asked him what the drink was called.
Liang Yuanjing tugged his lips. “No name.”
She hadn’t been too satisfied with that answer at the time.
So the next second, Liang Yuanjing looked into her eyes and gave her one.
“How about calling this the Tao Shuran Special?”
“Now that our little classmate Tao has finished her drink, can she come home obediently with me?”
Over the years, Tao Shuran had been to many drinking parties, big and small, and tasted plenty of drinks.
But she had never again had a drink that tasted like that Peach Bubble Water from that day.
Life was perhaps like that—full of regrets everywhere.
When they arrived at the KTV, they were led to a private room on the second floor.
The room was huge, and everyone exclaimed in admiration upon entering. Some even took photos to check in.
For Tao Shuran, though, every detail of the place was incredibly familiar.
She made her way familiarly to the bar on the first floor, found a barstool to sit on, and began studying the drink menu.
Soon, her gaze locked onto one item.
“Could I get one of these Peach Bubble Waters, please?”
“Sorry, that’s a private custom order. We only display it; we don’t sell it.”
The server pushed the menu back toward her. “You could try our signature cocktail instead. It tastes great too.”
Tao Shuran’s eyelashes drooped slightly, as if confirming a suspicion in her heart.
She suddenly looked up and said firmly to the server, “My name is Tao Shuran.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Soon, the server brought over a glass of pink bubbly water, his trained voice warm and gentle.
“Hello, Miss Tao Shuran. This is your exclusive Peach Bubble Water.”
Tao Shuran took a sip, the familiar taste washing over her. Compared to her memory’s sourness, the sweetness seemed a touch heavier now.
The server holding the tray explained beside her.
“This recipe was later improved. It has less astringency than before, and it even has a name: Girl’s Heart Matters.”
She looked up and asked, “Why is it called that?”
“Because the feelings of a girl’s youth are the most precious. The creator of the drink hoped to preserve them eternally.”
“By the way, Miss Tao, may I ask which city you plan to develop in the future?”
Tao Shuran was still immersed in the previous words when she suddenly heard a strange man ask such a question.
She looked at him warily. “What’s wrong? Is there something?”
The waiter smiled slowly. “Your choice concerns the future planning and investment direction of our bar.”
“Since it’s a drink specially for you, it should naturally appear in every city where you are.”
Tao Shuran’s eyelashes trembled.
She thought of the three years she spent pursuing her graduate studies at Linchuan Campus, when one day she suddenly heard classmates say that a particularly famous quiet bar had opened near the school.
At that time, she had been afraid of stirring up memories of him and had never stepped inside.
Later, one night after staying late to finish a paper, she was walking halfway when it suddenly started raining.
She sheltered from the rain under the eaves of this bar, but the waiter came out proactively and handed her an umbrella.
It turned out everything was predestined.
Behind the scenes, where she couldn’t see, he had always been concerned about her.
An indescribable emotion surged in her heart, and Tao Shuran sat alone at the bar for a long time.
After a while, Qiao Yanxin came down to call her upstairs to sing.
She wasn’t in the mood to sing, but she couldn’t resist Fang Qingyi’s persistent urging.
“Our Ranran sings really well, truly.”
Unable to withstand everyone’s booing, Tao Shuran took off her jacket, picked up the microphone, and slowly walked on stage.
She selected Zhou Xingzhe’s ‘Don’t Be Friends Anymore’.
It was a slow song, and the atmosphere quieted down at once. Under the bar’s hazy lights, Tao Shuran quietly began to sing.
Don’t be friends anymore.
Friends can’t hold hands.
The impulse to love you, I can only smile and brush past.
The best friends have some dreams that can’t be spoken aloud.
So no need to bear the pain of losing you.
…
When she had a secret crush on Liang Yuanjing, Tao Shuran listened to ‘Mercury Record’ 128 times.
After becoming Liang Yuanjing’s girlfriend, she had listened to this song at least fifty times.
At this moment, all her emotions welled up, and Tao Shuran smiled bitterly to herself. So, the ending of everything was already set.
She and Liang Yuanjing could no longer even be friends.
When she sang the last line, Tao Shuran lowered her head, and in a corner where no one noticed, tears fell unrestrained onto her phone screen.
She lifted her head, made an excuse to go to the restroom to touch up her makeup, but the instant she turned to push the door open, she locked eyes with Liang Yuanjing who was walking in.
Just inches away, he had stood quietly outside and listened to the entire song.
He had also seen the tears at the corner of her eyes.
In the enclosed corridor, the wind and air grew thick and stagnant. Tao Shuran raised her head and walked to the vent to gaze into the distance.
She thought, he still found out about her vulnerable emotions.
Liang Yuanjing slowly offered her a tissue. In his hand, he also carried the freshly packed chestnut cakes and a bit of her favorite snacks; the steaming warmth seemed almost visible.
Tao Shuran took the tissue and gently pressed it to the corner of her eye twice.
She smiled at him as if nothing had happened and proactively stepped aside to let him in.
In the instant they brushed past each other, Liang Yuanjing took hold of her wrist.
His pitch-black eyes gazed deeply at her, the scorching heat as burning as the palm that gripped hers.
“Can you give me another chance?”
He said lowly, “A chance where I never make you cry again.”
Tao Shuran closed her eyes.
She heard her breathing grow erratic, her heartbeat the same. His breath wrapped around her like vines, densely entwining her.
She knew she had never been able to refuse those three words, Liang Yuanjing.
He was like a tree, and she was a seedling growing upon it. One day, the great tree would leave, sunlight would pour down, and the consequence of falling in love with someone was that even the air belonged to his scent.
Tao Shuran no longer wanted that feeling of being born only to die.
She broke free from his hand again and looked at him with a tone nearly calm. “But I don’t want to like you anymore.”
After saying this, Tao Shuran took a deep breath and felt the hand hanging at her side trembling.
She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to stay calm, not looking at his eyes dimmed with disappointment.
Liang Yuanjing lowered his gaze. He rarely had such dejected moments, and at this instant, he realized that love which came too late was itself a sorrow.
The lighter clicked open with a “snap”, the indigo flame lighting up a pair of cold, despondent eyes.
Tao Shuran opened her eyes and said to him word by word, “It’s all in the past, Liang Yuanjing.”
“The summer project ends, and I’ll go back.”
Five years later, she returned these words to him.
“Let’s—never meet again.”