College campus | Two couples | Online friends meet in person | Love at first sight | A match for each other | Best friends and brothers | Growing up and falling in love | Fresh and tender
When Yang Fei, a sunny, outgoing senior in the architecture department (online handle: Wind Leaves No Trace), left a pale blue slip of paper with his contact information in the library, he never imagined it would be picked up by Ning Rou, a freshman (online handle: Tranquility Brings Distance). Through screens, words and stickers carried their shy feelers and the sweetness that grew between them, eventually leading to a nervous yet eagerly anticipated date at Xingyu Cafe, where the air was rich with the aroma of coffee.
For courage (or perhaps to help out if things got awkward), Yang Fei brought along his best friend Liang Ji, who seemed lazy and carefree but was remarkably perceptive. Nervous to the point of panic, Ning Rou was accompanied by her best friend Hu Mingyue, whose manner was calm and gentle, though her eyes were as deep as autumn waters.
When they first met, the champagne roses Yang Fei held blushed Ning Rou's cheeks. Their online rapport quickly blossomed in person, filling the air with the sweet, innocent pink bubbles of first love.
Yet on this sunlit afternoon, fragrant with coffee, another, entirely different story quietly began. When Liang Ji's seemingly casual gaze met Hu Mingyue's calm, still-water eyes, their brief exchange of glances stirred undercurrents beneath the surface. One was used to being in control and skilled at hiding his thoughts; the other was keenly perceptive and unruffled. Both cool-headed and proud, they immediately sensed the unusual magnetism in the other during their first silent encounter. It wasn't love-at-first-sight sparks, but the scrutiny and curiosity of two evenly matched opponents.
