Duan Zhixu, the son of Jiangzhou's richest family, and Ye Nanzhi, born into a family of scholars, grew up together in the old alley, climbing trees and sharing snacks.
One was a golden child born with a silver spoon in his mouth, never short of admirers. The other was a cool-headed academic prodigy who grew up with books, her eyes fixed only on knowledge and the stars. Everyone said they were worlds apart, but only Duan Zhixu knew that from the moment he saw her profile as she bent over a problem beneath the grape trellis, to the sight of her running away from the basketball court with a blush on her face, he had never been able to look away.
Their love began as a shy crush in their youth and weathered the ups and downs of adolescence. They argued over the gap between their family fortunes, endured cold wars under the weight of real-world pressures, and faced one obstacle after another from their families. But he was willing to trade his tailored suits for crowded buses and secondhand bookshops just to be with her. And she was willing to set aside her stubborn pride and stand firmly by his side as he took on the whole world.
From school uniforms to wedding dresses, from the grapevines in their old courtyard to the splendor of their wedding hall, Duan Zhixu spent half a lifetime proving that being well matched was never about wealth or education. It was the certainty in his eyes whenever he looked at her, a devotion that had endured across the years:
“Nanzhi, from a long, long time ago, all I've ever wanted was to spend my life with you.”
