The day they reunited at work, the aroma of coffee mingled with a familiar sharp tongue, exploding beside Su Yao's ear. Looking at Lin Yu, now her direct superior after a promotion, she felt as if their high school days of trading barbs had returned. He complained that she "slacked off and snacked at work," yet gallantly stepped in when others gave her a hard time. He mocked her for having "zero cooking skills," yet secretly studied recipes to make her a loving packed lunch. Even when she mistakenly thought he was competing with her for a chance to study in Shanghai, he quietly paved the way for her, waiting for her to discover the truth.
Then the arrival of her new neighbor, Lu Ran, brought a little more everyday warmth to this budding romance. A gentle young man who could cook wonderfully, he took her through the little eateries tucked into every street and alley, from wonton stalls at dawn to grilled cold noodles late at night. It wasn't until he showed up at the company banquet in a luxury car that Su Yao realized this "ordinary neighbor" who had shared roadside snacks with her was actually the chairman's son.
During a truth-or-dare game on an outdoor team-building trip, she was forced to look Lin Yu in the eyes for a full minute. The earnestness in his gaze beneath the lights made her heart skip a beat, and her cheeks turned bright red. When she fell ill, he brought her medicine through the rain; his casual support in the stairwell let her hear his strong heartbeat. Even the awkward, childish way he deliberately interrupted her date with Lu Ran out of jealousy stirred a strange sweetness in her heart.
When the misunderstanding about studying in Shanghai was cleared up, he confessed onstage at the annual party through a song: "Turns out you're the luck I want to hold on to most." Su Yao finally understood that the concern hidden behind his sharp tongue and the companionship shared over good food had long since let love quietly bloom with time. From the unspoken affection beneath the cicadas' song in high school to the undeniable care amid the bustle of working life, theirs was a love that had crossed the years of youth, with both hearts finding their way to each other.
