A Tangled, Tender Love

Roses have no rules; the heart’s desire comes first.

They first meet again at a bar called Heartbeat. The young woman is dressed in a white dress, thoroughly drunk, and mumbling, “Zhou Rui is a jerk.”

He can only smile bitterly. So she has a boyfriend.

They meet for the second time at a bus stop near his office.

This time, he stands not far from her, watching as she gazes at the passing traffic, lost and dejected.

She never notices him, but he can’t take his eyes off her.

Before leaving, he looks back at her reluctantly.

Her eyes are red, tears welling up as she quietly mourns over her phone screen.

He walks over and stops in front of her, his tall figure shielding her from the scorching sun. “Here, take an umbrella. The sun’s blazing.”

They meet for the third time at the hotel where he’s staying on a business trip. The young woman witnesses her boyfriend cheating on her.

He approaches through the drizzle and holds an umbrella over her.

That is also the day she recognizes him.

She says, “Chi Yun, am I stupid? It took me so long to realize he doesn’t love me anymore...”

He says, “Let the rain wash away the dust; let the wind scatter the gloom.”

That same year they reunite, he marries the girl he has loved since high school.