Jiang Ye's world was once an airtight gray - the depression in the workplace cubicle, the virtual carnival behind the computer screen, and the instinctive avoidance of crowds made up his entire life. Like a plant that cannot see the light, he huddled in the cocoon he built until he met Lin Guoguo holding a flyer in the snack street.
The girl whose smile was like sunshine in her eyes was the first person who dared to break into his world. She would drag him to taste the spicy hotpot at the roadside stall, put fitness leaflets into his hands and say, "You must be so handsome when you build muscles," and when he hid in the corner again, she would hand him a candy with a smile: "Jiang Ye, the world is not that scary."
In order to see the light in her eyes again, Jiang Ye began to change clumsily: he practiced watching fitness videos until his muscles ached, put on take-out clothes and walked through the city streets, and for the first time mustered up the courage to say "I want to go" during team building. The otaku who once avoided even looking at each other was gradually able to straighten his back and use his thin-muscle arms to ward off the crowd for her; he who once felt that "living is just work and games" finally understood: the so-called salvation is when she comes in with light, and he is willing to walk out of the closed door for her.
"Ling Guoguo," under the neon lights of the snack street, Jiang Ye clutched the glass of lemonade she gave her, her voice trembling but firm, "You are my antidote."
And she smiled, stood on tiptoe, and brushed the fallen leaves from his shoulders: "No, we belong to each other."
