Fan Xiaoying has done two cowardly things in her life.
First, she secretly loved her deskmate, Lu Xinyu, in high school, hiding her feelings for three whole years and never daring to confess, even by graduation.
Second, years later, she saw him again at a blind date. Her heart skipped a beat, but she still pretended to be unfazed, negotiating terms, discussing business, and talking about how to split expenses equally after marriage.
Lu Xinyu, on the other hand, is perfectly at ease. He pushes up his gold-rimmed glasses and smiles with gentle poise. "Fan Xiaoying, long time no see."
Yes, long time no see.
So long that the boy who used to blush when he tutored her in math is now the youngest professor at his university.
So long that they once had a sweet secret romance on campus, only to part tearfully at the airport for the sake of their careers.
So long that she thought she had moved on, until the moment she saw him and realized the name in her heart had never been erased.
They register their marriage three days after their blind date. The pace is ridiculously fast.
Fan Xiaoying thinks, we're adults. We each get what we need. We know each other well enough, so we might as well make it work.
Until one night, she wakes up and finds Lu Xinyu staring at her, his gaze tender enough to drown her.
"Fan Xiaoying," he says hoarsely. "Have you ever wondered who fell for whom first back then? Did you pursue me first, or did I like you first?"
"..."
"It was even earlier."
He pauses.
"Much earlier than you think."
Fan Xiaoying suddenly remembers the winter of her second year in high school, when she secretly slipped a note into his textbook, then chickened out and snatched it back after writing just four words.
Where did that note go afterward?
She searches every old book she can find, and finally discovers it in Lu Xinyu's safe:
Crinkled and patched with clear tape, tucked beneath the property deeds and bankbooks.
The handwriting is blurred, but still legible:
"I like you."
Theme: Not every secret crush comes to nothing. Some people hide their feelings for three years, then find them again at a blind date ten years later. At twenty, we let each other go for our futures. At thirty, I'd give up everything for you. True love can endure separation and wait for a reunion. The person who lived in my heart since high school became the rest of my life.
