The day Chen Yu was laid off, he was not thinking about the rent or the next meal, but that the cat food at home was almost gone.
He drifted in Shanghai for two years, failed to make a name for himself, and was unwilling to return to Guangzhou. A college classmate handed over a business card: Su Nian, a researcher at the institute, 30 years old, from the north, graduated with a master's degree in Shanghai. Her family was pressing for marriage, and she needed to find someone "suitable for marriage."
The two started chatting on WeChat. Su Nian shared the Lego castle she built and sent a video of her dancing. Across the screen, Chen Yu felt like he hadn't looked forward to someone so much in a long time.
They prayed at the temple, walked by the West Lake, and fell in love with each other in the candlelight on their birthdays. But when Chen Yu finally plucked up the courage to confess, Su Nian said, "You're fine, but you're just not ready yet."
The rationality of a thirty-year-old wins over the heartbeat of a twenty-six-year-old.
Many years later, Chen Yu established a firm foothold in Shanghai. Su Nian married a "suitable" man and lived a stable life. Only the maple leaf bookmark in the desk drawer reminded them that there was a relationship that started with heartbeat and ended with reason. There was no regret, but it was difficult to let go.
Written for all those who have hesitated between reality and their hearts.
Concept: The novel explores a dilemma that almost all urban young people have faced: when the heartbeat occurs at the wrong time, when passion hits the scale of reality, how should we choose? Chen Yu represents "people who are not yet ready" - he has sincere emotions and a willingness to grow, but in the secular measurement system, he is not stable enough and mature enough to be a "suitable for marriage" partner. Su Nian represents the "rational chooser" - she is not unmoved, but does not dare to let the temptation overturn the life plan she has established over the past thirty years. Their story is not about who is right or wrong, but about two different life rhythms meeting at the same intersection and moving forward separately.