Long Time No See

Gentle, radiant high school teacher x mature, refined documentary director

[Brother, long time no see]

Blurb One:

When she was young, Yu Yao once imagined how she and Zhou Zhichen would meet again.

She would have outgrown her youthful awkwardness, dressed appropriately, and greeted him with poise: “Long time no see.”

Just as the lyrics say:

At the cafe on the corner, smiling, waving hello.

But when their reunion came without warning, Yu Yao never imagined it would happen in a tea restaurant.

It was an autumn afternoon. She was in a miserable state, having just received her landlord’s final ultimatum and been forced to move out.

The restaurant door opened, and Zhou Zhichen walked in. Yu Yao’s eyes stung as she met his deep gaze.

He was tall and straight, dressed in a black shirt, his features deep and defined, just as she remembered.

Their eyes met.

Yu Yao lowered her trembling lashes, wanting only to pretend she hadn’t seen him.

But in the next moment, she caught sight of Zhou Zhichen stopping by her table. His long fingers tapped the tabletop as he called softly, “Yu Yao.”

She pressed her lips together, then looked up in silence, flustered.

The man lowered his eyes and asked gently, “I have a spare room. Do you want to move in with me?”

Blurb Two:

The day she moved into Zhou Zhichen’s home, Yu Yao was quiet and withdrawn. She never imagined she would find her way back into his world.

That same night, Yu Yao saw the man standing on the balcony, taking a call with a calm expression, and learned that his family was pressuring him to marry.

As it happened, her mother was also urging her to go on dates and get married.

Sitting on the sofa, Yu Yao felt her mind go blank in an impulsive moment. She walked over and asked him if they should get married.

“Are you sure?”

Zhou Zhichen looked at her intently, his voice gentle and even as he told her about something that had once been true.

“Yu Yao, eight years ago, your mother and my father were deeply in love.”

Under the night sky, he lit a cigarette. “They were one step away from getting married.”

Zhou Zhichen looked at her and tapped the ash from his cigarette. “So are you sure you’re willing to marry me?”

In that moment,

the man’s eyes were gentle and deep, like a dark evening that refused to fade.

Yu Yao pressed her lips together, nodded, and said yes.

August 9, 3 p.m., a tea restaurant on the street.

Yu Yao and Zhou Zhichen reunite.

August 10, 6 p.m., a residential complex in the city center.

Yu Yao moves into Zhou Zhichen’s home.

August 11, 10 a.m., the marriage registration office.

Yu Yao wears Zhou Zhichen’s white shirt. Its loose cuffs cannot hide the kiss marks on the inside of her wrists.

They are legally married.

“At the cafe on the corner, smiling, waving hello.”

“Long Time No See” by Eason

*Urban fairy tale / marriage first, love later / mutual pining / age gap

*First archived in 2023

Theme: Live well, grow up well