Strangers After Waking

■ Rekindled love | Intense push and pull | Familiar faces, familiar offenses

Easygoing, good-natured, rich and handsome man x sharp-tongued young lady who'd rather die than admit she's hurt

What's the most awkward kind of ex relationship?

For Shang Yu, it's the one she has with Ji Xiaohui.

Neither of them is the type to fall out with people, and their mutual friends make up most of their social circles. It only takes a few words for the conversation to turn to the other person.

This "charming, carefree bachelor" is always wandering into view. Shang Yu hasn't moved on, but she acts as if she cares even less than he does.

He can laugh and say "We're all friends" in front of everyone, and she can add, "Actually, we're not close."

She thought she could keep up the aloof, unbothered act forever, until she started dreaming about Ji Xiaohui over and over around her period.

The dreams were absurd. Sometimes he was gentle, sometimes forceful, coaxing her to stay in the dream and not wake up.

They made Shang Yu feel as if she'd returned to that summer when she'd been utterly uninhibited with him.

When she woke up alone, Shang Yu couldn't help sending him a teasing message on WeChat.

[I dreamed about you (vomiting.GIF)]

He replied instantly: What did you dream about?

Every time, Shang Yu would blush as she typed: I don't remember.

2/

At a get-together with mutual friends, Shang Yu got so drunk she slumped beside the sofa, and no one looked after her.

Ji Xiaohui made his way through the crowd and walked over to her, helplessly picking her up.

As soon as he touched her, his ex-girlfriend in his arms suddenly kissed the corner of his mouth.

Ji Xiaohui froze in place.

Shang Yu gazed at him, dazed and coquettish. "Ji Xiaohui... Can we take it easy tonight?"

Ji Xiaohui: ?

3/

Shang Yu had gotten used to using her dreams about Ji Xiaohui to get through the restless days around her period.

One morning, after waking up and reminiscing about the previous night's dream, she sent him another message: [Dreamed about you again.]

But when she got out of bed, Shang Yu looked down and saw the tie Ji Xiaohui had worn the day before on the floor.

A rush of steamy memories swept over her, and her mind went completely blank.

Just then, a new reply popped up on her phone, full of teasing.

[Did you remember this time?]

Theme: Study hard.