Chapter 1

"This is Zhenhai City..."

A young man in his twenties stood in front of the Zhenhai City bus station, gazing at the surrounding skyscrapers, the bustling traffic, and the diverse crowd, feeling a bit dizzy and sighing deeply.

Especially the women's clothing—either showing their backs or their navels, and their shorts barely covering their buttocks. Looking at those pairs of long, white legs, Zhang Yu's lips went dry; back home, no one dressed like this.

The young man's name was Zhang Yu. He had grown up in a small town in a remote and poor area, where most young people went out to work. During the Spring Festival this year, when the family and friends gathered, those who worked outside all came back, each doing better than the other. In particular, the young aunt from the neighboring family had married a wealthy man in Zhenhai City and now owned a car.

For Zhang Yu, the big city held no particular appeal. However, his mother was a competitive person. Seeing that the young people in town were all doing well, while her son was still aimless, she decided to send him to Zhenhai City to seek help from the young aunt, hoping he could make something of himself.

Zhang Yu took out an old phone book and a dual-SIM orange phone that his mother had just bought him. Just as he was about to call the young aunt, his heart trembled, causing a ripple of emotions.

The young aunt's name was Yang Ying. The Yang and Zhang families were old friends, and Yang Ying's father and Zhang Yu's grandfather were fellow apprentices in a carpentry workshop. Yang Ying was the late-born daughter of the old Yang, only three years older than Zhang Yu. Because the two families often visited each other, Yang Ying was a senior to Zhang Yu, and he had to call her "young aunt." They grew up together, like childhood sweethearts. Zhang Yu still remembered the time when he was thirteen and accidentally saw Yang Ying bathing one night. Driven by the curiosity of adolescence, his eyes couldn't move away. His heart raced so fast that he didn't even notice when the silver bell his grandmother gave him fell.

Four years later, Yang Ying decided to leave the small town and pursue a new life in the big city. That was the last time Zhang Yu spoke to her, and he remembered it clearly. Yang Ying returned the silver bell he had lost four years ago and said, "I'm leaving, and I'm giving this back to you. Take care of yourself, find a wife in a few years, have a child, and I can be a grandmother."

Zhang Yu nodded in a daze, watching Yang Ying board the long-distance bus. After that, Yang Ying never came back until the Spring Festival this year. At that time, she was wearing a bright green cashmere coat, a far cry from the innocent little girl she used to be. She was now so noble and elegant, almost in a different world. They only exchanged a few formal greetings.

Now, as he was about to call Yang Ying, Zhang Yu didn't know what to say. He didn't want to see her, but he also had some expectations, a contradictory feeling.

Suddenly, a woman's cry came from not far ahead, "Someone's stealing a bag! Someone's stealing a bag!"

Such incidents never happened in the town. Hearing the cry, Zhang Yu thought, "In broad daylight, how dare they be so bold."

He quickly put his phone and phone book back in his pocket, picked up the oversized travel bag at his feet, and rushed toward the source of the sound. After a few steps, he saw a man in his twenties holding a woman's bag, running hurriedly toward him. The young man was fast, and although there were people around, no one tried to stop him. Zhang Yu, seeing the man's appearance, guessed he was the thief. As the man approached, Zhang Yu lifted his travel bag and swung it at him.

"Ah..."

The young man cried out in pain, flying more than two meters away, and the woman's bag flew out of his hand. Zhang Yu was about to catch him, but the man, feeling guilty, rolled on the ground, dropped the bag, and ran across the street.

The street was crowded with traffic, and Zhang Yu didn't dare to chase him too far, watching as the man crossed the road and fled.

Zhang Yu picked up the bag and saw a woman, holding a pair of high heels, hopping over to him, shouting, "Someone's stealing a bag! Someone's stealing a bag!"

"Your bag is here!" Zhang Yu went over and saw her face clearly.

The woman was about twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a white wide-collar shirt and a black narrow skirt. Her hopping made her chest rise and fall, revealing a deep cleavage. Her figure was curvaceous, her waist slender, and her long, smooth legs were exposed. Her wavy hair fell over her shoulders, and her rosy lips were alluring. Her face was full of anxiety and some pain, making her look even more delicate and charming.

"Little Aunt!" When Zhang Yu saw the woman's face, he was stunned.

It turned out that the woman was none other than Yang Ying, the one who had been causing Zhang Yu's inner turmoil.

"Little Yu!" Seeing Zhang Yu, Yang Ying was also surprised. Then, seeing the bag in Zhang Yu's hand, she was relieved and said, "This bag is mine."

"I know it's yours." Zhang Yu ran over and returned the bag to Yang Ying, adding, "Little Aunt, what a coincidence. I was just about to call you, and here you are."

"Find me? Why are you looking for me?" Yang Ying asked curiously.

"Didn't you tell my mom during the Spring Festival that I could follow you?" Zhang Yu said honestly.

"Did I say that...?" After half a year, Yang Ying couldn't remember what she had said during the Spring Festival. Besides, it was just a casual remark at a family gathering. Looking at Zhang Yu's current attire—a white shirt, an outdated pair of trousers from the 1990s, and a pair of Huili sneakers—Yang Ying frowned. The oversized travel bag on his back made him look like a typical migrant worker.

"You must have said it. Otherwise, my mom wouldn't keep urging me to find you and say I can't go back if I don't make something of myself." Zhang Yu was straightforward and didn't realize that people's personalities could change in the big city. Seeing Yang Ying frown, he thought she was in pain and asked, "Little Aunt, your foot seems to be sprained. Does it hurt a lot? Can you walk?"

"I twisted my foot chasing that bastard. It hurts a lot. But thank you for helping me get my bag back." Yang Ying's ankle was really swollen and painful.

"We're family, no need to be so formal. You look like you can't walk. Let me carry you." Zhang Yu turned around, bent over, and offered his back to Yang Ying.

There were many people around the bus station, and both of them were dressed inappropriately. If Zhang Yu carried her, it would be embarrassing. But with her sprained foot, she couldn't walk, and if he really carried her home, she would have to take him in.

Zhang Yu waited for a moment, and when Yang Ying didn't move, he thought she was in too much pain to get up. He squatted in front of her, reached back, and grabbed her knees. With a slight effort, he lifted her onto his back and stood up, carrying her steadily.

Yang Ying didn't expect Zhang Yu to do this and exclaimed, "Ah..."

Then, she said irritably, "What are you doing?"

Zhang Yu said sincerely, "I saw you couldn't move, so I just carried you. Remember when we were kids and you sprained your foot on the mountain? I carried you home, and it was about ten miles."