Bian Li’s home was in the southern part of the city.
Unlike the bustling commercial area at the center, the south was mostly residential, with a scenic coastal highway winding along villas perched on hillsides that faced both mountains and the sea.
Bian Li had lived in Huayuan since childhood, a neighborhood known for its stacked and staggered townhouses.
Back in the day, traveling from the company to her home, provided there wasn’t a traffic jam, would take over 40 minutes.
But in City Z, there was never a time without traffic jams.
Often, riding a small electric scooter proved faster, more convenient, and less of a hassle.
However, just as Bian Li was about to ride her scooter to the community gate, it broke down. She restarted the switch, turned the key multiple times, but the scooter remained unresponsive.
After struggling for a while, Bian Li gave up, her hands now streaked with grayish dust. It was likely because the scooter had been sitting unused in the underground garage for too long. Covered in dust and without a charge, it failed her when she needed it most.
With no other option, Bian Li pushed the scooter home. Since she was already near the community gate, she wasn’t too bothered.
She softly muttered something, parked the scooter in the courtyard, and swiped her card to enter the house. Her actions went unnoticed by those inside.
Pushing the wooden door open, a familiar warmth and sweetness filled her nose immediately—the scent of home.
It was the smell of Mother Bian’s baking. At this hour, she was likely preparing afternoon tea.
Changing her shoes at the entrance, Bian Li bent slightly and called into the house, “Why is no one coming out to greet me? Your baby is back!”
There was a rustling sound in the living room. The whispers halted abruptly before falling silent.
Switching into slippers, Bian Li stepped inside with her bag slung over one shoulder. As she turned past the small partition door near the sliding window, she peeked inside with her head tilted.
Two men sat on the sofa in the center of the living room. One was her father—gentle and elegant as ever. The other was a handsome uncle with a slightly cold demeanor. She didn’t recognize him.
Strangely, despite not knowing him, his face seemed inexplicably familiar.
Father Bian adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled, “You’re back? Come to Daddy.”
Normally, Bian Li would have run over eagerly, but with a guest present, she felt a little reserved.
Mother Bian had mentioned earlier that someone would visit, but Bian Li hadn’t expected the guest to arrive in the middle of the afternoon.
Walking over in small steps, she let Father Bian take her schoolbag. “What’s in here that’s so heavy?” he asked.
“Books,” Bian Li replied in a soft voice. “I have exams tomorrow, so I’ll have to stay up late studying under the lights.”
Father Bian set the schoolbag aside and gestured toward the man sitting opposite him on the sofa. “This is your Uncle He, one of Daddy’s good friends.”
Father Bian was an investor and came from a family wealthy for three generations. Over the years, he had crossed paths with Uncle He in the business world.
Although the two families weren’t from the same city—the He family lived in S City—they occasionally met up when Father Bian traveled there. This, however, was the first time in years that Uncle He had visited their home.
The two men weren’t exactly close, but they shared a deep camaraderie. With both having some free time recently, they had decided to reminisce about the old days.
Bian Li glanced at the man and greeted politely, “Hello, Uncle He.”
“Still in high school?” Uncle He nodded slightly. His clear, low voice was especially pleasant to the ear.
Father Bian chuckled. “High school? She’s already a junior and has been in the industry for two years.”
Uncle He paused, looking briefly embarrassed, but quickly regained his composure. “Debut?”
Then, with a light smile, he added, “I’m sorry. Uncle doesn’t pay much attention to the entertainment industry. You were so young before, and now you’ve grown so much.”
Father Bian resisted the urge to comment—especially since Uncle He’s own son was in the entertainment industry. Claiming to “not pay attention” seemed a bit disingenuous.
Meanwhile, Bian Li stared at Uncle He for a moment, then suddenly said, “Uncle He, I think you look familiar.”
Uncle He raised his gaze, resting his hands lightly on his crossed long legs. His eyebrows arched slightly at her words.
That expression was all too familiar, but Bian Li’s mind wasn’t on that right now.
She exclaimed excitedly, “You’re the one… the one on the mainland rich list?!”
There were many wealthy people in the country, but only a handful were rich, handsome, and exuded an air of refined elegance.
The moment she saw him, she knew something felt different, and now that she looked closer, she realized it was indeed him—the business tycoon who had held a spot in the top ten of the mainland rich list for years.
It wasn’t just his wealth that captivated people; his peerless face had fascinated countless admirers. Even though he’d stayed out of the public eye in recent years, his annual spot on the rich list wasn’t just for show.
Before He Xianliang could say anything, Father Bian lightly tapped her on the head, scolding her with a laugh, “You’re being so rude! What kind of way is this to greet your Uncle He?”
Bian Li puffed up her cheeks indignantly, looking like an angry little pufferfish.
“My scooter broke down, and I had to push it all the way home by myself! And now you’re bullying me as soon as I step in the door? You’re just jealous Uncle He is more handsome than you!”
Father Bian, looking every bit the refined gentleman, could only shake his head helplessly at her antics. His tone softened. “What happened to the scooter? Isn’t it the same electric one that made the hot search?”
“What do you mean the one? That scooter is cute and lightweight! What’s wrong with it?” Bian Li shot back without missing a beat.
After a moment, she huffed and added, “Anyway, I don’t care, Dad. You still have to help me charge it later.”
“And where do you think we can charge it at home? I’ll deal with it tomorrow,” Father Bian said dismissively.
Throughout the playful banter, He Xianliang had been quietly observing, a faint smile tugging at his lips. When the mention of the electric scooter came up again, his eyes seemed to drift into thought.
“I think electric scooters are pretty great,” he finally said in a calm, approving tone.
“Yes, yes! Uncle He knows what’s up!” Bian Li’s face lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically.
Father Bian, slightly irked, waved her off, “Go wash your hands in the kitchen. While you’re at it, see if your mom needs any help.”
Bian Li protested, “I came straight home after lunch, even skipped the class party tonight just to be here, and now you’re shooing me away?”
“Go on, say hello properly. Your Uncle He’s wife is in there too,” Father Bian replied, pointing toward the kitchen. His tone carried a mix of exasperation and indulgence.
Reluctantly, Bian Li shuffled off, following the scent of butter and warmth wafting through the air.
Pushing open the glass sliding door, she called out sweetly, “Mom, I’m back! Hello, Auntie.”
Inside, two women stood leaning against the counter, chatting in hushed tones while waiting for something in the oven. Startled by her soft and sticky voice, they both turned toward her.
Mother Bian’s face lit up, and she quickly walked over, pulling Bian Li to her side. “Finally, you’re back! This is your Aunt Fu,” she said warmly.
As Mother Bian spoke, Bian Li stole a glance at Aunt Fu. She was undeniably charming, her beauty carrying a timeless elegance that made it hard to guess her age.
Aunt Fu, noticing the scrutiny, smiled kindly and said, “Fei Fei has grown so beautiful.”
Mother Bian laughed, her voice full of pride. “And Fatty’s grown into such a handsome young man. My students at school are all obsessed with him!”
Mother Bian, a university professor, often heard her students gushing over the He family’s son.
Sandwiched between the two women, exchanging praise for each other’s children, Bian Li couldn’t help but feel as though she’d been dragged into some sort of blind date scenario.
She cleared her throat lightly, uninterested in the mention of someone else’s child, and asked, “Mom, is my brother upstairs?”
Since coming home, she hadn’t seen her brother anywhere.
Mother Bian snorted. “He claims he’s busy and refuses to come back. If you happen to bump into him, pinch his ears for me! He hasn’t been home in so long and doesn’t even feel sorry for his poor mother.”
Bian Li pouted, visibly frustrated. “But I can’t bump into him if he’s never around.”
Aunt Fu sighed as well. “Kids are like this when they grow up. Fatty used to cling to me all the time, but now he’s more and more like his father—cold and distant.”
“Your old He is cold? Cold to others, maybe,” Mother Bian teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
A faint smile played on Fu Xue’s lips, the curve tinged with sweetness.
Fu Xue added, “When we came to City Z, we planned to meet Fatty along the way. He rarely comes home, but when he heard we’d be at your place, he agreed readily.”
Just then, a soft beep echoed from the oven, signaling the food was ready.
Mother Bian busied herself with retrieving the baked goods and smiled. “Back in the day, we had so much fun. I suppose you still miss those times?”
Her words made it sound as though Bian Li had shared a close bond with someone long ago, though she felt no such memory stirring.
Sensing her confusion, Aunt Fu spoke gently, trying to jog her memory. “When we visited your home back then, you always called him ‘Fatty Brother’. Don’t you remember?”
Bian Li shook her head. She truly had no recollection.
“Doesn’t matter,” Aunt Fu said with a soft laugh. “Your Fatty Brother will be here today. You two can catch up properly. He’s busy, though, so he probably won’t make it until dinner.”
The latter part was addressed to Mother Bian, who waved it off cheerfully. “Oh, that’s fine. It’ll be wonderful to see him regardless. Let’s go out for afternoon tea first, and in the evening, I’ll show off my specialty dishes.”
The group moved to the living room, where the four adults chatted animatedly. At one point, they pulled Bian Li into a group photo.
After a while, Bian Li couldn’t sit still. She grabbed her schoolbag and excused herself to head upstairs, explaining that she had an exam the next day. The adults let her go without protest.
She trudged up the stairs, phone in hand, scrolling idly.
Aunt Fu’s voice drifted up faintly, “Fei Fei goes to Shengdian? What a coincidence! Fatty is from there too—though he graduated some time ago.”
Bian Li’s ears perked up at the mention but didn’t dwell on it. She had just taken the group photo and couldn’t wait to post it on WeChat Moments.
Her WeChat was mostly family members and close staff, so the post felt casual: a picture of the adults captioned with, “Feels so good to be home, haha. Handsome uncles and beautiful aunts make it even better!”
The likes and comments flooded in almost instantly.
Brother: Home?
Da Xiong: Prepare well for tomorrow’s exam. (Angry emoji)
Ruan Ruan: I miss Auntie’s braised pork elbow!
Lai Lai: Have fun.
Handsome from the start: Wait, why do two people look so familiar to me?
Bian Li replied to each comment, smiling at the banter. When she reached Ning Xuechu’s post, she hesitated. It wasn’t surprising that people recognized someone who had been on the rich list for years.
She mulled over her reply when she saw “X” had given the post a thumbs-up.
She instantly recognized who it was but decided to leave the note unchanged.
—
Bian Li spent hours upstairs buried in her books. When she finally glanced out the window, she noticed the sky had darkened.
Downstairs, the sound of a car pulling up was followed by lively voices in the living room.
Her door, half-open, allowed faint snippets of conversation to reach her.
Not long after, Mother Bian called her down for dinner. Bian Li quickly packed away her books, slipped on her slippers, and hurried down the stairs.
The spiral staircase faced the living room, and as she descended, her eyes caught sight of a pair of casually crossed legs. They were long and well-proportioned, the posture exuding effortless confidence.
It was clearly a young man.
That familiar aura made her slow her steps, her curiosity piqued.
By the time she reached the bottom of the staircase and lifted her gaze fully, she froze.
Standing there was someone she never expected to see.
He Yunxing rose from the sofa with an easy smile as Mother Bian introduced him enthusiastically. The sofa was so close to the stairs that he only needed a single step to reach her.
With his hands tucked into his pockets, he lowered his gaze to meet hers. His deep voice carried a faint, elusive emotion:
“Little junior, long time no see.”
