After saying goodbye to Aunt Chen, Su Yue left the hospital. By then, the sky had already darkened like velvet soaked in ink.
The streetlights along the roadside flicked on in unison. Their warm yellow glow passed through the covers and spread rings of light across the ground.
When she had just gotten off work, thunder had still been rumbling through the clouds. Now, only a few faint echoes remained, while the wind had grown fiercer, sweeping up fallen leaves and sending them spiraling toward people.
The moment Su Yue stepped off the stairs, a strong gust whipped her raven-black hair into disarray.
Several strands clung to her cheeks. She hurriedly raised a hand and tucked the loose hair by her ear behind it, while her other hand held down the skirt billowing in the wind. Then she hurried toward where she had parked.
When she reached the parking spot, Su Yue first smoothed her windblown hair. Just as her fingers closed around the handlebars and she prepared to mount the bike, her phone suddenly chimed in her pocket. The crisp notification sounded especially clear in the evening breeze.
She took out her phone and unlocked it. A message from Lin Li appeared on the screen: "Just got home. Want to find somewhere to eat together? My treat."
Looking at those words, the corners of Su Yue's mouth rose involuntarily, and laughter rippled through her eyes. Her fingers flew across the screen, her nails gleaming faintly beneath the streetlight. "Sure! What should we eat?"
After sending it, she slipped her phone back into her pocket, the warmth of the screen still lingering on her fingertips.
Meanwhile, Lin Li had only just gotten home.
He was sprawled on the sofa, taking a breather. When his phone lit up and he saw