Chapter 1: I’m here to pick you up

“Send your flight number to Youchuan, he’ll pick you up when you arrive.”

The phone was on speaker, buried under a pile of messy clothes.

Jiang Yu’s voice came through from the other end.

Jiang Nanshu paused while folding her clothes and rejected the idea without hesitation.

“Mom, we’ve only met once.

If he picks me up, I won’t even know what to talk about with him.

That would be so awkward…”

Jiang Yu had been widowed for many years before finding love again last year.

Just a few days ago, she got remarried.

And so, at the age of twenty-seven, at the end of the year, Jiang Nanshu suddenly had a stepfather and a stepbrother, two years older than her, whom she had only met once.

“That’s exactly why your Uncle Lu suggested that he pick you up,” Jiang Yu explained.

“Since you’ve decided to move back to Jiangcheng for work, you’ll be seeing each other often.

It’s good for you two to get familiar and build a sibling bond.”

Sibling bond…

Although she was happy for her mother’s remarriage, suddenly gaining an older brother was something she couldn’t adjust to so quickly.

Feeling helpless, Jiang Nanshu muttered, “Did you even ask for his opinion?”

“Stop calling him ‘that person.’

If calling him ‘brother’ feels too awkward, at least use his name.”

Jiang Yu was clearly in a great mood not just because she had found companionship in her later years, but also because Jiang Nanshu had agreed to return to Jiangcheng for work.

Not wanting to dampen her mother’s spirits, Jiang Nanshu gave a noncommittal “mm-hmm” and ended the call.

She placed the folded clothes into her suitcase.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated.

She picked it up, glanced at the screen, and her mouth twitched slightly.

Lu Youchuan: [Sister, send me your flight number, I’ll pick you up.

“……”

No doubt about it being two years older also made him much better at accepting things.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jiang Nanshu sent over her flight details.

She typed out “Thank you” but hesitated before sending it.

Since he was making an effort to get closer, she shouldn’t be too passive either.

No matter how unfamiliar they were, they were now legally family.

They would be seeing each other frequently once she moved back to Jiangcheng.

So, she added one more word.

Shu: Thank you, bro.

Lu Youchuan: No need to be polite.

Since you’re calling me ‘brother,’ we’re family now.

“……”

That’s only because you called me ‘sister’ first.

I was just returning the favor.

Jiang Nanshu, of course, wasn’t going to argue with him.

She simply sent a playful emoji and put her phone down before continuing to pack.

She had lived in this one-bedroom apartment for over three years, accumulating a lot of belongings.

Many items were difficult to take with her.

She had already given away furniture and small appliances to former colleagues.

Even after sorting and discarding unnecessary things, she was left with several large cardboard boxes and two big suitcases.

The sofa and dining table had already been taken away.

Standing in the now-empty apartment, she snapped a photo of her luggage and sent it to Cheng Jiajia.

Shu: Can I send my things to your place first? Will it be convenient?

There were quite a few items, and she wasn’t sure if Cheng Jiajia’s small apartment could fit them all.

Cheng Jiajia, who was slacking off at work, replied instantly.

Cheng Jiajia: Of course!

I’ll clear some space on the balcony and stack them there.

Cheng Jiajia: Want me to skip work tomorrow and pick you up?

“……”

That won’t be necessary.

Jiang Nanshu chuckled and sent a screenshot of her conversation with Lu Youchuan.

Cheng Jiajia sent a voice message.

“Tsk tsk, your stepbrother doesn’t seem too bad.

How does he look?”

Jiang Nanshu thought for a moment and gave an honest answer.

Shu: Pretty handsome.

But I think he has a girlfriend.

Cheng Jiajia didn’t reply probably busy at work.

Jiang Nanshu spent the whole day packing.

By nightfall, all the boxes were stacked by the door.

She placed an order for a courier service to pick them up.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she walked into the kitchen, feeling parched.

Opening the fridge, she remembered she had already emptied it.

The only thing left inside was a single can of beer who knows when she bought it.

Checking the expiration date, she saw it was still good.

Just as she was about to pull the tab, an old memory flashed through her mind.

A teenage boy, sweaty from the basketball court, leaning back in his classroom chair.

She had slid a soda across the desk to him.

With a flick of his index finger pop! the can was effortlessly opened.

Back then, Jiang Nanshu had bought plenty of Coke and Sprite, secretly practicing how to open a can the same way.

Even after they lost touch following high school graduation, she had never mastered the trick.

Staring at the beer can in her hand, she gave it a try.

“Ah!”

A sharp pain shot through her finger.

She put the beer down and frowned at her split fingernail, watching as blood slowly seeped out.

Fetching the first-aid kit, she scolded herself internally.

What was she even doing?

After dressing the wound, the doorbell rang.

The courier had arrived.

She watched as all her boxes were taken away, then stood in the empty apartment, zoning out for a few seconds.

A strange nervousness crept over her.

Was it because she was nearing home?

Or because she suddenly thought of Song Ye?

Taking a deep breath, she turned back inside and finally drank the beer.

After tossing the empty can in the trash, she texted her landlord, picked up her jacket, and pulled her suitcase to the door.

She took one last look around the now-bare apartment.

She had spent years in this city, thinking she might feel sentimental when leaving.

But now that she was actually going, she realized she felt no attachment at all.

She switched off the lights, opened the door

Bang.

The room was left in darkness.

She spent the night at a hotel near the airport.

After waking up naturally, she had a leisurely lunch before heading to the airport.

Upon arrival, she received a notification: her flight was delayed.

She texted Lu Youchuan, telling him not to worry about picking her up if he was busy.

She waited for a long time but received no reply.

She debated calling but realized she only had his WeChat, not his phone number.

Maybe he was really busy.

Or maybe he had already forgotten about his “new sister.”

At a private restaurant in Jiangcheng, Lu Youchuan leaned over a sink, splashing cold water on his face.

He hadn’t forgotten about picking up Jiang Nanshu.

But during a business dinner, he hadn’t been able to refuse the drinks passed to him.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, reminding him it was time to head to the airport.

“Tch, business drinking culture is a nightmare,” he muttered, rubbing his face in frustration.

His head ached as he leaned against the sink, pulling out his phone to turn off the reminder.

That’s when he saw her messages.

Only two.

The most recent one was sent about ten minutes ago.

Shu: Bro, I’ve boarded.

I’ll take a cab home myself.

The earlier message, from over an hour ago, had informed him of the flight delay.

She called him ‘brother,’ but still insisted he didn’t need to pick her up—keeping things polite yet distant.

Lu Youchuan sighed.

He was about to reply when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone next to him turning on the faucet.

He glanced at the mirror and froze.

Their eyes met.

“You’re here too?”

Song Ye had clearly seen him earlier.

Lowering his gaze, he replied flatly, “Just having dinner with two senior executives.”

“You drink?”

Lu Youchuan knew Song Ye had been swamped with a new project lately.

“No.”

One look at Lu Youchuan’s state, and Song Ye could tell he had had too much.

Lu Youchuan asked, “Are you busy later?”

Song Ye shot him a glance. “Just say what you want.”

The two were university acquaintances.

Though they were two years apart and in different departments, they were from the same hometown and often played basketball together.

They had been close since college and had met up a few times since Song Ye returned to Jiangcheng, keeping their friendship intact.

Lu Youchuan didn’t bother with formalities.

“Help me pick up my sister from the airport.”

“When did you get a sister?”

Song Ye turned off the faucet, uninterested in small talk in the restroom, and walked out.

“My dad married that auntie, so now I have a step-sister.

She’s coming back from Shencheng today, and the old man ordered me to pick her up,” Lu Youchuan explained, seeing that Song Ye hadn’t outright refused.

He followed behind him.

“Yesterday, a junior on my team offended a client, so today I had to bring him to apologize.

Ended up drinking a lot.”

Song Ye remembered now.

Lu Youchuan had mentioned that his father was remarrying.

As they passed the front desk, Song Ye pointed his chin in that direction.

“You can ask them to call a driver for you.”

“……”

Actually, his dad had also given him another task.

His exact words were: “Your sister doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. If you have any quality single male friends, introduce them to her.”

The first person who popped into his mind was Song Ye.

Handsome, intelligent, financially stable, with no bad habits, and a clean romantic history.

But that was also the problem too clean.

In all the years he’d known him, even back in university when he was wildly popular among girls, no one had ever successfully won him over.

Over the years, many female colleagues and clients had tried to get close to him, but none had succeeded.

A twenty-eight-year-old man with no dating history either there was something wrong with him, or he was holding onto some unattainable first love.

Men like that were the hardest to deal with.

The moment the idea crossed Lu Youchuan’s mind, he dismissed it in less than a minute.

But maybe it was the alcohol, or the timing, but now he was reconsidering.

Maybe Song Ye and Jiang Nanshu would be a good match.

Jiang Nanshu was beautiful, with notoriously high standards.

Most men wouldn’t catch her eye.

And Song Ye?

Handsome, aloof, and unattainable he might be just the kind of challenge she liked.

“My assistant already called a driver,” Lu Youchuan said, walking a step behind Song Ye as they exited the restaurant.

“I need to head back to the office later.

If you’re free, help me out.”

Song Ye walked toward the parking lot without looking back.

“Is she some kind of spoiled princess?

Can’t she just take a taxi?”

“……”

The cold air sobered Lu Youchuan up a bit.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

“Oh, right.

She also went to First High School.

I think she was in your year.”

There was a click as Song Ye unlocked his car door.

Clearly, he wasn’t interested in doing this favor.

“Her name’s Jiang Nanshu.

Do you know her?”

Song Ye’s hand paused on the car door.

For the first time, he looked directly at Lu Youchuan.

But he said nothing, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Lu Youchuan smirked.

“You really do know her?”

Song Ye snapped back to reality.

For the first time, he felt just how small the world was.

Keeping his expression neutral, he said, “Not sure.

I had a classmate with the same name in high school.”

“What a coincidence.

That’s not a common name.”

Lu Youchuan opened WeChat and found a recent photo from Jiang Nanshu’s Moments.

Song Ye glanced at the phone screen, his gaze unreadable.

A few seconds later, Lu Youchuan turned the screen toward him.

It was a group picture from a farewell dinner with her former colleagues.

She had fair skin, bright smiling eyes, and the faintest hint of dimples.

Even sitting among a group of people, she was the most noticeable.

“The girl beside her she’s from your class, right?”

Song Ye stared at the photo for a few seconds, then sat in the driver’s seat, voice indifferent.

“I wasn’t close with her.”

How could two classmates not be close?

Lu Youchuan leaned against the car, one hand resting on the roof as he bent slightly.

“I really have things to do.

Just treat it as a reunion with an old classmate.

I “

His phone rang, cutting him off.

It was a client.

Before answering, he quickly added, “I’ll send you her flight number in a bit.”

Song Ye remained silent, staring straight ahead.

He neither agreed nor refused.

But Lu Youchuan knew this meant he’d agreed.

Smiling, he let go of the car door and stepped aside to take the call.

Song Ye closed the door.

A moment later, his phone buzzed on the dashboard.

He glanced down.

A flight number.

Jiangcheng was freezing.

That was Jiang Nanshu’s first thought after stepping off the plane.

She pulled her coat tighter, walked into the terminal, and checked her phone.

There were several new messages.

Scrolling down, she saw two from Lu Youchuan.

Lu Youchuan: Sorry, Sis.

Something came up, I can’t pick you up.

Lu Youchuan: I sent a friend to pick you up.

He’s your high school classmate.

“?”

A high school classmate?

Who?

Couldn’t he finish a sentence properly?

She sent a question mark in reply.

Even after picking up her luggage, she hadn’t received a response.

“High school classmate” was too vague.

It could be anyone from First High School, even just an acquaintance.

Lu Youchuan hadn’t even mentioned a name, leaving her with no mental preparation.

She checked WeChat and QQ no messages from anyone she knew from high school.

Back then, most classmates had each other added on QQ.

If it was someone she knew, they would’ve reached out.

Dragging her suitcase toward the exit, she was still puzzled.

It was probably just someone from First High, not someone she personally knew.

Why had Lu Youchuan arranged this?

If he couldn’t pick her up, she could’ve just taken a taxi.

Now she had to deal with some random person.

The thought irritated her.

By now, it was evening.

The airport pick-up area was dimly lit, crowded with people waiting for arrivals.

She glanced around, seeing only unfamiliar faces.

Frowning slightly, she grouped her suitcases together and pushed them forward with one hand while pulling out her phone.

She was about to message Lu Youchuan again when someone bumped into her from behind.

Her phone slipped from her grip and hit the floor with a thud.

Before she could react, the person quickly bent down, picked it up, and handed it back.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m in a rush.

Check if it’s okay…”

Her phone had a case and screen protector, and she often dropped it.

She checked it briefly.

“It’s fine.”

The person apologized again before hurrying off.

Beyond the crowd, the view was clearer.

A few people stood scattered in the open space.

Her gaze swept over them

And paused on a tall, lean figure.

For some reason, it felt like he was looking at her.

Dressed impeccably, with a model-like physique, he stood still, hands in his pockets.

In the dim airport lighting, his features were unclear, but his aura was distinctly cold, out of place in the bustling crowd.

Could he be here to pick her up?

She hesitated, taking two steps toward him.

A passerby mumbled, “Why aren’t the airport lights on yet? It’s already dark.”

The next moment, the streetlights flickered on.

The man’s features came into sharp focus.

His once-boyish face had matured, his jawline sharper, his expression even more distant.

She froze.

Her mind went blank.

Song Ye!

How could it be him?

Did he recognize her just now?

Her instincts screamed at her to flee.

Pretending not to see him was the best option.

She gripped her suitcase tightly and turned away, walking quickly.

But after a few steps her suitcase wouldn’t move.

She stopped, heart pounding.

Looking down, she saw a long, slender hand gripping the handle.

A deep, cold voice came from above.

“Wait.”

Her heartbeat quickened.

He had something to say?

Taking a breath, she forced a calm smile.

“Wow, Song Ye.

Long time no see!

I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Not a coincidence.”

His gaze swept over her.

“I’m here to pick you up.”

“…Huh?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.