Coming back to his senses, Lin Chuanbai thought he might be overthinking it. If she had a partner, she probably wouldn’t have kept it completely under wraps.
But in the future, she might really start dating someone, and then her focus might shift to her family. That’s how it goes for many people. Things she would have shared with him might gradually be shared with her partner instead. Would that mean he’d slowly lose this friend?
After all, once someone is in a relationship, they naturally keep a certain distance from other members of the opposite sex, and over time, they drift apart.
Lin Chuanbai decided to investigate. Rumors were often unreliable—he needed to discern the truth for himself.
When he went to find Yu Xiang’an, he stumbled upon a scene: from a distance, he saw a young man about her age standing in front of her at the factory gate, saying something he couldn’t quite hear from where he stood. Others from the food factory were passing by, and when they saw the two, they smiled knowingly.
“Those two must be dating, look how lively their conversation is.”
“They must be really close.”
“Definitely.”
“Though they should still be mindful in public.”
These days, even married couples kept their distance in public—holding hands while walking down the street? Forget about it.
Lin Chuanbai’s steps faltered, as if something had rooted him to the spot, preventing him from moving forward.
But then he saw Yu Xiang’an say something with an unhappy expression and push her bicycle as if to leave. He knew her expressions well—this was definitely not happiness.
They weren’t what others assumed.
With that thought, an inexplicable impulse drove him forward. He quickened his pace and called out to her, “Xiao An, you’re here. I need to talk to you. I just saw you two speaking—is this your friend?”
Yu Xiang’an immediately clarified, “No, I’m not close with him. He’s not my friend.”
Hearing that, Lin Chuanbai’s expression brightened slightly. Chen Jingkun, however, picked up on the subtle shift and eyed the newcomer warily.
This guy was taller, but not as sharp-looking. His clothes had patches—clearly, his family wasn’t as well-off as Chen’s. Was this guy trying to steal his chance?
Chen Jingkun puffed out his chest confidently.
“Comrade Xiao An, I know you’re just being shy. You can introduce me properly to your friend—tell him who I am to you.”
Yu Xiang’an smiled coldly. “Which part of me seems shy right now? The truth is, you’re nothing to me—just a stranger whose name I happen to know.”
She rubbed her temples. “I’ve said this many times. Did you not finish elementary school? Otherwise, how could you not understand plain speech?”
She considered herself patient, but dealing with someone who only heard what they wanted and twisted reality to fit their delusions was testing her limits.
It was a miracle this guy had survived to adulthood without getting beaten up.
“Comrade Chen, let me make this clear one last time. If you show up in front of me again spouting nonsense and damaging my reputation, I’ll report you to the police. I have every reason to suspect you of ill intentions.”
Chen Jingkun stiffened at the mention of the police. His gaze flickered between her and Lin Chuanbai, his expression darkening. She’d never threatened to call the police before—why the sudden escalation? Was it because of this guy?
Were the two of them…?
His face twisted with indignation. “Are you two together?”
Yu Xiang’an: “???”
What kind of mental gymnastics was this?
Lin Chuanbai, however, felt a strange flutter in his chest at the question. The idea of them being together… didn’t sound bad at all.
Yu Xiang’an was genuinely furious now. “Today, I’ve learned that some people speak purely based on their own delusions. If your mind is dirty, you assume everyone else is too. Fine, let’s go to the police station and have them settle this.”
Chen Jingkun hastily backed away. He glanced between Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai resentfully. He’d finally found someone he liked, only to discover she was already taken.
Swallowing his frustration, he asked, “Fine, I won’t bother you again. But do you have any sisters who look like you?”
Lin Chuanbai stepped forward without thinking. “Enough. You two aren’t friends. Don’t you think you’re overstepping?”
Their exchange had drawn a crowd. Seeing Lin Chuanbai’s protective stance and Chen Jingkun’s retreat, onlookers began to question their earlier assumptions.
Had they misunderstood? Was Xiao An’s partner not Director Chen’s nephew, but this young man instead?
His demeanor suggested he’d come to intervene after hearing his girlfriend was being harassed. The more they thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Some even lingered, hoping for more drama.
Eyes darted between the two men. The newcomer’s clothes weren’t as flashy as Chen’s nephew’s, and he wasn’t as conventionally handsome, but he was tall and carried himself with quiet confidence. He didn’t seem unattractive, and he likely had a stable job.
Still, if it were them, they’d choose the pharmaceutical factory worker—better benefits.
Chen Jingkun took Lin Chuanbai’s stance as confirmation. These two were definitely together.
If she already had someone, then his persistence had been inappropriate. He gave Yu Xiang’an an awkward look and muttered, “If you’d just told me you had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t have pursued you!”
Yu Xiang’an: “???”
Pursuit? This was harassment!
And since when did she have a boyfriend?
She glanced at Lin Chuanbai, feeling utterly drained.
Chen Jingkun sighed dramatically. “Where is my destined one? But I know—when she appears, I’ll recognize her, and we’ll fall in love. It’s not your fault. If you’d met me first, things would’ve been different.” With that, he strutted off, convinced he’d made a grand exit.
Yu Xiang’an felt like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat—unable to swallow or spit it out. The frustration was unbearable.
Watching Chen Jingkun leave, she felt years older. If she had to deal with him often, she’d age prematurely.
Lin Chuanbai asked, “What was that about?”
“What was that about?” Yu Xiang’an echoed.
What had even started this mess?
His so-called “love at first sight.” If she could go back in time, she’d demand to know when and where it happened—just so she could avoid that place forever.
Objectively, Chen Jingkun hadn’t broken any laws or crossed clear moral lines. He’d just seized opportunities to confess. But to her, it felt like harassment—mental pollution. She was exhausted.
In her agitation, she didn’t notice the crowd still watching. Normally, she and Lin Chuanbai chose secluded spots to talk. This was their first public conversation, and their familiarity didn’t go unnoticed—especially by someone like Yan Yuzhen.
Yan Yuzhen, working late, spotted Yu Xiang’an speaking with a young man. Their proximity and Yu Xiang’an’s demeanor—so different from how she acted around strangers or unwanted suitors—caught her attention.
This wasn’t her brother (she’d met him before), so who was he?
Recently, someone had asked her to play matchmaker for Yu Xiang’an. She’d put it off, knowing the girl’s stance, but now she owed a favor and had reluctantly agreed to ask.
But perhaps she didn’t need to.
She approached. “Xiao An, still here? Not heading home yet?”
“Yeah, Sister Zhen, I’m about to leave.”
“Is this your friend? I don’t recognize him.”
Yu Xiang’an: “This is Comrade Lin Chuanbai. He works at the county hospital.”
Yan Yuzhen’s eyes lit up. “A doctor?”
Lin Chuanbai: “No, I work in the pharmacy.”
“Oh, so you know a lot about herbs?” She regarded him with admiration. Medical professionals were impressive, even if he wasn’t a full doctor.
“How long have you known each other?”
Lin Chuanbai: “A while.”
“How did you meet? Did she go to the hospital?”
“Something like that.”
Yan Yuzhen probed a bit more. At twenty, Yu Xiang’an was at the right age to consider marriage. After gathering basic information (decent prospects), she left—too many eyes here. She’d ask properly later.
But when she did, Yu Xiang’an insisted they were just friends. Yan Yuzhen was skeptical. “Really?”
Pure friendship between a man and a woman?
She knew it existed, but the way that young man looked at Xiao An… didn’t seem platonic.
After that, the rumors about Yu Xiang’an and Chen Jingkun faded, replaced by whispers about her and Lin Chuanbai. The “evidence”? Lin Chuanbai had supposedly confronted Chen Jingkun over the rumors, after which Chen stopped appearing. The story was so detailed that if Yu Xiang’an weren’t involved, she might’ve believed it herself.
Yu Xiang’an: Both are misunderstandings. Please focus on your work and stop obsessing over others’ private lives!
Eventually, the gossip reached Yu Qingshan’s ears. “What’s going on?”
His youngest daughter had quietly gotten involved with someone? First, it was someone from the pharmaceutical factory, then that turned out to be a misunderstanding, and now it was someone from the county hospital? So much had apparently happened, yet he knew nothing.
Better to ask the source.
When Yu Xiang’an heard his questions, she sighed. Of course it had reached her family. She explained, “Director Chen helped me get into the factory. We’ve been neighbors for years, and our families get along. That was his nephew. The guy’s not all there, but we had to keep up appearances.” Otherwise, she’d have punched him.
Yu Qingshan coughed lightly. “Don’t say he’s ‘not all there.’ That’s rude.”
Yu Xiang’an rephrased. “He’s stubborn, living in his own world, refusing to listen.”
“Fine, so nothing with him. What about the one from the county hospital?”
“We’re friends, not dating. If I were, I’d tell you.”
“Alright, you say you’re friends. But how will you handle the gossip? If this drags on, future suitors might hear you’ve been involved with multiple men. What then?”
Yu Xiang’an: “If they can’t tell truth from rumors, they’re not worth my time.”
Yu Qingshan: “…”
Speechless.
His youngest daughter was getting too sharp-tongued.
*
After that, Lin Chuanbai sought Yu Xiang’an out more often—but always in quieter places, to avoid fueling rumors.
He wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted. Sometimes, he wondered what would happen if he openly pursued her, but reason always reasserted itself.
He decided to follow his heart.
And right now, his heart wanted to be near her, to see her smile.
So that’s what he’d do.
Gao Yimei, now married and focused on her own family, was slower to hear the news. She asked Yu Xiang’an, “Which one do you like? Make up your mind already.”
Both had decent backgrounds—it just depended on her preference.
Married to a retired soldier, Gao Yimei was happy and now turned her attention to her friend’s love life.
“Decide soon, or the gossip will never end. If it spreads too much, people might think you’ve been with multiple men—that’s not a good reputation.” They’d label her fickle without caring about the truth. That could ruin her.
“I’ve already been guiding the comments. After a while, people will stop talking. Those around me know the truth of the matter.”
Yu Xiang’an said this, but she still felt a bit of a headache.
At twenty, she was still very young, but in this era, once you hit your twenties, the pressure to find a partner doubles compared to before.
It was foreseeable that if she didn’t find someone in the next few years, people would probably start calling her an old maid.
Only by finding a partner would the pressure subside.
“So, you don’t like Dr. Lin either? I think you two are quite compatible. You get along well and understand each other’s character.”
Getting together with Chen Jingkun was out of the question, but when Gao Yimei mentioned Lin Chuanbai as a potential partner, Yu Xiang’an felt a stir in her heart.
Romance wasn’t part of her current life plan, but it would be in the future. If she had to choose the most suitable person, Lin Chuanbai was undoubtedly the top candidate.
Why?
They had both lived in the future for over twenty years, and their values aligned in many ways. Some issues that seemed serious in this era wouldn’t even be problems in the future.
When looking for a partner, aside from chemistry, wasn’t shared values the most important thing?
Yu Xiang’an suddenly realized she had been too rigid in her thinking. Plans could be flexible. She decided to test the waters tomorrow—see if there was any spark between them. If not, they could remain friends. But if there was chemistry… well, transitioning from friends to something more made this lifelong single woman a little flustered.
If things worked out, people would stop pressuring her to marry. They could even work toward a shared goal—getting into university together.
The more she thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.
The next day, she deliberately made a molten lava cake. Lin Chuanbai had a sweet tooth. Since she was considering him as a potential partner, she might as well make him something delicious.
Looking at him through the lens of a future boyfriend, she noticed many good qualities. First, he was tall—probably around 180 cm. She hadn’t asked before, but now that she looked, he had a good height. She herself was 168 cm, which was considered tall, especially in the south where many men were barely over 160 cm due to poor nutrition. Chen Jingkun, at 175 cm, was already considered tall.
Second, he had a stable job and hobbies that complemented her strengths.
Third, his relationship with his parents was distant. She rarely heard him mention them. If she married into his family, mother-in-law conflicts would likely be minimal since they barely saw each other.
…
Lin Chuanbai was acutely aware of her gaze as he ate the cake. He grew nervous—had he gotten cake on his face? Why was she staring at him like that?
Swallowing the bite, he looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“Just wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Does anyone pressure you to find a partner?”
“Yeah, my grandfather and colleagues at the hospital occasionally try to set me up. I always refuse.”
“You refuse? What kind of person are you looking for?” The moment the words left her mouth, Yu Xiang’an realized how forward she sounded. She quickly backtracked, laughing. “Haha, I’m just getting pressured too much myself. I guess I’ve been asked this question so often that it slipped out.”
Lin Chuanbai pursed his lips, the sweetness of the cake suddenly fading.
He didn’t like hearing that.
Meeting her eyes, he said firmly, “Don’t let other people’s words bother you.”
Yu Xiang’an held his gaze, silent for one, two, three seconds… then quickly looked away.
They say one way to test if you like someone is to maintain eye contact for over ten seconds.
Taking a deep breath, she looked back, counting silently in her head—one, two, three, four, five…
How had she never noticed before? His skin was smooth, his nose sharp and defined. A breeze ruffled his bangs, revealing deep, expressive eyes.
By the time she reached ten, her heartbeat had quickened. She felt… flustered.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chuanbai’s pulse also raced. Why was she staring at him like that? The way she suddenly looked away felt off. She… was watching him.
Yu Xiang’an chose a tactical retreat. She needed time to think about her next move.
*
When Lin Chuanbai returned home, his grandfather, Lin Duzhong, stopped him.
“I received a letter from your father today. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
Lin Chuanbai: “What is it?”
His relationship with his parents was distant. In his memories, their letters were always brief—just a few words assuring him they were safe and not to worry.
“Your father had a comrade who died on a mission, leaving behind a daughter and a son. The daughter is about your age, two years younger, and just graduated high school. Your father met her and thinks she’s a good match. He wants you two to spend time together and see if there’s potential…”
Lin Chuanbai didn’t hesitate. “No.”
Lin Duzhong: “…You rejected that awfully fast. You don’t have someone else in mind, do you? Wouldn’t it be better to meet her first?”
Lin Chuanbai fell silent, then turned to look outside. “…Who says I don’t?”
Lin Duzhong’s eyebrows shot up. He studied his grandson closely, noticing the reddening tips of his ears.
…Fair skin had its downsides—no hiding blushes.
Suppressing a smile, Lin Duzhong asked, “Who’s the lucky girl?”
Lin Chuanbai didn’t respond.
Lin Duzhong coughed. “If you don’t tell me, how can I help? Good girls are in high demand, you know.”
Lin Chuanbai waited until the heat in his face subsided before turning back. “I’m not entirely sure yet.”
Lin Duzhong recognized that look—it reminded him of his younger self, clueless and hesitant.
He rubbed the worn red bracelet on his wrist, one he had kept for decades, repairing it whenever it frayed.
His late wife had woven it for him.
“Alright, imagine this: Another young man appears by her side, acting affectionate, laughing and joking with her, holding her hand, embracing her…”
As Lin Duzhong spoke, Lin Chuanbai’s expression darkened. His mind conjured Chen Jingkun’s face—now permanently etched in his memory as utterly detestable.
Lin Duzhong smirked knowingly. “Now imagine yourself by her side, strolling together, chatting, holding hands, embracing…”
This time, Lin Chuanbai’s face flushed deeper.
As a fellow lifelong single, the thought of holding Yu Xiang’an’s hand, embracing her, or even… made his face burn.
“Figured it out now?” Lin Duzhong chuckled. Young people were so easy to read.
Lin Chuanbai: “…”
Lin Duzhong didn’t push for an admission—young men were shy. But: “At least tell me who she is. I’ll help you propose!”
“It’s not at that stage yet. I don’t know how she feels…”
Lin Duzhong straightened. The girl didn’t return his grandson’s feelings?
“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to win her over. My grandson is outstanding—she’ll surely like you. Now, who is she?”
By now, he had completely forgotten about the girl mentioned in his son’s letter.
When it came to marriage, one should marry for love—otherwise, it’d be a miserable union.
Lin Chuanbai: “…She works at the food factory.” He took a deep breath. “You’ve met her before. Remember that girl from the textile factory who fell into the water and took months to recover? She had a friend from the food factory who accompanied her.”
Lin Duzhong thought for a moment. “…Was she the one who later brought her pregnant sister-in-law, the one with twins?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
Lin Duzhong nodded. “I remember her. A remarkable girl, from a harmonious family.” The bond between sisters-in-law like that was rare.
“What does she like? You know, the way to a woman’s heart?”
“She loves cooking.”
Lin Duzhong brightened. “So those sauces and braised dishes you’ve been bringing home—she made those?” If she married into the family, he could enjoy her cooking anytime!
But this meant his grandson had been interacting with her for a while. He’d hidden it well.
With a meaningful glance, Lin Duzhong said, “If she loves cooking, she’d probably appreciate recipes. Your grandmother collected a few handwritten ones. I’ll dig them out—you can copy them and gift them to her. Don’t give them all at once. Take it slow…”
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