Five years later.
In the summer of Beicheng, the temperature was no lower than Nancheng. The blazing sun hung in the sky, and Lin ChuSui's clothes were already damp with sweat.
At the commendation ceremony for the SWAT team, she received the highest honor medal. All the way from the auditorium to the locker room, her colleagues around congratulated her one after another.
After politely returning the greetings, she entered the changing room, took off her uniform, and changed into her casual clothes.
Inside her locker door, there was a 2-inch photo of her dad pasted.
She placed the medal in the shelf, facing Lin Xiuzhe's photo directly so that he could see it.
"Old Lin, feel proud now."
"In the future, I will make you even prouder, just wait for it."
In the photo, Lin Xiuzhe had benevolent eyebrows and a kind smile, just like he looked in the past.
Lin ChuSui restrained her gaze, paused for a moment, and said, "The boy you chose for me didn't come that day at the airport."
"It's been five years. He is doing very well now."
"And so am I."
She smiled faintly, looking at her dad's black and white ID photo, "But we...had no fate."
Just then, Zhao Siyin, her best friend from college who was also her bestie, called: "Chuchu, when will you arrive?"
"Coming soon. Let me put on some makeup first. The commendation ceremony was under the sun and my makeup is all messed up."
"Haha, congrats girl! I saw in the news yesterday that Officer Lin cracked a major inter-provincial manhunt case this time."
"Okay, just send me the address."
"I suggest you don't put on makeup." Zhao Siyin said sourly. "You are coming with me on a blind date. Don't steal all the limelight."
"No makeup is impossible." Lin ChuSui said with a laugh. "If you are afraid I would steal your thunder, don't ask me to come along."
"No no, you must come. Otherwise I would be so embarrassed!" Zhao Siyin quickly added, "I quite like his profile. Officer Lin, you've caught so many criminals. Help me see if he has any tendency to domestic violence."
"I can't guarantee I can tell."
"Anyway you must come!"
After hanging up the phone, Lin ChuSui changed into a light and breezy white dress, let down her hair, and then went to the mirror to apply light makeup. She then stood at the roadside to hail a cab.
Soon a sedan stopped in front of her. It was her apprentice, Qin Nai.
This guy had kept his promise from years ago. He repeated two grades in high school, and actually got admitted to the same university as her. Then he continued to follow her steps into the police academy. Although he didn't pass the SWAT team's tests, he was now working as an ordinary police officer in the force.
"Xiao Chu, where are you going? Let me give you a ride."
"No need, I called a cab already."
"Cancel it. I'll take you there."
"If you don't get in, I'll just follow you all the way."
"Why follow me? There were several cases earlier of rideshare drivers assaulting female passengers. I'm here to protect you."
"Spare me your chivalry." Lin ChuSui said, "It's broad daylight now, plus I can protect myself."
"Get in quick. I've started the car already."
Seeing no way out, Lin ChuSui got into the car to avoid further hassle.
"Where to?"
"Lancui Restaurant."
"Oh, that place is posh. What's the occasion, someone treating you to a celebratory meal?"
"No." Lin ChuSui didn't even want to entertain him. "Blind date."
Suddenly, Qin Nai slammed the brakes. Lin ChuSui's body jerked forward. "Qin Nai, what's wrong with you!"
"What blind date?" Qin Nai turned back and asked anxiously, "I've been here all this time!"
"..."
Lin ChuSui checked the time. "If you hold me up any longer, I'm getting off."
Qin Nai couldn't persuade her otherwise. He restarted the engine impatiently, muttering, "Lin ChuSui, you are heartless."
"Don't pin labels on me groundlessly. I made it very clear to you long ago."
"I was your first love!"
"Statistically speaking, first loves rarely work out."
"Don't you have any lingering feelings at all?"
"None." Lin ChuSui said coldly, "Later I fell for someone else."
"Fine, you fell for someone else. I thought you just couldn't forget that 'someone else'. It's okay, I can wait." Qin Nai looked at the girl's reflection in the rearview mirror. "Now you suddenly want to go on a blind date. What's the meaning of this?"
"I forgot about him long ago."
Lin ChuSui shifted her gaze out the window, watching the scenery zip past. "I can't even remember what that 'someone else' looked like."
...
The sedan stopped at the entrance of Lancui Restaurant. When she got out of the car, Qin Nai grabbed her wrist. "Let me make this clear first. The quality of blind date partners is dodgy in general. I strongly advise you to consider your apprentice."
"And I strongly advise my apprentice to give up." Lin ChuSui said, then closed the car door.
Qin Nai had been chasing after her these years, from Nancheng to Beicheng. He passed the police academy's harsh tests and had always been by her side.
Lin ChuSui was not heartless. She was truly touched.
But if she agreed to be with him out of gratitude, it would be irresponsible to both him and herself.
Lin ChuSui walked into Lancui Restaurant and sat at the agreed window-side table.
Lancui Restaurant was one of the top restaurants in Beicheng, known for its Suzhou cuisine. Many businessmen liked coming here to discuss deals.
Lin ChuSui sat down and waited patiently. In the Nancheng No.1 Middle School Belle Group chat, Lu Tianbai sent a notice about an upcoming high school reunion, asking if everyone was available to participate.
The reunion had been held every two years over the years. As long as Lin ChuSui was free, she would basically attend.
That "someone else" had never shown up even once.
Wanting to reconnect with old friends after many years, Lin ChuSui simply replied, "I'll register."
...
Soon, a man in a suit walked over to Lin ChuSui's table. He seemed nervous as he asked tremulously, "Excuse me, are you Miss Zhao Siyin?"
Lin ChuSui looked up. Seeing her demure and beautiful face, light flashed in the man's eyes instantly.
"No, I'm Zhao Siyin's friend. I came with her."
"Oh." Sun Ruichen nodded repeatedly. "Right, she mentioned to the matchmaker that she'd bring a friend."
He sat down on the chair opposite her. He sized her up from time to time. Lin ChuSui just smiled politely at him and lowered her head to keep looking at her phone.
Without a conversation starter, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
Lin ChuSui sent Zhao Siyin a quiver message, "What's going on, sis! Your blind date is here already, but you haven't arrived yet?!"
Zhao Siyin sent Lin ChuSui several apologetic emoticon packs in succession. "Sorry sis! Got stuck in traffic on the way. Probably another half hour. Could you chat with him first?"
Lin ChuSui: "Chat with him? What do I have to chat about with him? It's not my blind date. If you don't come soon I'm leaving."
Zhao Siyin: "Please please, do me a favor, you're the best! [puppy eyes emoticon]"
Having no other choice, Lin ChuSui looked up at Sun Ruichen. "Siyin said she ran into some traffic jam, and will be here soon. Feel free to order something first if you are hungry."
Sun Ruichen waved his hands repeatedly. "No problem, I'm not hungry. Let's wait a bit longer."
Lin ChuSui forced another smile, then lowered her head again to scroll through Weibo absentmindedly.
Ranking #1 on the hot search was the new product launch of XY Technology Co., Ltd.
Lin ChuSui tapped in. The top hot Weibo under the tag was a video of Xiao Yan showcasing and introducing the new product at the launch.
The man in the video, his well-fitted bespoke suit accentuated his straight and tall figure. The spotlight illuminated his chiseled and handsome features. His eyes were clear and bright.
Lin ChuSui put on her earphones to listen to his voice—
"This robot product is designed for autistic children, with interactive functions as the main goal, so that introverted and closed-off children will be willing to open up their hearts..."
His voice was still as cool and steady as she remembered.
Over these many years, that teenager walking under the camphor trees on campus in a white shirt, pushing a bike, had grown into the founder and CEO of the top tech company in China.
He finally crawled out of the mud and climbed to the highest peak through his own efforts.
Lin ChuSui didn't know if he had seen even more beautiful and magnificent scenery. She liked the company's official Weibo post.
She hoped he was doing well, just like when she was trapped in memories years ago, he was the one who pulled her out and told her to learn to grow up alone even without her dad's company.
The little girl who only knew how to cry and use anger and fists to cover up her fragility had grown up.
Like her father, she also wanted to use her own strength to protect more people.
Sun Ruichen glanced at Lin Chusui's phone screen and saw that she was watching it attentively. So he asked, "Are you watching the new product launch of XY Company?"
"Yeah."
"The name of XY Company is quite ironic."
"Why do you say that?"
Sun Ruichen tried to make small talk with her to ease the awkward atmosphere: "XY stands for human chromosomes. This company makes artificial intelligence. Naming an AI company after something related to human biology is quite ironic."
"Well..." Lin Chusui thought for a moment and said, "I think XY could just be... the initials of their chief creative officer - Xiao Yan."
"Ah, it can't be that simple."
"It is that simple."
Like that genius, sometimes his thinking is just so straightforward - using his own name for the company is definitely his style.
He didn't think too deeply about human chromosomes, biology and AI at all.
...
At that moment, a businessman in a suit walked into the Blue Creek Restaurant. The restaurant manager personally welcomed him -
"Mr. Xiao, your private dining room is on the third floor. Please come with me, Mr. Liu and the others have been waiting for some time."
Xiao Yan didn't say much and followed him through the VIP-only passage to the VIP private room on the third floor. But when he passed the spiral staircase at the corner, he caught sight of Lin Chusui by the window.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The girl was wearing a white dress, slender figure, elegant temperament. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows enveloping her. Her features were bright and beautiful, temperament gentle.
She looked nothing like the girl in the police promotional video he saw in the car just now...the one who could take down three or five thugs in a minute.
No matter what she looked like now, she was no longer the girl in his memories.
Time flows by, the girl he loved...had changed so much.
Xiao Yan's memories went back to that day at the airport, 5:14 pm. She had looked back one last time searching for him but didn't see him. How disappointed and helpless she looked.
In fact he was there, hiding behind a pillar, gazing longingly at her. Watching her reluctantly bid farewell to her family, walking into the departure hall and then wiping away tears with her sleeve. Watching her plane...fly off into the distant sky.
Even though his heart was shredded with anguish, Xiao Yan still...did not show himself in the end.
When the girl embarked on her new journey in life, the destitute boy lost his courage.
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