On a sweltering summer night in Jing City, the daytime noise and bustle had faded, and the city under the neon lights seemed coated in a layer of gilded, decadent glamour.
On a bustling bar street in the inner ring of the northern part of the city, Jian Ran had been sitting in her car for half an hour. Her gaze was fixed on a spot ahead through the windshield, yet she made no move.
This was a well-known high-end leisure and entertainment club, located in such a prime area of land. It went without saying that those who entered and exited were either wealthy or noble, or at the very least, elite professionals from various fields.
This year's alumni gathering of A University had been held here.
Jian Ran was not entirely unfamiliar with this place, but she never expected to come here under these circumstances.
She leaned back against the seat, closed her eyes, and her long lashes trembled slightly.
“Buzz—”
A message notification sound suddenly came from her phone beside her, especially jarring in the small space of the car.
Jian Ran didn't rush to pick up her phone. After about half a minute, she sat up, picked up the phone, and opened the message.
It was a video.
After a brief shake on the phone screen, the focus finally settled.
A University's alumni gatherings had always been lively, and this time was no exception. In a large private room, many people had already arrived, gathered in small groups, clinking glasses and chatting with laughter.
“Has Zhou Yu still not come? I have to have a few drinks with him today. The last case he handled was brilliant—many people in our circle have been asking me about him.”
“Who says otherwise? That business merger case, which everyone thought was a sure loss, was completely turned around by him. I have to say, Zhou Yu is really impressive this time. Word has it that with this case, he might become a partner at the firm by the end of the year.”
“It's almost certain. He's won quite a few cases these past few years. And last time, he overturned a life sentence in a criminal case, which caused quite a stir in the legal circle at the time. That alone should be enough for a promotion to partner.”
“Tsk, even back in school, we knew he was professionally strong and hardworking, but I didn't expect that just a few years after graduation, he's already made a name for himself in Jing City's legal circle. His future is limitless.”
Everyone spoke in turn, their tones full of admiration and envy for Zhou Yu.
“By the way, I heard a few days ago that Zhou Yu and Jian Ran got together. Is that true?”
“Of course it's true. They've been together for almost a year now. Not to be rude, but your news is way behind.”
“Exactly. I have to say, Jian Ran has good taste. She's a student from another school, but she set her sights on a potential stock like Zhou Yu from the start. She's been pursuing him for so many years since college, and now she's finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Several people nodded in agreement, some agreeing that Zhou Yu was a potential stock, others agreeing that Jian Ran had good taste.
But then someone in the crowd weakly said, “Well... maybe not. I heard that Su Yan is back...”
As soon as these words fell, the people who had been chatting animatedly exchanged silent glances, but no one responded.
Jian Ran's eyes dimmed slightly, a trace of self-mockery flashing in them. So everyone knew.
All these years she had been chasing after Zhou Yu, making a fuss over him—in their eyes, she must have been a joke.
After all, everyone knew a story that only she didn't know. They knew better than her what Zhou Yu was like when he truly loved someone.
Just then, someone inside the screen shouted, “Zhou Yu is here.”
Everyone turned to look, and the camera also shifted angles, focusing on the direction of the door.
It was Zhou Yu and... Su Yan.
The two seemed to have come directly from the law firm after work. Both were dressed in professional attire. Su Yan had her arm loosely linked with Zhou Yu's as they walked in.
The originally lively private room fell silent instantly, everyone wearing expressions of surprise.
“What's going on? Zhou Yu and Jian Ran haven't broken up yet, right? How...”
Someone whispered nearby, but before they could finish, they were quietly stopped by another person.
Jian Ran, through the screen, had a calm expression, as if she had anticipated this.
She also knew why everyone was so surprised. After all, A University had an unwritten tradition: for events like alumni gatherings, people usually brought their family or partners. That had always been the case.
Now, Zhou Yu, leaving aside his current girlfriend Jian Ran, brought Su Yan to the alumni gathering. No matter the reason, that in itself spoke volumes.
Turning off the phone screen, Jian Ran shifted her gaze out the car window and silently stared at the stream of cars not far away, lost in thought.
She had liked Zhou Yu for six years and had chased after him relentlessly for six years, from campus to society, from the time he had nothing to now when he had achieved some success in his career.
Finally, a year ago, she saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Zhou Yu, the eternal iceberg, loosened up, and they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend.
In these days, Jian Ran had been living in the sweetness of love, but reality suddenly hit her hard. Only recently did she find out that Zhou Yu had always had a first love and white moonlight whom he loved but couldn't have—Su Yan.
The two were childhood sweethearts. Su Yan was two years older than Zhou Yu and had enrolled in a university in Jing City before him. Two years later, Zhou Yu also got into A University's law school, and they naturally entered a romantic relationship.
Later, Su Yan got an opportunity to study abroad, and for the sake of their futures, they broke up.
It was said that Zhou Yu was depressed for a long time after that, and since then, Su Yan became his unreachable first love, white moonlight, and the cinnabar mole branded on his chest.
Until three months ago, Su Yan suddenly returned to China. She found Zhou Yu, and with his help, she got into the law firm where he worked and became his assistant.
And the problems in her relationship with Zhou Yu started from that point. They began to quarrel and give each other the silent treatment frequently, and almost all the issues stemmed from Su Yan.
At first, Jian Ran didn't know about their relationship. She wasn't an unreasonable person, so she wouldn't make a fuss just because a female assistant appeared by Zhou Yu's side.
But their interactions had long surpassed those of a superior and subordinate. In Jian Ran's eyes, Zhou Yu was too special to Su Yan—so special that it was hard not to mind.
He had always been clear about work and personal matters, yet he made an exception to hire Su Yan, who had no relevant experience, as his assistant. He would take a detour to drive her home after work, and he would proactively introduce her to contacts and resources in the circle...
Before, Jian Ran had never understood why Zhou Yu, who was always cold and distant to others, would make an exception for Su Yan. But now, she understood it all.
Jian Ran's fingers curled slightly, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.