Chapter 1: 001

Su Xiaomi tilted her face upward, trying to see the young man’s features clearly.

But whether it was because the moonlight was too hazy or because the boy’s face remained hidden in the shadows, no matter how hard Su Xiaomi tried, his face seemed obscured by a layer of mist—only a vague yet distinct outline could be seen.

Aside from that, the only thing she could clearly discern was his tall and slender figure.

Even though he was wearing a simple blue and white school uniform, it looked exceptionally good on him.

In the end, Su Xiaomi gave up trying to see his face and instead reached out to grab his collar.

The boy probably didn’t expect her to suddenly make a move, so he didn’t have time to dodge and was pulled down by her.

The next second, Su Xiaomi stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

In that fleeting moment of contact, Su Xiaomi finally saw the boy’s eyebrows and eyes.

They were… they were…

“Next station: Wan’an Road. Wan’an Road Station has arrived. Passengers, please exit from the left side of the train in the direction of travel…”

Su Xiaomi was jolted awake by the subway announcement, realizing she had nearly missed her stop.

The fright left her in a cold sweat.

Although it was only early March, Songcheng had already experienced a week of temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius.

As soon as Su Xiaomi stepped out of the station, she was greeted by the blinding sun and a wave of heat.

She paused under the shade of a tree to catch her breath before pulling out her phone to check the navigation.

Today, she had an important interview at the Oasis International Hotel, a five-star establishment near the Wan’an Road subway station.

The map showed it was only a ten-minute walk away, and she still had an hour before the interview—plenty of time.

After confirming the route, Su Xiaomi was about to put away her phone when she received a notification.

It was a short relationship survey sent by a former colleague who had recently joined an emotional advice magazine.

Normally, Su Xiaomi would ignore such messages, but since she had time to kill, she decided to open it.

The survey was simple, with just two questions:

1. 1. 1. 1. Do you still keep in touch with the person you had a crushed during your school days?

1. 1. 1. 1. If you met them again, what would you do?

Thinking about her school crush, Su Xiaomi couldn’t help but recall the unfinished dream she had on the subway.

She quickly replied with two voice messages:

[It’s Xiaomi, not Dami: Haven’t been in touch for ages.]

[It’s Xiaomi, not Dami: If I met him again? Well, I’d definitely find a chance to sleep with him! After all, I think the reason I’ve been hung up on him all these years is that back then, I only kissed him and didn’t take it further. Isn’t there a song lyric that says, ‘The ones you can’t have are always stirring your heart’?]

(T/N: Literal Meaning:

Xiaomi (小米) means “small rice” in Chinese.

Dami (大米) means “big rice” in Chinese.

The female lead name is Su Xiaomi)

Su Xiaomi wasn’t speaking particularly softly, so a passerby nearby overheard her bold declaration.

The young man glanced over instinctively, only to see that the person who had spoken so brashly was actually a delicate-looking girl.

Her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her petite face was dominated by a pair of lively, expressive eyes.

Realizing she was being stared at, Su Xiaomi gave an embarrassed smile.

When she wasn’t smiling, her eyes were big and round, but when she did smile, they curved like crescent moons, and a faint dimple appeared on her right cheek.

The passerby walked away awkwardly, blushing and thinking to himself: Girls these days are really full of surprises.

Ten minutes later, Su Xiaomi stood in front of the towering Oasis International Hotel, marveling at its grandeur.

For just a regular recruitment event, Yihang Media had rented an entire floor of this five-star hotel.

Truly fitting for one of the top ten companies in the media industry.

This was a stark contrast to the newspaper company where Su Xiaomi currently worked.

Their recruitment events were held in the local park with a makeshift booth, and layoffs had become a regular occurrence.

The recruitment venue was on the third floor of the hotel.

As soon as she exited the elevator, staff members in sharp black suits guided the candidates with professional courtesy.

The hallway outside the waiting area was lined with red carpets, corporate promotional videos played on large screens, and bottled water was thoughtfully provided for each candidate.

Everything was impeccably arranged, further strengthening Su Xiaomi’s determination to join Yihang Media.

But it was clear she wasn’t the only one with that thought.

The waiting area was packed.

Fortunately, she had taken the entire day off, so she wasn’t rushed. After filling out her application and getting her number, she found a seat and waited patiently.

Seated nearby were several energetic young women who chatted excitedly:

“Did you hear? The final interview is being conducted by Yihang Media’s director!”

“The director? Is that the super mysterious business prodigy surnamed Jiang?”

“Yes, Jiang! I searched online for his photos before coming here, but couldn’t find a single clear picture, not even a blurry side profile. But I did see an anonymous insider claiming he’s as handsome as movie star Liang Yan.”

“Really? Then we better do our best. We might get to see Director Jiang in person!”

Su Xiaomi raised an eyebrow.

A director as handsome as Liang Yan? Looks like I need to my increase my performance…

Yihang Media’s interview process followed a multi-stage format.

Candidates were called in sequence based on their number tags, progressing through four rooms for each stage.

By the time Su Xiaomi reached the final room, several hours had passed, and only a handful of candidates remained.

She stood at the door, took a deep breath, and knocked lightly.

After a moment, a calm, pleasant voice said, “Come in.”

Su Xiaomi was too nervous to notice how familiar that voice sounded.

She slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Unlike the previous sunlit rooms, this one had partially closed blinds, casting segmented shadows across the space.

Seated at the examiner’s table was a young man in a white shirt and black suit.

He was looking down at a resume, his face obscured by shadows.

But Su Xiaomi noticed his hands.

The light illuminated them perfectly—long, slender fingers, pale skin, and defined knuckles.

They were stunning hands.

She couldn’t help but compare them to those of a popular idol she had recently interviewed, concluding that these were far superior.

As she stared at those hands, she became aware of someone looking at her.

She glanced up—and froze.

Those eyebrows, those slightly upturned peach blossom eyes… If the light were brighter, she was certain she’d see a faint mole beneath the corner of his right eye.

Her dream and reality overlapped in that instant.

The clear-eyed, youthful boy from her memory perfectly aligned with the sharp and composed man before her.

A voice echoed in her mind: Well, you’ve met your high school crush again. Go ahead, sleep with him if you dare!

Su Xiaomi: … Sorry, I don’t dare. He looks way too expensive—and way out of my league.