Chapter Eight

At night, Yang Shuting invited Lin Zimo to stay for dinner. Lin Zimo happened to be quite hungry; her parents were busy and rarely came home for supper, so she usually managed meals on her own. After eating at Yu Xingyue’s home, she went off to work at the Heartbreak Café with Yu Xingyue.

As they were leaving, Yang Shuting whispered to Yu Xingyue, “A good girl like Zimo is hard to find. You should cherish her.”

Yu Xingyue was exasperated, “Mom, don’t overthink it. We’re just friends.”

Yang Shuting replied with a knowing look, “As the saying goes, a man’s words are deceptive. Given time, you’ll definitely develop feelings for her.”

“I’m heading to work,” Yu Xingyue said, quickly following Lin Zimo downstairs. He couldn’t afford to be late.

Once at work, the café was as bustling as ever. Lin Zimo pitched in to help, while Yu Xingyue stayed at the front desk, idly twirling a black pen between his fingers.

“Excuse me, may I have a mocha?” A woman in a brown trench coat and black pants approached, her hat pulled low to conceal her face.

“Certainly, please wait a moment,” Yu Xingyue responded, noticing nothing unusual—most patrons in the café were just like him, wary of running into acquaintances.

About ten minutes later, Yu Xingyue handed her the coffee. The woman took a small sip and looked at him, saying, “Guoguo, I didn’t expect to find you and Lin Zimo working here together.”

That voice was oddly familiar. Yu Xingyue stared at her, feeling as though he had seen her somewhere before, but couldn’t recall exactly where.

Seeing his confusion, the woman pouted, “How annoying. Even you don’t recognize me? I’m Lin Ling.”

“Lin Ling…”

Yu Xingyue listened carefully, and her voice confirmed her identity—his senior.

“Oh, it’s you, Senior! You’ve changed so much, you’re so beautiful I almost didn’t recognize you,” he said with a smile.

“You’re still as sweet-talking as ever. Thank you!” Lin Ling smiled back.

Lin Ling was Yu Xingyue’s senior, the eldest among his peers when he was just starting out. Back then, Lin Ling was only fifteen; now, at nineteen, she had grown into a graceful young woman with a striking figure. She retired from competition at seventeen, having achieved remarkable results and made significant contributions to the team. After retirement, she tried to lead a normal life, but her popularity and captivating looks made anonymity impossible.

Lin Ling usually called Yu Xingyue “Guoguo,” a nickname she had grown fond of and which he had come to accept.

“Senior, I don’t go by Yu Guo anymore. My name is Yu Xingyue now.”

Lin Ling replied, “No matter what you call yourself, you’ll always be my Guoguo. I heard about Zhang Yan. I was worried about you. Are you all right?”

Yu Xingyue smiled, “I’m not fragile. Everyone grows up. Zhang Yan’s departure taught me strength; I’m not a glass-hearted boy.”

“Since you’re fine, I’m relieved. I thought you might still be lost in grief.” Lin Ling gazed at him with satisfaction. He was no longer the child who simply obeyed the coach; time had flown, and he had grown up.

“Guoguo, who is this?” Lin Zimo, having finished her tasks, saw Yu Xingyue chatting with a woman and felt an inexplicable pull to walk over.

“Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Lin Ling.”

“You just called me…” Lin Ling caught Yu Xingyue’s expression, which seemed to hint at something. His eyes kept shifting to Lin Zimo, and Lin Ling got the message. She nodded.

“I’m his friend, Lin Ling. Guoguo has mentioned you,” Lin Ling said politely, extending her hand.

“Uh… same here.” Lin Zimo shook her hand awkwardly, surprised by Lin Ling’s straightforwardness.

Lin Ling listened to Lin Zimo’s accent, scrutinizing her, “Are you from the northeast?”

“Why do you ask?” Lin Zimo looked puzzled.

“That distinctive northeastern dialect—I know it well. So, you’re from my hometown!”

Yu Xingyue couldn’t help but laugh, turning away to avoid losing composure, but he couldn't suppress his amusement.

Lin Zimo hurried to explain, “Don’t misunderstand. I just picked up a few phrases; it has nothing to do with Guoguo.”

“What’s it got to do with Guoguo?” Lin Ling looked at Yu Xingyue.

Yu Xingyue turned back, his smile gone, “I have no idea who taught her that accent. Her mother even blamed me. I’m innocent.”

Lin Ling laughed, “So that’s how it is. I heard from Xiao Jian you’ve only recently joined the taekwondo team?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Xiao Jian told me about you. You’re quite interesting. You can rival me in this field. Have you trained long?”

Lin Zimo replied, “Not too long. Watching taekwondo on TV inspired me, and I always wanted to learn. Now, I’m actually a national team member.”

Lin Ling said, “You’re the first Japanese member of the national taekwondo team. That’s unprecedented—you’re the first.”

Previously, only talented individuals were recruited to the national team, and Lin Zimo was the first Japanese member to be admitted as a special case. She was diligent, never missing training or lessons, which was why the coach appreciated her.

“By the way, Guoguo, I’ll be moving back here soon. Any recommendations for places to live?”

Yu Xingyue answered, “Yes, my neighborhood is great—comfortable and affordable. You can take a look and decide.”

“Do you have the address?”

Yu Xingyue tore a page from the notebook on the table, wrote down his neighborhood address, and handed it to Lin Ling.

“Thanks! If I like it, becoming your neighbor isn’t impossible.”

Yu Xingyue was delighted, “That would be wonderful! I’d get to see Miss Lin every day.”

Lin Ling had always doted on Yu Xingyue, giving him a sense of security, reminding him of times past when she always shielded him, no matter what trouble he got into.

“You really know how to talk. I have things to do, so I’ll leave it at that. Also, your coffee is delicious.” Lin Ling tapped Yu Xingyue’s forehead with her index finger—a habitual gesture she used with everyone, even strangers.

“Your friend’s trained, too—she’s ahead of me by a few years,” Lin Zimo remarked.

“Lin Ling is gentle with everyone, but she has no patience for those with ill intentions.”

“You really know him well.”

“Well, you could say we grew up together.”

“Guoguo, did you forget something?” Lin Ling asked.

Yu Xingyue was puzzled, “What is it?”

“Seems your friend hasn’t paid yet?”

“Ah!” Caught up in conversation with Lin Ling, Yu Xingyue had forgotten all about it. Lin Ling was still the same, always shifting attention. Yu Xingyue felt helpless. Lin Zimo spoke to the boss, and the cost of the mocha was deducted from her wages, settling the matter.

Lin Ling followed Yu Xingyue’s suggestion and checked out his neighborhood, was pleased with what she found, and settled there, living right across from Yu Xingyue.

Yu Xingyue warmly welcomed Lin Ling. No matter his mood, he could always drop by her home.

One day, with nothing to do, Yu Xingyue visited Lin Ling. She wasn’t surprised—it was common for him to come over for a meal.

“What’s up? Here to mooch another meal?” Lin Ling looked at the disheveled Yu Xingyue in annoyance; his hair was greasy, and he smelled unpleasant. When she saw he was carrying toiletries, she understood.

“My place has no water again. I’ll be quick—just five minutes.” Yu Xingyue’s apartment had originally been chosen by Yang Shuting, who bought it when no one else wanted it, only to regret it later. The reason no one wanted it was frequent, unpredictable water outages. Sometimes, the tap water ran muddy, but neither of them knew why and never asked.

“Thank you.” Yu Xingyue headed to the bathroom. On Saturdays, he wasn’t usually so untidy; only the water outage forced him to wash up at Lin Ling’s.

After washing, Yu Xingyue was refreshed, looking much the same as usual. He had one notable trait: though his appearance was ordinary, his face was always clear—no blemishes, no acne, as if he naturally wore makeup.

Lin Ling thought to herself, “How does this boy keep his skin so well? Is he some kind of ageless wonder?”

Yu Xingyue put his toiletries away and found Lin Ling, who happened to be heading out. They changed into their usual weekend clothes.

Lin Ling wore the same outfit she had worn to the Heartbreak Café. She hadn’t experienced heartbreak; she’d just stopped by to see Yu Xingyue.

Yu Xingyue dressed like a fashion model, meeting the standard for flat-model attire, his good figure making him stand out.

This time, they visited a gymnasium where a taekwondo tournament was underway. Lin Zimo and Xiao Jian were among the competitors, and with their skill, making the top three was almost assured. Yu Xingyue had retired due to health reasons; Lin Ling had already contributed much and wanted to see the world beyond competition.

If Lin Ling were to compete, the only word to describe her would be “unbeatable.”

After half an hour, they arrived at the gymnasium. The familiar scene moved Yu Xingyue, “I didn’t expect to be back here after three years.”

Lin Ling smiled, “I remember you were only nine when you competed here. Everyone was amazed.”

“That was then. Xiao Jian has worked hard and is competing now.”

“The match hasn’t ended yet. Let’s hurry in,” Lin Ling urged, not wanting to miss such an exciting contest.