Chapter 1 — Turns Out You Were Always Waiting

On the subway, I accidentally ran into the high school crush I had secretly loved for years. Gathering all my courage, I prepared to walk over and strike up a conversation with him. Yet, before I could make a move, I heard him complaining to his friend.

“I can’t believe someone else is wearing the exact same hideous outfit. I am seriously speechless.”

“What on earth was Gu Shi Ye thinking with this terrible taste? I am never wearing anything from his brand ever again.”

Gu Shi Ye was that crush’s college roommate back in the day, as well as our school’s legendary top scholar who had aced the national college entrance examination right alongside us. I instantly lowered my head and hurried off the train. Then, without a moment's hesitation, I opened our alumni group chat and sent a friend request to Gu Shi Ye. Back then, I must have been both blind and deaf not to realize that Gu Shi Ye was actually the one with exceptional taste in fashion!

01

I ran into my high school crush on the subway. The garment he was wearing happened to be the very first T-shirt I ever designed after stepping into the professional fashion world. My heart skipped a beat, and I intended to use this coincidence as an excuse to approach him. But just as I drew closer, I overheard Song Yu Zhu complaining to his companion.

“What kind of raggedy shirt is this anyway? I saw Gu Shi Ye treating it like some precious treasure, so I assumed it was from some exclusive niche designer brand. I purposely wore it today to show off in front of the person I am currently pursuing, only to find out it is just cheap trash sold on every street corner.”

“It’s rare enough that I actually take the subway for once, and of course, I run into something this humiliating. I’m mortified.”

My footsteps instantly froze. The friend standing beside him turned his head and glanced directly at me.

“Well, there is a pretty girl right over there. Why don’t you go over and chat her up?”

“Forget it, I already have someone I like, as you well know. Hurry up and block her from my view.”

I did not stick around to hear the rest of their conversation. Just then, the subway doors slid open, and I kept my head down as I hurriedly stepped off the train. It was not until the train had pulled away that I belatedly realized I had gotten off at the completely wrong station. I let out a long sigh and resigned myself to waiting slowly for the next train. My phone vibrated twice. When I unlocked it, I was surprised to find activity in our high school class group chat, which had remained silent for years.

Gu Shi Ye: [@Everyone, next week marks the tenth anniversary of our graduation. Our former head teacher, Mr. Zhang, would like to invite everyone to a reunion dinner. Anyone planning to attend can sign up with me in advance.]

A single stone stirred a thousand ripples. Classmates who had not spoken in nearly a decade instantly flooded the group chat with messages.

“While watching the kids take their college entrance exams the other day, I was just sighing about how fast time flies. I can't believe it has already been ten years.”

“It’s only now that I realize our group chat administrator is actually the ultimate academic genius. Back in high school, I always thought Gu Shi Ye was so aloof and intimidating that I never even dared to speak to him.”

“You are not the only one. Even now, Old Gu and I are business partners, and I still get too intimidated to talk to him casually.”

“Song Yu Zhu, are you seriously working with genius Gu now? I remember the two of you were practically glued to the hip back in school!”

“I am definitely going, count me in for sure. Speaking of which, Song Yu Zhu was my ultimate high school crush. I need to see for myself whether he has gained weight, gone bald, or turned into an oily middle-aged man.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, my friend. This young master is still tall and straight, with thick, jet-black hair, just as dashing and carefree as ever.”

During our school days, Song Yu Zhu had always been a lively and charismatic person. He was handsome, knew how to have fun, and had a wide circle of friends. After he surfaced in the chat, the atmosphere immediately grew even more bustling. In contrast, right after posting his announcement, Gu Shi Ye vanished completely from the conversation. He was as quiet and unassuming as ever.

I stared at my phone screen for a long time, yet I could not for the life of me recall what Gu Shi Ye actually looked like. I only vaguely remembered that year-round, he seemed to wear thick-rimmed black glasses, sported a heavy, bowl-cut fringe that covered his forehead, and utterly detested talking to people. Back when I had a crush on Song Yu Zhu, I even used to secretly wonder how on earth those two had ever managed to become friends in the first place. But remembering that he had once bought a shirt designed by me, I scratched my cheek, and finally tapped on his profile picture to send a friend request.

[Hello genius Gu, I am Tan Jian Wei. Long time no see.]

After waiting a few seconds, there was still no response from the other end. The next train had arrived. I decisively slipped my phone into my pocket and put the matter out of my mind.

02

Today, my boss Tan Yu dragged me out here to discuss a business partnership. I work as a clothing designer for a fashion brand. To boost our brand's reputation and visibility, the company recently partnered with a film production firm, preparing to launch a collaborative project tied to a major movie IP. Tan Yu was worried he wouldn't be able to clearly articulate the intricate details of the clothing designs, so he dragged me along to provide professional support.

When I arrived at the meeting venue, Tan Yu was already waiting outside the door. Upon seeing me, he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“You scared me to death, I almost thought you were going to stand me up!”

I forced a wry smile.

“I am so sorry, I missed my subway train.”

“Please, do yourself a favor and buy a car already. You are the chief designer of our company now, yet you still pinch pennies every single day like this. Outsiders are going to think I mistreat and underpay you.”

Tan Yu and I graduated from the same university, having both majored in fashion design. Being of a similar age and sharing nearly identical design philosophies, our working relationship and friendship had always been exceptionally good. His personal assistant led us forward and ushered us inside the conference room.