novelraw Chapter 467: The Falling Ginkgo Leaves
Chapter 467: The Falling Ginkgo Leaves
September 15, 2023, Friday, sunny, 19~29°C.
In the morning, on the ridge between fields, surrounded by terraced rice paddies stacked layer upon layer. The rice stalks bowed low, the air filled with the moist scent of earth and the faint aroma of cooking smoke.
Qiuqiu ran forward along the path.
In the distance, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking mixed with casual chatter in the local dialect.
"Meimei, what are you cooking today?"
"Corn buns are steaming!"
The familiar village was right in front of her, yet no matter how hard she ran, she couldn't reach it.
Her face showed urgency, sweat "plop, plop" falling.
The familiar scenery soon turned eerie.
The golden rice fields gradually lost their color, turning into a dull gray, like an old photograph where everything had faded away.Just then, a hunched figure slowly walked along the small path between the fields. Silver-haired, deeply wrinkled face, wearing a faded blue cloth shirt, holding a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked red chili peppers.
"Grandma! Grandma!"
Her grandmother didn’t turn around, just kept walking forward.
Qiuqiu wanted to shout, but her voice caught in her throat, only coming out as hoarse sobs.
"Tap tap tap—" Her footsteps quickened, but she felt as if she was stepping on clouds, the ground beneath her growing softer and softer, each step sinking as if into a swamp.
Looking down, the rice fields had turned into murky puddles, reflecting a shattered sky.
Suddenly, her grandmother stopped and turned around.
Her face was still kind, but there was an indescribable weariness and sorrow.
"Qiuqiu," her voice was slow and drawn out, thick with a Sichuan accent. "Why didn't you bring the money back? I can't wait anymore..."
Before she could finish, her body began to disintegrate, turning into countless specks of dust, carried away by the wind.
Qiuqiu reached out, trying to grasp something, but all she touched was cold dampness.
Morning, before dawn.
In the dim bedroom.
Qiuqiu suddenly sat up, her hands covered in cold tears.
Low sobs echoed in the room.
She pressed her hands against her cheeks, curled up against the headboard, her body trembling slightly.
Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened.
Wiping away her tears, Qiuqiu lifted the blanket and got up, her legs still weak from the running in her dream.
Checking the time, she changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, expressionless as she stepped out of the bedroom.
At this hour, her senior, Gao Mengting, wasn’t up yet. The living room was dim, a little eerie.
Qiuqiu took a deep breath and pulled open the balcony curtains. Morning light instantly poured in, carrying the crisp freshness unique to early autumn.
She sat quietly on the sofa, watching as the sky outside grew brighter and brighter.
Then, she changed into her sneakers and took the elevator down to the first floor.
Putting on her Bluetooth earphones, she played some music.
Su Yu’s voice wrapped around her, gradually easing her mood.
Qiuqiu stuffed her hands into her hoodie pockets, lowered her head, and slowly walked out of the apartment complex.
The street was instantly lively.
Cars speeding by, morning joggers, the scent of fried dough sticks...
Life kept running as usual, but for her, it all seemed separated by an invisible barrier, one she could never quite step through.
She was actually a very timid person.
Afraid of the dark, afraid of bugs, afraid of thunderstorms.
And she often had nightmares.
That was one of the reasons she had mustered the courage to ask Gao Mengting to be her roommate.
Otherwise, given her personality, solitude would have been the best choice, sparing others from her negativity.
She had no goals in life.
After listening to five songs, Qiuqiu bought some breakfast from a roadside stall and returned to the apartment.
She placed the breakfast on the dining table.
Just then, the door to the master bedroom opened, and Gao Mengting, yawning, walked out.
"Hello, good morning, QQ." Her voice carried warmth and a teasing tone.
Ever since Tang Song started calling her "QQ," Gao Mengting and some of their colleagues had picked up on the nickname as well.
Qiuqiu whispered, "Good morning, Senior. The breakfast is still warm, let's eat together."
"Thanks, give me a sec," Gao Mengting said, heading into the bathroom.
Toilet, washing hands.
Soon, the two sat across from each other at the table.
Gao Mengting munched on a fried dough stick and asked, "How much was it? I'll transfer you the money."
Qiuqiu quickly shook her head, her expression serious. "No need, you always drive me around, consider this gas money."
"Uh... okay then, I won’t argue with you." Follow current novels on novel-fire.net
Knowing Qiuqiu’s personality, Gao Mengting didn’t insist.
After breakfast, they washed up and put on makeup.
They grabbed their bags and headed downstairs.
Just as they stepped outside, the headlights of a parked Mercedes E300L flashed, the car unlocking.
"Get in!" Gao Mengting snapped her fingers excitedly, winking at her well-endowed junior.
Qiuqiu covered her mouth and giggled, pulling open the passenger door and getting in.
The faint scent of perfume mixed with the leather seats filled the car.
Gao Mengting started the engine smoothly, driving out of the complex and merging into the morning traffic.
Qiuqiu looked at her senior, full of energy as she talked about the driving experience, and the gloom in her heart faded a little.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
Greeting her colleagues, Qiuqiu sat down at her desk.
She tidied up her things, turned on her computer, and started working.
This time, she wasn’t in a hurry to redesign the brand logo, standard colors, auxiliary graphics, and so on.
Instead, she carefully studied everything about the "He Yiyi" brand—its values, development history, key events, brand positioning, and target audience.
The words of Xingyun International Group’s art director felt like a thorn in her heart.
She didn’t want to disappoint Tang Song or Gao Mengting. She also wanted to prove her value at work.
Currently, He Yiyi's livestream accounted for 67% of Songmei Fashion's total sales, making it the absolute backbone of the company.
She streamed five days a week, four hours per session, with a steady audience of over 700,000 per show.
The audience was mainly women aged 25–35, consisting of professionals and freelancers.
The average order value ranged from 200–500 yuan.
They had purchasing power, sought cost-effectiveness, and valued design and quality.
The more Qiuqiu read, the more she realized the importance of her job.
The visual identity system she was creating wasn’t just about the logo and fonts; it would also influence future clothing designs and the layout of the livestream studio.
She had just switched from Linggan Design and was earning a salary of over 10,000 yuan.
Cheng Qiuqiu had an immature student mentality, eager to prove herself. She even used C4D to animate the logo she designed, focusing more on flashy techniques.
Now, thinking carefully, she realized that the art director of Xingyun International Group was right.
Lacking experience, she had indeed been too impatient for success.
Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lip, feeling a mix of fear and self-blame.
She checked the time.
09:20.
At this time on Friday, He Yiyi was live streaming. Cheng Qiuqiu immediately stood up and walked toward the K3 live stream room.
She needed to gain a deeper understanding of He Yiyi’s streaming style, communication approach, and overall aura to create a better design.
Standing outside the live stream room, she took a deep breath.
She knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open and stepping inside.
Right away, He Yiyi’s voice reached her ears—soft and magnetic, with a natural storytelling rhythm, as if chatting with an old friend.
"This dress is one of my recent favorites. It’s a must-have for lazy fashion—no need for elaborate styling, just throw it on, and it looks amazing."
"Look at this A-line cut, it’s super slimming, and the fabric is a slightly stretchy cotton-linen blend. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear."
After listening for a moment, Cheng Qiuqiu started to feel out of place standing there, so she stepped toward a corner.
Just as she walked past a decorative piece, two familiar figures appeared before her eyes.
Gao Mengting and Tang Song were sitting in the makeup area of the live stream room, watching He Yiyi’s broadcast while conversing in low voices.
The two were sitting close.
One was tall and handsome, the other elegant and beautiful. They looked like a perfect match—very pleasing to the eye.
Cheng Qiuqiu’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly suppressed her complicated emotions.
Gao Mengting smiled warmly and waved at her, signaling her to come over.
"Tang, Gao," Cheng Qiuqiu stood beside Gao Mengting and said softly, "I’m here to watch Yiyi’s live stream and gather some inspiration for the design."
Gao Mengting patted her arm affectionately. "Keep it up!"
"QQ, sit here. I just happen to have something to take care of." Tang Song stood up and gestured for her to take his seat.
Cheng Qiuqiu glanced at Tang Song, then nodded lightly and sat down on the office chair that still carried his warmth and scent, pressing her lips together.
Tang Song’s gaze subtly shifted to the top of this cold and aloof designer’s head.
【Growing… 15%...】 (Not yet sprouted)
Wow! Overnight, it had jumped to 15%?
Just how dark were her thoughts?
At this rate, within a week, Cheng Qiuqiu’s 【Dream Seed】 would sprout, meaning the two of them would officially establish a connection.
What Tang Song was most curious about was how this connection would manifest.
Would it be like 【Low Whispers of Humanity】, appearing as a system task?
These special items were all rare and valuable.
A single Xiaoxue had boosted his charm value by quite a bit.
Speaking of which, the other 【Low Whispers of Humanity】 had been in his hands for a long time but had yet to trigger. That was frustrating.
Just then, Gao Mengting suddenly cleared her throat and said with mild annoyance, "Tang, it’s work hours. Staring at a female employee like that—isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"
Tang Song snapped back to reality and realized that Cheng Qiuqiu’s face had turned red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
Tang Song chuckled and shifted his gaze toward his partner. "Then I’ll just look at the beautiful President Gao instead."
Since Gao Mengting was also scheduled to appear in today’s live stream, she had specially worn a black-and-white plaid strapless dress—simple yet elegant, exuding a soft, fashionable charm.
Sitting next to "cold and aloof queen" Qiuqiu, the contrast was strikingly perfect.
It even made Tang Song’s heartbeat quicken a little.
Unable to resist, he reached out and ruffled his partner’s neatly styled hair, messing it up.
Gao Mengting raised her hand to swat at him, making a face that said, "You’ll pay for this."
The two exchanged a few playful jabs in hushed voices.
Around them, the staff subtly averted their gazes, pretending to be deeply focused on work.
A fleeting trace of envy and loneliness flashed through Cheng Qiuqiu’s eyes.
【Growing… 16%...】 (Not yet sprouted)
Noticing this peculiar reaction, Tang Song’s eyes flickered with intrigue.
But since this was still a live stream setting, he didn’t continue teasing Gao Mengting. He bid them farewell and turned to leave.
Back in the CEO’s office, he powered up his computer, put on his headphones, and entered the "Qingning Tech Live Stream Room."
On September 15, 2023, Qingning Technology officially launched Lime3.0.
According to Liu Qingning, this was destined to be a product that would reshape the AI landscape and create a massive societal impact.
Though Qingning Tech was already well-known in niche circles, it still lagged behind the top tech giants.
But today’s launch would change everything—it would propel the company into the global spotlight.
Tang Song was beyond excited.
This would be his first time witnessing his own tech venture’s rise to success.
"Ding-dong—"
A WeChat notification sounded in his headphones.
Two new messages popped up on his computer screen.
【Shen Yuyan: Photo.jpg】
【Shen Yuyan: "Hey, just a little something to share~ I just got shortlisted for the ‘Yanzhao Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program’! This was taken at Yan City TV Station the day before yesterday. What do you think? Hope I still have a bit of my former campus beauty charm, haha."】
Tang Song raised an eyebrow and opened the photo.
It was an artistic portrait.
A stylish and sensual dark gray slip dress, long jet-black hair, meticulously applied makeup.
She looked graceful and poised—undeniably stunning.
Even now, the essence of that exquisite campus beauty remained, only now she was more mature, more alluring.
Understanding Shen Yuyan’s subtle intentions, Tang Song smirked and typed a reply:
"You look even more beautiful than back then."
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
【Shen Yuyan: "(#CoveringMouthLaugh) Tang, you sure know how to talk. Now I feel embarrassed~ Oh, by the way, friendly reminder: the Qingning Tech launch is about to start. I heard it’s going to be a big deal, so if you’re free, you might want to check it out."】
...
Youjie Domestic Services, General Manager’s Office.
Shen Yuyan stared at Tang Song’s reply, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.
Back when Xu Qing hadn’t gotten together with him, she hadn’t felt so conflicted. She had hesitated, sure, but not struggled.
But now that Xu Qing had confirmed their relationship and even met his parents…
Flirting with her best friend’s boyfriend—it was disgraceful.
Even knowing he had other women around him, the guilt gnawed at her.
To her, Xu Qing was family.
They had known each other since middle school, watching anime together, studying together, getting into the same high school and university…
For over a decade, they had been inseparable.
Even if she had a boyfriend in the future, he wouldn’t be more important than Xu Qing.
Her biggest fear was that one day, because of Tang Song, her friendship with Xu Qing would crack.
After all, she had seen plenty of friendships destroyed by love.
Last night, under the influence of alcohol, she had spoken those words as a test.
The impact Tang Song had on her was overwhelming—she truly couldn’t control it.
Lately, every night when she closed her eyes, his figure was all she could see.
Shen Yuyan sighed, rubbed her temples, and refocused on the screen in front of her, waiting for the launch event to begin.
She had deliberately asked Xu Qing to invite Tang Song to Beicheng Garden tonight. Her real intention was to use the Qingning Tech launch as an opportunity to have a deep conversation with him.
Now, Youjie Domestic Services was about to secure a major client, Xucheng Property. The second round of funding was set to arrive smoothly, and she was on the verge of entering the "Yanzhao Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program."
All of these proved her excellence.
Shen Yuyan was a proud person.
She wanted to earn Tang Song’s admiration.
Not fight her best friend over him as a loser.
"Ding-dong—" A WeChat notification sounded.
She picked up her phone and saw someone had @ her in her high school class group chat.
She tapped open 【Class 2, First High School】.
【Cheng Ziwei: "@Shen Yuyan @Bai Menglin … You two haven’t shown up in ages! Come check out Yingying’s big moment—this is huge."】
【Cheng Ziwei: Video.video】
Shen Yuyan frowned slightly and clicked to play the video.
It was an interview by a Guangdong-based media outlet.
The main subject was Ji Yingying, the Investor Relations Director at Zhifang Medical.
As the video played, Shen Yuyan’s expression grew darker.
Since middle school, with her looks, intelligence, and social skills, she had always been the brightest one in the room.
Even in high school, though there were other outstanding girls, she had overshadowed them all.
Ji Yingying and Bai Menglin, for example.
They had all been top students at their elite high school, excelling academically.
Bai Menglin had gone to a 211 university for undergrad and later earned a master’s degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She now worked at a finance firm in Central.
Shen Yuyan had followed her Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) account—her life seemed dazzling.
Meanwhile, Ji Yingying had gone straight to the U.S. for college. She previously worked in New York as a simultaneous interpreter, but word had it that she had recently returned to China.
However, because she was always busy with work, she had rarely shown up in the group chat, so no one knew the details.
Now, out of nowhere, she was being interviewed on TV, sharing her career growth over the past two or three years.
Because of her interpreter background, she had caught the attention of the chairman of "Zhifang Medical," a domestic medical device company, and became his assistant, specializing in international client relations.
At the beginning of this year, Zhifang Medical went public on the A-shares market, with a valuation close to 10 billion yuan.
Due to her outstanding performance, Ji Yingying was promoted to the head of investor relations at just 26, becoming an executive at a listed company with an annual salary in the millions.
Naturally, she had a significant public presence, and with her good looks, she was being used as part of Zhifang Medical’s branding strategy.
This interview was essentially an advertisement.
The class group chat was buzzing with excitement like never before.
【"I just saw the original video on Douyin—it already has over 100,000 likes! Yingying is amazing; she’s going to be famous!"】
【"Damn, I just realized she works at Zhifang Medical! I’ve bought their stocks—this is insane!"】
Seeing all the praise for her former classmate, Shen Yuyan’s breathing grew uneven. Her emotions were a chaotic mess.
She had maintained a good relationship with Ji Yingying and Bai Menglin, but there had always been an underlying sense of competition.
Now, they were pulling ahead of her.
Closing the group chat, Shen Yuyan shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus back on the live stream.
10:00 AM.
The Qingning Tech launch event officially began.
The host was a world-renowned tech journalist, conducting the event in both Chinese and English.
The opening video was spectacular, tracing the history from the Big Bang to the AI revolution, before finally locking onto the Qingning Tech logo.
After a brief introduction, Qingning Tech’s CEO, Ye Hanwen, took the stage.
Shen Yuyan straightened her posture, listening intently, a notebook in hand.
She needed to memorize these details for her conversation with Tang Song later that night.
As the event progressed, her expression became increasingly astonished.
Lime3.0—A multi-modal general artificial intelligence model.
It covered text, images, videos, voice, and even 3D point clouds, supporting cross-modal reasoning and generation.
With over 18.7 trillion parameters, it was the world’s largest general AI model.
It supported over 100 languages, ranked number one globally in Chinese comprehension and generation, and boasted the fastest inference speed worldwide.
It featured real-time image analysis and generation, supporting ultra-resolution reconstruction, style transfer, and defect detection.
Applications spanned autonomous driving, industrial quality inspection, and more, with point cloud segmentation accuracy reaching 99.3%.
It offered industry-leading pre-trained models, empowering countless industries with seamless integration.
For consumers:
Qingning Tech introduced the official version of Qingmi AI.
It supported multi-modal inputs, generating personalized responses, allowing voice, text, and image-based interactions.
For businesses:
Because of her deep passion and ambition in AI, Shen Yuyan understood exactly what these numbers meant.
Lime3.0 surpassed GPT-4, released in March, in every metric.
Not only that, but it offered a richer ecosystem and broader applications.
Most importantly, its training costs were much lower, and its services were significantly cheaper than OpenAI.
This was a groundbreaking release.
For China, it was a seismic event.
Sure enough, as the launch continued, messages began flooding her phone.
App notifications, investment group chats, startup discussions, social media circles…
The launch was spreading at an astonishing speed.
Watching the heated discussions in her various group chats, Shen Yuyan, as an entrepreneur, felt a surge of excitement and ambition.
For the rest of the day, her emotions remained high as she absorbed all the information she could about Lime3.0.
She eagerly anticipated her meeting with Tang Song that night.
6:40 PM.
A Bentley Continental parked in the ground-level parking lot outside Beicheng Garden.
Tang Song stepped out and walked along the pedestrian path.
As he approached the entrance pillar, he quickly spotted a figure peeking out.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly. Pretending not to notice, he continued forward.
Once he was close enough, he suddenly jumped half a step forward and called out in a deep, exaggerated voice, "Ah!"
Caught off guard, Xu Qing let out a piercing scream, shuddered violently, and crouched down with her hands over her head.
"You… you scared me to death!" She lifted her head, glaring at Tang Song with wide eyes.
Tang Song burst into laughter. "That’s what you get for being such a clumsy snoop—hiding but still staring at me."
"You’re the idiot! Idiot Tang Song! Idiot Tang Song!"
What followed was Xu Qing’s furious pushing and shoving.
The two playfully bickered as they made their way to Building 4 and took the elevator up to the 12th floor.
The door to the apartment unlocked.
"Yanyan, I'm back!" Xu Qing called out loudly as she stepped inside, handing a pair of men’s slippers to Tang Song.
After changing shoes, he walked into the living room.
The first thing that caught his eye was the campus belle, Shen Yuyan, sitting on the sofa.
A white fitted top paired with black skinny pants—simple yet elegant—perfectly outlined her graceful curves.
Her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate features carried a hint of freshness and lazy charm.
"Good evening, Tang Song." Shen Yuyan stood up, smiling gently at him, her voice soft and clear. "Since Qingqing and I were busy today, I got the food packed from a restaurant. I hope you don’t mind."
Xu Qing pouted. "Yanyan, don’t bother being nice to him. He just scared me earlier!"
She immediately turned to her best friend and began complaining about what had happened.
Shen Yuyan winked at Tang Song, then took a small step forward and lightly pinched his cheek. "Hmph, that's for bullying our Qingqing."
Her soft, warm fingers carried a faint fragrance, tinged with an unspoken flirtation.
It sent a slight ripple through Tang Song’s heart.
Xu Qing, oblivious to their little interaction, clung to her best friend’s arm with satisfaction. "Yanyan is still the best, mua!"
Tang Song raised an eyebrow and directly reached out with both hands, playfully pinching both of their cheeks at the same time.
Two different textures, two completely different sensations—very satisfying.
Xu Qing feigned ferocity. "This is our turf! Be careful, or we’ll beat you up!"
Tang Song smiled. "Go ahead, both of you. Let's see who goes down first."
"Yanyan, get him!"
Shen Yuyan’s expression stiffened slightly. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Let’s just sit down—the food’s getting cold."
Dinner was a lavish spread.
Braised pork ribs, garlic sautéed broccoli, steamed sea bass, a platter of assorted marinated meats…
As the meal began, accompanied by Xu Qing’s laughter, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.
Shen Yuyan didn’t immediately bring up the Qingning Tech launch. Instead, she started talking about their university days, reminiscing about shared memories and mutual friends.
When the conversation grew livelier, she even pulled out her phone to show them some old photos.
University had been her prime.
President of the School of Economics and Management’s student council, the famous campus belle, frequently participating in performances and competitions.
With the rise of short-video platforms later on, she had deliberately marketed herself as the "Yan City Campus Belle" to grow her social media presence.
The results had been significant.
By the time she graduated in 2020, her personal account had over 600,000 followers.
Choosing to work in HR at a Fortune 500 company was also a strategic move—to build a network and find the right business opportunity.
Zhang Tianqi had chosen to co-found Youjie Domestic Services with her precisely because of this.
She had even contributed her personal brand as a non-monetary asset in exchange for equity, making it a core part of Youjie’s marketing and customer acquisition strategy.
Otherwise, given her financial situation at the time, there was no way she could have owned 49% of the company’s shares.
So, in terms of the startup, she hadn’t exactly taken advantage of Zhang Tianqi—it was more of a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Outside, the night deepened. Inside, the warm glow of the lights created a cozy ambiance.
By 8 PM, dinner was over.
Xu Qing and Shen Yuyan headed to the kitchen to wash the dishes and prepare a fruit platter.
Tang Song sat on the sofa, watching a variety show on TV with interest.
A faint fragrance filled the air, mingling with the fresh scent of fruit.
Shen Yuyan set down a beautifully arranged fruit platter in front of him and casually handed him a toothpick.
"Thanks." Tang Song accepted it and couldn’t help but glance at her a second longer.
He had to admit, the campus belle was something else.
She had to be at least a D-cup, on par with Qiuqiu.
Noticing his gaze, Shen Yuyan subtly turned her body, picked up a grape with her fingers, and brought it to his lips. "This one's super sweet, try it."
Tang Song nodded slightly and opened his mouth.
The grape rolled in, bursting with sweet juice between his teeth.
"It really is good," he said, his tone calm and composed.
Shen Yuyan bit her lip slightly, her gaze flickering before she smiled brightly. "You watched the Qingning Tech launch today, right?"
"Of course. It’s the hottest topic online right now."
Shen Yuyan moved a little closer, leaning forward, her voice light and confident. "Lime3.0’s release means technological accessibility, cost reduction, and innovation in business models for entrepreneurs. Even in the home services industry, integrating AI could drastically cut expenses—"
Because she had prepared her talking points in advance, her words flowed smoothly, carrying a persuasive energy.
Just then—
"Ring ring—"
A sudden phone call interrupted her.
Tang Song glanced at the caller ID and smiled faintly. "I need to take this."
He got up and walked to the balcony.
Standing there, he pressed the answer button. "Hello, Qingning?"
A familiar voice came through the receiver, laced with warmth and exhaustion.
"Xiao Song, what are you doing right now?"
"I’m having dinner with some friends, just chatting about the Qingning Tech launch. You must be exhausted today."
"I finally wrapped up everything. While I was sorting through my stuff just now, I suddenly thought of that ginkgo bookmark you made for me back in college. Do you still remember it?"
"Of course." A trace of nostalgia flashed in Tang Song’s eyes.
It was Mid-Autumn Festival in 2016, around this time of year. Bai Yueguang had unexpectedly traveled from Beijing to Yan City to visit him.
They had walked down a street near Yan City University of Technology, where he had picked up a particularly beautiful ginkgo leaf.
Later, he had turned it into a bookmark and given it to Liu Qingning.
"I can’t find it anymore… I must have lost it somewhere," Liu Qingning said, her voice tinged with a pout, almost like she was about to cry.
Tang Song immediately comforted her. "It’s okay. I’ll make you another one."
"You said it!" Her tone instantly brightened, like a child throwing a tantrum. "I want you to go to that street at the university right now and find me the prettiest ginkgo leaf! Take a picture and show me!"
"Uh… right now?"
"Right now! I suddenly really, really miss it. If I don’t see it tonight, I won’t be able to sleep!" Liu Qingning’s tone was firm and willful.
Tang Song sighed, but the indulgent smile never left his lips. "Alright, I’ll go now and send you a picture soon."
Beicheng Garden was in Yuhua District, only about three kilometers from the university. It wasn’t far.
"Mm-hmm! Thanks, Xiao Song, you’re the best!"
After hanging up, Tang Song turned back to the living room.
Shen Yuyan smiled. "Finished your call? Let’s continue."
Tang Song nodded. "I need to step out for a bit. We’ll talk later."
Shen Yuyan’s smile faltered for a second before she quickly composed herself. Only a faint trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Alright, go ahead."
Tang Song put on his jacket and called out toward the kitchen. "Qingqing, I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll be back later."
Xu Qing, wearing rubber gloves while washing dishes, waved a soapy hand without looking back. "Got it! Drive safe!"
"Bye-bye." Tang Song bid farewell to Shen Yuyan before turning and walking out.
As his figure disappeared through the doorway, the smile on Shen Yuyan’s face slowly faded, replaced by a complicated emotion.
A sudden, uneasy feeling settled in her heart.
The night was as dark as ink, the cold moon hanging high, stars twinkling faintly.
Under the streetlights, the Glacier White Bentley Continental shimmered with a soft silver glow, like a stream of flowing moonlight weaving through the quiet streets of Yan City.
The tires rolled over the pavement, making a faint rustling sound, blending with the chill of the night.
About ten minutes later, Yan City University of Technology gradually came into view.
After making two turns, Tang Song parked his car at the entrance of a familiar street and looked ahead.
The street remained unchanged, just as he remembered.
The ginkgo trees on both sides swayed gently in the autumn breeze.
A few young couples, hand in hand, passed by him, chatting and laughing.
The crisp air carried the distinct scent of early autumn—earthy and rich with the fragrance of fallen leaves.
Tang Song's thoughts drifted back to the past, to the times he had walked here with Liu Qingning.
Locking his car, he stepped onto the street.
His gaze lowered as he carefully scanned the ground, searching for the perfect ginkgo leaf.
He had only taken a few steps—
"Tap, tap tap—"
Light, rhythmic footsteps suddenly approached from ahead.
In the corner of his vision, a figure slowly emerged from behind a tree.
She tilted her head slightly, a soft smile playing on her lips, her gaze locked straight onto him.
Tang Song’s steps halted abruptly.
He lifted his head, staring blankly at the girl before him, frozen in place.
The streetlights cast a dappled glow over her figure, blurring the scenery around them and clouding his thoughts.
Golden ginkgo leaves swirled in the wind, circling around her.
One of them landed gently on her chest.
Seeing Tang Song standing there, stunned, Liu Qingning casually picked up the leaf and tossed it at him.
"Hey, what are you staring at, idiot?"