Since we are all reborn, let’s arrest the senior!

The autumn rain was falling softly. Lu Mingze stood in the rain, raindrops dripping from his messy hair, blurring his vision like transparent beaded curtains.

The wind carried a slight chill, penetrating his thin shirt directly and causing him to shiver involuntarily.

But at this moment, his gaze was fixed on the busy figure in the rose garden.

Jiang Yun, dressed in a beige trench coat, moved back and forth among the flowers, occasionally trimming the branches with her scissors. Her focused expression seemed oblivious to the surrounding wind and rain. He took a deep breath, the cool rain and earthy scent filling his lungs, his fingers slightly numb from gripping the door for so long. He slowly pushed open the wrought-iron gate; the hinges creaked, the sound particularly clear amidst the rain.

"Jiang Yun." He spoke, his voice carried by the sound of wind and rain, tinged with a hint of caution, as if afraid of disturbing the person in front of him.

Jiang Yun paused, her grip on the scissors tightening slightly, but she didn't turn around, continuing her work. Lu Mingze approached step by step, the muddy ground making a "plop, plop" sound under his feet, mud splashing onto his trouser legs, soaking half of them, but he seemed oblivious. When he stopped behind her, only an arm's length apart, he could even hear Jiang Yun's deliberately suppressed breathing.

Silence spread between them, broken only by the sound of rain and the soft rustling of scissors trimming flower branches. Finally, Lu Mingze spoke in a hoarse voice, "I've deleted all her contact information. I won't have any contact with her anymore." As he finished speaking, he saw Jiang Yun's shoulders tremble slightly.

Jiang Yun finally turned around, her eyes red-rimmed, with what looked like rain or tears still clinging to her eyelashes. Her voice was thick with nasal tone: "Why did you do this? You could have kept your distance from the beginning." Her eyes were full of grievance and questioning, as if emotions that had been building up for a long time had finally found an outlet.

“It was my oversight. I thought it was just a normal pottery exchange. By the time I realized it…” Lu Mingze scratched his hair in frustration, the raindrops from his hair splashing onto his face. “I shouldn’t have made you sad. I promise I won’t let this happen again.” As he spoke, he trembled as he pulled the piece of clay from his pocket. It still had some fuzz on it. “Look, this is what we had left over from making the cup last time. There are even our fingerprints inside.”

Looking at the clay, Jiang Yun's memories were instantly pulled back to the time they spent together in the pottery studio. The sweetness of that time intertwined with the grievances of the present, and the grievances in her heart eased slightly. Seeing her expression soften, Lu Mingze eagerly continued, "How about we make something new out of it together? Just like repairing our relationship, I want to do it with you."

Jiang Yun finally couldn't hold back anymore and threw herself into his arms, her tears mingling with the rain, soaking his clothes. She gently pounded his chest: "Don't do this again next time."

"No, absolutely not." Lu Mingze hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, feeling her slight trembling. "From now on, my eyes will only be on you and our pottery works."

Back home, Lu Mingze proved his determination with his actions. Every morning, before dawn, he would quietly get up, careful not to wake the still-sleeping Jiang Yun. He would go into the kitchen, tie on his apron covered in teddy bears, and bustle about in the morning light. The bacon sizzled in the frying pan, the bread in the oven gradually turned golden brown, and an enticing aroma filled the air. He would even take out Jiang Yun's favorite colored pencils and carefully draw cute patterns on her coffee cup—sometimes a lovable little bear, sometimes a blooming rose.

Outside of work, he completely severed all contact with Lin Yanqiu, and his phone no longer received any late-night messages from unknown numbers. He devoted more time and energy to ceramic art research; his desk in his study was piled high with various ceramic art books and materials, and his notebooks were filled with his insights and inspirations. He often stared blankly at the clay bearing both of their fingerprints, constantly conceiving new works in his mind.

Although Jiang Yun gradually let go of her resentment, she would still feel a pang of sadness occasionally when she saw pottery materials that Lu Mingze had exchanged with Lin Yanqiu while tidying up her study, or when she saw similar scenes in the studio. Lu Mingze keenly noticed her emotional changes, and whenever this happened, he would immediately put down what he was doing, take Jiang Yun's hand, and say, "Come on, let's go to the pottery studio."

Returning to the studio, the familiar scent of clay filled the air. Lu Mingze would always deliberately choose the same spot they used to sit, listening attentively to Jiang Yun's explanations, just like when he was learning pottery for the first time. He clumsily threw the clay, deliberately making all sorts of strange shapes, which made Jiang Yun unable to help but laugh. Their laughter echoed in the studio, and those unpleasant memories gradually faded away in the laughter.

That day, Lu Mingze mysteriously led Jiang Yun to his studio. On the way, he held Jiang Yun's hand tightly, his palms slightly sweaty, but his face beaming with an irrepressible smile. Turning on the studio lights, warm yellow light spilled onto the display stand, where a uniquely shaped vase stood quietly. Engraved on the vase were their names and the words "Forever Together," the characters slightly crooked, but every stroke filled with heartfelt sentiment. It was made from the clay that held their memories.

“Although it’s not perfect, it’s our joint work and a testament to our relationship.” Lu Mingze looked at Jiang Yun with a nervous expression and his eyes were full of anticipation. “In the future, we will make more things together, and we will engrave our names on every single one.”

Jiang Yun looked at the vase, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. She reached out and gently stroked the inscription on it, as if she could feel Lu Mingze's focus and care in making it. "As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to do anything," she whispered.

Lu Mingze smiled and pulled her into his arms, gently kissing her forehead: "Then it's settled, every work we do from now on will carry our story."

From then on, the two could often be seen busily working in the studio. Together, they researched new glazes, placing various bottles and jars on the experimental table to mix different colors. Once, in order to create the dreamy purple glaze that Jiang Yun wanted, the two experimented more than ten times, smearing paint on each other's hands and drawing cute patterns on each other's faces. When they finally succeeded, they cheered like children.

They also experimented with different shapes together, sometimes small and delicate teacups, sometimes simple and elegant vases. During the production process, Lu Mingze would always come up with some novel ideas, although he often failed because his skills were not yet mature. But Jiang Yun would always patiently encourage him and accompany him to start over.

In their spare time, the two would sit by the floor-to-ceiling windows of their studio, gazing at the scenery outside and sharing their thoughts. Lu Mingze would tell Jiang Yun about his newly learned pottery knowledge, while Jiang Yun would discuss new ideas for the Rose Garden party with him. Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing them in a warm glow.

The vase that symbolized their reconciliation was placed in the most prominent position in the living room. Whenever friends came to visit, they would marvel at this unique vase. Lu Mingze and Jiang Yun would exchange a smile and proudly tell the story behind the vase.

The rain during the plum rain season is always lingering. Jiang Yun held up a semi-transparent cherry blossom umbrella, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the carvings on the handle. She wore a black silk shirt dress, the pearl buttons at the waistline gleaming warmly in the rain, the knee-length hem swaying gently with her steps.

Lu Mingze pulled her further in, her navy blue shirt clinging to her back, outlining her smooth muscle lines, and water droplets dripping from her hair slid down her neck and into her collar.

"There's a newly opened dessert shop up ahead," Lu Mingze suddenly said, his eyes sparkling as he pointed to the pink lanterns on the street corner. He licked his lips, looking just like a child begging for candy.

Jiang Yun smiled faintly, tiptoed, and wiped the raindrops from his chin with her fingertips. Her dark red manicure left a cool touch on his skin. "Mr. Lu, are you craving dessert, or maybe some stringy treats?" Her voice carried a languid tone characteristic of a mature woman, making Lu Mingze's ears turn red. Pushing open the carved wooden door of the dessert shop, a sweet aroma wafted out. Jiang Yun took off her sunglasses, revealing delicate eyeliner at the corners of her eyes, and walked straight to a booth by the window. Lu Mingze followed behind, his gaze fixed on her long, flowing chestnut hair, the slightly curled ends resembling deliberately styled waves.

"Signature pudding, and a matcha ice cream, please." After saying this to the waiter, he turned to Jiang Yun and raised an eyebrow: "Testing the waters for Designer Jiang."

When the ice cream was served, Lu Mingze scooped out a large spoonful and held it to her lips. Jiang Yun lowered her eyes and sipped it lightly. The cool sweetness mixed with the slight bitterness of matcha spread on her tongue. As her eyelashes trembled, she raised her hand and pressed down on his wrist: "Master Lu, are you trying to murder your employer?" The ring on her finger reflected a cold light under the lamp, but Lu Mingze took the opportunity to bite the ice cream on her fingertip, which made her laugh softly. She patted his shoulder lightly with her other hand.

As the sun set, the two walked side by side on the stone path. Jiang Yun suddenly stopped in front of the lottery shop window, her dark red high heels lightly tapping the ground. The jackpot poster on the glass shimmered in the afterglow. She ran her fingertips along the edge of the poster and said casually, "Want to try my luck?"

Lu Mingze was taken aback, then she pulled him into the store. She leaned against the counter, the top button of her black shirt inadvertently coming undone, revealing her delicate collarbone, while her hands clasped tightly around Lu Mingze's fingers.

“Scratch-off tickets are the most exciting.” Lu Mingze stuffed the lottery ticket into her palm. Jiang Yun’s slender fingers gripped the scratcher, the rose pattern on her nails appearing and disappearing with the movement. Lu Mingze pressed his entire body against her back, his breath brushing against the stray hairs by her ear: “My lucky goddess, please.”

Jiang Yun's lips curled up as she slowly scraped off the coating, finally raising an eyebrow at him: "Didn't pass."

"I don't believe it!" Lu Mingze snatched the lottery ticket and pretended to examine it under the streetlight. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: "I won! Five yuan!"

Jiang Yun was amused by his appearance, reached out and hooked his tie, pulling it closer to her. Her dark red manicure brushed against his Adam's apple: "Mr. Lu, you should see an ophthalmologist."

In the air-conditioned convenience store, Jiang Yun tore open the packaging of an old-fashioned popsicle, her movements as elegant as unwrapping a gift. Lu Mingze insisted on switching flavors, and the strawberry popsicle made a crisp sound as he bit into it: "We have to get a couple's version."

Jiang Yun leaned against the shelf, her long legs crossed, her gaze falling on his mouth stained with milk: "Don't you dislike strawberries?"

"Whatever you like." Lu Mingze reached out to pinch her cheek, but she grabbed his wrist. Jiang Yun looked up at him, her eyeliner slightly upturned, and her red lips parted slightly: "Next time you want to be cute, come up with a better excuse." After saying that, she let go of his hand, turned and walked towards the door, the hem of her black skirt brushing against Lu Mingze's burning fingertips.

On a weekend morning, sunlight streamed into the kitchen through the blinds. Jiang Yun walked barefoot out of the bedroom, her pale purple nightgown outlining her graceful figure, and she still wore the pearl necklace she hadn't taken off the night before.

Lu Mingze, wearing a worn-out bear apron with half a sausage sticking out of his pocket, turned around with a bright smile: "Little lazy cat, try this lovingly prepared breakfast."

Jiang Yun leaned against the door frame, propping her chin up with one hand: "Did Chef Lu learn this plating technique from a Michelin chef?" The fried eggs were arranged in a heart shape, and the crooked rabbit on the toast reminded her of the clay that Lu Mingze had ruined in the studio.

Lu Mingze suddenly leaned over and lightly touched the tip of her nose with his flour-covered hand: "The little bunny has turned into a snowman."

Jiang Yun grabbed his wrist and gently pressed her manicured nails against the back of his hand: "Mr. Lu, does this count as a work injury?" Her eyes were smiling, but she let go of his hand when Lu Mingze lowered his head, her fingertips brushing against the back of his hand, leaving a faint touch.

While taking an evening walk, Jiang Yun suddenly stopped at the stray cat rescue station. She crouched down, the hem of her black shirt trailing on the damp ground, and gracefully and calmly took cat food out of her bag. The little orange cat watched her warily, but she extended her fingers painted with dark red nail polish, her voice so gentle it could melt water: "Come here, little darling."

Lu Mingze squatted down next to her, his gaze shifting back and forth between her and the kitten: "Why don't you adopt it? It would be super cute to make cat paw cups from it."

Jiang Yun turned to look at him, her long hair falling over her shoulders, the smile at the corner of her eyes gentler than the setting sun: "Let's go buy cat litter first, Dad Lu."

In the study late at night, the desk lamp illuminated Jiang Yun's focused profile. She wore a silk robe, her long hair, styled in a bun, with a few strands falling over her shoulders, as she revised the design plans for the Rose Garden party.

Lu Mingze leaned closer, holding his laptop. The screen was full of cat supplies: "How about the castle cat bed? And this automatic feeder?"

Jiang Yun put down her pen, leaned on his shoulder, and her pearl necklace gently brushed against his neck: "Mr. Lu, you've really thought things through." She raised her hand to turn off the computer, her fingertips tracing his Adam's apple: "But now, the designer needs to recharge."

Lu Mingze pulled her into his arms and kissed her gentle smile. The moonlight outside the window quietly shone on the two of them, casting their shadows into a romantic picture.

P.S. Requesting monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and please subscribe! (End of this chapter)