The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

In late summer, the wind carried the lingering heat, and the sycamore leaves cast dappled shadows on the asphalt road. At the entrance of Arden Bilingual Primary School, children carrying small backpacks and clutching their parents' clothes crowded together. Cries, instructions, and laughter mingled together and crashed in the warm wind.

Shi Yan held Shi Yi's hand and stood steadily at the school gate, waving goodbye to her parents.

The seven-year-old boy had grown into a handsome young man with clear features, a straight nose, and stood upright, holding his younger sister's hand.

Shi Yi had her hair styled in two round buns, with light pink bows tied at the ends. Her fair face was framed by a pair of doe-like eyes as she timidly stood next to Shi Yan.

Meng Jiangyu stood in front of the children, holding Shen Qingyao's hand. Looking at the two children leaning on each other, his eyes were full of tenderness.

Shi Yan has protected Shi Yi since she was little. From her first steps to her first words, her brother's figure has always been Shi Yi's most reassuring support. Now that they are both entering primary school, they are inseparable.

"Shiyan, take good care of your younger sister, okay?" Shen Qingyao squatted down, gently straightened Shiyi's crooked bow, and softly instructed her.

Shi Yan nodded solemnly, and spoke like a little adult, her voice clear and bright: "Mom, I will. No one can bully my sister."

Shi Yi looked up at her brother's serious profile, smiled with her lips pursed, and clenched her little hand tighter in his palm.

The school bell rang at the gate, its sound as clear as a wind chime. Teachers stood at the gate, waving and guiding the new students into the school.

Shi Yan led Shi Yi step by step into the school. The sunlight fell on their small backs, making their two figures overlap.

The applause in the lecture hall of Kyoto University lasted for a long time.

Shen Qingyao stood on the stage in a simple beige dress, her long hair tied up, revealing her slender and elegant neck. She had a calm and composed smile on her face, and her eyes showed the composure and brilliance of years of dedicated academic work.

She passed her doctoral dissertation defense and all academic assessments with near-perfect results, drawing admiring glances from her supervisors and colleagues.

She finally graduated with her doctorate.

From her undergraduate to her doctoral studies, Shen Qingyao dedicated her most passionate youth to academia, overcoming numerous obstacles and never stopping.

This persistence paid off, and Kyoto University extended an olive branch to her, hiring her as the university's youngest specially appointed professor, so that she could continue to delve into the field she loved.

As Shen Qingyao walked out of the lecture hall, she saw Lu Ying holding a bouquet of sunflowers, waiting in the corridor. "Yaoyao, congratulations on your graduation!"

Lu Ying greeted her with a smile, gently hugged Shen Qingyao, and her eyes were full of warmth and happiness for her: "You've finally made it through. Our Qingyao is now Professor Shen."

"Thank you, Yingying." Shen Qingyao took the flowers from Lu Ying, the faint fragrance of the flowers lingering around her nose. Looking at her friend's gentle eyes, her heart was filled with tenderness.

Lu Ying gave birth to a son in the same year as her. Lu Ying gave birth to a big, healthy boy weighing eight pounds and eight ounces, named Gu Xingcheng, meaning that the stars would accompany him and that he would be happy to be by her side. When Xingcheng was five years old, Lu Ying gave birth to her second son, Gu Xingye. The family of four, with both a son and a daughter, lived a warm and lively life.

"Why are you here?" Shen Qingyao asked softly.

Lu Ying smiled gently: "Brother Jiang Yu asked me to come. He said he was on a business trip and couldn't make it back, so he told me I had to come and keep you company. You two are still so close. You're making me feel so jealous."

The wind rustled through the camphor trees of Peking University. Shen Qingyao looked at the students coming and going on campus and recalled how she looked when she first entered the university.

Thousands of miles away in Suzhou, the city is shrouded in mist and rain, with green tiles and white walls built along the water, and the sweet aroma of osmanthus cakes wafting through the alleys.

Fang Shuning's guesthouse is located deep in Pingjiang Road. The courtyard is planted with banana trees and jasmine, and the fragrance fills the air when a breeze blows through it.

After her studies abroad came to an end, she eventually returned to this small town in Jiangnan, where she lives a quiet life, tending her small courtyard, running a guesthouse, and enjoying a carefree existence.

Over the years, she has met people who seemed suitable.

There were gentle and refined university professors, mature and steady corporate executives, and witty and humorous travel writers. They all knocked on her heart's door and accompanied her on a journey that was either long or short, but in the end, they all just passed each other by.

Others advised her that she was getting old and should find someone to settle down with, but only Fang Shuning knew that it wasn't that she didn't want to love, but that she had met someone too amazing when she was young, and that she had found it hard to be attracted to anyone else for the rest of her life.

That heart-fluttering moment hidden in her youth, that figure that once amazed her entire girlhood, is like a seed buried deep in her heart. It never sprouted, but it never withered either. It occupies the softest corner of her heart, making everyone else seem like a compromise.

But she refused to settle.

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the banana leaves, falling on the teacup Fang Shuning held. The aroma of tea wafted through the air. She gazed at the river flowing slowly outside the courtyard, her expression serene and calm.

Living alone isn't so bad. I can enjoy the misty rain of Suzhou and the white moonlight in my heart. It's comfortable and peaceful.

Time is always fair, paving different paths in life for everyone.

Xu Huihui and Xiang Yu got married in the third year after graduating from university.

Two girls who used to laugh and play together on campus both married for love and had a son and a daughter, making a perfect family.

On ordinary days, she is surrounded by her children, has a considerate husband, and lives a life filled with the simple joys of everyday life.

Their life was ordinary, yet incredibly fulfilling.

Lu Linchuan and Su Wan remain as gentle as ever, unchanged by the passage of time.

The couple had two sons after their marriage. They had a strict family style and treated each other with respect. They didn't have any grand romantic words, but they had a long-lasting and loving companionship.

Breakfast in the morning, lights at night, children's crying and laughter—these constitute their entire lives, simple as water, yet peaceful and enduring, the most standard form of happiness in the eyes of the world.

Zhou Yanqiu and Xu Mingxuan, on the other hand, remain forever young boys.

The two continued to live a carefree life, moving through the bustling city, never lacking female companions, passing through a sea of ​​flowers without a single petal clinging to them.

They enjoy the joy of freedom, unwilling to be bound by marriage or tied down by responsibilities, living a carefree and unrestrained life. They are the most unconventional figures in their social circles, and no one knows how long their lives will continue.

In the evening in Beijing, the setting sun painted the sky a gentle orange-pink hue.

Shi Yan and Shi Yi, carrying their little schoolbags, walked hand in hand out of the elementary school gate. Shi Yi had a little red flower on her clothes as a reward from the teacher. She skipped and hopped along beside Shi Yan, chattering about funny things.

Shi Yan listened intently, responding occasionally, his little face full of seriousness, holding her hand tightly without letting go.

Not far away, Meng Jiangyu and Shen Qingyao saw two children come out of the school gate and get out of the nanny van.

When Shi Yan and Shi Yi saw their parents, they ran over happily, calling out, "Dad, Mom!"

Meng Jiangyu and Shen Qingyao looked at the two small figures, and a gentle smile appeared on their lips.

In her guesthouse in Suzhou, Fang Shuning opened the window and was greeted by the evening breeze of Jiangnan, the aroma of tea still lingering.

In the courtyard of the Gu family, Lu Ying watched the Xingcheng and Xingye brothers chasing and playing. Her husband, Gu Xizhou, stood beside her, gently putting his arm around her shoulder. The scene was peaceful and serene.

The home of Xu Huihui and Xiang Yu was filled with the innocent laughter of children, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Under the lamplight, Lu Linchuan and Su Wan enjoyed a peaceful family dinner together.

Zhou Yanqiu and Xu Mingxuan's car drove through the city's neon lights, carefree and unrestrained.

This year, some people stayed true to their original aspirations, some were content with the mundane realities of life, some lived freely and unrestrainedly, and some stayed together with gentle companionship.

The gears of time turn slowly, weaving all the tenderness and beauty into the long passage of time, quietly awaiting the day when flowers bloom along the path.

This concludes my writing. I hope everyone will not let worldly concerns drown out the romance and passion in life, but remain forever enthusiastic and always enjoy happiness. Dear readers, see you in the next installment!