The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

10:00 AM, East Gate of Renmin University.

Li Zhiyi is already here.

She wore a light blue dress and her hair was tied in a low ponytail. Her backpack was bulging, as if it was stuffed full of things.

Chen Zhi saw her from afar.

She stood under the sycamore tree by the entrance, her hands behind her back, tiptoeing slightly as she peered towards the intersection. The moment she saw Chen Zhi, her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she quickly walked over.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just arrived too."

Chen Zhi reached out and naturally took her hand.

"Where do you want to go today?" Chen Zhi asked.

Li Zhiyi thought for a moment and said, "Go ahead."

"Then I'll make the decision."

"Um."

Chen Zhi took her to Xidan.

There's no particular reason; it's just not far from Renmin University, and there are many shopping malls, restaurants, and convenient movie theaters.

Li Zhiyi didn't say much on the way, but she never let go of his hand.

Upon entering the mall, Chen Zhi originally intended to go straight to the movies, but Li Zhiyi paused at the entrance of a jewelry store on the first floor.

"Want to go shopping?"

"No, I just want to take a look."

Chen Zhi ignored what she said and pulled her inside.

Li Zhiyi stood in front of the counter for a while, picked up a silver necklace, looked at it twice, flipped it over to check the price tag, and then gently put it back.

Chen Zhi watched the whole thing. He knew Li Zhiyi's habits. It wasn't that she didn't want it, but she subconsciously felt that she shouldn't spend money.

While she walked to another counter, Chen Zhi turned around and said something to the shop assistant.

Then he followed along as if nothing had happened.

"Let's go see a movie."

"Um."

……

The movie was chosen by Lee Ji-yi.

It's a domestic art film about a small-town girl's journey to Beijing. It received an 8.2 rating on Douban, but flopped at the box office, with fewer than ten people sparsely seated in the theater.

Chen Zhi didn't really get into it, but Li Zhiyi watched it very attentively.

There's a scene in the middle where the female protagonist is calling home from her rented apartment, saying, "I'm doing fine in Beijing," and then squats on the balcony and cries after hanging up.

Chen Zhi glanced at Li Zhiyi out of the corner of his eye; her eyelashes were trembling.

He didn't say anything, but moved the popcorn bucket over to her side and handed her his Coke as well.

Li Zhiyi took the cola, lowered her head and took a sip, then sniffed it.

Chen Zhi pretended not to notice anything.

The movie ended a little soon.

Are you hungry?

"fine."

"Let's go eat."

Chen Zhi took her to a Japanese restaurant on the sixth floor of the mall. It wasn't a high-end place, and the average cost per person was over 300 yuan, but it was quiet.

The two sat by the window. Chen Zhi ordered the food, and Li Zhiyi sat quietly opposite him, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the chopstick sleeves.

"Have you lost weight recently?" Chen Zhi asked casually.

Li Zhiyi was taken aback for a moment: "No, I don't think so."

"My face looks smaller."

"...It's probably because I've been staying up late reading lately."

"Final exams are still a long way off, aren't they?"

"Well, but there's a mock trial assignment to submit."

Chen Zhi nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

The dishes were served, and Li Zhiyi ate slowly, taking small bites, but she tasted every dish Chen Zhi ordered.

Halfway through the meal, Chen Zhi's phone rang.

He took it out and looked at it—Guo Yang.

Remember to be back by 8 PM tonight, it's urgent!

Chen Zhi gave an OK sign and placed his phone face down on the table.

Li Zhiyi glanced at him but didn't ask who he was.

After dinner, Chen Zhi took her for a walk around the mall.

It was called "strolling," but it really just meant wandering around aimlessly.

Li Zhiyi rarely goes into the store, but occasionally she'll linger in front of a shop window for a couple of seconds, and Chen Zhi will stop to follow her.

She spent a long time browsing in a bookstore before finally buying a textbook on jurisprudence. Only Li Zhiyi would buy a textbook on a birthday date.

Chen Zhi flipped through a comic book next to him, read two pages, and then put it back.

Logically, Guo Yang should have called him at this time and asked him to leave.

But they never called back.

I reckon he forgot again while playing games.

However, Li Zhiyi's gift hasn't been given yet, so it's not good for me to make an excuse to leave now, otherwise all the hard work she put into preparing the gift would be wasted.

It was past 3 p.m. when I left the bookstore.

Chen Zhi's phone rang again.

It was sent by Lin Wanwan.

Honey! I'm on the plane! Are you coming to pick me up?

Chen Zhi glanced at Li Zhiyi, who was intently studying the mall map beside him, and typed rapidly.

【Something came up, so I might not be able to make it. Have Su Man arrange a car. See you tonight.】

Ah... okay... then you must come see me when you're done with your work!

【must.】

Chen Zhi locked his screen and noticed that Li Zhiyi was looking at him.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Company news."

"oh."

Li Zhiyi lowered her eyes and continued looking at the map.

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

He couldn't explain it, but Li Zhiyi was acting a little strange today.

He spoke less than usual and laughed less.

Throughout the day, she was very cooperative, going wherever Chen Zhi took her and eating whatever he offered.

……

At 4:30 pm, the two sat on a bench outside the mall drinking milk tea.

The setting sun cast a long shadow of hers, which fell at Chen Zhi's feet.

"Understand."

"Um?"

"Is there something you want to tell me today?"

Li Zhiyi paused for a moment while holding the milk tea cup.

"No."

"Really not?"

She lowered her head and poked at the pearls in the cup with the straw.

"...We'll talk about that later."

Chen Zhi did not ask any further questions.

The two of them sat there, watching the people coming and going at the mall entrance.

……

Dinner was at a Northeastern Chinese restaurant near the entrance of the residential area.

Lee Ji-yi made the choice.

Li Zhiyi ordered sweet and sour pork, stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant, stewed chicken with mushrooms, and two bowls of rice.

"Do you come here often?" Chen Zhi asked, watching her order.

"Yeah, there's a similar one near the school; I often eat there alone."

"Can you eat three dishes by yourself?"

"If you can't finish it, just pack it up." Li Zhiyi paused, "Sweet and sour pork is delicious even if it's been reheated overnight."

The dishes were served; the sweet and sour pork was fried to a golden brown, and Li Zhiyi picked up a piece for Chen Zhi.

"Try it, this place has a really good sauce."

Chen Zhi took a bite; it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a sweet and sour flavor.

"tasty."

Li Zhiyi smiled.

……

It was already past 7 p.m. when we came out after dinner.

It was completely dark.

Two people walked down the street, the streetlights casting long shadows.

Chen Zhi secretly glanced at his phone.

Lin Wanwan sent a message forty minutes ago: [I've arrived at the hotel! Sister Su Man booked the one in Wangjing for me. Come over as soon as you're done!]

Guo Yang's message: [Eight o'clock! Eight o'clock! Chen Zhi, don't forget!]

Chen Zhi replied to Guo Yang with "Got it" and to Lin Wanwan with "I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

7:45.

Li Zhiyi stopped in front of a bus stop.

"What's wrong?"

"I..." Li Zhiyi took her schoolbag off her shoulder and hugged it to her arms, "Chen Zhi."

"Um?"

She took a deep breath.

Then squat down, put the backpack on the ground, and unzipped it.

He pulled out a kraft paper envelope and a dark blue box from the bottom.

Her hands were shaking when she stood up.

"This is... for you."

She handed over the box and the envelope together.

Chen Zhi took the box and glanced at it first. A small piece of paper was stuck to the box; it contained a small sun drawn with colored markers, and four words were written next to it—

Be happy every day.

The handwriting wasn't very neat, but every stroke was executed with force.

Chen Zhi opened the box.

It's the latest Apple iPhone.

"you……"

"I saved up for two months," Li Zhiyi said quickly. "Don't be offended. I know you don't need this, but I wanted to buy you one with my own money. The money you gave me is yours, this is mine."

Chen Zhi was holding the box in his hand.

"You only used the one you gave me last year for a short time, why are you buying me another one?"

Li Zhiyi pursed her lips. "I want to give you the best."

"What about the old one?"

"I can use the old one."

"And this too." Li Zhiyi pushed the manila envelope forward again. "You can look at it when you get back."

Chen Zhi took the envelope, squeezed it, and found a piece of stiff cardboard and a folded letter inside.

He was preparing to dismantle it.

"No—" Li Zhiyi reached out and pressed his hand down, "We'll look at it again when we get back."

Her fingers were cold, but she pressed very hard.

Chen Zhi looked up at her.

The streetlight shone on her face, and she looked nervous; the tips of her ears were red.

"I didn't draw well," she added quietly.

"Did you draw this?"

Chen Zhi stuffed the box and envelope into his backpack and reached out to hug her.

Li Zhiyi's body stiffened for a second, then slowly relaxed, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

Happy birthday, Chen Zhi.

Thank you for your understanding.

"I'm glad you don't mind."

"How could I possibly dislike it?"

Li Zhiyi didn't say anything more.

She leaned on his shoulder and stood there for a long time.

There were only the two of them at the bus stop. Buses came and went, but no one got on or off.

After a while, Li Zhiyi took a half step back.

"Go ahead and get busy."

"Um?"

"You've been on your phone the whole day." Li Zhiyi put her backpack back on and zipped it up. "There must be something else going on."

Chen Zhi hesitated, as if he wanted to speak.

"It's okay." She shook her head. "I'm very happy today."

She took two steps back and waved at him.

"I can go back to school by myself, no need to take me."

Chen Zhi watched her turn and walk towards the bus stop, the hem of her light blue skirt gently lifted by the evening breeze.

He stood there, his hand unconsciously touching the edge of the brown paper envelope in his schoolbag.

My phone rang again in my pocket.

Guo Yang's message: 【Chen Zhi!!! It's 8:03!!! Where are you!!!】

Then another one followed.

[Damn, you didn't go out with your girlfriend again and forget, did you??]

Chen Zhi took a deep breath, thinking to himself that he hadn't even pursued the matter of being stood up by him yet. Then he put his phone back in his pocket, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Peking University.

When he got to the dormitory building, he first took out the brown paper envelope.

After hesitating for a moment, I opened it.

Inside was a sketch portrait and a letter.

The person in the portrait has their head tilted to the side, with a slight smile. The pencil lines are rough and stiff, the proportions are somewhat distorted, and the left eyebrow has been repeatedly erased, leaving the paper fuzzy.

But Chen Zhi recognized him at a glance.

It's him.

He turned the painting over and lightly wrote a line of words on the back with a pencil—

"I've drawn it so many times, but it still doesn't quite look like you, but I'll keep practicing."

Chen Zhi unfolded the letter again.

After reading the last line—"If I could, I would spend every year with you"—

Then he carefully folded the letter and portrait, put them back in the envelope, and stuffed them into the innermost part of his bag.

Go upstairs.

The door to room 404 was ajar, and Guo Yang's shouts could be heard coming from inside.

"Here he comes! Here he comes! The birthday boy is here!"

Chen Zhi pushed open the door and went in.

The lights are off.

He had just taken a step inside when suddenly there was a loud "bang" above his head—

Confetti and confetti rained down from the sky, hitting him on the head.

The lights came on.

Guo Yang, Li Zicong, and Zhang Tianyang squeezed into a small dormitory room, holding up their phone flashlights as spotlights. On the table was a palm-sized cake with a candle stuck in it.

Happy birthday! Happy birthday!

Guo Yang sang the loudest, but was seriously off-key.

Li Zicong was recording a video on his phone, while Zhang Tianyang was clapping along, but the rhythm was off.

Chen Zhi stood at the door, his head covered in confetti and ribbons, looking at the three idiots, and chuckled and cursed.

"you--"

"Enough talk! Blow out the candles!" Guo Yang pushed him to the table. "Make a wish! Make one now!"

Chen Zhi looked at the crooked candle and closed his eyes.

He didn't say what he wished for.

The candle was blown out.

Guo Yang immediately turned on the light and pulled a plastic bag from under the bed.

"Come on, brothers, this is our heartfelt gift!"

The plastic bag contained three cans of beer and a bag of spicy strips.

"That's it?" Chen Zhi flipped through the pages. "This is the surprise you promised three days in advance?"

"Do you know how far I traveled to buy this cake?"

"You have the nerve to say that a cake costs 19.9 yuan?"

"Do you deserve to eat a cake that costs hundreds of dollars?!" Guo Yang shoved a beer into his hand. "Drink! You have to drink today!"

The four people sat around on the ground and touched the aluminum cans.

Chen Zhi took a sip, looked at the three silly grinning faces opposite him, and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

In his previous life, he lived for almost thirty years, and no one ever celebrated his birthday like this.

In this lifetime, in a single day, I received a bowl of longevity noodles, a Patek Philippe watch, and a Montblanc pen.

I received a cell phone, a sketch, and a letter.

There were also three cans of beer, a bag of spicy strips, and a cake that cost 19.9 yuan.

And three off-key birthday songs.

"Damn, why are your eyes red?" Guo Yang leaned closer.

"The spicy strips are too spicy." Chen Zhi turned his face to the side and blinked hard twice.

"Pretentious." Guo Yang chuckled and tapped his jar again.

The beer was finished, and the spicy snacks were almost gone.

Guo Yang was already snoring on the bed, Li Zicong was lying on his side with an eye mask on, and Zhang Tianyang was curled up in the quilt scrolling through his phone with the screen brightness turned down to the lowest setting.

Chen Zhi sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at the time.

9:40.

Lin Wanwan was still waiting for him.

He quietly changed his shoes, stuffed his schoolbag under his pillow, draped his coat over his arm, and moved sideways toward the door.

"You went out again?" Guo Yang's muffled voice came from under the pillow.

"Um, something came up."

"You're really something, staying out all night every night."

"Thank you for the cake."

"Nineteen yuan and ninety cents, you're welcome." Guo Yang rolled over. "Get lost."

Chen Zhi closed the door, went downstairs, and hailed a car at the school gate.

"Wangjing, XX Hotel."

After driving away, Chen Zhicai took out his phone to check Lin Wanwan's messages.

The most recent one was posted an hour ago.

Honey, are you done with your work? I'm waiting for you in the room, 501, the door's unlocked.

Below was a selfie, in which Lin Wanwan tilted her head and made a peace sign. Her hair was loose, she was without makeup, and she had a smile on her face, but there were obvious dark circles under her eyes.

Chen Zhi stared at the selfie for several seconds.

What has this girl been busy with these past few days? Can variety shows really make her this tired?

He replied with a message.

[Coming soon.]

Lin Wanwan didn't reply to the message for a long time.

Is she angry? Well, that makes sense. I've been dragging this out with her for so long, it's normal for her to be angry.

When the car stopped in front of the hotel in Wangjing, Chen Zhi gave the front desk his room number. The front desk checked it, didn't give him any trouble, and let him through immediately.

Take the elevator to the fifth floor and walk to the door of room 501.

The door was unlocked.

Chen Zhi pushed open the door and went in.

The entryway light was on, the living room light was off, and only a little light was coming from the bedroom.

"Wanwan?"

No one answered.

Chen Zhi changed into slippers and took two steps inside.

Then he stopped.

There was a cake on the coffee table in the living room.

There was also a line of writing on the cake, crooked and illegible, clearly written by Lin Wanwan herself.

"Chen Zhi, Ai Xin, Lin Wanwan"