This is a journey. A vast journey called destiny. We meet by chance, then part ways, on this road with no return.
——"Journey" by Pu Shu.
Yin Weiyao remembered that the first time she saw Yi Yufei, this very song was playing over the school broadcast. Strangely, long afterward, she had completely forgotten the details of what happened then. Yet that unexpected flutter of the heart, when recalled later, only grew richer and more profound with each passing moment.
At first, though, she was too busy attracting clients for her fledgling photography studio to really notice him.
That afternoon, the sky hung heavy and overcast, as if predestining the impression Yi Yufei left on her. He wasn't radiant or vibrant, but rather carried a subtle, faint loneliness—the kind that drifted apart from the crowd. It was the understated, unruffled sort she found appealing.
An exhibition game was underway on the outdoor basketball court, with a half-circle of students gathered around. During halftime, she darted through the crowd handing out flyers and adding contacts, all while juggling a barrage of chatty greetings and questions.
A few architecture students recognized her, lazily lounging on the steps. They chuckled, " "Senior, we're all broke kids. Unlike you photography students—each richer than the last—how can you bring yourself to charge us?"
She thrust the flyer toward them, pointing at the bold text: "See this? Grand Opening Specials. We're running discounts. Besides, with looks like yours, I could shoot you for free."
They were flattered, of course, but still teased, "Forget it. Rough guys like us doing portraits? That's too girly."
"You can bring your girlfriends," Yin Weiyao pulled out her phone. "What's wrong with helping your senior promote her business? Come on, add me on Weibo and WeChat."
Most guys were happy to connect with such an outgoing girl. They added her as friends and jokingly asked her to introduce them to pretty underclassmen. Yin Weiyao handled the situation with ease. After scanning WeChat, she handed out the remaining flyers to those nearby, giving the last one to Yi Yufei.
"Thanks." He gave a slight smile.
Yin Weiyao noticed he took it with his left hand while his right rested on his knee, fingers tapping a faint rhythm. Only then did she realize music was playing over the speakers.
Glancing at him a couple times, she asked, "Hey, have you ever done any print modeling before?"
Apparently caught off guard by her sudden approach, Yi Yufei looked up, his tapping hand pausing. "What?"
"Just a print model," she met his eyes—those dark pupils calm and composed, making her feel slightly flustered—"You could come to our studio for a test shoot. We'll take a few sample sets, and pay daily."
Yi Yufei found it slightly amusing yet puzzling, tilting his head to look at her.
The boys around them teased, "Senior, you just complimented us on our looks. Why not ask us to take the photo? Clearly, what you said earlier was just flattery to butter us up."
Yin Weiyao felt a bit embarrassed and cleared her throat. "Cut it out." She turned back to Yi Yufei. "What do you say? Just think of it as earning some pocket money."
"No thanks. I'm not into that sort of thing."
He declined outright. Fine. Yin Weiyao touched her nose, not feeling embarrassed herself. But sensing he might be trying to save her face, she smoothed things over: "My roommate does part-time modeling though. He's got plenty of experience. Would you like me to recommend him?"
Asking "Would you like me to?" in such a gentle tone...
"Of course." Due to her profession, Yin Weiyao often encountered people with striking appearances, but someone who combined natural advantages with such confidence and thoughtfulness was genuinely likable. Just as she was about to add him on WeChat, he said, "My phone's charging in the dorm. I didn't bring it."
"Huh?" Yin Weiyao froze. Was he messing with her?
Yi Yufei held out his hand. "Just give me your number."
Yin Weiyao gasped again before snapping out of it and handing him her phone.
What the hell was wrong with her today? Her brain had completely short-circuited.
Yi Yufei typed in his number, paused, then added his name: "I'll send you that classmate's contact info later."
"Thanks."
She returned to the studio and found his WeChat using the number. His nickname was simply his real name: Yi Yufei. She sent a friend request, which was accepted that evening. He sent over his roommate's contact info, but she didn't rush to find that person. Instead, she opened Yi Yufei's Moments.
It was hard to imagine. She had assumed someone like him would be all glitz and glamour on social media, surrounded by a colorful crowd. But here, there was almost no activity. He rarely used dating apps. The most recent update was from early June, where he wrote, "Good luck on the college entrance exams." Further back, a photo captured late at night showed a girl asleep on her desk, pen still in hand, her arm resting on a Chinese exam paper.
Yin Weiyao assumed it was his girlfriend. Scrolling through the comments, she learned it was his younger sister.
Clicking on the photo, she saw a sticky note plastered on the girl's face reading: "This child is beyond teaching."
Yin Weiyao suddenly recalled the internet joke, "The country owes me an older brother." She herself had no brothers, only a half-brother who was just twelve years old. They'd barely met a few times, and their relationship remained distant. She'd grown accustomed to independence since childhood and didn't indulge in unrealistic hopes. Yet tonight, for some reason, looking at this photo, she found herself feeling a pang of envy. That man seemed so easygoing and considerate—surely he must be a wonderful older brother in real life too.
But then she realized she'd forgotten something crucial. Since meeting him, she hadn't even introduced herself. He probably didn't even know her name. How rude! She quickly typed a message: "Hi, forgot to mention—I'm Yin Weiyao, Photography major, junior year."
Before long, he replied: "I know. Your name was on the flyer."
She thought for a moment and asked: "Are you from the Architecture School?"
"Yeah, sophomore year."
"So you're a junior."
He replied: "Just call me by my name."
Yeah, she agreed—just call her by her name. Definitely don't call her "sister."
Yin Weiyao leaned back on the sofa, pondering how to continue the conversation, when he beat her to it: "Did you contact my classmate? He's still waiting."
Yin Weiyao felt mortified. She quickly searched for the guy's WeChat ID, added him as a friend, then replied to Yi Yufei: "Sorry, I was busy earlier."
The moment she sent it, regret washed over her. What nonsense was "busy earlier"? Busy chatting him up?
She must be possessed. She couldn't help but laugh bitterly at her own unusually low IQ today. Strangely enough, she found it rather amusing. What did these signals mean? The thought alone sent another wave of excitement through her.
The next day, she met with a classmate recommended by Yi Yufei, named Liang Rui. He had red lips and white teeth, and looked clean and fresh. His smile was pure and harmless, and he was very experienced in front of the camera. No matter what the current popular aesthetic was, she herself had no feeling for the kind of boys who were obvious at a glance. Although the most important thing in her line of work was the appearance, the more people she saw, the more she felt that "beauty without caring" was advanced. To put it extremely, a person who knew too much about his good looks was already boring to her.
But she eventually hired Liang Rui.
After the shooting, she suggested that everyone have a meal together and call Yi Yufei.
The five people in the studio, plus Liang Rui and Yi Yufei, the young men and women talked happily.
The second time I met him, I had a different feeling. This man does not abstain from smoking or drinking, and does not abstain from topics. He is so casual that he should have many friends, at least many fair-weather friends. But he seems to have retained a sense of propriety that stops at a certain point. Because he always leaves room for maneuver, he is fascinating.
It sounds a bit affected, and perhaps it is her own wishful thinking, but what does it matter? The most perfect love for a woman is always completed in her imagination.
The dinner ended, but she was still not satisfied. She called the waiter to pay the bill, but she didn't expect that Yi Yufei had already paid the bill when he went to the bathroom.
Although it was just the cost of a meal, Yin Weiyao's heart skipped a beat.
Usually when she eats with friends, she pays the bill. Her family is well-off, so it is only right that she should pay. Her friends have become accustomed to it and take it for granted. She herself feels that friendship needs a certain amount of generosity to maintain it, and this is nothing. But today, for some reason, she has a very strange feeling. Although it is only the cost of a meal. She repeated this in her heart.
After leaving the restaurant, everyone went home. She had a Volkswagen Beetle, but it couldn't fit so many people. Some said they could squeeze in, but Yi Yufei still said goodbye to them with Liang Rui and went to the intersection to wait for a taxi.
The night was deep and the streets were bustling. She saw him in the rearview mirror standing under the neon lights lighting a cigarette. The flame lit up and then went out, and then he looked over here inadvertently. At that moment, Yin Weiyao really wanted to back the car up, or she would jump out of the car directly.
If she were more impulsive, she would have asked him earlier whether he was single, especially now, when she could still easily withdraw.
But no, that would be too abrupt. Yin Wei Yao returned to her apartment and curled up on the sofa to think about what had happened in the past two days. It seemed that she had fallen in love with someone unexpectedly. But the unlucky thing was that the person was also in the School of Architecture. Maybe the boys in their dormitory had talked about her in private, after all, her ex-boyfriend was a senior in the Department of Architecture.
Not to mention that two years ago, she was cheated on and, in a fit of anger, ran to the boys' dormitory and started a fight, making the scene embarrassing and losing all face.
It's too embarrassing. What would Yi Yufei think if he heard this?
Yin Wei Yao smiled bitterly to herself.