Night settled over Liangcheng with a restless stillness.
Gu Ze Yan sat alone in his office at Luminar HQ, the city's skyline glittering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Reports were stacked neatly on his desk, the blue glow of a monitor reflected in his glasses, but his pen had stopped moving long ago.
His phone lay face-up beside him. No new messages. No missed calls. Only her name on the screen, waiting, as though mocking his distraction.
He leaned back in his chair, pressing two fingers to his temple. For days now, something sat heavy in his chest—a faint unease that refused to leave. It wasn't business. Atlas was on track, Luminar was stable. It was something else, something he couldn't quite name.
His thoughts slipped back to the woman who had walked into his company a week ago, smile poised, perfume lingering. Jiang Yi Rong. He hadn't welcomed her, but her presence lingered like smoke that refused to clear.
He reached for his phone again, thumb brushing the screen. Should he call Qing Yun first tonight? No, she was probably still at class. He set it down, sighing.
---
Elsewhere, in Haiyun, Jiang Yi Rong swirled wine lazily in a crystal glass. Her assistant stood at her side, reading softly from a report.
"…Lin Qing Yun. Former fiancée of Gu Ze Yan, five years ago. She disappeared suddenly, broke off all ties. No public explanation. Currently enrolled in a short program in Guangjing—"
Yi Rong's smile curved faintly. "So she's the ghost from his past."
The assistant hesitated. "There are also… old photographs. Rumors that she was close to Xu Wei Ran before his debut. Some overlap between them."
Her fingers tapped against the glass, nails clicking. "Interesting."
She lifted the report, circling Qing Yun's name with a pen. "Dig deeper. I want to know why she left him. Everything."
Her gaze sharpened, calm but coolly predatory. If she could understand the weakness, she could use it.
---
But Guangjing itself told another story entirely.
At a cozy bar tucked near Yuelan's crowded street, laughter spilled into the night. Qing Yun sat at a small table with her classmates, a half-finished glass of fruit wine in her hand.
The lively girl raised her glass for the fifth toast of the night, giggling. "To our Lin jiejie—graceful by day, tipsy by night!"
Everyone cheered. Qing Yun flushed, trying to wave them off, but her lips curved despite herself. She had sipped more than usual, cheeks warm, eyes softer than her usual calm.
The quiet boy leaned forward, smiling faintly. "I didn't know you could laugh like this."
Qing Yun ducked her head, embarrassed. "Neither did I."
They all laughed again, the warmth of friendship filling the small bar. For once, she felt lighter, the weight in her chest easing under the glow of camaraderie.
---
Later, her classmates half-carried her back to Cloudpeak, fussing over her like younger siblings.
"Careful, jiejie, don't trip!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she insisted, swaying as she fumbled for her keys. She waved them off with a smile, finally slipping inside her apartment.
The door clicked shut. Silence greeted her. She stumbled onto the sofa, dropping her bag. Her cheeks still burned, and her head spun faintly.
Without thinking, she pulled out her phone. The first name on her screen was his.
She pressed call.
---
The line picked up almost immediately.
"Qing Yun?" His voice, low and steady, filled her ears.
Her face lit up on the screen, hair a little messy, eyes bright from drink. She beamed at him.
"Gu Ze Yan!" she announced loudly. "I miss you!"
For a moment, he just stared. Then his lips curved, laughter spilling out unguarded. "You're drunk."
"I'm not," she protested, pouting, her words slurring slightly. "I just… miss you so much."
She held the phone too close, her eyes shining, expression open in a way he had never seen before.
His chest tightened. For years he had imagined hearing those words. Now they tumbled from her lips so naturally, unfiltered, it almost hurt.
---
"Say it again," he murmured, voice teasing but low.
She blinked. "Nooo… embarrassing." With a squeak, she buried her face in a cushion.
His laughter deepened, warm. "Then I'll replay this call every day."
"You're evil," she muttered into the pillow, her words muffled. But a shy smile tugged at her lips when she peeked out.
He leaned back in his chair, gaze softening. "You're cute when you're like this."
Her cheeks flamed hotter, whether from wine or his words, she couldn't tell.
---
Gradually, her voice grew softer, her eyelids heavier. She curled up on the sofa, mumbling into the phone.
"Miss you… miss you…"
He listened, his smile fading into something gentler, deeper. "Sleep," he whispered. "I'll stay here until you do."
Her breathing steadied, the rise and fall of her chest visible through the camera. Her lips parted once more, his name leaving her in a soft murmur before sleep took her completely.
---
Ze Yan stayed on the line, watching her sleeping face. For the first time in days, the unease in his chest eased. She missed him. She said it out loud.
In Guangjing, she slept with her phone still in her hand, his voice the last thing she heard.
In Liangcheng, he sat in his office, the city lights behind him, his expression quiet but full of tenderness.
And elsewhere in the same city, Jiang Yi Rong closed the file on her desk, Qing Yun's name circled in red ink.
Two worlds moving closer to collision.
But tonight, all Ze Yan could think of was her sleepy voice whispering, I miss you.