Wen Zhe’s expression was calm, but inside, his emotions were in turmoil. The one thing he’d never dared to admit was that he knew Ji Li used to like him; he had just pretended not to know.

But so what if he admitted it now? Nothing could go back to the way it was. When he saw Ji Li again more than two years ago, he could no longer see the slightest trace of warmth in her eyes.

It was even more apparent today. She had completely left him in the past. Thinking of this, Wen Zhe’s heart churned uncomfortably. ’If only I had made up my mind sooner back then, would I be living a different life now?’

Perhaps it was because Wen Zhe had been overheard, or perhaps because the band’s performance was too spectacular. Either way, everyone spoke very little during the second half of the wedding reception. When the guests started to leave, everyone parted ways early as well.

A classmate patted Wen Zhe’s shoulder. "Everyone was just talking. Don’t take it to heart."

Wen Zhe gave a bitter smile and ran a hand through his hair. "I’m not taking it to heart. I just have regrets, and this kind of regret... will stay with me for the rest of my life."

"No one else in this world will ever bring such tenderness to my life, the way she did."

His classmate said helplessly, "You’re definitely drunk. Let me take you back to your room."

Wen Zhe didn’t refuse his help, just looked around for his phone. "I need to make a call... Where’s my phone?"

The classmate handed the phone to Wen Zhe. "Here it is. Who are you calling?"

Wen Zhe squinted, struggling to find Ji Li’s number, then dialed. "Mmm, found it... Hello... Li Li..."

Ji Li’s cool, clear voice came through. "Wen Zhe? What is it?"

Wen Zhe just clutched the phone, only able to say her name. Ji Li’s voice remained steady. "Aren’t you at Yifeng’s wedding? You should have classmates there, right? Pass the phone to someone else."

"No, Li Li..." Emboldened by the alcohol, Wen Zhe started acting petulant, but Ji Li wasn’t about to indulge him.

"If you don’t give it to someone else, I’m hanging up."

The classmate listening nearby was secretly delighted. He hadn’t expected Ji Li to give Wen Zhe so little face these days. ’But honestly,’ he thought, ’good for her!’

Wen Zhe shoved the phone into his classmate’s hand. The other man immediately took the call, his face wreathed in smiles. "Hello, Ji Li. This is Lianjie. Do you remember me?"

"I remember. Brother Jie used to be the captain of the basketball club. It’s been a while, Brother Jie." Ji Li’s voice softened considerably. "I’m not worried with you there with Wen Zhe. Just take him back to the hotel. There’s nothing I can do to help if I go, since we’re not involved with each other anymore."

Lianjie glanced at Wen Zhe, who was hanging his head. ’What a poor bastard,’ he thought. ’When a woman decides to be ruthless, she’s capable of anything.’

Of course, he didn’t say this out loud. He just smiled and extended an invitation. "No problem. A lot of our old college classmates came to Yifeng’s wedding today, and they were just talking about you. If you’re free, how about we all get together tomorrow?"

Ji Li could reject Wen Zhe in a heartbeat, but it wasn’t as easy to refuse Lianjie. She calculated the time in her head. "Sure. Brother Jie, you can save my number. I’ll wait for your message tomorrow?"

"But I won’t be here for long."

While she spoke, Ji Li lowered her head and walked toward the hotel. The evening breeze lifted strands of her hair, slightly veiling her eyes. Her voice, carried over the line, seemed to drift indistinctly on the wind. "Okay, let’s be in touch later."

From start to finish, Ji Li never once mentioned Wen Zhe. She had truly, completely let him go.

Lianjie handed the slightly warm phone back to Wen Zhe. "Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your room."

The effects of the alcohol seemed to have worn off a bit for Wen Zhe. He silently followed Lianjie’s steps. "How can a person change so fast? She said she’d let go and she just let go, without even giving me time to react."

Lianjie rolled his eyes. ’Serves you right,’ he thought. ’When her entire world revolved around you, you pretended not to see. Now you’re putting on this act of being deeply in love?’ But verbally, Lianjie still had to offer a few words of comfort.

"We’re all adults; we all have our own lives. Maybe she just didn’t see any hope with you, so pulling away early was obviously the best thing for her. You can’t expect someone to wait for you in the same spot forever."

Wen Zhe gave a bitter laugh. "Yes, but it’s too late. Everything is too late..."

After dropping Wen Zhe off in his room, Lianjie let out a whistle and, in the next moment, added Ji Li on various social media. Lianjie was a man of action. The moment he announced the reunion for tomorrow and that Ji Li would be there, the old university group chat exploded with activity.

Ji Li was also in the university alumni group chat, so she naturally saw all the discussion. She thought for a moment and sent a message: "Just let me know once you all decide on a time. I’m not familiar with the area."

Only after getting replies from her classmates did Ji Li put her phone away. ’As it turns out, getting together with old classmates might be a nice experience after all,’ she thought.

Class reunions are usually held in the evening. Everyone has to work now, so nighttime is the only time they have for this kind of gathering. By the time Ji Li got back to her hotel, the group chat had settled on a decision: tomorrow night.

"Tomorrow night? Perfect. I can wander around the area during the day, and after the reunion, I’ll head to the next city." As she planned her itinerary, Ji Li’s steps became exceptionally light. Just watching her, you could feel her good mood.

The next day, Ji Li left the hotel early in the morning. She held up her camera as she walked, snapping photos along the way. Some people just love to do things they’re bad at, like dough sculpting or, for example, photography.

Even though her photography skills were nothing special, Ji Li stubbornly refused to give up.

"I’m just creating a cover for you. If I weren’t here holding a camera and snapping pictures left and right, people would start to suspect my videos are fake."

Hearing Ji Li’s specious reasoning, Tan You just let out a light laugh. She didn’t argue with Ji Li; there was no point in winning the argument anyway. Besides, to be honest, the photos Ji Li took could only be described as average. They were far from stunning.

Ji Li had her own justification. "Youyou, I’m just an ordinary person. It was already hard enough for me to get good at dancing and the tea ceremony under your and Uncle Qiao’s supervision. You always say it’s a great achievement for a person to do even one thing well in their lifetime. I’m already performing way above expectations."

"I don’t want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none."

Tan You said, "I’m not criticizing you. I’ve always believed in the principle of doing one thing well in a lifetime. My thinking on that still hasn’t changed. It’s just that I have too much time, so I choose to learn a few more things."

"You’re doing great just as you are. I’m genuinely happy for you." She smiled as she spoke. "Even if your photos are very ordinary, I’ve never nitpicked, have I?"

Ji Li’s shoulders slumped. "Yeah. I’ve realized I’m really not good at this kind of artistic stuff. Photography and dough sculpting—I’m terrible at both."

"Dancing is a form of art too, and you’re very good at it, aren’t you?" Tan You said lightly. "Shine brightly in your own field. As for other things, if you really can’t do them, don’t force it. Sometimes, giving up brings more happiness. You don’t have to beat yourself up over it. Accepting your own shortcomings is also a form of inner strength."