Xinyi stirred her tea absentmindedly, staring out the window as the evening light painted the city in warm amber. Zhiyuan sat across from her, flipping through a report, but she knew his attention wasn't entirely on the papers.
"Do you remember the talent show in high school?" she asked suddenly, voice soft, almost mischievous.
Zhiyuan didn't look up immediately. "Which one?" His tone was calm, perfectly neutral, but Xinyi could see the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"The one where you insisted on performing that... ridiculously dramatic piano piece?" she teased, a small laugh escaping.
His gaze flicked up, cool eyes meeting hers. "Ridiculous?" he repeated, clearly enjoying the gentle challenge in her tone.
"Yes, ridiculously dramatic. You were so serious. And yet... everyone laughed at the wrong moments, and you were utterly oblivious."
A faint smile curved his lips. "And yet, you... were the only one who clapped at the right time."
Xinyi blinked. That memory. She hadn't thought of it in years. "I... did?"
"Yes." He leaned back slightly, watching her, letting the moment stretch. "You always noticed. Even when no one else did."
Her fingers curled around her cup. "I... I guess I just liked noticing you."
The warm glow of nostalgia settled over them, and Xinyi found herself drifting further back.
"Do you remember the lantern festival when we were... what, ten?" she asked suddenly. "You stole my red balloon, and I ran after you crying. And you... hid behind that tree, grinning like a little rascal."
Zhiyuan chuckled softly, voice carrying that same calm amusement he always had. "You looked so serious when you yelled at me. I knew then I'd never forget that face."
"You were impossible," she murmured, laughing at the memory. "And I... I guess I liked impossible even then."
His eyes softened, catching hers. "Some things... don't change," he murmured. "Even when we grew up, even when we went to different schools, I always noticed you."
Xinyi felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "And then... the proposal?" she said, leaning a little closer.
"Ah," he said, a faint grin teasing his lips. "You were twenty-one. University graduation, right? I remember... waiting outside your dormitory for hours, rehearsing what I'd say. And when I finally asked you out, you—"
"—laughed at me," she finished for him, still smiling. "Said it was sudden and dramatic and that I should think carefully."
"And you did," he said, eyes glinting. "And yet... you said yes before I even finished explaining why I'd been standing there in the rain for an hour."
Xinyi laughed softly, remembering the mix of frustration and excitement that had filled her then. "You were relentless, and somehow... I thought it was charming."
"And then university," he continued, voice low, teasing. "All those study nights, library runs, and coffee shop debates. You always argued too fiercely for your own good, and I—"
"—always let you win?" she teased, smirking.
He tilted his head, gaze playful. "Not always. But sometimes, yes. Just enough to see that little triumphant smile on your face."
For a moment, the room felt suspended in time, filled with echoes of childhood mischief, teenage awkwardness, and young adult determination. Outside, the city lights began to twinkle, but inside, it was just the two of them—two lives intertwined, two hearts that had always found each other.
Xinyi reached across the table, brushing her fingers against his. "We really... grew up together, didn't we?"
Zhiyuan's hand covered hers, warm and reassuring. "Yes. And some things... only get better."
Her chest warmed, a mixture of nostalgia and contentment. "Then... let's make sure the present doesn't get too boring."
"Exactly like this," he said, squeezing her hand gently. The past was behind them, the future ahead, and for now, they simply existed in the quiet comfort of knowing each other completely.