Translator: Yunyi Editor: Yunyi

5 years passed. During this time, Mo Zichen worked his way up to the position of senior lecturer and was now working at one of the top universities. He also moved from his small apartment to a luxurious apartment near his work.

Not too long ago, someone moved into the apartment next to Mo Zichen. But, they renovated through the night, making it hard for Mo Zichen to get any sleep. This was not good for his mental state.

So, Mo Zichen decided to contact property management, however, they could not provide him with a resolution. In the end, he had no choice but to wait until the neighbor moved in to see who the uneducated person was. How could someone have absolutely no consideration for others?

University lectures weren’t as tightly scheduled as junior high school classes, so Mo Zichen only had 4 lectures a week and spent the rest of his time reading books. Because of this, his eyes began to get a little short-sighted.

When he was at home, he never parted from his glasses, but it only made him more charming.

The 26-year-old Mo Zichen had now grown into a mature young man, but he was still on his own. To satisfy his boredom, he adopted a Russian Blue cat called Muddy. The cat was a stray that he saved from the streets, and at the time that it was found, it was so hungry that it was trying to eat mud – hence the name.

That afternoon, Mo Zichen was at home preparing for his next lecture when he heard the sound of furniture being moved into the apartment next door. He guessed that his ‘good neighbor’ was moving in, so he got up from his desk and went to open his front door.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw the back of a short-haired woman standing in the hallway. Her back was straight and she had a unique presence to her.

“Please be gentle with the sofa…”

Mo Zichen walked over, intending to bring up the issue regarding the renovations, but, as soon as the woman turned around, he was stunned speechless.

He never expected to meet an old friend in such a way.

This old friend…was Qian Lan! But, judging from her expression, she did not look surprised at all.

Obviously, this was no coincidence.

“You can leave after you’ve moved the dining table inside.” After instructing the removalists, Qian Lan walked confidently over to Mo Zichen and stretched out her hand, “Long time no see.”

“You…”

“This is my temporary home…” Qian Lan smiled. “I’ll be back to live here every now and then.”

“Did you know I was living here from the start?”

“No. I found out after I got the apartment,” Qian Lan replied. “But, don’t worry, I will only stay here once a month. It shouldn’t affect you too much. I hope your partner doesn’t mind.”

The Qian Lan standing before Mo Zichen was more mature, lively and decisive than before. She was very much like someone from the military.

“I’m still single,” Mo Zichen shook his head.

“I see. Well, I don’t have much time, so I’m going to get back to it. Next time you’re free, let’s have a meal together.”

“No need, you continue with what you were doing,” Mo Zichen said before he returned to his home and closed the door.

So many years had passed since they went their separate ways. But, perhaps, he was the only one that felt a little awkward.

Soon, the movement next door stopped. After Qian Lan left, Mo Zichen’s heart calmed down and he returned to reading his book. But, he couldn’t seem to focus.

He ended up smiling to himself bitterly…

In the end, Qian Lan really did what she said. After moving in, she only lived there once and spent the rest of her time at the army base.

Mo Zichen didn’t know what military rank Qian Lan held, but he knew that she first entered the military through the military university.

After 5 years, many things had now changed.

In fact, every now and then, he would hear some movement coming from next door and he’d see a young man visiting Qian Lan’s home. Mo Zichen assumed that this man was Qian Lan’s new boyfriend.

By now, she had probably freed herself from her family like she wished. After all, a year after Qian Lan joined the military, the Qian Family was investigated by the he authorities and they disappeared from Beijing shortly after that.

It was unsure whether they had migrated.

One day, Mo Zichen was reading at home as usual when he heard a knock on his door. When he went to open the door, he found the handsome young man from next door standing in the doorway, so he naturally asked, “Is something the matter?”

“I’ve run out of noodles, would you mind lending me some?”

The man was quite young and was a good match for Qian Lan. After staring blankly at the man for a few seconds, Mo Zichen nodded his head, “Wait a minute.”

“I’ve heard about you from my fiancee.”

Mo Zichen laughed after hearing these words. This man was certainly tolerant. He was living next door to his fiancee’s ex and he even came over to borrow noodles.

Even so, Mo Zichen still fetched some noodles for him.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes, you’re a good person!”

Mo Zichen calmly closed his door after the man left. A little while later, he heard Qian Lan’s door open. If he was right, that was the sound of Qian Lan returning home.

He stated to wonder if he should move.

With this thought, Mo Zichen started looking for a new apartment and decided to sell his current one. During this time, he ran into Qian Lan and her partner every now and then when they went to buy groceries, but he remained cold and unapproachable. It was impossible to tell what he was feeling and the depth of those emotions.

It seemed, Qian Lan and her boyfriend were planning to get married.

But, just as Mo Zichen found a new home and was prepared to move out, something happened at Qian Lan’s place.

That night, a loud argument was heard coming from next door, followed by the violent thud of a door slamming.

Mo Zichen jumped out of bed and opened the door to look next door. That’s when he spotted Qian Lan squatting in her doorway, looking extremely upset.

“Get up…” Mo Zichen said as he offered her a hand.

Qian Lan shook her head and replied, “Tomorrow is our wedding, but we just broke up.”

“Why?” Mo Zichen asked as he squatted down to the same level as Qian Lan, “Why did you break up so casually again?”

“Because he said that I don’t love him. He said that my heart’s never been with him,” Qian Lan explained helplessly. “We met through a blind date. One month into our relationship, he complained that I wouldn’t even let him hold my hand.”

“Then why were you in such a rush to get married?”

“My mother has late stage esophageal cancer. Although, I really hated her at one point, she is still my mother. Her biggest wish is to see me get married,” Qian Lan said before she held onto the icy cold wall and pulled herself up. “I’m sorry for making you witness such a joke.”

“Then, what do you plan to do about tomorrow’s wedding?”

“I’m not sure. I guess I’ll have to say that my groom ran away,” Qian Lan laughed. “There’s nothing else I can do…” After giving her response, Qian Lan turned around and returned to her apartment.

Early the next morning, the neighboring apartment sounded lively, but another argument quickly broke out.

Mo Zichen could roughly make out that one of the bridesmaids were asking why the groom hadn’t arrived.

Mo Zichen had no idea what Qian Lan had planned, but judging by the situation, it seemed, she was abandoned on her wedding day.

…

Mo Zichen didn’t know why he cared about what was happening in the neighboring apartment, so he quickly drew back his attention. But, just before he headed out to class, someone started knocking furiously on his door.

Mo Zichen put on his jacket and opened the door. There, standing in his doorway, was Qian Lan in her wedding gown.