Wen Yifan couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. She stopped in her tracks, reacting a beat too slow as if she hadn't heard clearly. "Huh? What?"
They had already walked some distance away.
Sang Yan tugged her back toward the ticket booth. "Ferris wheel."
"..." This sudden action immediately reminded Wen Yifan of the rumor the couple had mentioned earlier. Though embarrassed, she steeled herself to ask, "Did you hear that?"
Sang Yan glanced at her, his tone casual. "Hear what?"
They were going to ride the Ferris wheel again soon.
So at this moment, Wen Yifan's earlier thought of mentioning the rumor to Sang Yan had completely vanished. She pressed her lips together, feeling that bringing it up now would carry an entirely different meaning—like she was hinting at something.
"Never mind."
The peak hours had passed, and the line at the ticket booth wasn't as long as before.
Because both of them were strikingly good-looking, with features so memorable they could be recognized at a glance, the ticket seller immediately identified them when it was their turn, looking slightly surprised. "Riding again?"
Wen Yifan nodded with a smile. "We forgot to take photos earlier."
Once again, they boarded the cabin.
Wen Yifan was the first to step in again, instinctively sitting in the same spot as before. But this time, Sang Yan didn't sit across from her—instead, he naturally took the seat beside her.
Glancing at him, that image resurfaced in Wen Yifan's mind.
She grew nervous the moment they got on.
—Over something that might not even happen.
This ride on the Ferris wheel felt completely different from the first one.
Before, Wen Yifan had been too caught up in the novelty, focusing only on the night view outside and the conversation with Sang Yan. She hadn't entertained any other thoughts, nor had she realized there could be room for them.
The cabin was also much quieter than the first time.
Sang Yan suddenly spoke. "Wen Shuangjiang."
"Yeah?"
It had been years since Wen Yifan last heard Sang Yan call her that. But ever since they got together, he had started using it again, and surprisingly, she hadn't felt the slightest discomfort.
Instead, she realized she actually quite liked this nickname.
Sang Yan reminded her, "Weren't you going to take photos?"
Only then did Wen Yifan recall the excuse she had given the staff earlier. She didn't explain, her mind too preoccupied with the "rumor" to spare any thoughts for anything else.
Whatever he said, she simply followed.
A moment later.
Wen Yifan pulled her phone from her pocket and earnestly snapped a few pictures of the nightscape outside.
"..."
Sang Yan found her behavior utterly baffling. "What are you taking photos of?"
Hearing this, Wen Yifan paused and turned to look at him.
Their eyes met.
Staring at Sang Yan's face, Wen Yifan hesitated for three seconds before tentatively taking a photo of him.
Seeing his expressionless face, she took a few more. Then, she examined the results on her own.
The man sat lazily, his gaze fixed on the camera, with countless city lights stretching behind him. His face was half-lit in the dim glow, his features somewhat obscured but still undeniably striking—exceptionally handsome.
Wen Yifan managed to find one flaw.
He looked a little too cocky.
As if he might leap out of the screen at any moment to challenge someone to a fight.Wen Yifan suggested, "Why don't you... smile a little?"
"..."
"You have a dimple when you smile," Wen Yifan pointed at the corner of his lips, complimenting him. "It's quite nice."
"What dimple? I don't have that." As if giving up on her, Sang Yan pulled out his phone and turned on the selfie mode. "Come closer."
"..." Wen Yifan finally realized what he meant by taking a photo.
She immediately moved closer to him and looked up, just in time to see herself on the screen.
Sang Yan uttered another word: "Smile."
Wen Yifan obediently gave a small smile.
Sang Yan casually pressed the shutter a few times before putting his phone away, not bothering to check how the photos turned out.
Wen Yifan glanced at him and whispered, "I want to see the photos."
"Later." Sang Yan looked outside and suddenly remarked, "Isn't it almost at the top?"
"..."
Hearing this, Wen Yifan instinctively looked outside.
The Ferris wheel was built on the sixth floor, already high enough to give a floating sensation when looking down. The unease she hadn't felt earlier now surged in her chest because of the height.
Wen Yifan averted her gaze and lightly licked her lips. She was so nervous she didn't know where to put her hands and feet, but she still pretended to be composed, her tone carrying a hint of certainty: "You heard it."
Sang Yan admitted, "Yeah."
"..."
Wen Yifan didn't know what to say.
She wondered if other couples also had a prelude before kissing.
But she thought probably not.
Because this kind of anticipation was truly unbearable.
Every second felt like hoping for that moment to come sooner, yet it was painfully drawn out, leaving her utterly at a loss. She didn't know how to react when it actually happened.
Wen Yifan could only speak to ease the tension: "Do you still believe in that kind of rumor?"
Sang Yan chuckled: "Of course not."
Wen Yifan was taken aback.
If he didn't believe it, then their trip back up here seemed pointless.
As he spoke, Sang Yan slowly leaned closer to her: "But."
Wen Yifan stayed rooted in place, staring into his dark eyes that seemed lit by starlight, unable to focus on anything else. The nervousness that had been building up now peaked and seemed to dissipate.
As the distance closed between them.
Sang Yan's voice grew softer, carrying a tender note.
"I believe in myself."
About spending a lifetime together.
As long as she took the first step, he believed he could make it happen.
Just as the Ferris wheel reached its highest point.
"That rumor—"
With those words, Sang Yan leaned in.
He cupped the back of her head, his warm lips covering hers with his breath. Wen Yifan even forgot to close her eyes, only remembering to stare at the man who filled her vision, motionless.
In their own little world.
Above them, stars dotted the sky; below, the city lights glittered.
It seemed to last only a few seconds.
Sang Yan's gaze darkened as he looked into her eyes, his voice hoarse as he finished his sentence.
"Is for you to believe."
...
By the time they got home, it was almost eleven.
Since they had work the next day, Wen Yifan didn't stay in the living room for long before Sang Yan urged her to sleep. She agreed and reminded him to rest early too before heading to her room.
After washing up, she climbed into bed.Wen Yifan burrowed into the blankets, hugging a pillow to her chest. Just then, her phone on the nightstand chimed.
She reached out to pick it up and turned on the screen.
It was a message from Sang Yan.
Sang Yan: [[/image]]
Sang Yan: ["Look at this before sleeping."]
The image he sent was a photo of the two of them on the Ferris wheel.
In the picture, she was smiling gently, the corners of her eyes slightly curved, while Sang Yan beside her wore his usual aloof expression, only the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips—still looking effortlessly cool. Their temperaments were completely mismatched, yet they appeared extraordinarily harmonious together.
Wen Yifan’s lips curved as she stared at the photo for a long while before saving it and setting it as her lock screen. She didn’t fiddle with her phone any longer, lying back instead to gaze at the dim ceiling. Suddenly, she brushed her fingertips lightly over her lips.
The memory of their kiss on the Ferris wheel resurfaced.
Just a fleeting touch, yet even now, it seemed to linger—the faint trace of Sang Yan’s presence.
Wen Yifan’s face warmed again, making her feel as though the room had grown stuffy despite the winter chill. Her thoughts were entirely consumed by Sang Yan, and she found herself smiling foolishly, an inexplicable notion drifting into her mind.
There would always be someone like this.
Someone who would make you realize.
That even adults could still believe in fairy tales—
In the days leading up to the New Year, work at the broadcasting station had piled up again.
After two consecutive weeks of overtime, Wen Yifan finally managed to secure a day off—still a weekday. Sang Yan had work, but fortunately, she didn’t feel like doing anything either, spending most of the day lounging at home.
Too lazy to even eat, Wen Yifan alternated between scrolling on her phone and napping, never leaving the bed. It wasn’t until Sang Yan was about to get off work that she reluctantly dragged herself up and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The fridge was well-stocked with fresh vegetables and ingredients.
Once she got moving, Wen Yifan didn’t slack off, even finding the energy to cook three dishes and a soup with leisurely enthusiasm.
As she placed the last dish on the dining table, the sound of the front door opening echoed from the entrance.
Sang Yan set his car keys aside and glanced in her direction. His gaze then dropped, sweeping over the spread on the table. His brows lifted slightly as he changed into slippers and walked over.
This was how they had always been.
Even before they got together, whoever had time would cook—no strict rotation. When she was alone, Wen Yifan couldn’t be bothered, but if someone was eating with her, she actually enjoyed cooking.
Sang Yan shrugged off his coat and ruffled her hair in passing.
Wen Yifan’s hair was tousled, but she couldn’t be bothered to fix it. She served herself a bowl of soup, sipping it slowly as she asked, "Were you tired today?"
"Not really," Sang Yan replied, sitting beside her. "Why?"
"Then let’s watch a movie later, at home," Wen Yifan suggested. "A colleague recommended a thriller—apparently, it’s pretty good."
Hearing this, Sang Yan lifted his eyes, studying the dark circles under hers. "If you’re sleepy, just go to bed early," he said bluntly, glancing at the time. "It’s not like there’s a rush."
Wen Yifan looked up.
Sang Yan continued lazily, "I can watch with you any day."
"I’m not sleepy—I slept all day," Wen Yifan replied mildly, finishing the last of her soup before peering at him. "So, let’s watch later? Then I’ll ask my colleague to recommend a few more movies another time."
"Oh?"
Wen Yifan: "For next time."Sang Yan stared at her intently before suddenly breaking into a smile. With a deliberately drawn-out tone, he teased, "Wen Shuangjiang, is your main goal the movie or me?"
Wen Yifan met his gaze and answered honestly, "You."
"..."
Sang Yan's expression faltered slightly.
Wen Yifan lowered her head and continued eating, adding softly, "I wanted to watch it with you."
...
After dinner, Wen Yifan went to the living room first, using the remote to search for the movie Fu Zhuang had recommended. It took her a while to find it on one of the streaming apps on their smart TV. By then, Sang Yan had finished clearing the table and joined her.
He sat down right beside Wen Yifan.
She pressed play, then took a sip of water from the coffee table.
There was still some time left for ads.
Wen Yifan absentmindedly picked up her phone, which she had set aside earlier. Noticing numerous unread messages on WeChat, she casually opened the app and skimmed through them, accidentally tapping on Zheng Kejia's chat window.
A barrage of messages flooded in.
[I can't believe this]
[Your dad's relatives are shameless!]
[They've been crashing at our place for a week! And they still won't leave!!! Are they planning to move in permanently?]
[By any measure, you're closer to them, right? Can you hurry up and take them away?]
[Your aunt keeps asking Mom for money [/smile]]
[What does her son buying a house for his wedding have to do with us?]
"..."
Messages kept pouring in from the other end, as if she were being used as an emotional dumping ground.
Wen Yifan stared at the screen for a few seconds, her good mood evaporating instantly. Just then, Sang Yan's voice snapped her out of it: "Who are you chatting with?"
She immediately turned off her phone screen and looked up.
"If you want to watch a movie with me, focus a little," Sang Yan said leisurely. "Okay?"
Her phone continued to vibrate.
Suppressing her emotions, Wen Yifan tightened her grip on the phone. "Got it. I won't look at my phone anymore."
Sang Yan's smile faded slightly. "Why the sudden change in expression?"
"It's nothing." Wen Yifan adjusted her mood and forced a smile. "Let's watch the movie."
Sensing her reluctance to talk, Sang Yan simply watched her for a moment before dropping the subject.
The movie began.
While Sang Yan went to the fridge to grab some fruit, Wen Yifan turned her phone back on for a quick glance.
Zheng Kejia's messages were still coming in waves, long white text bubbles dominating the entire screen, filled with complaints. After all the negativity, the most recent message at the bottom stood out abruptly.
[Mom wants to know if you're coming back for New Year's.]
Wen Yifan didn't scroll up.
After adding Zheng Kejia on WeChat, she hadn't said much, so Wen Yifan had left her in the contacts list without much thought, forgetting to delete her. Now, she couldn't even be bothered to reply and simply blocked her.
Sang Yan placed a freshly washed apple in her hand and, as if struck by a thought, asked casually, "When's your holiday?"
Wen Yifan: "Hmm?"
Sang Yan: "For New Year's."
"From the first to the third day," Wen Yifan said. "If there's an emergency, I'll have to work overtime."
"Going home?"
Wen Yifan paused. "Probably not."
"Oh, then let me calculate."
"Calculate what?"
"Calculate," Sang Yan tilted his head, looking at her nonchalantly, "when I should come back to see you."
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