"Lin Zhihua!" Xue Jiao's voice was filled with pleasant surprise.
Her eyes brightened slightly, first in astonishment, then blossoming into a smile that curved her brows and eyes.
Her clean, makeup-free face beamed with joy—just looking at her smile could soften one's heart, as if something had melted inside, leaving a warm, gooey feeling.
Lin Zhihua couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips, his eyes brimming with delight.
"Jiao Jiao."
Seeing her made him feel that staying up all night to handle company matters and catching only a brief nap before rushing over was worth it.
So very worth it.
No matter the effort, seeing her face made it all worthwhile.
"What brings you here?" Xue Jiao's voice still carried that surprise, clearly overjoyed at Lin Zhihua's appearance.
Lin Zhihua stepped out of the car and opened the door for her, explaining, "I had some important business here. Since you mentioned W City has great food too, I thought I'd come find you."
With that, he tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to get in.
Xue Jiao nodded, circling to the passenger side with a smile. "Perfect timing! I haven't eaten yet either—I'll take you somewhere!"
"Deal." Lin Zhihua chuckled, withdrawing the hand that had been shielding her as she entered, then returned to the driver's seat and started the engine.
——
The place Xue Jiao wanted to take him was a restaurant Cheng Shuo had brought them to before. She wasn't much of a food connoisseur, but this small family-run eatery, with decades of culinary heritage, had truly exceptional flavors.
"Up ahead, turn left," Xue Jiao directed.
Lin Zhihua glanced at her with amusement. "Turns out you're quite the foodie..."
Blushing, Xue Jiao coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed. "Not really... I just remembered... in case there was a chance to eat there..."
Lin Zhihua's soft laugh, the subtle vibration in his throat, made Xue Jiao even more flustered.
"Then I'll have to ask you to be my food guide often. I rarely know where the good places are—I usually just eat at one spot."
One spot?
Xue Jiao's eyes sparkled as she stared intently at Lin Zhihua. "Is it the place in Wuliu Alley?"
Lin Zhihua nodded.
Xue Jiao internally "wept with joy," pouting slightly. "That place... I could eat there for a lifetime..."
That flavor!!
Absolutely divine!
From the moment he saw her, Lin Zhihua's eyes had never lost their warmth.
"Study hard and hurry up so you can come to Beijing for university."
Xue Jiao nodded emphatically. Once she made it to Beijing, she wouldn't dare eat at that heavenly place every day, but she could occasionally tag along shamelessly with Lin Zhihua for a meal...
Lin Zhihua glanced at her, feigning nonchalance. "You'll be a senior soon. College admission scores keep rising each year, and the competition among top students grows fiercer. With just one year left, you can't afford to slack off even for a moment."
Xue Jiao had always felt Lin Zhihua was like a teacher to her, and she treated him with the same reverence.
His words sounded exactly like a mentor's earnest guidance.
Touched, she recognized his admonition as genuine concern.
She had been given a second chance at life—something not everyone received. To this day, she didn't understand why she'd been reborn, but that didn't change the fact that this was an opportunity she couldn't waste.
Xue Jiao nodded firmly again, making a promise both to Lin Zhihua and to herself—
"I will! I'll definitely cherish this second chance!"Lin Zhihua turned his head to look at her.
Xue Jiao froze slightly. She had accidentally said something she shouldn't have in a moment of carelessness...
A flash of panic crossed her face, and she quickly tried to recover: "I meant that I didn’t work hard before, and this is a new opportunity!"
Lin Zhihua nodded, as if he hadn’t noticed her fluster.
He simply smiled in satisfaction and said softly, "I believe in you, and I hope my judgment isn’t wrong."
Xue Jiao scratched her head and let out a sigh of relief.
He definitely hadn’t picked up on her ambiguous remark!
After all, who would connect it to something as bizarre as a soul possessing another person’s body?
The car slowly arrived at the location Xue Jiao had mentioned, stopping first at the front. The two walked side by side toward the destination.
"It’s just..." Xue Jiao’s voice trailed off as she noticed the closed shop.
Her voice suddenly rose in surprise, "Huh? It’s closed?"
Lin Zhihua glanced at the shop. It looked quite ordinary, with a sign at the entrance that read—
"Established Brand."
He shrugged. "Not open today?"
Xue Jiao was equally puzzled. She took another look, scratched her head, and said, "I don’t know why, but it’s not open today..."
"Should we go somewhere else?"
"Alright."
Xue Jiao felt a little embarrassed. She had specifically brought Lin Zhihua here, only to find it closed, making the trip pointless.
Lin Zhihua shook his head and chuckled lightly. "Do you have any other recommendations?"
He didn’t mind at all. After all, his purpose in coming was to see her, not to eat.
"How about we go for some street food?" Xue Jiao turned her head, her voice tinged with excitement.
Ever since she became Gu Xue Jiao, she hadn’t had any street food!
Every day, she either ate in the cafeteria or at home. Even when her family went out together, they had never tried street food.
"Street food?" Lin Zhihua was momentarily stunned.
Xue Jiao raised her hand and pointed to the corner ahead—
"It’s just down that street..."
She felt a little shy, her cheeks slightly flushed as she pointed forward, looking at him eagerly.
Lin Zhihua’s heart softened. He nodded helplessly and said, "Alright."
Xue Jiao’s eyes sparkled, her steps light and quick. She even waved her hand—
"Hurry up, hurry up! It’s probably crowded!"
Lin Zhihua had deliberately changed out of his usual suit and into casual clothes to meet her today.
His assistant had someone pick them out—apparently, they made him look younger.
His hairstyle wasn’t severe either, with a few strands of bangs lightly resting on his forehead, softening the sharpness of his piercing eyes.
Combined with the smile he had worn since seeing Xue Jiao, standing beside her, he didn’t seem out of place at all.
The street food scene was lively for Xue Jiao. In her past life, she had even worked at a food stall, and the long-missed flavors put her in a state of excitement.
But for Lin Zhihua—
His brows furrowed, a trace of discomfort and resistance flickering in his eyes.
Lin Zhihua had never been to a place like this. Crowded spaces made him extremely uneasy. From the time he could remember, he had always avoided places with too many people.
After taking over the Lin Corporation, most places he visited were cleared out in advance.
Even at the company, he had his own private elevator and parking space. Throughout the entire Lin Corporation, aside from managers and other executives, ordinary employees rarely had the chance to see him unless under special circumstances.
For someone as averse to human contact as Lin Zhihua...
This was truly his first time at a street food market.His brows were tightly furrowed. The bustling crowd around him, especially in the summer heat, carried an air thick with the mingling scents of sweat and greasy food, making Lin Zhihua feel almost suffocated.
What made it worse was that most of the people nearby were young women, each seemingly just a finger's breadth away from him.
Beads of sweat began forming on Lin Zhihua's forehead, and he had the overwhelming urge to turn around and flee.
"Hey! Is that stuffed chicken wings with rice?!" Xue Jiao's eyes sparkled as she looked ahead, her excitement causing her fingers to tug lightly at Lin Zhihua's sleeve.
He could faintly catch the delicate fragrance emanating from her, as if it had the power to isolate him from the surrounding unpleasant odors.
Lin Zhihua tilted his head slightly, taking a deep breath near her hair, finally managing to suppress his physical discomfort.
But Xue Jiao suddenly turned her head—
"Stuffed chicken wings with rice, want one?"
Even though his body was resisting, the moment she smiled, he couldn't refuse.
Without realizing it, he nodded, and Xue Jiao immediately walked over. "Two, please!"
As she spoke, she pulled out her cute little wallet to pay.
Lin Zhihua glanced at the two girls standing beside her, his brows furrowing again.
After a moment's hesitation, he reluctantly stepped closer to Xue Jiao, staying by her side while keeping as much distance as possible from the crowd.
The two girls in front of Xue Jiao were waiting in line, constantly turning their heads to glance at Xue Jiao and then at Lin Zhihua.
Fragments of their whispers reached them—
"...heaven...so beautiful..."
"...guy...so handsome..."
Their attempts at subtlety were obvious to both Lin Zhihua and Xue Jiao.
Soon, the girls got their food but lingered instead of leaving. Lin Zhihua looked up at them, his frown deepening, his gaze unconsciously sharp and piercing.
The two girls froze for a moment before hastily pushing each other away and leaving.
"Two stuffed chicken wings with rice, ready! Be careful, miss, they're hot!" The shop owner said with a smile.
"Thank you!" Just as Xue Jiao reached out, a large, well-defined hand stretched out beside her and took the food.
"Huh? Do you want to eat now? It's too crowded here. How about we go to the lakeside later?" Xue Jiao thought Lin Zhihua was hungry.
He only gave a stiff nod in response.
Xue Jiao continued forward but stopped again after a short distance. "Can we also get some potatoes and squid?"
"Okay..." Lin Zhihua still couldn't refuse her.
This stall was even more crowded than the previous one. Lin Zhihua stood far away, not daring to get closer.
Only when Xue Jiao returned with the food did he exhale slightly, the tension in his brows easing a little.
"I got two servings! It's been so long since I last had these—I almost forgot how they taste!" She smiled brightly, looking both happy and nostalgic.
Just a simple snack could make her this delighted...
Lin Zhihua's heart softened even more, experiencing emotions he had never felt before, over and over again.
Nearby, a man on an electric scooter approached absentmindedly, his attention elsewhere, heading straight toward Xue Jiao.
Lin Zhihua's pupils contracted as he pulled Xue Jiao into his arms. With the crowd behind them, there was nowhere to retreat.
He kicked the oncoming scooter, sending both the man and the vehicle tumbling to the ground.
Xue Jiao's cheek pressed against Lin Zhihua's chest, and the faint, clean scent of his clothes filled her senses, leaving her momentarily dazed.
Lin Zhihua was different from any other boy she knew. Yi Tianyu was also very clean, but since he often played basketball, he sometimes carried the scent of sweat.
Cheng Mingze was the same—never with the crisp, clean fragrance of soap that seemed to envelop Lin Zhihua entirely."Are you okay?" Lin Zhihua ignored the man on the bike, his gaze filled with concern as he looked at Xue Jiao.
Xue Jiao quickly stepped out of his embrace and shook her head. "I'm fine."
"What the hell are you doing?!" The man picked up his electric bike and stormed over angrily.
Just then, a woman passing by bumped into Lin Zhihua from behind.
Suppressing his disgust, Lin Zhihua struggled to contain his rising temper, his voice icy—
"You nearly hit someone."
The man was still furious—
"I was going so slow, even if I hit her, it wouldn't have been a big deal! And this is a brand-new bike! Look here—it's scratched now. Can you even afford to pay for this?!"
The man glared at Lin Zhihua, his eyes wide with rage.
Lin Zhihua's voice grew even colder, his gaze sharp.
"I don't know if biking here is allowed, but I don't see anything wrong with kicking it away when you were about to hit someone."
"You—"
Lin Zhihua cut him off, pulling out a business card.
"I don’t want to waste time arguing. Call this number—my lawyer will discuss it with you."
The man: "..."
Lin Zhihua's piercing gaze held steady as he held the card between his clean fingers, his wrist adorned with an obviously expensive watch.
The man froze for a long moment before suddenly pushing his bike away, muttering curses under his breath.
Faintly, they could hear him grumble—
"Rich people bringing their girlfriends to eat street food? How cheap can you get?"
Xue Jiao also noticed his watch and glanced down at her own, smiling. "You're still wearing it!"
Lin Zhihua calmly withdrew his hand and nodded. "Mm."
In truth, the assistant responsible for his wardrobe had been baffled by this watch. For someone of Lin Zhihua's status, such a watch was difficult to pair with outfits, especially for formal occasions.
Yet for nearly a year, Lin Zhihua had never switched it out, leading those who knew him to assume he was simply being low-key.
A business associate once remarked—
"Despite his youth, the head of the Lin Group lacks the frivolity of young men. With his wealth, he doesn’t even wear a luxury watch."
A watch often reflected a man's status.
Of course, much later, when Xue Jiao walked into an event wearing hers, everything suddenly made sense.
So that's how it was.
Lin Zhihua responded calmly, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on Xue Jiao, relieved when she didn’t seem to catch on.
He exhaled quietly, though a hint of disappointment lingered.
The gazes of passersby kept drifting toward them, and Xue Jiao frowned slightly before saying to Lin Zhihua, "Should we leave? Have we had enough?"
She shook the snacks in her hand.
Lin Zhihua nodded quickly, as if afraid she might change her mind if he hesitated.
Only when they reached a bench by the artificial lake nearby did Lin Zhihua finally relax completely.
It was June, the height of summer. Though the sky was still bright in the evening, the cool breeze by the lake made it exceptionally pleasant.
Xue Jiao turned to him, her large eyes fixed on Lin Zhihua.
His heart skipped a beat.
But then she spoke, sounding a little embarrassed: "Are you not used to the food street?"
Xue Jiao truly felt awkward—it was only after sitting down that she recalled Lin Zhihua's unusual behavior there.
Unlike her, he had grown up in wealth. Xue Jiao, however, had lived another life before this.
"A little... I don’t like crowds..."“Don’t like crowds?” Xue Jiao asked in surprise.
Lin Zhihua nodded, looking at her. “But I can tolerate it.”
He couldn’t before, but with her by his side, he could.
With Xue Jiao around, his patience improved significantly.
Xue Jiao apologized sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I won’t do it next time…”
“It’s fine.” Lin Zhihua reached out and gently ruffled her hair before quickly withdrawing his hand, restraining himself. “Don’t apologize to me.”
He didn’t like hearing her polite “thank yous” and “sorrys.”
Xue Jiao smiled, thinking how wonderful it was to know someone like Lin Zhihua.
She picked up a chicken-wing rice roll and handed one to him. “I really wanted it before I got it, but now that I have it, I don’t feel like eating it as much.”
Lin Zhihua took it and, under Xue Jiao’s gaze, stiffly took a bite.
An overwhelming greasiness, mixed with the pungent taste of chili and spices, flooded his mouth. For a moment, he wanted to spit it out.
Xue Jiao giggled at his reaction. “If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself. We can go to a proper restaurant later.”
With that, she opened hers and took a bite.
Her expression froze for a second before she shook her head. Gu Xue Jiao’s taste buds… seemed to reject this flavor too.
“I used to think it was delicious… but I guess things have changed… It doesn’t taste like I remember.”
When Xue Jiao said “changed,” she meant herself.
She had changed—she had turned Gu Xue Jiao into just Xue Jiao in everyone’s eyes.
But in some ways, it seemed Gu Xue Jiao had deeply influenced her too.
In her past life, Xue Jiao had loved chicken-wing rice rolls. Back then, she worked at a stall next to one that sold them, helping grill skewers.
Every day after work, Auntie would give her two meat skewers, and she’d buy a steamed bun for dinner.
Next door was the chicken-wing rice roll stall. The owner was skilled, using high-quality chicken wings and rice, so his rolls were pricier—20 yuan each.
Xue Jiao would never spend so much on food, especially since one roll wasn’t filling enough, meaning she’d have to spend more.
The stall next door was always busy, and the owner was a cheerful, chubby man.
When her summer job ended, Xue Jiao rewarded herself by buying one.
It was already late that night, and there were no other customers at the stall. She walked over with her 20 yuan.
The owner picked out two of the biggest rolls and handed them to her with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to treat you. Don’t be shy, kid. Study hard when school starts! Aim for a good university!”
In that moment, Xue Jiao realized—he must have known she was an orphan.
She didn’t refuse and accepted them gratefully.
She knew his kindness was genuine. She even suspected that if he weren’t worried about making her uncomfortable, he would have given her money too.
That night, on her way back to school, she savored every bite.
In her memory, it was the most delicious, heartwarming taste.
Xue Jiao had suffered a lot in her past life, but she had also met many kind people who gave her warmth, letting her—someone who had always been alone—experience the beautiful connections and kindness between people.
This world was never just about cruelty.
There were bad people, but there were good ones too.
Lost in her memories, she felt a hand rest gently on her head, giving it a soft ruffle."If it doesn't taste good anymore, then don't eat it. Nothing stays the same forever—time keeps moving. Some changes are bad, but others are good. There's no need to dwell on the past; people should look forward. The future will change too, whether for better or worse, and that's something you can decide for yourself."
Xue Jiao froze for a moment, blinking back the moisture in her eyes before nodding firmly. "Okay!"
After a pause, she smiled and said, "But I still want to finish it."
And then... she probably wouldn't eat it again...
Let the memories belonging to Xue Jiao stay in the past.
Lin Zhihua withdrew his hand and raised an eyebrow. "I think it's still alright—a rather novel taste. Let's eat it together."
The two finished the chicken-wing rice and the potatoes together. Xue Jiao then picked up the squid.
Perhaps it was the weather or her strange mood, but she felt like opening up. Staring at the squid, she said, "I don’t actually like eating squid, but the person I’m most grateful to used to sell squid. I can’t see him anymore, but I still like eating squid."
Liking the taste of squid wasn’t the same as liking to eat squid.
She liked eating it—but only for the act of eating it.
When Xue Jiao was very young, she had been taken in by someone. She remembered being hungry, remembered being abandoned in the dark, and remembered an old man pushing a cart who picked her up and placed her on a small trolley.
That was her grandpa—an old man who sold squid.
He never admitted to being her grandpa, but she had always respected him as one.
It was that old man who told her to study, to leave this place, and that only through hard work could she live a fulfilling life.
He sold grilled squid to support her education up to the fourth grade. Grandpa’s cooking was excellent, but he was very old, and few people bought from him. Business was so slow that it was barely enough to scrape by and pay for her schooling.
Her household registration was tied to the old man’s rural address, making city schooling expensive, yet he still supported her.
Later... he got cancer.
Xue Jiao had planned to drop out and return to help him get treatment. On that Friday when she first told her teacher she was quitting, she came home to find only a household register, a stack of small bills, and a note that read: "Study hard. Go to university."
He had left on his own.
He didn’t want to burden her.
Xue Jiao knew that—but it didn’t make it any less painful.
From then on, Xue Jiao had no family left.
Around the end of elementary school, the police station informed her that the old man had long since passed away. She never even got to see his body.
There are many tragedies in this world, and you’re never the worst off—but in the midst of it, you still feel despair, still suffer so much that life seems meaningless.
Xue Jiao ate the squid bite by bite, but she didn’t cry.
Lin Zhihua followed her movements, saying nothing, offering silent companionship.
"I think I'm full. Do you want anything else?" Xue Jiao blinked and looked at Lin Zhihua.
Lin Zhihua was silent for a moment. His stomach felt uneasy, but his heart felt worse.
While eating the squid earlier, he had sensed Xue Jiao’s pain—the kind she couldn’t voice.
He couldn’t ask. Didn’t dare to.
Slowly, he replied, "I’m full too."
Xue Jiao gave an embarrassed smile. "I said I’d treat you, but in the end, I didn’t really let you eat much...""That's enough. I had a different experience today, and I'm very happy," Lin Zhihua said with a smile. He was glad to have seemingly touched upon Xue Jiao's past, but it also pained him, because he knew... those past memories might not be so beautiful.
In that world full of wounds, he desperately wanted to go back and hold her tightly.
Yet at the same time, he wished she could forget, never to recall the things that brought her such sorrow again.
"I'll treat you to something better next time!"
Lin Zhihua remained silent for a moment before speaking softly, "I don't know what's on your mind, but I believe the past should stay in the past. Look forward, pursue your dreams, and make amends where you can."
His gaze was earnest, fixed directly on Xue Jiao's eyes, filled with both concern and encouragement.
For a brief moment, something stirred in Xue Jiao's heart, quickly overshadowed by warmth.
"Alright..."
She should move forward. Those who had once given her warmth would want her to live well, to have... a brand-new life.
Xue Jiao gathered her spirits and glanced at the time—it was getting late.
She opened her mouth, about to bid farewell to Lin Zhihua.
"Ding-ding-ding—" Her phone suddenly rang.
Xue Jiao paused, then picked it up—an unfamiliar number.
"Hello? Who is this?"
The voice on the other end was cold, laced with frost: "Gu Xue Jiao, it's Gu Shiyun."
Xue Jiao froze. "Gu Shiyun?"
Beside her, Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow and gestured for her to put the call on speaker.
He wanted to hear what this person was up to now.
Xue Jiao obediently complied.
With Gu Shiyun's scheming nature, only someone like Lin Zhihua could outmaneuver her...
The voice on the other end was seething: "That man who picked you up today—is he the one who ruined Dad's company?! Is he the mastermind behind the investigation on me and the one who posted that clarification for you?!"