After lunch, the four of them left the hotel together.
The afternoon sun had softened, filtered through drifting clouds, turning the mountain air crisp and clear. Xu Feng stretched lazily as they walked, hands behind his head.
"Staying inside feels like wasting the view," he said. "Let's go see the river."
Zihan didn't object. He rarely did.
Jiang Ran walked a step behind, phone in hand, while Shen Rui kept close, her gaze drifting toward Zihan more often than she realized.
The path sloped gently downward, pine trees lining both sides. The sound of water reached them before the river itself appeared—steady, calm, carrying a quiet power.
When they finally reached the riverside, Xu Feng slowed.
He stopped abruptly.
"Hey," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Zihan. Look."
Zihan followed his line of sight.
At the far end of the stone bridge, a girl stood alone.
She was facing the river, her back to them, black hair falling down her spine, coat fluttering faintly in the breeze. Beside her, a small dog sat obediently, ears perked, tail still.
Zihan froze.
For a split second, his heart skipped—then steadied.
Her.
Meilin.
The tightness in his chest loosened without him realizing it. She was here. And Zimei too.
Xu Feng noticed the subtle change immediately and grinned. Without asking, he grabbed Zihan's sleeve and dragged him forward.
"Come on," he said under his breath. "What are you standing there for?"
Zihan didn't resist.
Behind them, Jiang Ran and Shen Rui followed, confusion flickering across Shen Rui's face as she tried to see what had caught their attention.
Xu Feng raised his hand cheerfully. "Hi, Meilin!"
The sound cut through the quiet riverbank.
Meilin slowly turned.
She had been watching the current, lost in thought, but the moment her eyes landed on Zihan—
Her breath caught.
Time seemed to pause for a heartbeat.
She hadn't expected him. Hadn't prepared for this. For seeing him here, so suddenly, so close.
Her gaze lingered on his face, sharp, conflicted—then steadied into something controlled and unreadable.
Zihan felt it like a physical pull.
From his point of view, Meilin looked… different.
Calmer. Colder. Yet there was an unmistakable strength in the way she stood, shoulders relaxed, eyes clear. The river reflected faint light onto her face, making her presence impossible to ignore.
Xu Feng glanced between them, oblivious to the tension. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Meilin shifted her gaze away first, turning slightly to face him instead.
"I came to visit a friend of my grandpa," she said evenly. "He lives nearby."
Her tone was polite. Neutral.
Too neutral.
Zihan's fingers curled unconsciously at his side.
So close.
Yet there was distance—one he hadn't known how to cross before, and still didn't know how to now.
Behind him, Shen Rui finally took in the scene properly.
The girl by the river. The way Zihan's attention never left her. The dog at her feet.
Something cold slipped into Shen Rui's chest.
Jiang Ran, sensing the odd atmosphere, stayed quiet.
The river continued to flow between them, indifferent, steady—while unspoken emotions quietly gathered, heavy as the clouds beginning to form above the mountain.