Chapter 1: Rain Falls Under the Old Locust Tree
September 2013, under the old locust tree at Jiangcheng University.
Su Wanxing stuffed the last piece of red bean cake into Gu Chengyu's mouth. A bit of cake powder still clung to her fingertips, which he held and licked clean: "Sweet."
"Of course it is—I waited in line for forty minutes to buy it." She pulled her hand back, folded the oil-paper wrapper printed with "Zhuangyuan Pastry Shop" and tucked it into his hoodie pocket. "You're competing in the National Financial Modeling Competition next week. Eat more sweet things—maybe you'll win first place!"
Gu Chengyu bent down to rest his chin on her shoulder, his breath warm against her neck: "What reward do I get if I win?"
"I'll reward you with…" She tiptoed to tug his ear. "I'll take you to Wuyuan to shoot the 'Sun-Dried Autumn Harvest'! I already talked to my advisor—my documentary topic is 'The New Vitality of Traditional Villages.' We'll stay there for half a month: I'll film, you'll write your thesis. Perfect balance!"
He agreed with a smile, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The locust leaves rustled in the wind; through the branches, they could see the clock on the distant teaching building—3:00 PM exactly. The sun was perfect, and the air smelled faintly of sweet camphor leaves.
If only time could freeze right here.
Su Wanxing never imagined that two hours later, she would overhear Gu Chengyu talking to a stranger in the corridor outside the school auditorium.
"Chengyu, just have your fun with that Su Wanxing. The Gu and Su families are about to discuss cooperation, and your grandfather said only a marriage alliance with the Chen family will get us the development rights to that plot of land…"
"Aunt Chen, Wanxing and I are serious." Gu Chengyu's voice was heavier than usual. "I won't agree to the marriage."
"Serious?" The woman scoffed. "Do you know what's happening with the Su family? Their film company has been insolvent for ages and is secretly selling off assets. Cooperating with the Gu family is just their last grab for money! Su Wanxing might even be acting on her father's orders!"
Su Wanxing clenched the camera battery in her hand, her knuckles white. She wanted to rush in and confront them, but her foot froze mid-step—she'd found the balance sheet in her father's drawer that morning, the red deficits stinging like needles. Her father had told her the night before: "Wanxing, stay close to Chengyu. If the Gu family can help us out…"
She suddenly didn't know how to face Gu Chengyu.
Then the host's voice rang from the auditorium: "Let's welcome contestant Gu Chengyu to the stage to receive his award!"
Footsteps approached in the corridor. Panicked, Su Wanxing ducked into a nearby storage room. As soon as she closed the door, she heard Gu Chengyu ask: "Aunt Chen, did Wanxing hear what you just said?"
"Probably not—I picked a quiet spot on purpose…"
The window of the storage room was slightly ajar; wind blew in with stray leaves. Su Wanxing crouched on the floor, burying her face in her knees. Tears fell onto the dusty tiles, leaving small dark spots.
That night, Su Wanxing didn't return to her dorm or answer Gu Chengyu's calls. She sat in the old house her father had bought years ago in Wuyuan County, staring blankly at the bamboo trays used for sun-drying crops in the yard—until a news alert popped up on her phone: "Gu and Chen Families Finalize Strategic Cooperation; Gu Heir Gu Chengyu to Wed Chen Shutong Soon." The photo showed Gu Chengyu standing beside a woman in a white dress at the entrance of Gu Group, looking intimate as he held a bouquet of white roses.
Su Wanxing stared at the photo for a long time, then dragged all of Gu Chengyu's contacts into her block list.
Rain began to fall outside, pattering against the bamboo trays.
Chapter 2: Ten Years Reflected in Sun-Drying Trays
The rain lasted all night and finally stopped at dawn. When Su Wanxing pushed open the old house's wooden door, she saw red persimmons scattered under the persimmon tree in the corner. Last year's unharvested rice lay spread on the bamboo trays, damp and smelling of earth.
As she knelt to sort through the grains, her fingers touched something cold—a small silver bell tied with a dark blue cord. It was the safety charm she'd made for Gu Chengyu years ago, somehow wedged in a crack of the tray. She clutched it tightly; the chill seeped into her bones as she thought of the news photo—the white roses glaring like the crisp white collar of Gu Chengyu's shirts.
"Wanxing?"
A familiar voice made her look up sharply. A woman in a khaki trench coat stood at the gate, holding an oil-paper wrapper printed with "Zhuangyuan Pastry Shop." It was Chen Shutong—the woman in the news—but her face held none of the smile in the photo, only unease.
"I… I'm not here to gloat." Chen Shutong placed the wrapper on the stone table. "Chengyu isn't engaged. That photo was taken by reporters— I was just delivering cooperation documents, and the flowers were from a client at the front desk…"
Su Wanxing said nothing, her fingertips tracing the bell's patterns.
"Chengyu knew about the Su family's troubles all along." Chen Shutong continued. "The day he won the competition, he took his award-winning model to your grandfather, offering to help restructure the Su company. But your grandfather felt indebted to the Gu family and turned him away. Later, Mr. Gu threatened to cut ties with him unless he agreed to 'cooperate' with me—we're just nominal partners, working on the cultural tourism development for that plot of land. He's been looking for you this whole time."
Su Wanxing's eyelashes trembled. She remembered another document she'd found in the drawer the night before—Gu Chengyu's handwritten restructuring plan for the Su company, marked up in detail with the note "Wanxing can use this case in her documentary" at the top of each page.
"Also… he said…" Chen Shutong pulled a USB drive from her bag. "This is research data he prepared for your documentary—feasibility analysis of cultural tourism integration in traditional villages, plus development plans for several villages in Wuyuan. He said you wanted to film 'new vitality,' so this might help."
After Chen Shutong left, Su Wanxing sat by the trays with the USB drive. Sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating red chili peppers, yellow corn, and orange pumpkins—exactly the sun-dried harvest she'd wanted to film. She opened the drive; the first page was Gu Chengyu's handwriting: "Wanxing, I haven't forgotten our promise to Wuyuan. The locust tree has turned green three times already. I'll wait for you to come back and see it with me."
Just then, her phone buzzed—a message from her advisor: "Wanxing, your documentary topic is approved. Gu Group will fully fund it, and a financial expert will partner with you for research—by the way, he said his name is Gu Chengyu."
Su Wanxing looked toward the mountain path outside the yard. A familiar figure was walking quickly toward her, holding a red bean cake high in his hand. The sun stretched his shadow long, as if trying to bridge the ten years between them.
The old persimmon tree suddenly shook, and a ripe red fruit fell onto the tray with a soft thud—like time finally finding its place.
Chapter 3: Sunshine on Red Beans and Dates
When Gu Chengyu stood at the gate, mud still speckled his trouser cuffs. He held the red bean cake high, its oil-paper wrapper glowing warm yellow in the sun—exactly like the one she'd fed him ten years ago.
"I asked Chen Shutong how to find you." His voice was hoarse, his eyes fixed on the bell in her hand. "You kept the bell…?"
Su Wanxing stood slowly, the USB drive still on the tray, his words glowing on the screen. The scent of sun-dried crops wafted in the wind, and she remembered how he'd stood before her under the old locust tree, holding a warm cake and saying "Wanxing, I waited in line—it's hot!"
"I've been looking for you for ten years." Gu Chengyu took two steps closer, his fingertips brushing hers before pulling back as if burned. "After you blocked me, I checked your dorm, your home… I couldn't find you anywhere. When I heard you'd gone to Wuyuan, I came every few months, but I always missed you by a little…"
He pulled a crumpled notebook from his pocket and flipped to the last page—it showed a drawing of the old locust tree, bamboo trays, and two stick figures holding hands, with the note: "Wanxing said she wants to film the sun-dried harvest. I need to map every village."
"I helped restructure the Su company later—it's now a cultural tourism planning studio, specializing in promoting traditional villages." Gu Chengyu pointed to the path outside. "Look over there—we just helped the village build a viewing platform. The Sun-Dried Autumn Festival will be held next month, just like you wanted. We'll let more people see how wonderful this place is."
Su Wanxing finally spoke, her voice soft as wind: "What about your grandfather…?"
"He agreed two years ago." Gu Chengyu smiled, though his eyes were slightly red. "He said he shouldn't have tied me down with family interests back then, and that if he'd known your documentary could help so many villages, he would've supported us sooner."
He held the cake to her lips, just like before: "It's still warm—try it?"
Su Wanxing took a bite. The familiar sweetness spread across her tongue, and her eyes reddened. She reached out with the hand holding the bell, gently touching his palm: "Gu Chengyu, I didn't trust you back then."
"I know." He laced his fingers through hers and tied the bell back around her wrist. "That's why I wanted you to see for yourself—I never forgot our promise."
Then a villager's voice called from afar: "Miss Su! Mr. Gu! The viewing platform is ready—want to come take a look?"
Gu Chengyu led her out of the yard. Sunlight fell on their joined hands, on the colorful crops in the trays, and on the layered green mountains in the distance. The persimmon tree rustled in the wind, as if saying the rain-soaked years had finally been warmed by the sun.
At a bend in the path, Su Wanxing stopped and pointed to an old locust tree by the roadside: "You said the leaves turned green three times. What about the fourth time?"
Gu Chengyu bent to tuck her hair behind her ear, his voice full of gentle warmth: "For the fourth time, we'll see it together."
Chapter 4: Turmoil at the Sun-Dried Autumn Festival
October arrived in the blink of an eye, and Wuyuan's Sun-Dried Autumn Festival began as scheduled.
The viewing platform sat atop the village's highest point. Su Wanxing wove through the crowd with her camera, her lens capturing a vibrant world of red chilies, yellow corn, and orange pumpkins. Villagers' laughter carried far on the mountain breeze. Gu Chengyu followed close behind—holding a reflector for her, passing water and tissues, even acting as an interpreter when she spoke with elderly villagers who didn't understand Mandarin.
"Director Su! Look over there!" Her assistant Xiao Ai suddenly pointed to the other side of the platform. "A TV station is doing an interview!"
Su Wanxing looked up to see several cameras pointed at a display board in the center—her documentary's teaser poster was printed there, along with the Gu Group sponsorship logo. A reporter holding a microphone was talking to a man in a tailored suit: Gu Chengyu's cousin, Gu Chengxuan.
"Mr. Gu, it's said that Gu Group's sponsorship of this documentary is to build hype for an upcoming commercial real estate project?" The reporter's question was sharp. "Villagers report that the plot next to the viewing platform has been listed for sale, and a large resort will be built there. Will this destroy the village's original ecology?"
"We're focusing on cultural tourism integration, not commercial development…" Gu Chengxuan smiled and waved, but his words were cut off by villagers pushing through the crowd: "Integration my foot! We've lived here for generations—how can you just decide to tear down our homes!"
Chaos erupted instantly. Some held signs reading "Oppose Forced Demolition," while others moved to topple the display board. Su Wanxing rushed to stop them but stumbled; Gu Chengyu caught her in time, but his arm was cut by a sign edge.
"Everyone, please calm down!" Gu Chengyu shouted loudly, pulling off his suit jacket to reveal a T-shirt printed with "Wuyuan Sun-Dried Autumn." "I'm Gu Chengyu—I designed the development plan for this land. We're not tearing down the village! We'll preserve the original buildings while building intangible cultural heritage workshops and homestays, so young people can return to work and elders can earn money right at home!"
He pulled a thick stack of documents from his bag. "These are detailed blueprints—every household's resettlement plan is here. Feel free to look!"
The crowd quieted gradually. An elderly man with white hair took the documents and flipped through them, his eyes reddening as he said: "This old house on the blueprint—it's exactly like mine, even the persimmon tree in the corner is drawn in…"
"Chengyu drew that himself!" The village chief chimed in. "He comes every year, measuring every house door to door, saying he'll keep the village exactly as it is!"
Just then, Gu Chengxuan stepped close to Gu Chengyu and whispered: "Grandfather changed his mind suddenly—he says the resort project has to go forward, or he'll cut off funding…"
Gu Chengyu clenched the documents, his knuckles white: "I've always said we can't ruin the village for profit. I'll talk to grandfather myself."
Su Wanxing tugged at his sleeve and held out her camera: "I filmed everything just now. If you need it, I can edit a clip from the documentary early to let more people know what we're doing."
Gu Chengyu looked at her—his arm was still bleeding, but he smiled: "Good. This time, we'll face it together."
That night, they sat by the bamboo trays in the old house, organizing documents by moonlight. Su Wanxing cleaned his wound with iodine; he winced but teased: "When you put bandages on me back then, you were way more squeamish than I am now."
"That's because you're clumsy and always get hurt." She glared at him, then gently touched his wound. "Will this be hard?"
"It will," he said, holding her hand. Moonlight stretched the shadows of the grains long across the trays. "Wanxing, once this is settled, let's have our wedding here—let the whole village witness it, okay?"
Su Wanxing's face flushed red. She poked at the red beans in the tray: "Who wants to marry you… but having it during the Sun-Dried Autumn Festival would be lively."
In the distance, dogs barked and villagers chatted as they prepared for the next day's events. The village was quiet and warm under the moon, as if all the imperfections of the past were slowly being smoothed away.
Chapter 5: A Promise Under the Old Locust Tree
Three days later, Gu Chengyu took Su Wanxing back to Jiangcheng and went straight to the Gu family's old residence.
Mr. Gu sat in a rosewood armchair in his study, two plans laid out before him—one was Gu Chengxuan's commercial resort proposal, the other Gu Chengyu's cultural tourism conservation plan. He barely glanced up as they entered: "Chengyu, do you know how much pressure the group is under this year? A resort would turn a profit in six months, but your plan requires heavy investment and will take at least three years to see returns."
"Grandfather, do you remember what you told me when you took me to Wuyuan twenty years ago?" Gu Chengyu projected clips from Su Wanxing's documentary onto the wall—scenes of the bustling festival, elders weaving bamboo crafts, children counting red beans by the trays. "You said some things are more important than money—that village is the root of so many people, and we can't break it."
Su Wanxing stepped forward and placed her research data on the table: *"Mr. Gu, this is our market research. More and more tourists are willing to pay for authentic village culture. We've already partnered with several intangible cultural heritage organizations…"