Chapter Nineteen: Memories Like Smoke (Part One)

Six years ago, on a scorching summer day, a sudden downpour caught everyone off guard during the evening commute. Tao Ming, who hadn't brought an umbrella, hurried home after getting off the bus. She slipped for no apparent reason and ended up kneeling awkwardly in the rain, a thought flashing through her mind—perhaps she could just stay like this and never get up again. Passersby threw her glances that said "lunatic" but none stopped.

At this moment, a strange man appeared out of nowhere. He folded up his umbrella, sat down beside her in the puddles, and said, “That’s just life, nothing to worry about.”

Startled, Tao Ming glanced at him without really seeing his face, quickly got up, and rushed home.

The man followed, holding his umbrella over her.

Tao Ming thought, am I being followed by a creep? She picked up her pace.

Just a turn away from her apartment’s street, she noticed the man still trailing her. Quick-witted, she turned in the opposite direction and entered a chain supermarket.

Inside, she bought a towel, a T-shirt, shorts, a hat, and an umbrella. After paying, she went into the restroom, dried herself, changed clothes, put her backpack in a plastic bag, covered it with her wet clothes, and lingered a while, hoping the man wouldn’t recognize her. With her hat pulled low, she finally left the supermarket.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she realized someone was still following her. Terrified, she quickened her pace, head down, not daring to look back.

The person caught up to her, gently tapped her umbrella, and said, “I’m not a creep; I just find you interesting and wanted to get to know you.”

Tao Ming stopped, lifted her umbrella, and studied the man. He was more than a head taller than her, rather handsome, with wet hair clinging to his face in a way that evoked a Japanese manga hero—just her type.

Tao Ming had a secret preference; she was wary of dating muscle-bound men—a kind of prejudice, perhaps. She always thought that if things turned sour, one punch from such a man could be fatal.

Seeing her silent, he spoke again, “My name is Su Nanxing, I’m thirty-two, a programmer at Sprout Games.”

Tao Ming blinked. Is this how programmers hit on women?

She replied cautiously, “Look, we’re strangers. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to follow me like this?”

Su Nanxing smoothed his wet hair. “You don’t know me, but I know you. You work at Hengsheng International Tower, right? I saw you recently, you must be new—your company’s on the eighth floor. We’re on six; we’ve shared the elevator a few times at lunch.”

Tao Ming was surprised. Try as she might, she couldn’t recall meeting him, but she did remember a game company on the sixth floor. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “I see. But I’ve caught a chill in this rain and need to get home and warm up.”

Su Nanxing laughed softly, and Tao Ming felt herself waver—after all, he was exactly her type.

Still, such a bizarre approach called for caution.

Su Nanxing smiled, “So you won’t think I’m a creep, I’ll leave it at this for today. See you tomorrow.”

Tao Ming waved hurriedly. “Goodbye.”

Then she rushed home.

After a shower, sitting on the sofa drying her hair, Tao Ming suddenly remembered that she had once or twice seen such a man in the elevator at lunchtime. She’d never paid much attention—she didn’t like interacting with strangers, usually kept her head down, pretending to look at her phone.

She tidied up, grabbed a bite, and turned on her computer to play a game. That night, her guild was organizing a raid—she was the top healer and couldn’t be late.

Back then, Tao Ming was the quintessential homebody. Other than work, she spent her days at home reading novels and playing games, immersed in her own world.

The next day, Tao Ming followed her usual routine to work. Just as she arrived at the building’s entrance, she saw Su Nanxing standing there, staring intently at her, plastic bags in hand.

She couldn’t just walk over, but she couldn’t run either—she had to keep her job.

While she hesitated, Su Nanxing approached, stopped about half a meter away, smiled, and shook the bags. “Good morning. I bought breakfast—not sure if you’d like it.”

Tao Ming’s heart pounded uncontrollably. Was this really happening to her, this ridiculous scene straight out of a cheesy romance drama?

She reminded herself, “Stay calm, Tao Ming. You’re a thirty-year-old woman. Haven’t you seen it all?”

Taking a deep breath, she said expressionlessly, “This is a bit much, don’t you think? We’re not exactly close.”

“I’m not usually here this early,” Su Nanxing admitted, a little sheepish, eyes fixed on her feet. “I just couldn’t sleep last night. I wanted to see you, so…”

Tao Ming found it both amusing and perplexing that a thirty-two-year-old man could look like a lovesick schoolboy.

She glanced at the time. “Look, I’m almost late for work. Can we talk another time?”

Su Nanxing offered the bags. “Then let’s go up together. I bought breakfast just for you. Please, try some.”

Tao Ming hurried into the building. “I’ve already eaten, you keep it.”

She saw an elevator about to close, squeezed in, and left Su Nanxing behind.

Su Nanxing watched the elevator doors shut, lost in thought.

Inside, Tao Ming realized he hadn’t followed her in and let out a long sigh of relief.

Oh heavens, are programmers always this intense?

She liked directness, but this was too much—they barely knew each other!

For the next ten days, Su Nanxing appeared near Tao Ming every evening after work, mingled with her colleagues more than she did, until everyone in the company knew the programmer from the sixth floor was pursuing Tao Ming.

Tao Ming was conflicted. She was ordinary—average looks, average figure, a job that merely paid the bills, and no particular strengths. Yet Su Nanxing was good-looking, had a decent build, and was said to be the lead developer at his company. What on earth did he see in her?

After much deliberation, she decided to have a proper talk with him that weekend.

At last, Friday arrived. After work, as usual, Su Nanxing waited at the office entrance. Colleagues leaving teased him, “Back again? Good luck!”

“Handsome, I’m rooting for you!”

“Handsome, how about me? I’m easier to win over than Tao Ming.”

Su Nanxing always responded with a silly grin, taking their jokes in stride.

Tao Ming packed up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stepped outside to see Su Nanxing still waiting. She felt a mix of vanity and excitement.

When Su Nanxing saw her, his eyes lit up as if he’d found a priceless treasure, making Tao Ming uneasy.

Remembering her resolve, she approached him. “Let’s have dinner together. I’d like to talk.”

Su Nanxing beamed, grinning from ear to ear. “Okay, okay!” He took her bag as he spoke.

Tao Ming was still mulling over how to begin the conversation when Su Nanxing asked, “What would you like to eat?”

She hadn’t given it any thought, just wanted to talk. “I don’t know, anything is fine.”

Su Nanxing escorted her into the elevator, pressed the button for the second basement level, and after a moment’s thought, said, “I know a great hotpot place. Shall we go there?”