A New Place

It was another Sunday.

Xiaoyun was sitting in a coffee shop, waiting for an individual to show up, as he took a small sip of his coffee.

"You're here so early." A woman's voice appeared behind him.

"I was only here five minutes beforehand."

As the woman walked into his view, it was no one other than Leyan, wearing a black low-cut mini dress and red high heels.

"You look so good today," Xiaoyun complimented.

"Are you implying I wasn't good-looking before?" Leyan joked as she sat down across from him.

"It was pretty good before. But today, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Your words are really sweet today, honey. But I prefer you being more naive and honest."

Leyan boops him right on the nose before he can react, taking his cup of coffee away as she takes a sip of it.

"Hey, I'm being honest, okay? You really do look beautiful."

Xiaoyun quickly snatched back his cup of coffee, drinking the rest of it before putting the empty cup onto the table.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Let's go to the movies today. I've already booked tickets."

Leyan quickly grabbed onto his hand, dragging him along before he could even say yes or no to it.

---

After a few hours...

As the two walked out of the cinema, the sky had turned from the afternoon to nighttime.

Leyan was leaning onto his shoulder, their fingers intertwined as they felt closer than ever after watching a romance movie.

"Man, the main character is such a dickhead for leaving her like that. If it weren't for her friend slapping him, he would have never chased her back..."

Leyan commented as the two of them walked the road, the lamp post barely illuminating the light ahead of them.

"Yeah... yeah..."

Xiaoyun looked preoccupied in his mind as he responded with the same answer, but Leyan didn't seem to notice it.

"Let's have dinner over there," Leyan suggested, pointing to a French restaurant across the street.

"Yeah, sure."

As the two walked inside and sat down at one of the tables, the waiter brought up the menu for them.

"What would you like today, Miss and Mister?"

"Just two medium rare steaks and these four dishes."

After the waitress walked off with their order, Leyan began talking about what had happened at the university.

"You wouldn't believe it. Someone in class accidentally uploaded their work folder instead of their homework..."

"That's absurd... Mmhm..."

Noticing the repetitively same answer, Leyan finally noticed his mind looked to be a little bit zoned out.

"What's the matter? Is there something in your mind?" Leyan asked curiously.

"Um, nothing."

Xiaoyun quickly snapped back to reality, shifting his attention back to Leyan and the table before him.

"Really?"

Suddenly, Leyan got up from her seat, walking closer and closer to Xiaoyun as if she were trying to sniff out his lies.

"You know, you are really a bad liar," Leyan whispered into Xiaoyun's ear.

"I was just thinking about some company stuff," Xiaoyun replied, letting out an awkward chuckle.

"It's okay if you don't want to say it. I am always here for you."

Leyan didn't pressure him any further, but her face looked a little upset until the dishes finally came up onto the table.

"I really mean it..." Xiaoyun muttered to himself.

---

As they walked out of the restaurant, the moon was clearer than a diamond as the clouds separated.

The two stopped at a nearby bench, sitting down together as their hands still interwined with each other.

However, unlike the moon and the cloud, there was something in between them, preventing them from being even closer.

"Hey, honey." Leyan suddenly asked as she looked up to the sky.

"What?"

"How many years have we been dating together?"

"Well, about two years and a half."

Xiaoyun tried to recall his memory, which only felt like one year despite knowing the other people's answer would be two.

"I actually have something to tell you... Promise me you won't get mad, okay?"

Leyan's tone suddenly changed as she turned her attention back to Xiaoyun.

"What is it?"

"I've spoken to your grandpa."

The answer made Xiaoyun freeze for a second, but he quickly recovered enough to ask his question.

"When? Why didn't you tell me——"

"I know you have a difficult choice to make. I just want to tell you that I will always love you no matter which one you pick."

Leyan suddenly got up from the bench, sitting right on top of his lap as she stared right into his eyes.

"I... Leyan, I-I don't know what I should do... I really don't know."

Seeing Xiaoyun looking a little lost, she quickly pulled him forward, gently patting him on the back.

"Don't worry, I'll wait for you..." Leyan whispered as her voice started to sob a little.

At the same time, he could feel his neck getting a little wet, as if a raindrop had fallen onto it, but the sky was clear with no clouds.

"I'm sorry."

Xiaoyun apologized as she pushed him onto the bench, allowing the two to see each other's faces.

He could see a single drop mark on her face, along with a face filled with happiness rather than being upset with him.

Before he could say anything else, she suddenly leaned forward and kissed him right on the lips.

Within seconds, Xiaoyun's eyes began to widen as his heart started to race faster and faster until they separated.

"Don't say sorry anymore, okay?" Leyan quietly asked, her face blushing red as she quickly got off his lap.

"I won't."

As the two sat in silence, Xiaoyun's mind was still thinking back to the kiss just a second ago.

"That was my first kiss. You better be happy with it." Leyan softly murmured as the cold wind blew past the two.

"I... Thank you."

Xiaoyun ran out of words to say as he struggled to process the emotion he was feeling inside his heart.

"Well, I hope we will see each other in the future... I'll be waiting for you."

Watching her slowly walk away from him, Xiaoyun felt the urge to run up and tell her to stop.

But the word of the old man forced him to remain in place, almost like a chain on his neck, keeping him in place.

"I will come back to marry you! I will never forget you!"

Leyan didn't look back, moving her arms up to her eyes as she started running until she disappeared from his sight.

---

Almost a year has passed since the incident.

Leyan and Xiaoyun haven't seen each other since, as they both went their separate ways in life.

Xiaoyun focused all of his attention on the old man's company, executing his risky plan to save it.

Within days, the company stock dropped drastically. Various business partners began to form a coalition of boycotts or even terminate their contracts.

But it didn't take long for a few of them to betray the boycott, resigning deals that favored Xiaoyun's company much more than before as the other companies' finances started tanking.

Unfortunately, the old man passed away a few weeks after the plan was executed, never seeing Xiaoyun's plan come to fruition.

All he could remember was the old man yelling at him on his deathbed, telling him to backtrack and scrap the plan immediately.

With the old man's company back on track to recover its full glory, Xiaoyun soon starts using work as an escape from reality.

He started to feel increasingly lonely in the world, having no real social contacts other than dealing with employees and business partners.

Every day, he wanted to call Leyan just to talk, but he couldn't muster the courage to do so.

He was afraid that his enemies might consider her a weak spot—the risk of what the old man said coming true was too big of a risk for him.

However, everything changed when, one day, he picked up a phone call from the receptionist downstairs.

---

"Boss, someone wants to see you."

"Who is it?"

"Well, he said the company belongs to his grandparents, and he owns at least 20% of the stock."

"Just let the security kick him out... Wait, what's his name?"

"He said his name was Songyi."

"Bring him up,"

Xiaoyun sighed, his mind thinking back to the last few words the old man had said to him before he left.

"The day had finally come. It's finally over." Xiaoyun muttered to himself.

"Boss, Songyi is here."

The receptionist said out loud as the door opened, revealing a man in a suit with buzz-cut hair.

"You are Songyi?" Xiaoyun asked as he carefully examined him.

"Yeah, I am Songyi. You are the person that put me in prison and that stupid old man's adopted kid, Songming?"

Songyi asked loudly, his face full of arrogance as he looked down at Xiaoyun from above.

"Yes, I am Songming. Also, I didn't put you in prison. You crashed into me while driving drunk.

You're lucky I didn't pursue any charges... And you probably shouldn't insult your grandparents like that."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get out of my face. Let me sit down in that seat."

As Songyi impatiently walked towards the executive seat, he was a little surprised to see Xiaoyun getting on his own.

"Good luck being the CEO."

Xiaoyun waved goodbye as he closed the door behind him, leaving Songyi still a little shocked.

After leaving the room, he quickly clapped his hands, making everyone in the office look toward him.

"Hello, everyone. I have an announcement to make. I'll be stepping down from the executive position, effective immediately. I will no longer have any ties to the company.

The new CEO is Songyi, the biological grandchild of the old man that some of you might remember.

Please treat him with respect and work just as hard for him as for me. He'll be leading the rest of the recovery plan."

Xiaoyun didn't provide any further explanation, heading towards the elevator as everyone's face was in shock.

---

When Xiaoyun drove back to the old man's house, he was a little surprised to see the old Butler standing outside with a suitcase.

"Good afternoon, mister. I had put everything inside this suitcase." The Butler quickly handed the suitcase to Xiaoyun.

"Can I walk inside the house one more time? Just as a visitor?"

Xiaoyun asked as he thought back to all the memories he had made living at the old man's house.

"Sorry, mister. Master Songyi had told me explicitly not to allow you in... I can ask Old Madam if she can let you in."

The Butler bowed down in apology, his face seemingly to be unhappy with the treatment Xiaoyun was facing.

"I understand... It was nice knowing you."

Xiaoyun quickly shoved his suitcase back into the trunk, taking one last look at the house before getting inside his car.

"Mister... This is probably going to be the last time we see each other, but I just wanted to tell you it has been an honor serving you."

The old Butler bowed down in gratitude before waving goodbye to Xiaoyun.

"I appreciate your work as well, Thank you."

Xiaoyun waved goodbye as the Butler watched him drive off into the distance.

---

"Where do I go?"

Xiaoyun wondered as he drove around the city in circles, having no goal in mind and looking lost as to what to do next.

Eventually, he arrived back at the coffee shop where he and Leyan used to hang out.

"Sir, what drink do you want?"

Xiaoyun thought for a second, then ordered what Leyan had always drank during late-night study sessions.

"Just a cup of black coffee."

"It will be ten Yuan, sir."

Xiaoyun quickly took out his credit card, swiping it before sitting down to a nearby seat.

After waiting for a few minutes, the waiter brought the coffee over to his table.

As he took a sip of it, the bitterness suddenly brought out a memory in his head.

He could still remember her laughing at him when he tried coffee for the first time. It couldn't even be finished until she added some sugar cubes for him.

Soon, the sun began to set on the horizon.

Xiaoyun sat idly by, waiting at the coffee shop as he imagined what he should say if she magically showed up before him. But after waiting for two hours, he finally snapped out of his thoughts.

Inside his car, he decided to drive back to the university they used to go to together. 

As he arrived at the school entrance, the security guard stopped him before he could walk any further.

"Sir, can you please show your identification?"

"I'm a graduate student here. My name is Chen Songming. I don't have my student ID with me."

The security paused for a second as he felt he had heard the name before.

"Wait, are you the person who donated the money to renovate the lunch building?" The security curiously asked.

"If you're talking about the charity that I gave to graduate early, then yes. You would be right."

"Sir, you can go right in."

The security immediately moved to the side and let him in. But Xiaoyun decided to ask a question before he went in.

"Wait, do you know if Li Leyan has ever entered the campus?"

"Sir, I can't tell you that. That's against the code of privacy."

The security flickered his finger, signaling as if he wanted to see some money.

"Here, one hundred. Is it enough?"

"Yes, yes, it's enough. Okay, let me check the system right now... Nope, she hasn't returned to the campus since she graduated."

"Thank you."

As Xiaoyun started walking inside the campus, he thought back to all the attempts he had made to call Leyan just a few days ago.

Yet, not a single one was picked up, and zero text messages were picked up either. It started to make him feel more and more worried as he walked right back to the front entrance.

"Can you also tell me where she lives? I am willing to pay," Xiaoyun desperately asked.

"As much I wanted to help you, I don't have access to that. You are going to need to ask the principal or the IT director.

Unless you have a good reason, they won't give it to you either... That kind of info is highly monitored as well."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later...

Xiaoyun was once again lost, with no goals in mind and no place to stay as he drove around the city.

As he drove to all the different places they had gone together, he noticed a giant advertisement sign on top of a realtor building.

"Want to marry someone? Want to build a family? You must buy a house before doing any of that in today's marriage scene!"

After driving past it a few times, Xiaoyun decided to drive towards the realtor store and park his car outside.

As Xiaoyun walked inside the realtor store, a saleswoman instantly walked up to him.

"Hello, sir. Do you want to buy or rent?" A saleswoman asked.

"I want to buy a house... I need it to be quiet."

"Then you have come to the right place. We are the only store in the city that has every type of house you are looking for."

The saleswomen quickly bring Xiaoyun to a sandbox that contains many different miniature condos.

"Is there an even quieter one? I don't want condos... Also, I need it to be close to the city."

Xiaoyun suddenly remembers the old man's traditional house and wants one of his own.

"Um, most houses in the cities are condos or apartments... But I can try to find if individual ones are being sold."

After waiting for the saleswoman to walk to her co-worker and talk for a bit, she finally came back with good news.

"Okay, we have several mansions that are ten-minute drive from the city... But they are quite expensive, sir."

"Price is no problem... I just want somewhere that is quiet." Xiaoyun replied.

"Very well then. Old Liu, can you come here and drive us to the Luoping community? We have a big order here."

---

After visiting the mansions one by one, Xiaoyun was still unsatisfied with them.

"Sir, the next one is the last one in the Luoping community. It is a lot smaller than the previous mansions.

However, the house designer left a lot of space for the backyard to replicate a more Western single-family home."

"That's fine. Let's just have a look at it."

As the driver started up the car, the saleswoman's face looked a little confused by her clipboard.

"Hmm, somehow it's the most expensive one. Wait, this can't be right. How could it be so expensive?"

The saleswoman checked her clipboard again, flipping past several pages before realizing why.

"Um, Mister, this house has a basement underneath it, and it has been on this list for ten years."

"I am fine with it as long as I like it," Xiaoyun responded

"No wonder nobody buys it. Who builds a house with a big backyard and a basement in this day and age?" the saleswoman muttered to herself.

After a minute, they finally arrived at their destination.

As soon as Xiaoyun saw the house, he felt a familiar feeling. It was the same feeling he felt when he first saw Leyan in school.

"Sir? Do you want to see inside?"

The saleswoman was confused seeing him standing by the car despite her standing by the front porch.

"No need, I am buying this one." Xiaoyun instantly gave his answer.

"Are you sure, sir? We haven't looked at the inside yet." The saleswoman asked.

"I had decided. I think this best fits me. I don't need to look any further."

"Okay, sir, let's get back to the store then."

The driver quickly drove the two of them back into the realtor's store, where they sat inside a room as he waited for her to get the paper.

When she came back, Xiaoyun noticed the makeup she had added to her face, and her clothes looked much more revealing than earlier.

"Sir, do you want it as a one-time payment or as a mortgage? We have the lowest interest rate in the country if you——"

"I would like to pay it all at once."

Xiaoyun quickly took out his debit card, scanning it before putting the card back into his wallet.

After signing his name, the saleswoman finally handed the key over to him.

"Mister... Do you want 'special service?' It's just my gratitude for your generosity."

As the saleswoman pressed her elbow to push her assets fully visible, Xiaoyun shook his head and quickly got up from his seat.

"I'm good."

Xiaoyun immediately left the room with his copy of the paper, leaving the saleswoman a little surprised.

---

As Xiaoyun drove straight to the house he had just purchased, he intuitively pressed the button to open the garage car door.

Even though he had never used the key before, he just felt he had been to this house before.

After parking his car inside, he suddenly sees a much older Leyan standing right by the garage door.

When he blinked again, it vanished.

"Do I really want to see her that badly? Am I imagining things at this point?" Xiaoyun wondered as he put his key into the door.

With a clicking sound, he finally opened the door and saw a fully decorated living room before him.

As soon as he sees the TV and the stairs, his eyes suddenly see an older-looking Leyan appearing in front of him.

"Leyan, is that you?" 

Xiaoyun asked as he tried to walk closer, only for the illusion to disappear along with his headache.

"What was that? I miss Leyan so much that I'm seeing illusions now... Why did I execute the plan if I regretted it so much?"

Quickly shaking his head, he quickly got all of his thoughts out of his mind as he sat down on the sofa.

"How pathetic am I? You did this to yourself. You got no one else to blame but yourself."

Xiaoyun laughed out loud as he got back up and continued touring the house. 

The moment he walked into each room, he could predict what furniture was inside despite having never been to this house.

"Why do I know all this? I had never been here." Xiaoyun muttered, his mind starting to feel more and more weirded out.

Finally, Xiaoyun arrived at the backyard.

"Where is the basement? The pool and hot tub are over there. Wait, can it be the remote next attached to the key?"

Xiaoyun took out his keys and clicked on the remote, only to see the area near the hot tub open up.

It was a concrete staircase, just as Xiaoyun's brain had predicted before it opened. Walking down the stairs, he now faced a metal door with a number lock.

Fortunately, the metal door had never set a password, so he entered the old man's birthday as the password and continued forward.

After pushing another door open that didn't have a lock, Xiaoyun finally arrived at the basement.

To his surprise, it was just an empty concrete basement, with nothing remotely of what he had imagined inside his head.

But for some reason, Xiaoyun's head keeps imagining a massive metal ball in the middle, with a table and chair next to it.

Shaking his head again to get it out of his mind, he quickly returned to his car to take his suitcase out, carrying it all the way to the master bedroom.

As he began unpacking the suitcase, he noticed an envelope and a piece of paper wrapped in plastic behind all the clothes.

Opening the envelope first, he found a letter inside it, with the old Butler's name on top.

"Hello, Mister Songming. This is your old Butler.

When you read this, I will be already retiring. I'll treasure the time when you and Mister Songyun were still in the house.

It was probably the most respect I had received working as a butler, at least compared to my previous experience when Mister Songyi was at the house.

Oh, I don't want to sow discontent between you two, but when he entered the house, he told me to throw away everything you owned into the trash. But I decided to put all your belongings into this suitcase.

Mister Songyi seems not to understand that it's just a job, not a slavery contract.

One last thing: before Mister Songyun died, he left me a letter to either give to Mister Songming or Songyi when he came back from prison

But judging from Mister Songyi's behavior on the first day, it seems he had not learned his lesson from prison, so I much prefer you to keep this letter.

Best of luck, your old Butler."