Wen Xin sneaked back into her room without anyone noticing.
It was still early, more than enough time to catch a nap. Last night with Shi Qianyu had gone on too late, leaving her utterly exhausted.
Yet for some reason, she couldn’t fall asleep. The bedding beneath her felt ice-cold, carrying an unfamiliar scent that lacked the reassuring aroma of Shi Qianyu’s body. Wen Xin clutched the blanket and tossed and turned a few times, but sleep still wouldn’t come.
She gave up trying. Instead, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through the photos she’d taken over the past few days: blue skies, white clouds, the vast ocean, twinkling stars… Each one was stunningly beautiful.
But Shi Qianyu was even more beautiful. Wen Xin’s gaze lingered on their couple photos for a long time. In them, Shi Qianyu looked radiant and confident, like a source of light—and that light had begun to illuminate Wen Xin herself, gradually drawing her out of her shell.
In the past, Wen Xin had rarely taken selfies, so there were scarcely any photos of herself in her gallery. Out of curiosity, she dug some up for comparison and was struck by how obvious the changes were.
It wasn’t just superficial alterations. Over the years, time hadn’t left many marks on her face. The few differences were minor: better fashion sense, longer hair, eyes that seemed a bit more mature.
The real shift was in her demeanor.
Wen Xin realized that her former self rarely smiled from the heart. She had been deeply introverted and insecure, shying away from the camera because she dreaded exposing her true self to others.
One photo in her gallery was from her birthday two years ago. Even now, Wen Xin remembered that day vividly. For once, she hadn’t worked overtime. The company had finally paid her overdue bonus. Even her online gaming had gone exceptionally well—she’d hit the jackpot opening a loot box and scored some top-tier gear.
In high spirits, she passed her favorite dessert shop on the way home from work. After some hesitation, she bought herself a cake. Worried the subway crowd would smash it, she splurged on a taxi.
She had been so happy then, happier than she had been in ages. She set the cake on the table, stuck in candles, and made a solemn wish.
Wanting to capture the moment, she snapped a photo of herself with the cake before blowing out the candles. After agonizing over it, she posted it to her Moments feed—even though her WeChat contacts were mostly work colleagues with whom she rarely interacted beyond the job. No one really cared about her life.
But she posted anyway. It was a happy day, and she wanted to share her joy, hoping—even selfishly—for a blessing or two, even if just one.
The post got pitifully few likes. After waiting a bit, feeling awkward, she considered deleting it.
Just then, a comment popped up. Thrilled, she tapped it open. It was from her department manager, a stubborn, rigid middle-aged man with a poor reputation among colleagues. Wen Xin was usually terrified of him.
Still, it was her birthday. Though she doubted he’d offer sincere well-wishes, she clung to a sliver of hope and read his message:
【You just got your bonus and you’re already blowing it on such an expensive cake? Young lady, you sure love spending money. As someone who’s been around, here’s my advice: spend wisely and save up!】
What a mood-killer.
Feeling inexplicably lectured, Wen Xin tried defending herself: 【Manager Zhang, it’s my birthday today.】
He replied quickly, still laced with barbs: 【You young folks are all about indulgence. So what if it’s your birthday? Birthday means ‘mother’s hardship day.’ Instead of treating yourself, why not honor your parents? No offense—just a friendly reminder.】
“Mother.”
Wen Xin’s eyes fixed on those two words and wouldn’t budge. It had taken her years to claw her way out of the shadow of her parents’ deaths. She hadn’t forgotten; she’d just forced herself to look forward. But she knew it was futile—other people’s casual words could drag her right back into the abyss.
The cake on the table still looked pretty and smelled sweet, but she’d lost all appetite for it. She began second-guessing herself, regretting the purchase. Maybe she shouldn’t have bought the cake at all, or celebrated her birthday. Not everyone deserved happiness, and her life’s experiences had taught her that much.
In the end, she deleted the post. She hadn’t shared anything on Moments much since.
She started suppressing herself even more. Later photos showed it clearly—the shots were no longer about documenting life but fulfilling obligations: ID photos, company check-ins, employee headshots for promotional brochures.
This mindset dragged on for a long time, until she joined Qi Qing—or more precisely, until she met Shi Qianyu.
Her photo album had filled up like never before: delicious meals, clouds spotted on walks together, flowers Shi Qianyu had photographed for her, group shots from this team-building trip with Gao Qiu and the others.
Visibly, her life was improving bit by bit.
~~~
Today was the last day of the team-building trip. Everyone checked out of their rooms and boarded the bus for the journey home.
The bus made several stops at popular scenic spots along the way, and Wen Xin stuck with Gao Qiu and Tao Qing, taking in the breathtaking views.
The final stop was a temple where visitors could light incense, pray to Buddha, and draw fortune sticks. Recalling her morning wish, Wen Xin mustered her courage and drew one.
It was the best of the best—an upper-upper sign. A nearby master interpreted it for her, explaining that her past sufferings were behind her and her future would gradually improve in ways she might not even notice.
It matched her morning wish perfectly. Overjoyed, she couldn’t contain her excitement and secretly messaged Shi Qianyu about it.
Still harboring doubts about her luck, she added: 【What if the whole jar is full of upper-upper signs?】
Shi Qianyu quickly replied with a head-pat emoji: 【No way. My luck’s not that great—I only got a middle sign.】
Wen Xin typed back, smiling: 【No worries. I’ll share half my luck with A-Yu.】
Shi Qianyu: 【Sister’s the best. Thanks, Sister~】
She called her “Sister” so boldly, not caring if anyone was nearby.
Wen Xin felt a flush of embarrassment, but deep down, it was sweet. Even her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Gao Qiu noticed and teased right away: “Look at Wenwen—you must’ve drawn a good one. What was it?”
Wen Xin smiled: “Upper-upper sign.”
“Wow!” Gao Qiu’s eyes widened in surprise, then delight—even more excited than Wen Xin. “They say this temple is super spiritual!”
“Let me guess what good fortune’s coming your way. Promotion? Raise? Hmm~~” She playfully nudged against Wen Xin. “Come on, let me borrow some of that good luck!”
It was too much.
Wen Xin laughed. “Really?”
“Absolutely! If I say so, it will!” Gao Qiu huffed lightly. “If you get that promotion and raise, you better treat me to dinner!”
“Deal,” Wen Xin agreed. “Even if not, I’ll still treat you.”
Gao Qiu patted her shoulder and gave a thumbs-up. “That’s my good sister!”
Good sister—she’d used that term.
The team-building trip had brought them closer. The company’s little games had also helped Wen Xin bond with her other colleagues—something she’d never experienced at previous jobs.
It stirred fresh optimism in her, especially with this auspicious sign. New company, enthusiastic coworkers, great work vibe. If she posted about it now, would it be different from before?
To post or not? Such a mundane decision, yet it took her ages to steel herself.
But in the end, she decided to share her happiness on Moments.
Shi Qianyu liked it first, then Gao Qiu, followed by recent additions like Tao Qing, Zhou Lele, and Fei Yuan… It was her first post with so many likes and comments—no negativity, just sincere, warm praise.
Tao Qing: 【Awesome, awesome.】
Zhou Lele: 【Quick, Wenwen, let me rub some off you. I’m so jealous!】
Fei Yuan: 【? Unfair! Why’d I get the worst one? Wen Xin, share your fortune-stick secrets!】
Wen Xin scrolled through them one by one, feeling both happy and deeply touched.
Soon, she spotted Shi Qianyu’s comment: just a cute little emoji, nothing more.
A little sun—so lively and utterly adorable, just like a little sun.
The sight made Wen Xin think back involuntarily to the morning’s events. Shi Qianyu had reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. The two of them had stood by the window, admiring the twilight together and waiting for the sunrise. The view of the sun rising over the sea was truly breathtaking, with every cloud radiating brilliant golden light and the shimmering waves stretching endlessly to the horizon, as if merging with the heavens themselves.
Shi Qianyu’s blessing had filled her with joy for the entire day.
She was right; today had indeed been a day of unparalleled happiness and bliss.
Wen Xin curved her lips into a smile and lowered her gaze to start replying to the comments. But she harbored a little secret thought, choosing to respond first to Shi Qianyu’s message.
Just like hers, she sent a small emoji in return.
—A happy, joyful smiling face.
