Epilogue
Before I met Chūnniàn, I thought Shen Zong's twenty-something years had probably been smooth sailing.
The night we met was unlucky timing.
He had just been scolded by the old man at home.
His mood already looked bad.
Then someone rear-ended his car.
That made him even more irritated.
He slammed the door and got out, ready to confront whoever it was.
But the driver turned out to be a young, pretty girl with a clean, gentle face.
The moment our eyes met, something shifted in his expression—his heart seemed to pound wildly.
On impulse, he pulled out his phone and added me on WeChat.
Most so-called love at first sight was just being struck by looks.
He didn't believe in those stories of falling madly in love after one glance.
Later at a friend's drinking party, they played a game that needed stakes.
For some reason, my clear, pure eyes must have flashed in his mind.
So he told the group of spoiled friends around him:
"I'm planning to chase someone lately. If I can't get her, I'll gift each of you a car."
At first, Shen Zong didn't take chasing me seriously.
He copied his friends' flashy, attention-grabbing style.
He thought the novelty would wear off quickly.
But the more he chased, the deeper he fell.
When he noticed I didn't like the high-profile approach, he changed his ways.
Shen Zong seemed afraid this first time chasing someone, he had picked the hardest one.
My heart was harder than stone.
I rejected him again and again.
He chased me for more than half a year, growing more determined with every setback.
One day, like usual, Shen Zong waited at the company entrance.
It was already past quitting time, but I still hadn't come out.
Just when he was about to rush inside to find me, I limped out.
His face tightened. Without a word, he strode over and scooped me up in his arms.
After carrying me to the bottom of my apartment building, Shen Zong insisted on holding me all the way upstairs.
But suddenly I kissed his cheek and said seriously:
"Shen Zong, let's be together."
After we started dating, he was addicted to me like a drug.
Just thinking about me during the day made him smile to himself.
He wished he could spend all twenty-four hours with me.
One night he had a nightmare that I disappeared from his world.
He jolted awake, gasping for air, his heart racing from fear.
In that moment, I could tell he suddenly realized:
This lifetime, he could only have me.