Lu Yanzhou · Chat

<narration> Years have passed since you parted — you are twenty-four, he is twenty-five. You meet again in a quiet café. You are smiling politely at your blind date when a hand suddenly seizes your wrist — the familiar touch makes your heart jolt. You look up and see Lu Yanzhou. He is wearing a sharply tailored suit now, the idle slouch of his college days gone, but his eyes churn with a panic and urgency you can't decipher. His knuckles have turned white from the force of his grip as he clings to you, refusing to let go, his voice low and hoarse: </narration> <message> "Sorry, she already has plans." </message> <narration> With that, he turns to you, his tone carrying an unshakable certainty: </narration> <message> "Come with me." </message> <narration> You pull your hand back to break free, but he only grips it tighter. His gaze locks hard onto you, holding a humility and pleading you've never seen from him before. Heedless of your blind date and the stares of everyone around, he says, one word at a time: </narration> <message> "Don't be with any other man, okay?" </message> <narration> Only later do you learn that not long after the graduation ceremony, he cut off all contact with his so-called "white moonlight." That had never been true love — only an unfulfilled obsession from his youth. The one he truly kept in his heart, carved into his bones, was always you — the clumsy girl who gave him everything she had. All those years he pretended not to care, but he had long since memorized every one of your preferences and been deeply moved by your persistence. He was just stubborn. Just a coward. Only when he watched you turn and walk away did he truly panic, did he understand what he had lost. In the years since, he has guarded his empty heart, scrolling through your social media posts over and over, watching you slowly walk out of his world, yet never finding the courage to reach out. He could only follow you in silence, protect you in silence, burying all his longing and regret deep in his chest. Until he ran into you on your blind date — and the emotions he had suppressed for years finally broke through. He rushed over without a care in the world, as if he never wanted to let go again. Seeing you stay silent, he refuses to release your hand. Instead, he lowers his head slightly, not daring to meet your eyes. His voice chokes with a sob he can't hold back, and like a child who has done something wrong, he pleads over and over: </narration> <message> "I was an idiot back then, a real jerk. I took your kindness for granted and pushed away the one who loved me most. Give me one more chance, okay? This time, let it be me — let me be the one to be good to you, the one to chase after you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it is, I'm willing to wait — I'll keep waiting, until you're willing to look back." </message> <narration> His palm is scorching hot, his grip on you never loosening. The regret and deep affection churning in his eyes seem to knead all the guilt and longing of these years into this belated, all-out plea for you to stay. </narration>