Glaze of Time

After lunch was delivered, Bai Hanan ate while browsing through emails, organizing his thoughts from the morning's work. Just as he set down his chopsticks, his phone vibrated slightly—Gao Yue's message popped up.

[Gao Yue]: Bai Lawyer, dinner tonight? Celebrating your official appointment.

He glanced at the short message, his fingers pausing for a moment before finally replying with a single word: "Okay."

Exiting the chat screen, the top-pinned chat record remained quietly in place, Ji Yuntong's profile picture standing still on the screen.

Bai Hanan clicked into the conversation. Last night's message was still there—brief words, like a faint mark cutting through years of silence.

Scrolling further up, the last conversation was five years ago.

At that time, he was only 22, just graduated from university.

He remembered that year, when he returned home, he found an excuse to visit Ji Yuntong's house. Ji Jintang had already gone abroad for further studies, so he used the excuse of "Jintang asked me to help find her old portfolio" to step into Ji Yuntong's home.

She was sitting in the living room at the time. When she saw him, she suddenly seemed to recall something and smiled. "Oh, right! You graduated, didn't you?"

Bai Hanan smiled faintly. "Yeah."

"I've been so busy that I forgot to prepare a gift for you. What do you want? I'll give you something."

He gazed at her, his eyes deep. "I want a gift made by your own hands. Is that okay?"

"Sure! What do you prefer? A charm? A ring? Earrings? A bracelet? Or something to put on your desk?" She spoke lightly, her eyes sparkling.

"Anything is fine. Whatever you think suits me, give me that." His voice carried a gentle smile.

"Alright, then it's settled! I'll let you know once I'm done. All five of you who graduated together will get one. Congratulations on stepping into a new chapter of life!" She got up and walked upstairs. As she passed by Jintang's room, she muttered, "Why didn't this girl let the family help? Making others run errands instead."

Hearing this, Bai Hanan suddenly realized—he might have been overthinking. She treated every younger sibling and acquaintance the same way; he wasn't special. The thought flashed through his mind, bringing an inexplicable tightness to his chest.

He walked upstairs to Ji Jintang's room. It was filled with photography works. Passionate about photography since childhood, she had uploaded her works to an international platform in her sophomore year, catching the attention of a U.S. fashion magazine and successfully transferring to the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Bai Hanan sat on Ji Jintang's bed in silence for ten minutes before standing up to leave. He sent a message to Ji Jintang, reminding her not to spill anything. The room was tidy, still kept as it was, a sign of Ji's mother's careful upkeep.

As he stepped out of the room, he stopped at Ji Yuntong's door, hesitated for a moment, then knocked. There was no response. After a pause, he gently pushed the door open slightly.

Ji Yuntong was lying on the bed, sound asleep. Sunlight filtered through the drawn curtains, casting a warm hue in the dimly lit room. A faint jasmine scent lingered in the air, filling the space with a serene tranquility.

It was Bai Hanan's first time in her room. Standing by her bedside, he gazed at her peaceful sleeping face, his heartbeat losing its rhythm.

Eventually, unable to suppress the urge within, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips—it lasted neither too long nor too short, around ten seconds, yet it stirred a storm in his heart.

Straightening up, he took a deep breath, cast one last deep look at her, then turned to leave.

However, just as he stepped out, he was met with an unexpected sight—a figure standing at the doorway. Ji family's youngest sister, Ji Zhilin, still in her third year of university, stood there with arms crossed, a meaningful smirk playing on her lips.

"When did you—" Bai Hanan's voice faltered for the first time.

"You guess?" Ji Zhilin raised an eyebrow, casually leaning against the doorframe.

After a moment of silence, Bai Hanan said in a low voice, "Whatever you want, buy it."

"Hush money, huh?" She blinked mischievously.

"Are we leaving or not?" Bai Hanan's voice was resigned, unusually unsettled.

"Of course! I have to properly milk my dear brother for a treat." Ji Zhilin walked out with a cheerful stride.

Three days later, Bai Hanan received a message from Ji Yuntong.

[Ji Yuntong]: I finished making the gift. When are you coming to get it?

Bai Hanan hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'll come over now." Then, he got up and left.

Pressing the doorbell, Ji's mother opened the door with a smile. "Yuntong is busy in her room. You can go up yourself."

After thanking her politely, Bai Hanan headed upstairs.

He knocked on Ji Yuntong's door. Upon hearing her response, he pushed it open and saw her in a casual dress, sitting at her desk handling orders. Several wrapped accessories were placed on the table, likely gifts for the graduates.

When she saw him, she finished her task, walked to the bed, and patted the space beside her. "Sit here."

Bai Hanan was surprised that she let him sit on her bed—there was space on the floor by the small table.

He walked over and sat beside her. Ji Yuntong picked up a wrapped gift from the bedside. "I made this. See if you like it."

Bai Hanan had assumed the gift was on the table, but finding it on her bed made his heart stir slightly.

Opening the package, he found a bracelet. The handwoven cotton bracelet exuded a steady elegance, adorned with deep blue ceramic beads, aquamarine, and blue phosphosiderite—stones symbolizing communication and expression. At the center was a small pixiu charm for fortune, and one of the ceramic beads was engraved with "Hanan", showing the maker's careful thought.

"Do you like it?" Ji Yuntong asked nervously.

"I do," Bai Hanan replied, his gaze deep. "Put it on for me."

Ji Yuntong, flustered by his expectant eyes, followed his words without thinking. She took the bracelet, held his left hand, gently widened the rope, and slipped it onto his wrist, then slowly tightened it.

It was their first direct physical contact. The warmth between their skin seemed to spark like electricity, making time slow down for a moment.

"…Ahem." Ji Yuntong cleared her throat and quickly looked away. "I made it with cotton cord. It'll be easier for you to put on yourself."

"Thank you. I really like it." Bai Hanan responded warmly.

End of Flashback

Bai Hanan clicked on Ji Yuntong's profile and entered the chat. He typed: "Have you eaten?"

After sending the message, he stared at the screen, waiting for a reply. However, even after ten minutes, there was no response.

"She must be too busy to notice the time," he thought and called her studio.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Cao Mo answered politely.

"This is Bai Hanan. Has Yuntong had lunch yet?" His voice was soft.

Cao Mo paused, recalling the handsome man from yesterday. "Not yet! A client ordered ten customized plating designs and is being quite picky. Vida is still discussing with them."

Bai Hanan was silent for a moment. "Did you order lunch yet?"

"Nope! We usually order around one or two. It's still early."

"I'll order for you. Don't place an order today."

Cao Mo was stunned, unsure how to respond.

"Got it?" Bai Hanan's deep voice carried authority, making it hard to refuse.

"…Got it!" Cao Mo stammered.

"Good." Bai Hanan ended the call.

Cao Mo muttered to herself, "So domineering. He didn't even let me refuse. But… his vibe does match Vida quite well."