1. The boy who arrived with spring

The first peach blossoms of spring always arrived quietly.

One morning, the branches outside the Lin family home would still be bare. The next, soft pink petals would appear like tiny whispers against the blue sky.

For fifteen-year-old Lin Xiaoran, spring had always been her favorite season.

She loved the gentle breeze that carried the scent of flowers through the streets of Hangzhou. She loved sitting by her bedroom window with a sketchbook in hand, drawing the blooming trees outside.

Most of all, she loved how spring made everything feel possible.

On a warm Saturday morning, Xiaoran sat cross-legged on her bed, carefully shading the petals of a peach blossom she had drawn.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders as she focused on the page.

A sudden knock interrupted her concentration.

“Xiaoran!”

Her older brother’s voice echoed through the room.

The girl sighed.

“Come in.”

The door swung open immediately.

Lin Haoyu grinned.

“Mom wants you downstairs.”

Xiaoran frowned.

“Why?”

“Guests are coming.”

She groaned dramatically.

“Do I have to be there?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Haoyu shrugged.

“Because Mom said so.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“It’s the only reason that matters.”

Xiaoran threw a pillow at him.

Haoyu caught it effortlessly and laughed.

“Five minutes.”

With that, he disappeared.

Xiaoran rolled her eyes.

Her brother was twenty years old and a university student, yet he still acted like a child whenever he came home.

Reluctantly, she put away her sketchbook and headed downstairs.

The smell of freshly brewed tea greeted her.

The living room looked unusually tidy.

Her mother adjusted a vase of flowers while her father arranged snacks on the coffee table.

“You’re finally here,” her mother said.

Xiaoran sat beside her.

“Who is visiting?”

“One of your brother’s closest friends.”

“Oh.”

That didn’t sound particularly exciting.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Haoyu immediately stood.

“I’ll get it.”

The sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.

Then came unfamiliar footsteps.

Xiaoran glanced toward the entrance.

And froze.

A tall young man stepped inside.

For a moment, sunlight streamed through the doorway behind him.

His black hair moved slightly in the spring breeze.

He wore a simple white shirt beneath a dark jacket.

There was nothing flashy about him.

Yet somehow, he immediately drew attention.

He looked calm.

Confident.

Comfortable in his own skin.

The kind of person who didn’t need to try to stand out.

“Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin.”

His voice was warm and polite.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Xiaoran blinked.

Why was he so handsome?

The thought appeared before she could stop it.

Embarrassed, she quickly looked away.

“Yuze!”

Her mother smiled.

“It’s been so long.”

The young man returned the smile.

“Yes, Auntie.”

Haoyu walked over and slapped his shoulder.

“You finally made it.”

“Traffic was terrible.”

“You always blame traffic.”

“Because it’s always traffic.”

The two laughed.

Watching them, Xiaoran realized they must be very close.

“Xiaoran.”

Her mother’s voice startled her.

She looked up.

“Come say hello.”

Suddenly, everyone’s attention shifted toward her.

Her face immediately warmed.

The young man looked at her.

Not in a strange way.

Just curious.

Friendly.

“Hello.”

His smile was gentle.

“You must be Xiaoran.”

She nodded quickly.

“Y-Yes.”

Great.

Now she sounded nervous.

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Chen Yuze.”

His voice was calm enough to ease some of her embarrassment.

“Nice to meet you too.”

For some reason, her heart skipped once.

Just once.

But it was enough to make her confused.

The adults continued talking while everyone settled into the living room.

Xiaoran quietly listened.

She learned that Chen Yuze was twenty years old.

He was studying architecture at a prestigious university in Beijing.

Apparently, he and Haoyu had become friends years ago during a school competition.

Since then, they had remained close.

“Architecture sounds difficult,” Xiaoran suddenly said.

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Everyone looked at her.

She instantly regretted speaking.

But Yuze simply nodded.

“It can be.”

“Then why did you choose it?”

He thought for a moment.

“Because I like creating things.”

His answer surprised her.

“You mean drawing buildings?”

“Not just drawing.”

A faint smile appeared.

“I like creating places where people can make memories.”

For some reason, she liked that answer.

A lot.

She imagined beautiful buildings filled with sunlight and laughter.

Buildings that told stories.

Maybe architecture wasn’t boring after all.

As the afternoon continued, conversation flowed easily around her.

Mostly between Yuze and her family.

Yet she noticed small things.

The way he thanked her mother every time she served food.

The way he listened when others spoke.

The way he smiled with his eyes.

Little things.

Unimportant things.

At least, they should have been unimportant.

But somehow, she noticed every single one.

Later that afternoon, Haoyu convinced Yuze to help carry boxes from the garage.

The two disappeared outside.

Curious, Xiaoran wandered into the garden.

Spring flowers bloomed along the stone pathway.

The air smelled sweet and fresh.

As she reached the peach tree near the fence, a sudden gust of wind scattered petals everywhere.

Pink blossoms danced through the sunlight.

Beautiful.

Without thinking, she reached for her sketchbook.

Only to realize she had left it upstairs.

A familiar voice spoke behind her.

“Do you like drawing?”

She turned.

Chen Yuze stood nearby.

A cardboard box rested in his arms.

“Oh.”

Her heart jumped unexpectedly.

“A little.”

His gaze shifted toward the peach blossoms.

“I saw your sketchbook earlier.”

She immediately became embarrassed.

“You looked at it?”

“Only by accident.”

His expression remained calm.

“The drawings were good.”

Xiaoran stared.

Nobody outside her family had ever complimented her art before.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The sincerity in his voice made her smile.

A genuine smile.

One that appeared before she could hide it.

For a brief second, Yuze seemed surprised.

Then he smiled too.

At that moment, another gust of wind swept through the garden.

Petals drifted around them like pink snow.

Neither spoke.

The scene felt strangely peaceful.

Like something from one of the romance novels hidden beneath Xiaoran’s bed.

Not that she would ever admit that.

A few minutes later, Haoyu’s voice interrupted them.

“Yuze!”

“I’m coming.”

Yuze adjusted the box.

Before leaving, he glanced back.

“Keep drawing, Xiaoran.”

She blinked.

“What?”

His smile returned.

“You’re talented.”

Then he walked away.

Just like that.

Simple words.

Nothing special.

Yet Xiaoran remained standing beneath the peach tree long after he disappeared.

Her fingers lightly touched the petals resting in her palm.

For some reason, her chest felt warm.

Strange.

Very strange.

She didn’t understand it yet.

She didn’t know that years later she would still remember this afternoon.

The sunlight.

The drifting blossoms.

The boy who encouraged her art.

The boy who arrived with spring.

And the beginning of a story that would quietly change her life forever.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***