Memories instantly swept through Su Yue's mind.
It was during her first year of high school.
One day, someone suddenly added her as a friend.
Su Yue was accustomed to such things and paid it no mind.
A couple of days later, a close friend at school told her that the person who added her was her elder brother.
He had seen Su Yue once when picking up her friend and wanted to add her to get acquainted.
Her friend praised him profusely, and Su Yue, unable to resist her pestering, accepted the friend request.
Afterward, the brother began messaging her frequently.
Good morning, good afternoon, good night, have you eaten, have you slept, did you have a good day…
Su Yue disliked this type of guy the most.
It felt suffocating.
So, she barely replied to him.
Until a certain day during the winter break.
Su Minghua found out that after attending a summer camp, she had secretly gone to a bar with friends and was taken to the police station.
He lectured her severely and confined her to her room for the entire winter break.
Su Yue dared not disobey him.
She could only stay cooped up in her room.
It was on that day that the brother who had been messaging her suddenly went silent.
Su Yue felt curious, and being bored, she took the initiative to send him a message, asking what fun things he had planned for the winter break.
Three days later, she received a reply.
He told her he was on an assignment in another city.
Su Yue was puzzled. Her friend had said this brother was still in university; what kind of assignment could he be on?
After she asked, there was a moment of silence.
Then he told her he wanted to be a firefighter and was interning at a fire station during his winter break.
Su Yue was instantly intrigued and asked him to tell her about his experiences during missions.
It was then that she discovered this brother, whom she had never met, possessed a kind of magic.
The more she chatted with him, the more she wanted to understand him.
He was learned and humble, patient and interesting. Not only could he chat with her, but he could also tutor her in math and physics.
Su Yue felt that being confined wasn't so terrible anymore.
This brother had introduced her to a more fascinating spiritual world.
Gradually, she developed an inexplicable fondness for him.
On the Lantern Festival, the day before school reopened for the winter term, Su Minghua, after her persistent pleas and vows, generously allowed her to go out for one night, setting a rule that she had to be home by nine o'clock.
Su Yue immediately wanted to ask this brother to meet her.
Unexpectedly, after a brief pause, he told her he was on duty and had no time.
Feeling a little dejected, she asked him where he was on duty.
Another period of silence followed.
Just as she was feeling anxious, a message finally came.
Su Yue still remembered those words to this day.
"I like you a lot, but you are still young and should prioritize your studies. I'm afraid meeting might disrupt your learning. For now, let's remain online friends. Once you finish your last exam for the college entrance examination, I will pick you up at the examination hall."
She was very surprised at the time.
She had always had many boys pursuing her.
But they all wanted to conquer her as quickly as possible.
None of them would maintain an appropriate distance out of concern that they might interfere with her studies.
It was from that moment that he occupied a more special place in her heart.
She began to open up to him more and more, eagerly anticipating the brief chat time after evening self-study until bedtime.
She would tell him about her day, her progress, the activities she participated in, and her thoughts about the future.
Or she would ask him about his day and his experiences.
At the same time, she eagerly awaited the day her college entrance examination ended.
Amidst such anticipation and longing, the college entrance examination finally approached. She prepared diligently, wanting to happily tell him she had done well when they first met.
What would he look like?
Her friends had said he was exceptionally handsome.
What would his reaction be when he first saw her?
It would surely be a gentle expression, similar to their chats, with a smile, praising her for doing a great job.
Whenever she felt overwhelmed by pressure, just thinking about this would bring a smile to her lips.
It supported her through the most difficult period before the college entrance examination.
But on the day before the college entrance examination, he went missing.
Su Yue felt uneasy, but with exams being paramount, she focused on her tests.
Until the end of her last college entrance examination subject, he remained unreachable.
Su Yue waited at the entrance for a long time, filled with anticipation and nervousness.
No one came to pick her up.
When she asked her good friend, the friend said she didn't know either, but guessed he might have gone on a mission.
Yes, he must have gone on a mission, she thought.
However, after waiting for another half a month, there was still no word from him.
She specifically searched for news about firefighters on duty.
No mission required such a long absence.
There were no reports of major fires or large-scale safety incidents at that time.
Su Yue pondered for a long time, coming up with countless excuses for him.
Yet, one afternoon, she found herself staring blankly at his gray avatar.
And suddenly realized.
She had probably been.
Tricked.
Someone had impersonated him, hiding behind the screen, capturing her heart in this manner, and then choosing to disappear before her college entrance examination to disrupt her studies.
When she questioned her good friend, the friend remained hesitant and couldn't say anything.
She was furious and despairing that day.
She felt like a complete joke.
In a fit of anger, she sent a barrage of harsh words to that "brother." Feeling it wasn't enough, she found a male friend, took a few intimate photos with him, and sent those as well.
After doing all this.
She blocked him.