Twenty-eight is a hurdle for a woman.

When Mrs. Feng said this, Yu Hao was calmly standing in front of the bathroom mirror, putting on her makeup. Mrs. Feng passed by the bathroom, a pile of freshly folded clothes in her arms, muttering incessantly. It was unclear whether she was talking to Yu Hao or reflecting to herself.

"The year I turned twenty-eight, I got my first crow's feet...I didn't pay it any mind, and gradually, my face started to sag too. At work, I couldn't help but roll my eyes whenever someone called me Sister Feng. When I drank coffee, I always thought about tossing in a few goji berries. I didn't understand it back then, but later I watched a TV show and realized it was a woman's first sign of aging."

There was no response from the bathroom. It was quiet, save for the sporadic clanking of bottles and jars being set down.

Feng Yanzhi opened Yu Hao's wardrobe to put her clothes away. As soon as her hand went in, it touched something hard. She pulled it out and took a look; it was the beauty device the girl had failed to find a few days ago despite turning the whole house upside down. She'd insisted she put it back in the drawer after using it. Feng Yanzhi shook her head helplessly and took it out, placing it in a conspicuous spot.

"No matter how well you take care of your face, what's the use if you don't get married? When your body's functions start to decline, let's see what you'll use to have children." Mrs. Feng started her daily nagging again.

It wasn't that her face was exquisitely delicate, but it was certainly pretty. Her features weren't that beautiful when looked at individually, but they came together with a unique charm. Coupled with her clean aura, her slender eyebrows and bright eyes were like a pool of clear water, giving her a very scholarly air.

Feng Yanzhi had long been complaining about her not having a boyfriend for the past few years, racking her brains to introduce her to potential partners. Yu Hao had always had high standards. The boys who had pursued her were too many to count on one's fingers; what kind of man hadn't she seen? If she really wanted to find someone, would she have any trouble? But she had just never met anyone who made her heart flutter. Feng Yanzhi scolded her, saying her heart was made of stone and couldn't be warmed.

But she herself didn't think so. Her heart had fluttered before.

Yu Hao turned a deaf ear and calmly drew her eyebrows in front of the mirror, while outside, Mrs. Feng started sweeping the floor.

But the words didn't stop: "Men in their twenties like girls in their twenties. Men in their thirties also want to find someone in their twenties. Those in their forties might not say it outright, but don't their eyes go wide when they see a twenty-year-old girl? Take Professor Han from your institute for example. He's already fifty, but doesn't he look at them lecherously all the same?"

At this, Yu Hao could no longer listen. She leaned halfway out of the bathroom. "Please don't insult Professor Han. He's kind to everyone, he treats everyone the same. Besides, I'm indebted to Professor Han. Be careful Old Yu doesn't hear you, he'll get angry with you!"

Feng Yanzhi knew her words had been inappropriate and changed the subject. "Anyway, that's just how it is. Think about it yourself. Back when you were in college, your stock was so high, a few boys even chased you all the way home. What about now? Nobody's interested, right, you old maid?"

Yu Hao retorted, "If I'm an old maid, then what are you? A rotten vegetable root?"

Feng Yanzhi didn't bicker with her and just laughed it off. She had known since her daughter was little that she was as stubborn as an eight-hundred-year-old maple tree stump. Once she made up her mind, she was unchangeable. If she was dead set on not getting married, there was nothing anyone could do. The fact that she was lashing out now just meant she was getting anxious, that the words had hit a sore spot.

Feng Yanzhi gathered the trash, ready to go out for groceries. "Give me the car keys. I'll have your dad drive you to work later. I have to go to the old lady's place today."

"In my bag," Yu Hao applied lipstick in front of the mirror, her mouth open without a care for her image. "The old lady has been summoning you quite frequently recently, huh?"

The moment the words left her mouth, a flash went through her mind as if she had just woken from a dream. In the mirror, her eyes widened, and her dark pupils darted—

Crap!

Ignoring the half-applied lipstick, she shot out of the bathroom like a bolt of lightning.

Too late. Mrs. Feng was holding a red invitation card, slowly tapping it against her palm, her tone filled with more discovery than the discovery of the New World:

"Aiyo, Song Xiaotao is getting married? The graduate student supervised by Professor Han? The one who likes to talk about you behind your back? She's only twenty-five this year, right? Still in school?"

Yu Hao had hidden it precisely because she was tired of being asked. It was only February, and this was already the third invitation. Seemed like everyone was rushing to get married this year. She leaned against the wall in resignation, sighed faintly, and capped her lipstick, speaking with convincing detail:

"Yes, yes, yes, that's the one, Song Xiaotao. Her fiancé is a returnee who works in architecture, his family owns two apartments. For the wedding, they sold one and bought a marital home near our institute, and also took out a loan for a car. He said it's so she can drive to work every day, but it's only a five-minute walk from their house to the institute. With traffic, it could take thirty minutes. Plus, there's no parking at the institute, so she'd have to wake up early every day to fight for a spot. Don't you think her husband is a bit clueless?"

"I think you're the clueless one. Stop being a smart-ass with me." Feng Yanzhi rolled her eyes to the heavens.

Yu Hao returned to the mirror. She didn't know what was wrong with that Song Xiaotao girl, always competing with her over everything. It even went so far that if Yu Hao bought a new piece of clothing, she would buy the same one a few days later, coyly claiming a relative had brought it back from abroad for her long ago, implying between the lines that Yu Hao was copying her.

"This little girl is something else," Feng Yanzhi had been around the block enough to know all about the petty rivalries between young women. She said with deliberate glee, "Isn't she just trying to one-up you? Well, she's finally had her moment of glory. A fiancé with good prospects is like a successful revolution. Looks like you, the old wave, are about to be washed away on the beach by her—"

Unwilling to listen anymore, Yu Hao slammed the bathroom door shut with a bang.

The sound startled Old Yu, making his heart tremble. He rushed out of the kitchen with a spatula in hand and stared blankly at Mrs. Feng, who was standing by the door. "What's wrong, what's wrong!"

Feng Yanzhi was changing her shoes, head lowered, and looked at Yu Guoyang in a rather good mood. "Don't you just stand there. Hasn't Little Shen returned to the country? I told you to invite him over for a meal. Did you talk to him or not?"

Old Yu let out a sound, touched his nose, and said with feigned composure, "I did."

"You're afraid people won't know you're lying if you don't touch your nose, is that it?" Feng Yanzhi postured as if to hit him. "I can tell you didn't say anything. I see you don't take me seriously anymore. Let's just get a divorce."

Yu Guoyang grew anxious. "What are you talking about! We're this old and you're still talking about divorce! Little Shen just got back, he's swamped with things at the institute, one seminar after another. He hasn't even gotten over his jet lag yet. How could I have the nerve to go and push our daughter on him? Besides, Little Shen and Yu Hao have known each other for so many years. It's not like you don't know what happened between them!"

"So what if I know! They're both grown up now. Besides, Little Shen is such a good catch. If you don't hurry up, there will be plenty of others lining up to play matchmaker!"

"Alright, alright, I know. When Little Shen is free, I'll ask him over for dinner." Yu Guoyang knew Feng Yanzhi's temper. Arguing was pointless, so his tone softened. After a moment's thought, he dared to add, "What's the rush? Little Shen is a fine man, but our Yu Hao isn't bad either. Just give her a little more time."

With a bang, this time it was Feng Yanzhi who slammed the door and left.

...

It was early spring, the time in February when flowers began to bloom. The peach tree in front of the Research Institute was lush with branches and leaves, and had even sprouted some millet-sized flower buds that exuded a delicate fragrance.

Yu Hao had a dinner to attend that evening, but she couldn't be bothered to go. It was organized by Song Xiaotao for her fiancé's last 'golden bachelor night.' Song Xiaotao was quite considerate in organizing it, saying that several of her fiancé's childhood friends were single and she wanted to set them up with the single 'sisters' from the institute.

Song Xiaotao's fiancé was named Lin Chang. The character '昶' was pronounced 'chang,' the same as '厂.' It was an uncommon name, and every time Song Xiaotao introduced him, she would enunciate it carefully, afraid people wouldn't hear it clearly. Lin Chang was indeed a decent guy—handsome, with a stable job, a good enough match for Song Xiaotao. At work, Song Xiaotao mentioned her husband's childhood friends no less than she mentioned her husband himself, praising each of them as paragons of virtue. The moment the younger girls heard they were his childhood friends, they instantly perked up, linking arms with Song Xiaotao more intimately than with their own sisters. "Sister Xiaotao, are your husband's friends really all single?" After so many years in the field, their scholarship hadn't improved much, but their ability to trim their sails to the wind certainly had.

Zhao Dailin was on the same page as Yu Hao and couldn't stand Song Xiaotao's smug attitude. She casually found an excuse to decline and went out for a big meal with Yu Hao instead.

The wedding was on Saturday.

Zhao Dailin and Yu Hao arrived just in time. The wedding banquet hall was packed with guests, buzzing with voices. Everyone was flushed from drinking, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere. The two of them circled halfway around the hall before finding Professor Han and the others. They saw a few of the younger girls chatting animatedly, their laughter like a string of silver bells, peal after peal.

Zhao Dailin and Yu Hao pulled out their chairs and sat down. "What are you all talking about?"

Seeing the two 'big sisters' arrive, one of the younger girls said with a grin, "Sister Yu Hao, Sister Dailin, it's such a shame you two didn't come the other day."

The two exchanged a glance. Yu Hao lowered her head and smiled. Zhao Dailin leaned back leisurely in her chair and feigned surprise. "Why? Did Lin Chang hand out money?"

The girl waved her hand. "You know, Lin Chang's childhood friends are all just as handsome as Xiaotao said, even more so than Lin Chang himself. No wonder he got married early."

Zhao Dailin looked at the speaker with skepticism. Just then, speak of the devil. Before Yu Hao could react, two groomsmen came over to the next table, apparently stopped by an elder they knew.

They were only a few meters away, their backs to them.

The girl didn't dare to speak loudly, so she whispered just to Zhao Dailin.

The one with glasses is named Jiang Yue. He works at the prosecutor's office, and his parents are both at the Advanced Translation Institute. He's only ever had one girlfriend, and I heard they broke up because her personality was super weird...

Zhao Dailin gave her a sidelong glance.

You even know that his ex-girlfriend's personality was weird?

He said so himself.

The one carrying the wine bottle is Zhou Di. He's the youngest of the group, only twenty-five, a graduate of Beihang University, and on the national model aircraft team. Then, as if afraid Zhao Dailin wouldn't know what a model aircraft was, she even asked innocently, 'Sister Dailin, do you know what model aircraft are?'

Zhao Dailin shut her down with an eye-roll.

The girl giggled and looked back, then suddenly froze. Her expression instantly became ecstatic, her round face flushed with excitement. A woman's mood changes like a summer sky. Zhao Dailin followed her gaze suspiciously. Another person seemed to be walking over. The newcomer rested a hand on Zhou Di's shoulder, smiling as he lowered his head to chat with a middle-aged man sitting in a chair.

She heard the girl beside her rubbing her hands together in anticipation and saying, "Here comes the main event, the main event—"

That one, the one standing between the two of them.

The three of them were about the same height, with the man in the middle being just a little taller. The lights and shadows of the banquet hall flickered. Standing amidst the bustling, noisy crowd, he looked exceptionally clean and sharp. His suit jacket was folded over and hooked on his fingers. He wore only a white shirt with no tie, the collar unbuttoned twice to reveal a clear collarbone. The shirt sleeves were rolled up, exposing a section of his firm, slender forearm. The pale blue veins slightly raised on the back of his fair hand exuded an air of tough, handsome masculinity.

A bridesmaid came over and whispered shyly in his ear, "The ceremony is about to start. You should put on your jacket."

The man raised a sharp eyebrow and nodded slightly. He distractedly began to button his shirt while listening to the middle-aged man in the chair speak eloquently about his time in the army as a young man:

"My skill at hiding private money was honed back when I was in the new recruit company supporting the border regions. Right after we were assigned to our units, the Old Squad Leader didn't allow smoking, so we hid our cigarettes everywhere. I kept a pack on a fan axle for two days, but he still found it. There was a comrade-in-arms from Shandong who was really good at hiding things. Every time the rest of us had to make do with rolling dried cow dung in paper to satisfy our cravings, he always had cigarettes to smoke. We asked him where he hid them, and guess where he pulled them out from? His crotch! That smell...I'll remember it for the rest of my life."

Everyone around them laughed. The man finished buttoning his shirt and slipped on his suit jacket, arching his neck slightly to fix the collar. A smile played on his lips as he said in a half-joking tone, "No wonder the cigarettes you gave me and Jiang Yue always had a gamey smell after you came back from the army..."

The group burst into loud laughter.

"Nonsense, that's the smell of Tibetan mutton!"

"Who are you kidding? Tibetan sheep aren't gamey," he said with a laugh. After speaking, he hooked Zhou Di by the back of the neck. "Let's go."

The middle-aged man was red-faced from drinking, his voice coarse. He laughingly cursed for him to get lost. "It's really weird not seeing you in a military uniform. This suit looks so effeminate." The man gave a lazy smile. Then they heard the middle-aged man point at him and introduce him to the others: "This kid takes after his dad, wild as they come. But I'll say, he's really made something of himself. Just got back from studying at a combat school in Venezuela. That's a place his dad and I used to dream of going."

...

Zhao Dailin finally nudged the person beside her with her elbow. "What's this guy's name?"

The girl said a three-character name. Just as Zhao Dailin was pondering why the name sounded a bit familiar, a man holding a black briefcase standing near Yu Hao's chair suddenly called out enthusiastically—

"Lu Huaizheng—!"

Damn, isn't that Yu Hao's first love?!