Mark drove swiftly down the road, finally stopping at a hotel—his family's hotel. This was also the place where Mark and Lily frequently met. Lily, having changed into comfortable clothes, was on her way there. Although Lily was currently filming, she dropped everything as soon as she heard Mark wanted to see her.
"Lily, if you leave like this, what will the film crew do?" the director reminded her when he heard Lily had something urgent and didn't want to stay for filming.
Lily didn't care at this point and turned to look at the director.
"Don't we have a stunt double? Let her do it."
Lily completely disregarded the fact that these scenes were crucial. She got into the car and left, leaving the director standing there, fuming. The film was scheduled to be shot over three months, and Lily had been absent for one month already. Her scenes were covered by a stunt double, but even with advanced technology, people who paid attention could notice the difference when her face was digitally inserted. The director had no choice but to call Sarah, as she was the most suitable actress to replace Lily. Sarah's scenes were minimal and already completed, so she was available to fill in.
Nancy felt a bit tired today because her birthday party had just ended the night before. When she woke up, she saw a congratulatory message from Dylan. Dylan was the person she used to have a crush on, and now he was her boyfriend.
Nancy walked to the window to breathe in the cool air. She took out from her book some old photos she had kept for a long time, with Dylan's picture inside.
Nancy involuntarily recalled how she had been smitten by Dylan just because of a single glance back then, and she still didn't know why. Many summers ago, she was a high school senior, still very uncertain about her future, at the tender age of 17. Dylan was walking on a path covered with fallen yellow leaves, wearing headphones and completely oblivious to his surroundings.
"Be careful."
When she heard this voice, she found herself in the arms of a stranger, who had a pleasant minty scent.
“Are you okay?”
Before she could gather her thoughts, the young man let go of her, his gaze showing some concern. At that moment, it felt like her heart was racing, and her face started to turn red. She stood there, stunned, unable to respond.
“Are you alright?”
She was still in her school uniform, making it obvious that she was younger than him, who was likely a senior student. Seeing that she wasn’t reacting, Dylan extended his hand in front of her.
“I’m fine.”
At this point, Nancy was able to calm down and took a few steps back.
“You shouldn’t walk like that; it’s very dangerous.”
Seeing her in such a dazed state, Dylan quickly grabbed her hand. After ensuring she was calm, he awkwardly pulled his hand back.
“Thank you for what happened just now.”
Aside from this, she couldn’t think of anything else, standing rooted to the spot and staring at him.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Alright then, I’ll go ahead. Just be careful next time.”
When Dylan’s figure had finally disappeared into the distance, she suddenly realized she didn’t even know his name. The image of that distinguished young man and his gentle smile kept replaying in her mind, making her grow fonder of him. Even now, Nancy understood what love at first sight meant—just a fleeting glance could make her heart flutter.
Dylan didn’t remember what he studied or his name, but Nancy remembered his clothes very clearly. Determined, she studied hard and got into a top national university. She accepted the fact that if others thought she was foolish for only remembering a face but not a name, so be it.
Nancy passed the entrance exam and went to university, where she found both inspiration and a sense of self. She hoped that in the whirlwind of life, she and Dylan might cross paths again.
The universe seemed to understand her feelings, as Dylan’s image remained etched in her mind every minute of every day. One day, her university held a student exchange event, and Nancy diligently attended to hear the speakers. To be precise, since starting university, she had been researching everything about him. Dylan was an outstanding student, studying medicine and was sent to study abroad in Australia, becoming a source of pride for the school. That year, she was fortunate enough to see him, though not up close—she was just a freshman at the time.
Liz looked at Nancy, amazed by the extent of her infatuation with Dylan. "Are you really that smitten with him?"
Nancy wasn’t sure if Dylan had noticed or recognized her. Compared to when she first met him at 17, he had matured significantly, though his smile remained just as charming.
"Don’t you see that all the students here admire him?"
"I do, but your first love story is more impressive to me."
Nancy had shared with Liz how she fell for Dylan the first time they met. Little did she know that fate often plays with people in such ways. Dylan had become the driving force behind her decision to pursue a career in medicine. She had turned down the chance to study abroad to stay in the country, hoping to meet Dylan again. During that time, her close friend Emma had gone abroad for studies, so Nancy and Liz became close friends as they attended the same school.
"You shouldn't be like this. If you had someone you liked, you'd change."
"I wish I could take his mic and pass it to you so you could confess your feelings."
Nancy didn’t have the courage for that, and Dylan didn’t even know she was there. If he looked out from the stage, everyone might seem the same to him, but for Nancy, standing in the audience, only he mattered.
"Like, love and affection are three completely different feelings."
"So, where do you fall among them?"
Nancy wasn’t sure herself—sometimes it felt like admiration, other times it was infatuation, or simply liking him. His presence seemed distant to her, and she hadn’t even spoken to him yet, but it was still a kind of happiness.
"I don’t know either."
"Maybe you just see him as so outstanding that you idolize him. Sometimes, the human heart needs a little change."
At that moment, Nancy felt the truth in Liz's words, though it didn’t quite apply to her situation. It was a different kind of realization for her.