The mountains were shrouded in a thin misty rain, and all around was so silent it felt as if there were no more sounds left in the world. Mason Scott knocked on the tombstone: “Dad, you’re ignoring me again.”

After a long silence, Mason Scott’s eyes gradually became as hazy as the mountain mist. “Dad, he said—um, it’s Ian Mitchell, you remember him, right? He said we could get back together… Do you think that’s a good idea?”

Of course, there was no answer. After a while, Mason Scott murmured softly, “Actually, I don’t think it’s a good idea either. He’s so outstanding, always surrounded by admirers, he could find someone better. We’ve been apart for so many years, there’s so much unfamiliarity between us. If we got back together, it would just be full of conflicts, and he’d soon be completely disappointed in me. He used to be disappointed in me all the time… If we broke up again, I don’t know what I’d do. At least now, I’m used to things as they are…”

At this point, she couldn’t go on. Who knows how much time passed before Mason Scott gently said, “I’m doing just fine, don’t worry about me… I’m leaving now, Dad.”

By the time she went down the mountain, the rain had stopped. Looking back from the foot of the mountain at the peak about to disappear into the night and mist, it felt as if they were already two different worlds.

By the time she returned to the city, it was already dark. Mason Scott checked the time on her phone; it looked like she’d have to leave tomorrow instead. She asked around at several inns in the city, but all said they were full. In the end, she found an expensive hotel in the city center, checked in, showered, dried her clothes, and since it was still too early to sleep, she got up and went downstairs.

Right outside the hotel was City Y’s most bustling Judson Road. City Y was famous for its beautiful mountains and rivers, a well-known tourist city, and there were still quite a few tourists on Judson Road at this hour. Suddenly, Mason Scott remembered that the first time she met Ian Mitchell in City Y was right on this lively street.

Back then, they were already a couple, but when winter break came in their freshman year, Ian Mitchell just wouldn’t give her his home phone number. She felt both wronged and upset—what kind of girlfriend doesn’t even know her boyfriend’s home number? After failing to coax it out of him at the train station before their breakup, Mason Scott stormed off in a huff.

But after only a few steps, she regretted it. Why get angry? Maybe if she pestered him a bit more, Ian Mitchell would have softened. But when she looked back, Ian Mitchell was already gone from the station entrance.

Back home, she was gloomy, had no appetite, and couldn’t even tell what was on TV. Then, on a whim, she started going out to the streets every day, thinking maybe she’d run into Ian Mitchell.

And then, she actually did.

It was a day after the New Year, with light snow falling from the sky. He was walking on the other side of the street with Amy Mitchell, whom she didn’t know at the time. She was so stunned—she really ran into him, though she hadn’t dared hope for it, with so many people in this city… The next moment, she dashed across the street and threw her arms around him…

It seemed to be right under this tree, the girl in the fluffy white hat hugging the embarrassed boy, who was uncomfortable under the ambiguous stares of passersby, and excitedly shouting, “Ian Mitchell, I knew I’d run into you. I just knew it!”

Mason Scott closed her eyes.

When everything between them had become a thing of the past, the hardest part was how vivid it all still felt.

As if possessed, she took out her camera and pressed the shutter toward that spot, which was actually empty.

The developed photo showed an empty street, no one passing by, just a blank space.

After the holiday, work became even busier for Mason Scott.

Only Ruby was quite free. Her segment had just ended and she was in a lull, hanging around Mason Scott’s office every day, worrying about her love life.

“Ash, you can’t keep wasting your youth like this. You know, time is beauty and youth. If you find a man now, you’re saving society. In two years, you’ll be harming your fellow men. Besides…” Ruby leaned in mysteriously, “It’s more in line with biological needs now. Ash, don’t you want to fall asleep in a warm embrace at night?”

“Ruby, did you… have that kind of dream again last night?”

“Just occasionally!” She pretended to be shy, blushing and lowering her head, swaying a bit. After a while, she became serious. “Ash, you’re finally back to normal now. For a while there, it was like all the men had been snatched away.”

Classic Ruby-style metaphors made Mason Scott laugh.

As long as you don’t think about it, superficial happiness is actually easy. Laughing and joking with colleagues, others think you’re happy, and gradually, you start to believe it yourself.

Not wanting to talk about it, Mason Scott glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already ten. “Let’s go, time for the meeting.”

Today’s meeting was the quarterly conference.

The magazine where Mason Scott worked was quite large. Besides the well-known women’s magazine “Belle,” they also published a lifestyle weekly—otherwise, they couldn’t afford two photographers.

“Belle” was an established name in the women’s magazine market, always ranking first in sales among similar magazines. Although last quarter’s sales still held the top spot, their market share was declining month by month.

After praising each department’s work for the previous quarter, the editor-in-chief got to the main topic: the new column.

“For our magazine to stand out, we need something unique. There are so many similar magazines out there, and most of the content is repetitive—beauty, fashion, food, relationships. Besides these, what else can we do?”

The editor-in-chief looked around and continued, “Or let me put it this way: what else attracts women?”

“I know.” Ruby raised her hand. “Men.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

But the editor-in-chief nodded seriously. “Hank Cooper may seem rough around the edges, but she’s very perceptive.” No longer keeping them in suspense, the editor-in-chief opened the slideshow, and the theme “Elite Men” appeared in bold.

Whispers started among the staff.

“We’re a women’s magazine. Isn’t it weird to do a feature on men?” someone asked.

“Everyone knows opposites attract. Men’s magazines use women on the cover, so why can’t women’s magazines write about men?” the editor-in-chief countered.

After some discussion, the editor-in-chief said, “In any case, the market is the only truth. So we’ll do four issues for now, and see how readers respond before deciding whether to continue. If you have any suggestions, speak up.”

“What about the candidates?”

“I’ve tentatively picked four. If you have objections, let me know.” The editor-in-chief clicked the mouse, and four photos of young men appeared on the white screen. “Our choices aren’t those unattainable heirs or diamond bachelors, but elites from various fields—well-known, young, outstanding, and most importantly, handsome and unmarried.”

“Isn’t that the architect who just won an award?”

“Yeah, and the one on the left looks familiar too.”

As everyone pointed and commented, Mason Scott’s eyes were instantly drawn to the profile in the upper right corner. How could it be him?

“Hey, isn’t the one on the top right the special guest host of ‘Legal Time,’ that lawyer Ian Mitchell?”

“That’s him,” the editor-in-chief nodded. “Anyone who watches the provincial channel should know him—he’s one of the guest hosts, and the show’s ratings are quite good.”

“I suggest we feature him in the first issue,” the experienced Editor Carter proposed. “He’s been on TV, so he’s well-known and could make a big splash.”

“Right, and I heard he just won a high-profile economic case in the province. That’s a great selling point,” someone immediately agreed.

“I think fame isn’t the main thing—his looks are way above the other three. He’ll definitely attract a lot of female readers.”

The editor-in-chief nodded. “That’s what I think too.”

“Wow, is he really that amazing?” Mason Scott heard the new college graduate Hugh mutter behind her.

“You’re just jealous,” laughed Editor Helen, sitting next to him. “No use being jealous—he probably makes more in an hour than we do in a month. I have a friend in the legal field, and apparently, this lawyer takes a cut like this for each case.” Editor Helen held up two fingers.

Hugh guessed in surprise, “Twenty thousand?”

Shaking his head.

“Two hundred thousand?”

Editor Helen snorted. “Multiply that by ten.”

A sharp intake of breath—Hugh fell silent.

The column was basically set; now the key was who would be in charge. The editor-in-chief looked around the meeting room. “Who wants to take on this new feature?”

The room was silent. Everyone was interested, but also hesitant, so no one spoke up for a moment.

“I’ll do it.”

The woman who stood up with a crisp, decisive voice was the magazine’s famous ice-cold beauty, Taylor Jensen. Her beautiful face radiated confidence as she clearly stated her intentions: “Editor-in-chief, I’d like to do this feature. My current work is almost finished, so I have the energy to give it my all. Also, I have an advantage—I graduated from University C, and both lawyer Ian Mitchell and architect Ken Johnson are also University C alumni. I believe we’ll have common ground. Plus, I’ve met lawyer Ian Mitchell once before…”

Met him once? Mason Scott looked up, just in time to see a rare blush creep across the always-cold beauty’s face. She was momentarily dazed, a wave of sourness welling up inside her.