The red-tiled roofs glowed with a soft sheen in the twilight. The shadows of the old, tightly-packed mansions stretched long, cascading down the rolling hills all the way to the distant coastline.

"Whoa—!"

Seeing such a romantic and beautiful seaside sunset, Jiang Wan gasped. She had goosebumps all over.

Lin Shen felt the same, overwhelming emotions surging within him as he quickly captured the scene with his phone.

As the sky gradually darkened, distant streetlights began to flicker on, their dim, yellow halos blooming among the red tiles.

"Let’s go."

Lin Shen smiled at Jiang Wan, who stood beside him, completely captivated by the scenery.

"Don’t forget why we’re really here on Qin Island."

"Then I’ll go back to the hotel and change."

"Is something wrong with that outfit?"

Lin Shen looked Jiang Wan up and down.

"I think that outfit has a lot of youthful energy."

"Well, what kind of outfit do you think the unforgettable first love who forever lingers in a guy’s mind would wear to the beach?"

Jiang Wan blinked coquettishly before giving him a mysterious smile.

"After all, the last scene we have to film is one where memory and reality intertwine."

"Well..."

A hazy image instantly flashed through Lin Shen’s mind.

’A white dress, long hair, a glance back over her shoulder, and that impossibly gentle, radiant smile.’

’That’s the classic look for an unforgettable first love!’

"A white dress, right?"

"Bingo!"

Jiang Wan snapped her fingers, seemingly very pleased with Lin Shen’s answer.

"So I’m going to go back and change into a white dress and some sandals. Besides, this dress is too long; the hem would get wet if I walk in the water."

"Okay."

The two descended the mountain, bathed in the light of the sunset. By the time they reached the bottom, the sky had grown completely dark.

Back at the hotel, Jiang Wan pushed Lin Shen out of the bedroom. Before she changed, she didn’t forget to poke half her head out from the crack in the door and whisper a warning.

"No peeking."

"Mm."

’They’d be sleeping in the same bed tonight anyway,’ Lin Shen thought, ’so he certainly didn’t mind waiting a few hours.’

Besides, he had his own things to do.

First, he changed into a pair of beach shorts and a floral shirt, then he organized the props for the shoot.

Before long, Jiang Wan emerged from the bedroom.

Dressed in a white dress, she seemed to perfectly embody the gentle, delicate grace of an unforgettable first love.

Paired with the faint smile playing on her lips and the subtle details of her expression, it left Lin Shen in a strange, inexplicable trance.

"Let’s go."

Jiang Wan waved a hand in front of Lin Shen’s face. When he snapped out of it, she looped her arm through his and teased him.

"Don’t tell me this outfit actually reminded you of your unforgettable first love from high school, did it?"

"Not really."

Lin Shen denied it, then immediately followed up with a sincere compliment.

"But it definitely has the right atmosphere."

"Of course it does."

So, the two of them grabbed what they needed for the shoot and took a taxi to the seaside.

At night, the beaches of Qin Island were sparsely populated.

Without the usual daytime clamor, it was quiet and serene.

Still, many tourists, tired of the daytime crowds and the scorching sun, had deliberately come to the beach to play in the evening.

The mingling of Moonlight and artificial lights became the main theme of the nighttime beach.

The tips of the waves, churning with fine white foam, surged onto the shore before receding with a silvery glimmer.

The sea breeze was no longer scorching like in the daytime. Instead, it was cool and damp, carrying that distinctive scent of the ocean.

The temperature had also dropped by at least ten degrees from what it was during the day.

"It’s so refreshing!"

Jiang Wan spread her arms to the sea breeze and took a deep breath. Then, full of excitement, she lifted the hem of her dress with both hands and slowly waded into the water over the soft, wet sand.

Lin Shen followed behind her, quietly taking in the wonderful feeling of the beach at night.

Cool seawater lapped at his bare ankles. The swish of the ebbing and flowing tide filled his ears, and the unique, damp, salty air tickled his nose.

Lin Shen suddenly understood why so many people loved the beach.

’It really is refreshing to come here in the summer!’

"Let’s film first."

Just then, Jiang Wan turned back to suggest, a curious smile playing on her lips.

"You want to finish filming quickly and get back to the hotel early too, right?"

"Not really."

Lin Shen said sincerely.

"I’m actually enjoying the beach at night. If we have time after filming, we could stay and hang out a little longer."

"Okay."

And so, the two of them began to work on their main purpose for coming to the beach that night: filming the final scene of their skit. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The one Lin Shen had proposed: a memoir of his deceased wife!

—

The camera slowly pushes in. The salty sea breeze lifts the hem of my thin clothes.

The tide washes over the reefs, making a whimpering, swishing sound that blends with "Coral Sea" playing on a loop in my headphones.

I stare at the slightly curled photo in my palm. Under its plastic sleeve, a teenage boy and girl in school uniforms are standing in front of the main school building.

Her hair is in a high ponytail, and she’s tilting her head, making a peace sign. Her smile is so wide her eyes have curved into crescents, giving her a charmingly playful look.

Meanwhile, I’m just clutching a water bottle, not even daring to look at the camera.

It was taken on the last day of our college entrance exams—our only photo together.

And the last photo we would ever take together.​

Remembering that beautiful, pale, and serene face—those eyes that would never open again—my heart feels like it’s been violently squeezed.

But just then, the wooden walkway behind me lets out a soft CREAK.

My breath catches. A pair of warm palms suddenly cover my eyes, and a familiar jasmine fragrance mixed with the scent of the sea washes over me.

"Guess who?"

A cheerful voice rings out by my ear. It’s the same gentle tone I heard countless times over the school broadcast system when I was eighteen.

My heart trembles. My throat feels as if it’s been filled by the rising tide, and I can’t utter a single word. Only endless memories come surging back.