The neighborhood was just beginning to stir when Li Wei ced up his running shoes. It was 5:59 a.m. The sky outside was still a mix of indigo and charcoal, but the streets around National Taiwan University, his school, were already starting to warm up with life.

  Li Wei stepped out of Unit 2B, pulling his hoodie over his head. His bck jeep sat just below his veranda, parked neatly along the curb. He stretched briefly, muscles taut from yesterday’s basketball practice, then took off jogging toward the university campus.

  This had become his daily routine.

  He was a junior student majoring in Business Administration, a course that aligned perfectly with his future role in the family company—MediaTek, one of the most well-known tech corporations in Taiwan. His father sat on the board, and his older brother, Li Hao, was already a director. The pressure to follow in their footsteps was constant—but Li Wei didn’t mind it. He was used to expectations.

  And he wasn’t just a businessman-in-training. He was also the team captain of the university’s varsity basketball team, leading drills, dominating intercollegiate games, and maintaining top grades on the side. A rare combination.

  Girls noticed him.

  Professors praised him.

  But none of it ever really reached him, not in the way people assumed.

  Jenny noticed the rhythm.

  Every morning, as she sat on her terrace doing her wrist rotations and light rehab stretches, Li Wei would run past below, earbuds in, focused and unreadable. By the time she was ready to leave for school, his jeep was gone. And by the time she returned from work at the convenience store te at night, his lights were off.

  Their schedules never matched.

  But on the rare occasions they passed each other, like at the stairwell or the undry area, they would exchange a silent nod. Nothing more.

  Jenny appreciated that kind of unspoken understanding. She didn’t need small talk, especially now.

  She was still adjusting to everything: her new life as a freshman student in the Department of Athletic Training and Health at NTNU, her healing arm, and the quiet ache of being far from home.

  Her unit was her safe space—simple, small, and rented at a discounted price thanks to her coach’s sister. It had a terrace and a view of the street, and for now, it was enough.

  One evening, Jenny returned home from her part-time shift with aching feet and a half-healed arm that throbbed under the weight of her bag. As she turned the corner, she saw Li Wei standing outside his door, speaking quietly with a girl.

  The girl—the one Jenny had seen at the welcome party.

  She had soft features and dyed caramel hair. She leaned against the doorframe in a loose hoodie, smiling at Li Wei as she held his hand.

  “Are you free Friday night?” the girl asked, her voice pyful.

  “I’ll see after practice,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

  Jenny pretended not to see.

  She entered her unit quickly, dropped her bag, and exhaled. She didn’t know why the sight bothered her.

  It wasn’t jealousy—not really.

  Maybe just the reminder that people like Li Wei lived in a different world. Wealth, talent, popurity—he had it all. She, on the other hand, was scraping by, one shift at a time.

  Still, ter that night, as she sat on her terrace eating rice and scrambled eggs, she gnced at his veranda.

  Lights off. Jeep parked. Another long day, probably.

  The next morning, she woke up ter than usual. Her arm still ached, but the pain was fading—progress, at least. She stretched and stepped onto the terrace to get some fresh air.

  Right below, Li Wei was leaning against his jeep, towel slung around his neck, sipping water.

  For once, he wasn’t wearing headphones.

  He looked up—and there it was again.

  The nod.

  Jenny returned it automatically. But this time, he didn’t look away.

  “Morning,” he said.

  Jenny blinked. “Morning.”

  A pause.

  Then, surprisingly, he added, “You do that every day?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do what?”

  “The stretches. Rehab?”

  “Yeah,” she nodded. “Trying to get full function back.”

  Li Wei seemed genuinely curious. “Basketball injury?”

  Jenny shook her head. “Shooting injury.”

  His brows lifted, intrigued. “You shoot?”

  “Not the kind you’re thinking of,” she smirked. “I used to compete. International pistol shooting.”

  That caught his attention. “Seriously?”

  She nodded. “Had an accident a few months ago. Still recovering.”

  Li Wei smiled faintly. “No wonder I always hear this weird snapping sound from your side. Thought you were doing Taichi.”

  Jenny chuckled. “It’s my secret superpower.”

  “Well, keep it up. Looks like it’s working,” he said before stepping back inside.

  Jenny watched his door close behind him, unsure why her heartbeat was a little faster than usual.

  That day, they didn’t just nod.

  They spoke.

  And Jenny realized—Li Wei wasn’t as far away as she thought.

  Not in personality. Not in rhythm. Not in quiet moments.

  Just across the hall.