Seventh Year Of Separation

Gu Jiahe is a thirty-year-old legal manager at a mid-sized company preparing for an initial public offering. Despite holding a law degree, he works in a mundane corporate role, living in a dilapidated attic apartment and struggling financially. His life is characterized by quiet endurance and professional exhaustion. Six years prior, he ended a significant romantic relationship with Li Zhao, a top law student, by disappearing without explanation. This abrupt departure left unresolved emotional baggage and a lingering sense of guilt that Gu Jiahe has carried into his present existence.

The narrative begins on a stormy night when Gu Jiahe unexpectedly encounters Li Zhao in a convenience store. Li Zhao has become a successful lawyer at a prestigious firm. The reunion is tense and charged with unspoken history. Li Zhao follows Gu Jiahe to his home, where their suppressed emotions culminate in a passionate but complicated sexual encounter. The following morning, Gu Jiahe discovers that Li Zhao has been assigned as the on-site lawyer for his company’s IPO project, forcing them into close professional proximity for the next six months.

As they navigate their new dynamic, the story explores the contrast between their public personas and private tensions. Li Zhao appears composed and professional, yet his actions reveal a deep, unresolved attachment. He delivers medicine to Gu Jiahe when he falls ill and notices the physical marks from their night together. Gu Jiahe, conversely, maintains a defensive distance, masking his discomfort with sarcasm and avoidance. He is haunted by memories of their past and anxious about Li Zhao’s apparent new relationship, hinted at by women’s sunglasses found in Li Zhao’s car.

A key turning point occurs when a competitor files a lawsuit alleging intellectual property infringement, threatening to derail the IPO. Li Zhao identifies the suit as a tactical move to disrupt the company’s listing rather than a genuine legal dispute. He guides Gu Jiahe through the investigation, revealing their enduring professional synergy. Their collaboration uncovers that the lawsuit stems from a past procurement dispute. Li Zhao devises a strategy to negotiate a settlement while preparing for litigation, demonstrating his growth from an idealistic student to a pragmatic lawyer.

Throughout the process, small moments of intimacy and misunderstanding accumulate. Gu Jiahe recalls their shared past, including how Li Zhao once cared for him during scary movies, highlighting the depth of their former bond. Meanwhile, Gu Jiahe receives a distressing call from his grandmother, who reveals that a stalker has been harassing her, adding a layer of personal danger to Gu Jiahe’s already strained life. This revelation underscores his vulnerability and the reasons behind his past withdrawal from Li Zhao.

The story progresses toward a negotiation meeting where Li Zhao’s strategic brilliance shines. He advises the company’s management to appear less concerned by sending only junior legal staff, a move that confuses Gu Jiahe initially but proves to be a shrewd psychological tactic. As the IPO preparations continue, the professional relationship between Gu Jiahe and Li Zhao becomes the primary vehicle for their emotional reconnection. The narrative ends with them standing on the precipice of resolving both the legal crisis and their personal history, suggesting that their paths are inevitably intertwining again despite the obstacles of pride, fear, and the past.