Xie Zhilu denied it almost immediately: “No, of course not. What are you talking about?” His voice was so loud that customers at other tables looked over.

Li Weiyi became even more suspicious: This only proves his guilt!

Xie Zhilu said: “Where did that thought come from? I passed the exam, so of course I want to treat you to a nice meal.” He picked up the menu himself, called over a server, ordered a few dishes, then fell silent again.

Li Weiyi increasingly felt something was wrong and pursed her lips without speaking.

The two sat in silent confrontation for a moment. Xie Zhilu’s tone softened a bit as he asked: “Have you been busy with work lately? Is everything going smoothly? We haven’t seen each other for quite a while.”

Li Weiyi said: “Are you actually concerned about me, or are you just setting the mood? Xie Zhilu, don’t treat me like a fool. Whatever you have to say, just say it. Don’t wait for the food to arrive. If you don’t speak, I’m leaving.”

Usually in front of Xie Zhilu, she was always sweet and adorable, never calculating anything with him. At this moment, the sharp edges of a girl who had been fighting in the workplace for three years were fully revealed, making Xie Zhilu feel she was a stranger.

Of course Xie Zhilu couldn’t let her just leave like this—he hadn’t achieved his purpose yet. Expressionless, he poured tea for her and said: “Don’t be like you’ve swallowed firecrackers. Calm down a bit. I want to have a good talk with you today.”

Li Weiyi fell silent.

Xie Zhilu also wanted to cut through the mess quickly. Although certain decisions had already been made, buried beneath them were, after all, the most genuine feelings from the past. He couldn’t think too deeply—thinking would make him softhearted. Looking at today’s situation, they probably wouldn’t be able to eat this meal anyway, so he simply said: “In these five years we’ve been together, I’ve always been sincere with you, and I know you have been too. Our original intention in being together wasn’t just to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but to be soulmates. I think you’d also agree that what we’re both pursuing is to live as superior people in this city…”

Li Weiyi stared at his sanctimonious face. Something inside her heart seemed to collapse with a crash.

He also paused, as if his words were difficult.

Li Weiyi: “If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don’t manipulate me.”

Xie Zhilu’s face stiffened: “How could I have that intention?”

He was silent again for a while, picked up his teacup and took a large gulp, then said: “Li Weiyi, let’s break up. To be honest, these past few years we’ve seen each other so little, our feelings have actually long faded. You know it in your heart too. I’ve increasingly discovered that we’re not suitable for each other. Breaking up now, in time, neither of us loses anything. I don’t want to hold you back—go find a man who’s more suitable for you.”

Although she had anticipated it, Li Weiyi still found it hard to believe. Tears burst out at once as she said: “Xie Zhilu, how can you say this? These past few years of seeing each other rarely—wasn’t that what we agreed on? It was temporary, each of us working hard, for the sake of our future, wasn’t it? And now you’re opening your mouth to break up?”

Xie Zhilu’s eyes also slowly reddened, his expression even becoming somewhat ferocious. He interrupted her: “For the future, for a future where we’d become even more suitable for each other. True soulmates should stand within each other’s prospects, not go separate ways. But now, our life paths have already diverged. Our work environments, aspirations, futures—all different. We have no common language. We’re no longer suitable.”

Li Weiyi had a sudden realization: “You want to dump me because you passed the exam? You look down on me now?”

Xie Zhilu: “Don’t think of me as so snobbish and contemptible. This is about different directions, not about high and low. If you had been willing to listen to me back then and take the graduate school entrance exam together, and then take the civil service exam now, even if you got into a slightly inferior department, at least now we’d have the same starting point and same direction. How could I break up with you then? But you insisted on finding work, and at a private company no less. How great is the survival pressure now? In the decades to come, the stability of two people’s incomes, buying a house and car, children’s education, social status, personal relationships… these are all interconnected issues. But you… I’ll say something that doesn’t sound nice—even your job isn’t stable. Who knows when the company might go bankrupt or lay people off? I’m a man. I still have to support my parents, and in the future support a family. Back in our campus romance, I didn’t think about all this, but now when choosing a lifelong partner, I must consider these issues. If we can’t be responsible for each other, we’re destined not to go far. Letting go early is the wise choice.”

Li Weiyi was about to die of anger, especially hearing him mention the word “layoff” made her even more furious. She shouted: “Xie Zhilu, are you sick? I make 8,500 a month. You’re a civil servant fresh out of school—how much can you possibly make? You look down on me?”

Xie Zhilu had clearly already steeled his heart. The corners of his mouth twitched as he took a deep breath and said: “I once saw a saying: The first thing to do after passing the exam is to cut ties with your beloved. At the time I thought it was nonsense, but now I understand it’s beyond one’s control.” After all, he was someone who had just emerged from university. Though he spoke with apparent ease, his eyes were already bloodshot, and his hands on the table were trembling.

Looking at the tears in his eyes, Li Weiyi suddenly couldn’t say anything. Ruthless—he truly was ruthless, ruthless to her, and ruthless to himself too.

“Fine, let’s break up.” She spat out those two words, grabbed her bag and left. The server nearby happened to be bringing dishes, showing a surprised expression.

Xie Zhilu sat upright in his original position, motionless.

The restaurant’s air conditioning was clearly blowing warm air, yet Li Weiyi felt cold to the bone. She walked a few steps, then suddenly turned around, snatched a plate of food from the server’s hands, and threw it directly at Xie Zhilu’s face.

The plate shattered with a clang. Xie Zhilu was like a sculpture, his face and body covered in oil and food, eyes red, utterly disheveled, staring straight at her.

Everyone in the restaurant looked over.

Li Weiyi shouted loudly: “All scumbags should die!” and walked out with her head held high.

Li Weiyi hailed a taxi. As soon as she sat down, tears streamed down her face. She definitely couldn’t wail and cry, but she was sobbing in fits. The driver said nothing, only placed a tissue box in front of her. Li Weiyi cried even harder, saying through her tears and snot: “Th… thank you…”

Still tearful, she arrived home just as the evening lights were coming on. Li Weiyi lay flat on her bed, no more tears, her heart feeling empty. She recalled her relationship with Xie Zhilu—their junior and senior years had truly been very sweet, very sweet. She had given him her most genuine first love. Now looking back, her heart still trembled. But later, indeed as he said, they saw each other less and less, drifting further and further apart. The him of now and the him of the past were like two different people. One was her first love in memory, the other was the ruthless stranger from just now.

If you asked how upset Li Weiyi was about breaking up with the him of now—it wasn’t that bad. Because these past few years, she had truly been too busy and too tired. When a person’s energy is almost entirely drained by work, then a romance where you only meet once a month is merely decoration.

But thinking about the past, thinking about the stability and security of these five years and her expectations for the future, she still wanted to cry. Crying, she frantically ordered a pile of takeout for herself. While waiting for the takeout, she lay like a corpse on her bed, wondering whether to call her best friend, but then felt it was too embarrassing. What was there to say? Everyone knew she had an excellent boyfriend, just waiting to complete their long-distance love marathon and achieve a happy ending. Now she didn’t even want to mention him by a single word.