Z University.

“Hello? Hello… Is this DJ Yan?” Xiao Wu muttered but was met with silence on the other end.

Ah Heng looked at the microphone and smiled, her features blurring.

Finally, her breath turned cold as it escaped through her nose.

Was she just setting herself up for humiliation? Wen Si’er had clearly said that her mother missed her deeply and told her to call the home number.

Right-click, and disconnect. The dial tone echoed.

Xiao Wu slapped the table and laughed mockingly: “Well well, you little troublemaker, you dare to trick your Fifth Sister? Getting quite bold, aren’t you?” She reached out with her devilish hands to pinch the child’s cheeks.

Ah Heng didn’t resist, instead linking arms with her and chuckling: “Come on, let’s go, it’s time for dinner. It’s New Year’s Day today, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

Xiao Wu looked up at the sky, spreading her hands: “Another new year, we’re another year older, approaching thirty. What have I done with these twenty years? Why can’t I remember anything?”

The year was 2003.

Ah Heng felt hungry, though really, it was just an empty feeling in her stomach, creating what might have been an illusion.

She said: “I remember. When I was little, I climbed mountains for dozens of li. In junior high, I helped others cheat. In high school, I often cooked pork ribs. Later, well, I came here.”

Xiao Wu laughed dryly: “Indeed, boring enough. That’s your style.”

Turning around, she suddenly remembered something and slapped her head: “Hey, Sixth, wait, shouldn’t you be paying respects to your future in-laws during the holiday?”

Ah Heng said: “Fei Bai’s mother is too polite with me, they’d be uncomfortable if I went.”

Every time she looked at her, it was like seeing a stranger who had to be entertained. She wanted to say, Mother-in-law, I’m the person who will spend a lifetime with your son, maybe even give you a grandson.

The key was, that she feared her mother-in-law would respond with another: “Oh my, you’re too kind, this is too troublesome, how could we impose on you like this?”

Just then, the dormitory door opened, bringing in a gust of cold air. Ah Heng instinctively shivered.

The person stamped their feet, the hem of their coat swirling in an arc.

Looking up, long hair.

It was Du Qing.

She closed the door, completely shutting out the girls’ playful chatter from outside. That was what they often heard and mutually enjoyed – intimacy, tenderness, jokes as if we would be closest to each other for life.

When she saw Ah Heng, her soft, tired demeanor instantly became proud, like a tiny child warrior.

There were no obvious weapons, just small poisonous provocations, impossible to defend against, seeping into the heart, still painful.

Because this was the consequence of indulging her.

The consequence of completely accepting her.

So, could she call it… betrayal?

The warmth vanished from Ah Heng’s face as she asked: “Do you have something you want to tell me?”

Du Qing’s jawline was sharp: “Are you asking me to apologize? But what if I don’t feel I’ve done anything wrong? I can only say your scheme worked better.”

She believed that the huge cake sign was a terrible scheme to reveal ulterior motives.

Xiao Wu stammered: “What’s wrong with you two? The atmosphere is so strange?”

Ah Heng softened her expression: “Fifth Sister, wait five minutes, find something to do, DJ Yan or rock music will do, don’t listen to our conversation.”

Du Qing threw her gloves onto the table, sneering: “You think what I have to say is too dirty? Afraid it will pollute others’ ears?”

Ah Heng sat in the chair, gripping the bed rail, twisting into an odd position: “Why did you lie to me?”

Du Qing wore an expression of exasperation, scoffing: “Please, who are you? Why should I tell you anything? I beg you to wake up, ‘abandoned’ Miss Wen!”

So, you only measure Wen Heng—Xiao Liu?—by whether she’s favored or abandoned by which family?

Rice and salt, three hundred and sixty-five days, day and night, is this all the value she has left?

Ah Heng laughed loudly: “Abandoned, abandoned, what a wonderful word!”

She had been unable to figure out how to position herself. The delicately featured young woman opposite had already made her an enemy, even though not long ago, they had been biting into the same donut, faces covered in cream, smiling with corners of their mouths turned up like moons.

Something in her heart collapsed in an instant.

Du Qing ran her fingers through her hair, speaking flatly: “What other words do you want? Haven’t you already decided you’re the victim and I’m unforgivably evil? Wouldn’t it be most appropriate for me to bow my head in guilt?”

Ah Heng said: “In your eyes, there are only two choices: you and Gu Fei Bai, or me and Gu Fei Bai. But, I’m sorry, what I want is your choice—Gu Fei Bai, or me?”

Du Qing smiled, confusion flashing briefly in her eyes: “What’s the difference? You know I would never choose you. You should have known long ago, right? My phone, computer, credit card—all the passwords are Fei Bai’s birthday.”

She walked up to Ah Heng, wearing a contemptuous smile: “Holding it in for so long, wasn’t it exhausting? Weak, ignorant, playing pitiful—what else can you do? Gu Fei Bai is just… a man with too kind a heart.”

Ah Heng walked over and covered her eyes: “Can you not say these things with eyes that are about to tear up? I don’t want to cry.”

She said: “I could be like those women on the street who have lost their manners after being tormented by life for too long. I could spit at you, mess up your hair, tell you that you’re the most unprincipled person in the world, filthy, impure, a destroyer of marriages, that you should be cast into the eighteenth level of hell, curse you with every vicious curse in existence. But that wouldn’t prove I’m not weak at all.”

Du Qing pushed her away, falling back to sit on the bed, shadows hiding her eyes as she spoke desolately: “This is just moral punishment. Gu Fei Bai, I will never give up.”

“Let’s make a bet. I’ll leave for a week, with a completely reasonable excuse. You stay here, filling this blank space. You only get one chance. If Gu Fei Bai chooses me, you lose and give up.”

Du Qing mocked: “Not going to continue performing your sisterly affection? The foreplay is done, the twists and turns delivered, and the last line finally reveals the point.”

Ah Heng spoke softly: “What, you think this is an impossible challenge?”

Du Qing lay back on the bed, her curly hair spreading out like blooming flowers. She said: “I accept.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu wore headphones, her scalp tingling from the rock music, and saw Ah Heng’s face approach: “What? Sixth, what did you say?”

Ah Heng smiled, removing her headphones: “I said, I’m sorry Fifth Sister, I can’t join you for dinner. I need to return to B City.”

“How long?” The same words were said to Gu Fei Bai, but his voice was somewhat cold.

“Seven days, probably.”

Then, Gu Fei Bai said: “Take a plane, I’ll see you to security.”

He took out his phone and solemnly took a photo. Then, he embraced her tightly, with anxiety: “Just seven days. One second late, and I’ll throw you onto the overpass.”

She smiled, gently patting his back, softly comforting: “Fei Bai, stop constantly plotting to throw a girl onto an overpass. I can leave you at any time. I have my pride too.”

Gu Fei Bai held her face, smiling helplessly: “Never mind your pride, even though you were something I picked up.”

How long ago was it when he received that phone call?

Time, place, emptiness, male voice.

Then, the call was cut off.

He ran to the overpass and saw the woman who haunted his dreams, holding such a large box, dried blood on her hands, looking soulless.

Like God’s grace.

She recognized him, and turned away, planning to pass by.

But he grabbed her wrist, with gritted teeth pain: “Wen Heng, they all say you’re my fiancée, will you still acknowledge it?”

They—how many people? Three, two, one? Future, present, or… past?

Such arrogant words, yet spoken with humility down to the bone.

He hated himself for abandoning his dignity for a woman, yet couldn’t help but compromise.

At that time, holding her, with deep feelings, he couldn’t care whether she still had the strength to follow the script of talented scholars and beautiful ladies, falling in love slowly like trickling water.

He only knew that behind her, where she couldn’t see, at the other end of the overpass in the rain, there was a misty figure in black, with a pale face and clean large eyes, looking like he might collapse from pain at any moment.

He knew that if he held this girl tightly, that person could only permanently hide in the darkness, like a trampled shadow, with no way back.

From then on, for the rest of my life.

B City.

The rumors about Yan Xi and Chu Yun were at their peak in early January.

The reason wasn’t that some magazine or newspaper had followed and photographed Yan and Chu’s nightlife together—that was old news, not fresh anymore.

This time was different. This time, Yan Xi and Chu Yun were invited to host a music program. Miss Chu didn’t walk the stage well, her heels were too high and caught her long dress, almost exposing her. DJ Yan’s reaction was incredibly quick, embracing her and directly walking backstage, covering her with his suit jacket.

Then, below the stage, thousands of audience members.

So, DJ Yan, how can you deny it now? The capital’s audience all saw with their own eyes.

Chu Yun said: “Sorry, I was so unprofessional today, I dragged you down with me.”

Yan Xi was indifferent: “You can’t be professional every day, professionals are still human after all.” Though there were slight shadows under his eyes. He had prepared for three working days for this music event.

She rubbed her ankle and asked him: “Why did you decide to become a DJ? It doesn’t seem… suitable for you.”

Yan Xi found some aloe gel for bruises in the dressing room and handed it to her, looking down slightly: “Politician? Diplomat? Those are paths our fathers’ generation walked, they can’t continue forever.”

Chu Yun smiled: “But do you know what others say? Is DJ Yan the only one in all of B City? Even endorsing sanitary pads.”

Yan Xi remained noncommittal, gesturing for her to continue.

She said: “Your personality shouldn’t need to endure these taunts and ridicule every day, right?”

The room’s heating was very warm. Yan Xi undid his shirt’s first button, smiling faintly: “So what? If a dog bites you, should you bite back?”

The girl suddenly leaned forward, her beautiful eyes staring directly into his.

Yan Xi frowned slightly, somewhat displeased, but she spoke softly: “Yan Xi, there’s a huge black hole in your eyes.”

Yan Xi laughed lightly, sinking into the leather chair behind him, maintaining a normal distance from her: “Chu Yun, no need to beat around the bush, what exactly do you want to know? You know, being treated like a cake that everyone constantly thinks about doesn’t feel particularly good.”

Chu Yun blinked, her gaze cunning: “Why do you have to be so stubborn about appearing before the whole world, enduring mockery and insults, yet remaining unchanged?”

He gazed at the soft white light of the dressing room: “I can’t remember the original intention anymore, now it’s just inertia.”

Chu Yun remembered something, suddenly enlightened: “Is it because of the owner of that room? The Wen family, that extra room.”

Her mind began to brew, thinking for a while, many movie plots flying through her head. She clicked her tongue: “Could it be that person was your first love, then died of leukemia? And you loved her so deeply that you were traumatized, rebelled, and went against your family’s wishes by entering the industry they hated most?”

Yan Xi smiled lightly: “Although not a single word you said is correct, I prefer this false version.”

“Why?”

Yan Xi said: “A person who has lost their way, staying in a grave, at least won’t wander off.”

Chu Yun’s lips curved into a smile: “Yan Xi, you seem to only feel a sense of responsibility towards her.” Her eyes, soft as water, looked at him.

She said: “If your life were a play, I think I could be the female lead.”

Yan Xi smiled, pinching and quickly spinning a thin eyebrow pencil, his tone questioning: “How so?”

Chu Yun blinked, extending her slender fingers as she counted: “Look, in your youth you met such a woman who brought you pain, closing off your heart. Many years later, ahem, you met me, that is, the female lead, and then, I’m beautiful, passionate, kind, and playful, importantly, I also have that little bit of confusion that all female leads have, gradually touching your heart bit by bit. Hey, Yan Xi, be careful, I’m about to walk into your heart.”

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow, stretching out both arms, open chest, bones, and muscles, extending inch by inch.

“Welcome anytime.”