Nеаrlу tеn уеars had раssеd sinсе high school grаduаtion, and еveryоnе hаd gоnе thеir sepаrate ways since thеn. Вy аny mеаsurе, it hаd beеn а lоng timе sinсe thеy last saw еаch оther.
Fu Mingyu rеcallеd that his last еnсоuntеr with Li Zhihuаi wаs lаst yeаr, whеn their high sсhооl homеroоm tеachеr—hеr fathеr—was criticаlly ill. He hаd mаdе time tо visit, and they hаd ехchаngеd оnlу а flеeting glаnсe in thе hosрital roоm.
Fu Mingуu wаsn’t thе tyре tо kеep in clоse touch. He hаd studied abroаd for universitу and hаd littlе cоntact with his high school classmates. After returning to China after graduation, everyone seemed to have gotten the news, inviting him to gatherings every now and then. Either he genuinely couldn’t make it due to other commitments, or he made excuses to decline. He never showed up at those big or small class reunions.
His work kept him too busy, and he didn’t want to waste time on meaningless socializing.
To put it bluntly, his high school classmates were no longer in the same social circle, so there was no need for him to invest time in maintaining those relationships.
Li Zhihuai, however, left some impression on him.
For one, she was the daughter of his high school homeroom teacher, so they had some connection, though not particularly close, because of the teacher.
Secondly, this year, Li Zhihuai’s presence had been overwhelming—frequently dominating screens and trending on social media. Even though Fu Mingyu was busy with work, he had heard about her many times from friends.
Looking back, Li Zhihuai hadn’t stood out much in high school. If not for her father being the homeroom teacher, Fu Mingyu probably wouldn’t have noticed her.
Back then, her looks weren’t considered fashionable—too bold and lacking in softness. She didn’t know how to dress up either, with short hair and a school uniform, looking like a tomboy.
Later, when she got into film school, some people doubted her prospects, predicting a bumpy road ahead in her acting career.
And indeed, from her first role to last year, six or seven years had passed. She was already in her late twenties but still hadn’t gained much fame. Even her agent had almost given up on her.
Who would have thought that this year, she seemed to have hit rock bottom and bounced back? Starting with a low-budget romance film at the beginning of the year that became a dark horse at the box office, to a summer comedy that received rave reviews, and then a recent art film that won awards—she had climbed all the way from obscurity to become a top-tier actress.
People often say that “fame nourishes a person.” Perhaps because her fame had risen, resources in all aspects had improved, and Li Zhihuai seemed completely transformed, exuding a unique charm.
“I heard you came for the airshow. Why didn’t Yan An come?” Li Zhihuai asked, her long curly hair draped over her shoulders, intertwined with gold threads that subtly shimmered under the banquet hall lights.
“His sister is attending this airshow,” Fu Mingyu replied, raising his glass slightly. “Congratulations, I heard you won an award last month.”
Li Zhihuai smiled. “I just got lucky with the director and screenwriter.”
She took a sip of wine, her fingers lightly tapping the stem of the glass as she pondered what to say next. But then she noticed Fu Mingyu’s gaze drifting back to his phone.
He glanced down at his phone and saw Ruan Sixian’s message: “As long as you switch boyfriends fast enough, there’s no sadness, only love :)” It made him grit his teeth.
[Fu Mingyu]: Asking for trouble?
As Fu Mingyu replied to the message, Li Zhihuai held her glass near her lips, half-hiding her face as she observed him.
When they met in the hospital room last year, she had been rushing to a schedule and barely exchanged a few words with him. Yet, the man remained as dazzling as he had been in his youth. The difference was that his demeanor had grown even more composed and steady.
Now, under the brilliant lights of the banquet hall, a closer look at his features revealed a firmer, more masculine aura than in his younger years.
“Are you busy?”
“Not really,” Fu Mingyu said, putting away his phone. “Just a message from my girlfriend.”"Oh, I see." A strange heaviness settled in her heart, and the flicker of emotion in her eyes vanished with a blink. Li Zhihuai swirled her wine glass and added, "By the way, did you know Wu Yin is getting married next month?"
The name sounded vaguely familiar. With Li Zhihuai's reminder, Fu Mingyu remembered.
Wu Yin—wasn't she the campus belle who had caused a major rift in Fu Mingyu and Yan An's already fragile friendship?
They hadn't kept in touch after graduation. If it weren't for Yan An's perpetually sour expression, Fu Mingyu might have completely forgotten about her.
"Not really."
Li Zhihuai nodded and fell silent.
Yet, deep down, she felt an indescribable sense of glee.
In high school, she and Wu Yin had been inseparable best friends, but the entire school only knew Wu Yin—the beautiful, sweet-voiced girl with a face like a first love—while overlooking Li Zhihuai, the one who could play the guitar beside her.
Even at the graduation prom, when Wu Yin confessed her feelings to Fu Mingyu, Li Zhihuai had been on stage providing accompaniment, merely a backdrop.
"Her husband is also from our school—that guy from the next class who was really good at basketball. He's an engineer now. I never expected that after saying she wanted to be a singer, she's now planning to become a full-time housewife because of love. Sometimes, I really envy her..."
Fu Mingyu listened politely until she finished, while Bai Yang, standing nearby, gestured at his watch to signal him. "It's getting late," Fu Mingyu said. "I have things to do tomorrow, so I'll take my leave now."
He set down his glass and turned to bid farewell to the host of the evening's reception. After taking a few steps—
"Wait!"
Li Zhihuai suddenly called out to him, holding her wine as she walked toward him.
Ruan Sixian had fallen asleep while watching a variety show.
Having gone to bed early, she naturally woke up early.
She spent two hours at the gym, then returned home to shower, do laundry, and clean. By the time she finished, it was only eleven o'clock.
With a rare day off, Ruan Sixian opened a food delivery app and glanced at it, but ultimately decided to cook for herself.
The weather had turned bitterly cold. Ruan Sixian slipped on her coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and opened the door, only to be met with a gust of cold wind that instantly made her reconsider.
Forget it. Food delivery is the true meaning of life.
She turned around, taking off her shoes as she pulled the door shut.
Just as it was about to close, she felt resistance.
Puzzled, she tugged harder, but the door was yanked outward with even greater force.
What was going on?
Caught between "forcing the door shut" and "stepping out to investigate," Ruan Sixian instinctively chose the former. With her other hand gripping the handle, she pulled with all her might—but the opponent was too strong. Unable to resist, the door was flung open.
Ruan Sixian looked outside and nearly thought she was hallucinating.
Fu Mingyu stood there in a sleek black suit, topped with a long coat of the same color. The cut was elegant yet understated, giving him an almost unreal sense of perfection—except for the hint of mischief in his eyes.
"How does a girl have so much strength?"
Ruan Sixian stood in the doorway, taking a moment to regain her composure. "Weren't you supposed to return tomorrow?"
"From your tone, it sounds like you weren't exactly looking forward to my return?"
Ruan Sixian tried her best to keep her expression devoid of any hint of pleasant surprise, raising an eyebrow as she replied, "Exactly."
She stood right at the doorway, with barely enough space for one person, let alone two.
Suddenly, Fu Mingyu stepped forward, pressing his body against hers. One arm wrapped around her waist while the other pulled the door shut. With another step forward, the door closed, and he pinned her against the entryway wall."If I didn't come back soon, who knows how many more 'brothers' someone might have gone through."
As soon as he spoke, his warm breath brushed against Ruan Sixian's face, carrying a hint of minty freshness that tickled her skin.
Ruan Sixian pushed against his chest with her hand. "Hey, that's enough now."
Fu Mingyu released her and glanced at her outfit. "Going out?"
"Yeah, to buy some groceries." Ruan Sixian adjusted her scarf and, noticing his travel-weary appearance, asked, "Have you eaten?"
"No." Fu Mingyu had been about to take off his coat, but hearing her question, he let go. "Are you going to cook?"
Ruan Sixian nodded, her chin tucked into her scarf.
"Let's go to the supermarket."
Ruan Sixian rarely went to supermarkets, but Fu Mingyu seemed more familiar with them than she was.
Entering the store, he casually grabbed a shopping cart, glanced at the directory, and headed straight for the fresh produce section.
The supermarket was quiet in the morning, mostly filled with shoppers buying groceries, including quite a few young couples.
Even now, Fu Mingyu seemed to have endless tasks. He pushed the cart with one hand while answering a call with the other.
Ruan Sixian followed leisurely behind him, occasionally picking out a few ingredients from the shelves and tossing them into the cart.
A few minutes later, Fu Mingyu hung up and put his phone away, freeing up his other hand. Ruan Sixian naturally noticed his now-empty hand.
Pretending to browse the shelves, she subtly slipped her right hand through the crook of his arm and held onto it.
Compared to holding hands, Ruan Sixian actually preferred linking arms—it felt more secure.
Fu Mingyu was slightly surprised and glanced back at her.
Ruan Sixian turned her face away to look at the ingredients. A few seconds later, sensing he was still watching her, she turned back and glared at him.
"What are you looking at?"
Her hand just had a mind of its own.
Fu Mingyu smiled. "Nothing, just admiring how pretty you are."
At least he was saying something decent.
But she noticed that ever since Fu Mingyu entered the supermarket, even the middle-aged saleswomen couldn't stop glancing at him. Ruan Sixian pursed her lips and whispered, "I'm not as good-looking as you."
Fu Mingyu replied, "Don't be insecure."
Who was insecure?
Was this man planning to enter the fashion industry and open a dyeing workshop?
Ruan Sixian scoffed. "Of course. If I weren't so insecure, I'd have a whole bunch of husbands by now."
As soon as she finished speaking, the person beside her stopped walking.
She looked up, still processing what had happened, when her lips were gently bitten.
"...?"
Fu Mingyu slowly straightened up and licked the corner of his mouth.
"That mouth of yours needs some discipline."
Ruan Sixian was caught off guard by his sudden boldness in public, her movements momentarily frozen. It took her a moment to blink.
Under the "can't bear to look but can't help looking" gazes of the saleswomen, her face flushed uncontrollably, and she instinctively fell silent.
The morning produce was still plentiful, but Ruan Sixian couldn't decide what to pick after browsing for a while. The person beside her was even worse—he hadn't even glanced at the vegetables, as if he were just here to rack up steps on his fitness tracker.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine."
Ruan Sixian sensed a hint of distrust in Fu Mingyu's "anything is fine" regarding her cooking skills.
"There's no such dish as 'anything.' You have three seconds to decide what you want, or we're going home."
With that, she immediately started counting: "One, two, three—"
Fu Mingyu looked down at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Anything I want?""......"
Ruan Sixian took a deep breath, casually picked up a box of beef and tossed it into the shopping cart, saying expressionlessly, "Eat it if you want, or don’t—it’s up to you."
Since her cooking skills weren’t particularly refined, Ruan Sixian ended up selecting only some fresh vegetables, which was enough.
The two walked to the self-checkout area. Fu Mingyu scanned the items while Ruan Sixian stood nearby, waiting.
Christmas was approaching, and the supermarket had already started playing festive songs. The surroundings were decorated with red and green ornaments.
Ruan Sixian kept her hands in her pockets, staring at the little Santa Claus sticker on the shelf in front of her. Lost in thought about the upcoming holidays, she felt a bit distracted.
New Year’s Day, Spring Festival… the busiest days for the aviation industry were about to begin. Just glancing at her upcoming flight schedule gave her a headache.
Suddenly, Fu Mingyu, having finished paying, walked over to her. Following her gaze, he paused for a moment and said, "I have things to do today, no time."
Ruan Sixian glanced at him, then back at the shelf in front of her.
—An entire shelf of condoms.
What the hell do you mean?
Her chest suddenly felt like a balloon about to burst from being overinflated. Her scalp tingled, and she slapped his arm.
"Fu Mingyu, you should really thank the law for protecting your life!"
Seeing her flushed with anger and cursing, Fu Mingyu tilted his head and smiled at her. "Here we go again, asking for a kiss?"
"......"
They returned home just at noon.
Ruan Sixian had been angry the whole way back and didn’t want to make things easy for Fu Mingyu by cooking for him. So, after returning home, she put the ingredients in the kitchen and walked out with an apron in hand.
But when she saw the scene in the living room, she changed her mind.
While she was in the kitchen, Fu Mingyu had already taken off his overcoat and suit jacket. He was leaning on the sofa, frowning with his eyes closed, though it was clear he wasn’t asleep.
"Are you very tired?"
"Yeah." Fu Mingyu took a deep breath, loosening his tie as he spoke. "I was up all night last night, and this morning I rushed back from two different places."
"Then why did you rush back today?"
Fu Mingyu opened his eyes, his deep gaze fixed directly on her.
"I wanted to see you. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow."
Ruan Sixian didn’t say anything. She tied the apron and turned back into the kitchen.
Though words like that held no practical meaning, they still felt oddly comforting.
After cleaning all the ingredients, Ruan Sixian stared at the pile of food, quietly took out her phone, opened a tutorial, and closed the kitchen door.
She wanted to finish the meal quickly, but her cooking skills didn’t allow it. Three simple dishes took a full hour.
And when they were ready to serve, she still lacked confidence.
Compared to Fu Mingyu’s bowl of noodles, she felt her cooking might not measure up.
Fortunately, Fu Mingyu was very supportive. When he sat down to eat and Ruan Sixian asked how it was, he nodded and said, "Not bad."
Seeing his sincerity, Ruan Sixian immediately picked up her chopsticks and tried a few bites of the beef.
"......"
She didn’t know whether to say his taste buds were off or his acting skills were too impressive.
"Maybe we should just eat out next time."
At the mention of "eating out," Fu Mingyu seemed to have some resistance, frowning as he said, "No need, this is quite good."
Perhaps compared to clams and vermicelli, he’d rather eat things that were either too salty or too bland.
"Should I open a jar of pickles to go with it?"
Fu Mingyu glanced at her and picked up a piece of mushroom.
"This really tastes good. Want to try it?"Ruan Sixian hesitantly opened her mouth, and Fu Mingyu fed her the piece of mushroom.
"How is it?"
While chewing, Ruan Sixian tried her best to savor the "not bad" he had mentioned.
"What's so good about it?"
"You probably didn’t add many seasonings, so it retains the original flavor of the mushroom."
"..." Ruan Sixian lowered her eyes. "No talking during meals."
Half an hour later, Ruan Sixian finally managed to finish a bowl of rice, while Fu Mingyu received a call from Bai Yang.
He put down his chopsticks, responded softly a few times, then hung up the phone, stood up, and put on his jacket.
"There’s something I need to attend to. I’m heading back to the company first."
Ruan Sixian nodded at him.
"Go ahead."
As he reached the door, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back. "I’m free tomorrow, so get ready..."
Ruan Sixian: "Get lost!"
Fu Mingyu was taken aback, and only when he saw her flushed face did he realize.
"What are you thinking?" he said with a smile. "I meant I’m taking you somewhere tomorrow."
"..."
After Fu Mingyu left, Ruan Sixian cleared the dishes and sat on the sofa to rest.
This noon had truly been chaotic.
She used to think Fu Mingyu was quite measured in his words, but now he seemed like a different person, as if he was deliberately trying to annoy her at every turn.
Looking at the black patterned tie he had left on the sofa, Ruan Sixian picked it up and fiddled with it for a while.
What could she do about the boyfriend she chose herself? Just endure it.
Her phone beside her rang twice.
[Si Xiaozhen]: Ruan Ruan...
Ruan Sixian : What’s wrong?
[Si Xiaozhen]: I think when it comes to love, you shouldn’t take it too seriously.
[Si Xiaozhen]: Look at the big tree outside the window. Love is just like it—either yellow or green.
[Si Xiaozhen]: There are many beautiful things in life, and love is the least worth mentioning.
Ruan Sixian : Did you drink menthol oil? Why are you spouting such cold words?
[Si Xiaozhen]: Take a look for yourself. I’m busy at work and can’t leave. If you’re feeling down, go find Bian Xuan, but remember, don’t act impulsively. This is a society governed by law!
At the same time, she sent a link to a gossip forum post.
Ruan Sixian opened the link. The title was very eye-catching.
"Did I just photograph Li Zhihuai?!"
Clicking in, the original poster described the content concisely.
"I had just woken up a little after seven this morning, opened the curtains, and saw a man and a woman walking out of the building opposite. Am I seeing things? Is this Li Zhihuai?"
"Just to add, I live on the second floor. This is an old residential area, and the buildings are quite close together."
Below were three photos.
Ruan Sixian didn’t even need to zoom in to see that the man in the photo was none other than her boyfriend.
Even his clothes were exactly the same.
"Holy crap! That’s Li Zhihuai. She was wearing this exact outfit in street photos last week."
"Who’s the man behind her? He looks really handsome. Is he someone in the industry? I don’t recognize him."
Ruan Sixian didn’t read the replies that followed.
She picked up the tie beside her, and her expression slowly turned cold.
No wonder he could call that female celebrity’s name so easily.
So, after all the fuss last night, this was what it meant?
So when he saw her standing in front of that cabinet and immediately found a roundabout way to refuse, it was because he was exhausted?
Coming out of the neighborhood with someone early in the morning—did they discuss film art all night?Half an hour later, on the 16th floor of Hengshi Airlines.
The administrative hall remained bustling, with employees carrying files as they hurried back and forth. Occasionally, those with a moment to spare whispered among themselves, exchanging hushed conversations.
Then, the elevator doors slid open. Ruan Sixian strode forward, a necktie clenched in her hand, and the hall abruptly fell silent.
Among the bustling crowd, two invisible lines seemed to snap into place. With a synchronized rustle, everyone retreated to either side, halting their movements and fixing their eyes on Ruan Sixian.
Though the surroundings were quiet, it felt as if an alarm was blaring in the air.
Everyone in the hall watched as Ruan Sixian marched step by step toward Fu Mingyu’s office. The necktie in her hand resembled a noose, and her face clearly spelled out six words:
—Fu Mingyu, you’re dead.
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