Zhu Jinxiao was sociable and had plenty of classmates and friends in town. Being impulsive, she quickly gathered news and rushed over to share it with Zhu Shiyu.

At that moment, Zhu Shiyu was selecting wedding invitation styles. Meng Siyi had sent her several pictures from the wedding planning company, and she had opened them to take a quick look but hadn’t replied yet.

“Xiaoyu, my college best friend’s cousin is a nurse at that hospital, and she just happens to work in the orthopedics department. I dug around a bit, and you won’t believe what I found out!” 

Zhu Jinxiao burst in, sitting down in front of her, creating suspense.

“What is it?” Zhu Shiyu looked up, temporarily putting her phone down on the table.

“I heard… this Dr. Meng had a girlfriend before, supposedly his first love,” Zhu Jinxiao leaned forward, lowering her voice.

“Really?” Zhu Shiyu’s eyes widened slightly, listening intently.

Sure enough, Zhu Jinxiao was soon animated, sharing everything she knew.

“That girl was his patient; apparently, she had a severe illness, almost terminal, but miraculously, she recovered. She was discharged a couple of years ago, and since then, no one has heard from her, nor has she appeared at the hospital.” Here, Zhu Jinxiao paused dramatically before dropping the big news.

“However, earlier this year, she suddenly got married, and the invitation was sent to the hospital, specifically addressed to Meng Siyi—he accidentally left it on his desk during lunch, and several people saw it.”

“There’s a little nurse in their department who has been in touch with that girl, so she knows all the details. Since so much time has passed, not many know the specifics, but because of Meng Siyi’s brief fling, people tend to gossip about him and keep bringing it up.”

Saying this, Zhu Jinxiao looked astonished, her tone surprisingly excited. “Can you believe this Dr. Meng didn’t date anyone from high school all the way through college? I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard it from his male roommate; I never imagined he could be so innocent and romantic.”

“Wait…” Zhu Shiyu felt overwhelmed by the amount of information. She raised her hand as if to pause the conversation.

“You’re saying he had a girlfriend, who was apparently his first love, and now she’s married to someone else?”

“Exactly,” Zhu Jinxiao confirmed with a nod.

“So you’re suggesting he was hurt, disillusioned, and now just wants to marry anyone?”

“I didn’t say that,” Zhu Jinxiao’s eyes twinkled as she thought, “but I personally think that’s a strong possibility.”

“You see, he could have waited until later to get married, yet he suddenly agreed to go on a blind date. And you know what? I found out something else!” She leaned in mysteriously.

“Many people had introduced him to potential partners, but he turned them all down, saying he wasn’t interested in dating at the moment.”

“But as soon as your aunt said something, he agreed to meet her. Doesn’t that timing seem a bit too convenient?” 

“Hmm…” Zhu Shiyu pondered, nodding thoughtfully, accepting her interpretation.

“Well, it sounds like he’s in a pretty sad situation,” she said gently after a moment.

Zhu Jinxiao’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Girl! Shouldn’t you be backing away now? He’s still thinking about someone else! Why would we want a guy like that?” Zhu Jinxiao scolded her in frustration.

“But I’m not just looking to marry him,” Zhu Shiyu explained. “For now, he’s my safe harbor, a temporary place for me to catch my breath—both a constraint and a freedom.”

“I don’t dislike him; I even have a bit of a crush, but I don’t love him yet. In a way, it feels fair between us.”

“His ex is a thing of the past, and he genuinely wants to marry me and build a real relationship. So it doesn’t affect anything.”

“Shiyu, you’re crazy…” Zhu Jinxiao stared at her in disbelief, shaking her head.

For someone like Zhu Jinxiao, who believed in love above all and a lifelong commitment to romance, any marriage not based on love seemed like a slow, alternative form of dying.

“Did you get hurt by Lu Ge? You should take some time to cool down; I’ll bring him in here to beg for your forgiveness.”

“I’m calm right now,” Zhu Shiyu replied steadily, shaking her head. “But it does relate to Lu Ge a bit.”

“Thanks to being with him for these past few years, I’ve realized that I’m not suited for dating. If getting married can put my parents’ minds at ease and solve most of the problems in my life right now, I think it might bring me more happiness than being in a relationship ever could.”

“Oh, you arrived just in time! Meng Siyi just sent me several wedding invitation styles. Take a look and see which one you think is better.” Zhu Shiyu picked up her phone again and opened the pictures for Zhu Jinxiao to review.

“………” Zhu Jinxiao stared wide-eyed, momentarily speechless. After a moment, she grabbed her bag, stood up with a flourish, and looked down at Zhu Shiyu, letting out a cold snort from her nose.

“Zhu Shiyu, you’re hopeless. I’m leaving; contact me on your wedding day.”

“Ah, I was actually planning to schedule a time for you to have dinner with Meng Siyi. After all, as my best friend and future partner, they should meet each other.” 

“What time, which day, and where?” Zhu Jinxiao quickly inquired, putting her bag down and sitting back down, her expression unchanged.

“I’m free anytime.”