Chapter 4

Lu Jianlan had been Jiang Caifu’s classmate since middle school, and their relationship was rock solid. Even after going to different universities—one staying in City A and the other flying off to City S—their friendship didn’t wane much despite the distance. They continued chatting enthusiastically online every day.

Back then, Lu Jianlan didn’t naively think their friendship would last forever. After all, being in different cities meant they couldn’t share every joy instantly. She figured they’d eventually find closer friends with whom they could share their everyday happiness.

But she didn’t expect their relationship to drift apart so quickly!

Just a few months into college, messages she sent would only get a reply two hours later!

Before, at most, it was an hour!

Was their little boat of friendship capsizing this fast?

Feeling betrayed, she mourned the “death” of their friendship while pouring her feelings into an 800-word essay for Jiang Caifu. Three hundred words reminisced about their honey-sweet past, another 300 condemned Jiang Caifu’s heartlessness and speedy change of heart, and the last 200 subtly and overtly pried into the details of her “new love.”

After sending it, Lu Jianlan reread her masterpiece, marveling at her own literary talent.

The phrasing! The emotions surging between the lines! Brilliant, as expected from me!

Half an hour later, Jiang Caifu’s reply finally arrived.

The opening salvo? A blushing, face-covering cat sticker.

No exaggeration—seeing that sticker gave Lu Jianlan a bad feeling, like things were heading in a direction she really didn’t want.

And sure enough, Jiang Caifu’s next message shattered her heart into pieces.

[Jiang Caifu: Actually, I’m in a relationship now /////]

Relationship?

At the time, 18-year-old Lu Jianlan, still clueless about romantic feelings, didn’t know what being in love was like. But reading that message, she touched her unmoving little heart and vaguely understood what heartbreak felt like.

She stared at the screen, rereading Jiang Caifu’s message multiple times, her mind stuck on one thought:

Should I tattle to her mom?

Jiang Caifu’s mom had been their high school homeroom teacher—strict with the class and even stricter with her daughter. Back in their freshman year, her mom had quietly asked Lu Jianlan to inform her if Jiang Caifu showed any signs of early romance.

Terrified of teachers, Lu Jianlan had timidly agreed, only to regret it later. However, since Jiang Caifu rarely interacted with boys, she eventually let it go and forgot the whole matter.

Until now. Suddenly learning about Jiang Caifu’s relationship brought the promise back to mind.

But they were adults now. Dating was normal, right? No need to report it to her mom anymore, right? Jiang Caifu would probably tell her mom herself, right?

That night, Lu Jianlan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The first half of the night, she agonized over whether to tell Jiang Caifu’s mom. The second half, she speculated about whether Jiang Caifu’s boyfriend was reliable.

The next morning, sporting massive dark circles, she sent her congratulations to Jiang Caifu, wishing her and her boyfriend everlasting happiness.

Though curious about the boyfriend’s identity, she didn’t want to hear about romantic details. Nor did she think Jiang Caifu would share such things. For a long time, Jiang Caifu’s boyfriend remained a vague concept to Lu Jianlan—a person whose existence she acknowledged but about whom she knew nothing: not his name, appearance, or personality.

It wasn’t until months later, when Jiang Caifu started responding instantly, that she began to hear complaints about him. That’s when she realized her friend’s love life was full of drama.

From Jiang Caifu’s perspective, her boyfriend was quirky, sharp-tongued, emotionally unintelligent, and constantly infuriating her—yet she couldn’t do anything about it.

Lu Jianlan couldn’t understand why Jiang Caifu would date such a guy.

He doesn’t even provide emotional support. What are you seeing in him?

When asked this blunt question, Jiang Caifu’s reply was delayed for a long time. The “typing…” indicator lingered on the screen endlessly.

Finally, perhaps at a loss for words, she sent a desperate response:

[Jiang Caifu: Because he’s good-looking, I guess?]

[Lu Jianlan: Don’t be such a shallow appearance fanatic. :)]

Lu Jianlan didn’t think the relationship would last long. In her simple view of romance, couples who endure are those who rarely argue and are highly tolerant of each other.

But Jiang Caifu wasn’t the patient, accommodating type. She was sharp and opinionated.

So, Lu Jianlan had already prepared herself for the news of their breakup and even scoped out restaurants in City S to celebrate Jiang Caifu’s return to singlehood.

Most relationships lasted no more than a year or two before breaking apart. Ironically, the one she had least faith in turned out to be the longest-lasting.

As for why they broke up, Jiang Caifu didn’t elaborate, and Lu Jianlan didn’t press her for details.

After all, breakups during graduation season were as common as clouds in the sky—one person had to return home, the other stayed in S City; parting ways was only natural.

So, two years later, just when Lu Jianlan was about to forget that Jiang Caifu ever had such a relationship, she was caught off guard hearing her mention her ex-boyfriend. For a moment, she couldn’t quite believe it.

“He’s in City A now? Why?”

“I didn’t ask, probably for work.”

Jiang Caifu’s expression remained calm, and her tone was equally indifferent. Lu Jianlan studied her face for a long time, trying to catch a trace of unusual emotion.

But to her disappointment, except for the initial moment when she mentioned running into her ex-boyfriend at the supermarket—when her expression had been slightly off—everything else seemed perfectly ordinary.

As calm as if she were casually commenting on the taste of a dish at a hotpot restaurant.

“Well, he was your first love,” Lu Jianlan raised an eyebrow, teasing her. “Don’t you feel a little nostalgic? Never thought about rekindling the flame?”

Jiang Caifu looked a bit surprised. “Wow, I can’t believe that’s coming out of your mouth. I thought you’d be dying for me to stay single and keep you company.”

Lu Jianlan, perpetually single and utterly uninterested in romance, always dragged Jiang Caifu into her battles with family nagging about finding a partner.

“True,” Lu Jianlan realized her slip, lightly slapping her own mouth. “Forget I said that. Besides, you know what they say—good horses don’t turn back to grazed grass. You two have been apart for so long; there’s no need to reconcile. You should find a new boyfriend instead—at least that would feel fresh.”

Jiang Caifu shook her head with little interest. “Work has worn me out so much that I’ve lost my appetite for meeting new people.”

Dealing with colleagues, clients, and suppliers every day had drained all her social energy. She had zero desire to interact with strangers, let alone start a new relationship.

Lu Jianlan couldn’t help but feel awed. “My fear of work has reached new heights.”

Jiang Caifu waved her hand wearily. “Let’s not talk about work anymore. I don’t want to hear that word after hours.”

“Fair enough,” Lu Jianlan shrugged, but her curiosity about Jiang Caifu’s encounter with her ex was piqued again.

“You know how in novels, old flames always have all sorts of sparks and conflicts when they meet again? I’m curious—did anything like that happen between you two?”

Jiang Caifu paused while blowing on a piece of steamed water spinach. “No sparks—just a collision.”

Lu Jianlan: “?”

Jiang Caifu: “When I was replying to your text in the supermarket, I bumped the cart into his leg.”

Lu Jianlan: “So…is there really no chance of you two getting back together?”

“Probably not.” Jiang Caifu stuffed some vegetables into her mouth, speaking thoughtfully. “After all, the breakup wasn’t exactly graceful. Plus, I was the one who dumped him, so I always figured he must resent me quite a bit.”

“That’s unlikely, isn’t it?” Lu Jianlan widened her eyes in surprise. “Breakups happen all the time; it’s normal when a relationship runs its course. You didn’t do anything to wrong him, right?” She paused, then added with less confidence, “I think?”

Jiang Caifu shook her head firmly. “It’s not that I feel guilty for doing something wrong. I just think he resents me because he’s naturally petty and narrow-minded. You get what I mean?”

Lu Jianlan nodded as if she understood. “So, you’re completely blameless. In that case, no need to worry. Just pretend you didn’t see him if you run into him again.”

Jiang Caifu agreed with a hum. That was her plan anyway.

She wasn’t the type who could gracefully make small talk with an ex-boyfriend. During the short time they walked together earlier, her nerves had been stretched taut. She wasn’t sure if it was awkwardness or something else.

Her wandering thoughts were interrupted when her phone on the table suddenly lit up.

She picked it up, frowning unconsciously.

“What’s wrong?”

“A text message came in.”

The message, sent from a local number she didn’t recognize, filled her screen with densely packed text.

She skimmed through it, realizing it listed all the eateries she frequented during her college years. Each name and address even included signature dishes. It was evident someone had put a lot of effort into compiling it.

At the bottom, there was one line unrelated to food:

[This is my assistant’s number. Don’t save it, don’t save it, don’t save it! Copy the content to your phone and delete this message afterward.]

Her expression turned complicated as she muttered, “This is just absurd.”

Could she have misjudged him all along?

Could her ex-boyfriend actually be an exceptionally generous and thoughtful person?

What she didn’t expect was that Jiang Caifu would date him for three years. By the time she broke up, the restaurant Lu Jianlan had chosen had long gone out of business.

When Jiang Caifu called to say she’d broken up and was returning to work in City A, Lu Jianlan felt strangely disoriented.

Wait, you really broke up?

Are you sure this isn’t just another fight where you’ll reconcile after a two-hour cold war?

Oh, this time it’s real? You’ve blocked him on everything and there’s no chance of getting back together?

Lu Jianlan rubbed her face, unexpectedly feeling a bit wistful.