Forget it, just this once.

She would never be heartbroken again next time.

She was heartbroken.

A failed online romance.

She pulled her scarf tighter and walked up the overpass.

Thick clouds like soft cotton covered the sea. A grand sunset burned the coastline into a fiery red, scattering a sheet of gold on the shimmering water.

Shen Mi wanted to jump down and end it all.

But just thinking about it, she had just started paying social security, she couldn’t bear to die.

Heartbreak was heartbreak, what was she so frantic about?

Was she frantic because she liked Xie Rongzhuo?

The internet and reality were different. She liked the way Xie Rongzhuo carried her to victory in the game. She had a deep filter for him because she admired strength, and through her brain’s constant beautification, she imagined him as her ideal partner, the perfect lover she had fabricated.

That’s right.

She didn’t like Xie Rongzhuo at all.

Successfully convincing herself, Shen Mi felt a little less panicked.

The evening wind carried the smell of the sea, hitting her face. Shen Mi adjusted her thinking and began to sort out the second question.

—Who was right and who was wrong between her and Xie Rongzhuo?

Thinking about her master… no, Xie surname internet user.

Thinking about the first time Xie surname internet user asked her how she would evaluate him, Shen Mi remembered her answer was “player.”

If she had been called a player, she wouldn’t have admitted it either.

She couldn’t say “I’m that player,” right?

She was wrong about this, Shen Mi admitted.

But she said that based on her trust in Xie surname internet user! She told him everything without reservation, that was a frank attitude. But he was wearing a pseudonym to steal information, betraying her trust!

Good, no need to admit it.

Next question.

.—Why did Xie Rongzhuo wear a pseudonym to steal information?

He couldn’t be interested in her, could he?

Shen Mi recalled her dark skin and dusty appearance back then. Xie Rongzhuo had such discerning taste, how could he possibly like her?

But then again…

Maybe Xie Rongzhuo wasn’t the kind of superficial person who only looked at appearances?

“…”

What was she doing? Was she adding a filter for him because she once liked Xie surname internet user?

She couldn’t be a love-brained idiot, say no to self-You’re right!

Shen Mi was about to unpin Xie Rongzhuo.

Seeing the familiar profile picture and those sweet chat logs, she felt a little reluctant to delete them.

No, not sweet at all!

Shen Mi quickly scrolled through the chat logs, and these words, when applied to Xie Rongzhuo’s face, instantly became cold.

On New Year’s Eve, she spent over an hour preparing a gift, staying up late to wish him a happy new year at the stroke of midnight. His cold”Mm-hmm” (a simple “mm-hmm”) had nothing to do with sweetness!

It was all her one-sided flirting and attempts at being cute, while Xie Rongzhuo was simply putting up with her!

He only bothered to respond to her because she was Zhang Zhiqing’s friend and had saved Zhang Zhiqing’s life, and he would spare a few moments from his busy schedule to give her a perfunctory reply!

He barely paid any attention to her, and she was still acting cute and saying he was cold? If she was cold, couldn’t she just drink some hot water instead of whining?

Maybe Xie Rongzhuo was completely annoyed by her!

Oh, maybe he would just humor her a little when she was really bothering him.

But from beginning to end, Xie Rongzhuo never accepted her hints. He refused to meet up, and he never turned on his mic for voice calls. It was her, all on her own, burning with passion, being delusional!

She was never in a relationship, so how could she be heartbroken?

…But if she didn’t like Xie Rongzhuo, why did she care so much? Was it because of her master?

Xie Rongzhuo was arrogant and aloof, while her master was gentle and considerate. Shen Mi found it hard to reconcile them, yet they were undeniably the same person.

They had merged, and she was about to crack.

The problem was back to where it started.

The cold wind on the bridge blew in gusts, and Shen Mi’s carefully organized thoughts were once again scattered.

A teacher had once said, “If you can’t untangle it, don’t bother.”

Shen Mi raised her phone and took dozens of pictures of the seascape in one go.

She had come all this way, she couldn’t leave empty-handed.

A few minutes later, nine photos of the seascape appeared on her Moments.

Zhang Zhiqing liked the post: Wow! So beautiful! Where is this?

Shen Mi was about to reply when Xie Rongzhuo’s profile picture suddenly appeared in the list of likes.

He still had the time to browse Moments?

Did she really care about this more than anyone else?

In a fit of anger, Shen Mi unpinned his WeChat contact.

Then she felt a little uncomfortable.

She had been so immersed in the situation lately that she had gotten used to seeing his ID at the top.

No rush, she could pin it again when she got used to it, Shen Mi thought.

As night fell, Shen Mi realized a serious problem: this place was too remote, she couldn’t get a ride.

The cold wind swept through the fallen leaves, mirroring Shen Mi’s current mood: awkward and lonely.

The lighthouse at the harbor across the sea lit up, illuminating the surrounding area, but Shen Mi had no heart to admire the night view. She stared at her phone with its low battery and started to panic.

A WeChat voice call from “dsm” popped up.

Seeing the familiar ID and profile picture, Shen Mi felt a mix of emotions. Only a few hours had passed, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

She hesitated for a few seconds before pressing the answer button.

“Come to the left intersection.”

A cool, steady male voice – the owner of this WeChat account was speaking to her for the first time.

“Shen Mi?”

“What?”

“Look at the left intersection, come over.”

Shen Mi turned her head towards the intersection at the end of the bridge. A black car was flashing its hazard lights. It was Xie Rongzhuo’s car.

“This is a one-way street, I’ll go around, you walk over slowly.”

Shen Mi had been standing on the bridge for over two hours in her high heels, her emotions exhausted and her body tired. Her legs felt like they were about to give out. She didn’t want to push her body any further and obediently walked towards his car.

The car was warm with the heater on, and Shen Mi loosened her scarf, turning to look out the window.

Xie Rongzhuo pulled the car over to the side of the road and reached out, handing Shen Mi a cup of hot coffee. “I haven’t had any.”

“No, I can’t drink coffee at night, it’ll keep me up.”

Xie Rongzhuo: “You won’t be able to sleep tonight if you don’t drink it?”

“…”

Shen Mi took the cup with both hands: “Thank you.”

The coffee had coconut milk in it, making it slightly sweet. Shen Mi took a few sips, and her body began to warm up.

Xie Rongzhuo: “Do you want to hear me apologize, or do you want me to comfort you?”

Shen Mi: “Are you my boss or my master right now?”

Xie Rongzhuo pressed his lips together slightly, the light catching the lenses of his glasses on his high nose. The dim light in the car highlighted his tense jaw, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.

“Who do you want me to be?” he asked.

Shen Mi lowered her gaze to the coffee cup lid, her curled eyelashes fluttering gently. Her cheeks were reddened from the cold, and she looked a bit angry, almost like she was pouting: “I want you to give me my master back.”

“I can give him to you,” Xie Rongzhuo replied seriously. “But do you dare to ask for it?”

The author has something to say:

A netizen with the surname Xie is eager to turn an online romance into reality →_→

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