Chapter 1

Autumn, a weekend.

The fountain square was bustling on this sunny afternoon.

On this rare day off, people were eager to go out and enjoy themselves.

The sunshine was just right, and many chose to stroll around the square, enjoying the breeze. Parents with their children, couples on dates—everyone passed by or lingered in the square conveniently located next to the busy commercial street.

Some clever street vendors seized the opportunity to sell toys or rent out a small skating area for entertainment. Children ran around holding balloons, laughing so hard their little legs moved too quickly for their parents to keep up.

By the relatively quieter large fountain, Lin Lan was there, crouching as she fed a stray cat with the sausage in her hand.

Her low ponytail and cream-colored trench coat gave her an air of quiet elegance. She smiled gently, watching the little cat eagerly chew on the food. Occasionally, she would tear the sausage into smaller pieces to feed it more easily.

“Lanlan!”

Before long, a young man jogged toward her from the street, waving his hand anxiously.

Hearing the familiar call, Lin Lan didn’t get up right away. She calmly continued feeding the cat, tearing the last piece of chicken nugget in her hand and tossing it to the little feline. Only then did she slowly wipe the grease from her fingers with a wet wipe, stand up unhurriedly, and turn to face the approaching young man with a faint smile.

“Well, Shao Xiuye, you took the initiative to ask me out, yet you made me stand here waiting for over an hour.” She raised her eyebrows, her tone sharp. “You’re really capable.”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that!” The young man, Shao Xiuye, quickly shook his head, clearly eager to defend himself. “There was a minor issue when I left, and it delayed me a bit. Then the company had an urgent matter that required me to return for a moment. As soon as I finished, I rushed over! I even texted you to explain, didn’t I? Lanlan, you know what kind of person I am. I’ve never been late when I’m with you!”

Lin Lan said nothing. She simply looked him up and down—her boyfriend, whom she hadn’t seen properly for some time.

Shao Xiuye had a strikingly handsome face, with well-defined features and a tall, well-proportioned build. Two years ago, when he pursued her, Lin Lan had been the envy of many women.

Six months ago, due to a job transfer, he moved from the city where they had worked and lived together to the company’s headquarters in another city. They had been in a long-distance relationship ever since.

At this moment, the man standing before her wore a finely tailored suit, his leather shoes polished to a mirror shine, and his meticulously styled hair leaving not a single strand out of place. Yet, to Lin Lan, this polished image felt oddly unfamiliar.

“This—this is just my work outfit,” Shao Xiuye hurriedly explained, noticing her gaze. “The company had an urgent matter earlier, and I had no choice. I didn’t mean to meet you dressed like this.”

“What’s got you so flustered?” Lin Lan’s lips curved slightly. “I was just about to say you look pretty dashing in your work attire. I bet plenty of girls find it attractive, huh?”

Shao Xiuye let out an awkward laugh. “Lanlan, you’re joking, right?” Trying desperately to change the subject, he stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and led her onward. “Come on, you must be hungry after waiting so long. Let me take you to our usual spot for a meal.”

Both of them were regular salary earners, far from being able to afford high-end restaurants. The “usual spot” Shao Xiuye mentioned was a reasonably popular hot pot place, where the average meal cost no more than 90 yuan per person.

In the past, Lin Lan always left that place thoroughly satisfied, happily following him whenever he pulled her along. But now, just as Shao Xiuye grabbed her hand, she flung it away.

“Shao Xiuye, last month you texted me saying you got a promotion and a raise. We rarely get to see each other, and every time it’s me making the effort to visit you. Is this really the best you can do?”

From her tone, he could tell she was still upset. Embarrassed, he withdrew his hand and nodded. “You’re right, Lanlan. We shouldn’t go there. How about this—I’ll treat you to Western food instead!”

The two walked through the square to the pedestrian street and entered a Western restaurant they had only ever glanced at from outside in the past, never daring to step inside. Shortly after they sat down, a waiter approached politely, holding a beautifully designed menu.

“We…” Shao Xiuye had barely begun when the menu he had just received was taken by Lin Lan.

“I’ll have this, this, this… and this,” she said, her pale fingers pointing at various pricey items: steaks, caviar, creamy soups, and desserts. She then added a four-figure bottle of wine for good measure. After watching the waiter skillfully jot down the order, she handed the menu back with a sweet smile. “That’s all for now. Thank you.”

Sitting opposite her, Shao Xiuye watched as her selections added up to several thousand yuan. His face paled, and he instinctively opened his mouth to protest, only to meet her teasing gaze.

“What’s wrong? Feeling the pinch already? You didn’t seem to mind your paycheck when you secretly bought that 8,000-yuan pair of AJs, did you?”

“That was…” He started to defend himself but froze mid-sentence. A moment later, he lowered his head and admitted defeat. “Lanlan, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have made that decision without consulting you.”

“So you do remember our plan to save up for a wedding and a house together.” The waiter, discerning the tension, discreetly stepped away with the menu. Lin Lan, however, wasn’t done. “I thought maybe moving to a new city had changed not just your surroundings, but your priorities as well.”

This time, Shao Xiuye said nothing. Whether it was because he felt guilty or because of her relentless questioning, the romantic elegance of their dinner had evaporated. Even the soft violin music in the restaurant couldn’t ease the awkwardness.

The dishes were served quickly, with the waiter efficiently placing the exquisite courses on the table and pouring the expensive wine into their glasses.

The ruby hue of the wine reflected the faces of the couple at the table—one with his head bowed in silence, the other eating without a care in the world.

Shao Xiuye watched Lin Lan across the table, gracefully cutting her steak with an air of familiarity that felt out of place. In his memory, she was someone who, like him, lived in a cheap rental, enjoyed street food from roadside stalls, and got around on a second-hand electric scooter he’d saved up for. Back then, she’d laugh happily just sitting on the back seat. Now, her ease with high-end Western dining felt foreign to him.

As he looked at her youthful and beautiful face, a suspicion—one that filled him with anger—suddenly crept into his mind.

“What are you thinking about?” Lin Lan looked up at him, breaking his thoughts. Before he realized it, she had already finished her meal. “You’re distracted while having a rare fancy meal—do you have something you want to say to me?”

Her words pulled Shao Xiuye back to reality. The guilt he’d been feeling moments ago vanished as the earlier suspicion took its place.

“Nothing much,” he said, looking at her. “I just wanted to ask if you’ve had trouble adjusting in the past six months while I’ve been away. To be honest, when I first moved to this new city, I struggled a lot. It was chaotic trying to find my footing, and I feel like I ended up neglecting you. Lanlan, I’m really sorry.”

Lin Lan’s lips curled into a strange smile. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Ah Ye. It’s normal for you to be busy after moving to a new place. I’d never blame you for not keeping in touch. Long-distance relationships are tough, and there’s no need to apologize to me. Besides, I haven’t had any trouble adjusting without you.”

Whatever guilt Shao Xiuye had felt was instantly dispelled by her lighthearted tone, especially the last sentence. Yet Lin Lan didn’t stop there. As she wiped her mouth with a napkin, she spoke nonchalantly.

“So, what is it? Are you suddenly bringing this up because you want to break up with me?”

Although her tone sounded teasing, her words hit Shao Xiuye’s hidden intentions dead-on.

“…Yes, long-distance is too hard,” he said, setting down his knife and fork. Taking a deep breath, he looked directly at her, as if summoning all his resolve. “Lanlan, let’s… break up.”

The moment he said those three words, Lin Lan’s motion of wiping her mouth froze.

Seeing her reaction, Shao Xiuye panicked and hurried to explain further: “I know this decision will hurt you, and I’m so sorry. Lanlan, I just don’t have the confidence to keep this relationship going—”

“Then let’s break up.”

Her calm and resolute response interrupted his carefully rehearsed speech. He stared at her in shock as she casually tossed the napkin back onto the table.

“To be honest, I’ve also felt there’s no point continuing this one-sided long-distance relationship. Every time, I’ve had to take the train to see you, going out of my way to accommodate you. You’ve never once offered to come see me instead. Shao Xiuye, how do you even have the nerve?”

There was no disbelief, no hysterics, and no clinging or pleading. The woman’s reaction was calm—so calm that she turned the tables and began listing his shortcomings.

This left the man, who should have been relieved by the smooth breakup, feeling awkward, and even a little humiliated. His awkwardness turned into irritation as he recalled how naturally she had adapted to dining on expensive Western cuisine. What had been a suspicion earlier now felt like a certainty under the influence of his anger.

Just as he was about to voice his accusations, his now ex-girlfriend casually glanced at him and pointed at his tailored suit with a meaningful smile. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. That suit of yours—it looks like it’s custom-made. It must have cost a lot. Does your company treat all its employees this well?”

Her tone was gentle, but it doused Shao Xiuye’s anger like cold water.

He no longer dared to argue, nor to mention anything unrelated to their breakup. Feeling both embarrassed and defeated, he turned away. “Since we’ve finished eating, let’s go.”

Lin Lan nodded indifferently and got up from her seat. Both of them seemed to want to maintain some semblance of civility. She even waited by his side while he settled the bill, as though the tense breakup conversation at the table had never happened.

But it was only an illusion.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, Shao Xiuye’s face darkened completely.

“Lin Lan,” he called out to her as she was about to leave in a different direction. Despite her modest outfit, her elegant posture and striking features as she turned to look at him made it difficult for him to hold back. “In the six months we’ve been apart… have you been seeing someone else behind my back?”

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of two car horns interrupted him. A fiery red Bentley pulled up in front of them.

The ostentatious, dazzling sports car was as eye-catching and imposing as its owner, who stepped out a moment later.

A beautiful, haughty woman, radiating confidence, strutted toward them in heels that clicked sharply against the pavement.

“Shao Xiuye!” The wealthy young woman, with her chin held high, strode up to him, her arrogance plain for all to see. “I was wondering why you’ve been so distracted at work and kept finding excuses to leave. Turns out it was for her!”

Seeing her, Shao Xiuye’s expression immediately changed. “Miss Jiang, why are you here?”

“You used the company car to come meet someone—how could I not know?” she sneered, brushing past him without waiting for a response. Turning her sharp gaze toward Lin Lan, she first scrutinized her face with obvious dissatisfaction. Then, her eyes swept over Lin Lan’s inexpensive clothing, and she smirked. “So this is the woman you used to date? She’s as shabby as I imagined—how fitting for you. What’s the matter? Still reluctant to let her go?”

Faced with the arrogant disdain of the wealthy young lady, who exuded confidence as she crushed her “rival,” Lin Lan didn’t get angry. Instead, she glanced leisurely at her ex-boyfriend. “Your new lover? Looks like you started fooling around behind my back quite early. Must be nice to have money.”

With that single comment, the haughty expression on the other woman’s face cracked and turned to anger.

The Bentley, two beauties, and a handsome man exchanging such explosive remarks on a bustling street quickly drew a crowd of curious onlookers.

Surrounded by countless eyes, Shao Xiuye felt as though he were being roasted alive. Stepping forward, he tried to pacify Miss Jiang. “I’ve already broken up with her. Let’s go back now.”

His pleading was met with a sharp push from Miss Jiang, who didn’t even glance at him. Raising her arched brows, she smirked even more disdainfully at Lin Lan. “Yes, having money is great. I know all about you. I even heard that before you and Shao Xiuye lived apart, you were planning to save up together to buy a house in Shanghai for your marriage. Must’ve been tough, huh? Although I wonder if you’ve even scraped together a tenth of the down payment yet. But I don’t have such worries—my family owns several properties there. With just a word, I can give Shao Xiuye one of them, saving him half a lifetime of struggle.”

“You’re absolutely right, Miss Jiang,” Lin Lan replied, her face calm despite the blatant mockery. “In order to avoid struggling for half his life, it’s no surprise he turned to you. Loving the rich and hating the poor has existed for ages. Climbing the social ladder isn’t exclusive to women. Now that men and women are equal, his actions make sense. So, I don’t blame him. He’s your responsibility now.”

Her response drew chuckles from the onlookers. Who would’ve thought concepts like gender equality and human nature could be used this way? But for Shao Xiuye, this scene was nothing short of humiliation.

“Enough!” He glared at Lin Lan, unable to hold back, and pointed at her. “What right do you have to criticize me? Yes, I wronged you! But you’re no saint either! During these six months apart, can you swear you didn’t betray me?”

He vividly recalled how at the restaurant earlier, she had looked completely at ease, even more adept at fine dining than he was. Did he really need to spell out what that meant?

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, with everyone seemingly eager to stay and see how this dramatic show would unfold.

Lin Lan, however, merely smiled faintly and replied softly, “It’s getting late. I should leave. My car has arrived to pick me up.”

Car?

The crowd froze in confusion at her words. Then, two honks rang out from the roadside. Everyone instinctively turned to look, only to see a Rolls-Royce Phantom gliding to a stop behind the Bentley.

The car’s massive frame exuded luxury and elegance, its silver-gray body gleaming. The iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine atop the double-R logo radiated opulence, instantly reducing the flashy Bentley to the status of a mere servant.

After the Rolls-Royce stopped, a middle-aged driver in a sharp suit stepped out and opened the rear passenger door.

A strikingly handsome man with blond hair, blue eyes, and gold-rimmed glasses emerged. Dressed in a sleek black suit and carrying a briefcase, he looked like a foreign elite straight out of a television drama. With long strides, he approached, prompting gasps of admiration from the onlookers.

The foreign elite stopped in front of Lin Lan, bowed respectfully, and said, “Miss, I’m here to escort you back to the country.”