Fu Xiling left without a shred of hesitation.

After he was gone, Shi Zhi sat on the edge of the hotel bed for a long time, staring up blankly until her phone’s ringtone snapped her back to reality. She picked it up.

Switching it to speaker, Ling Ling’s bubbly voice burst through, finally chasing away some of the gloom hanging over the room—

“Shi Zhi jie! I just called you twice, and you didn’t pick up! Wan Ran jie told me not to call again, but I’m kinda hyped, hehe…”

In the background, Wan Ran’s smoky voice faintly cut in: “Even after getting married, she hasn’t changed. Can’t keep a single thing to herself.”

Shi Zhi glanced at her phone’s call log.

Sure enough, there were two missed calls—one from five minutes ago, one from eight.

Why hadn’t she heard a thing?

“Shi Zhi jie, have you headed to the airport yet?”

“Not yet. Something came up last minute, got held up.”

Ling Ling instantly got all jittery, firing off three questions in one breath: “What’s going on? It’s not overtime, right? Can you still make it back for our hangout?”

Shi Zhi checked the time. “Yeah, I can.”

The silly girl’s worry evaporated in a flash, and she went right back to her carefree chatter—

“Oh, phew, you scared me! I had Da Nuo haul all the luggage back to the hotel already. Now I’m out shopping with Wan Ran jie.”

“We just checked out some dresses—super hot stuff.”

“It’s so warm here. Wan Ran jie said if we don’t find anything good after one more lap, we’ll just buy three matching sets. Then we’ll wear ‘em to go clubbing—twinning!”

Wan Ran still threw out her deadpan jab: “All you think about is clubbing and scoping out hot guys. Don’t even care about your new hubby—aren’t you scared he’ll get jealous?”

“Da Nuo doesn’t get jealous! He knows me—I’m just looking, that’s all. Work’s been driving me nuts, colleagues stressing me out ‘til I’m ready to pop a vein. If it weren’t for this honeymoon, when would I get to travel or have fun?”

“I just wanna hang out with you guys more. Anyway, we’ve still got tons of honeymoon days left.”

“Shi Zhi jie, me and Wan Ran jie will pick you up at the airport tomorrow! See ya then!”

“See ya tomorrow.”

Shi Zhi was answering Ling Ling, but in her head, a cold, resolute voice kept echoing.

It was asking her, “Figured it out yet?”

The blankets on the bed were bunched up to one side. Just that morning, Fu Xiling had been messing around with her.

He’d dragged her out from under the fluffy white covers, dodging her swats, brushing the long hair off her face.

Fingertips teasing her earlobe, he’d grinned and said, “Take a look yourself. I worked so hard last night we couldn’t even keep the blanket on—does that seem fair?”

The trash can had a few empty water bottles, and the welcome fruit basket still had some leftovers.

As for Shi Zhi, she hadn’t changed her original plans for Fu Xiling.

Delayed a bit and with no time to swing by the apartment to pack, she just grabbed her laptop and shoulder bag and headed to the airport.

The airport was a sea of people.

Maybe she’d vaguely hoped Fu Xiling would be on the same flight back home—or that she’d bump into him there.

But nope.

The trip back was a hassle.

Long flight, plus a layover once she hit domestic soil.

By the time Shi Zhi landed in the city where Wan Ran lived, it was 8 p.m. local time. Wan Ran and Ling Ling were waiting at the exit.

Wan Ran was her usual self—big wavy curls dyed a reddish-brown, total stylish badass vibes.

Ling Ling had plumped up a bit, waving like crazy. “Shi Zhi jie, over here, over here!”

Shi Zhi pulled two necklaces from her bag, handing one to Ling Ling and one to Wan Ran, then tossed Ling Ling an extra red envelope.

“Happy marriage.”

Ling Ling’s eyes got all teary. She lunged over, hugging Shi Zhi tight. “Ahh, thank you, Shi Zhi jie!”

Driving was Wan Ran’s friend—a short-haired hottie.

Ling Ling, being a chatterbox, got banished to the front seat by Wan Ran. The back was just Shi Zhi and Wan Ran.

Ling Ling was all giddy, grilling the driver about which bar had the cutest bartenders, even dragging Lao Qian into it. “I’ve got this friend—great at mixing drinks, but his looks? Eugh—”

Wan Ran turned, nudging Shi Zhi with her elbow. “You in a bad mood?”

Shi Zhi glanced at the rearview mirror, feeling her face looked calm enough. “Do I look like I’m in a bad mood?”

“It’s not just a look. You definitely are.”

This trip to see Wan Ran and Ling Ling wasn’t just for a hangout—Shi Zhi had her own stuff to figure out.

The bond with Fu Xiling ran too deep. Right now, it boiled down to two possibilities:

Either they’d slept together so long that the physical closeness was messing with her head.

Or she’d actually caught feelings.

And the outcomes? Also just two:

Cut it off clean, or give dating a shot.

Feelings were a damn maze—impossible to sort out.

But she could tackle the rational part first.

Shi Zhi stuck out her wrist. “Wan Ran, how much could this fetch secondhand?”

“Got the receipt?”

“Nope.”

“Box, certificate, anything?”

“Nada.”

Wan Ran eyed the bracelet on her wrist. “You’ve worn it a while—scratches show. No extras either. Probably twenty-five to twenty-eight万. Exact price depends on luck and what a buyer’s willing to cough up.”

“Got it.”

Dinner was a group thing—hot pot. Afterward, they switched spots to a bar.

Wan Ran drank too much, probably dredging up some bitter memories, and started railing against every male creature on the planet.

Her words were brutal—she’d smash beer bottles over every guy’s head if she could. Totally forgot she’d invited half those dudes herself.

Shi Zhi shot Ling Ling a look.

Ling Ling blinked a few times, finally caught on, and turned to shoo her husband off. Scratching the back of her head, she said, “Da Nuo, you head back and rest. It’s rare we all get together—gonna hang out a bit longer.”

This bar was Wan Ran’s haunt—tons of friends and familiar faces. Guys and girls piled in, dragging Shi Zhi to the dance floor to party ‘til the wee hours.

These past couple days, not a peep from Fu Xiling.

Tang Wenting, though, hit her up a few times, asking if she was free for coffee again.

Later, probably hearing from someone that she’d taken leave to work from home, he asked if she was back in the country visiting family.

Shi Zhi didn’t reply.

She hadn’t sorted out the Fu Xiling mess yet.

But Tang Wenting? She’d made up her mind.

Adding him on WeChat was a waste—she was done with guys like that.

She kept opening Fu Xiling’s chat. The guy who’d usually find any excuse to bug her with small talk had vanished off the face of the earth.

Wan Ran, right on cue, grumbled beside her, “Men are all dogs!”

Ling Ling, also plastered, patted Wan Ran’s back, slurring nonsense to comfort her. “But what did doggos do wrong? Doggos are so cute…”

They’d partied too late. The plan was to crash at Wan Ran’s and chat all night.

With things as they were, Shi Zhi had to drag two drunks—shoved Ling Ling off to her husband and booked a room upstairs for Wan Ran.

Next morning, Wan Ran woke up hungover, groggy as hell, leaning against the bed and fumbling for her lighter and cigarette pack.

A slim lady’s cigarette dangled between her fingers, smoke curling up slow.

Shi Zhi had just showered, face bare, hair loose, flopping back onto the bed.

Out of nowhere, she asked, “Doesn’t the Liangguang area have that Hui Nan Tian thing? When’s that happen—could it be these next couple days?”

Wan Ran exhaled smoke. “Don’t jinx it. If we hit Hui Nan Tian, you’ll be cursing up a storm. Even locals hate it—northerners can’t stand it even more.”

“What’s it like?”

“Like your post-shower bathroom. One slip, and stuff starts molding. Clothes won’t dry, bugs everywhere—annoys you to death.”

Shi Zhi closed her eyes, murmuring, “Is that so.”

“Alright, which guy pissed you off this bad?”

Shi Zhi still didn’t open her eyes. “How do you know it’s a guy?”

“Your phone wallpaper’s a couple shot.”

“Oh.”

“One of the folks we partied with last night was into you. Didn’t notice?”

“Nope.”

“A Xi was all pumped after dancing, kept hovering around you, even wanted to buy you a drink. Fawned over you half the night, then saw your wallpaper and moped ‘til dawn.”

“Who’s A Xi?”

“…The one who looks like a high schooler. Ling Ling said he’s got a puppy face.”

Shi Zhi vaguely remembered—barely. Didn’t care to dwell on it either. She asked Wan Ran, “Weren’t you wasted last night?”

“Wasted doesn’t mean blind.”

“Before you go blind, you’ll probably lose your voice first.”

Wan Ran totally got that Shi Zhi was poking at her smoking, but she brushed it off. Finished her cig, opened the window to air out the smell, then cracked open an ice-cold beer.

Her lifestyle was a full-on trainwreck. She mused, “You still wanna sell that bracelet… You breaking up or what?”

“Nah.”

No dating, no breaking up.

Shi Zhi gave Wan Ran the rundown on her and Fu Xiling—partly to untangle it herself.

Their first run-in was weird from the jump.

At the start, she wasn’t even serious about striking a deal with him.

Bit by bit, she found him pretty reliable. They used each other, and somehow got closer.

At some point, Fu Xiling turned into the guy who knew most of her ambitions and secrets—and the one who faced her real self head-on.

Wan Ran blinked, stunned. “The dude who sent you that dress back then? F-buddies? You’ve been abroad almost two years—never stopped?”

“Nope.”

Wan Ran went off. “What kinda f-buddy is that? He’s got girls aplenty back home but flies abroad for you? And you—tons of hot guys overseas, and you’re still stuck on him? Isn’t this some long-distance romance?”

She crushed the beer can, tossing it in the trash. “More stable than most real couples, huh?”

Shi Zhi kept her eyes shut, same flat reply. “Is that so.”

Wan Ran pressed, “Scared off by a bad breakup?”

Shi Zhi finally opened her eyes, looked at Wan Ran, and hummed, “Mm.”

Wan Ran was cracking her second beer.

Shi Zhi used to keep her heart locked up tight with them, but Wan Ran wasn’t naive like Ling Ling. She had some edge—could see through stuff without it being spelled out.

“Get it. Look at me—seven years now.”

The world’s a giant enemy. Shi Zhi once picked a teammate to fight it with.

Even wanted to walk side by side.

But hearts are scary. She could judge a person’s character, looks, morals, background.

Couldn’t judge their heart.

Wan Ran wrapped it up. “F-buddies don’t stick around long-term—too easy to blow up. Turning it official? Rarely ends well. Think it over.”

“Thinking.”

Ling Ling showed up with breakfast for Shi Zhi and Wan Ran. Seeing Wan Ran still chugging beer, she nagged up a storm, turning the morning into a lively mess.

Breakfast was porridge from downstairs—pretty decent.

While eating, Wan Ran held up her phone. “Shi Zhi, someone bid on your bracelet. Twenty-seven 万—not a bad price. Selling?”

“Nah.”

Ling Ling gulped her porridge, all innocent. “That bracelet’s so pretty and totally matches you, Shi Zhi jie. Selling it’d be a shame. It’s worth over forty 万 on your wrist—selling only gets you twenty-something. Total loss no matter how you slice it.”

Wan Ran set her phone down, giving Shi Zhi a knowing look. “Figured it out that fast?”

“Pretty much.”

When she’d brought up “Hui Nan Tian” earlier, Shi Zhi already knew she’d fallen.

But when did it happen?

When did it stop being just physical with Fu Xiling?

Or rather, when did she start liking him?

Since when did her memories of some random suitor blur out the details, leaving only Fu Xiling popping in, teasing her with that playful smirk?

She tried to reason it out, but it was still a mess.

The one thing she was sure of? She had to go back to him.

So she said, “After we’re done today, I’m taking the last flight out. Got some stuff I wanna talk to him about face-to-face.”

“Huh? Talk to who? About what?”

Ling Ling stared at them, clueless, whining that she didn’t catch a word of what they were saying.

Wan Ran brushed her off. “Don’t listen to this stuff. You just got married—don’t overthink it. Focus on guarding your little slice of happiness.”

Ling Ling actually obeyed. “Okay! Then tonight, let’s wear cute skirts, do some killer makeup, and hit the club again. Wan Ran jie, you posting pics online today?”

Wan Ran dealt in secondhand luxury goods—needed a fat network.

Real-life circles weren’t enough for sales. She had to build a persona online, reel in customers.

Last night’s bar pics turned out solid. Wan Ran had posted them.

She said, “Shi Zhi, your face pulls way more attention than mine. A bunch of folks asked for your contact.”

“Don’t give it.”

“Give what? A Xi couldn’t score with you yesterday—he’s losing it in my comments now.”

Per Wan Ran, every comment asking for her info got sniped by that A Xi guy.

Wan Ran groaned, “A Xi’s a pain—messing with my business.”

Shi Zhi booked the last flight. Ling Ling was back to honeymoon mode tomorrow.

Tonight was the final blowout.

Ling Ling sat her down for makeup, then they swapped into short skirts and hit the nightlife.

The club was a whirlwind of glitz and chaos.

Lights crisscrossed overhead, confetti fluttering down like snow.

The DJ on stage, caked in makeup, hyped the boiling crowd with games.

Dry ice fog rolled in. Ling Ling whispered to Shi Zhi, “This place is like Pansi Cave.”

Cameras weaved through the mob. The oval big screen started flashing all kinds of faces—crowd went wilder.

Guys and girls caught on cam got egged on to kiss.

Someone—dunno who—kicked it off by holding up their WeChat QR code.

Then, in the roaring screams, most folks on the screen were flashing their own codes.

Shi Zhi clearly wasn’t into it. She shielded Ling Ling, her sharp glare chasing off any shady dudes.

Some joker suggested throwing up a payment QR code instead.

Wan Ran yelled in Shi Zhi’s ear, “Camera’s coming! Quick, Shi Zhi, flash your code! You won’t add ‘em anyway—perfect fodder for my socials!”

Shouldn’t have listened to Wan Ran.

Heading to the airport, her phone kept pinging with friend requests…

The “New Friends” tab in WeChat was already stacked with over a hundred verification messages.

And one thing needed an answer.

Falling for him? Real. Dating?

Bed buddies don’t owe each other—click, you hook up; clash, you cut it.

Catching feelings doesn’t owe anything either.

Like A Xi, like Tang Wenting, like every rando waving their phone in that club. A spark one second, forgotten the next.

Dating’s different.

Especially with Fu Xiling—he’d be a million times trickier than Shen Jia.

Shen Jia just had Tao Jia around, and she couldn’t stand it. Fu Xiling? He’d give her a bigger headache.

Really gonna try this?

Shi Zhi stubbornly believed emotional bonds meant baring your weak spots.

Baring weak spots—does that guarantee real care in return?

Like Shi Mei with Lin Xiaoping?

Like her aunt, who fought for half a month after catching her uncle texting another woman but still stuck it out?

Like her half-blind grandma in her final days, knowing her eldest aunt swiped the savings from under her pillow but saying she might’ve lost it herself?

Or like Wan Ran, handing over all her savings to the guy she trusted and backed—only to find out he had a fiancée two months pregnant?

Is that what emotional bonds bring?

Saying you like someone—does that mean handing them the right to hurt you?

Since she couldn’t figure this out solo, might as well drag Fu Xiling into it and hash it out with him.

At 12:30 a.m., before boarding, Shi Zhi called Fu Xiling.

She was browsing hotels, thinking of picking one near his place. For a talk like this, crashing at his house was a no-go—they lacked self-control, and it’d probably end up in bed…

After a few busy tones, the call connected.

It was noisy on his end. A faint female voice came through: “Huh? Why’d you pick up… Hello, you looking for Xiling?”

Shi Zhi didn’t answer. Hung up.

No callback.

Perfect. No need for a hotel—she’d go straight to Fu Xiling’s place and corner him.

Her phone kept piling up friend requests. Tang Wenting picked that moment to message, asking how long she’d be staying in the country.

Shi Zhi’s emotions were a rollercoaster.

A raging fire she couldn’t tamp down flared up. Seeing Fu Xiling’s profile pic, she finally found an outlet.

Blocked him flat-out.