Zhu Yiyi stood sideways, listening to He Shen’s question. The fingers that were hanging by her pants seam suddenly tightened, and she took a step back.

Like a mouse caught by a cat.

But she was the one who had discovered the secret.

He Shen was still holding the paper, with no intention of backing down.

He was too nonchalant.

In contrast, Zhu Yiyi seemed to be making a big fuss. She knew the right thing to do now was to apologize, make up some excuse to get out of it, and then leave this place of trouble.

But her gaze still involuntarily fell on the report.

Zhu Yiyi clenched and unclenched her fist, and finally stretched it out slowly, taking the thin paper from He Shen’s hand.

Unintentionally brushing against his hand, she recoiled as if she had been burned.

The pregnancy test report in her palm felt like a thousand pounds. Zhu Yiyi found it difficult to hold, and even more difficult to look at. She held her breath and looked down.

Name: He Mi.

Age: 32.

Looking at the unfamiliar name, Zhu Yiyi was first stunned, then she let out a long sigh. The anxiety that had been stuck in her throat finally settled.

Her head was still buzzing from the excessive tension.

It wasn’t hers.

“You seem very nervous.” He Shen suddenly said.

Zhu Yiyi froze, shifting her gaze from the report to He Shen’s face.

The man’s black and white pupils reflected her shadow, nervous, guilty.

—As if the test report was hers.

Zhu Yiyi swallowed a few times, uncomfortably reaching out to touch her messy hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear, pretending to be calm, “I was just curious.”

He Shen looked at her, and after a while, said slowly, “Normal, everyone has curiosity.”

She didn’t know if he really thought so or if he was giving her a way out. Zhu Yiyi awkwardly smiled, feeling a bit scared.

Thank goodness it wasn’t hers.

Thank goodness he didn’t notice.

Zhu Yiyi didn’t want He Shen to know about the pregnancy, and she didn’t want to get entangled with him again because of it.

She admitted that she was selfish.

She also admitted that she was stubborn.

She even admitted that she was as stupid as a pig.

When it came to marriage and relationships, Zhu Yiyi was like a patient with late-stage obsessive-compulsive disorder. She wanted a love without reservation, a marriage where they could truly enter each other’s hearts, not just suitable, not just a way to live, not just good enough.

So her mother sometimes called her a “foolish dreamer” and said that such a marriage didn’t exist in the world.

If that was the case, Zhu Yiyi would rather not have it.

No one said that women had to get married.

While Zhu Yiyi was lost in thought for a few minutes, He Shen had already put the pregnancy test report away, placing it in the drawer of his desk.

He locked it with a click.

Zhu Yiyi heard the faint sound and snapped out of her thoughts. The name that had just flashed in her mind came back to her.

He Mi.

She silently chewed on the name a few times, feeling strangely familiar.

She murmured, “I think I’ve heard that name somewhere.”

He Shen said calmly, “My sister.”

He mentioned it, and Zhu Yiyi immediately remembered.

When they were dating, she had accidentally heard He Shen mention it once. He had a sister who lived abroad. But they seemed to have a distant relationship, and she had never heard He Shen talk to his sister on the phone.

“…Why is her pregnancy test report here?” Zhu Yiyi didn’t think much of it and blurted it out, “If she’s 5 weeks pregnant, it’s about a month and seven days.”

Her tone was familiar and natural.

If you didn’t know any better, you would think she had just said 1+1=2.

He Shen gave her a meaningful look.

After a while, he asked about the main matter, “Tonight is Amy who asked you to come over?”

“Ah, yes,” Zhu Yiyi almost forgot the main reason, pointing to the sealed document on the desk, “I put it on the table when I came in.”

“Okay.”

This meant she wasn’t needed anymore?

Zhu Yiyi waited for a while, and when He Shen didn’t say anything else, the burden on her shoulders instantly lifted.

Today’s mission accomplished.

She was about to say she was leaving when she suddenly remembered something.

In the bag she was carrying on her shoulder, there was still a tie, which she had deliberately brought because they were alone tonight.

This way, they wouldn’t have to interact anymore.

“He President,” Zhu Yiyi called out formally, taking the gift box out of her bag, “For you.”

Changing from “you” to “He President” was a thousand times more distant than just “He President.”

He Shen’s brows furrowed. When he saw the small box in her hand, his expression relaxed a bit, and there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his eye, “For me?”

She stammered, “Uh-huh.”

He Shen’s fingertips gently caressed the gift box.

Zhu Yiyi was very serious about rituals in relationships. During their year together, she celebrated every holiday, big or small, and carefully prepared gifts for him. Last New Year’s Eve, they had spent it together. He Shen gave her a new LV bag, and she gave him a silver lighter.

“New Year’s gift?” He raised his eyebrows slightly, his cold voice couldn’t hide the joy.

But Zhu Yiyi’s next sentence shattered the joy that hadn’t had time to rise.

“It’s not a New Year’s gift.”

Then, she explained, “The coat you lent me before was damaged. I originally wanted to buy a new one and return it to you, but it was too expensive… I could only afford a tie.”

Zhu Yiyi blushed at her own audacity, feeling a little embarrassed, “Does this count as even?”

The top-floor office, which had been harmonious just moments ago, suddenly became like a lump of dry, unmixable paste.

The air became thin.

He Shen stared at Zhu Yiyi’s almond-shaped eyes, hoping to see a hint of defiance and guilt, or even a little of the liking and excitement she had shown before.

But there was nothing.

She truly did what she said when they broke up, returning to their original positions.

He Shen’s expression was emotionless, his voice cold, “So you’re giving me a tie just to even the score?”

Zhu Yiyi moved her lips, opening and closing her mouth, neither confirming nor denying.

She lowered her eyes, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go now.”

Zhu Yiyi quickly opened the door and went out.

She didn’t know if it was psychological or what, but as she stood in the hallway, Zhu Yiyi felt the thin air fill up again.

She took a deep breath.

Suddenly, there were a few loud bangs outside. Zhu Yiyi looked over. Bang, bang, bang, a few bursts of fireworks exploded in the sky, colorful fireworks emitting dazzling light.

She realized that it was almost midnight.

The skyscraper across the street had a huge LED screen. Every New Year’s Eve, it would count down, and this year was no different. The numbers on it had already reached “10.”

At this moment, people all over the city were counting down together –

3, 2, 1!

2018 officially ended, and 2019 arrived.

It was a new year.

Zhu Yiyi withdrew her gaze and took a step. The office door behind her clicked open, and a steady sound of footsteps came from far to near.

He Shen followed her.

He stopped a few meters behind her.

“Zhu Yiyi.”

The man called out her name.

Her breath tightened, and she tried to control her urge to turn around. Just like that, separated by a few meters, she heard He Shen’s soft voice drifting over.

“Have you ever… regretted it?”

The whole world seemed to press the pause button at that moment. In an instant, all sound disappeared.

And Zhu Yiyi, ignoring him, was even more silent than the night.

The first day of the new year was sunny, and the whole city continued the festive atmosphere of last night’s New Year’s Eve.

Everyone in the department was busy.

Zhu Yiyi was a little sleepy when she came in this morning. Ling Mai gave her two bags of coffee, but she didn’t drink them. She took a bag of green tea leaves from the small cabinet at her desk and made herself a cup of green tea.

Ling Mai clicked her tongue, “You’re only a few years old, and you’re already taking care of your health?”

“Yeah.”

Ling Mai squinted her eyes and looked Zhu Yiyi up and down, finally stopping at her round chest. Zhu Yiyi dressed plainly, but she had a great figure. Every time, Ling Mai would secretly envy Zhu Yiyi’s beautiful chest shape.

Perky, round, and upturned.

Tears of envy flowed from the corner of her mouth.

Zhu Yiyi was creeped out by her ruffianly gaze and couldn’t help but cover her chest, “What?”

Ling Mai leaned over mischievously, “Does taking care of your health make your chest grow?”

“?”

Ling Mai weighed the half-ounce of meat on her chest with both hands, “I think I can still salvage it.”

“…”

On the first day of the new year, everyone in the various departments of the company was busy. The people from the finance department alone came to the publicity and planning department three or four times. The endless data and reports made people dizzy.

Zhu Yiyi finally finished her work and slumped back in her chair for a while.

She closed her eyes and let her mind go blank.

She suddenly realized that her mother was right—she would have to consider quitting her job soon.

But what would she do after she quit?

“Yiyi, are you done?” Ling Mai was still typing furiously. The game promotion copywriting was too difficult. She had revised it several times, but it was rejected by her superiors. She was still revising it.

“Yeah. What about you? Still stuck on the copywriting?”

“I’ll probably have to work overtime tonight,” Ling Mai slammed her keyboard, “Don’t wait for me. Go home first.”

Zhu Yiyi gave her a few bread rolls to fill her stomach and picked up her bag, “Then I’ll go first. Bye.”

When she left the company, it was still early. The fiery clouds in the sky were rolling, like a raging inferno.

Zhu Yiyi walked slowly towards the subway station.

As she passed the coffee shop downstairs from the company, she turned her head unintentionally and caught sight of two familiar figures in her peripheral vision. She paused.

This coffee shop was built by the company specifically for employees to rest. It wasn’t unusual to see familiar faces.

But Zhu Yiyi had never seen He Shen and Lü Pe in there.

From her angle, she could only see the man’s back. His shoulders were broad, and his posture was upright. Lü Pe was smiling across from him, talking about something. Her smile was a little shy, and she was holding a delicate gift box, pushing it towards He Shen.

Zhu Yiyi couldn’t hear anything through the window, but her vision was clear.

She immediately recognized the globally limited-edition tie that Lü Pe had customized at YMD Mall. It was expensive.

And the one she had bought with all her might was just a discounted, cheapest model from the brand store.

He Shen inside was stirring his coffee with his right hand, his left hand resting on his knee, his knuckles tapping lightly. It was a sign that his patience was wearing thin.

He didn’t reach out.

The gift box remained untouched on the table.

Zhu Yiyi stared blankly at it, her fingers clutching her small bag gradually tightened, and her breath became lighter. Perhaps even she didn’t know what her reaction meant.

Or what she was bothered by.

Finally, He Shen moved.

He reached out and took the tie.

Zhu Yiyi blinked lightly, and after a while, slowly lowered her eyes and turned to leave.

She took the subway to the South City station, got off, but didn’t rush home. Instead, she went into a small wonton shop nearby.

Ms. Zhu had recently become obsessed with something new. She didn’t play mahjong anymore, and she came home less often. She wasn’t coming back tonight either, so Zhu Yiyi didn’t feel like cooking. She just wanted something simple.

It was rush hour, and it was dinner time, so the shop was crowded.

Zhu Yiyi ordered a bowl of wontons and a plate of small steamed buns, found an empty seat, and sat down, playing with her phone while she waited.

Thankfully, the owner was quick. In less than ten minutes, the steaming wontons and buns were served.

Zhu Yiyi took a bite of the steamed bun, her appetite was whetted. Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder from behind.

She looked back, biting on half a wonton.

It was a woman with big, wavy hair, heavy makeup, and thick eyeliner, giving off a bit of a Western style.

Zhu Yiyi stared blankly, and the face in front of her slowly overlapped with a face from her memory. After a moment, she remembered, and she opened her mouth in shock, “…Are you Li Jiu?”

“It’s me!” The other person was even more excited, “You’re Yiyi, right? I knew I wasn’t wrong!”

Li Jiu was Zhu Yiyi’s college roommate.

In college, Zhu Yiyi was introverted and her family was poor, so she rarely participated in dorm activities. Her days were spent going back and forth between the dorm, the classroom, and the library. Except for Li Jiu, everyone else in the dorm had a casual relationship with her.

The most memorable incident was when the bathroom lock broke while she was showering. It was a cold winter, and Zhu Yiyi was trapped inside. The hot water turned cold after a while, and she was shivering with cold, only wearing a thin nightgown. She called out several times, but no one responded.

She waited until Li Jiu came back and rushed to help her open the door.

She thought there was really no one outside.

When she went out, she saw two pairs of slippers under the bed.

After that, Zhu Yiyi specifically bought a gift to thank Li Jiu. Li Jiu smiled foolishly and said it was nothing, and then asked if they wanted to be roommates.

Zhu Yiyi knew what a roommate was. The other two girls in the dorm had asked her before, if she wanted to eat together, go to class together, or go out together.

She mumbled and said okay.

Then, she followed them to a Hanfu shop next to the school, checked in at a popular coffee shop, and went to a Western restaurant. In less than three days, Zhu Yiyi had spent almost half a month’s living expenses. She didn’t dare to ask Ms. Zhu for money, afraid of being beaten or scolded. She ate steamed buns and pickled vegetables for a month, her face was pale and thin, and her period didn’t come.

Later, she tactfully suggested that they shouldn’t be roommates anymore. The two girls never spoke to her again.

When Li Jiu asked to be roommates, Zhu Yiyi cautiously touched the few hundred yuan left in her pocket, feeling a bit embarrassed and saying softly, “…I don’t have any money.”

Li Jiu said generously, “Neither do I.”

Zhu Yiyi stared at her blankly.

Li Jiu giggled, “We’re a perfect match.”

To be honest, Li Jiu was probably Zhu Yiyi’s first real friend, but it didn’t last long. Li Jiu went abroad for graduate school the year they graduated, and because of the distance and time difference, their contact became less and less frequent.

The last time they chatted was last Mid-Autumn Festival.

Zhu Yiyi: “Aren’t you abroad? When did you come back?”

“I came back a couple of days ago. I was thinking of going out for a walk today. I didn’t expect to see you.” Li Jiu said, reaching out to pinch Zhu Yiyi’s cheek, “Yiyi, have you been living well these past two years? You haven’t changed at all. When I didn’t recognize you at first, I thought you were some college girl.”

“I’ll be 27 after this year. What college girl?”

“I’m serious. The feng shui in China is still good. You look like you’re 22. You don’t even have a single wrinkle. It’s so unfair!” Li Jiu sighed about how time flies, angrily slurped a big mouthful of noodles, and then changed the subject, “By the way, I came back this time to take my parents to live with me. I bought an apartment there. I’ll be settling down abroad from now on. I won’t be back for a long time. Do you want to get together sometime?”

Li Jiu in college was similar to Zhu Yiyi. She came from an ordinary family, and the money for her studies abroad came from selling her family’s old house and borrowing a lot of money from relatives.

She didn’t expect that after three years, she already had her own house.

Zhu Yiyi agreed, “Okay.”

At the same time, her chewing slowed down. She felt a bit of longing, but also a bit of fear, “What’s it like abroad?”

“It’s not as good as you imagine. When I first went there, I couldn’t get used to the climate, and I couldn’t speak the language either,” she remembered something and giggled, “I got into an argument with a foreign lady at the supermarket. I was cursing and cursing, and she thought I was apologizing, hahaha…”

Zhu Yiyi laughed too.

But there was a hint of envy and sourness in her laughter.

She secretly thought to herself.

If she could be as confident and outgoing as Li Jiu, successful in her career, and take Ms. Zhu to see the world, that would be great.

The date with Li Jiu was this weekend.

The location was a high-end restaurant in the city center.

The night before, Zhu Yiyi was curious why their dinner was so grand. When she asked, she learned that Li Jiu had brought back her boyfriend, who she had been dating for over a year, from abroad. They were about to get married, and this dinner was a public gathering of friends.

Zhu Yiyi prepared a red envelope before she went.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she was led to a designated private room by a waiter. When she opened the door, it was bustling with people.

But except for Li Jiu, she didn’t recognize anyone.

“Jiu Jiu.” Zhu Yiyi went over to Li Jiu.

“Yiyi, you’re here.” Li Jiu was wearing a dress and light Chinese makeup. She looked much prettier than yesterday. She took a man’s arm and walked over, “Let me introduce you. My fiance, Xu Zhi Shu.”

The man was wearing a suit, tie, and leather shoes. He had a gentle face, the kind of person who looked like a successful upper-class individual.

He smiled and extended his hand, “You’re Yiyi, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

She awkwardly shook his hand, “Nice to meet you too.”

The man was very perceptive. After introductions, he went to entertain the other guests, leaving Zhu Yiyi and Li Jiu to talk alone.

“What do you think? Is my fiance handsome?” Li Jiu raised her eyebrows.

“Handsome.”

“Hehe, I chased after him. He happened to be giving a lecture at the school I was studying at. I fell for him at first sight. I found out that he was a senior from a few years above me. I got his contact information and chased after him relentlessly. Everyone said he was hard to get, but I got him in a few months.”

Zhu Yiyi sincerely gave her a thumbs up, “Strong!”

“How are you and your boyfriend doing recently,” Li Jiu asked curiously, “I haven’t seen you post on your Moments in a while.”

Zhu Yiyi hesitated, “…We broke up.”

“Broke up?!” As if she had heard some terrifying news, Li Jiu’s brows furrowed, refusing to believe it, “Didn’t you tell me you were picking out rings during Mid-Autumn Festival? I thought we could drink to your wedding this time. How did you break up out of the blue?”

“…We weren’t compatible.”

It was still the same old excuse.

Zhu Yiyi lowered her eyelids, her excitement faded, and she seemed reluctant to talk about it.

Li Jiu comforted her, “It’s okay. It’s just a man. There are plenty more! My fiance has a friend coming today. He’s handsome, has great manners, and most importantly, he’s a good boy. I’ll introduce you to him later!”

Zhu Yiyi chuckled, not taking the joke seriously, “No need.”

After chatting for a while, it was time for dinner, and everyone took their seats.

Li Jiu and Xu Zhi Shu sat in the main seats.

Zhu Yiyi was sitting next to Li Jiu. There was an empty seat next to her, which had remained empty since they sat down.

“Jiu Jiu, is anyone sitting here?” She asked softly.

“Yes. It’s my fiance’s friend I just told you about.”

“…Why did you let him sit here?”

“Stupid.”

Li Jiu said, “Good things don’t go to outsiders. Of course I’d keep such a good single man for you. What if someone else sees him and takes him away?”

Seeing her posture, it seemed like she was really trying to set her up. Zhu Yiyi waved her hands repeatedly, “Don’t…”

Before she could finish, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Someone arrived late. The figure entering was tall and slender, instantly attracting everyone’s attention. The atmosphere in the private room instantly quieted down.

Everyone looked towards the door.

Zhu Yiyi turned her head to look too.

The man, who had been wearing a suit and tie for work, was dressed casually and relaxed for a holiday. He was wearing a black long coat, black pants, and his hair was falling down gently, with a few ice crystals sticking to his hair. He had a rare hint of youthfulness.

He walked directly to the center of the private room and greeted Xu Zhi Shu. Then, he lowered his eyes.

He met Zhu Yiyi’s confused and surprised gaze.

Their eyes met, and sparks flew.

The next second, He Shen lifted his foot and walked towards her.

Zhu Yiyi’s heart pounded like a drum, her brain short-circuited. She just stared blankly as he stopped beside her.

The man’s eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were as deep as ink. He couldn’t read his emotions. His gaze was calm and composed, with a hint of authority.

As if the one who had slightly lost control on New Year’s Eve wasn’t him.

The one who had asked that question out of the blue wasn’t him.

She blushed under his gaze, her eyelashes trembling lightly.

Suddenly, He Shen bent down and suddenly leaned closer. He propped himself up with one hand on the chair, firmly enveloping her in his shadow, leaving her nowhere to escape.

He stared at her deeply, “Why aren’t you talking?”

It was a double entendre.