“But now, I sincerely want to be with you.”

“Too late.”

After leaving those two words, I turned and walked toward the parked car.

But when I got there, I was stunned.

“Xiao Qin, it seems like today we’re destined only for sorrow and no reunion.”

Jiang Yi, who had followed, looked at the scene and said.

I twitched the corner of my mouth.

Not only was there no reunion, but even the brakes were gone.

Who disassembled my electric scooter!

“Did you do it?”

I looked at the man who had every reason to be the culprit.

Jiang Yi shook his head innocently.

“It wasn’t me. It must have been the person who stole the battery. Xiao Fan, just ride with me. Otherwise, it’ll be really late by the time you get home.”

“No need, I’ll call a cab.”

I spoke firmly.

But inside, I was a bit distressed.

It was rush hour, and the cab fare from here to my place would probably be higher than my blood pressure.

My already tight budget would take another hit.

Just as I pulled out my phone, I suddenly heard a horn behind me.

I turned around and saw a Bentley.

It was Duan Heng, who had just left the company.

He rolled down the window, first glancing at me and Jiang Yi, then at the broken electric scooter on the roadside. He frowned slightly.

“Get in.”

He said to me.

I was used to following Duan Heng’s orders, so I instinctively wanted to take a step forward but was suddenly grabbed by the wrist.

“Hey man, letting my boyfriend get into your car right in front of me isn’t very polite, is it?”

Jiang Yi looked at Duan Heng, visibly annoyed.

He didn’t know that Duan Heng was my boss and probably thought he was just some clueless guy.

Judging by his posture, it looked like he was ready to throw a punch at any second.

At that moment, I couldn’t care less about embarrassing myself in front of my boss. I quickly scolded him.

“Jiang Yi, stop talking nonsense. We already broke up.”

“Besides, this isn’t just anyone; this is my boss—”

Before I could finish the word “boss,” it was drowned out by the sound of a car door slamming shut.

Duan Heng stepped out of the car, slamming the door, and strode over to pry Jiang Yi’s hand off my wrist.

“You, a mere ex, tangling with my lover in front of me, is that any more polite?”

L-lover?

Both Jiang Yi and I froze.

I looked at Duan Heng, unsure of what he was playing at.

He looked back at me.

For a moment, I could see the deeper meaning in his eyes.

“Oh, right. This isn’t just anyone; this is my… my lover.”

I stammered, blushing deeply and lowering my head in embarrassment.

I never imagined in this lifetime that I would utter such a title—and to my own bread and butter, no less.

So humiliating!

Jiang Yi’s eyes widened, his gaze darting back and forth between me and Duan Heng before he let out a laugh, utterly furious.

“Hah, lover? He’s quite old, isn’t he?”

“Dude, take a look in the mirror. How old are you? Still trying to rob the cradle?”

“Xiao Qin, have you been fooled by him? I’m telling you, these so-called elite guys with a bit of business and a polished appearance are the best at lying.”

Jiang Yi’s words were purely out of anger now.

Duan Heng was only twenty-eight this year, just four years older than me.

Standing next to each other, no one could tell there was much of an age difference.

However, with his usual suit and the maturity that came with experience, he certainly didn’t look like some greenhorn fresh out of his twenties.

He coldly watched Jiang Yi, as if those harsh words had nothing to do with him, making Jiang Yi look like a spoiled child who couldn’t get what he wanted.

And then came the knockout blow:

“You’ve got something in your teeth.”

“…”

Jiang Yi’s face instantly turned green.

He hurriedly turned away, pulled out his phone, and used it as a mirror.

After realizing he’d been tricked, he cursed under his breath and spun around to confront us again.

But there was no one left.

Duan Heng’s car was already speeding away.

…

“Thank you, Mr. Duan.”

Inside the car, I said nervously to the man driving.

Duan Heng kept his eyes on the road, ignoring my thanks, and instead asked:

“Does he bother you often?”

I shook my head. “No, this was the first time since we broke up.”

I met Jiang Yi during a college club event.

He sat next to me that day, and we hit it off.

After that, he frequently texted me and asked me out.

Eventually, he confessed to me, and after a few days of thinking, I agreed to be with him.

At first, everything was great.

Though Jiang Yi could be impulsive and immature, he had his moments of romance.

But over time, I noticed he seemed to think being gay was something shameful.

He never told anyone about us, and whenever we bumped into classmates while on a walk, he’d let go of my hand like it was on fire.

Initially, I understood. It wasn’t exactly something to announce to the world.

But then came a reunion dinner after graduation.

One of his best buddies joked and asked why Qin Fan was so good to him, teasing if we were in a relationship.

Jiang Yi’s reaction was very telling.

His body stiffened, and he quickly denied it:

“Don’t talk nonsense, we’re just good friends.”

Oh, friends.

I didn’t react at the time.

But afterward, I texted him:

【Why do you keep pretending to be straight? Do you plan to get married and have kids someday?】

Jiang Yi quickly replied with six words:

【Don’t you plan to do the same?】

At that moment, I felt like I’d been doused in cold water, chilled to the bone.

Then, I broke up with him.

…

Lost in thought, my mood dampened.

The feeling of not being acknowledged—I never want to go through that again.

It’s just too humiliating.

The man beside me sensed my emotions, and the atmosphere around him grew cold.

A hint of a sneer tugged at his lips.

“Do you still like him?”

“No. If I chose to break up, there was a reason. To keep liking him would mean not learning from the past.”

I answered decisively.

Hearing that, Duan Heng quietly let out a breath and responded.