Chapter 3

The bar wasn’t the noisy kind. It was a romantic blues lounge, and tonight, on Qixi Festival, the stage featured a woman in a strappy gown, her long hair cascading down her back. Her voice, soft and languid, melted into the dreamy atmosphere, captivating everyone.

As soon as the song began, Jiang Zhe sighed nostalgically. “Didn’t expect to hear this French song, Élène, again. Remember my girlfriend back when I was in the youth program? She loved this song. Every time we were together, she’d insist on us listening to it on her MP3 player.”

He reminisced about those youthful days, letting the music carry him back.

The man across from him, however, gave him no sympathy and remained glued to his phone.

“I’m telling you, what’s so fascinating about that phone? Work’s over for the day! You know what ‘off the clock’ means, right? It means you stop dealing with company crap,” Jiang Zhe grumbled. He had always thought of himself as a bit of a workaholic, but compared to Rong Qi, his habits seemed mild.

Rong Qi, for once, lifted his gaze and looked at Jiang Zhe nonchalantly. “Are you talking about that girlfriend who dumped you the moment she found out you were only fifteen and immediately started dating someone else?”

The comment was like an old arrow suddenly piercing his chest.

Jiang Zhe clutched his chest dramatically. “Did you really have to bring up my heartbreak?”

Back when they were in the youth program, Jiang Zhe, though now smooth in matters of love, had been much greener.

Being in the program meant less strict management than in middle school. Surrounded by college students, many of whom were in relationships, Jiang Zhe inevitably got curious and joined in.

With his tall frame and passably handsome looks, he managed to date a freshman art student.

But the bliss didn’t last. As soon as she discovered he was only fifteen, she dumped him without hesitation and started dating another senior from her department.

“She was a heartbreaker,” Jiang Zhe said with a self-deprecating laugh. “She used to tell me she’d be my Élène for life. Looking back now, it’s just… nostalgic.”

“Not what you said back in the dorms when you cried over her,” Rong Qi remarked, glancing up.

Damn.

The downside of old friends was that they knew every embarrassing detail of your past.

Refusing to let Rong Qi get the last word, Jiang Zhe countered, “Come on, tell me about your own Élène.”

“Who?” Rong Qi asked indifferently.

“Don’t play dumb. You’re the only one among us who actually went to high school. You must’ve had a field of girls your age to pick from. Unlike us—everywhere we looked, it was just older college girls treating us like kids.”

They were all from the same cohort of the youth program, entering at thirteen or fourteen and skipping high school. Rong Qi was the only one who left the program and attended high school instead.

“Okay, fine. First love? High school crush?” Jiang Zhe scrutinized him and sighed. “Don’t tell me that face of yours never even had a first love.”

Just then, a girl approached their table. Holding her phone, she shyly asked Rong Qi, “Um, could I add you on WeChat? My friend thinks you’re really handsome but was too nervous to come over herself.”

The girl had chestnut-colored wavy hair, a black dress, long legs, and a slender waist. She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, looking sweet and coy—the type that easily stirred a man’s protective instincts.

Jiang Zhe burst out laughing, clearly amused, and looked at Rong Qi teasingly.

Rong Qi glanced at the girl and replied coolly, “No.”

*

“That’s the third one,” Meng Yuange nudged Cheng Li’s arm.

“What?” Cheng Li asked.

Meng gestured to her left. “The third girl to hit on Rong Qi tonight. But I have to admit, he’s got pretty clean principles. He hasn’t added a single one.”

“Journalist instincts, huh? So observant,” Cheng Li chuckled softly.

“I bet these girls don’t even know who he is. They’re just drawn to his face.”

Cheng Li didn’t disagree.

Rong Qi had always been known for his striking looks. Perfectly proportioned features, a sharp bone structure, and smooth contours of his face. His dark hair and long, upward-slanted eyes carried a sharp yet cold elegance. The rebellious arrogance of his youth now lay hidden beneath the subtle maturity of his current demeanor.

Every time he appeared in the media, discussions followed.

For ordinary people, someone like him—seemingly a masterpiece of creation—wasn’t even someone they could feel jealous of.

They could only look up from afar, watching him grow from dazzling to even more extraordinary.

“Alright, stop worrying about what kind of girl this winner in life would be into,” Cheng Li said, rubbing her temples.

She rarely drank, especially since her work in tech didn’t involve much social drinking. Now, a few glasses in, her head was pounding.

After two more songs, Cheng Li glanced at her phone. “It’s 11:30. Let’s head home.”

“What? Going home so early?” Meng Yuange was surprised. “I was ready to stay with you till you drank your heart out tonight!”

“I have work tomorrow.” Cheng Li reached for her bag.

Meng gave her a look of pity. “How about taking a day off? Breakups are the ultimate priority.”

Cheng Li stared at her. “Today Ren Kuang told me that our company’s chief architect is about to leave, and I…”

She poked her chest a few times but wobbled slightly, her body unsteady.

“…am his top choice for the next chief architect. So, as long as the world isn’t ending, we don’t take days off. And unless the universe resets, we keep working.”

Meng Yuange quickly supported her before she could fall.

Cheng Li, clearly affected by the alcohol, rambled on, her seemingly calm and strong demeanor now showing cracks in its defense.

“So, I must go to work tomorrow. I need to focus on my job.”

Meng Yuange, full of sympathy, supported her while coaxing gently, “Alright, alright, we’ll focus on work. Let that lousy scumbag go to hell.”

Hearing this, Cheng Li nodded firmly.

“Scumbags can go, but promotions must stay!”

As she shouted this resolutely, she stepped forward with determination, but in that instant, the slender high heel of her left shoe flew off her foot, tracing a perfect arc through the air.

“Ah!”

Meng Yuange let out a shriek beside her.

Cheng Li opened her dazed eyes and followed the trajectory.

Not far away, Rong Qi tilted his head slightly and caught the flying high heel effortlessly with one hand.

He looked at her lazily, their eyes meeting amidst the dim and awkward bar atmosphere.

Rong Qi stood there, calm and indifferent, holding the high heel in his hand as if holding evidence against her.

Save me…

The realization of what had just occurred made Cheng Li’s face flush red at an alarming rate, even in the dim bar lighting.

She froze in place, heat radiating all the way to her ears.

Rong Qi remained where he was, gazing at her without a word, the high heel still in his grasp.

“Li Mi, should I go and get your shoe—”

Before Meng Yuange could finish her sentence, Cheng Li turned around and bolted.

She ran.

“Your Cinderella ran away. Aren’t you going to return her shoe?” Jiang Zhe teased as he watched Cheng Li flee in panic, laughing boisterously.

Rong Qi lowered his gaze to the high heel in his hand, ignoring him.

“She’s not the one.”

The softly spoken words melted into the bar’s faintly chaotic ambiance.

…

Outside the bar, a cool night breeze cleared Cheng Li’s muddled head.

After some time, Meng Yuange caught up to her, finally locating her. “Why’d you run? You didn’t even take your shoe.”

“Between dying of social embarrassment and losing a shoe, I figured the shoe was expendable,” Cheng Li replied calmly.

Meng Yuange held out the shoe in her hand. “This is Jimmy Choo. If you really lost it, your social embarrassment would have a hefty price tag.”

Cheng Li, having dressed up for her Qixi Festival date, had dug out her prized shoes for the occasion.

Little did she expect that her lack of practice wearing heels would lead to such a farcical situation.

“Your best friend here braved the scene of your social demise to recover this shoe for you.”

Cheng Li slipped the shoe on and patted Meng Yuange’s shoulder. “A true sister for life.”

Meng Yuange chuckled. “No problem, especially since I wasn’t the one embarrassed.”

Cheng Li: “…”

“How’d you manage to kick with such precision?” Meng Yuange finally couldn’t hold back her laughter, clutching her stomach. “If the national football team had half your accuracy, my dad wouldn’t curse them every day.”

This friendship was growing harder to maintain.

…

The next morning, Cheng Li was dragged out of bed for work.

Her mother, Mrs. Ling, looked startled when Cheng Li emerged from her room. “What’s wrong with your face? It’s so swollen!”

Cheng Li hadn’t slept a wink all night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Xu Jiheng kissing another woman.

When she was ready to leave, Mrs. Ling noticed the box Cheng Li carried. “What’s in there?”

Thinking of Xu Jiheng likely going to a pre-arranged hotel after his sweet dinner date made Cheng Li feel sick. She had spent the night packing all the things he’d given her.

The box was filled with expensive gifts from a generous yet unfaithful man.

“Trash,” Cheng Li said flatly. “I’m throwing it away.”

When she arrived at work, she immediately called for a same-day courier to send the box to Xu Jiheng’s office.

She then immersed herself in her tasks, occasionally glancing at her phone.

Finally, around 3 p.m., her phone rang. It was a call from Xu Jiheng.

Cheng Li took a deep breath before answering.

“Li Li,” Xu Jiheng’s voice was as gentle as ever, but his words—“Do you have time to talk?”—made her laugh bitterly.

His tone lacked any trace of remorse or a plea for forgiveness. Instead, it carried a matter-of-fact resignation, as though he had decided to stop pretending now that she had found out.

Cheng Li’s voice was icy. “Sure, let’s talk.”

Xu Jiheng chose a nearby five-star hotel for their meeting. Its outdoor terrace, known for its photogenic views, was popular with influencers.

When Cheng Li arrived, he was already seated.

Seeing him there, she couldn’t help but recall the image of him kissing another woman.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked warmly as she sat down.

His pretentious calmness disgusted her. How had she never noticed his knack for putting on airs? Even when caught cheating, he remained unfazed.

“I was at Restaurant J last night,” Cheng Li said bluntly.

“I figured,” Xu Jiheng replied, showing no surprise.

His two-word response pierced her like a knife.

The sleepless night, the drunken humiliation at the bar—all she had endured culminated in this.

“I never knew how to bring this up with you,” Xu Jiheng began, feigning regret. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but I knew this conversation was inevitable…”

Cheng Li’s face was expressionless as she said, “So, you cheated on me, and I should be thanking you for being so considerate and thoughtful on my behalf?”

The word “cheated” made Xu Jiheng’s brow twitch slightly.

He suppressed his irritation and finally said, “Li Li, you and I are different. Coming from a small town, getting into J University was a huge achievement for me—I was once someone others looked up to. But now, to establish myself in a city like Shanghai, I have to seize every opportunity to climb higher. Do you think I want to do this? Her family has money and connections. If I weren’t with her, this project would end up like the previous ones—no matter how hard I worked, I’d still get kicked aside in the end.”

“I don’t want to be forty years old and not even a VP yet.”

Cheng Li laughed in disbelief. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone justify freeloading as if it were some noble sacrifice. If you were so intent on climbing the ladder, why did you pursue me so persistently back then?”

Xu Jiheng gave a faint, bitter smile. “Li Li, I truly love you. That hasn’t changed since the first time I met you.”

This cheap, self-pitying declaration made Cheng Li feel sick to her stomach.

“Do you think that with just our own efforts, we could ever afford a decent home in a place like this?” Xu Jiheng paused, looking out the window. From there, one could see the bustling, glitzy skyline of Lujiazui—a sight that lured countless people to chase their dreams relentlessly.

“Li Li, be realistic. Love and ideals won’t put food on the table.”

In that moment, Cheng Li suddenly understood why Xu Jiheng had chosen this place for their conversation.

From this vantage point overlooking the city’s most glamorous district, he wanted her to recognize how reasonable and justified his betrayal was.

After all, her family background couldn’t provide him with everything he desired.

He expected her to quietly accept his actions, wish him well on his rise to fortune, and step aside with grace.

Facing such shamelessness, Cheng Li felt her patience drain completely.

She had already risen from her seat, intending to leave.

But for the first time, she was consumed by a fiery rage. Last night, she had been more heartbroken than angry; now, fury overwhelmed her entirely, causing her body to tremble.

Xu Jiheng, seeing her about to leave, seemed as though he still wanted to say something.

Cheng Li stopped abruptly. Staring at the cityscape through the floor-to-ceiling window, she found it laughable.

He was the one who cheated—why was she the one being lectured and forced to flee?

Turning back, Cheng Li asked, “I’ve returned everything you ever gave me. Did you check to make sure nothing was left out?”

“Li Li, there’s no need for that. Those were gifts I gave you sincerely,” Xu Jiheng replied, his face still wearing a mask of false affection.

“Oh?” Cheng Li couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, he was putting on the act. “Good to know, because I’d like my gifts back as well.”

Xu Jiheng froze for a moment. Before he could respond, Cheng Li snatched the phone lying on the table in a flash.

“Li Li—” Xu Jiheng called out, confused by her actions, and got up to stop her.

But just as he approached, Cheng Li deliberately leaned to one side, and the phone slipped from her hand.

With a loud bang, the phone hit the decorative fountain in the restaurant. The screen shattered into fragments, and with a final plop, the phone sank to the bottom of the water, irreparably damaged.

The commotion drew the attention of the other diners, who turned to look.

Cheng Li raised her voice deliberately, feigning disbelief. “We’re breaking up, and I just wanted to take back the things I bought with my own money. You won’t even agree to that?”

In an instant, the gazes of disdain and disapproval fell upon Xu Jiheng.

They must have been thinking, He looks so well-dressed, yet he’s freeloading off a woman and refusing to return her things after breaking up. What a scumbag.

Cheng Li’s lifetime of acting skills peaked in this moment.

After venting, she felt much of the suffocating anger leave her chest.

As someone working in a professional field, she understood the importance of a phone—especially for someone in finance like Xu Jiheng, who probably considered his phone an extension of his hand.

A scumbag like him didn’t deserve to use the phone she had bought to flirt with his mistress.

Dream on!!!

Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Xu Jiheng frowned at her and muttered, “Li Li, I hope we can part on good terms.”

Good terms? The audacity!

Where was this desire for dignity when he was cheating?

Cheng Li refused to back down. Glaring at him, she said, “Who the hell wants to part on good terms with you? Let me make it official right now.”

“We’re breaking up!”

With that, Cheng Li walked out of the restaurant with her head held high, leaving everyone staring after her.