Chapter 1 – Getting Cheated On

September in the capital was the most beautiful season. Fallen leaves drifted down one after another. It wasn’t a scene of decay, but rather another kind of beauty—something that relaxed the weary heart after a long day.

When Wang Yi returned to her rented apartment, the musty smell hit her the moment she walked in. Clearly, she hadn’t been home for several days.

Her department had been working on a new project plan, and everyone was pulling all-nighters. Today, the plan finally passed review, so she got off work early. She thought about tidying up her place, but she was both hungry and tired. In the end, sleep won out—she decided to rest first, then clean later.

Wang Yi didn’t even bother to shower. She fell onto the bed and instantly drifted off. It was the kind of sleep where you start snoring within seconds!

She didn’t know how long she had slept when she vaguely heard noises in the room. At first, she thought she was still at the office. Then she remembered—she had the day off today. Jolting awake, her brain was still foggy from exhaustion.

Then it clicked—she had given her boyfriend, Li Jibai, a key. He said that since she might not come home for several days, he would stop by after work to water her plants so they wouldn’t die. Thinking of this, she relaxed again and lay back down.

But the noise outside didn’t sound right. It wasn’t just one person’s voice. Listening closely, she realized it was the sound of intimate panting. Although she had been dating Li Jibai for a year, they hadn’t actually gone that far yet. But that didn’t mean she didn’t recognize those sounds. You don’t need to eat pork to know what a pig looks like!

Her fists clenched tight. Damn it, you think you can put a green hat on my head without asking my permission? Screw that!

She yanked the door open. The two people outside were right in the middle of things. The sound of the door opening was like a flame being doused with water—“sizzle”—and the room filled with awkward silence.

“Ah!” someone cried out.

Wang Yi stared. Well, this was rich. The man was indeed her boyfriend, Li Jibai. And the woman? None other than her dear roommate and so-called best friend, Bai Miaomiao.

Without hesitation, Wang Yi slapped her. Maybe Bai Miaomiao was too shocked, because she stopped screaming. But a moment later, she snapped out of it.

“Wang Yi, are you crazy? Why are you hitting Brother Jibai? If you’ve got guts, hit me!” Bai Miaomiao puffed herself up like she had a strong man standing behind her, ready to fight for love.

Wang Yi smirked coldly and slapped her again, this time on the other cheek—for symmetry. Perfect.

Bai Miaomiao raised her hand to fight back, but Wang Yi warned her:
“Sit down and stay put. The only reason I’m not hitting you is because you’re not worth it. Cheating happens because men can’t keep their pants zipped. And besides, he was my boyfriend. This is between him and me. But if you don’t behave, I won’t mind including you in the beating.”

Bai Miaomiao saw the fire in her eyes and knew she meant it.

Turning to Li Jibai, Wang Yi said coldly:
“Put your clothes on. You’re an eyesore. How can you be shameless enough to show that tiny thing? Once you’re dressed, we’ll settle this properly.”

Li Jibai opened his mouth as if to speak, but one look at Wang Yi’s icy gaze shut him right up.

Ten minutes later, the three of them sat in the “living room”—though in reality, it was barely more than a meter of space. Wang Yi sat while the other two stood.

She asked:
“Li Jibai, when did this start? Even rabbits don’t eat the grass by their own burrow, but you? Damn, you’ve got some nerve.”

Li Jibai muttered:
“Yiyi, we couldn’t help ourselves… it’s not like we were trying to embarrass you. It was just a fleeting thing…”

“Stop. Don’t call me ‘Yiyi.’ Hearing my name from your mouth makes me sick.”

Wang Yi looked at Bai Miaomiao.
“Tell me why. We’ve been classmates for four years, and I’ve never wronged you. So why?”

Bai Miaomiao sneered:
“No reason. I just liked him. The fact that he was your boyfriend was just a coincidence. Honestly, Wang Yi, I hate how you act all magnanimous. You clearly care, but you pretend to be above it all. Can’t you stop playing the saint?”

Wang Yi ignored her and shoved a QR code in front of Li Jibai’s face. He looked confused, glancing up at her. She explained:

“Let’s settle accounts. A cheap hotel room costs at least 300. Emotional distress compensation: 500. Psychological trauma: 1000. If I date again and end up comparing sizes because of you, that’s 2000. Disturbed sleep: 500. Cleaning fees since I’ll have to hire someone to sanitize this place: 800. Total, 5100. Discounted price, 5000 flat. Pay up.”

Li Jibai’s eyes went red with anger. Wang Yi only sneered:
“Don’t look at me like that. Unless you want to pay extra for an eye-wash service.”

He snapped:
“What kind of girlfriend are you? Always working, never making time for me. I couldn’t even stay overnight here! What kind of relationship is that? Miaomiao is gentle and caring. What do you have to offer?”

“Bang!”

Wang Yi kicked him to the ground and started slapping him hard.

“You think I don’t want to hit you? You just had to push me into it! You act like if I don’t beat you, it’s because I can’t let you go. Well, guess what? I can let go—and I’ll do it with style. You wanted this, so enjoy it!”

Slap, slap, slap!

“Ahhh, that felt good. If I weren’t such a civilized woman, I’d ruin you completely.” She glanced pointedly at his lower half. Terrified, Li Jibai clamped his legs together.

Wang Yi held out the QR code again.
“Scan 5000. Or else…” She clenched her fist.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Li Jibai reluctantly scanned the code and paid. The sound of the money arriving was music to her ears.

“See? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just pay up in the first place? But no—you had to get beaten first. You really are pathetic.”

This time, Li Jibai said nothing.

“From this moment on, we’re over. Take your new girlfriend and get out of my house. From now on, the bridge is the bridge, and the road is the road. The best kind of ex is a dead one—so don’t go resurrecting yourself in front of me. If you do, I won’t mind digging up your grave just to whip your corpse. And by the way, see that up there?”

She pointed. Both Li Jibai and Bai Miaomiao went pale. A large surveillance camera stared down at them.

The two of them scurried out in shame.

Once they were gone, the more Wang Yi thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Damn, why didn’t I hit him a few more times? Opportunities like that don’t come twice. What a waste.

Just then, her stomach growled. She remembered she hadn’t eaten all day. Picking up her phone, she ordered the most expensive takeout ever. After all, she had literally made money today by taking out the trash—time to treat herself.

The world is vast, but nothing is bigger than a good meal.

As they say in Northeastern dialect: Eat when it’s time to eat, drink when it’s time to drink. Don’t let things weigh on your heart. Listen to the elders—you won’t go wrong.