She liked wearing high heels, the higher and thinner the heels, the more beautiful. But because they were cheap and the soles weren’t made of soft leather, they were very hard to walk in. Plus, after kicking a stone curb earlier, her whole foot was sore and numb.

The subway entrance was a kilometer ahead, and walking there at this pace would take over ten minutes. Ying Ni looked ahead, then glanced down at her feet, letting out a frustrated sigh.

She wasn’t the least bit moved by Chen An’s invitation; in fact, she felt repelled by it.

If the person parking was Yu Jiao Jiao, there might be a slight possibility of her biting the bullet and going. Because she would rather embarrass herself in front of a woman than expose her awkwardness in front of a man.

The old city area was densely populated, bustling and noisy. Small food vendors gathered along the narrow sidewalks, steam rising from the blue stone walls, making the air smell rich with various aromas.

With the enticing smells around, Ying Ni found it even harder to keep going, as she hadn’t eaten much all day.

There was a stall selling sandwiches nearby. Ying Ni turned towards it, and two or three people were standing at the stall, with the owner busily slicing meat, the chopping board making a loud sound with each cut.

“How much is it?” she asked twice.

The owner, looking down, seemed a bit impatient due to the rush of customers. “It’s written up there!”

Ying Ni looked up. An A4-sized laminated paper was posted next to the payment code, covered in dust from passing cars, greasy, hidden in the same dusty sign.

It was nearly impossible to read.

Small size 8 yuan, medium size 10 yuan, large size 12 yuan.

The poor hygiene conditions meant the prices were cheap, but she wasn’t sure about the portion size.

“What do you want?” the owner asked, seeing her standing there for a while.

Ying Ni said, “I’ll take a look some more.”

“Step aside, you’re blocking others.” The owner grabbed a paper bag, handed over a sandwich with meat to the woman beside him, and Ying Ni craned her neck to ask, “What size is that?”

The woman replied, “12 yuan.”

The meat was so little, it didn’t look authentic. Ying Ni quickly took out her phone: “Boss, I’ll have the 8-yuan one, less green pepper.”

She scanned the QR code while keeping an eye on the owner’s actions. The owner chopped up a big piece of meat, but only a small corner of it went into the sandwich.

It wasn’t enough to even get stuck in your teeth, Ying Ni lifted her eyes. “Forget it, I’ll take the 10-yuan one.”

The owner opened the sandwich, adding more meat inside. The extra two yuan’s worth of meat was almost the same as the 8-yuan portion.

“I’ll still go with the 12-yuan one,” Ying Ni said again.

The owner glanced at her, his expression unfriendly, as if accusing her of not saying everything at once. Ying Ni ignored him and maintained a smile.

The meat was packed in, and the sandwich was so full that more fell out into the bag. Ying Ni accepted it contentedly, and her mood improved a little.

But soon, her mood sank again.

The class reunion photo came out, and Yu Jiao Jiao not only posted it in the group but also edited it and broadcasted it widely on her social media.

Ying Ni bit the sandwich, holding it tighter and tighter, her face turning darker the more she looked at the photo.

She was standing at the very edge of the photo, and worse yet, only half of her face was visible!

And out of everyone, she was the only one like this!

On the other hand, Yu Jiao Jiao was in the center of the group, wearing the latest autumn collection from D-brand, with a huge diamond necklace sparkling around her neck. Her face had been airbrushed, her eyebrows and eyes seemed to have been re-sculpted.

Even Chen An, once a peripheral figure, was now at the center of the group, dressed in a suit, standing with the men.

In comparison, Ying Ni looked disheveled and downcast, like a stray dog.

Or maybe she wanted to prove something, so she pulled out a group photo from many years ago — the one from her high school days.

She was standing in the spot where Chen An was now, and Chen An was standing in the spot where she had been, with no changes at all.

Coincidentally, in that photo, Chen An’s face wasn’t fully captured either; it was just missing his ears and the corner of his right eye.

In the photo.

Ying Ni was holding a bunch of fresh flowers, her eyes bright, smiling radiantly.

Chen An was staring straight ahead, his eyes dark, his expression unreadable, as though he was fulfilling a mission.

The green light came on, and Ying Ni stood still like a landmark, while pedestrians flowed by her.

She went back to Yu Jiao Jiao’s social media, staring at Chen An, who was at the center of the photo. She chewed the sandwich mechanically, quickly, and aggressively.

It felt like…

Chen An had overstepped and replaced her in the center.

Ying Ni, petty and irritated, deleted the reunion photo from her album, put away her phone, and walked ahead. This action caused the sandwich in her mouth to fall.

Luckily, there was a plastic bag on the ground, and she quickly picked it up, brushed off the bag, and ate while walking among the crowd.

It made her think: people truly cannot escape the laws of reality. The street food she once scoffed at, now she found herself eating it off the ground with enjoyment.

Life…

Who could have predicted?

Ying Ni grabbed the sandwich with both hands and took a big bite. Just then, something crossed her mind, and she suddenly stopped. She stood still in the middle of the crosswalk, her back straight.

Several seconds passed before she reluctantly turned around.

Fortunately…

The black Bentley under the phoenix tree was gone.

Chen An had already left.