Shi Zhi didn’t question Shen Jia about his momentary loss of composure.

Of course, she harbored suspicions, but Shen Jia continued his earlier lie without missing a beat after they returned.

The bar must have welcomed a DJ the regulars were eagerly awaiting, as a deafening cheer suddenly erupted. Shen Jia naturally grabbed Shi Zhi’s wrist, the one holding the fork, and said, “Wait.” He then placed the two cherries from his slice of cake onto Shi Zhi’s plate, knowing how much she loved them.

Shen Jia said, “I’ll take the rest of the cake home later. My girlfriend ordered it; it’s delicious, so we can’t waste it. I’ll let my parents have a taste too. They just asked me over the phone if I had eaten the cake.”

Shi Zhi swallowed a bite of chocolate cream and turned to look into Shen Jia’s eyes.

The cool-toned lighting softened his gaze, but Shi Zhi realized that even those gentle eyes, when set on deceiving someone, could hide secrets effortlessly.

Shi Zhi understood Shen Jia’s attitude clearly. Whatever that comment on Weibo was about, he had no intention of mentioning it to her.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Shi Zhi instinctively felt that Shen Jia’s lapse in composure had something to do with a girl.

Yet, after that day, Shen Jia didn’t exhibit any more suspicious behavior. He still occasionally showed up downstairs at her dorm with breakfast for her. If he wasn’t busy, he’d invite her out for dinner, then send her back to her dorm, saying, “Go on upstairs. I’ll head back now. I’ll video call you when I get home.”

Shen Jia was a local and didn’t live on campus often, preferring to go home whenever he could. She’d heard that his parents had bought him a property in the same neighborhood, but Shen Jia rarely stayed there, saying he wanted to spend more time with his parents.

Through their video calls, Shi Zhi had seen Shen Jia’s room—trophies and certificates lined the shelves, the room of someone who had excelled since childhood. Whenever Shen Jia said he was going home, he wasn’t lying. His habit of video-calling her before bed hadn’t changed.

Just when Shi Zhi was starting to let her guard down, Shen Jia’s behavior aroused suspicion once again.

It was a Friday evening, over half a month later. Shi Zhi and Shen Jia were having dinner at a food street not far from the university. Two of Shen Jia’s friends were with them. Throughout the meal, Shen Jia frequently glanced at his phone, but each time he set it down, it was screen-side down.

Shi Zhi noticed this and stole a couple of glances at him, feigning indifference before continuing to listen to the other two’s conversation.

One of Shen Jia’s friends brought up a concert at the Workers’ Stadium, asking if Shi Zhi and Shen Jia were interested in going.

Shi Zhi shook her head. “You guys go ahead. I’m visiting my uncle’s family this weekend.”

The concert was for an old singer, no longer popular, but his nostalgic hits had left a deep impression. Shen Jia seemed interested, putting his phone down to ask about the concert dates.

“I’ll send you the link to the concert info. Check the dates for the two shows. Tickets are hard to get, so we need to decide early,” said the friend.

Shen Jia was busy removing his disposable gloves, coated in chili oil, and calling the server for more food. He didn’t catch the comment and asked the friend to repeat it.

Meanwhile, Shi Zhi, wearing transparent disposable gloves, focused on peeling the midsection of a crawfish, carefully removing the head.

During his time on campus, Shen Jia was always busy, often helping professors with various tasks. As such, his phone was never on loud or silent mode—vibration was the most convenient.

However, the message about the concert link didn’t trigger any vibration or sound.

What kind of situation would lead someone to check their phone so frequently yet keep it completely silent?

As before, Shi Zhi tucked the question away in her mind.

She had no intention of breaking up with Shen Jia, so she didn’t act impulsively. Instead, she silently noted these suspicious moments, choosing to wait and observe.

Shen Jia turned to her and asked, “You’re really not going to the concert? I’m free for the later show.”

“Got to spend time with my uncle and aunt.”

Shi Zhi always appeared composed in front of Shen Jia. She only perched on the front edge of the plastic chair, her back straight, peeling crawfish slowly.

The crawfish restaurant was immensely popular. Most diners were university students from nearby campuses or residents who lived close by. These days, customers were savvy and weren’t easily swayed by flashy restaurant marketing; gimmicks alone couldn’t retain them. This place, with its modest sign and unpretentious decor, had thirty or so tables, all occupied, and new customers constantly asking about wait times.

When someone squeezed past her, Shi Zhi moved her chair forward slightly to make room.

Shen Jia, still discussing concert plans with his friends, noticed the sparse pile of crawfish shells on Shi Zhi’s plate. Smiling, he picked up two crawfish and added them to her plate, saying, “Let me peel them for you, Shi Zhi.”

When Fu Xiling arrived at the agreed meeting spot, Zhou Lang had only been there for a few minutes. He stood by a table piled high with dirty dishes, waiting for the server to clean up.

“Xiling, over here.”

Fu Xiling navigated through the crowd and stood beside Zhou Lang, scanning the area. “No other empty tables?”

“This place is always packed. The fact we didn’t have to wait in line is lucky enough. Where do you think we’d find another table?”

Zhou Lang took off his glasses, using his shirt hem to wipe the lenses, nodding toward a group of people a few meters away. “See them? They arrived just two minutes after me and already have to wait in line.”

The staff, used to the restaurant’s constant hustle, quickly cleaned up the table. Though efficient, they were a bit rough, leaving some oil stains behind.

Fu Xiling pulled out a plastic chair and sat down, grabbing a few napkins to wipe the leftover grease from the table.

Zhou Lang asked, “Why’d you suddenly have time to meet me for dinner?”

“You’re so busy with grad school that I can’t get you to come to my place. So I figured I’d come to you.”

A server handed them menus. Fu Xiling skimmed it and continued, “I happened to have some errands nearby this afternoon, so I thought I’d drop by, see how you’re doing. You’ve lost weight?”

Fu Xiling’s gaze shifted past Zhou Lang and froze for a moment.

Graduate school was indeed grueling, and Zhou Lang saw no need to put up a front with his friends. He launched into a rant about how tough things had been.

The server returned to take their order. Fu Xiling was quick, passing the menu back efficiently. Zhou Lang, mid-complaint about his hectic schedule, noticed Fu Xiling staring off behind him and stopped talking.

Without needing to guess, Zhou Lang said, “You saw Shen Jia? I spotted him when I was looking for a table.”

Zhou Lang and Fu Xiling had been college roommates for four years. After graduating last year, Zhou Lang went on to grad school at B University, while Fu Xiling began taking over part of his family’s business.

Zhou Lang, not being a local, often stayed at Fu Xiling’s place during holidays. Their close relationship meant Zhou Lang had a decent understanding of Fu Xiling’s social circle.

“Why are you staring at him? You and Shen Jia aren’t close friends. What’s up? Thinking of saying hi?”

“I wasn’t looking at him.”

“Then who?”

Fu Xiling tapped his finger lightly on the table, smiling faintly. “Shen Jia’s girlfriend.”

Zhou Lang was stunned into silence and turned to glance behind him. Being a fellow graduate student at B University, Zhou Lang knew Shen Jia had a girlfriend. Their paths occasionally crossed on campus. She was beautiful, but Zhou Lang thought it was odd for Fu Xiling to stare at her.

Before Zhou Lang could say anything, Fu Xiling retracted his gaze and changed the subject. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Always aiming for perfection will only exhaust you.”

Zhou Lang sighed. “I don’t have much of a choice. You know my family’s situation. No connections, nothing. If I want to make it in a first-tier city, I have to give it my all.”

Fu Xiling pointed to himself, smiling. “Aren’t I your connection?”

“Lucky for you, I don’t resent the rich.”

Zhou Lang chuckled, finally relaxing a bit. “I’m just hoping I can do well enough during grad school to secure a spot in the Ph.D. program.”

“Work hard, but take care of yourself too. As your one and only connection, let me treat you to a good meal for some motivation.”

Zhou Lang didn’t hold back, raising a hand to call the server. “Excuse me! Add a large portion of crawfish to our order, please!”

The crawfish was delicious but overwhelmingly spicy. Fu Xiling, not one for overly spicy food, felt the burn in his throat after a few bites. He opened a bottle of water and leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, once again looking toward Shen Jia’s table.

It was a table for four. Naturally, Shen Jia sat next to his girlfriend.

Shen Jia was a considerate boyfriend. While chatting with his friends, he kept peeling crawfish for his girlfriend, even pouring her a glass of ginger cola after removing his gloves.

She accepted the glass, turning to smile at Shen Jia, her eyes crinkling in delight.

A while back, at the bar, Fu Xiling had heard someone call out Shen Jia’s girlfriend’s name. They’d shouted it loud enough for Fu Xiling to hear clearly: Shi Zhi.

From Fu Xiling’s perspective, Shi Zhi was indeed stunning and poised, nibbling her food gracefully like a young lady from a noble family. Her posture, however, was overly formal, as if she were attending a conference and about to give a speech.

“Hey, Xiling, if you can’t handle the spice, try the skewers. They’re good too,” Zhou Lang said, his mouth full of crawfish.

“Alright.”

Fu Xiling, catching up with Zhou Lang after a long time, continued their conversation. Their meal stretched on, but even when they finished, Shen Jia’s group was still eating.

As they stood to leave, Fu Xiling instinctively glanced over again. Zhou Lang noticed, smacking him hard on the back. Lowering his voice, Zhou Lang grumbled, “…Why do you keep staring at someone else’s girlfriend?”

Fu Xiling didn’t look away, taking his time before finally turning back. Pulling out his phone to scan the QR code for the bill, he said, “I’ve met her before.”

“Met who? Shen Jia’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah.” Fu Xiling chuckled, amused. “But back then, she didn’t have this personality, nor was she called that name.”