Zhu Shiyu had not told anyone about Lu Ge’s infidelity, except for her cousin. Her parents still thought that she had suddenly come to her senses and decided to compromise and return home.

Now that the marriage was basically settled, her family was being very careful and attentive. With Meng Siyi also here, if they found out that Lu Ge was still involved with her, the hard-won peace could be destroyed.

Her mother’s mental state had not been good these past few years, perhaps due to the stress Zhu Shiyu had caused her, or perhaps due to early health issues. She could not handle any stimulation, or she would easily become irritable and extreme.

The previous incident with the plane ticket still made Zhu Shiyu uneasy.

Zhu Shiyu listened to the ringing of the phone, and as soon as it started, it was immediately answered.

The man’s voice was filled with surprise and disbelief: “Shiyu?”

“Lu Ge, let’s meet,” Zhu Shiyu said.

Zhu Shiyu did not want to leave any hidden dangers. She contacted Lu Ge and arranged to meet him the next day.

After hanging up the phone, she sighed softly.

It was also a way to formally bring closure to their years-long relationship.

The next morning, before going to the meeting, Zhu Shiyu brought her wedding invitation.

She had written Lu Ge’s name on it herself, along with a beautifully packaged box of wedding candies.

She had everything ready and was about to leave the house.

“I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back soon,” she said.

All three family members were home. Meng Siyi heard her and responded with a slightly cold “Okay,” then continued to help with the vegetable preparation.

Zhou Zhen stopped what she was doing and looked over, frowning. “Where are you going?”

“I have an appointment with a friend,” Zhu Shiyu replied.

“What friend? You’re leaving Xiao Meng alone at home…” Zhou Zhen expressed her disapproval, but before she could finish, Meng Siyi interrupted her gently.

“It’s okay, Auntie. I enjoy being with you all. Shiyu also has her own things to do.”

The young man was considerate and understanding, and his words carried a sense of compromise, making Zhou Zhen even more sympathetic. She scolded Zhu Shiyu, “Come back early. This is really not appropriate.”

Because of this small incident before she left, and because Zhu Shiyu already felt guilty, her sense of guilt grew even stronger. She hurried all the way to the appointed café.

Lu Ge was already waiting there, sitting by the window in their old spot.

This café was a place they used to frequent during their school days. After class or during holidays, they would come here with a group of friends to study or chat. This seat was the one they always occupied.

The stickers on the walls of the café were unchanged, the menu was the same as always, and the lucky cat on the table was still waving its fist as it had for ten years.

Memories of the past were instantly evoked.

Zhu Shiyu felt a sudden pang of sadness, instinctively sensing the passage of something irretrievable.

Time and people that would never return.

“Shiyu, you’re here,” Lu Ge said, clearly happy. He stood up from afar and pulled out a seat for her.

“Long time no see,” he said, his gaze fixed on her face, filled with longing and joy.

“I…” He seemed to notice Zhu Shiyu’s indifference and got straight to the point.

“I really have no relationship with her. We haven’t had any inappropriate behavior in private. Besides that period when we had to interact more due to the project, she was just joking when she sent that message.” Lu Ge swallowed and pushed his unlocked phone across the table to her, looking nervous and anxious.

“This is all of our chat history. I deleted her contact information a long time ago, and since that day, we haven’t had any interactions. This is the chat content that I asked a senior from the computer science department to help me recover. You can take a look.”

Zhu Shiyu lowered her eyes and genuinely took the phone to look through it.

Just as he said, there was no inappropriate behavior between the two. Their conversations were familiar and casual, with jokes and laughter, showing that they got along very well.

Seeing that she was willing to listen, Lu Ge’s eyes filled with hope. He continued to explain carefully, “Shiyu, from the age of seventeen until now, you are the only person I have liked. I know I made you angry this time, but I promise I won’t have any more interactions with any female friends in the future, okay?”

His eyes were filled with pain, and he spoke softly, apologizing and trying to comfort her. His words still carried the warmth and understanding that Zhu Shiyu was used to.

In the past, she loved this about him the most. However, he didn’t reserve this warmth only for her; perhaps at one time, it was only for her.

Zhu Shiyu casually flipped through a few pages of the chat history and returned the phone to Lu Ge.

“If that’s really the case, why did you delete and block her?” she asked calmly.

“You could have explained everything to me at the time, but you didn’t. Your first reaction was guilt and panic.”

“After you calmed down, you made a choice between me and her.”

“The brief novelty might not compare to our decade-long relationship.”

“But Lu Ge,”

“When you gave someone else the chance to get close to you, you had already betrayed our feelings.”

In that chat history, there was indeed no inappropriate content.

But Zhu Shiyu saw a Lu Ge who used to appear only in front of her.

His warmth and patience had been shared with someone else.

“This is my wedding invitation. The wedding date is set for next month, the 25th.” Zhu Shiyu took out the large red invitation from her bag and calmly pushed it towards him.

“Lu Ge, we are truly over.”