Chapter 1

Zhou Shiyan was the kind of boyfriend who couldn’t tell women’s things apart.

I used an ivory foundation, but he gave me one in a cool, bright white.

So I ended up giving it to my best friend, whose skin was fairer than mine.

I wore a size M dress, but he bought me a size S that barely covered my backside.

So I gave it to my best friend, who was ten centimeters shorter than me.

Even the moisturizer I’d reminded him again and again to buy at the duty-free shop—he still managed to get the one I was allergic to.

Helplessly, I gave the gifts to my best friend and complained.

“My boyfriend is such an idiot about this stuff. He gets it wrong every time.”

Every time, my best friend cheerfully reassured me.

“He doesn’t know anything about these things. That just means he hasn’t been around many women, which is actually a good thing.”

“It’s great being the love-life bodyguard for you two. I get all these nice things every time. I’ll always protect your relationship!”

I believed her.

Until the day he was going to propose. I couldn’t help arriving at the venue early.

I happened to see him walk in while talking on the phone, so I hid behind a curtain, wanting to surprise him.

“Right. The classic six-prong, 1.5-carat diamond ring.”

I was secretly delighted. This time, he’d actually gotten it right.

“The ring size isn’t a ten. It’s a nine. Make absolutely sure you don’t deliver the wrong one.”

Wait. My ring size was ten. Alarmed, I was about to step out and correct him.

But then I heard my best friend’s voice.

“You even got the size of the proposal ring wrong. Aren’t you afraid she’ll really get mad at you?”

Zhou Shiyan gave a careless laugh.

“The dress and cosmetics—I picked the styles you usually use on purpose. When I propose in a bit, I’ll just tell her I bought the wrong ones again.”

I stood frozen in shock.

At last, I understood why he always bought me the wrong gifts.

The woman who wore size S, had a cool, fair complexion, and took a size-nine ring—the one whose measurements he knew by heart—

had always been my best friend.

……

Xia Weiyuan looked at him with a teasing expression.

“Then who are you planning to give this size-nine ring to?”

Zhou Shiyan gently tapped the tip of her nose.

“You know perfectly well. Who was the one who said a diamond ring had to be a classic design?”

My thoughts returned to the day he asked me to choose a ring.

I’d originally liked the newest bud-shaped design, but Xia Weiyuan had strongly recommended the classic one in the product photo.

When I couldn’t decide, Zhou Shiyan made the choice for me.

“Si Ning, the classic style suits you better.”

It was rare for him to pick something for me himself, and I didn’t want to spoil his mood.

Now I saw that his favoritism had been obvious all along.

Suddenly everything felt pointless and dull.

That afternoon, the makeup artist I’d booked arrived to get me ready.

As soon as the young woman stepped inside, she went straight to Xia Weiyuan and exclaimed,

“You must be tonight’s bride! You two look perfect together.”

I silently watched Xia Weiyuan in her pale blue dress, its color matching Zhou Shiyan’s suit.

But that morning, I’d ironed a white suit for him.

He usually complained that matching outfits was too much trouble and wore whatever I laid out for him.

Today, though, he’d unusually gone through the closet himself and changed into this pale blue one.

A blush quickly spread across Xia Weiyuan’s face.

“No, no. She’s the one being proposed to today.”

She pointed at me. The makeup artist looked at me awkwardly.

Zhou Shiyan, however, didn’t seem to care.

“Either one can go first. Just do Weiyuan’s makeup first.”

In the past, I would have been happy that Zhou Shiyan was so considerate toward my friend.

Today, I calmly asked for a different makeup artist.

The young woman working on Xia Weiyuan looked embarrassed.

“But she’s your assistant. Her makeup skills aren’t very good.”

I didn’t even bother to raise my eyes.

“That’s fine. Let her do mine.”

It didn’t matter. This proposal wasn’t going to happen anyway.

Zhou Shiyan had someone bring over a plate of pastries and fed one to me himself.

“My wife is the most understanding person in the world.”

When I didn’t say anything, he reached over to stroke my cheek.

“Why are you so pale? Is the air conditioning too cold?”

I glanced at the delicate strawberry cake on the plate.

“Didn’t you know I don’t like strawberries?”

Before Zhou Shiyan could answer, Xia Weiyuan laughed.

“Si Ning, don’t you understand your own Zhou Shiyan? He’s the president of a corporation. How would he have time to remember little things like that?”

I stared at her.

“I thought you were the one who liked strawberry cake.”

He didn’t have time to remember little things, yet when he picked up a cake, his first instinct was to choose the kind Xia Weiyuan liked.

As soon as I finished speaking, Zhou Shiyan casually handed her the plate.

“Perfect, then. If you won’t eat it, Weiyuan can have it.”

Xia Weiyuan narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

“Oh, lucky me. I get to enjoy another delicious cake today.”

This had happened between us countless times.

Every time he bought me the wrong thing, it just happened to be exactly what Xia Weiyuan liked.

So, in the end, it always ended up in her hands.

I’d trusted them both all these years. It had never even crossed my mind to doubt them.

But this time, I asked outright.

“Zhou Shiyan, why do you always manage to buy exactly what Xia Weiyuan likes?”

Chapter 2

Maybe it was because I rarely spoke so firmly.

The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment, but Zhou Shiyan quickly chuckled.

“It’s just a coincidence.”

“Si Ning, you’re such a silly girl. You’re even jealous of your best friend.”

I said nothing.

The makeup artist doing Xia Weiyuan’s makeup called to him.

“Sir, could you pass me the lipstick in front of you?”

I looked up.

There were two lipsticks there, one grapefruit pink-orange, the other champagne pink.

Without hesitation, Zhou Shiyan picked up the champagne-pink one.

Xia Weiyuan had fair skin and usually liked rosy lip colors best.

The Zhou Shiyan standing in front of me couldn’t tell makeup from skin care.

Yet he knew exactly which shade of lipstick Xia Weiyuan wanted to wear.

After the makeup was done, I said I wanted to step outside for some air.

Zhou Shiyan took my hand.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

Xia Weiyuan glanced at her phone and gently tugged at his hem.

“Shiyan, the manager says the music for tonight still needs adjusting. Come check it with me.”

Zhou Shiyan let go of my hand.

“Sure, I’ll go with you.”

I opened the door. Only then did he turn to look at me.

He picked up a light blanket and draped it over my shoulders.

“It’s windy outside. You’re on your period today, so be careful not to catch a chill.”

He remembered every important day of mine. He’d never lacked for thoughtfulness or care.

But when I compared the way he treated me with Xia Weiyuan, I realized I was always the one left behind.

At the entrance, I happened to meet the staff bringing the ring to the reception desk.

Their voices were full of admiration.

“Mr. Zhou and the designer discussed this ring’s details hundreds of times. He chose the highest-grade diamond in both clarity and cut, and personally checked every step of the process.”

“Mrs. Zhou is so lucky to have a man who cares this much.”

My steps stopped.

Zhou Shiyan, who knew nothing about women’s jewelry, had gone back again and again to oversee the making of a ring.

But he’d done it for another woman.

As for the ring meant for me, he couldn’t even get the size right.

That evening, everyone gathered on the lawn. Beneath the interwoven lights, a magnificent sea of purple flowers came into view.

Zhou Shiyan lowered the hand that had been covering my eyes.

“I had them arrange the irises you love most. It took them the whole day.”

I lowered my head and watched him kneel on one knee.

The diamond’s glittering fire drew everyone’s gaze.

But the ring jammed at the second knuckle of my left ring finger.

Zhou Shiyan frowned.

“I was careless. I got the ring size wrong.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

I pulled my hand away and stepped back twice.

“Then I won’t marry you.”

Zhou Shiyan looked stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered.

“Don’t be silly. I’ll have an even better one made for you.”

“What about this one?”

He lowered his head. His tone was as casual as if he were offering someone a bunch of bok choy.

“Same as before. Give it to Weiyuan.”

Xia Weiyuan took the ring from him and slipped it on. It fit her perfectly.

“All right, all right. I guess I’ll reluctantly take it.”

I looked straight at Zhou Shiyan.

“What if I say I don’t agree to give it to her?”

He tried to soothe me.

“Come on, don’t be so petty.”

I repeated myself, more firmly.

“I said I don’t agree to give it to her.”

Xia Weiyuan hurriedly took the ring off and pressed it into my hand.

“Si Ning, don’t make a scene with Shiyan. I won’t take it, okay?”

Zhou Shiyan stopped her.

His voice suddenly turned cold.

“Lu Sining, don’t force me to argue with you today.”

I gave him one long look, then turned and left without hesitation.

Behind me, one of Zhou Shiyan’s close friends hurried him along.

“Your fiancée’s mad. Aren’t you going to go after her?”

His airy voice drifted to me through the night wind.

“Her parents are both gone. Where could she go without me?”

I glanced at the ride-hailing details on my phone and never slowed down for a second.

Chapter 3

Once I got into the car, the driver leaned his head toward the window, curious.

“Miss, I heard someone’s proposing here tonight. Was it quite a sight?”

I took a deep breath. “Very lively.”

Even after the car had gone some distance, I could still hear the fireworks behind us.

I scrolled through my phone. Post after post showed videos people had taken of the fireworks and the proposal’s drone show.

【Oh my god, we really are NPCs in a CEO romance novel.】

【What kind of normal person sets up an entire sea of flowers and a drone show for a proposal? So romantic!】

I’d left, but that didn’t put a damper on the bustle and excitement of the proposal.

The next day, Zhou Shiyan’s call woke me.

“You didn’t come home last night. Where did you go?”

I was silent, about to hang up.

“You’re at the studio, right? I’m coming to see you.”

Zhou Shiyan appeared downstairs in a gray tracksuit, riding a bicycle alongside Xia Weiyuan, one behind the other.

Xia Weiyuan’s bright voice rang out.

“One hour and five minutes. You lost to me again.”

“All right, all right. I’ll buy you the game controller you wanted.”

Zhou Shiyan saw me, guilt in his eyes.