Chapter 7

“After Xia Weiyuan got out of prison, her life went downhill. She couldn’t find work, so she started livestreaming. Then people exposed her for having been the other woman in someone else’s relationship.”

“I heard that when she hit rock bottom, she went to Zhou Shiyan to beg him for help, but he wouldn’t even acknowledge her.”

I was a little stunned to hear that.

When Xia Weiyuan first came to rely on me, penniless, I helped pay her rent and find her a job. Later, she worked hard and earned a decent position on her own.

There was a time when I was genuinely happy for her.

But the person I’d thought was my closest friend had stabbed me in the back where I’d never thought to look.

Speak of the devil.

The next day, my husband and I were strolling through the city when we passed a café.

When we walked in, the person taking orders at the counter was Xia Weiyuan.

She wore an ordinary brown uniform. Her once-delicate face was bare of makeup, and she seemed plain and unfamiliar.

When she saw me, she paused, then glanced up at the man beside me.

“Lu Sining, you’re really not with Zhou Shiyan?”

I calmly picked up my coffee and turned away.

“Only you thought he was worth having.”

Just before I stepped out the door, a very quiet voice came from behind me.

“Lu Sining, I’m sorry.”

My husband turned to me, bewildered.

“Do you know her, honey?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Later, I ran into Zhou Shiyan by chance at Su Su’s studio.

He’d brought someone to choose decorations. From a distance, he spotted me and walked straight over.

“Si Ning… you’re back in China.”

“Have you been well all these years?”

He pressed his lips together, as if he wanted to say more.

But when he saw the diamond ring on my left ring finger, every word he’d planned to say stopped.

“I’ve been well. As you can see, I’m married.”

“I didn’t realize you’d gotten married.”

The corner of Zhou Shiyan’s mouth lifted into a bitter smile.

“Si Ning, I hope you’ll be happy.”

“Thank you.”

My tone was neither warm nor cold. It was as if he really were an old friend I hadn’t seen in years, someone I’d happened to run into and exchanged a few words with.

Just as I was about to leave, Zhou Shiyan suddenly called after me.

“Si Ning, do you still hate me?”

I glanced at him in surprise, then slowly shook my head.

“The day I left for Italy, I stopped feeling anything for you.”

“Hate you? Even less.”

Hating someone would take energy, too. Once I stopped loving him, there was no hate left.

I heard Zhou Shiyan murmur to himself where he stood.

“So you won’t even hate me anymore.”

But his thoughts had nothing to do with me now.

Time passed quietly in a peaceful life. Every day ahead would be an entirely new one.

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