Everyone in their circle knew—Su Yumian was hopelessly in love with Jiang Yihuai. So in love that she had no life of her own, no time for herself. She wanted nothing more than to revolve around him 24/7. Every time they broke up, she would e crawling back within three days, begging to get back together. Anyone in the world could say the words "break up"—except Su Yumian.

  Jiang Yihuai walked in with his new fling, and the private room fell into an eerie silence for a few seds. Su Yumian paused mid-peeling an e. “Why is everyone so quiet? And why are you all looking at me?”

  “Mianmian…” Her friend gave her a worried gnce. But Jiang Yihuai, pletely unbothered, ed his arm around the woman and sat down on the couch. “Happy birthday, g Zhou.”

  Shameless. Unapologetic.

  Su Yumian stood up. It was g Zhou’s birthday—she didn’t want to cause a se.

  “I’m going to the restroom.”

  As she shut the door, she overheard the versation inside—

  “Jiang-ge, Yumian’s here. Didn’t I warn you ahead of time? Why did you still bring her?”

  “Yeah! Huai, you went too far this time.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Jiang Yihuai uned his arm from the woman’s slender waist and lit a cigarette. Through the rising smoke, he smirked. Like a reckless pyboy treating life as a game. The rest of the versation was lost as the door clicked shut.

  In the restroom, Su Yumian calmly freshened up. As she touched up her makeup, she stared at her refle in the mirror and suddenly curved her lips into a smirk.

  “Pathetic.”

  The way she lived athetic. Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind. But wheurned and pushed open the door, the se before her made her grip the doorknob so tightly her knuckles turned white. Jiang Yihuai was kissing the woman, their lips pressed together, saliva dampening the napkiweehe room erupted into ughter—

  “Damn! Jiang-ge really knows how to py!”

  “It’s stuck! It’s stuck!”

  “e on, the mood is perfect—give us a real kiss!”

  Su Yumian’s hand trembled on the doorknob. This was the man she had loved for six years. At this moment, all she felt was mockery.

  “Hey, maybe we should stop…” Someone whispered, gng toward the door. Everyourheir heads in unison.

  “M-Mianmian, you’re back? We were just messing around—don’t take it the wrong way…” But Jiang Yihuai cut him off, his gaze indifferent. “Yumian, since you’re here, let’s get this over with.” She ched her fingers, nails digging into her palms, yet she felt no pain. Six years. And all she got was—“It’s over.”

  “Xixi is a good girl. I want to make things official with her.”

  Su Yumian numbly nodded. “Alright.”

  “Even though we’re breaking up, we’re still friends. If you ever need anything in Beijing, you still e to me.”

  “No need.” She smiled lightly. “Since we’re done, let’s make it . It’s only fair to her.”

  Jiang Yihuai raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.

  She turo g Zhou. “Happy birthday, g Zhou. Have fun, everyone. I’m leaving now. Oh, and I peeled those es—make sure to eat them, don’t waste them.”

  Jiang Yihuai didn’t like fruit, except fes. But he icky—he wouldhem uhe white pith was pletely removed. For years, to make sure he got his daily vitamins, Su Yumian would peel the es, meticulously strip off every fiber, and arrahem ly on a pte before handing them to him. When he was in a good mood, he’d pull her into his arms and tease, “My girlfriend is too good to me. So siderate.”

  “Are y to make me marry you?”

  He always knew what she wanted. But he never once promised to give it to her. “I’ll have the driver take you home.” Jiang Yihuai said.

  “No need. I already called a cab.”

  “Mianmian, I’ll walk you to the door.” g Zhou offered. She shook her head, politely deing, a. As soon as she was gone, someotered, “Bro Jiang… this feels different. I think she’s really mad this time.”

  “No way.”

  “Exactly! They’ve fought so many times, and every siime, she es crawling back within days, ag like nothing happened.”

  “I bet five days.”

  “I say six.”

  Jiang Yihuai g the open door, smirking. “Three hours. She’ll be back.”

  “Ha! Jiang wins. Everyone knows Su Yumian is obsessed with him.”

  “Damn, why ’t I find a girl that loyal?”

  “You? Not in this lifetime!”

  The room erupted in ughter.

  —

  By the time Su Yumian got back to the vil, it ast midnight. She spent thirty minutes pag. Three years in this house, yet everything she wanted fit into one suitcase. She ighe designer clothes and jewelry she had never worn. The only thing she hesitated over was her bookshelf. But then again, she had memorized everything ihe books themselves didn’t matter. Her eyes nded on the vanity. She walked over and pulled open a drawer. Inside was a check. Fifty million. Underh it, a signed tract—the deed for plots 3-5 i Suburb No. 72. Even in the suburbs, the nd was worth at least twenty million. Jiang Yihuai had left them there after one of their past breakups, knowing she would ake them. Because if she did, it would mean their retionship was truly over.

  Six years for seventy million?

  Not a bad deal. How many women got paid that much for their youth? She grabbed both and slipped them int. She had already given him six years—why leave empty-handed? Love was gone, but at least she had money. She wasn’t some clueless romanovel heroine who saw money as worthless.

  “Hello, is this the ing service? Do you take urgent jobs?”

  “…Yes, deep ing. I’ll pay extra.”

  She left the house key oable, got into a cab, and headed to her best friend’s pce. Halfway there, the ing dy called back. “Miss, are you sure you don’t want to keep any of these things?”

  “No. Do whatever you want with them.” She ehe call.

  —

  Jiang Yihuai got home at dawn. The strong perfume on his clothes gave him a headache. He loosened his colr, pnning to rest on the couch, but ended up passing out. The m, the sound of dishes king i woke him. He groggily sat up, rubbing his temples, and reached fss of water—only to grab nothing but air. His hand hovered in the empty space. Then, he smirked.

  So she came back, covered me with a b, but didn’t make me haea?

  Still pying this game after all these years?

  Hah…

  Jiang Yihuai got up. “You better—”

  “Young Master, you’re awake?”

  “...Aunt Wang?”

  “Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready. Oh, and were you cold st night? I turned on the heater, but just to be safe, I added ara b.”

  “...Mm.”