She wore light makeup, a camel-colored wool coat, and a long white knit dress underneath. Her wine-red wavy hair cascaded lazily over her shoulders, her red lips alluring. The whole person seemed to glow.
“I’ve got something to do. No need for you to come.”
Jin Yi Han’s drowsiness faded by half.
“Where are you going? Getting all dressed up like this?”
She bent down to change into her ankle boots.
“I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”
Jin Yi Han crossed his arms and leaned against the liquor cabinet, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. He remembered that Cen Zhi Ning wasn’t from Jingbei—where did this “friend” come from? An uneasy feeling rose in his heart.
“What kind of friend requires you to dress up this beautifully?”
Cen Zhi Ning glanced at him through the full-length mirror. Seeing his tense expression, her eyes curved slightly as she replied lightly,
“Mm, just a very close friend. Haven’t seen each other in a long time. We’re having a meal to catch up.”
Jin Yi Han straightened.
“A very close friend? Male or female?”
Cen Zhi Ning picked up her bag, her tone relaxed.
“You guess…”
Seeing her radiant appearance, an unnamed fire rose in Jin Yi Han’s chest.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Not for now.”
She rejected him without hesitation, her voice slightly coquettish.
“It’s a girls’ gathering. Why bring you?”
Only then did Jin Yi Han relax a little.
“I really can’t go?”
Cen Zhi Ning smiled, reaching out to smooth his already neat shirt collar. Then she kissed his cheek intimately.
“You behave and order yourself some takeout, okay?”
Jin Yi Han’s face darkened completely. This was the first time since they’d been together that he’d be left alone at home eating takeout. A sour feeling welled up inside him.
Seeing her twist open the door, he hurried after her, his voice stiff as he tried to regain some control.
“What time will you be done? I’ll pick you up!”
She waved her hand.
“No need.”
“Then I’ll drive you there?”
“No need. I’ve already called a car.”
Rejected three times in a row, Jin Yi Han instinctively reached to grab her wrist, but she deftly avoided him.
“I’m leaving. Bye!”
She turned with a bright smile.
“Oh right—without me, you have to be happy too~”
Jin Yi Han’s face fell as he watched her slip away lightly before his eyes. Staring at the empty entryway, unease crept into his heart. Irritated, he tugged at his collar.
That inexplicable anxiety and panic grew stronger. Something felt wrong. For the first time, he felt a sense of helplessness beyond his control.
He sat blankly on the sofa for a long time before finally going to wash up.
After washing up, he noticed the star decoration on the dressing table. His heart warmed.
Just as he was about to pick it up, he noticed 9,999 yuan in cash pressed beneath it.
Under the cash was a note. On it was a clearly written sentence:
[To avoid being cheated on by you, I’m breaking up first. I’m not freeloading off you—I’ll chip in. Wishing you and the female lead a long and lasting relationship!]
Jin Yi Han froze as if struck by lightning.
He had been dumped unilaterally?!
What female lead? Where did a female lead come from?
And what did she mean by “not freeloading”?
In a panic, he grabbed his phone and dialed Cen Zhi Ning’s number. A mechanical female voice came from the receiver:
“The number you have dialed does not exist…”
Unwilling to give up, he opened WeChat to contact her—only to find her account had already been deleted.
He stood there in shock, his heart plunging to the bottom. He refused to believe Cen Zhi Ning had simply dumped him like this.
Meanwhile, Cen Zhi Ning stepped into the elevator, removed her SIM card, canceled her overseas social media accounts, and switched back to her domestic contact information.
Before leaving, she took nothing with her—just as she had arrived alone, she now left alone.
Leaving the apartment, she took a taxi to Hotpot City. She had arranged to have dinner with her best friend, Qin Pengpeng.
They had been middle school classmates. Qin Pengpeng was the first friend she made after entering this novel world, and they had always been close.
Thinking about how she’d been back in the country for a month without contacting her, she felt guilty and decided to treat her to lunch.
They met at their old favorite, a long-established hotpot restaurant they used to frequent.
The taxi ride took half an hour. From far away, she could already smell the rich aroma of hotpot. Three years had passed, but the place seemed unchanged.
As soon as she stepped inside, Qin Pengpeng was waving to her from a seat by the window.
Qin Pengpeng had neat shoulder-length short hair and wore a simple black down jacket. When she saw her approach, she jogged over to hug her.
Then she looked her up and down.
“I missed you so much, Ning Ning. You came back and didn’t even contact me.”
Cen Zhi Ning sat down across from her.
“A lot of things tied me up. And I didn’t want my family to know I was back.”
Qin Pengpeng grinned mischievously while helping her cook slices of tripe in the broth.
“By the way, how’s that Yi Han? Was he a letdown in real life?”
Jin Yi Han’s gaming nickname had been “Yi Han.” Qin Pengpeng had practically witnessed their online romance and occasionally teamed up with them in games. She knew about their offline meeting too.
Cen Zhi Ning’s expression didn’t change.
“Top quality.”
Qin Pengpeng stared at her in surprise. If Cen Zhi Ning called him “top quality,” he must be exceptional.
“No wonder you didn’t contact me for so long. You’ve been tangled up with him this whole time, haven’t you?”
Cen Zhi Ning lowered her head and tasted the freshly cooked tripe, nodding.
“Pretty much.”
Qin Pengpeng’s jaw nearly dropped. Cen Zhi Ning had always been extremely picky about men—no one ever caught her eye.
She was incredibly curious what kind of man could make her fall.
“Damn, no wonder you’re glowing. So when are you bringing him out for a show?”
“We broke up.”
Qin Pengpeng choked.
“Wait, what? It’s been less than a month! That fast?”
“It’s a long story. He cheated on me.”
Qin Pengpeng slammed the table indignantly.
“Damn! What a scumbag. That’s why online stuff isn’t reliable. Good thing you broke up. Did you catch him in the act? Need your sister to back you up?”
Cen Zhi Ning laughed dryly.
“I predicted he would cheat, so I took precautions.”
“Well… he’s the one who wasn’t worthy of you. If you could cut your losses so quickly, it just means you didn’t like him that much.”
Seeing Cen Zhi Ning look listless, Qin Pengpeng hesitated.
“Your brother’s been looking for you overseas for a long time. When he heard you were back, he practically turned Jingbei upside down.”
Cen Zhi Ning instantly lost her appetite.
“He’s not my brother. Can you stop bringing him up? It kills my appetite.”
Knowing her stubborn temper, Qin Pengpeng’s expression turned slightly awkward. She stirred her dipping sauce absentmindedly with her chopsticks.
“Um… Ning Ning, I need to apologize for something.”
Cen Zhi Ning knew Qin Pengpeng was usually straightforward and rarely this hesitant. Frowning, she put down her chopsticks.
“What is it?”
Qin Pengpeng gestured with her chin toward the seat behind her.
“Well… actually, your brother forced me to ask you out.”
Cen Zhi Ning’s heart jumped violently. A bad premonition surged through her.
She suddenly turned around—
The moment she saw Qi Yan Heng, her pupils shrank.