He Qi didn’t confront him but spent the entire night tossing and turning.
She couldn’t imagine why Chen Jin would hide something from her.
The thought of her parents and her boyfriend contacting each other behind her back made her heart feel like it was being lifted by a fishing line—absolutely no good could come from this.
Overthinking caused sleeplessness. She read under the bedside lamp until the early morning before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, just after ten, Fang Yi excitedly messaged her that his classes were over and asked when he could come.
He Qi had just finished cleaning the litter and feeding the cat again. She told him he could come anytime and send her a message outside the apartment.
Before 10:30, He Qi carried the carrier and leftover food to Fang Yi’s car.
“Let me treat you to lunch,” she said, fastening her seatbelt. “I haven’t properly thanked you for helping last time.”
Fang Yi didn’t refuse, smiling: “But it’s a bit early for lunch. Let’s go to the vet first for a checkup.”
He Qi agreed. Since the cat came from her, she felt responsible if anything went wrong.
They went to a reputable nearby vet. The checkup cost a few hundred; He Qi tried to pay, but Fang Yi stopped her, serious: “Sister, this is my cat.”
He accompanied the cat throughout the exam while He Qi waited in the corridor, still feeling guilty since the cat was rescued by her and Li Jiajia. She transferred half the cost to his Alipay.
When Fang Yi came out holding the cat, he gave her a mildly reproachful look, clearly noticing the transfer. He Qi shrugged with a smile: “Half each.”
The exam took just over an hour. It was mostly basic checks, results ready immediately. Fortunately, the abandoned cat wasn’t lying—the blue cat was generally healthy, only with mild gastritis. A few days of medication would suffice.
Lunch time approached. Fang Yi placed the carrier in the back seat, He Qi got in the passenger seat, and asked: “Have you decided on a name for the cat?”
Fang Yi, fastening his seatbelt, seemed to glance at her subconsciously. She turned to look, hearing a click, but he was staring straight ahead, one hand on the wheel. Perhaps it had been her imagination.
Was it just an illusion?
He Qi frowned, wondering if she was being overly cautious, sometimes imagining things.
Fang Yi slowly pressed the accelerator, driving steadily, tone calm: “Today’s October 27th. Let’s name it Twenty-Seven.”
“Twenty-Seven,” He Qi repeated. Before she could think more, the blue cat in the back meowed as if understanding.
Fang Yi smiled brightly: “Smart one, Twenty-Seven.”
Twenty-Seven lounged lazily in the carrier, flicking its tail and giving another approving meow.
He Qi glanced back at the back seat, surprised, a warm fondness rising in her chest. She recalled how it had slept quietly in her room the night before, not a peep or a fuss—so well-behaved that she half-wondered if Fang Yi could really raise a good cat.
She teased it with some emoji gestures through the phone for a moment, then remembered the main task at hand and turned to ask, “By the way, what do you want for lunch? There’s a new Shan Ji nearby—want to go there?”
Prepared for a little splurge and a gesture of thanks, she didn’t expect Fang Yi to raise his eyebrows and blink, looking almost reluctant. “I’ve already decided, sister. Near my school, there’s a place with amazing Northeastern spicy hot pot. I’ll take you there.”
“Spicy hot pot?” He Qi blinked, surprised.
Fang Yi made a pitiful little face. “Will you think it’s not classy enough, sister?”
He Qi shook her head repeatedly. “It’s just a meal—who cares about classy or not.”
But that one line completely blocked her original plan. Today, her main goal had been to treat Fang Yi to a “fancy” meal to show her thanks. But having said “classy doesn’t matter,” she had no reason to insist on an expensive restaurant.
She fell into a moment of quiet reflection, her feelings mixed, until they arrived at the food street near Tongda University.
The Northeastern spicy hot pot place Fang Yi mentioned was large, with two rows of takeout bags stacked on the counter. Even on a weekday, many young students were dining there, chatting in groups, some with friends, some with dates—the atmosphere lively and bustling.
He Qi followed Fang Yi to the ingredient selection area, picking up a round plastic bowl and holding the stainless-steel tongs, clamping a few times in the air. She restrained herself in selecting ingredients, having learned from experience that she often overestimated her appetite.
She once ordered over ten meatballs out of hunger and confidence in her stomach capacity. But seeing all those little spheres floating in the bowl, just looking at them made her feel full.
After choosing their ingredients, they handed them to the kitchen window. He Qi scanned and paid, collecting two number tags, glancing at the double-digit total with a hint of exasperation.
Fang Yi pretended not to notice her expression and, walking shoulder to shoulder with her toward an empty table, realized belatedly, “Oh, I was so focused on myself, I didn’t even ask if you like this, sister.”
He Qi looked up from her phone screen, not fully paying attention, and instinctively said, “Hm?”
Realizing his question, she curved her lips into a gentle smile and replied, “Oh, it’s fine. I like it too. I used to eat it a lot in college.”
Fang Yi found an empty table, wiped it down with two napkins, and asked curiously, “Sister, you work here now, so did you attend college in this city too?”
“Yes.” He Qi nodded, speaking warmly while fidgeting with her number tag. “I studied at Jiang University.”
“Wow,” Fang Yi exclaimed, just as he was about to ask about her college life, but then seemed to remember something. His expression stiffened, and he abruptly changed the topic.
He Qi didn’t mind and went along with the new topic. Even if he had asked about her college life, the answer would have been mundane—eating, sleeping, studying, competitions, and Chen Jin. That, in fact, was likely why Fang Yi didn’t want to pry.
The meal went very pleasantly. On the way back, He Qi sat in Fang Yi’s car and even recommended the spicy hot pot to Li Jiajia, bookmarking the place on the delivery app, deciding she could order from there often.
As usual, the car stopped just outside her residential complex. He Qi got out and waved goodbye, friendly. “Go get familiar with Twenty-Seven.”
Fang Yi nodded, watching her turn away before slowly driving off.
Just as she entered her apartment, still not in slippers, her phone rang.
Balancing herself against the wall and kicking off her shoes, He Qi picked up the phone and saw it was Chen Jin. Surprised that he was calling now, she answered.
“Hello,” she said first.
“Have you had lunch?” Chen Jin’s familiar voice came through.
He Qi went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. “Yes,” she replied, waiting for him to get to the point.
Unexpectedly, Chen Jin asked again: “With Fang Yi?”
Furrowing her brow in slight confusion, she answered, “Yes. What’s up?”
“What did you eat?”
Hearing the third question, He Qi finally convinced herself Chen Jin really was just calling about lunch. Slightly embarrassed, she said, “Spicy hot pot.”
“Spicy hot pot?” His tone mirrored the confusion she had felt when Fang Yi suggested it.
“Fang Yi wanted it. I originally planned to go to Shan Ji, using our card,” she explained, to show she wasn’t stingy, only willing to spend a couple dozen.
Chen Jin didn’t respond at first, then said “Okay,” followed by a long silence, but didn’t hang up. He Qi listened to his faint breathing, sensing he might have something to say, and asked, “Do you… have something else to tell me?”
“I…” Chen Jin started, but then someone called him frantically—he quickly told He Qi, “Nothing, hang up.”
As the screen went dark, He Qi looked at her reflection, her mind recalling the call Chen Jin had deliberately kept from her last night. A thin, invisible line of unease tugged at her heart again.
….
October had passed, and He Qi’s birthday was approaching.
The most important people in her life were Li Jiajia and Chen Jin. Usually, she celebrated with whoever was free that day, sometimes both if they were available.
This year, Li Jiajia was insanely busy, seemingly even busier than Chen Jin. She clearly couldn’t make it, so she sent He Qi two large boxes of luxury full skincare sets as a birthday gift, promising compensation for anything else He Qi might want.
He Qi only asked her to avoid drinking for now and promised to schedule another meal with her later. Li Jiajia agreed, interpreting it as an invitation to go drink whenever she was free.
Li Jiajia was a lost cause, but Chen Jin was easier to coordinate with. He didn’t need a full day off, just to finish work a little early.
On November 6th, the day before He Qi’s birthday, Zhang Xinyi unexpectedly asked her to dinner, offering to celebrate her birthday.
Worried Zhang Xinyi would feel bad about the previous hot pot incident, He Qi recommended a restaurant immediately.
“There’s a new stir-fry place near me with great reviews. I’ve been looking for someone to go with, so we can go together—how about it?”
Zhang Xinyi readily agreed.
The small restaurant looked ordinary but tasted unexpectedly good. He Qi felt lucky—she had recently found two great restaurants in a row. Could this be birthday luck?
The restaurant was close to her home. Feeling full, He Qi planned a walk to digest before taking a taxi if she got tired.
After seeing Zhang Xinyi off, she strolled slowly along the street.
While scrolling through her social media, liking posts from a few familiar friends, she saw a photo Fang Yi posted of Twenty-Seven. The background was the same pet hospital from before, captioned “Poor little thing.”
He Qi worried the cat was sick again and asked in the comments, “What happened?”
After scrolling through unread posts, Fang Yi replied that it was just a follow-up for the previous stomach inflammation after medication. He Qi relaxed.
Just as she was about to focus on crossing the street, her phone buzzed twice—Fang Yi had sent her a direct message.
“Sister, are you at home? I’m heading home and passing by your complex. I want to give you your birthday gift.”
He Qi stopped on the roadside, the green light already flashing its countdown. She decided to wait for the next cycle and replied:
“How did you know it’s my birthday? No need for gifts—just take Twenty-Seven home.”
“I saw it in the birthday reminder on Alipay. But I’ve already bought it, sister. It’s not expensive. If you can’t pick it up, I can leave it with security or have property deliver it to you.”
He Qi frowned, scanning the street. Her location was probably just a few hundred meters from the pet hospital Fang Yi was at.
Another message popped up:
“I’m driving over now. Is that okay, sister?”
She looked up; the red light glared across the road. The most direct route home was blocked, so she decided to take a longer route on foot, sending a voice message to Fang Yi while jogging a bit:
“Never mind. You’re still at the hospital, right?”
She could clearly hear traffic in her voice, proving he was outdoors.
Fang Yi replied, “Yes.”
“Then wait a bit. I’m very close and will be there soon.”
He Qi chose to walk instead of taking a taxi, not wanting to make Fang Yi wait too long. She slowed her pace as the pet hospital came into view, catching her breath and approaching him carefully.
At the hospital entrance, someone was crouched, gently playing with a cat in their arms. He Qi walked up, and Fang Yi finally looked up, holding Twenty-Seven’s plump paws and lightly moving them. “Xiao Qi, look who’s here?”
Twenty-Seven seemed very familiar with him, rubbing his chin and letting out a small “meow.”
He Qi deliberately ignored his playful greeting and asked, “Why are you waiting outside?”
Fang Yi stood up, still holding the cat, and awkwardly handed over a gift box. “I wanted to give it to you early.”
He Qi thanked him and took the box.
It was plain, without any patterns or logos, seemingly repackaged. The size suggested it could hold a decent amount, but it wasn’t too heavy. She couldn’t guess what was inside.
“Go ahead, open it,” Fang Yi said with a smile.
He QI carefully opened the box, and inside lay a khaki scarf shawl. She reached out to touch it—the fabric was soft, not scratchy, and being a solid color, there was no visible brand.
But if it really was pure cashmere, it certainly wouldn’t be cheap.
He Qi’s heart sank—if she accepted this, how could she ever repay such a favor?
Fang Yi noticed her stunned expression and, unsure how to feel, nervously asked, “Sister, you don’t like it?”
He Qi was startled by his cautious tone. She quickly composed herself, closed the lid, and curved her eyes into a gentle smile. “No, I really like it. I’m just worried it’s too expensive…”
Before she could finish, a loud, piercing, almost angry honk came from behind.
Ershiqi was startled by the sudden noise, nearly leaping out of Fang Yi’s arms.
He Qi instinctively turned to look.
A very familiar Cayenne appeared in her view, slowly stopping at the side of the road.
The driver’s door opened, and a tall man stepped out with an imposing, quietly intense aura.
Chen Jin’s face showed no emotion, but beneath that calm, something seemed to churn. The space between Fang Yi and her seemed to collapse into a vacuum.
He Qi was puzzled at his appearance. She walked a few steps toward him and stood in front of Chen Jin. Before she could speak, the man unexpectedly leaned down, carefully straightening her coat, and asked in a low voice, “Weren’t you having lunch with your previous female colleague?”
He Qi studied him and noticed the unusual tension beneath his calm facade. She turned slightly to indicate Fang Yi, who had just put Ershiqi back into the cat carrier a short distance away, and introduced him openly: “This is Fang Yi. He said he had a birthday gift for me. I was eating nearby, so I came to pick it up.”
Only then did Chen Jin glance at the young man. He walked over quickly, shaking his hand politely.
Fang Yi hesitated before shaking Chen Jin’s hand. His gaze, however, drifted toward He Qi as he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, the meaning unclear.
There was nothing much for them to talk about. They only exchanged a few words about He Qi’s recent fever. Sensing the tense atmosphere, He Qi tugged Chen Jin’s hand with one hand while shaking the gift box with the other, and promptly bid farewell to Fang Yi: “Thank you for the gift. We’ll be going now.”
Fang Yi still smiled at her, but the smile was no longer as bright as before.
He Qi, not dwelling on it, allowed herself to be led by Chen Jin, hurrying back to the car, fingers nervously clutching the gift box.
Once she settled in the passenger seat, Chen Jin gripped the wheel sharply and drove back onto the main road, almost as if fleeing from that spot.
He Qi tightened her seatbelt, coughed softly twice. Chen Jin remained silent. She felt she should say something—but what?
If she chose some trivial topic, it would seem like she was awkwardly avoiding the real issue. But there was nothing to feel guilty about.
Should she talk about Fang Yi? But everything worth mentioning had just been said—there was nothing left to tell about him.
“So, how did you find me?” He Qi asked. She had only mentioned going to lunch with Zhang Xinyi, without giving the restaurant’s location, and this place was several blocks away from that small stir-fry shop.
“On my way home from work,” Chen Jin replied.
So it was purely by chance that he saw her. He Qi touched her nose and looked out the window—what a coincidence.
Still holding Fang Yi’s gift, she turned halfway to toss it in the backseat, only to spot two dark red gift bags resting there, each marked with Cartier’s logo.
“What’s this?” He Qi placed Fang Yi’s gift down and picked up the two bags, asking Chen Jin.
“Gifts. For you.”
He Qi didn’t dare open them yet. “Which one?” she asked. The two bags were of different sizes—how could she know which one was actually for her?
She waited for his reply but heard nothing. She looked up and, through the rearview mirror, caught a strange expression on his face—hesitation, decision, indecision.
Thinking he had forgotten which was for her, she asked again, “What did you buy?”
Suddenly, the man said, “The bigger one.”
He Qi obeyed and pulled out the red box inside. From its size, it looked like a pair of earrings. With no guard up, she bent her eyes in hopeful anticipation and opened the box.
For a long time after, He Qi often recalled this moment. She felt that the second she opened it, it wasn’t a jewelry box—it was Pandora’s box.
Once opened, there was no turning back. Once opened, curses, pain, and despair would spread.
In that instant, as soon as she saw it clearly, He Qi’s blood seemed to rush straight to her head—
A dark red box, black foam inside, with two rings embedded in the indentations.
Rings.
Rings?
Rings?!
Her entire body went numb, and she felt as if she had lost all sensation.
Suddenly, extreme fear gripped her. She felt the man beside her was not Chen Jin, but a monster wearing Chen Jin’s skin trying to kill her. She whipped her head toward him, but his calm face betrayed only the slightest ripple.
He Qi felt as if she were dreaming—nothing was real. Why would Chen Jin give her rings? The man she had trusted completely for seven years, why would he give her rings?
What did this mean?
What did this mean?!
It was like a thunderbolt hit her. She gasped, unable to breathe properly, and without thinking, smashed the red box at the man beside her. Tears poured down as she hysterically banged on the car door.
“Stop the car!!”