Shi Lei looked at Mu Yao and the fair-skinned young man beside her, still struggling to process the situation. “What are you guys doing here?”
Gu Ming took a deep breath. She had to ask the question, even though she already knew the answer. “Weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip in Beijing?”
“The… the office made other arrangements.” Shi Lei, nervous and stuttering, tried to pull Gu Ming aside, whispering, “Why did you bring Mu Yao and the others? Let’s go home first. I’ll explain everything at home.”
Gu Ming shoved his hand away, feeling a terrifying sense of estrangement from the man standing before her. They had just taken their wedding photos; they were supposed to be married in two months. Her voice trembled. “I didn’t bring them. Mu Yao saw you at the hotel earlier. What is there to explain? What can you even explain?”
Speechless, Shi Lei turned his frustration toward Mu Yao, shouting, “Why the hell are you meddling in my business? Were you stalking me?”
Mu Yao was about to snap back with a “Screw you,” but before she could finish, the young man beside her lunged forward and grabbed Shi Lei by the collar. “Who do you think you’re yelling at? Why are you being aggressive with a woman? You idiot.”
“Let go! Who the hell are you?”
“Who I am is none of your damn business. I just can’t stand men who yell at women. What of it?”
“Damn you—” Shi Lei threw a punch. The young man, full of youthful vigor, struck back. As they traded blows, the “other woman” was terrified; seeing Shi Lei taking a beating, she tried to pull the young man away. He glared at her fiercely and barked, “Get lost! I don’t hit women.” In that moment of distraction, Shi Lei found an opening and kicked him hard in the chest. Mu Yao, unable to watch any longer, grabbed the other woman by the hair and dragged her away.
The scene was pure chaos, a perfect reflection of Gu Ming’s current state of mind. The young man’s forehead was cut, and Shi Lei’s lip was swollen. Gu Ming, her mind in a whirl, shouted for them to stop, but no one listened. She watched the man she once deeply loved brawling with a stranger, his clothes disheveled. She had never seen Shi Lei look so ugly. As she stood there, one of Shi Lei’s wild swings caught her right in the eye. The sharp pain made her stumble. It took her a long time to recover, and yet, no one checked on her. Seething with rage, she grabbed a beer bottle from the table and smashed it over Shi Lei’s head.
The world went silent. With her eye throbbing and her spirit exhausted, Gu Ming looked at the woman on the floor and said coldly, “Take him to the hospital.” Without another glance, she walked out of the “Tian Shang Ren Jian” private room.
Mu Yao helped the battered young man up and rushed after her. A waiter followed them out. “Miss, do you need to settle the bill?”
“What bill? Charge it to the guests in that room.”
Gu Ming held her hand over her right eye. Mu Yao gently pulled it away to check. “Damn it… how did your eye get hurt? Who did this?”
Gu Ming shook her head, her voice devoid of strength. “Let’s just go to the hospital.”
The three of them went to the emergency room. Fortunately, the injuries were superficial. Gu Ming had no serious damage, just a bruise forming around her eye. The young man, Wu Tong, had scraped knuckles and a bruised leg, but since Shi Lei wasn’t exactly a heavyweight, some topical medicine was all he needed.
After a long night, the three sat in Gu Ming’s car. Gu Ming felt like her heart had turned to ash; she didn’t want to speak. Mu Yao, on the other hand, was still fuming at the young man. “You look more beat up than that scumbag Shi Lei. Why did you start the fight if you couldn’t win?”
“I was trying to stand up for you guys! I wanted to kill him the moment he started yelling at you.”
“…Go hit the gym more often then. Regardless, thank you for today, Wu Tong.” Mu Yao ran her fingers through her hair, which had been messed up during the scuffle with the other woman.
“It’s nothing. Do you need me to drive you guys home?” Wu Tong asked.
“No, you go ahead. I’ll drive her,” Mu Yao said, patting his hand.
Wu Tong looked at Mu Yao and then at Gu Ming. “Sister, don’t be too upset. A scumbag like that isn’t worth it. I’m heading out. Let’s keep in touch, Mu Yao.”
In the car, Mu Yao took the driver’s seat while Gu Ming sat in the passenger side, her body as stiff as a stone. Mu Yao sighed heavily several times. Finally, she leaned over and pulled Gu Ming into a gentle embrace. Sometimes, words are hollow. Betrayal from those closest to us is like a razor-sharp blade—it stabs you effortlessly when you least expect it. Mu Yao couldn’t offer the same simple comfort Wu Tong did, because she knew how many years Gu Ming and Shi Lei had spent together. It wasn’t about whether he was “worth it”; it was about the fact that Shi Lei had just systematically disemboweled her heart.
Gu Ming let Mu Yao hold her, crying silently. The tears wouldn’t stop. Mu Yao felt her shoulder becoming damp and simply patted Gu Ming’s back. After a long time, she asked, “Let me stay with you tonight. Come to my place, okay?”
Gu Ming nodded silently. She stayed at Mu Yao’s that night but didn’t sleep a wink. How could she? At 6:00 AM, she drove back to the house she had shared with Shi Lei. She didn’t have the heart to pack properly; she just shoved her clothes into a suitcase. But she had too much stuff. Eventually, she could only leave with one suitcase of summer and autumn clothes. Instead of staying with Mu Yao, she checked into a hotel. Her mind was a mess, and she hadn’t decided on anything, but she knew she couldn’t see Shi Lei or speak to him. As for the future—she didn’t know. A wedding involves so much: relatives and friends had been notified, photos taken. Her mother had even planned to visit Sichuan next month to see Jiuzhaigou and Mount Emei before the wedding. It had all been so perfectly arranged.
“Just give me two days to breathe. I’ll deal with this in two days,” Gu Ming told herself. For those two days, she hid in the hotel, bought several bottles of whiskey, and drank alone. She turned off her phone. She drank until she vomited, then slept, then repeated the cycle. One can never fully control their thoughts; her mind kept drifting back to things she didn’t want to remember: the way Shi Lei pursued her, the campus dance floor, the dormitory entrance. Their first kiss under the osmanthus trees hadn’t even been that great, and her first night had been painful and awkward. Ten years—so many memories. Shi Lei deserved to die, and so did the memories. She swayed with the whiskey bottle in hand, allowing herself to be a drunkard in a place where no one could see, mourning her lost lover and her lost decade…
Time moves on, indifferent to pain. Heartbreak and loss are but tiny ripples in the vast river of time. Gu Ming wallowed for three days. She took Monday off but had to return to work on Tuesday. She wore sunglasses—not just because the bruise hadn’t fully faded, but because her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep. Her mind drifted to Zhong Xiao’ou asking if her “urgent matter” from the other day had been resolved. By the time she snapped back to reality, Zhong Xiao’ou had already left the room. She slumped weakly over her desk, staring at the flowers in the corner that Shi Lei had sent. Secretary Su had already thrown one batch away.
…
Walking down the hallway on the tenth floor, Zhong Xiao’ou passed a trash can and let out several sneezes in a row.
“Oh, what’s wrong?” She happened to run into Secretary Su.
Zhong Xiao’ou lifted the lid of the trash can and saw—sure enough—more flowers. I thought VP Gu was getting married? Are these from her fiancé, or does she have a ton of suitors?
“Allergies. Are these all for VP Gu?”
“Yes. I don’t know what’s going on today, but I’ve been down to the lobby several times. They’re all for her.”
“Then why throw them away? What a waste.” Zhong Xiao’ou glanced toward Gu Ming’s office.
“I couldn’t help being curious and looked at the cards. They’re all from the same person—her fiancé! But seeing how she keeps throwing them out, they must have had a huge fight…” As Su Ran was speaking, Gu Ming walked out and threw another bouquet into the bin herself. She ran into the two of them by the elevator. After tossing the flowers, she turned to go back but paused to instruct Su Ran: “Don’t let me see another flower today, understood?”
“Of course, of course,” Su Ran nodded quickly. Zhong Xiao’ou was too busy sneezing to speak. When the elevator arrived, Su Ran pushed her inside. Zhong Xiao’ou rubbed her nose and pressed the button for the 8th floor. Su Ran sighed. “Looks like this fight is really serious.”
“How can you tell?”
“Me? I’ve been her secretary on the 10th floor for two years. I’ve seen her receive a lot of flowers, but I’ve never seen her look this disgusted before.” Su Ran shook her head. When the boss is in a bad mood, life isn’t easy. Sure enough, after coming back on Tuesday, Gu Ming started working overtime. Su Ran waited until 7:30 PM, but the VP showed no sign of leaving. Su Ran was starving but didn’t dare knock on the door. Her phone suddenly rang, startling her. “Hello, Classic International.”
“Secretary Su, hi, it’s Zhong Xiao’ou. Is VP Gu still in her office?”
“She is. Honestly, I think she’s planning on sleeping here tonight,” Su Ran grumbled.
“Oh.” Zhong Xiao’ou scratched her head. She had sent a proposal to Gu Ming that morning, but she hadn’t received a reply. Fatty Wen was breathing down her neck, so she had messaged Gu Ming on RTX, but she had been ignored even though the VP was clearly online. “Secretary Su, could you ask her if there are any issues with that proposal? It’s due at 10:00 AM tomorrow.”
“Sure, I’ll ask for you.” Su Ran finally knocked on the door. “VP Gu, Zhong Xiao’ou from the planning department is asking about the proposal she sent this morning. She’s waiting for a response.”
“Hm? Right, I know.” Gu Ming turned around in her swivel chair. “I’ll look at it right now.”
“VP Gu, would you like me to order dinner for you?” Su Ran suggested diplomatically.
Only then did Gu Ming check the time. It was already 7:30 PM. She shook her head. “No need. You can head home if you’re done.”
“I’ll order something for you anyway. You never eat on time, and your stomach is already sensitive.”
Su Ran caught a glimpse of the black coffee in her cup and felt a pang of sympathy. She ordered takeout for Gu Ming before finally leaving for the day.