When Si Si emerged in her wedding dress, everyone was stunned. Dr. Zheng's eyes widened, and when he changed into his groom's outfit, he became even more handsome. The two of them stood together, a perfect match. The bridesmaid dresses were white strapless dresses. When Lin Wan stepped out of the fitting room, Milan's eyes sparkled. She grabbed her and whispered, "Be careful, you might steal the bride's spotlight."
Lin Wan glanced over at the two of them, who were so in love, and smiled. "You can't steal the bride's spotlight." She thought to herself, the glow on the bride's face was something she couldn't reach. It was happiness that radiated from within, something that couldn't be hidden.
Milan helped her adjust the skirt and hair in front of the mirror, sighing. "Wanwan, don't you realize how much you've changed?"
She absentmindedly asked, "What's changed?"
Milan, pinching her chin, gave her a thoughtful look and said, "You've become more feminine. You were beautiful before, but you were just an innocent little girl." She smiled and commented, "Looks like a woman really needs a man's care."
This guy really couldn't stay on track. Lin Wan gave her a glare. "Be careful, your son might hear you. Is this how you do prenatal education?"
Just then, Si Si walked over, full of joy, and said, "Wanwan, you've got to let me meet your mysterious boyfriend now, right?"
"Of course," Milan chimed in.
Lin Wan looked at her reflection in the mirror, her tone and said, "We broke up."
"Ah?" The two of them exclaimed in unison, drawing the attention of others in the store. Lin Wan felt a hint of irritation rising in her chest. She said, "When it's right, it's right, when it's not, it's not. Nothing to make a fuss about." With that, she opened the fitting room door and went inside. Milan and Si Si exchanged glances but didn't say another word.
When Lin Wan came out after changing, Milan had switched to a serious expression and said, "Wanwan, don't be sad. There are plenty of men out there. I'll introduce you to a good one soon."
Si Si also nodded, her face full of concern.
Lin Wan smiled gratefully, "Thank you both, I'm fine, really."
Inside, she felt guilty for keeping such a big secret from them, but once a secret is hidden for too long, it becomes like moss in the dark—growing increasingly harder to keep under wraps. She wasn't used to confiding in anyone. Even when she was with Wang Xiao, she rarely brought up the things buried deep inside her heart. Seeing her friends' worried faces, she could only comfort herself with a sigh. It's over now. Everything related to that person could stay buried in her heart.
Chen Jin slept until noon, had a casual lunch outside, then went to the office. In the evening, when he had no social events planned, he called Xiang Yang and Fang Zheng to join him for drinks.
Xiang Yang arrived first, followed by Chen Jin. When Fang Zheng showed up, he was surprisingly accompanied by a "tail," and a very attractive one at that. Fang Zheng shrugged at Chen Jin and said, "This guy was next to me when you called. He insisted on coming, and I couldn't shake him off."
Tan Xizhe looked on with amusement, "I heard someone's heart was broken. I'm here to watch the show."
He wasn't at all reserved, walking straight over to the couch beside Chen Jin and sitting down elegantly. Chen Jin gave a neutral thanks and lowered his head to continue drinking alone.
After the waiter served drinks to the two newcomers, he quietly withdrew. Xiang Yang and Fang Zheng chatted aimlessly to try and lift Chen Jin's spirits. Fang Zheng said, "I had my first heartbreak in third grade. Honestly, it's no big deal. It's like chickenpox—painful the first time, but once you've been through it, you're immune to it."
Xiang Yang joked, "Ah Jin, how about I introduce you to someone? My girlfriend is from the film academy, and all the girls in her class are beautiful. Any one of them would be better than that one."
Fang Zheng added, "The girls from the film academy are all after high-status men. They'll see you as a sucker. If you want to find someone, you need to know—hey, who did that guy graduate with?"
Chen Jin slammed his glass down heavily on the coffee table and pointed at the two of them, "You guys are deliberately making things worse, huh?"
The two of them chuckled. Tan Xizhe, with a mysterious expression, watched the two leave for a phone call and the bathroom. He said with a half-smile, "Nice act. Pretty convincing."
Chen Jin glanced at him but didn't respond.
"If I'm not mistaken, this so-called breakup is just a temporary measure. You never planned to let go of Lin Wan, did you?"
Chen Jin paused for a moment, lifting his glass, then let out a small laugh and asked, "If it were you, could you let go?"
"Couldn't," Tan Xizhe replied without hesitation, then raised an eyebrow, teasing, "But, I don't have such a good brother."
Chen Jin's expression stiffened for a moment before returning to its natural state.
Tan Xizhe sighed, "This is a tough battle," he patted Chen Jin's shoulder with a serious tone, "Bro, you'd better be prepared for a long fight."
Chen Jin raised his glass to him, "Thanks, bro. I've been ready for a while."
He certainly wouldn't give up. If he'd ever had any doubts, that night at Lugu Lake had completely dispelled them. He was certain that no one loved Lin Wan more than he did, and no one could make her happier than he could. Of course, he didn't think any other woman could make him as happy as she did. All the so-called obstacles, in his eyes, weren't insurmountable. Life was always imperfect, and people had to compromise in the face of reality. He, too, had been compromising. Lin Wan only needed to make one compromise, and everything else—anything she wanted—he would fulfill.
If she wanted freedom, he would give it to her. He had refused to let go before because he was afraid that once he did, she would fly away like a kite, and he wouldn't know how to get close to her again. In a word, he didn't have confidence in himself. But now, he has it. After leaving her house that day and looking at his soaked clothes, he knew he had hope. Loving her was the best reason.
He knew what Lin Wan needed and would do everything he could to prove he could make her happy, that being with him was the best outcome. He would slowly weave himself into her life, making her used to him the way he was used to her. She would get used to his dominance, his gentleness, and to depending on him. She would learn how to be a little woman.
Now, he had already planted a seed in her heart. Next, he just needed to water it with care. After all, he wouldn't waste a second on any other woman in his lifetime. All of his time belonged to her. She didn't need to do anything. Whether the distance between them was a hundred steps or a thousand, it would be him who would close the gap.
Chen Jin snapped back to reality and took a sip of red wine. "But what you said earlier was wrong," he said faintly, "I'm not pretending. I'm really quite upset..." He paused for a moment, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. His voice was as soft as a whisper of smoke. "I really miss her."