After experiencing an incident at a nightclub, Xiao Yufan felt too lazy to go out for the next few days. Instead, he stayed in his rented apartment, doing a bit of programming he enjoyed each day, and spending the rest of his time constantly refining his resume.
The relationship between Xiao Yufan and Yu Yihan had also eased a bit, no longer as tense as before. Naturally, Xiao Yufan had taken on the role of breakfast provider. In his opinion, sharing breakfast with a beautiful woman was quite an enjoyable experience.
As usual, Xiao Yufan turned on his computer. His email notification popped up. When he opened it, he saw a reply to the resume he had sent out the day before.
It was from a relatively large computer software development company in Beijing. Xiao Yufan hadn’t given it a second thought when he sent the resume—he applied mostly due to psychological factors, considering it was, after all, an opportunity.
However, upon seeing the email reply, Xiao Yufan was completely stunned. Disbelieving, he rubbed his eyes, nearly jumping off his chair.
“Resume passed. Attend company interview on Monday!” The reply contained only this one line, but these few short words filled Xiao Yufan with infinite hope for the future.
Upon seeing this message, Xiao Yufan immediately wanted to inform Ma Teng. It seemed that his recent efforts had not been in vain. Finally, he had received an interview opportunity. As long as there was an opportunity, there was still hope—at the very least, there was a company that appreciated him.
The phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but smile—it was a call from Ma Teng. The two of them really were in sync.
“Teng Ge, I haven’t seen you for a few days. Why did you suddenly pop up today?” Xiao Yufan, in a particularly good mood, answered the call and immediately teased Ma Teng. Calling at this time obviously meant he was snatching a moment of leisure amidst his busy schedule.
“I saw that you were in a low mood a few days ago, so I didn’t tell you something… I’m getting married to Mu Qing soon…”
“Finally getting married!” Xiao Yufan instinctively sighed, a wave of pain and ache rising in his heart.
Back then, Ma Teng and Mu Qing met entirely because of Xiao Yufan and his ex-girlfriend Cheng Ying, with whom he had been in a six-year relationship. Mu Qing was Cheng Ying’s best friend, while Xiao Yufan and Ma Teng were inseparable friends. Thus, the two gradually came together.
It was great news that Ma Teng and Mu Qing were getting married, but it also exposed the deep pain and loneliness buried in Xiao Yufan’s heart—he and Cheng Ying had ultimately failed to continue their love.
Sometimes, people’s pain often comes from comparison. At this moment, besides feeling pained and envious of Ma Teng and Mu Qing, what else could he do? The past would inevitably turn to dust, but the wind couldn’t scatter it. Eventually, it slowly settled in his heart, covering his world in a dull gray.
After a long silence, Xiao Yufan asked, “What about Cheng Ying… will she come back…”
“Mu Qing hasn’t been in contact with Cheng Ying for a long time. I heard she changed all her contact information, but Mu Qing has already emailed her. Whether she will come back is unclear.”
“Oh, is that so?” Xiao Yufan tapped the keyboard with his hand, trying to keep his tone as casual as possible, his gaze staring blankly at the screen…
The entire day passed in a daze, until the lazy glow of the setting sun softly reflected on the transparent glass, snapping Xiao Yufan out of his trance. Another day had quietly passed, yet he had accomplished nothing. Even his earlier excitement had been swept away by endless reflections.
His phone vibrated. It was Ma Teng sending over their wedding photos. Looking at the happy smiles on their faces in the pictures, Xiao Yufan genuinely blessed them from the bottom of his heart.
Gazing distantly into the horizon, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help imagining: if he hadn’t broken up with Cheng Ying, would they also be about to walk down the aisle by now?
…
At Ma Teng’s request, he arrived at their newlywed home at nine in the evening, wanting to help them sort out various things. After all, there were many preparations to make for the wedding. Perhaps only by getting busy could he temporarily forget about Cheng Ying.
“Why do you look so tired? Did you go to a nightclub again!” As soon as Xiao Yufan arrived at Ma Teng’s place, he saw the two waiting for him outside, feeling a warmth in his heart. In this city, there were still people who truly cared about him.
“Just didn’t rest well these two days…” Xiao Yufan gave Ma Teng a sidelong glance. He couldn’t possibly say that he had become so disheveled because of Cheng Ying.
Ma Teng seemed to misunderstand Xiao Yufan’s meaning. His lips curled slightly, and with a lewd expression, he said, “You should take better care of your kidneys, kid. Even though you’re young, you can’t keep indulging recklessly like this!”
“We’re all educated people. Can’t you speak a bit more subtly?” Xiao Yufan glanced at Mu Qing, who had been watching the two all along, and gave Ma Teng a playful punch on the shoulder.
“Please, we know you better than anyone!” Ma Teng paused, then suddenly lowered his voice and leaned close to Xiao Yufan’s ear, whispering, “Cheng Ying just replied to the email. She’ll come back from Shanghai when we get married!”
Xiao Yufan stared at Ma Teng, his low mood momentarily frozen. After a while, it felt as if he had passed through extremes of ice and fire. Would the two who had broken up not too long ago meet again soon…
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