Xiao Yufan watched from a distance, while Cheng Ying didn’t even glance in his direction—whether out of complete unawareness or deliberate avoidance, he couldn’t tell.
After calming his turbulent emotions, Xiao Yufan turned his head and looked at the furious Yu Yihan, saying, “My friend has arrived; let’s go inside!”
“You’re here for your friend’s wedding, not to treat me to dinner!” Yu Yihan showed no intention of moving, her gaze turning icy. She hated being deceived most of all—it was her biggest taboo.
“It’s just dinner, except with more people,” Xiao Yufan explained. He feared that Yu Yihan might turn and leave, leaving him once again utterly alone. He didn’t want Cheng Ying to see his lonely, solitary figure.
“Scumbag, go eat by yourself. I have absolutely no interest in your friend’s wedding. Please also don’t bother me again in the future!” Yu Yihan gripped her car keys tightly and turned to leave, feeling extremely annoyed. If it weren’t for the many people around, her fury would have erupted completely—she was barely holding her anger in check.
“I lied to you, and that was my fault. But I really did want to treat you to a meal!” Xiao Yufan naturally wouldn’t reveal the truth, which would only make things worse. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yu Yihan’s arm…
Just as the two were tugging back and forth, a figure appeared before them. Xiao Yufan still tightly held Yu Yihan, but his heart suddenly pounded violently. Yu Yihan sensed something too and stopped resisting so fiercely.
Feeling like his breath had become difficult, Xiao Yufan felt a sharp pain in his chest. The lover of five years, now a stranger since their breakup, stood before him at this very moment.
“Hey, Yufan…” Cheng Ying broke the awkward silence, the three of them standing by the flowerbed in an uncomfortable tableau. After glancing at Xiao Yufan, Cheng Ying shifted her gaze to Yu Yihan and continued, “This must be your girlfriend, right?”
Caught off guard by Cheng Ying’s question, Xiao Yufan truly feared Yu Yihan would immediately deny it, which would leave him utterly defeated in Cheng Ying’s eyes. To his surprise, however, Yu Yihan remained silent, effectively accepting Cheng Ying’s words.
“I’ll go inside first; you can chat with your friend for a while,” Yu Yihan said gently, her tone completely different from her earlier aggression. Surprised, Xiao Yufan loosened his grip and watched her walk into the hotel.
“You haven’t changed—you’re still just as beautiful!” That sense of loneliness Xiao Yufan had felt suddenly vanished, and he found himself surprisingly calm upon meeting again. Had Yu Yihan given him this confidence? He wasn’t sure.
Cheng Ying smiled, those faint dimples still as lovely as ever, but none of it belonged to him anymore. He shouldn’t have allowed himself to indulge in illusions—he must have been driven by lingering bitterness. After all, that had been five years of his youth…
“But you’ve changed. The Yufan I knew never hid his true feelings,” Cheng Ying observed him for a moment before saying meaningfully.
“What do you mean?” Xiao Yufan’s heart sank. He feared Cheng Ying had seen through something, which would expose all his little tricks and further wound his already fragile pride.
Before Cheng Ying could respond, another bridesmaid came out, gesturing for her to enter the wedding venue first.
Nodding slightly apologetically, Cheng Ying looked at Xiao Yufan and said, “I need to go inside now. What about you?”
“I’ll have a cigarette outside first…”
Watching Cheng Ying’s retreating figure, Xiao Yufan felt a deep sense of loss. Indeed, he had changed—he now preferred to hide his true feelings. He had to admit that he still thought about those happy times, never having truly forgotten them.
Lost in memories of the past, Xiao Yufan desperately wanted to rush up to Cheng Ying and tightly embrace her, telling her everything deep inside his heart—telling her he still loved her! But all of this now felt so hollow. Perhaps, as Mu Qing had said, once a woman’s heart changes, it’s difficult to return to the past, no matter how hard you try.
After a breakup, every word spoken feels hollow and tasteless, not even qualifying as a conversation between ordinary friends. Xiao Yufan knew this relationship had definitively ended, but he still couldn’t understand why Cheng Ying had chosen to leave.
If Xiao Yufan’s heart were a city, then the entire city would now be crying. After collecting his sorrowful emotions, he knew it was time to return—after all, he was still a best man with many things to do.
The wedding banquet began, and everyone took their assigned seats. Xiao Yufan and Cheng Ying sat together due to their roles as best man and bridesmaid, yet neither looked at the other. They were strangers now—yet strangers who knew each other most intimately.
People around Xiao Yufan kept chatting with him, but he barely responded, always trying to find an excuse to glance at Cheng Ying again. Still, he lacked the courage. Letting go would allow him to face everything more openly. Just as he shifted his gaze elsewhere, he met Yu Yihan’s still-angry eyes—clearly, this time Xiao Yufan had truly enraged her.
Onstage, the master of ceremonies encouraged the newlyweds to perform affectionate gestures, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd. Xiao Yufan smiled happily too, though his heart was filled with an indescribable bitterness. Silence doesn’t mean absence of thought.
Marriage seemed so sacred, but to Xiao Yufan, it now felt increasingly distant. He alone hid in a corner, unwilling to let others see the bleakness of his life.
The wedding march filled the hall with a warm atmosphere. Xiao Yufan offered his most sincere blessings, then handed the couple all the money he had left as a gift. It was far from enough to repay the help Ma Teng had given him, but it represented his heartfelt gratitude. True friendship lies in the heart, and he would always remember everyone who had ever helped him.
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