My long-distance relationship finally brought me back home, eager to reunite with my boyfriend. But when we met up, he wasn't alone. He brought her. "Chris is away on business, so I'm helping him look after his girlfriend," he explained. The girl draped her arm around his shoulder, her eyes dropping to my chest. "Bro, I've known you for so long, I never knew you liked dairy cows~" My boyfriend insisted she meant no harm, that she was just "blunt." Later, in the house we bought together for our future, she crawled into his bed wearing nothing but black silk lingerie. "What's wrong with warming up the bed for my son?" she purred. "I told you this girlfriend wasn't good enough. You should have dumped her ages ago." I slapped her across the face. "Dump your mom!" 1 This was my first time meeting Lexi. I had been studying abroad and hadn't seen Ethan for two years. He hadn't warned me she would be there. He had mentioned a close-knit group of friends, but I didn't expect "close" meant crashing our reunion date. A romantic date for two turned into a shopping trip for three. I hadn't even adjusted to the jet lag before rushing to see him, but he didn't seem to value this meeting as much as I did. It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed. "Tsk, so this is your childhood sweetheart? Not that impressive." She hooked her arm around Ethan's shoulder, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Bro, I've known you for so long, I never knew you liked dairy cows~ She's definitely a different breed from us!" She laughed maliciously. I was naturally busty, something that made me stand out since middle school and subjected me to plenty of ridicule. The memory of those dark times made me tremble. After calming down, I looked her up and down. "Ethan, your taste in friends has really tanked in the years I've been gone. What is this thing?" Ethan knew exactly how much I suffered from that kind of bullying. He frowned and questioned Lexi, "Watch your mouth." "Oops, sorry! I'm just a straight shooter," Lexi said with fake sincerity, her face showing zero guilt or regret. In fact, she looked self-righteous. "Seriously, bro? She's mad about that?" Ethan turned to comfort me. "Sarah, she's just boisterous like that. You'll get used to her once you know her." Lexi grabbed his ear and pulled him aside. "What am I like? If I knew you brought her, I wouldn't have come. I told you I don't get along with girls." "So what if she's back? You have to keep me company today." Ethan grimaced in pain. "Ouch~ Ouch~ Princess, let go~" "You have no experience buying makeup. Sarah would be much more help, so..." Lexi scoffed. "Please. I'm nothing like her." She scanned me, her gaze landing on my face. "Wearing that much makeup... looks like a club girl." I had just gotten off a fifteen-hour flight and arrived at dawn. I hadn't rested well, so I did a heavier makeup look to cover my dark circles. Now I understood. She was hostile toward me, though I didn't know why. They were still bantering. "Do it again?" "No, no, Princess, you're the boss!" "That's more like it. No next time." Finally satisfied, she let go. Ethan rubbed his red ear and explained guiltily, "Babe, I just treat her like a bro." Lexi slapped the back of his head. "Weak. Don't call her 'babe' until you're married!" 2 Lexi went into a Sephora, and we waited outside. "Dead dog, if you don't come in, who's going to give me advice?" She came back out to drag Ethan inside, leaving me standing there alone. Through the glass window, I saw her pick up a lipstick and apply it directly to Ethan's lips. They puckered up and made peace signs at the mirror. It was freezing outside. After standing there for a while, I was numb. I walked into the store, and Lexi immediately started with the passive-aggressive comments. "Why is she so clingy? Can't she survive being apart from you for a second? I can't stand it." Ah, a "pick-me" girl who's possessive of other people's boyfriends. I made my eyes look innocent and raised my voice. "Sister Lexi, why are you dragging my boyfriend to buy makeup? Do you not have a single female friend?" The store was big and crowded. Hearing my voice, people turned to look, whispering. "Aren't they the couple? I thought they looked cute just now." "That's way too little boundary." Being gossiped about didn't fluster Lexi. She slung her arm around Ethan's shoulder and scoffed disdainfully, as if she wanted everyone to hear. "Don't be weird. We're just bros." "I swear, you girls with 'romance brain' are the worst. Just because you're dating, does every other female friend have to die?" She was good at gaslighting. I sniffed the air near her and covered my nose. "So smelly. Sister Lexi, did you not brush your teeth today?" "What do you mean?!" Her face changed. She shouted at me in anger and embarrassment. I took a step back, holding my hand out to stop her. "Sister, don't come closer. It really stinks." "You have spinach in your teeth! And plaque! No wonder~ Sister Lexi, how many days has it been since you brushed?" Lexi quickly covered her mouth, glaring at me. "Sarah, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?!" "Are you crazy?" Being yelled at by her, I acted flustered and explained loudly, "Sister Lexi, you really should pay attention to oral hygiene. You need to brush every morning and night." Under the public gaze, Lexi's face turned bright red. Covering her mouth, she fled the store. Watching her pathetic retreat, I let out a breath. Countless internet arguments had taught me one thing: when fighting, never fall into the trap of defending yourself. Attack is the best defense. 3 Walking out of the store, I interrogated Ethan immediately. "You're quite capable, taking care of other people's girlfriends now?" "We're close. It was convenient." Seeing my face darken, he eagerly explained. "Lexi is... well, now you know a bit about her. She's got poor life skills. Chris was worried, so he asked me to help out while he's abroad." Chris was Ethan's college roommate. They hit it off instantly, joined the same company after graduation, and were inseparable. Naturally, he became close with Lexi too. The three of them formed a little clique. Except for sleeping, they did everything together. "How long has she been dating Chris?" He thought for a moment and held up two fingers. "Over two years?" "Did she not survive before dating? Or has she needed a man attached to her hip since birth?" Ethan paused. "You can't say that. She really isn't as meticulous as other girls. She's rough around the edges, worse than us guys." "What does that have to do with you? If you're so charitable, go volunteer." "Sarah, I just treat her like a bro. In my eyes, she's the same as Chris." "Does Chris make you help him buy lipstick? Does he pucker up and touch faces with you? Does she have no female friends?" Ethan looked helpless. "She doesn't get along well with girls. She usually hangs out with Chris." "You have no boundaries!" He realized something was wrong and promised me he'd be mindful of boundaries in the future. "Let's not talk about her. Aren't you tired of white people food? Craving home cooking? I'll take you to feast." He took me to the local food street. We wove through the stalls; he bought, I ate. During this, he kept replying to WeChat messages. I snatched his phone and saw a group chat of three called [Shadows & Forms]. Lexi tagged Ethan in the group: 【Is your girlfriend crazy?! Did she embarrass me on purpose?】 Ethan: 【Sarah is just a bit dense, can't keep things in. She says whatever she thinks. She didn't mean anything else.】 Lexi: 【From now on, it's her or me. Don't bring her when we hang out.】 Ethan: 【I'll tell her to be careful.】 I waved his phone. "So? What do I need to be careful about?" "Sarah, don't be mad. Just a perfunctory reply. I wouldn't actually do anything to you." Ethan had always been gentle, hating conflict. A "nice guy." He put his arm around me. "Let's go, let's go see a movie. Don't be unhappy over irrelevant people. We haven't seen each other in so long." Although I was annoyed, our relationship had always been good. Since he apologized well, I decided to wait and see. 4 The next day, I visited Ethan's family home. We grew up in the same faculty housing complex; our parents were colleagues. Our relationship had long been approved by both families. Everyone assumed we'd marry after I graduated. He was two years older than me, already working. I had six months left. When I arrived, his mom, Auntie Yang, was cooking. Lexi was helping wash vegetables. "Sarah's here? Sit down for a bit, Auntie is busy." Lexi adopted the air of the hostess, greeting me familiarly. Completely different from the arrogant look yesterday. Auntie Yang told me Ethan drove to pick up his dad and would be back soon. Seeing them busy, I stood up. "Need help?" Before Auntie Yang could speak, Lexi rejected me immediately. "You're too delicate, you don't look like you can work." "Have to say, you're lucky. Getting pampered without lifting a finger, getting into top schools without studying..." Auntie Yang wiped her hands and came over to hold mine, her face full of affection. "Our Sarah was born a little princess. When she was born, I loved her at first sight. I was so jealous, thinking why such a good daughter wasn't mine." "I never thought my dream would come true, and Sarah would really become part of my family." Auntie Yang couldn't stop praising me. Lexi opened her mouth, her shady comments stuck in her throat. After holding it in for a while, she managed a dry sentence: "Having a mother-in-law like you is her luck." "Relationships are mutual. Sarah is excellent and well-behaved. It's our family's blessing that Ethan can marry her." Auntie Yang praised me tirelessly. Lexi could only laugh awkwardly. I blinked. "Sister Lexi, is Chris's mom not good to you?" Hearing me ask about Chris's family, her face stiffened, stammering. "His mom... treats me very well. Often tells Chris to take good care of me." "But I heard you haven't met the parents yet?" Ethan had mentioned Chris's parents strongly opposed their relationship and refused to even see her. Chris was still fighting them. Hearing this, she forced a smile. "We just haven't reached the formal meeting stage yet." "Oh, you have to work harder! Get their approval soon and tie the knot." I encouraged her seriously. Her face turned red then white. I pretended she was shy. "Don't be shy. I heard Chris loves you a lot. Do you have plans for marriage? If so, you should start buying a house." Auntie Yang stopped working and agreed with me. "True. If you're getting married, you need a house. It takes time from buying to moving in." She mumbled, "The house... we'll talk about it later." 5 Ethan and Uncle Zhou walked in. Lexi seemed to find a lifeline. She walked up to Ethan, hanging onto his shoulder. "If I don't have a house, I'll live at Ethan's. If I have no food, I'll rely on him. He won't ignore me." "Right? Ethan?" Ethan looked confused but nodded anyway. Auntie Yang coughed lightly. "You are adults. Don't be so touchy-feely. It's good Sarah doesn't mind, otherwise, people will gossip." "Auntie Yang, be more open-minded. What could happen between me and Ethan? We're bros." "Chris doesn't mind, Ethan is willing. I don't care about others. Let them gossip." Auntie Yang's face darkened. Ethan turned to look at me. "Sarah?" Seeing this, Lexi yelled unhappily. "No way? Ethan, you need Sarah's permission for this too? No freedom at all!" I smiled, but not with my eyes. "Sister Lexi, I heard the city Chris is in isn't far from my school? Give me his contact info. When I get back, I'll take my roommates to visit him." "My roommates are so funny, so fun." Her face changed instantly, stammering. "Why visit? You'll meet when you're all back. It's not appropriate to go find him like that." I snorted, muttering unhappily: "So stingy~ Using someone else's boyfriend is fine, but hiding your own?" "You two girls playing with Chris, really have no boundaries!" "We're different. Ethan and I are brothers." Heh. Seems the "pick-me" girl doesn't actually misunderstand boundaries, she just selectively ignores her own boundaries with other men. Double standard dog. "Brothers? Why don't you two drop your pants and see who can pee higher?" She looked at Ethan pitifully. Auntie Yang rolled her eyes at Ethan. "Why are you standing there like a post? Where's your girlfriend?" Lexi knew she wasn't welcome and found an excuse to leave. After she left, Auntie Yang sighed. "When Ethan was small, we taught him to be kind, respectful, and tolerant. He does that well now, but he's too honest. Doesn't know how to refuse." "Sarah, if you see him doing something wrong in the future, just discipline him. I'll back you up." "Ethan, stay away from that Lexi. She's trouble." Ethan nodded. "I know. I treat her like a man. Three months left. When Chris comes back, I'll keep my distance."
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