On my twenty-third birthday, I was preparing to confess my feelings to Julian. But he beat me to it, falling in love at first sight with my roommate. I watched them break up and get back together, endlessly entangled. Finally, I gave up completely and started dating someone else. The day I announced my new relationship on Facebook, everyone offered genuine congratulations. Julian never showed up. It wasn't until the next day that someone brought it up in front of him. "Did you see that post? What do you think of Summer's new boyfriend?" The man leaned back diagonally on the sofa, glancing at me upon hearing the question. After a long time, he finally spoke slowly, "Oh, he's average." 1 As soon as Julian finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. Everyone's eyes turned to me. Some watched from the sidelines, while others looked worried and anxious. In this day and age, everyone loves posting short videos and status updates. Two people standing shoulder to shoulder, smiling and clearly in love—who wouldn't want to hear others call them a perfect match? But Julian had to be the one to bluntly evaluate him as, "Oh, average." He was a guy who, despite having a bit of a temper, was usually very polite in his dealings with others. Acting like this now... it was as if he was deliberately trying to embarrass me. Suppressing the anger in my heart, I asked him. "What's wrong with my boyfriend?" In fact, Evan is very handsome. Even my picky mother couldn't help but compliment him after meeting him. "Compared to your friend named Julian, he doesn't fall short at all." I stared at Julian, my expression showing my displeasure. But he suddenly let out a tired smile. Then he glanced at me, "Just a casual remark, don't take it to heart." "Bring him around sometime when you're free." With that, he stood up without hesitation and left. He didn't spare me another half a glance. So, someone tried to comfort me, saying, "Tsk, almost forgot. He just went through a breakup with his girlfriend, so he's probably feeling really frustrated right now." "It's fine. Aren't they always like this? They'll be back together in a few days." Saying this, the person glanced at me. "Don't you think so, Summer?" I spaced out for a moment. "Yeah, that's right." They had been entangled for so long; how could they separate so easily? Over the past few years, I had hoped time and time again, only to be disappointed time and time again. I should have understood this long ago, shouldn't I? 2 Coming out of the private room, I saw Julian smoking not far away. He rarely did that. Because Mia didn't like it. He was acting really out of character tonight. I was still angry about what happened earlier, so I didn't speak to him and walked straight outside. But I hadn't even taken two steps before someone grabbed my wrist. I turned around and met a pair of cold, indifferent eyes. Even when I first met him, I heard people say that Julian, the famous young master of the Vance family, had been raised as the heir since childhood. He was precious and privileged. The people who wanted to date him could form a line around the block, but he never gave anyone a second look. Later, when Julian and I became close, everyone praised my good luck. For all these years, I was the only female friend by his side. Inevitably, some people made snide remarks: "Who knows if one day she'll go from friend to girlfriend, flying up to a higher branch and becoming Mrs. Vance?" It wasn't that I hadn't dreamed that beautiful dream. But later, when Mia appeared, I realized she was his true destiny. He had remained single for over twenty years, all to wait for her. As for me, I was just lucky enough to be acquainted with him. Under the dim light, he stared at me, his expression somewhat careless. He said. "How did you meet?" I didn't react immediately, freezing for a moment. He patiently repeated himself. "I mean, how did you meet that guy?" 3 It was a cold, snowy day. Julian instinctively turned his body to block the cold wind blowing from afar for me. I looked at his features and remained silent for a moment. "We met while traveling. I thought he was pretty nice, so we got together." There is a phrase called "perfect timing." That probably describes Evan and me. Hearing this, Julian lifted his eyelids. "Traveling? When did you go out to play? How come I didn't know?" I smiled, "Just last month." He probably no longer remembered that one night last month, he called me late, saying he and Mia had a fight and she had angrily gone abroad. He said: "You two are the closest, go over and talk to her. In a foreign country, if she insists on staying there, she'll suffer grievances." I packed my bags overnight and traveled thousands of miles with him, but shortly after landing, he received news that Mia had already gone somewhere else. Round trip, it was over a dozen hours of travel. I happened to get a high fever and couldn't accompany him on his frantic journey anymore. He had no choice but to leave me behind and go look for Mia. After he left, I stood by the riverbank, looking at the bright moon on the other side, and suddenly felt exhausted. To stay by his side, I had given up a stable job in my hometown. Even when my father was hospitalized last year, I couldn't be by his side. Time is ruthless. What had I gained, and what had I lost? No one knew. My thoughts returning, I looked at Julian in front of me and spoke very calmly. "Are you done asking? I have to go." He froze. After a long time, he finally spoke again. "Lend me your phone for a second. Mia blocked me." Actually, I really wanted to ask—with so many people in the private room, did you have to ask to borrow mine? But I didn't say it in the end. After all, all those feelings of joy, sadness, and despair, from beginning to end, were known only to me. In his eyes, I was a perfect friend, completely unrelated to romance. I took out my phone and handed it to him. He took it and walked to the side to make a call. They talked for quite a while. When Julian came back, his expression was no longer as tense as before. His eyes held a smile as he handed the phone back to me. Just then, a message suddenly popped up on the screen. Evan: [I'm returning to Seattle at the end of the month.] In an instant, the smile on Julian's face vanished. He frowned, his voice flat: "Your relationship seems pretty good." 4 Since I had decided to let go, I began intentionally distancing myself from Julian's circle. I muted these people's posts on social media. And I stopped going to the places they frequented. One day, Julian messaged me. [Your birthday is in a couple of days. Want to come check out the venue?] He was very generous. Every time a friend had a birthday, he would put his all into helping organize it. I wasn't the first, nor was I the only one. But to this day, I still remember that on my twenty-third birthday, Julian pointed to Mia not far away and asked me, "Is that your friend? Give me her WeChat." A talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match. I guess they should thank me, the matchmaker. Later, I heard someone ask Julian, why did it have to be Mia? At the time, he was texting Mia. Hearing the question, he smiled, raised his eyebrows, and said, "She was wearing a red dress that day. I've rarely seen anyone wear that color so well." But who would remember that I also wore a red dress that day? For many years after that, I never touched clothes in that color again. Thinking of this, I typed. [I've been busy lately. No need.] He took a long time to reply. [Busy dating?] I replied, [Yeah.] After sending that message, he didn't reply again. However, his best friend, Liam, sent me a voice message, saying playfully, "Wow, you're amazing, Summer. Julian put a lot of effort into planning your birthday party this time. We all stayed up late for several nights helping out, and you just decide not to come. He's furious, hahaha." I gave a brief, casual reply. Just then, a red notification popped up on my email. I clicked it. It was an employment offer. I thought about it, feeling a bit happy, and messaged Evan. [Once I finish handing over my current work, I can process my resignation. We can go back to Portland together then.] He replied, [Okay.] This guy looked serious and spoke meticulously. But looking at this one word. I inexplicably smiled. 5 Neither Evan nor I were very talkative people; we only chatted when there was something to say. But I didn't expect him to return early. He came back specifically to celebrate my birthday with me. In an elegantly decorated western restaurant, he handed me a gift bag. "Sorry, I only found out it was your birthday today after seeing your mom's post." After we decided to be together, we quickly met each other's parents, planning to get engaged once we returned to Portland. Lately, my mom kept telling me: "Evan is a good guy. He often sends me things. You should treat him well." Halfway through the meal, Evan went out to take a call. After he left, I looked down at my phone. I happened to see a post from Liam. [Someone save me!? Julian is acting crazy today, insisting on a drinking contest with me. I'm about to drink myself to death here, and his face isn't even red. I can't survive this.] Liam had a lively personality and often posted things like this, so I wasn't too surprised when I read those words. I was just a little surprised. That day outside the private room, Julian borrowed my phone to call Mia, and they had clearly reconciled. Acting like this now, did they fall out again? You couldn't blame me for thinking this way. Julian's life had been smooth sailing; aside from love, he would absolutely never suffer any hardship elsewhere. Just as I thought this, a phone call came in. It was Liam. We had a pretty good relationship, and I was afraid something had really happened to him, so I answered it immediately. His voice was drunk. "Hey, I'm telling you, Julian is simply not human..." Halfway through, his voice got quieter and quieter until it disappeared. I called his name twice. There was no response. Just as I was about to hang up, someone finally spoke. It was Julian. His voice was cold, a little hoarse. "This guy couldn't hold his liquor and passed out on the table. It's nothing serious." I said: "Oh, as long as everything's fine." He was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about you? How was your day? Are you happy?" I was just about to answer when Evan returned from outside and asked who I was talking to. I said. "A friend." When I looked down again, the call had already been hung up. 6 After hanging up, I felt a little unsettled. Evan pushed the cut steak in front of me, his movements natural and elegant. "What's wrong? Is there an emergency at work?" He was always like this, emotionally stable and very measured. He would never be like Julian, moody over trivial things, needing to be coaxed and pampered. Looking at Evan's calm eyes, the annoyance in my heart suddenly dissipated for the most part. "It's nothing. Just an ordinary friend who drank too much and is acting crazy." Evan smiled and didn't ask any more questions, just poured me a glass of warm water. "Drink some water, soothe your throat." The meal was very pleasant. As we were finishing, Evan pulled a velvet box from his pocket. The pendant was a very translucent jade stone in the shape of a peace buckle. Just looking at it made you feel at ease. He put it on me, his warm fingertips brushing against my neck. "Summer, happy birthday. I wish you peace and safety year after year." No grand vows, no earth-shattering fanfare. Just this simple, unadorned "peace and safety year after year." I touched the peace buckle, my eyes feeling a little hot. These past few years by Julian's side, I had seen too much extravagance and received too many expensive but cold luxury items. But I had never experienced this kind of grounded warmth. It was 10 PM by the time I got home. Evan walked me to the lobby of my apartment building, politely kissed my forehead, and left. I had just turned around to go upstairs when a harsh screeching of brakes came from behind. Followed by rapid footsteps. My wrist was grabbed tightly, with a force that felt like it would crush my bones. I turned my head in pain and met Julian's bloodshot eyes. He smelled of alcohol and looked a bit disheveled, completely devoid of his usual aloof, aristocratic demeanor. "That guy... is your boyfriend?" His voice was terribly hoarse, as if filled with gravel. I frowned and tried to pull my hand away. "Julian, you're hurting me. Let go." Not only did he not let go, but his grip tightened, his eyes locked dead on the necklace around my neck. The peace buckle shone with a gentle glow under the streetlight, but it seemed to sting his eyes. "What's so great about this broken rock? How much is it worth?" He sneered, his tone full of disdain. "If you like jewelry, I have a bunch. Cartier, Bvlgari, pick whatever you want. How can you wear this cheap junk out in public?" Listening to his cruel words, the anger in my heart "whooshed" right up. How come I never realized he had such a mean mouth before? "Julian, this is a token of my boyfriend's affection. In my eyes, it's priceless." I looked at him coldly. "Also, it's late. If you've had too much to drink, go home and sleep. Don't come here acting crazy." Julian froze for a moment, as if he didn't expect me to speak to him like that. The old Summer was always soft-spoken and completely obedient to him. If he even frowned, I'd be anxious for a long time. But now, the way I looked at him was like looking at an unreasonable stranger. This realization made him even more frustrated. He leaned in abruptly, pinning me against the wall of the lobby. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with tobacco rushed over me, making me instinctively hold my breath. "Summer, are you getting back at me?" He stared into my eyes, asking through gritted teeth. "Because I said he was 'average' before? So you deliberately brought him to make me mad? That guy looks like a bookworm. Aside from being decent-looking, how does he compare to me?" I laughed out of extreme anger. "Julian, do you think the whole world revolves around you?" "I'm dating for my own happiness, not to make you mad, and certainly not to get back at you. You aren't that important to me." As soon as this sentence came out, the air seemed to solidify. Julian's pupils contracted sharply, a flash of astonishment on his face, followed by a deeper gloom. "Not that important?" He repeated those words as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Summer, you ran after me for seven years. And now you're telling me I'm not important?" He let go of my wrist, but suddenly reached out to yank the necklace from my neck. "Since it's not important, take off this piece of junk! It's an eyesore!" "Are you crazy?!" I panicked and desperately tried to protect the necklace. During the struggle, the red string snapped. The peace buckle fell to the ground with a "smack," rolled twice, and split in half. The world instantly went quiet. I looked at the shattered jade on the ground, my heart feeling like it had been viciously stabbed by something. That was the first birthday gift Evan gave me. It represented his blessing of "peace and safety year after year." And just like that, Julian destroyed it. I slowly crouched down and picked up the two pieces of broken jade, the sharp edges biting into my palm. When I looked up again, I stared at Julian, the last bit of warmth vanishing from my eyes. "Julian, you are truly disgusting." After saying that, I didn't spare him another glance, turned around, and went upstairs. Behind me, I heard Julian's somewhat panicked shout: "Summer..." I slammed the lobby door shut heavily, isolating his voice in the night. 7 The next day, I took time off work to go get the peace buckle fixed. The master craftsman said it could be repaired using the gold-inlaid jade technique, but there would always be a crack. Just like my relationship with Julian—it was completely shattered, and no matter how it was repaired, it could never go back to the way it was. When I returned to the office, I happened to run into Liam joking around with the receptionist. Seeing me, his eyes lit up, and he came over. "Hey, Summer, you're looking good today. Did Julian go see you last night?" I subtly avoided his touch and said lightly, "Yeah, came and threw a drunken fit." The smile on Liam's face froze for a second, then he laughed awkwardly. "Hey, you know how Julian is, right? Tough talker, soft heart. He drank too much last night and kept muttering your name. He actually still cares about you..." "Liam." I cut him off, my tone calm. "I've already submitted my resignation. I'm leaving next month." Liam's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. "Holy shit? Resigning? Where are you going? Does Julian know?" "Going back to my hometown, or to another city. Haven't decided yet. As for whether Julian knows, it has nothing to do with me." I didn't want to waste any more breath on him, turned around, and went into the office. Not long after, Julian called. I immediately hung up and blocked the number. I also deleted his WeChat. These actions flowed smoothly. After doing them, I felt completely refreshed. Since I had decided to cut ties, I would cut them cleanly. In the afternoon, while I was handing over my work, the receptionist said someone was looking for me. I thought it was Evan and ran out smiling, but it turned out to be Mia. She wore a high-end designer suit, carrying a limited-edition bag, still exuding her usual aloof goddess vibe. Seeing me, she took off her sunglasses, looked me up and down, and a mocking smile touched her lips. "I heard you're resigning? What, did Julian break your heart so much you're planning to run away?" I looked at her, my heart completely undisturbed. I used to think she was my romantic rival, an insurmountable mountain between Julian and me. Now it seemed she was just a pitiful person spoiled rotten by Julian. "Ms. Mia, if you don't have any actual business, I'm going to get back to work." I didn't want to engage with her and turned to leave. "Stop right there!" Mia stomped her high heels and blocked my path, her face looking a bit ugly. "Summer, stop pretending. Do you think playing hard to get works on Julian? He did go to see you last night, but when he came back, he told me you were just a plaything he could summon and dismiss at will." She raised her chin, as if asserting dominance. "He and I are destined to get married. With your status, you're not even worthy to carry his shoes." Watching her try to act tough while feeling insecure, I suddenly found it a bit funny. "Mia, are you in such a rush to assert dominance because Julian called my name last night?" Mia's face turned pale; I had clearly hit the nail on the head. I smiled and continued, "Don't worry, I have no interest in your Julian. I've already thrown that man away. If you like picking up trash, hold on tight, and don't let him out to disgust people anymore." "Who are you calling trash?!" Mia raised her hand in a flustered rage, trying to slap me. But her wrist was intercepted mid-air. By a slender, powerful hand. Evan had arrived at some point. He was wearing simple casual clothes, but his presence was overwhelming. He threw Mia's hand aside, protected me behind him, and his eyes were icy. "Miss, please show some self-respect." Mia rubbed her wrist and glared at Evan. "And who are you? This is between her and me. It's none of your business to interfere!" "I am Summer's fiancé." Evan's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resounding. "Her business is my business. If you dare touch her again, I wouldn't mind having security escort you out." Mia probably hadn't seen such a tough man before, and she was stunned for a moment. At this moment, there was a commotion at the lobby entrance. Julian strode in, followed by a breathless Liam. Seeing this scene, Julian's face instantly darkened. He quickly walked over to Mia's side but locked his gaze dead on me. "Summer, what is the meaning of this? Blocking my calls, deleting my WeChat, and now ganging up with an outsider to bully Mia?" I peeked out from behind Evan, looking at this man who couldn't tell right from wrong, feeling only ridiculous. "Julian, which eye did you use to see me bully her? She was the one who came to my company to cause a scene and even tried to hit me. What, are only the privileged allowed to act out, while the rest of us just have to take it?" Julian frowned and looked at Mia. Mia immediately put on a wronged expression and clung to Julian's arm. "Julian, I just heard Summer was leaving and wanted to come say goodbye. Who knew she would say such awful things and even call you... call you trash." Julian's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He stared at me, gritting his teeth: "You called me trash?" I fearlessly met his gaze. "Is it not true? Eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot, clearly having a girlfriend but still coming to harass your 'ex-friend'. Julian, if you aren't trash, what are you?" "Good, very good." Julian laughed out of extreme anger, saying the word "good" twice. He pointed at Evan, his eyes sinister. "You're falling out with me over a man like this? Summer, don't you regret this!" I clung tightly to Evan's arm, smiling openly. "The biggest regret of my life was meeting you. As for Evan, he is a thousand, ten thousand times better than you." It was as if Julian had been viciously slapped across the face; his complexion turned a mix of pale and green. He stared fixedly at my hand holding Evan's arm, emotions I couldn't understand churning in his eyes. Like anger, but also like... panic.
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