On my twenty-third birthday, I was preparing to confess my feelings to Arthur. But he beat me to it, falling in love at first sight with my roommate. I watched them break up and make up, endlessly entangled. Finally, I gave up all hope and got a boyfriend. On the day I officially announced my relationship on Instagram, everyone was offering sincere congratulations. Arthur never showed up. Until the next day, when someone brought it up in front of him. "Did you see that Instagram post? What do you think of Nora's boyfriend?" The man was leaning back on the sofa. Hearing this, he glanced at me. After a long pause, he drawled slowly, "Oh, he's just average." 1 As Arthur's words fell, the room went quiet for a moment. Everyone's eyes turned to me. Some were watching the drama unfold, others looked worried and uneasy. In this day and age, everyone loves posting short videos and Instagram updates. Two people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling and clearly in love—who wouldn't want to hear others say they look like a perfect match? But not Arthur. He just bluntly evaluated him, saying, "Oh, he's just average." Although his temper could be bad, he was usually very polite in his dealings with people. Acting like this now... it was almost as if he was intentionally trying to embarrass me. I held back my anger and asked him: "What's wrong with my boyfriend?" In fact, Caleb was very handsome. Even my mom, who is incredibly picky, couldn't help but praise him when she met him. "Compared to that friend of yours, Arthur, he's definitely not lacking." I stared at Arthur, my expression showing my displeasure. But he suddenly let out a weary smile. Then he glanced at me, "Just a passing comment, don't take it to heart." "Bring him around sometime when you're free." After saying that, he stood up and left without any hesitation. He didn't spare me another glance. Someone tried to comfort me, saying, "Tsk, almost forgot. He just had a messy breakup with his girl. He must be feeling really irritated right now." "It's fine. It's always like this with them. They'll be back together in a few days." Saying this, the person glanced at me. "Don't you think so, Nora?" I zoned out for a second. "Yeah, that's how it is." They had been entangled for so long, how could it be that easy for them to separate? Over the past few years, I anticipated and was disappointed time and time again. I had already understood this fact, hadn't I? 2 Exiting the private room, I saw Arthur smoking a short distance away. He rarely did that. Because Mia didn't like it. He was acting really unusual tonight. I was still angry about what happened earlier, so I didn't speak to him and walked straight toward the exit. But I hadn't taken two steps before someone grabbed my wrist. I turned around to meet a pair of cold, detached eyes. Long before I even met him, I had heard others talk about Arthur. The famous young master of the Sterling family, groomed from a young age to be the heir. Wealthy and aristocratic, there were droves of people wanting to pursue him, but he never gave anyone the time of day. Later, when Arthur 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 sarcastic remarks, "Who knows, maybe one day she'll go from friend to girlfriend, climb the social ladder, and become Mrs. Sterling?" It wasn't that I hadn't entertained such beautiful dreams. But later, when Mia appeared, I realized she was his true destiny. He remained single for over twenty years just waiting for her. As for me, I was just lucky enough to have known him. Under the dim lights, he stared at me, his expression somewhat scattered. He said: "How did you meet?" I didn't react immediately, stunned for a second. He patiently repeated himself. "I mean, you and that guy, how did you meet?" 3 It was a snowy, freezing day. Arthur instinctively turned his body, shielding me from the cold wind blowing from afar. I looked at his features, silent for a moment. "We met while traveling. Thought he was pretty nice, so we got together." There's a saying: "right place, right time." That basically summed up Caleb and me. Hearing this, Arthur lifted his eyelids. "Traveling? When did you go traveling? Why didn't I know?" I smiled slightly. "Just last month." He probably didn't remember anymore. One night last month, he called me late, saying Mia had a fight with him and went abroad in a fit of pique. He said, "You two are the closest. Go over and help persuade her. She's insisting on staying in a foreign country, she's going to suffer." I packed my bags overnight and traveled thousands of miles with him. But shortly after landing, he received news that Mia had already gone to another location. Back and forth, another ten-plus hour journey. I happened to be running a high fever and couldn't keep traveling with him. He had no choice but to leave me behind to go find Mia. After he left, I stood by the river, looking at the bright moon on the other side, and suddenly felt exhausted. To stay by his side, I gave up a stable job in my hometown. Even when my father was hospitalized last year, I couldn't be by his bedside. Time is merciless. What have I gained, and what have I lost? No one knows. My thoughts returned to the present. I looked at Arthur standing in front of me and spoke very calmly. "Done asking? I need to go." He froze. After a long time, he spoke again. "Let me borrow your phone for a second. Mia blocked me." Honestly, I really wanted to ask—with so many people in the private room, did he have to borrow mine? But I didn't say it. After all, the joy, sadness, and despair... from beginning to end, only I knew. In his eyes, I was a perfect friend, completely detached from romantic feelings. I pulled out my phone and handed it to him. He took it and walked to the side to make the call. They talked for a good while. When Arthur came back, his expression was no longer as tense as before. His eyes were smiling. He handed the phone back to me, but right at that moment, a message suddenly popped up on the screen. Caleb: 【I'm coming back to the States next month.】 In an instant, the smile on Arthur's face vanished completely. He narrowed his eyes, his voice flat: "Your relationship seems to be going pretty well." 4 Since I had already decided to let go, I intentionally started distancing myself from Arthur's circle. I stopped initiating contact with those people. And I tried my best to avoid places they frequented. One day, Arthur messaged me. 【Your birthday is in a couple of days. Want to come check out the venue?】 He was very generous. Whenever his close friends had birthdays, he would always do his best to help organize everything. I wasn't the first, nor was I the only one. But to this day, I still remember my twenty-third birthday. Arthur pointed at Mia in the distance and asked me, "Is that your friend? Give me her Instagram." A perfect match, a destined encounter. I figured they should probably thank me, their matchmaker. Later, to pursue Mia, Arthur basically went through fire and water, suffering a lot. I heard someone ask him, why did it have to be Mia? At the time, he was texting Mia. Hearing the question, he smiled, raised an eyebrow: "She was wearing a red dress that day. I've rarely seen anyone wear that color so well." But who could remember that I, too, was wearing all red that day? For many years after that, I never wore that color again. Thinking of this, I typed. 【I've been busy lately, no need.】 It took a long time for a reply to come. 【Busy dating?】 I replied, 【Yes.】 After that message, he didn't reply again. Instead, his best buddy, Noah, sent me a voice memo, speaking with a playful tone. "Impressive, Nora. Arthur put a lot of effort into planning your birthday party this time. We all pulled several all-nighters with him, and you just say you're not coming. He was so pissed, hahaha." I replied with a few casual words. Right then, a red dot appeared on my email app. I clicked on it. It was a job offer. I thought about it, feeling a bit happy, and messaged Caleb. 【Once I finish handing over my current work, I can resign. When you get back, we'll go back to River City together.】 Coincidentally, we were both from River City. He replied, 【Okay.】 This person looked serious and always spoke meticulously. But looking at this single word. I inexplicably smiled. 5 Neither Caleb nor I were very talkative people; we only chatted when there was something to discuss. But I didn't expect him to come back half a month early. He came back specifically to celebrate my birthday. In an exquisitely decorated Western restaurant, he handed me a gift bag. "Sorry, I only found out it was your birthday today from a post your mom made. I prepared this in a rush, I don't know if you'll like it." The day after we decided to be together, he dropped everything and went back to River City with me to meet both sets of parents. We were planning to get engaged in two months. My mom kept telling me lately, "Caleb is a good guy. His education and character are impeccable. You need to treat him well." Halfway through the meal, Caleb stepped out to take a call. While he was gone, I looked down at my phone. I happened to see a post from Noah. 【Can someone please save me!? Arthur is acting crazy today, insisting on out-drinking me. I'm about to drink myself to death here, and his face isn't even red. I can't take this anymore.】 Noah had a bouncy personality and often posted things like this, so I wasn't too surprised when I saw the text. I was just a bit confused. That day outside the private room, when Arthur borrowed my phone to call Mia, they had clearly buried the hatchet. Acting like this now... did they fall out again? It wasn't strange for me to think that. Arthur's life had always been smooth sailing. Except in love, he would never take a loss anywhere else. Just as I was thinking this, a call came through on my phone. It was Noah. We had a decent relationship, and I was afraid something had really happened to him, so I answered immediately. His voice was drunk. "Hey, let me tell you, Arthur is simply not human..." Halfway through, his voice grew 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 Arthur. His voice was cold and slightly hoarse. "This guy couldn't hold it together and passed out on the table. Nothing major." I said, "Oh, glad it's nothing major." He was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about you? How was today? Are you happy?" I met him when I was twenty. Up until now, five years have passed. Every year on this day, he was unwaveringly by my side. Except for this time. It was an exception. I was about to answer when Caleb returned from outside and asked who I was talking to. I said. "A friend." When I looked down again, the call had already been disconnected. 6 I slept very soundly that night. For some reason, I actually dreamt of Arthur. I dreamt about the year he got into a car accident while street racing trying to pursue Mia, lying half-dead in the hospital. I took care of him for two months. But the very first thing he did on the day he fully recovered was go find Mia. In the hospital corridor, his cousin told me with a look of helpless resignation: "Arthur has always gotten whatever he wanted since he was a kid. Don't be fooled by his easygoing exterior; he's actually incredibly obsessive. Once he sets his sights on something, he'll get it even if it kills him." "What happened now is exactly what he asked for." But I knew that Mia had actually fallen for Arthur a long time ago. The reason she kept stringing him along was simply because... she knew I also liked Arthur, and she wanted me to see him losing his mind over her. Arthur always thought Mia and I were good friends. But that was just what he thought. In reality, Mia came from a wealthy family and completely looked down on hanging out with me. Only in front of Arthur would she pretend to be close to me. I smiled bitterly. "Yeah, I know." Then I went to find Mia and told her, "You don't like me, so why bother stringing Arthur along? He's a good guy, and he likes you so much. I beg you to treat him well, okay?" I woke up right at this point in the dream. I instinctively raised my hand and touched my face. It was completely covered in tears. I took a long while to compose myself before looking at my phone. Just a moment ago, Arthur had sent me a message. He said: 【Forgot to say it yesterday: Happy birthday. The gift was mailed to you, make sure you sign for it.】 I thought about it and replied: 【Oh.】 In the past, I would never have spoken to him like this. Perhaps because my reaction was too cold, he didn't text back. After that, we had no contact. The next time I got a call from Arthur was two days later. At the time, I was taking a walk with Caleb. The moonlight was hazy. His face was handsome and romantic. When I asked about his dating history, the man frankly admitted that he had three girlfriends before me, but his romantic path had been rocky, and none of them lasted long. I smiled slightly. "What about me?" "You don't love me, and I don't love you. Can we really make it work long-term, Caleb?" Hearing this, Caleb froze. Just as he was about to answer, my phone rang. I lit up the screen. Arthur's voice came through from the other end. "Noah is organizing a get-together tonight. Coming?" I didn't think much of it and refused directly. "Not coming." His voice paused, and then I heard the sound of a lighter clicking. "Busy with work?" he asked. "No." As the word fell, he let out a soft tsk, and his tone became a bit strange. "Alright then. I won't bother you." I put away my phone, and Caleb, beside me, suddenly spoke up. He asked me: "You like this guy named Arthur? Is he the man who made you cry your heart out on the streets of Paris that day?" I looked up, a wave of infinite sorrow welling up in my heart. I said, "Yes, but not anymore." When I was young, studying calligraphy and solving math olympiad problems, my teachers and parents evaluated me like this: they said I was earnest, introverted, and prone to going down a path without turning back. A cowardly and timid person like me had only done two bold things in my entire life. The first was the night before my twenty-third birthday, folding a whole jar of origami cranes, preparing to confess to Arthur. Unfortunately, it was cut short by the appearance of Mia, his true destiny. The other was that day on the street, when I heard Caleb's mother calling to pressure him about marriage, I resolutely asked this man I had only met once: "What do you think of me?" Many times, if we don't keep moving forward, we really don't know who we'll meet or what we'll experience. 7 Two days later, Caleb returned to Paris. He was very busy with work and had been rushing a project abroad for the past six months. Now was the most critical juncture. He stayed with me for three days. We watched movies, went hiking, and rode a Ferris wheel together. Before he left, he sighed, gave me a meaningful look, and said: "Actually, that day wasn't the first time I met you, Nora." Then he left. I was full of questions and could only wait until he returned to solve the mystery. Right at this time, I received a wedding invitation. The sender was a good friend from college. I heard she was marrying very well; the groom came from a prominent family, and his parents were influential figures in North City. On the day of the wedding, shortly after I set out, I received a call from the bride asking me to take a detour and pick something up for her. "The ceremony will probably have started by the time you arrive, and the venue is a bit hard to find. My husband said he'll have a friend come out and get you." I said okay. After I picked up the item and hurried over, I saw Arthur smoking by the side of the road. When he saw me, his expression was very calm, as if he had known all along that I was the person he was waiting for. Our eyes met, and he said, "You've been hard to get a hold of lately. Didn't expect to run into you here." I felt a bit awkward. Yeah, how did we end up running into each other here? Moreover, with his personality, he didn't seem like the type to be easily ordered around. Once inside the venue, we ended up at the same table. He sat opposite me. And next to me, surprisingly, was Mia. They were usually inseparable wherever they went. It was strange they weren't sitting together today. Halfway through, I went to the restroom and happened to hear someone talking about Arthur and Mia. "Are they really done this time? No chance of getting back together?" "Probably. I heard Arthur was the one who initiated the breakup this time. You know, before, it was always Mia who brought it up." "And before, we all thought this time was just playing around too. The groom even seated them together. But just now, Arthur voluntarily moved to the opposite side, making it clear he doesn't want to sit with Mia." "Tsk, why do I feel like Arthur has fallen for someone else..." Hearing this, I stopped listening. Returning to my seat, perhaps out of sheer boredom, Mia proactively asked about Caleb and me. I casually gave a few details. She smiled slightly, her voice very low, yet loud enough for the others at the table to hear. "You guys are really meant for each other, your relationship must be great, right? You're so pure, do you blush when he kisses you?" As soon as she said this, everyone at the table looked at me with gossipy expressions. I was just about to speak when someone knocked a glass to the floor, making a shattering sound. I looked up. It was actually Arthur. He leaned back in his chair and spoke slowly. "Asking about this kind of stuff, do you all have too much free time?"
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