Chapter 1 After preparing for a long time, the wedding reception was canceled once again because the groom didn't show up. My parents, carrying the gifts they had prepared in advance, bowed and apologized table by table, skillfully returning the cash gifts one by one. The relatives finally couldn't hold it back anymore and started making sarcastic remarks: "Is your family ever going to stop? You've held this wedding ninety-nine times, and we still haven't even seen what the groom looks like. Is this a real wedding?" My mom apologized profusely, promising there wouldn't be a next time. When Arthur Vance finally rushed over, the wedding venue had already been torn down and was in shambles. "There was a fluctuation in the experimental data, so I'm late." I had heard this sentence many, many times. Unexpectedly, this time I wasn't hysterical. I thought he would at least say sorry, but Arthur just grabbed a handful of wedding candy with his usual expression. "Since everything is fine, I'll head out first. Mia is still waiting for me to tutor her." Mia Harper was his junior in the research group. And Arthur never missed a single one of her tutoring sessions. I looked back at my parents, whose usually proud spines were bent by the repeated scoldings. Exhaustion and weariness swept over me. I suddenly realized that the groom didn't have to be him. ... Arthur didn't care about anything unrelated to physics. Sometimes he would even mistake me for someone else. I thought he was always just immersed in his own world. That he was like this with everyone. But just now, the few pieces of candy he took were all Mia's favorites. Strawberry flavored, beautifully packaged candies. Yet I was allergic to flowers, and he never remembered. Dense, red hives quickly broke out on my arm. I looked expressionlessly at the yellow roses Arthur brought as an apology. I thought of how I had lost my temper more than once because of his inattentiveness. But he never explained. He would only furrow his brow, creating fine lines. He would silently watch me vent. And then act as if nothing had happened. "Chloe!" My mom turned around and was frightened by the large and small red patches all over my body. She and my dad quickly took me to the hospital. My consciousness grew fuzzy, and my mom's suppressed crying lingered in my ears. "Richard, it's all your fault for insisting on introducing Arthur to Chloe!" My dad was Arthur's college professor. Back then, he recognized Arthur's abilities and was determined to match us up. And I was attracted by Arthur's aloof and detached aura, chasing after him recklessly. He had sighed: "Chloe Sterling, I don't know how to date." I blinked and said cheerfully: "That's okay, I'll teach you!" He laughed. It was only now that I understood the helplessness and annoyance in his laugh. My dad couldn't reach Arthur. Suppressing his anger, he called the university lab. He couldn't find him there either. "Arthur isn't here. He seems to have something important to take care of." "What could be more important than his fiancée being sick?" Just as my dad finished roaring this sentence, I looked up and saw Arthur supporting a pale, clean-looking girl. Arthur, who usually had a strong sense of boundaries, was pressed seamlessly against her. Usually a man of few words, he was constantly reminding her: "Mia, the doctor said you have to take the fever medicine every day, you can't..." Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes met mine mid-air. It turns out that Mia's slight fever was a massive deal to him. Enough to make him willingly interrupt his experiment. I remembered the year I was harassed by some street thugs and frantically called Arthur for help. His voice was extremely calm, like glass beakers clinking together. "It's useless to call me. Chloe, what you need to do right now is call the police." In Arthur's eyes. There was no difference between me and any other random passerby he couldn't name. "What's wrong with you?" He walked over, asking me in a rare show of benevolence. While Mia still clung to his arm, looking weak and apologetic. "Sister Chloe, I'm really sorry. I troubled him so much on your wedding day." I curled my lips into a smile: "You can trouble him all you want from now on." "Because I'm not going to marry him." Chapter 2 The straight line of Arthur's mouth suddenly wavered. My parents looked at me with both surprise and joy. Because I'm as stubborn as a mule; once I set my mind on something, I never let go. Similarly, I absolutely never turn back to things I don't want anymore. Arthur clearly hadn't realized this. He wearily pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking I was just throwing another crazy, jealous fit. "Chloe Sterling, you'd better be able to back up what you say." The reason he said this was because every time I made a fuss about breaking up, I would clamor to get back together within two days. He thought this time was the same. However, when he finished his tedious and complex experiments and returned home. What greeted him was silence and desolation when he opened the door. Arthur's groggy brain suddenly jammed. After frowning in thought for a few seconds, he took out his phone and called me. "Chloe Sterling, I'm hungry." I froze on the other end of the line. I didn't expect this to be the first thing Arthur said after our cold war. Thinking about it carefully, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Arthur was hailed as a genius in the physics world. No matter how complex the experiment, he could pull it off. But someone like him had zero life skills. Back then, I was young and completely obsessed with him. I willingly moved into his place and became his maid. I thought this would warm up his heart of stone. But just now, Mia's social media, which was usually restricted from me, became visible. [Day 100 of bringing food for my senior. Today is eggplant with minced pork over rice!] The accompanying picture was a brightly colored lunch box, and I recognized at a glance that the long, slender hand in the frame belonged to Arthur. [He said it was delicious, and he ate it all up!] When I scrolled to this sentence, my eyes stung so much I could cry. Because Arthur's most hated food was eggplant. I pressed my finger hard against the screen, zooming in desperately, only to discover the nutritious meal I had painstakingly prepared for him by waking up at 6 AM every day. It was in the trash can in the corner. I forced down the emotions churning in my heart and enunciated every word: "Arthur Vance, do you think I'm incredibly easy to bully?" Hearing my crying voice. His breathing hitched, and just as he wanted to say something else. I had already hung up and blocked him. I thought he was a smart person and would understand an adult's refusal to communicate. It meant the end of this relationship. But Arthur was clearly missing a screw compared to normal people. In the pouring rain, he stood at my door holding a cake. "Mia said to make a girl happy, you have to give her a cake. I specifically ran to..." "Enough!" I raised my hand and knocked the cake over, the accumulated emotions finally breaking the dam. "Arthur Vance, you are not Mia's dog! You don't have to ask for her opinion on everything you do!" "I've really had enough! You and Mia should just be together. I sincerely wish you two the best!" The moment I roared and slammed the door shut. Water droplets dripped from his long eyelashes, his gaze stunned. Only then did he sluggishly realize that my anger this time was different from usual. Before he could delve into it, his advisor called, saying there was a problem with the experimental data. Arthur had no choice but to leave in a hurry. We lost contact for half a month this time. From my dad's brief mentions, it seemed he was preparing to contend for the most important prize in physics, the Buckley Prize. However, one night, I received a call from him. "Chloe, what are you doing?" Hearing Arthur's exhausted, hoarse voice. I paused for a moment, then told the truth: "I'm trying on my wedding dress." Chapter 3 I don't know if it was my illusion. But Arthur's tone suddenly became much lighter. "What day is the wedding set for?" Although this wedding had nothing to do with him, I still told him: "In a week." "Okay, I understand." Right as the call was about to end, Mia's cheerful exclamation came from his end. "Arthur, where did you put my pajamas?" Smack. The phone slipped from my hand, my brain instantly buzzing. They... slept together? At the thought of this possibility, my eyes pathetically turned red. That deliberately forgotten memory also kept flashing back. Back then, I had just gotten together with Arthur. I begged him to introduce me to his fellow students in the research group. Unlike the crowd of people who were tortured by experimental data to the point of being lifeless. Mia always had a smiling face, like a bright sun. At that time, Arthur was being pressured to drink by his seniors and juniors. This group of people teasingly asked him who he loved the most. The alcohol had flushed Arthur's eyes under his rimless glasses. He was drunk, and instinctively answered: "It's Mia..." The scene instantly fell dead silent. I wrung my fingers tightly, forcing a smile. Deceiving them was also deceiving myself, constantly repeating: "He means Chloe, it's Chloe!" This farce was then casually brushed over. But I still stubbornly stuck by Arthur's side, believing time would prove everything. But after chasing him for eight years, I was truly tired. Now that I, the stumbling block, was gone, it was normal for them to get together. So I was also prepared to forget him. Throwing away the various Lego puzzles he had given me. Actually, I didn't like these puzzle games at all; I only cared about the process of doing them with him. But Arthur was always too busy. So I secretly hid a few puzzle pieces, hoping he would stay with me a little longer. But Arthur's sharp eyes instantly saw through my thoughts. "You hid the pieces, didn't you." "Chloe, I don't have time to waste with you. Mia is still waiting for me to test the experimental data." Mia had always been a thorn in my heart. Once I heard her name, I became bitter and mean. "Are you like this with Mia too?" He seemed to freeze for a moment, stating a fact. "Mia wouldn't be as boring as you." His casual sentence destroyed all my psychological defenses. There were three days left until the wedding. My dad suddenly left a document at home and asked me to bring it to the university. To take a shortcut, I had to walk through the science building. But just as I stepped inside, Mia reached out and stopped me. She had a tight little face. "Sister Chloe, Arthur is busy doing experiments right now. You'd better not harass him anymore." The gossiping students around us whispered: "Wow, that's Arthur's simp fiancée." "What a pity, I was really shipping Mia and Arthur." I wondered if Arthur hadn't told them we broke up? My phone kept popping up with rapid-fire calls from my dad. I didn't have time to explain to them, hurriedly saying: "I have an emergency." "No!" Mia reached out and shoved me. I stumbled, thinking oh no. This was the stairwell on the third floor! A strong arm caught mine just in time. I turned my head, the lingering fear on my face turning into pleasant surprise: "Why are you here!" Chapter 4 "If I didn't come, you would have been smashed into a pancake." Julian Vance familiarly hooked his arm through mine. He was my childhood friend, and also the person I would spend the rest of my life with. Before I had time to speak, a gloomy voice suddenly sounded from behind. "What are you doing?" Arthur, wearing safety goggles, revealed eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. Those eyes slowly moved down, fixing dead on Julian's hand holding my arm. More and more people were gathering around. I gave a somewhat awkward, perfunctory reply: "Nothing, an accident." Arthur wasn't the type to relentlessly pursue an answer. But this time, it was somewhat surprising. As he passed by, he suddenly grabbed my hand, his tone serious: "You haven't answered my question yet." Just as he finished speaking, a few sobs suddenly sounded beside us. No one blamed Mia, yet she started crying on her own. Arthur's expression changed. Without hesitation, he let go of my hand and walked quickly to her side. "Who bullied you?" Mia looked up at me silently. She didn't speak, just kept crying. Arthur followed her gaze and frowned in displeasure. "Why are you opposing Mia again?" I was clearly the one who got hurt, but Arthur didn't even give me a chance to speak. Or maybe, someone who valued logic so much simply didn't care about the origin of the matter. "Can you stop making a scene..." He blamed everything on me. "I told you not to drag other people into our business." "I'm going abroad for a competition tomorrow, but I will definitely rush back for the wedding. Just put your heart at ease." Julian clicked his tongue softly, about to punch him. I stopped him, remaining extremely calm from beginning to end. "First, I haven't touched Mia from beginning to end. Her crying has nothing to do with me." "Second, the groom isn't you. You don't need to rush back." "Fine, fine, it's not me." But Arthur didn't seem to believe me. He pulled Mia through the crowd and left. That day, Mia's social media updated. [He said his feelings for her are only responsibility, not love. Only he and I are on the same path.] The accompanying picture was a grand and brilliant fireworks display on a mountaintop. I had said more than once that I wanted to see fireworks. But Arthur always used the excuse of being busy to brush me off. It turns out that someone who cares about you can always make time for you, no matter how busy they are. Although Arthur said he would be back in two days, he still delayed his return by a week because Mia suddenly had a stomachache. His colleagues couldn't help but sweat for him. "Arthur, what about your wedding?" "Chloe probably won't forgive you easily this time." Arthur pushed his glasses up indifferently. "It's fine, she's easy to coax." However, when he showed up at our door with two bags of gifts. My parents looked at him coldly. He asked: "Where's Chloe?" My mom finally got the chance to vent her anger, and said with a beaming smile: "Chloe went on her honeymoon."
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