(41)

After the breakup, I lost over ten jin.1More than 13lbs. My mom got super worried and dragged me to the hospital for a check-up.

When I came back from the hospital, I couldn’t hold it in and told her about me and Yan Han.

She looked really surprised and said repeatedly, “Baby, why didn’t you tell Mom? Aren’t we the closest?”

I pulled myself together and tried to comfort her.

She was coaxed into a good mood and smiled as she spoke.

“So he’s a young man from Yumi province ah? Is he tall? If you two had a baby, it’d even be a mixed one.”

Mom, let me emphasize a few points:

First, a baby born to someone from Jiangjiang province and someone from Yumi province really doesn’t count as mixed-blood.

Second, I can’t give birth. And I don’t think he can either.

Third, Yan Han and I have already broken up.

I couldn’t help it and burst into tears again.

Luckily, this time Mom was there to hand me tissues.

(42)

Ma Jiaming:

Fyi

My parents don’t mind me dating someone from another province.

But I no longer have anyone.

(43)

I hesitated and didn’t delete the weather forecast for Z City from my phone.

Because I was afraid that if a natural disaster hit over there, I wouldn’t know in time.

I also didn’t have the heart to delete Yan Han. His chat had already been unpinned and was now buried under new conversations.

But every now and then, while looking for something else, I’d catch a glimpse of it.

And it made my heart ache in waves.

I struggled to get back to my normal life. I started meeting friends for meals, going on spring outings, taking pictures of flowers and plants by the roadside, asking my mom to take side-profile shots of me looking at flowers, and then posting them on my Moments.

I waited for that person to like them but he never did.

(44)

“Yo, nice car.”

I picked Ma Jiaming up at the airport. He was dressed in a full suit, carrying a briefcase, looking all proper and human.

He was here on a business trip.

He talked nonstop the whole way—stuff about economic transition, catching market trends and whatnot.

It felt like I was back in a lecture hall.

“Oh right,” Ma Jiaming twisted open a bottle of water from my armrest compartment, “what’s going on with you and Yan Han?”

I was stunned and turned to look at him.

“We broke up.”

“Huh?” Ma Jiaming exclaimed, “What? He didn’t tell me anything ah.”

My heart jolted. I didn’t dare think too deeply about it.

“You,” I cleared my throat, “when did you last talk to him?”

“Just a few days ago. I told him I was coming to see you, and he said you were pretty busy.” Ma Jiaming looked confused. “He didn’t say you two broke up.”

I froze, saying nothing.

“When did you guys break up?” Ma Jiaming pressed.

“Over half a year ago,” I replied.

Ma Jiaming looked even more puzzled. “So those pictures you posted on your Moments, they weren’t taken while you were with Yan Han? I thought they were from your dates.”

“What?”

“Yeah, those kinds of pictures are really sour and rotten romance ai. As a single dog, I really couldn’t bear to look at them.”

(45)

I felt like I was sensing something. But I didn’t dare think too much.

Because I was afraid of disappointment.

(46)

The next night, after finishing his business, Ma Jiaming came to my unit and said he wanted to take me on a bold adventure through the bars of H City.

I had stuff on my mind and wasn’t paying attention, so I ended up drinking too much.

I vaguely heard Ma Jiaming talking to someone on the phone nearby, and I leaned over to listen.

It was Yan Han’s voice.

His voice was hoarse, and he sounded really down.

I can’t remember what happened after that.

I think I cried.

(47)

The next day was Monday. I endured a headache to get up for work, then dragged myself out of the office when it was time to leave.

When I got to the parking lot, I saw a tall figure standing next to my car.

Black windbreaker, dark gray utility pants, a baseball cap.

That silhouette. I’d never forget it in my life.

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was him.

I ran over and hugged him tightly.

His strong arms clutched me close, and his trembling breath brushed against my ear.

At that moment, Yan Han was real, not a hallucination.

(48)

We didn’t even bother to finish our dinner. He half-hugged, half-carried me into my rental apartment.

My waist hit the shoe cabinet by the door, but before I could even cry out in pain, the sound was swallowed into his mouth.

Very soon, another part of me was taken into his mouth as well.

I trembled, gasped, and finally reached the peak, clutching at his hair.

He stood up and kissed me, my taste still lingering in his mouth.

“I thought you were in a new relationship…”

Yan Han bit hard at my neck, like he wanted to devour me whole.

“I was going crazy.”

(49)

I was going crazy too.

(50)

We got back together.

Yan Han told me that over the past six months, he had been planning to expand the business into the East China region and shift the company’s focus there.

But the other shareholders had a lot of objections, thinking he was too reckless for someone so young.

He played it off by saying he was expanding the market, but in reality, it was just so he could come find me sooner.

As I listened to him, I leaned over, pulled the blanket over his shoulder, and hugged him.

“That does sounds pretty risky.”

Yan Han chuckled, his deep voice reverberating in his chest and tickling my ear.

“It’s exactly because it’s risky that I want to do it. I want to make a name for myself.”

He looked so handsome, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

I hugged him and kissed him several times.

“I’ll definitely support your business!”

“Alright, lady boss.”

(51)

When Yan Hot Pot opened its first branch in H City, Yan Han came to oversee the setup. He had also secured an office location in H City, and his team had arrived one after another.

I went to the airport to pick him up.

He came out through the glass doors carrying his luggage, wearing that black leather jacket I bought him years ago in Australia. His short hair was neat and sharp, and his eyes were bright.

He waved at me with a smile and strode over.

I waited until he got close, then opened my arms for him to hug me.

Just like he always did.

We ended our long-distance relationship in the sixth year of loving each other.

Do people really fall in love at first sight?

I’ll tell you the truth based on my personal experience. Yes, they really do.

Then, can a person fall in love with the same person over and over again?

I can’t say for sure.

Because I’ve always been in love, never changed.

(Main story complete. Extras to follow.)