After dating for ten years, Yan Shu found out that all the money she had saved and scrimped to sponsor her boyfriend's PhD had ended up being spent on her best friend.
…
Little did Yan Shu expect to be greeted with such a cruel scene after traveling on the high-speed rail for more than ten hours to arrive at the city where her boyfriend was.
Her boyfriend, whom she dated since high school for almost a decade, had promised to spend the rest of his life with her. But at this moment, he was holding the hand of her best friend, Ziwen, and strolling affectionately along Wutong Avenue. It was obvious from Ziwen's bulging belly that she was pregnant.
Yan Shu felt as if her body had fallen into an ice cellar. Every cell in her body was hardening and her limbs were starting to tremble uncontrollably.
She couldn't believe that Gu Yucheng had cheated on her. However, when she saw his intertwined fingers with Ziwen, along with the sickeningly sweet gaze when they looked at each other, it completely shattered her unwavering trust in Gu Yucheng.
Gu Yucheng turned and walked through the main entrance of the building with Ziwen, without noticing Yan Shu who was standing near him.
Yan Shu looked like an abandoned child, standing all alone under the scorching sun. Even though the temperature was 44 degrees Celsius, it could not warm her heart.
"Gu Yucheng," she called out to him reluctantly.
Through the glass door, she saw Gu Yucheng's back stiffened, while his hand that was holding Ziwen bounced off like a spring.
Gu Yucheng slowly turned around. When he saw Yan Shu, his expression changed from panic to embarrassment.
There was no way of telling what he said to Ziwen, but she remained rooted to the ground, while Gu Yucheng ran out by himself.
"Yan Shu."
Gu Yucheng stood in front of Yan Shu, his eyes filled with helplessness. "Why didn't you tell me before coming so that I could pick you up?"
Yan Shu said bitterly, "I thought my arrival would be a surprise for you. I didn't expect to scare you instead."
Gu Yucheng looked at her with guilt. In front of him was the stubborn Yan Shu who looked completely exhausted, seemingly like a puppet standing in the wind, devoid of any spirit or vitality.
Yan Shu loved him for ten years and was once the light in his life. Despite his disadvantaged family background and the discrimination he faced from classmates during their school days, Yan Shu didn't mind at all. She encouraged him to pursue his dreams, and when he had no money, she gave him all her savings from her post-graduation job. She even took on the responsibility of caring for his parents when he was away from home.
Gu Yucheng knew that he owed Yan Shu too much.
"Yan Shu, it's too hot outside. Come into the building first." Gu Yucheng reached out to pull her.
Yan Shu stepped back and shook his hand away.
Gu Yucheng was shocked as he stood rooted to the ground.
Yan Shu's defiant gaze scrutinized Gu Yucheng as she asked, "Gu Yucheng, I just want to hear the truth. How long have you been with her?"
"Not that long," Gu Yucheng said softly.
"How long has it been?" Yan Shu suddenly raised her voice to voice her frustration as she completely despised his evasive attitude.
"A year," Gu Yucheng said.
Yan Shu staggered a few steps and her face turned ashen.
"Gu Yucheng, how dare you ask me for money?"
"Yan Shu, I know that as a man, it's not appropriate for me to take your money. But Ziwen's pregnancy wasn't planned so we were in desperate need of money. You also know that I was busy working on my thesis and didn't have time to work. That's why I had to borrow money from you."
Yan Shu looked at Gu Yucheng. At that moment, she suddenly thought that Gu Yucheng felt like a stranger. He appeared so unfamiliar that she was suddenly afraid.
"Gu Yucheng, I've transferred a total of 200,000 yuan to you over the past three years. Remember to pay me back, every single cent of it." Yan Shu was very kind, but her kindness was only extended to those who treated her well.
Gu Yucheng panicked. "Yan Shu, are you trying to push me over the edge? I don't have that much money right now!"
Yan Shu's eyes were filled with tears. "Gu Yucheng, don't push your luck."
Gu Yucheng's tone softened. "Yan Shu, it's not entirely my fault that we got to where we are today. I've told you before that I'm too lonely here. I really long to have a girl here to take care of me. And you keep rejecting me with the excuse that we should live separately before our marriage. I'm a man. Although I have a girlfriend, it felt as though I was single. I was the one who couldn't control myself and crossed the line with Ziwen. Yan Shu, there's no right or wrong in love. Since we're not meant to be, please let me be with Ziwen?"
Yan Shu chuckled with indignation at Gu Yucheng's words. "I will grant your wish. But you have to return all my money. From now on, I don't wish to see the two of you ever again."
Yan Shu didn't want to say another word to Gu Yucheng. She picked up her luggage and left in the direction from which she came.
Throughout the entire exchange between her and Gu Yucheng, her best friend, Ziwen, behaved like an ostrich. She did not dare to face her at all.
Yan Shu bought the high-speed rail tickets for her return trip on the same day.
The after-effects of her breakup were like strong wine that had been poured into her body. She remained in a daze over the next few days.
Despite being a non-drinker, she spent her days in the pubs, drinking to numb the pain that she was feeling.
"Doctor Yan. Drinking is bad for your health."
One day, when Yan Shu was in a semi-drunken state, a low, melodious voice resonated in her ears. Immediately after, the glass in her hand was taken away by a slender and pale-looking hand.
Yan Shu looked at the person in a daze.
The owner of the voice had an elegant temperament and a face that was extremely attractive. Unfortunately, years of insomnia had left severe dark circles under his eyes. Yet, it did not stand in the way of his good looks. Instead, it added a touch of darkness and allure to his appearance.
Yan Shu recognized him. He was one of her patients who had a sleep disorder.
When he came to consult her, he was reticent about the cause of his ailment. Based on the fact that he was not comfortable talking about his condition, Yan Shu refrained from prescribing any nerve suppressant medications. Instead, she gave him her phone number, encouraging him to call her when he experienced insomnia.
They had chatted a few times at night and were considered friends.
"Mr. Bo, I just broke up." Yan Shu had a reserved personality, but after drinking, she couldn't wait to tell the world about her breakup.
Bo Su was silent for a moment before he comforted her. "You simply lost someone who didn't love you."
Because of his words of comfort, Yan Shu completely broke down, unable to suppress her emotions any longer. She sniffled and choked with sadness. "I've been with him for ten years. We were planning to get married this year, but now he's hooked up with my best friend. My family is pressuring me to get married. I don't know how to explain this to them."
At this point, Yan Shu grabbed her hair with both hands, pulling at it in anguish, until she felt her scalp tingle. It was a way for her to alleviate some of her pain.
"Marry me then," Bo Su said casually.