"How long are you planning to drift along like this? A third-tier university is just slightly better than a regular one. What kind of good job can you get with that? If you won't think for yourself, at least consider your future!" Lin Siyen stood in front of Chen Yuchen, her face tense with disappointment.
Her voice grew sharper, filled with an air of command that left no room for argument: "You need to repeat the year! Otherwise, don't expect me to have anything to do with you again!"
Chen Yuchen looked up at the girl who had once captured his heart, but now, he felt nothing. He remained silent for a while, as memories from his previous life resurfaced in his mind.
Back then, he had followed her advice, giving up an admission that wasn't too bad, and made the tough decision to repeat a year. In the end, he got into a prestigious university he had once thought was out of his reach. He believed that his efforts would win her over, but fate had other plans.
On the first day of university, Chen Yuchen walked through the gates with eager anticipation, imagining the two of them starting a wonderful new chapter together. But to his shock, the first thing he saw was Lin Siyen, holding hands with another guy.
"This is my boyfriend," she had said with a radiant smile, as if their past promises were nothing but youthful folly. "And this here, he's my friend, Chen Yuchen."
In that instant, Chen Yuchen's world spun, and it felt like the universe was mocking his naïveté. Every romantic fantasy he had once held vanished in a puff of smoke.
From that day on, he stopped believing in love, especially in women like Lin Siyen who appeared innocent on the surface. Her beauty had once enchanted him, but her betrayal taught him to keep his distance.
"I can date, but marriage? I'm not interested," he coldly told himself.
During his four years at university, Chen Yuchen maintained an impressive exterior but grew increasingly hollow inside. With his good looks and family background, he easily navigated social events, never lacking female companionship. However, these relationships were always fleeting, and he never allowed himself to feel deeply again.
Soon, he became known as the "ladies' man" among his peers. "University is for dating," he often told the younger students. "In your first year, date all over the city. By your second year, expand across the country. By your third year, the world is your playground."
But beneath the boasting, only he knew how persistent the emptiness was. What pained him most was that Lin Siyen still hovered in his life, occasionally reappearing to criticize his lifestyle with that same air of superiority.
And so, the years passed swiftly. Finally, in their fourth year, Lin Siyen left to study abroad. Chen Yuchen felt an immense sense of relief, as if the weight that had burdened his heart was slowly lifting with her absence.
Yet, with her gone, his life also seemed to lose its color. Despite being surrounded by admirers, Chen Yuchen found little joy in it all. After graduation, he joined a startup, and through a few fortunate opportunities, he quickly accumulated wealth. He bought an apartment in the city center and drove a luxury car, flaunting what appeared to be an enviable lifestyle. But inside, the loneliness and disillusionment never left him.
At thirty years old, many of his friends were getting married and starting families, while Chen Yuchen remained single, caught up in a glamorous but empty existence. His mother, too, began nagging him incessantly, urging him to settle down and give her a grandchild before it was too late.
"Son, isn't it about time you got married? Look at your friends, they all have kids by now," she said anxiously over the phone.
Chen Yuchen felt helpless. It wasn't that he didn't want to marry; he simply didn't know who to marry. He enjoyed the freedom of being alone—working hard during the day, then unwinding with anime or video games in his free time. To him, this life was simple yet fulfilling.
But he also knew that such a lifestyle couldn't last forever.
One evening, as usual, he found himself at a bar, a little tipsy after a few drinks. A young girl leaned against him, asking, "Uncle, you've met so many women. Which one was your favorite?"
Chen Yuchen replied softly, "The one I liked the most never sat in the passenger seat of my car."
That night, he drifted into a deep sleep in the girl's arms, only to be awoken by a familiar voice.
"Chen Yuchen! What are you still doing here?"
He opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure—Lin Siyen. She was dressed in a white sundress, arms crossed at her waist, staring at him with frustration.
"Lin Siyen? Shouldn't you be abroad?" Chen Yuchen asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Laughter erupted around them. Someone clapped Chen Yuchen on the shoulder, teasing, "You still haven't moved on, huh? First thing you say is that?"
Lin Siyen's face flushed red with anger. She stomped her foot. "Chen Yuchen, you're unbelievable! I came to check on you, and this is how you treat me? It's outrageous!"
Chen Yuchen froze, realizing what he had said. The laughter and jibes from his friends left him feeling embarrassed, but deep down, he knew it was just a dream—an echo from his past, a memory of the girl who had once let him down.
When he woke up, he was back in reality, back to his quiet thirty-year-old life.
The old regrets and heartache no longer seemed to matter much.