After reading the ssage Zhou Yuwen sent, Zheng Yanyan felt all the strength drain from her body. The emotion was difficult to describe in words. She wanted to cry, but she could not allow herself to.
Because Su Qing was sitting right across from her. If she cried now, Su Qing would surely mock her.
So, on the surface, she maintained a calm and composed deanor. Her thumbs tapped rapidly against her phone screen, but no matter how many words she typed, nothing felt right.
She reread the ssage she had just typed out for Zhou Yuwen.
The bitter taste in her heart only grew stronger.
Before Zhou Yuwen had announced his final verdict, Zheng Yanyan could have shalessly fawned over him and begged him to stay.
But his ssage had already made the outco crystal clear.
If she continued to pester him endlessly, she would be left with absolutely no dignity.
Zheng Yanyan was a proud girl. First of all, she was stunningly beautiful. Secondly, she ca from an excellent family background. Lastly, she never lacked suitors. She had already humbled herself before Zhou Yuwen far too many tis.
If she acted this pathetically after Zhou Yuwen had initiated the breakup...
"Okay."
Zheng Yanyan did not say anything more. She simply replied with a single word of agreent.
Then, she put her phone away and lowered her head, lost in thought. Her mind was a complete ss.
On one hand, she told herself to stay calm.
Zhou Yuwen only said they needed to spend so ti apart, not that they were breaking up.
On the other hand, her mind could not help but jump to the conclusion that this was a breakup. Zhou Yuwen would no longer be by her side. Every little mory they shared suddenly flashed through her mind like a movie.
She thought back to how they t and got to know each other.
She rembered the laughter they shared while playing gas, how Zhou Yuwen would carry her in PC gas, and how she would straddle his lap and act coquettishly before the matches began.
And Zhou Yuwen had always indulged her so lovingly.
There was another ti when she ate sothing bad, and her stomach was rumbling at night. She had lifted her shirt for Zhou Yuwen to listen, playfully telling him, "Hubby, the baby is kicking !"
Zhou Yuwen had pressed his ear against her belly and replied, "Let
hear."
Then he had teased, "How could it be a baby? It just went in and already took form? That is clearly the sound of a fart."
That day, an infuriated Zheng Yanyan had rolled her eyes at him, almost wanting to fight him on the spot.
She had been so angry at the ti, yet looking back now, it all felt like a beautiful mory.
Did Zhou Yuwen really break up with her?
Gazing out the window of the high-speed train, Zheng Yanyan's eyes grew red. Large teardrops began to fall silently. Even in her sorrow, she looked incredibly pitiful and endearing.
Shen Yu had been chatting with Su Qing the whole ti and failed to notice the change in her friend. When she finally looked up and saw tears welling in Zheng Yanyan's eyes, she was startled and quickly asked, "Yanyan, what's wrong?"
At that mont, Su Qing also noticed Zheng Yanyan's expression.
Zheng Yanyan was crying so silently this ti that it even gave Su Qing a fright.
Zheng Yanyan wiped her tears and shook her head. Her lips mouthed the word "Nothing," but no sound ca out.
The high-speed rail journey from Suzhou to Jinling only took an hour. Shen Yu was very concerned and wanted to ask what had happened, but Zheng Yanyan kept insisting she was fine and just wanted so peace and quiet.
Shen Yu pondered for a mont before offering, "Yanyan, Linlin might just be having a hard ti wrapping her head around things right now. You two are so close. Once we get back to the dormitory, just talk it out and everything will be fine."
Zheng Yanyan remained silent.
Su Qing, however, realized sothing. She sent a ssage to Zhou Yuwen: "Zheng Yanyan is crying."
Zhou Yuwen ignored Su Qing's text.
Zhou Yuwen had stated before that he would never take the initiative to abandon any girl. However, Zheng Yanyan's emotional instability was severely affecting his peace of mind. Therefore, he did not explicitly say they were breaking up—in principle, they were still boyfriend and girlfriend—but he had given them both so independent space.
When a couple first breaks up, the one being dumped can usually maintain a sense of calm at the very beginning, but this composure is always temporary.
About two hours later.
Zheng Yanyan had no idea how she managed to return to the dormitory. She refused to say a single word no matter what Shen Yu or Su Qing asked her.
She seed unusually cold, imdiately curling up in her bed the mont she arrived.
She simply lay there, wiping away her tears in solitude.
Clutching her phone, she tapped on Zhou Yuwen's profile picture. His WeChat Monts were set to only display posts from the last three days, and he rarely posted anything anyway.
Aside from WeChat, she also checked QQ.
But regardless of the social platform, there were no new updates from him.
It wasn't until Su Qing and Shen Yu started chatting in the dormitory that Zheng Yanyan finally rembered Lu Lin.
While brushing her hair, Su Qing asked Shen Yu, "Why hasn't Lu Lin co back yet? Did she go out playing with Zhou Yuwen again?"
Shen Yu replied that she did not know.
"I'll give her a call and ask," Su Qing offered.
This jogged Zheng Yanyan's mory. She quickly opened her chat with Lu Lin. "Linlin? Are you still refusing to forgive ?"
"Are you still with Zhou Yuwen?"
"Zhou Yuwen wants to break up with ."
In truth, Zheng Yanyan harbored a bold suspicion. She was terrified that Zhou Yuwen might have gotten together with Lu Lin. After all, the two of them had shared the sa room last night.
Could Zhou Yuwen be breaking up with her because of Lu Lin?
But that made no sense.
There was no reason for Zhou Yuwen to abandon her and choose Lu Lin instead.
So, Zheng Yanyan intended to ask and get to the bottom of it.
"Linlin, please, will you just talk to ?"
"I only have you left."
Zheng Yanyan spamd Lu Lin with ssages. Nearly five minutes passed, and Lu Lin showed no sign of replying.
Just as Zheng Yanyan was starting to feel deeply disappointed.
A ssage from Lu Lin finally popped up: "I don't know."
"Are you still with Zhou Yuwen?" Zheng Yanyan hurriedly asked.
"No, Zhou Yuwen had so things to handle. I'm at an internet cafe," Lu Lin replied.
"Which internet cafe are you at?"
With nothing to do in the dormitory, all Zheng Yanyan wanted was to find soone to pour her heart out to. Su Qing and Shen Yu were far from the best candidates; only Lu Lin fit the bill.
Zheng Yanyan desperately needed to talk to her bestie.
However, seeing how Lu Lin took several minutes to reply to each ssage, it seed she did not want Zheng Yanyan to co looking for her.
Then Zheng Yanyan sent, "Zhou Yuwen broke up with , Linlin."
"Please don't abandon
too."
Lu Lin understood Zheng Yanyan's state of mind. After a mont of thought, she replied, "I'm at the campus internet cafe. Just co over."
Receiving Lu Lin's response, Zheng Yanyan finally let out a sigh of relief. She climbed out of bed, threw on a simple hoodie, and prepared to leave. She didn't even bother with makeup—her boyfriend was gone, so what was the point of getting dolled up?
Although Zhou Yuwen and Lu Lin had slept in the sa bed last night, they hadn't done anything. That was, until the next morning, right after he finished texting Zheng Yanyan.
Lu Lin had been resting groggily in Zhou Yuwen's embrace, her slender hand slipping under the covers to explore.
Zhou Yuwen was at an age of peak vitality, and naturally woke up with a strong physical reaction.
It was then that Zhou Yuwen lowered his head, capturing Lu Lin's small mouth in a kiss before pinning her beneath him.
They returned to Jinling around noon. Over the past two days in Suzhou, Liu Shuo had constantly been calling Zhou Yuwen. He ntioned wanting to rent an apartnt for Lu Hui and hoped Zhou Yuwen would accompany him to look at places.
Zhou Yuwen had told him it was just a casual relationship and there was no need to take it so seriously.
Liu Shuo then changed his phrasing, claiming he wanted to rent a place for himself, and that Lu Hui could simply co over to stay whenever she was free.
"Bro, you can co crash there too!" he added.
Zhou Yuwen retorted dryly, "You're crazy. It's not like I don't have my own place."
Liu Shuo just chuckled sheepishly.
Initially, Zhou Yuwen had planned to bring Lu Lin along.
However, Lu Lin was clearly exhausted from their three-day trip to Suzhou and said she just wanted to go back and rest.
Thus, the two of them parted ways.
Zheng Yanyan found Lu Lin in the campus internet cafe. The mont she laid eyes on her, her tears finally burst forth uncontrollably.
She rushed forward and threw her arms around Lu Lin.
"Linlin, I... I thought you really wanted to cut ties with ."
Lu Lin, who was in the middle of a ga, simply let Zheng Yanyan hug her.
Cutting ties could an many things. It might an they were no longer best friends, but since they lived in the sa dormitory, it was impossible to avoid speaking to each other entirely.
Lu Lin was not that childish of a girl. Seeing how heartbroken Zheng Yanyan was, she patted her friend's hand and asked what was wrong.
Having found Lu Lin, Zheng Yanyan felt as if she had found her pillar of support. Between sobs, she began explaining how Zhou Yuwen wanted to break up with her.
She profoundly reflected on her own actions, claiming she had fallen victim to Chang Hao and Su Qing's malicious scheming.
"The two of them deliberately sowed discord between us just to make Zhou Yuwen see
acting crazy and hysterical so he would break up with !"
"Did I look incredibly ugly yesterday? Linlin, I'm so sorry, I really didn't an to hurt you."
Zheng Yanyan babbled on, one sentence after another.
"I must have been out of my mind! I can't believe I actually suspected you and Zhou Yuwen were having an affair. One of you is my bestie, and the other is my boyfriend! No matter how suspicious I got, I never should have doubted you two! It's all Chang Hao and Su Qing's fault. Linlin, please don't be mad at , okay?" Zheng Yanyan pleaded with utmost sincerity.
In reality, Lu Lin felt extrely guilty. Although Zheng Yanyan's insults yesterday had been harsh, every word she said was the truth.
Yet here she was, apologizing with a face full of remorse.
Lu Lin truly felt she did not deserve this apology.
However, she couldn't exactly say, "Alright, stop talking. It's not your fault, Zhou Yuwen and I really are having an affair."
Therefore, Lu Lin simply said, "Alright, stop crying."
"Didn't Zhou Yuwen say he just wanted to take so ti to cool off? It's not like he really wants to break up with you."
"But everyone online says that's exactly what people say when they want to break up!"
By the ti Zheng Yanyan found Lu Lin, it was already four in the afternoon. In the middle of December, the sky was already almost completely dark at this hour.
Zheng Yanyan had spent the entire day bottling up her misery.
Unable to sleep, she had resorted to browsing online forums.
She searched on Baidu: 'My boyfriend wants to cool off for a while, is there still a chance?'
She looked up horoscopes, birthdays, and even checked their na compatibility. The results showed that Zheng Yanyan and Zhou Yuwen's successful match index was 97%.
The analysis stated that although there would be occasional setbacks, they would ultimately achieve a happy ending.
Reading this had finally allowed Zheng Yanyan to breathe a sigh of relief.
But when she checked the forums, she found that many comnters claid they had used that exact excuse to break up with their own girlfriends.
So people even cursed angrily, saying, "To hell with the cooling-off period! It's all a damn trap! Anyone who says that just wants to dump you. The guy is a total scummy man!"
Seeing that particular comnt had instantly shattered Zheng Yanyan's defenses.
Tears had imdiately blurred her vision, and she couldn't help but reply to the thread, saying, "He isn't a scummy man. He treated
so well before. He bought
costics, gave
gifts, and took
out to eat delicious food. It's my fault. I was always being willful and making him angry."
As Zheng Yanyan recounted this, she began to cry again.
In the campus internet cafe, she wiped her tears and sniffled to Lu Lin, "Linlin, Zhou Yuwen must still like . Even after I did sothing so terrible, he didn't break up with
directly. He just wants us to cool off. That ans he still can't bear to let
go, right?"
Lu Lin was left sowhat speechless by this logic. She muttered, "If you've already convinced yourself of that, why are you asking ?"
"Is it right for
to think this way?" Zheng Yanyan pressed.
Lu Lin nodded. "Probably."
Lu Lin knew how to comfort people. Hearing her reassurance, Zheng Yanyan instantly cheered up a bit.
Lu Lin then asked, "Do you have anything else? I'm trying to play a ga here."
In truth, Zheng Yanyan wanted to ask: 'Was Zhou Yuwen really with you last night? Did you two stay in the sa room? Did you do anything?'
But after thinking about it, she realized she had deeply offended Lu Lin yesterday. If she asked these questions now, it would likely anger her bestie again. After a mont of hesitation, she shook her head and whispered, "N-no, nothing else."
"You go ahead and play. I... I'll just sit here quietly and keep you company."
Lu Lin glanced at Zheng Yanyan but said nothing.
And so, Zheng Yanyan sat beside Lu Lin, keeping her company while she gad until eight o'clock in the evening.
The computers in the campus internet cafe were subpar. Not only was the internet speed slow, but the hardware specifications were also lacking. There were students scattered around the room in small groups, almost entirely boys, who enjoyed cursing loudly while playing their gas.
Zheng Yanyan found her thoughts drifting back to the tis she played gas with Zhou Yuwen at his ho.
Zhou Yuwen's computers were built with the highest possible specs. He even had ergonomic gaming chairs that were incredibly comfortable to sit in.
She could easily and comfortably stretch out her long legs. While gaming, she could act as affectionate and clingy with him as she pleased.
Sotis, they would even cuddle up together to watch movies.
But here, there was absolutely none of that.
If she really did break up with Zhou Yuwen, she might never be able to set foot in his Big Flat again.
At this thought, her nose tingled as tears threatened to fall once more.
And so, Lu Lin continued to play her ga half-heartedly, while Zheng Yanyan obediently stayed by her side, looking thoroughly devoid of a soul.
The equipnt at the campus internet cafe was incredibly crude. Even the seats were cheap office chairs that only cost a few dozen yuan apiece.
Zheng Yanyan was dressed in a loose red hoodie, blue wide-leg denim jeans, and a pair of little white sneakers.
She pulled her legs tightly to her chest, hugging her knees as she sat completely out of it.
Occasionally, she would glance at her phone, wondering if Zhou Yuwen might feel he had been too rash and take the initiative to ask for a reconciliation.
But it was so strange—why hadn't her phone rung at all?
'Did I put it on mute?' she wondered.
Zheng Yanyan looked down, only to find that it was not muted. The reality was simply that Zhou Yuwen had not contacted her.
She tapped his profile picture to check.
It still displayed that his WeChat Monts were visible for three days.
Zheng Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself, 'Thank goodness. Zhou Yuwen didn't delete .'
With Zheng Yanyan lingering right next to her, Lu Lin lost her appetite for gaming. Truth be told, she hadn't co here to play gas in the first place.
After staying until past eight o'clock, Lu Lin finally suggested, "Why don't we head out and get sothing to eat?"
Zheng Yanyan was in terrible shape, radiating an aura of total lethargy. She shook her head and mumbled, "I have no appetite."
"Apart from a fried dough stick and a boiled egg I had at the hotel this morning, I haven't eaten anything all day," she added.
Lu Lin fell silent, unsure of what to say.
At that mont, Zheng Yanyan asked softly, "Linlin, do you know where Zhou Yuwen went?"
"Liu Shuo said he wanted to rent an apartnt, so Zhou Yuwen probably went to help him look at places," Lu Lin answered.
"Oh."
Noticing Zheng Yanyan's continuous distraction, Lu Lin asked her what was on her mind.
Zheng Yanyan told her that Zhou Yuwen had two computers at ho, both top-of-the-line.
"Originally, the first two computers he had weren't very good. Then he bought two more, both with the highest specs. I used to ga at his place all the ti," she reminisced.
Lu Lin humd in acknowledgnt.
Zheng Yanyan's tone grew sorrowful again. She murmured that if Zhou Yuwen broke up with her, she would never be able to play gas with him anymore.
"Linlin, tell , do you think Zhou Yuwen broke up with
because he thinks I'm too stupid?" Zheng Yanyan asked with innocent desperation.
Lu Lin quickly assured her that wouldn't be the case, as Zhou Yuwen wasn't even that fond of gaming himself.
Lu Lin took Zheng Yanyan to the cafeteria and ordered her a clay pot stew.
She urged her to eat at least a little sothing.
But Zheng Yanyan just shook her head, insisting she couldn't stomach it.
"I really don't want to eat anything right now."
After saying that, she checked her phone once again.
She then handed her phone to Lu Lin.
She was terrified that Zhou Yuwen might have blocked her.
Only after confirming he hadn't did she finally let out a breath.
After hesitating for a mont, Zheng Yanyan begged, "Linlin, could you help
talk to Zhou Yuwen?"
"Huh?" Lu Lin was confused.
"Just tell him that I haven't even eaten lunch yet. Ask him to get back together with , okay?" Zheng Yanyan pleaded.
Lu Lin felt this tactic was unbelievably idiotic. However, looking into Zheng Yanyan's large, pleading eyes, she agreed nonetheless.
Zheng Yanyan bead with relief. "Thank you, Linlin. I'm so glad I have you by my side. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do. And after the awful things I said to you yesterday..."
Zheng Yanyan truly felt ashad of herself.
Lu Lin didn't know what to say in response, only murmuring that it was all in the past.
"I sent the ssage. Now eat sothing," Lu Lin urged.
"I'm not eating," Zheng Yanyan shook her head stubbornly.
This was Zheng Yanyan's first ti experiencing a breakup in her entire life. Most importantly, Zhou Yuwen was her first love. Although they had only been dating for four months, during this ti, Zhou Yuwen had completely fulfilled all her emotional needs.
Transitioning from high school to university was ant to be stepping into a brand-new world.
And for Zheng Yanyan, this brand-new world had been entirely accompanied by Zhou Yuwen.
It was no exaggeration to say that her university life was only vibrant and colorful because he was in it.
Every gathering, every karaoke session—Zhou Yuwen's presence was woven into all of it.
She rembered late sumr in September, when she had gone out for barbecue with a group of students and sat comfortably in Zhou Yuwen's lap.
She also recalled that night on the sports field, when Zhou Yuwen had held his guitar and sung with profound emotion.
But now, everything was gone.
Finding another boyfriend like Zhou Yuwen in university would not be easy, especially for a girl with high standards like Zheng Yanyan. There might be boys wealthier than Zhou Yuwen, but they wouldn't possess his maturity and sense of boundaries.
And those who were as mature and composed as him wouldn't necessarily be as young and handso.
Truthfully, having dated a man like Zhou Yuwen, even if Zheng Yanyan severed all ties with him, she would likely find it incredibly difficult to start another relationship.
Not to ntion, as long as she remained at this university, she was destined to hear news about Zhou Yuwen in every aspect of her life.
For example, in the blink of an eye, it was already mid-December.
Zhou Yuwen's manuscript royalties for November had just been calculated.
The total earnings: 1.06 million yuan.
The highest on the entire internet.
After writing his novel for four months, at this very mont, it had finally exploded in popularity.
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