Chapter 1

Chapter 1

2022 wasn’t even halfway over, and Shi Yan and I had already fought forty-nine times.

Calling it a “fight” was actually giving myself too much credit.

Most of the time, he would just listen to me calmly and then tell me, “No, that’s not appropriate.”

During our fiftieth fight, I brought up breaking up.

The reason was that our future marital home was halfway through renovations, and I wanted to install a massive feather chandelier on the living room ceiling.

Shi Yan closed the laptop in front of him and looked at me with a detached expression. “No.”

“Why?! If you think it’s too expensive, I just got paid for my manuscript yesterday. I’ll buy it.”

“It’s hard to clean, and the hanging height is too low. You’ll hit your head on it.”

“Then we’ll just hang it higher!”

“No.”

He took off his silver-rimmed glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and stood up to head toward the bathroom.

“Pick out another style. I’ll help you choose later.”

I watched his retreating back and suddenly spoke up. “Shi Yan.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

I stared into his eyes, enunciating every word. “Let’s break up.”

After a moment of silence, he let out a helpless curl of his lips. “Again?”

…Fine, I admit it. Every time we fought before, I would impulsively demand a breakup in a fit of rage.

Then he would dismiss it, and we’d act like it never happened.

“This time, I’m serious.”

I made an effort to keep my voice slow and calm, hoping to give it more weight.

“I feel like we’ve been together since the beginning just for the sake of getting married. There’s actually no real affection between us, and this relationship is boring-so, let’s break up and go find our true loves.”

Shi Yan stood there. I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but for a split second, the light in his eyes turned cold and sharp, like a blade baring its edge.

But in the end, he still spoke in his usual calm, waveless tone. “Fine. Understood.”

In a strict sense, Shi Yan was the first boyfriend I had ever broken up with peacefully.

The two I had dated before were intense during the relationship and caused a total upheaval when we split.

Six months after we started dating, a friend said they wanted to introduce me to a potential boyfriend.

He came from a wealthy family, was highly educated, and currently held a position at a university teaching Operating Systems and Computer Organization and Architecture.

“He’s just a bit old-fashioned. He’s four years older than you.”

When my friend said that, I had already automatically conjured up the image of a balding dean.

I didn’t expect Shi Yan to be such a handsome man.

He was truly good-looking, but he was also truly cold and taciturn.

So, at the beginning, I didn’t plan on dating him.

I had been pampered by my parents since I was a child; everything went my way, so I’ve always had a bit of a temper.

When I first met Shi Yan, I made that clear. “I have a very bad temper. I’ll scold my boyfriend every single day.”

Shi Yan remained composed. “Understood.”

“If I’m pushed too far, I might even get physical.”

“I see.”

Seeing his lack of reaction, I grew frustrated and lowered my voice to threaten him viciously, “It’s not impossible that knives might get involved!”

Shi Yan finally smiled. “Miss Meng, involving knives might constitute a criminal offense.”

He had a very striking face, but most of the time his expression was flat, making him seem dull.

But with that smile, a brilliance flowed through his eyes, possessing a soul-stirring beauty.

I sat across from him and stared blankly for two seconds. Coming back to my senses, I wiped the imaginary drool from my mouth and let out a long breath. “Then let’s date.”

To my surprise, Shi Yan actually said, “Miss Meng, I need to consider it.”

I immediately felt a sense of utter humiliation. I grabbed my bag, ready to leave.

“Since you feel forced, I’m not one to impose on people. Forget it.”

But I didn’t make it out.

Shi Yan grabbed my wrist. His warm fingertips brushed against my skin, a light flick that felt almost like a flirtation.

My face flushed instantly.

“I’m sorry, Miss Meng,” he said. “That was rude of me. I no longer need to consider it.”

“Let’s be together.”

Only after we were together did I realize that my bad temper really wasn’t a problem for Shi Yan.

Because he simply didn’t care.

No matter what I said, whether I was happy or angry, he always maintained that unruffled demeanor in front of me, as if he would never lose his composure.

Even with the breakup tonight, he very gentlemanly helped me pack my luggage and even thoughtfully reminded me:

“You have a pack of sanitary pads in my car. Remember to take them if you need them.”

I paused mid-motion and said through gritted teeth, “No need. Keep them for your new girlfriend.”