Chapter 2

Chapter 2

18:07

Qingqing: “I’m on my period, and my stomach hurts so much!”

.: “Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Qingqing: “No need. I heard people say it stops hurting after you get married.”

Qingqing: “So, when are you coming to marry me?”

.: “Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

Qingqing: “I want to marry you. I want to be with you forever.”

Qingqing: “How about we go take wedding photos during the New Year?”

.: “Whatever you want.”

Qingqing: “Heehee, then I need to start losing weight. You’re not allowed to think I’m fat.”

.: “I won’t. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

Qingqing: “You always know just what to say to coax me.”

.: “Alright, that’s enough for now. I have to get back to work.”

Qingqing: “Is work more important, or am I?”

.: “If I don’t work, how can I afford to marry you?”

From 6:00 PM until he left the office at 7:00 PM, they had been chatting on and off.

And during that entire time, he had been talking to me too.

He asked me if I wanted pizza and said he’d pick some up for me on his way home.

He asked if I wanted to go see a movie this weekend.

He said that after the movie, he’d make me cola chicken wings, promising that this time they’d actually turn out right.

Qi Mo was my first love.

Since this was my first relationship, I’d had many fantasies.

Some good, some bad.

I had wondered what I would do if Qi Mo ever cheated on me or had an emotional affair.

I thought I would wail in agony, consumed by unbearable pain.

Or perhaps I would turn away gracefully, never looking back.

But right now, I felt incredibly calm.

My chest felt heavy, like I couldn’t quite catch my breath.

Yet, I didn’t lose control, and I didn’t break down.

The chat history was long.

I continued scrolling back.

June 15, 13:27

Qingqing: “Sob, my face is having an allergic reaction.”

.: “What happened? Let me see.”

Qingqing: “No! I’m not showing you. I look hideous.”

.: “It’s fine. Take a photo and send it to me. I’ll ask around for you.”

Qingqing: “No, I won’t show you. Why do you always want to see my ugly photos? Do you just want to see them so you can dump me?”

Qingqing: “Do you not love me anymore?”

Qingqing: “Are you trying to abandon me again?”

Qingqing: “You said you would be with me forever.”

.: “My mistake. I won’t look. Don’t be angry. I’ll buy some allergy medication and mail it to you.”

I remembered that a week ago, Qi Mo had suddenly brought home two boxes of facial masks.

I found it strange-why would he suddenly buy masks?

He said, “Someone gave them to me.”

I was even more skeptical. “Who would give you masks? A man or a woman? And why?”

He stuffed the masks into my hands. “They gave them to me so my girlfriend could use them, obviously.”

He explained, “It’s a friend from a beauty salon I haven’t seen in a long time. She heard I was in a relationship and gave me two boxes, though I’m sure she’s just hoping I’ll bring her some business in the future.”

It was a plausible explanation, so I hadn’t dug any deeper.

Looking at it now, the masks were indeed a gift, but the reason was likely because he had bought something from her.

Qi Mo, just how many things have you lied to me about?

June 13, 20:27

Qingqing: “What are you doing? Why aren’t you answering your phone or replying to my messages? Where did you go? Do you have any idea how worried I am!”

Qingqing: “Qi Mo, I’m begging you, don’t disappear on me.”

.: “Sorry, company dinner. I’m drunk. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”

June 13th. I remembered that day; there really was a company dinner.

Because the June sales figures were great, everyone was in high spirits.

Especially Qi Mo.

He accepted almost every toast offered to him.

By the time the party ended, he was dead to the world.

It took me and several other colleagues a great deal of effort just to get him back home.

I was panting from the exertion.

The bedroom was thick with the smell of alcohol, so I opened the window to let some air in and brought over a basin of water to clean him up.

He woke up while I was washing his face.

He opened his bleary eyes and looked at me. Once he realized it was me, he suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me onto the bed.

He pulled me tight into his embrace.

He said, “Wife, I love you so much!”

I couldn’t handle it when he called me “wife.” Every time he did, it made my heart race.

That time was no different.

My heart felt like it had been dipped in honey, sweet and warm.

But I still broke free from his arms.

“Go to sleep first. I haven’t showered yet.”

He gave a soft “mm” and said petulantly, “Then hurry up. I can’t sleep without you.”

I carried the basin out, but before I left, I saw him pick up his phone, seemingly replying to someone’s message.

I said, “Stop looking at your phone and get some rest.”

He quickly put the phone down. “Okay, I’m done. I’m going to sleep.”

As he spoke, he even closed his eyes, looking incredibly well-behaved.

So, at that moment, he was actually replying to Xia Qing’s message?

How ironic. What I thought was a moment of pure bliss was actually just him being two-faced.

I scrolled the chat history all the way back to the very beginning.

May 9, 23:47

Qingqing: “Can we start over? I was wrong before. I’ll change. Please don’t leave me.”

Qi Mo replied to her: “Okay.”