The bar.
The music was deafening, the lights were flashing, and in this colorful chaos, countless lonely souls, emboldened by alcohol, poured their bitterness into ear - splitting screams.
On the second - floor booth, there were already a scattered array of wine glasses on the table.
Zhu Zhiyao and Nangong Qi were sitting there, playing finger - guessing games and drinking. Qin Chengyao sat alone on the other side, looking at the English ingredient list and expiration date on the beer bottle under the blinding lights.
Even imported beer that could numb people had an expiration date. He should have known long ago that everything in the world had one.
Including his love for Ji Siyue, which had already unilaterally expired.
"I want to get married," he suddenly said.
This sentence made the two people across from him fall silent instantly.
"To whom?"
For Zhu Zhiyao to ask this question when Qin Chengyao already had a fiancée was evidence enough of how entangled Qin Chengyao seemed to others.
They never doubted Qin Chengyao's love for Ji Siyue, but they also wondered if he would finally submit to reality.
"What do you think?" Qin Chengyao asked with a smile.
Nangong Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that Ji Siyue is back. So, the figure we saw at the airport that day was really her."
"Yeah, we thought we were seeing things. Her back looked so mature, as if she had grown a lot."
"You thought I would marry Ji Siyue, didn't you?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Qin Chengyao's smile.
"You thought so too, didn't you?" Nangong Qi stopped smiling.
Qin Chengyao fell silent. Finally, he downed a whole bottle of beer in one gulp and said, "Ji Siyue has no heart."
"So you're going to marry Liu Xuejiao?" Zhu Zhiyao stood up abruptly. "Are you being responsible to yourself? To Liu Xuejiao? To Ji Siyue?"
"She doesn't need me anymore." Recalling the recording he heard a few days ago, Qin Chengyao felt as if his heart had been hollowed out, bleeding and aching terribly.
...
Ji Siyue had been running between the hospital and the company for several days. Sometimes, when she was too tired, she would just sleep in the hospital and go straight to work the next day.
Despite the exhaustion, at least her body was feeling better, and she stopped vomiting.
After finishing work for the day, Ji Siyue went to the hospital. But as she rounded a corner, she bumped into someone.
The woman was pregnant, holding a thick stack of medical test reports. She was knocked back a couple of steps.
Ji Siyue's heart clenched. She quickly stepped forward to steady the woman.
"I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Do you feel any discomfort? Should we go for a check - up now..."
Ji Siyue's words were abruptly cut off by the woman's call.
"Siyue? Is that you?"
In her panic, Ji Siyue hadn't looked at the woman's face, only at her belly. Now, when she did, she realized it was an old acquaintance.
In the hospital ward, Ji Siyue helped her onto the hospital bed, looking a bit flustered.
"Long time no see, Siyue. You finally decided to come back?"
In response to her greeting, Ji Siyue could only force a bitter smile.
"Yeah, I've been back for a while, but I just never had the courage to look you up." Ji Siyue's gaze fell on her belly. "Your belly..."
"I'm five months pregnant. I'm too thin and malnourished, so I'm here to check my various indicators."
"What about Bai Yu?"
"Bai Yu?" She let out a laugh. "You don't think I'm still with Bai Yu, do you? We broke up."
Ji Siyue was stunned.
"Broke up? You actually broke up with Bai Yu?"
"Do you think that just because I'm pregnant, the baby can only be Bai Yu's?" Jin Zhiyan laughed. Just like two years ago, her smile was gentle yet restrained.
"Then whose baby is it..."
"It's Bai Yu's, but he doesn't know."
After a series of questions from Ji Siyue, Jin Zhiyan finally told the truth.
It turned out that six months ago, Bai Yu's father was arrested for corruption and sent to prison. The Bai family fell apart, and Bai Yu broke up with Jin Zhiyan and went abroad alone. By that time, Jin Zhiyan had already found out she was pregnant. She didn't even have the chance to tell Bai Yu before he left. Even the words "Let's break up" were relayed by someone else.
"You guys, always running abroad at the first sign of trouble. You're such cowards," Jin Zhiyan said with a sweet smile. Just like before, she could scold without blushing, but Ji Siyue felt that something about her had changed completely.
"How are you doing now?"
"Once the powerful fall, everyone turns against them. My family isn't doing any better. Later, I found out that the reason our family business could grow was because Bai Yu's father was secretly helping. Now it's all gone. My dad was so angry that he ended up in the hospital, and my mom ran away. I've been taking care of my dad while working."
"So that's why you're malnourished?" Ji Siyue felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart. It ached terribly, and she could hardly breathe.
Jin Zhiyan was amused. "Who said I'm malnourished because I'm hungry? I just can't eat because I'm so worried."
"If..." Ji Siyue felt a bit embarrassed. "If you don't mind, you can come to my company."
"No thanks, CEO Ji. You even come to the hospital to work overtime. It's obvious how exploitative your company is!" Jin Zhiyan took out her phone and asked Ji Siyue to enter her current contact information. "Let's keep in touch. I'll be leaving now. Also, I earn tens of thousands a month. Don't worry, good sister."
Jin Zhiyan left.
Although her belly was getting bigger and she had to support her lower back as she walked, from her slender back, one could still see the proud Jin Zhiyan of old.
Looking at Jin Zhiyan from an outsider's perspective, Ji Siyue thought she had enough courage and strength to get through the difficult times with Bai Yu, but Bai Yu had been the first to run away.
Reflecting on her own relationship with Qin Chengyao, did others see her in the same way?
The so - called saying that those involved are often blind while onlookers see clearly might be true.
Ji Siyue, Ji Siyue... It's time to wake up.
Ji Siyue took out her phone, downloaded Weibo, and logged into her account that she hadn't used for over two years.
There were still 99+ notifications. Ji Siyue checked the private messages, mentions, and comments one by one. Her popularity had gradually faded, and now, only a few regular people sent her messages every day.
Most of the messages were: Are you back?
One person in particular made Ji Siyue burst into tears instantly.
The user named "Wasp" sent a message to her "Jiyueji" every day, with only one sentence.
[When will you come back?]