Chapter 1

At my boyfriend’s birthday party, his old flame, Ji Tangli, came at me guns blazing.

“Zhixia,” she said, “how come there isn’t a single photo of you on Cheng Yedu’s social media?”

“Anyone who didn’t know would think he was single.”

I put on a tragic smile, the picture of unrequited love.

“Maybe he just doesn’t like me that much.”

The mood at the table froze. One of Cheng Yedu’s friends tried to smooth things over.

“No way, he cares about you the most. He was just asking us what to get you for your birthday.”

I blinked. “Really? But my birthday was the day before yesterday. He forgot.”

Cheng Yedu’s face darkened.

“I got you a gift later, didn’t I?” he snapped.

“And I’ve told you about the social media thing. I have too many random people on there. There’s no need to broadcast my private life to outsiders.”

“But I remember in high school, he loved posting pictures of his girlfriend,” Ji Tangli chimed in.

Cheng Yedu retorted, “I was immature then. I grew up.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice dripping with insinuation. “I just thought it meant relationships aren’t as intense when you’re older.”

Their back-and-forth was charged. It looked like a confrontation, but beneath it was a tense, flirtatious energy. And to think everyone at the table had been hiding this from me all night.

Now, even a blind person could see they had a history.

Bringing his current girlfriend, who supposedly adored him, to meet his ex-girlfriend, who was clearly still in love with him, on his birthday.

Classic Cheng Yedu.

Ji Tangli glanced at me.

“Zhixia, if he made excuses like that to me, I’d be furious. Why don’t you put him in his place?”

I just smiled pleasantly and pulled out my phone, showing my social media feed to Ji Tangli.

“See? Cheng Yedu has posted a photo of us together.”

“A lot of people here even liked it. I guess he must have hidden this post from you.”

I leaned in conspiratorially.

“You’re probably just one of the girls he’s keeping on the hook.”

Ji Tangli was speechless.

Cheng Yedu exploded.

“Lin Zhixia, have you had enough?”

I looked at him, my voice trembling with manufactured hurt.

“Don’t yell at me… I was just telling the truth…”