The past four or five months had felt like an utterly insane dream.
Now the dream was over, and life had to go on.
Shen Yuan’s life slowly returned to normal.
It was as if the world around him had suddenly gone quiet, the chaos fading away, leaving his mind and body in peaceful calm. Maybe it had been a mistake to get involved with Qiao Hailou in the first place, and now that he was back on the right track, everything was finally as it should be.
That weekend, Shen Yuan returned to the Li household as he had before meeting Qiao Hailou, spending time with his family. This time, Aunt Hui was also there.
Lin Zhihui was from the north and was skilled in all kinds of noodle dishes. She’d brought ingredients to make sauerkraut beef and celery beef dumplings, rolling the dough and shaping the wrappers herself.
So today, Aunt Zhang took a break from cooking, and the whole family gathered around the table to make dumplings together.
Shen Yuan quietly observed his uncle. Uncle’s careful, patient approach to cooking reminded him of Qiao Hailou, who was rough and careless in the kitchen—pouring oil into a wet pan and wondering why it splashed everywhere. He remembered asking Qiao Hailou what he usually ate when he didn’t ask the maids to cook, and Qiao Hailou had opened a freezer full of Western convenience meals—just pop them in the microwave for two minutes and dinner was done.
Shen Yuan had laughed at Qiao Hailou, calling it “pig food,” to which Qiao Hailou, teasing, had lifted his shirt and grinned: “Do pigs have eight-pack abs?”
Thinking about him, Shen Yuan felt a wave of dizziness and shook his head, shoving Qiao Hailou’s image out of his mind. Why dwell on someone so disappointing?
He forced himself to engage with everyone at the table. He didn’t want anyone to see how down and disheveled he really felt—especially not the people at the table.
His uncle, of course, must never know about the mess with Qiao Hailou. Luckily, he had already broken up before his uncle found out. His younger brother had learned about it just three days ago, and he probably never imagined that after wishing them apart, they would actually split that same day! If Xiaolin found out this quickly, it would be mortifying. It was better to let him learn gradually.
As for Aunt Hui… she had been aware of Shen Yuan’s relationship with Qiao Hailou and had kindly advised him. Back then, he hadn’t listened. Thinking about it now, he felt guilty for not taking her advice seriously.
After the meal, Lin Zhihui gently asked, “Do you want to take a walk in the backyard?”
Li Lin quickly chimed in, “I’ll go too!”
Lin Zhihui softly refused him. “I have something private to discuss with your brother. Maybe next time, alright?”
Li Chen assumed it was about some design work for a production, so he stopped Li Lin. “Don’t bother. Whatever your brother is doing, you don’t need to interfere. Go back to your room and do your homework.”
Shen Yuan watched Li Lin retreat, feeling strangely envious. Uncle could scold him, but Uncle had always been too nice to him. Always praising him: “Ah Ben, you did well,” “You’re such an easy child,” “If Xiaolin were even half as obedient as you, I’d be relieved.” It was good… but too good. It made him feel distant. Being a stepson, and his late wife’s child, Uncle had never spoken a harsh word to him. Nothing like Qiao Hailou, who constantly teased him, trying to make him mad just for fun.
…Wait. Why was he thinking about Qiao Hailou again? Shen Yuan sighed inwardly.
Thinking Lin Zhihui wanted to discuss work, he obediently followed her. They walked to the outdoor wrought-iron swing, and she gestured for him to sit.
“You seem unhappy today,” she said softly. “But you’re forcing a smile. Is there something sad you can’t share in front of your uncle and brother?”
Shen Yuan froze. How had she noticed? He thought he’d concealed it well—laughing, talking constantly, even telling jokes to amuse his uncle.
Lin Zhihui, sensing his confusion, sighed. “Your smile is stiff at the corners of your mouth.”
She probably already had a good idea why. His studies were fine, no family troubles… it had to be love, probably some conflict with Qiao Hailou.
“You don’t have to tell me,” she said, “I know. I’m an outsider, not entitled to pry.”
“Maybe you won’t believe me, but honestly… from the first time I saw you, I felt we’d get along. I just… worried about you a little.”
Shen Yuan quickly replied, “I-I’m not doubting you, it’s just…”
His voice trailed off, softer and softer, a touch of genuine sadness creeping in.
He had always tried to live up to expectations. His uncle saw him as obedient, so he had to be obedient. His brother saw him as capable, so he had to be strong, never weak or lazy, always a model elder brother. Any troubles or heartbreak, he kept to himself to maintain the perfect image of the Li family stepson.
Breaking up with Qiao Hailou had been silently agonizing for days. He’d been bottling it up, and now someone had touched the right spot.
He felt Aunt Hui was someone he could confide in. Gentle, kind… like a mother.
“Aunt Hui…” Shen Yuan choked on the words. Just saying her name, his cheeks were wet with tears.
He didn’t understand it. Leaving Qiao Hailou’s house, he hadn’t cried. Seeing Qiao Hailou again, he hadn’t cried. Now, nothing had happened, yet the tears just poured.
Lin Zhihui handed him a tissue, patting his back. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Cry. It’s natural when your feelings run deep. Even for a boy, crying is nothing to be ashamed of…”
Shen Yuan cried for over ten minutes, finally blurting it all out. “I… I broke up with him.”
Lin Zhihui nodded knowingly.
Shen Yuan continued through his tears, “I knew he wasn’t a good person… I thought I didn’t really like him…”
“Mm-hmm.”
“He actually told me… I had to be with him for ten years. If after ten years he still liked me, then he’d marry me. I… I just couldn’t bear it.”
Lin Zhihui paused. “…Good, that’s a proper breakup.”
Shen Yuan asked through his tears, “Am I… so pathetic?”
Lin Zhihui shook her head. “Not you. He’s the pathetic one. You’re young, innocent, and he tricked you. From now on, stay away from people like him.”
Shen Yuan thought a moment. “You can say that in front of me, but you still have business with Qiao Hailou… don’t let me cause trouble for your work.”
She smiled. “Don’t worry about that. Even if I don’t work with Cui Can, it’s fine. I work hard so the people I care about can live well. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself for someone like him.”
She patted his head. “If you ever have sad things to say and trust me, just tell me. I’ll always listen.”
From that day on, Shen Yuan’s affection and trust for Aunt Hui skyrocketed. He finally had someone to confide in. He poured out everything about Qiao Hailou, talking to her every day—not for advice, just to get it off his chest. She was gentle, understanding, and on his side.
“I… I never asked him for money. I even gave him 800 yuan,” he said, feeling wronged.
Lin Zhihui comforted him: “Well, at least you got something from him. You said Director Lan taught you a lot, right? Knowledge is priceless, worth more than 800 yuan. Do you think just paying 800 yuan would make him take you as a student? Of course not. You still gained something valuable.”
Shen Yuan considered this, realizing it made sense.
Lin Zhihui continued: “And he introduced you to influential people, right? That’s another benefit. Connections are money these days.”
Shen Yuan nodded again.
She smiled, encouraging him: “Work hard. One day, run your own studio, make a jewelry company, become amazing, make him regret it all.”
Shen Yuan laughed. “That seems unlikely, haha.”
Lin Zhihui said: “Don’t lose ambition. You’re young, full of possibilities. Who knows what might happen? I never imagined I’d become an actor, then run my own studio. You never know. At least give it a try, right?”
Her words ignited a fire in him. He wanted to build something impressive immediately to show that Qiao Hailou couldn’t look down on him. But some things take time; it would have to be planned carefully.
In short, Shen Yuan began to pull himself together.
That day after school, on his way home, he ran into Wang Ziqin.
Wang Ziqin had been waiting for days. He hadn’t planned it like this—he’d expected Shen Yuan to be heartbroken, maybe drinking away his sorrows, and then he’d swoop in to comfort him, naturally gaining favor.
But after observing him for so long, even hiring Shen Yuan’s classmates to watch him, he’d seen nothing unusual. Shen Yuan continued classes, submitted perfect homework, went to the market after school to buy ingredients, cooked at home, and didn’t even visit a bar.
Wang Ziqin even wondered if he’d imagined the breakup. But Qiao Hailou hadn’t appeared, Shen Yuan hadn’t gone to him… they were really over. Wang Ziqin could no longer wait and decided to take action.
Suddenly, he jumped out from the roadside, nearly giving Shen Yuan a fright. “Where did you come from? You scared me!”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Wang Ziqin said.
“What for?” Shen Yuan asked coldly.
He hesitated. “I… I thought you might be sad lately, and I wanted to comfort you…”
Shen Yuan’s expression hardened. “What do I have to be sad about?”
Wang Ziqin blurted out, “You… you broke up with Qiao Hailou, right?”
Shen Yuan’s face changed. “How do you…!”
He stopped mid-sentence, not because Wang Ziqin knew about the breakup, but because he noticed a familiar car parked nearby—Qiao Hailou’s car. The engine was still running; someone was inside.
Shen Yuan’s eyes flicked to Wang Ziqin. He gave him a sly, mischievous smile. “Well, Wang Shao, I’m in a good mood today. I’ll buy you a drink.”
Wang Ziqin, completely caught off guard, was overjoyed. “Ah?”
Shen Yuan grinned. “Not going?”
“G-go, go, go!” Wang Ziqin stammered.
Linking arms, Shen Yuan led him down the street, deliberately striding past Qiao Hailou’s car.
In a fit of stubborn pride, he thought: What’s Qiao Hailou anyway? Did he really think that just because I left him, I couldn’t find someone else?