After college, Zhao Dan had taken a job in Beijing, so they didn’t see each other often. Still, they had always stayed in touch.

"Sister Dan."

Chen Jingjia composed herself and answered the phone.

"I’ll give you a chance. Guess where I am."

"Where?"

Chen Jingjia suddenly remembered that when they were chatting a while ago, Zhao Dan had mentioned she was transferring to the Zhonghai Headquarters for work.

’Could it be...?’

"You’re not back already, are you?"

"Smart."

"When did you get in? I’ll come pick you up."

"No need to pick me up. I’m right at the entrance of Century Triumph. There’s a decent barbecue place here. Let’s have lunch here, and then we can go out for drinks tonight."

"Okay, I’m on my way."

After hanging up, Chen Jingjia used her phone’s camera to check her makeup. Seeing that everything was fine, she got ready to meet her.

Her good friend was back, which should have been a happy occasion, but Chen Jingjia couldn’t bring herself to feel happy.

Her mind was filled with Lin Jiang.

’Why was I in such a hurry to divorce him? If I had just been a little more patient, if I’d waited just a little longer, would things be different now?’

’Maybe last night, the one in C2401 should have been me.’

’But I still have a chance. We’re in the cooling-off period for the divorce, so we’re not officially divorced yet.’

’Even if those two women I saw have slept with him, it doesn’t matter.’

’Playing around once in a while isn’t a big deal.’

At this thought, a surge of resentment welled up inside Chen Jingjia.

’If I hadn’t listened to Xu Lili back then, I wouldn’t have made those demands at the wedding.’

’Things might have been unpleasant, but the wedding probably would have gone ahead, and we’d still be married right now.’

’But there are no ’what ifs’ in this world.’

’Now, it’s all ruined.’

’My wonderful life... all ruined at her hands.’

Chen Jingjia was beyond tears. ’Why did I listen to her?!’

’If I had just been a little more assertive, I’d be a rich man’s wife living in Century Triumph now, moving in high society every day!’

Before she knew it, Chen Jingjia had arrived at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant.

"Jiajia, I’m over here."

The restaurant wasn’t crowded, so Chen Jingjia would have spotted her at a glance even if Zhao Dan hadn’t called out.

Zhao Dan was dressed elegantly. She had short, chestnut-colored hair and wore a form-fitting black knit top that perfectly accentuated her bust.

"When did you get here? Why didn’t you call ahead? I could have picked you up," Chen Jingjia said after sitting down.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you. I also called Lili. She was nearby, so she’ll be here soon."

Hearing Zhao Dan mention Xu Lili, Chen Jingjia couldn’t help but frown. Her mood, which had just started to improve, sank again.

Xu Lili was the last person she wanted to see right now. But with Zhao Dan back, and since she was the one who’d invited her, Chen Jingjia couldn’t spoil the mood.

"Alright, let’s order first. And don’t you argue with me—this one’s on me."

"No way. This is my turf; I can’t let you pay. This meal is on me."

"Alright, fine. I’ll be living in Zhonghai permanently now anyway, so there’ll be plenty of chances for me to treat. I won’t argue with you this time."

Zhao Dan wasn’t the fussy type, and given their years of friendship, she didn’t sweat the small stuff and started ordering.

After they finished ordering, the two began to chat.

"So? You’ve been working here for a while now. This place is full of luxury homes. Met any handsome and loaded trust-fund kids?" Zhao Dan teased.

"Forget trust-fund kids. I barely even see any rich old men," Chen Jingjia grumbled.

"These rich people never show their faces around the property. It’s hard to catch a glimpse of them."

"That’s normal. They drive in and out through the underground parking garage, so of course you’re not going to see them," Zhao Dan said.

"Besides, these rich people are often on business trips, so they’re even less likely to be home."

"So, yeah, it’s really hard to run into any of them."

Chen Jingjia sounded listless. Her mind drifted back to Lin Jiang, and she couldn’t help but sigh wistfully.

Before long, the food started to arrive dish by dish.

Xu Lili, bag in hand, arrived fashionably late and sat down next to Chen Jingjia.

"You two are fast. You’ve already ordered everything."

Chen Jingjia frowned imperceptibly and shifted slightly to the side, putting a bit of distance between herself and Xu Lili. Neither of the other two noticed the movement.

"People who arrive late don’t get to order. You can just shut up and eat."

"Don’t worry, I won’t be shy."

Zhao Dan had been working in Beijing before, and the three of them hadn’t seen each other for over half a year, so naturally they had a lot to talk about.

But it was mostly Zhao Dan and Xu Lili talking, with Chen Jingjia only chiming in occasionally.

As they chatted, the other two also noticed that something was off with Chen Jingjia.

"What’s wrong, Jiajia? You seem so down. Don’t tell me you’re not happy I’m back working here," Zhao Dan teased.

"Of course not! Let’s toast to that."

"You can’t fool me. Something’s definitely off with you. It’s not because of the divorce, is it? You’re not still hung up on it, are you?" Zhao Dan teased.

She knew very well that Chen Jingjia didn’t want to marry Lin Jiang.

"You’re worrying for nothing. Jiajia didn’t want to marry him in the first place. Besides, she just got a promotion. She’s the head of property management at Century Triumph, surrounded by rich people. The divorce doesn’t affect her at all," Xu Lili said.

"Can you just stop talking?"

Chen Jingjia suddenly raised her voice. She tried to suppress her emotions, but after hearing what Xu Lili said, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

’If she hadn’t persuaded me back then, the outcome might have been different.’