He Yuanyuan had been with that rich second-generation heir for over half a year, and she really did enjoy quite a lot during that time.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last. The rich kid never planned to keep He Yuanyuan long-term. After half a year he got tired of her and just went and found some Z‑list starlet to keep instead.

He Yuanyuan cried and made a scene, but it was useless.

Her job had been arranged by that rich kid; because she made too much of a fuss, he directly had someone fire her.

Now He Yuanyuan was looking for work everywhere.

"Next, He Yuanyuan."

He Yuanyuan went in with her résumé. The interviewer’s impression of her was pretty good; when she came out, she finally let out a breath of relief.

He Yuanyuan walked to the elevator. The doors opened, and inside stood a group of people in suits. The man standing in the very middle made her freeze.

Gao Teng also froze when he saw a familiar face.

Gao Teng had strictly followed Chuzheng’s words and hadn’t paid any attention to He Yuanyuan, so after that time, he never saw her again.

Sometimes he would wonder what he’d feel if he saw He Yuanyuan again.

Now, seeing her so suddenly, Gao Teng felt very calm inside.

"President Gao?"

Someone behind him called out.

Gao Teng snapped back, stepped out of the elevator, gave He Yuanyuan a slight nod, and left calmly.

Someone glanced at He Yuanyuan curiously, probably wondering why Gao Teng would greet her.

And the person next to Gao Teng had already smoothly started reporting the latest project progress to him.

It took He Yuanyuan quite a while to come back to her senses. She grabbed a nearby employee. "Who was that man just now?"

"Oh, that’s our project department’s President Gao."

"Is his name Gao Teng?"

"Yeah."

So she hadn’t mistaken him. It really was Gao Teng.

But the Gao Teng now was almost unrecognizable to her—more confident than before, more handsome than before...

-

He Yuanyuan did get the offer in the end. With a nervous heart she went to work, thinking she’d be able to run into Gao Teng.

Unfortunately, Gao Teng wasn’t that free; you couldn’t see him just whenever.

But quite a few people in the company were secretly gossiping about him.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" He Yuanyuan asked casually.

"No, President Gao is single." The female employee who answered paused. "But I heard there’s someone chasing him. She drives a Rolls-Royce."

"Isn’t our boss’s daughter into President Gao too?"

"She is?"

"Of course. She runs to the project department every few days. Isn’t it all for President Gao?"

He Yuanyuan felt a chill in her heart.

It was like something that belonged to her had been snatched away.

That man used to be hers...

He Yuanyuan found out Gao Teng’s schedule and finally managed to wait for him.

"Gao Teng." He Yuanyuan called out to him.

Gao Teng’s hand paused on the car door. He followed the voice and looked over.

He Yuanyuan was clearly dressed up carefully today, in a pure white long dress, looking almost exactly like when she and Gao Teng had first gotten together...

"Gao Teng, you... long time no see." He Yuanyuan walked over.

"Mm." Gao Teng’s reaction was very flat. "Long time no see."

This wasn’t the reaction He Yuanyuan had expected. That day when they first ran into each other, she’d thought it was because there were people around that he couldn’t show anything.

But it’d been so many days, and he still hadn’t made any move to contact her.

Now that she’d come to him on her own, he was still this indifferent... Was this really the man who’d loved her for five or six years?

"Can we have a meal together sometime?"

Gao Teng said politely, but distant, "I have a meeting later. Sorry."

"..."

"Then when are you free..."

"We’ve been broken up for a long time. There’s no need for us to have a meal together." Gao Teng cut her off.

He Yuanyuan’s expression was a bit awkward. "So we broke up and we can’t even be friends?"

Gao Teng said, "If I can still be friends with you, that would mean I never really loved you before."

Hearing that, a flicker of joy rose in He Yuanyuan’s heart. She stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. "Gao Teng, I was wrong before. Please forgive me, okay? Let’s get back together, alright? You still love me, don’t you?"

Gao Teng pushed her hand away. "I did love you. The time we were together is my most beautiful memory. But... I don’t love you anymore. I have my own life now."

Once, he’d thought he’d never be able to say those words.

But when the time came, they came out naturally.

Time really can wash everything away...

"Gao Teng, how can you not love me anymore? You once said you’d only love me in this life."

"If you hadn’t betrayed me, I really would’ve only loved one person."

"I know I was wrong. Gao Teng, give me one more chance, okay?"

Gao Teng shook his head. They didn’t have a chance anymore.

A car pulled up beside them. Not wanting to tangle with her any further, he opened his car door to leave.

But that car suddenly stopped next to them, the window rolled down, and Chuzheng’s face appeared. "Gao Teng."

"Miss Chuzheng?"

"I’m here to collect..."

Chuzheng saw He Yuanyuan, who’d been blocked from her view just now. Her tone paused slightly, and she didn’t finish the sentence.

Gao Teng understood what she meant, said a couple of words to He Yuanyuan, then got into Chuzheng’s car.

Watching Chuzheng’s face, He Yuanyuan’s expression went stiff and embarrassed. So this was why Gao Teng refused to take her back now?

But that face left her with no courage to go after them at all.

Too beautiful...

She felt as if she’d lost something important forever, something she could never get back.

-

"How do you feel?"

Gao Teng gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I always thought that when I stood in front of her again, I’d feel the thrill of revenge. But seeing her like that, I just felt it was a bit pathetic."

If he were just an ordinary office worker, would He Yuanyuan have come to get back together with him?

Gao Teng didn’t know, and didn’t want to know.

Not wanting to stay on this topic, he changed it. "Miss Chuzheng, what remuneration do you want?"

At that question, he felt a little nervous.

Back then, Chuzheng had said the payment would definitely be something he could afford, but she hadn’t said what it was.

Chuzheng pulled out a photo from the side.

The photo showed a jade bracelet that looked somewhat old.

"This... was left to me by my mom. She said it’d be passed on to my wife in the future."

"Mm. Now I want it."

Gao Teng: "..."

It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to part with it, but it was, after all, something his mother had left behind.

He took a slight deep breath. "Then could I trouble you, Miss Chuzheng, to take me home once? I’ll get it for you."

-

After handing it over to Chuzheng, Gao Teng got a call from his two buddies to go out for dinner, so he hitched another ride in her car.

Since it was on her way, Chuzheng didn’t turn him down.

"Would you like to join us, Miss Chuzheng?"

"No. My little one is still waiting for me at home."

Little one... that delicate-looking teenager?

"Then I’ll go first. When I have time, I’ll treat you and your boyfriend to a meal."

Chuzheng didn’t say yes or no. Only after he got out did she mutter, "It’s not like you can find me anyway."

Gao Teng got out and headed straight for the arranged place.

His two buddies were already there; when they saw him, they immediately waved.

"Teng-ge."

"Yo, Teng-ge, you haven’t been around for a while—you’re looking more sharp than ever!"

"Get lost."

Gao Teng was pretty busy now. He didn’t get to see them much, just met up once in a while.

After the three of them had been drinking for a bit, Gao Teng dropped a bomb.

"I ran into He Yuanyuan."